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
Way to go Hillary!!!!!
Fight all you can and we support you..
You know why?
Because we will never, ever, ever vote for a small time thug like Obama!
You are all fools!
Sorry but it's over HIlary .. for the love of the democratic party ..... concede ....
and rally around Obama ............... it's clearly evident she is not in the race for the good for the party but for personal reasons ............
Hilary supporters ......................... THINK ABOUT THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Quoted by Concern Democrats "Those democrats that feel the need to support McCain are only hurting themselves. If Obama lose, he'll go back to the senate and he'll be alright. However, will you be OK with a failing economy, a continue war in Iraq, health care unresolved, conservative justices, etc…"
LETS ALL UNITE & STOP THIS BITTERNESS ....!!!!
Hillary 08!!!
Of course she is sucking up to him. How conveniently she forgets that she signed off on the DNC rules NOT to countr Fla. and Mi. Now that shee needs them, she is pandering the DNS. Is there anyone she will not pander to. She is such a low life, and I am female and white!
Hillary Clinton is hanging on by her finger nails. There comes a time when one must accept reality, regardless how much fight is in us.
This is not a good luck for her.
Her strategy is more along the lines to wait for an Obama bombshell in hopes to turn his supporters over to her... or McCain.
Obama is the man for this day and time. The old politics are not longer benefiting the younger generation.
Step off please Hillary......Give it up ALREADY!!!! They can't follow rules just like you and Bill!!!!!!!
I'm sick of seeing people say, "If not Hillary – I will vote for McCAIN!!!!"
What's wrong with you people?
Gas prices not high enough for you?
Not enough kids getting blown to pieces in Iraq for you?
Not enough conservative judges on the supreme court for you?
You know, the next president will appoint at least two judges. If McCain is the president, you can say goodbye to Roe v. Wade.
Is that what you want?
Stop being stupid, all of you.
Gimmicks! Oh boy! That's what Clintons like best!
Don't you Obama supporters like the people in Florida?
I certainly hope Mr. Obama does not fall for this.
Florida and Michigan can not be ignored.
The incredible irrational aggressiveness of the Obama supporters is giving us a glimpse of what an Obama administration would be.
Hillary aka Black Knight in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, has only one leg to stand on.
I'm sure he can – and should – work it out without her. She thinks she's the nominee ans is more presidential, etc. Hillary, work on a graceful exit, please!
Obama is NOT even ready to handle economic issues much less today's breaking news in Beirut. If he is elected we are all in for a rough ride. Hillary stands tall...Obama is propped up by his handlers. And we have no idea who they are.
Has anyone else notice that Clinton's superdelegate lead has dwindled down to only 8?!
Wooohoooooooooooooooo!!!!
Check the stats yourself!
It's time to pull this train out the station people!!!!
This is a joke. Hillary was only for counting votes when she realized she won and that she would need to count them to beat Obama. Obama has done nothing to prevent the votes from being counted. The DNC is responsible.
I'm from Flordia and I didnt vote because I KNEW THEY WOULDNT COUNT.
This is the first correspondance that she has ever made public. She is like please help me to help MI and Fl and if he says no she can come back with I told you he is not for you!! Dirty, old school politics @ its best.
The rules where broke, a lot of MI and Fl did not even vote because they knew thier leaders messed up. So if I ever go to jail I will say, "yes I know I broke the rules and yes I knew what the consiquenses would be when I did, but I deserve another chance" The judge would laugh me out of court. This is the same difference.
The state themselves violated the rules. When you violate a rule comes a penalty, they knew it and did it any way. So if any blame needs to be pionted at anyone blame the state party.
there is something fishy going on. Number crunchers will have to figure out why Hillary is so crazy about delegates from Fl ans MI. I suspect she has a deal with some supers who want her to be at the helm so they can pull her strings and continue to be super powerful . They just need some justification to crown her.
She is the best chameleon around ,
I suggest Hillary to re-start this game again and she can regiester as an Indenpend, then she can get the nominee!
Underhanded PR attempt to make Obama look bad. It actually has nothing to do about the votes and everything to do about making Obama look bad, esp to MI and FL voters who are already pissed off.
that woman have lost her mind, Obama is in total control
Hey Supers... Don't you see that this woman has lost ?
By the way, that was so crazy of her to call all the econmist and energy experts elitist when no one was really falling for her political ploy with gas holiday nonsense. She won;t even listen to experts ... how stubborn!
If that was so important, why did she stop talking about it as soon as the polls closed on Tuesday? Can you say .. "politics"
Give her a break
She needs to keep the campaign going long enough to pay off the bills, and to pay herself back. There is no way she iis not going to get "her" Money back. Once she has done this, she will call it off.
Hilary: Please ask yourself, if you were Obama, you would be your answer?? Face the reality and get out of the race gracefully - help yourself and your party please.