Pelosi prepared to 'step in' to end race
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/05/29/art.pelosi.gi.jpg caption="Pelosi says she is prepared to 'step in.'"](CNN) - Hillary Clinton has hinted that she is prepared to take her fight to fully seat Florida and Michigan all the way to the party's convention in late August, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says that's not going to happen.
In an interview with her hometown newspaper, the San Francisco Chronicle, the California Democrat said she is prepared to "step in" if the presidential race does not resolve itself by the end of next month.
"I will step in," Pelosi told the paper. "Because we cannot take this fight to the convention…It must be over before then."
Pelosi, who will serve as chair of the convention, has largely stayed on the sidelines during her party's prolonged primary race. But the House Speaker has said Democratic superdelegates should not overturn the pledged delegate winner, and has warned of irreparable harm if they do so. Barack Obama officially won the majority of pledged delegates in last Tuesday's primary contests, though it's been clear for several weeks Clinton could not overtake him in that category.
Pelosi also indicated she opposes the Clinton campaign's desire that both Florida and Michigan's delegations be fully seated at the convention. The party stripped both states of their entire delegations last year after they moved their presidential primaries ahead in the nominating calendar.
Pelosi said she agreed the two states should be seated in some way, but said only "in a way that is not destructive to any sense of order in the party."
"If you have no order and no discipline in terms of party rules, people will be having their primary in the year before the presidential election," she said. "So there has to be some penalty."
The Democratic National Committee's Rules and Bylaws Committee meets Saturday in Washington to consider exactly how to seat both states. It's likely the committee will vote to meet the rule-breaking states halfway - a move that will help Clinton close the delegate gap with Obama but not overtake him.
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The Michigan and Florida delegates should be split. It doesn't matter that it doesn't help Clinton. You cannot break the rules. she should not get any more votes thatn Obama. That would be unfair.
It's pretty sad to sit here and read the comments of people who KNOW that even though Florida and Michigan didn't follow the rules, you don't feel they should be penalized for it. I see why you support Hillary. You're no better than she is! If things don't go your way then you want to change the game. Then you say you won't support Obama if Hillary doesn't win. So, just because things don't turn out the way you want them to you'll vote to continue pouring money into a useless war, and seeing our young people die for Bush's foolishness. I don't get it. Some of you sound worse than my 3 year old when he can't have his way. GROW UP!!!! It's time to think of what's best for the party AS A WHOLE! This is no time to be selfish. I'm an Obama supporter, but if by some miracle Hillary does win, I'm going to support THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY – not just the individual.
And upon what authority does she intend to do this? As Queen Bee of DC?
Sorry, Nancy, you are out of your league on this one. You may be speaker of the house, but you have no authority to take any such action in regard to the nomination process of a political party.
Too little....too late!! Pelosi's jealousy and spiteful vitriol show every time she opens her mouth. She can't control congress to accomplish anything, how does she expect to control Clinton, who has every right to fight on as long as she wishes or has money for...or would Pelosi strip her of her democratic right to do just that.
PELOSI STAY OUT OF IT!! LET IT GO TO THE CONVENTION ISN'T THAT WHAT DEMOCRACY IS ALL ABOUT? INSTEAD HOW ABOUT DOING YOUR JOB FOR A CHANGE, SO FAR YOU HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY INEFFECTIVE. I HAVE YET TO SEE ANY OF YOUR SO CALLED LEADERSHIP EFFECT ANY POSITIVE CHANGE FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. LET THE PEOPLE VOTE.
Well, well, well, Nancy. Coming from someone whose approval ratings are WORSE than Bush's, you're going to exert your power now and try to thwart the democratic process? Go right ahead and try because that will put the party further in disarray. President McCain is sounding better every day.
Pelosi is an utter disappointment to Democrats in general and women in particular. From her pronouncement that "impeachment is off the table" to her obsequious fawning over Obama at the expense of what's best for the party (i.e. Hillary's candidacy), she has come to symbolize all that is wrong with politics.
It’s sad to see that America is fill with so much racist people. You rather go through another four years of HELL than vote for someone with hope for the entire country. SAD, SAD, SAD. Then you all wonder why the rest of the world hates you. Send Obama to Canada I will vote for him.
OBAMA SUPPORTERS: LISTEN UP!!!
EVERY SINGLE WORD THIS WOMAN SAYS IS EITHER TAKEN OUT OF CONTEXT OR TWISTED TO MEAN SOMETHING ELSE.
Hillary never once said that caucuses don't count or that they don't matter… You people are ridiculous. Get a grip..
The point is that PRIMARY Elections are more representative of the will of the majority of voters and more closely demonstrates how voters will turn out in the GE. Caucuses only cater to the small percentage of party activists usually 1% to 5% of the registered voters. Caucuses make it extremely difficult to participate due to the time constraints and voters do not enjoy the right to a private vote.. Young voters and seniors are often intimidated by the process of having to publicly announce their choice. A vote is a personal and private matter.
The nomination process ends at the Convention. This is how the nomination process works..It's always been this way. primaries and caucuses were only added in the last 50 years.
There is a purpose for having a convention. It's an opportunity to determine a nominee in the event that there is not a clear winner OR if that winner is not who the majority of ALL the delegates ultimately feels has the best chance of winning the GE.
The primaries/caucuses were set up to have the a average voter involved in the decision making process. Not to be the final word. otherwise what purpose would the Convention and the selection of delegates serve?
IF OBAMA IS WHO THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY WANTS THEN THEY WILL HAVE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE IT HAPPEN AT THE CONVENTION…. We all have to accept that as the final word.
Way to go Pelosi! Now that's a strong and healthy tough person unlike Hillary. Pelosi recognizes reality and the harm which Hillary and Bill can do to the Democratic Party , while Hillary continues to think of self and maintains her magical thinking so she might some how win the nomination, even at any cost.
McCauliffe or whatever his name is (HRC campaign chair) made a rule in 04' (as DNC Chairman) about penalising a state for changing dates and he was dead set on doing it, now he is a lieing boldface on TV like his boss HRC. Who are these people? How come the people following them decide to follow liars. These people are bent on destrying the party. Their loyalty should be first to the party , before a candidiate. PLEASE the Supers should all end this nonsense. Pelosi,Gore,Reid,Kennedy,Edwards...etc. Edwards should advice his Florida delegates to stick with him/Obama and Florida situation will be nullified. The we will see what her royal liar will say next.
He says if we penalise Mich & Florida, McCain will use it agaist us. Guess what ! Republicans also penalised Florida and only half delegates were counted, so how will McCain have a hand in out process.
First of all, if HRC would like to have the delegates seated in FL/MI, let's play fair.
In MI, HRC was the only candidate on the ballot. If the DNC were to be fair, it would seat the delegates based on all the candidates that signed the agreement , in other words, allot a fair share of delegates to all candidates and allow them to distribute their delegates. This way this would be a fair and equitable distribution of the delegates for both states and would favor Sen. Clinton or Sen. Obama.
Wouldn't it be a hoot if Hillary all of a sudden decided to go independent!
3 strong candidates vying for the presidency.
The mind reels at the possibilities.
It'd give a new meaning to Pelosi's "step in"!
LOL
Nancy, You are Stepping out of Line. Really Pathetic. As a Life Long Democrat, the Moment You Step in I am Stepping out. My next political position is to become Independent and Vote McCain. The Democratic Party is full of Hypocrits. Make My Day Nancy!
Why is the democratic party so afraid of allowing every democrat in this country have a say? What would happen if we ended general elections early to prevent the country from being too split? I think it's absurd for Clinton to bow out, and I personally don't think that Obama can win the general election. The Democrats are messing up yet again. I always vote Democrat, but I may not this year if I don't think Clinton was given a fair shot to win the nomination. America is not the place where valid candidates should be pressured to step away when so many people are supporting them.