Clinton memo: Not so fast, Sen. Obama

Posted: Monday, May 19, 2008 12:44 PM by Mark Murray

From NBC's Mark Murray
The Obama campaign has been careful recently to say that tomorrow night's event in Iowa will celebrate the candidate securing a majority of the pledged delegates -- not victory in the Democratic contest.

But seizing on an anonymous quote from an Obama senior adviser in a May 8 Politico piece -- “On May 20 we’re going to declare victory" -- the Clinton campaign has just released a memo that essentially paraphrases college football analyst Lee Corso.

Not so fast, my friend.

"There is no scenario under the rules of the Democratic National Committee by which Senator Obama will be able to claim the nomination tomorrow night," the memo reads. "He will not have 2,210 delegates, the number needed with Florida and Michigan included in the process, nor will he have 2,025 delegates, the number needed to secure the nomination without Florida and Michigan. Premature victory laps and false declarations of victory are unwarranted. Declaring mission accomplished does not make it so."

Below is the entire memo...

To: Interested Parties
From: Howard Wolfson, Communications Director
Date: Monday, May 19, 2008
Re: Mission Accomplished? Not so fast.

Senator Obama’s plan to declare himself the Democratic nominee tomorrow night in Iowa (http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0508/10184.html) is a slap in the face to the millions of voters in the remaining primary states and to Senator Clinton’s 17 million supporters.

There is no scenario under the rules of the Democratic National Committee by which Senator Obama will be able to claim the nomination tomorrow night. He will not have 2,210 delegates, the number needed with Florida and Michigan included in the process, nor will he have 2,025 delegates, the number needed to secure the nomination without Florida and Michigan.

Premature victory laps and false declarations of victory are unwarranted. Declaring mission accomplished does not make it so.

While Senator Obama inaccurately declares himself the nominee, Senator Clinton will continue to work hard, campaigning for every vote in the upcoming states and making the case that she will be the best nominee to take on John McCain and be our next President.

EMAIL THIS

Comments

Math, an inconvenient truth,

No matter if you count FL and/or MI, HRC still needs between 73% and 75% of all the remaining available delegates. Possible? yes, Likely? not really.

Thank you Senator Clinton, you have run an amazing campaign, but you've lost BASED ON THE RULES of the Democratic Party. It's time to come around to the candidate with the most delegates, the most states won, and if you count the caucus states by some proportional representation, the most votes won (by millions) as well.

Please Senator Clinton, you are a very smart woman, it's time to acknowledge the truth and unite behind Senator Obama. I truly believe that you have the makings of a very great Senator, but I just can't see you as a President at this time.

And I'm supposedly in your demographic, a woman over 50 ...

Carol, Long Valley NJ (Sent Monday, May 19, 2008 12:51 PM)

We love you Hillary... and will love you more when you finish up and join the choir singing for real change.

Let's get together and take our country back!

http://laststopmidwest.blogspot.com

James, Wichita, KS (Sent Monday, May 19, 2008 12:52 PM)

PLease Sen. Clinton, for the sake of the Party and the Country - drop out and work to make sure Obama wins in November.

Ken, Boston, MA (Sent Monday, May 19, 2008 12:53 PM)

Wow, can't we just end this thing tomorrow finally and move on? Where does the Clinton campaign keep getting these insane talking points from that they are using to keep this thing going?

http://www.politivine.com

Cory (SC) (Sent Monday, May 19, 2008 12:53 PM)

Please call Obama for America at 866-675-2008 and let them know you don't want Hillary Huckabee on the Obama ticket.

Tell a friend ...

OBAMA '08

Janice Rockett (Sent Monday, May 19, 2008 12:54 PM)

Right, her claim to the thrown is much more compelling! This primary may not stop on May 20, June 3rd, or even in August at the convention. She will simply set the bar a bit higher for Obama (subsequently herself too!) and state that a candidate must receive 23,789 delegates before we can name a winner.

Who is more at fault here? The media for putting a mic in front of her or herself.

Hussein (Sent Monday, May 19, 2008 12:54 PM)

its all irrelivant, john mc cains are next prez,

mike dee, shamokin pa, 17872 (Sent Monday, May 19, 2008 12:55 PM)

Just as saying you are the best qualified candidate to be the next President, doesn't make it so Hillary.

Will someone PLEASE put the filly down?

Sick of hearing her.... (Sent Monday, May 19, 2008 12:55 PM)

Superdelegates, this is what happens when you stay on the fence too long. I hope you are proud of yourselves.

Matt, Idaho (Sent Monday, May 19, 2008 12:55 PM)

Um...Hey Howie W.....IT'S OVER!!!

Joe, New Haven CT (Sent Monday, May 19, 2008 12:56 PM)

THe number is 2025 you idiots.

UNITE THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY NOW (Sent Monday, May 19, 2008 12:56 PM)

LOL - is Clinton citing delegate rules?

That's just plain incredible. She runs ads claiming a lead in popular vote, which is patently untrue by election rules, and holds no weight under DNC rules, and she makes hundreds of comments and ads about honoring Michigan and Florida votes that are illegal under DNC rules...

Can someone please hit the gong already? Is there anyone left with an IQ and a keyboard that can agree with her fantasic scenarios and hypocritical BS anymore?

This is why we all want her to quit. Since she can't win, everytime she does this she's actually attacking her party's nominee. She's rapidly approaching the threshold between campaigning hard and becoming a traitor to her party.

Fontapa, Portland, Maine (Sent Monday, May 19, 2008 12:57 PM)

Please!!!! this woman has used every metric, goalpost and scenario to spin the fairy tale that she is somehow winning...she is NO position to criticize ANYONE...

markus, Boston, MA (Sent Monday, May 19, 2008 12:58 PM)

Come on Supers - let's end this farce -

Achilles, Las Vegas, NV (Sent Monday, May 19, 2008 12:58 PM)

We are choosing a Democratic Party nominee...someone who may well be President of the United States!!

Senator Obama can't just arbitrarily PROCLAIM himself the nominee...now that's AUDACITY of the worst kind!!
This is exactly why so many Democrats have a problem with Senator Obama...on top of no experience, poor judgement, left wing liberal agenda...top that off with ARROGANCE!!!

Carol, CA (Sent Monday, May 19, 2008 12:58 PM)

shame on you HRC. Shame on you

souzan, alexandria, va (Sent Monday, May 19, 2008 12:58 PM)

And if he gets teh 2025, will Wolfson say it has to be 2210?

MANDY, California (Sent Monday, May 19, 2008 12:59 PM)

My goodness they will whine at everything.They are still throwing out at this point a false number 2210 but that is typical of the Clinton camp.Why does her campaign be honest with the public? She was out manuevered by a implied newcomer with little experience. Yet he cleaned her clock using a plan he had outlined all along. If she had planned for a battle all along instead of a coronation it might have been a different outcome. Oh well it's time to pop the cork and move on to the GE.Obama 08
80000 supporters doesn't lie

Brian M. De (Sent Monday, May 19, 2008 1:00 PM)

To: Howard Wolfson, Communications Director
From: Interested Parties
Date: Monday, May 19, 2008
Re: re: Mission Accomplished? Not so fast.

It's over. Cut the crap.

While I'd love to assert that because LeBron scored 45 yesterday and Paul Pierce only 41, the Cavaliers should move on to the next round. Unfortunately, the rules of basketball are that the victors are decided by scoring more points than the defeated, and Boston scored more than Cleveland. Game over.

The sooner you and the Clinton campaign stop dividing the Democratic Party with this kind of rhetoric and get behind Obama, the better.

Scientific, Philadelphia (Sent Monday, May 19, 2008 1:00 PM)

No, Howard, your client's attempt to manipulate the rules, discount various votes, disenfranchise other voters, is what is a 'slap in the face.'

The bottom line is that Sen. Obama will have more than half of the elected/pledged delegates by tomorrow evening. Is that not cause for celebration? Particularly with the supers who have said that's the standard by which they are likely to award their votes?

Howard, your client's 'toughness' and 'fight' have certainly been revealed. But, along with those things have been revealed her character, her judgment, and her executive ability----you, sir, need to respect the voters, not try to furher confuse them. Exit, stage left, Snagglepuss.

iowan (Sent Monday, May 19, 2008 1:00 PM)

And if he gets the 2025, will Wolfson say it has to be 2210? If he gets 2210, will Wolfson say it has to be popular votes? Is there an ACTUAL GOAL LINE?

MANDY, California (Sent Monday, May 19, 2008 1:00 PM)

What is this woman's problem? Does she want to hand this thing to McCain?? She is continuously dividing the party with letters like this. She is further stoking the anti-obama sentiment among her backers, so much so that their anger will be such that they actually vote against their own best interests!!! Hillary needs to stop! Yes: the Overt attacks have stopped but her innuendo affects people on the subliminal which I think is far more damaging! I don't get it. I thought she didn't want McCain to get in.

Matthew, Newark NJ (Sent Monday, May 19, 2008 1:00 PM)

You said it Hill!
3
2
1........
Obamatrons commence with the insults..
Truth hurts, don't it?

Bobbi, Eau Claire, WI (Sent Monday, May 19, 2008 1:00 PM)

Howard Wolfson is the scum of the Earth. If Hillary had picked a decent human being instead of him I fully believe she could have won. It is Howie that painted her in a corner as a mean spirited liar, Hillary's biggest mistake was to go along with it. When this is all said and done, lets just agree that he is scum.

Chad, Salt Lake City Utah (Sent Monday, May 19, 2008 1:01 PM)

Hillary talks about the rules of the DNC...is she kidding??? She discounts the rules with her claim on Michigan and Florida - that she actually won MI and FL, inspite of the fact there was NO CONTEST to win! So the rules exist ONLY if it works for her....does she really think that the voters are that stupid?

Jacie, NY (Sent Monday, May 19, 2008 1:01 PM)

Give it up Hillary.

You gave a beautiful performance, but now your campaign has jumped the shark and you're starting to look like a singer who won't get off the stage after the curtains have closed, the band has stopped playing, the audience has left, and the lights have been turned off.

Mister Anderson (The Matrix) (Sent Monday, May 19, 2008 1:01 PM)

Apparently Wolfson didn't get the memo that we're working on uniting the party. Obama has been very careful not to call himself the nominee or claim victory by securing a majority of pledged delegates. Time to stop with the idiotic letters to "Interested Parties".

Pablo Hussein, Littleton, CO (Sent Monday, May 19, 2008 1:01 PM)

Keep collecting debt than Clinton, but do not expect the American people to pay for it. we have enuff of our own, you know with gas being $4.00 a gallon. Your bi-polar campaign isspinning out of control and I am getting dizzy just watchin. enuff with the craziness.
FR can we get some real news tht doesn't involve Clinton and her dillusions?? what about the story of the campaign fundraisers from both sides coming together??? Anything, but Clinton trying to keep herself viable and make Obama look bad.

kris STL (Sent Monday, May 19, 2008 1:01 PM)

I first believed it a slap to the face of Obama supporters who donated to his campaign the suggestion he should bail her foundering campaign out of financial hock.

Then I decided it is the right thing to do. She's a Democrat — though you couldn't really tell it these days — and if he's true to his message, then he should come to her rescue.

Now, after Ferraro's latest and most ridiculous statement that Obama was "terribly sexist" during this campaign, and with Clinton's refusal to accept reality and continued vigorous campaign to stifle Obama's obvious victory and paint him as unelectable, I firmly believe he should leave her in the ditch.

Enough is enough.

http://gibbsv.blogspot.com/

Sam, Muncie, Ind. (Sent Monday, May 19, 2008 1:03 PM)

IMO, Obama has played the last two weeks in a way that boosts HRC's ability to say stuff like this.

If Obama had continued to campaign instead of running out the clock, he would likely be in a heck of a lot stronger position to make that claim on Tuesday re pledged delegates at least. As one of my friends said, as a basketball player, Obama should know better than to just run out the clock.

I think it is possible Obama may end up being embarrassed tomorrow night and may have some regret about taking these last few states for granted.

The math is insurmountably in his favor, but this sure isn't how I would have chosen to see him conclude the final weeks of the campaign.

Marihelen (Sent Monday, May 19, 2008 1:03 PM)

a little thin skinned are we?

nuanced (Sent Monday, May 19, 2008 1:03 PM)

Brian M. De (Sent Monday, May 19, 2008 1:04 PM)

OBAMA HAS NEVER SAID HE WILL DECLARE VICTORY ON MAY 20, 2008. THE INNEVITABLE DEFEAT OF THE CLINTON POLITICAL MACHINE AND THE SPEADING OF FALSE ASSERTIONS BY HER CAMPAIGN WILL NOT CHANGE WHAT THE ENTIRE WORLD ALREADY KNOWS, THAT OBAMA IS THE WINNER.

Larry Etah (Sent Monday, May 19, 2008 1:05 PM)

What if Sen. Obama, at the end of the day, nets 50 pledged and 67 Superdelegates? Hmmmmmmm? What then? New memo needed, perhaps?

Tom, Winston-Salem, NC (Sent Monday, May 19, 2008 1:05 PM)

Why can't everyone respects other's vote. With all the comments stated about Clinton is about them not liking the Clintons', so they attacked. Allow the voting to go on and may the majority win. This is the American Way.

PK (Sent Monday, May 19, 2008 1:05 PM)

Are there any more straws for her to grasp at? Just when it looked like she was exhibiting a modicum of decorum, not her campaign (and her) back-handedly compare Barack to President Bush? She needs to realize the world doesn't revolve around the Clinton name.

Dave, Phoenix, AZ (Sent Monday, May 19, 2008 1:06 PM)

Hillary: Give it up.

It's over.

It really is.

No matter how you parse it, nothing adds up in your favor.

Retain some dignity.

It's over.

Erwin, NJ (Sent Monday, May 19, 2008 1:06 PM)

This kind of Rhetoric is very dangerous. Clinton needs to be shown the door since she will not go quietly. I respect her efforts, however this is a false statement on many levels as Obama has been overly gracious and hyper-careful NOT to say he has won anything.

Driving a wedge between both groups of supporters is a grave mistake for this nation and she should be ashamed of herself to make so many false claims.

She does NOT have more votes.
Obama is NOT declaring victory.

She is hurting this party and herself with this CRAP.

Come on Supers - Grow a pair and get her out of here SOON. We cannot sit by and watch her pour gasoline on the fire.

Achilles, Las Vegas, NV (Sent Monday, May 19, 2008 1:06 PM)

Boy... How about you guys figure out how to pay off the 20 million you wasted on deli trays, when you should have been fighting(fairly) for the nomination, instead of worrying about the Obama Camps declaration of victory. You should have sent some internal memo's waking everyone up when Obama was ahead by five primaries instead of waiting until he hit ten to decide you really wanted to participate in the primary process. Sorry, I supported the Clintons in the past, but it's time to switch to real leader who shows up with his game face on.

Obama '08

KC, WC, PA (Sent Monday, May 19, 2008 1:06 PM)

And declaring you've won
"the most votes"
doesn't make it so either, Hillary camp. Grow up. Obama has been very careful to say he's not the nominee, although he will be. Why don't you just keep racheting down the rhetoric and finish out your last few elections and then get down to the real business of getting a Democrat elected by supporting Obama and having your followers do the same? It's all up to Clinton. In a few weeks, we will see what she's REALLY made of and whether she has any honesty about her at all when she either follows her word to support the Dem nominee or she follows her ego and guns for 2012.

Dr B, Phoenix, AZ (Sent Monday, May 19, 2008 1:07 PM)

Hillary give it up. All you are trying to do is raise money to pay for yourpersonal debt and to utilize your wins as leverage. After the June pimaries please leave the race unless you want McCain to win.

Terry,Great Plains (Sent Monday, May 19, 2008 1:07 PM)

What a sick and sorry campaign Hillary Clinton has run. Wolfson is a bad joke. I wish Mrs. Clinton the very best, but feel saddened by her behavior and disappointed in her candidacy. Her supporters have made disparaging remarks about Obama supporters for many months, with vitriol reaching new heights over the last two weeks. That aging racist pit bull Geraldine Ferraro being especially disgusting, the raging Emily's list fascists and the so-called low information blue collar hard-working white Americans all need to wake up and join with the rest of the Democratic party to elect the next President of the United States, Barack Obama.

Barack never said he would declare victory tomorrow night. I am so tired of the way Clinton's campaign and followers twist Obama's every word. Why do people do this? Do they believe this will help them win elections? Crazy...

Lifelong feminist For Obama! --- CA (Sent Monday, May 19, 2008 1:08 PM)

While I agree that Obama should do no victory laps until the race is over, I find it amusing to see Hillary do to him what Gore did to Bush in '00. The sore loser just can't help but come out in Democrats and they will twist themselves into a knot trying to claim victory. Hillary will do anything to win or to thwart an opponent. She will leave a bad taste that will not go away in time for another run in '12. Hurrah!

Keith, American Fork, UT (Sent Monday, May 19, 2008 1:08 PM)

Thats it Team Hillary, cause as much division as possible, even though you have absolutely no chance. I strongly believe that we should treat Sen Clinton and her supporters with respect, but what is the point of this memo if not to create more division. Hillary, I want to embrace you, please show some class.

Eric (Sent Monday, May 19, 2008 1:08 PM)

Just more lies from "Bag Lady" Hillary trying to put false words in Barack Obama's mouth. As usual "McCain Hugger" Hillary is doing more damage to Barack than the repugnant ones.

Barack will correctly claim he has won a majority of pledged delegates, the only true measure of the will of the people. He has consistently said he would not claim victory until he gets over the 2,026 total that excludes Florida and Michigan who should be punished for jumping the gun on their primary voting dates.

Go Obama 08/12!

Eric, Salinas, CA (Sent Monday, May 19, 2008 1:08 PM)

Old woman yells at cloud!

JIM WHITTAKER, Hemet, CA (Sent Monday, May 19, 2008 1:09 PM)

Many who earlier were ho-hum about Obama's candidacy, who said, I'm not worried, it's not going to happen, are now facing the prospect on the horizon of the first African American president, and they don't like it. Hence, there is a lot of fight left at this late stage in the democratic race. Obama '08

Hermine Clouser Middletown PA (Sent Monday, May 19, 2008 1:09 PM)

The question I asked 2wks ago is, how come Obma can raise $50 Millon in one month. When the other canditates only can raise $7-8 Millon. I know Opra has been helping him. This give me a felling some of his money is coming from the middle east.
I am a registered democrate. Know way will I vote for Obma. I just don't feel he can do the job, like McCain can.

Roy Warner, Milwaukie, Oregon. (Sent Monday, May 19, 2008 1:10 PM)

Hey First Read!!!!!!!!!!!
I read on Politico that Sen. Byrd from West Virginia has endorsed Obama this morning!!!!!!!
An truth to this!!!!

Paul B chgo, Il (Sent Monday, May 19, 2008 1:10 PM)

But where does the Clinton camp get the math for a clean Hillary win? The only way for her triumph is for superdelegates to drop Obama en masse and giver her the nomination basically on a technicality. That brings us the same anger we see from HRC supporters from the Obama side. Equally bad. And almost impossible to achieve.

http://www.political-buzz.com/

matt (Sent Monday, May 19, 2008 1:12 PM)

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