Junior Super Tuesday
Posted: Friday, February 29, 2008 9:17 AM by Mark Murray
TEXAS: The state Democratic Party said the Clinton campaign is threatening a lawsuit over the caucus portion of the prim-caucus. "In a letter sent out late Thursday to both the Clinton and Barack Obama campaigns, Texas Democratic Party lawyer Chad Dunn warned a lawsuit could ruin the Democrats' effort to re-energize voters just as they are turning out in record numbers. Spokesmen for both campaigns said there were no plans to sue ahead of the March 4 election. ‘It has been brought to my attention that one or both of your campaigns may already be planning or intending to pursue litigation against the Texas Democratic Party,’ Dunn wrote in the letter, obtained by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. ‘Such action could prove to be a tragedy for a reinvigorated Democratic process.’
“Democratic sources said both campaigns have made it clear that they might consider legal options over the complicated delegate selection process, which includes both a popular vote and evening caucuses. But the sources made it clear that the Clinton campaign in particular had warned of an impending lawsuit. ‘Both campaigns have made it clear that they would go there if they had to, but I think the imminent threat is coming from one campaign,’ said one top Democratic official, referring to the Clinton campaign. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity."
More: "The source, who asked not to identified by name because he did not have authorization to speak about the matter, said Clinton 's political director, Guy Cecil, had forcefully raised the possibility of a courtroom battle. But Adrienne Elrod, Clinton's top Texas spokeswoman, said campaign and party officials had merely discussed election night procedures and that the campaign was merely seeking a written agreement in advance. She could not elaborate on the details of the agreement the Clinton campaign is seeking. ‘It is our campaign's standard operating procedure that we need to see what we are agreeing to in writing before we agree to it,' Elrod said. ‘No legal action is being taken. We have no reason to take any legal action.' Obama spokesman Josh Earnest said the Obama campaign had no plans to sue."
The Wall Street Journal has a profile of Obama's Texas organization, and it notes that it’s actually not as sophisticated as other states. He's relying on unpaid staffers a lot more. "The uncharacteristic late start has left the Illinois senator relying to an unusual degree on the groundwork of volunteers such as Ian Davis. The 29-year-old Austin community organizer has been laboring for months with no guidance at all from Obama headquarters. When Sen. Obama's team finally arrived, Mr. Davis handed over laundry baskets stuffed with 20,000 handwritten names of potential volunteers, which Mr. Davis had gathered on his own. ‘At the end of the day,’ Mr. Stewart says, it will be people like Ian Davis ‘who win this thing.’”
“Early on in the national campaign, Obama headquarters saw no good reason to devote substantial resources to Texas. Few experts expected the showdown between Sen. Obama and Sen. Clinton to climax here. Texas is a deeply Republican state, and hasn't played a deciding role in a Democratic nominating contest in 20 years."
Turnout is up, REALLY up. "Through Wednesday, in the state’s 15 most populous counties, 805,000 people have voted, compared with 169,000 for the same period in 2004, according to the Texas secretary of state, Phil Wilson. Of those, 601,000 have been Democrats. If the same level of enthusiasm holds true through Tuesday, Mr. Wilson projected, 3.3 million people will eventually vote in the primary, easily surpassing the record of more than 2.7 million in 1988 when Vice President (and native son) George Bush was in the race, along with Gov. Michael S. Dukakis of Massachusetts."
And McCain is hoping a big win in Texas will put to rest this idea he can't unite conservatives, since the GOP electorate in the Lone Star State is likely to skew VERY conservative.
