Clinton makes personal appeal to Obama on delegates
WASHINGTON (CNN) - Hillary Clinton made a personal appeal to Barack Obama Thursday to work with her to make sure Florida and Michigan Democrats votes are counted in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Clinton and Obama are at odds over how to deal with these two states, both of which broke Democratic National Committee rules that resulted in their loss of delegates. Clinton would benefit if Michigan and Florida delegates were allocated according to their January primary results. She made the appeal in a letter that was made public by her campaign.
(Full letter after the jump)
Full text
May 8, 2008
Senator Barack Obama
Obama for America
P.O. Box 8102
Chicago, IL 60680
Dear Senator Obama,
This has been an historic and exciting campaign. Millions of new voters have been brought into the process and their enthusiasm for the Democratic Party and the principles for which you and I have fought and continue to fight is unprecedented.
One of the foremost principles of our party is that citizens be allowed to vote and that those votes be counted. That principle is not currently being applied to the nearly 2.5 million people who voted in primaries in Florida and Michigan. Whoever emerges as the Democratic nominee will be hamstrung in the general election if a fair and quick resolution is not reached that ensures that the voices of these voters are heard. Our commitment now to this goal could be the difference between winning and losing in November.
I have consistently said that the votes cast in Florida and Michigan in January should be counted. We cannot ignore the fact that the people in those states took the time to be a part of this process and to make their preferences known. When efforts were untaken by leaders in those states to hold revotes to ensure that they had a voice in selecting our nominee, I supported those efforts. In Michigan, I supported a legislative effort to hold a revote that the Democratic National Committee said was in complete compliance with the party's rules. You did not support those efforts and your supporters in Michigan publically opposed them. In Florida a number of revote options were proposed. I am not aware of any that you supported. In 2000, the Republicans won an election by successfully opposing a fair counting of votes in Florida. As Democrats, we must reject any proposals that would do the same.
Your commitment to the voters of these states must be clearly stated and your support for a fair and quick resolution must be clearly demonstrated.
I am asking you to join me in working with representatives from Florida and Michigan and the Democratic National Committee to arrive at a solution that honors the votes of the millions of people who went to the polls in Florida and Michigan. It is not enough to simply seat their representatives at the convention in Denver. The people of these great states, like the people who have voted and are to vote in other states, must have a voice in selecting our party's nominee.
Sincerely,
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Oh please. He's got presidential campaign planning to do.
GET OUT NOW HILLARY!
Obama doesn't owe you nor MI and FL any thing!
They broke the rules! End of story!
Ha,ha,ha, I wonder what you will be doing when Obama becomes president 2009!
Go Obama!
Was it a political move, in desperation, to even make this letter public. Here we go !!!!
CERTIFIABLY CRAZY
WHERE ARE THE MEN IN THE WHITE COATS WITH A NET 🙂
Ok....who actually thinks Hillary wrote this herself???
Has the Gimmick Candidate announced she’s on her way to the planet Jupiter because the only way to the White House is through the planet Jupiter yet?
Hillary Clinton, the Gimmick Candidate
Bill and Hillary, The Gimmick Family
Do and Say Anything '08 !
In the enbd they will be counted. We are not a country of 48 States!
Sorry Obidiots!
Clinton 08!
she's firing her last shots... She's like a mortally wounded animal, gasping for air one or two final times...
This sounds less like a letter to Obama and more like a Letter to the Media to try to stir controversy and opinion against Obama.
Surprisingly she did not offer any compromise in her letter, nor solutions....
I say go for it, she will still be decisively behind. This pander is, however, quite funny. She only cares because she believes it may help some of the super delegates swing her way. If she were ahead, she would care less if they were counted or not. For the record, I do believe every voice should be heard, I am just pointing out her lack of geniuine concern for the people of those states.
Obama doesn't have a shot at beating John McCain b/c the white and Hispanic demographics in the swing states (like FL) heavily favor McCain
Has the Gimmick Candidate announced she will ask Obama to help her win the White House by 'letting' him work in her administration as the shoe shine boy yet?
Hillary Clinton, the Gimmick Candidate
Bill and Hillary, The Gimmick Family
Do and Say Anything '08 !
Is this appeal for real or for Hillary?
If she really cares about the Florida and Michigan delgates and not just her campaign she would agree to a 50/50 split. This way the delgates are seated but the votes (which could not be considered fair since neither party campaigned in Florida and Obama was not on the ballot in Michigan) will not have an unfair impact. In this case, Florida and Michigan are able to participate without avoiding the punishment of breaking the rules. Seems to work for everybody.
By the way–I am from Florida and most here really do not care one way or the other. This is more of a political issue than a real issue.
There's no reason for this, its more pandering.
Everyone knows where everyone stands and its in the DNC's hands not Obama's. Once the DNC comes up with their final recommendation then he (and she) should respond.
Desperadooooooooooooooooooo
Has the Gimmick Candidate announced she will ask Obama to help her win the White House by 'letting' him work in her administration as the shoe shine boy yet?
Hillary Clinton, the Gimmick Candidate
Bill and Hillary, The Gimmick Family
Do and Say Anything '08 !
actually she REJECTED Michigans plan to seat the delegates and in her letter she makes it plain as day, "I want the pop vote and nothing else matters, not even MI being seated."
Would this lady go and hide somewhere, why would Obama want her and Bill as VP's? for them to set him up to fail so that she can run for President in 12'.
Has the Gimmick Candidate announced she hired Superman to help turn back time because she hired MARK PENN who didn’t understand the primaries were not a ‘take all’ states primaries and they should start over yet?
Hillary Clinton, the Gimmick Candidate
Bill and Hillary, The Gimmick Family
Do and Say Anything '08 !
EVEN IF THE DELEGATES FROM FL AND MICHIGAN ARE SEATED - OBAMA STILL WINS.
Current counts:
Obama 1845 - Obama ahead
Clinton 1686
Add the Mich and FL delgates and you get
Obama 1976 Obama ahead by 100
Clinton 1876
Now - if the DNC does somehow come to an agreement on a revote – I'm sure you will see Obama's numbers rise anyway - he never campaigned in those states and was really an unknown quantity to many. Give him a chance to campaign - and if the past is indicative of the future – we will see Obama eat into Hillary's lead in those states anyway.
Sorry Hill - you fought a good fight, but time to throw in the towel.
By hook or by crook, I demand to be President, whatever it takes. She makes me sick. OBAMA 08, NO MORE CLINTONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
There is no way Obama will agree to that..he has too much to lose..He's just lucky that he's under DNC rules..If all things were equal and the rules were the same as the Republicans, we wouldn't be discussing this because Clinton would already be the nominee..
OK Split them 50:50 if she really cares about Florida and Michigan. Lets not forget that she agreed by the party rules when she thought she was winning. Why didn't she show this concern initially?
Disgusting......this woman is as low as you can get.
No character, no nobility, not what is best for her party or the country.
ITS ALL ABOUT HILLARY! I am ashamed she is of my gender.
She proves maturity in itself does not create wisdom.
A white grandma that can see past race
You have lost Hillary, get over it! It's done. I agree we do need to seat those delegates, but not according to YOUR rules. I have to give it to you, your political pandering is superior to anyone I have seen, however let's stick to the facts. Attack the respective state's leadership. They are the ones to blame. They moved up the primaries when they were REPEATED told not to. You were fine with these rules until you LOST. Please for the love of the country, accept this. I have full confidence that the DNC will find a way to seat the delegates. But this postering in the public to TRY and make yourself look good is failing big time.