Flor-igan: Protest time
Posted: Thursday, May 29, 2008 9:26 AM by Domenico Montanaro
Both the New York Times and Los Angeles Times note that the Clinton campaign is not discouraging protests on their behalf on Saturday, while the Obama campaign is doing just that. "Clinton loyalists are expected to demonstrate outside the hotel. The Obama campaign has urged its supporters to stand down. ‘We don't think it's a helpful dynamic to create chaos,’ said David Plouffe, Obama's campaign manager. ‘In the interest of party unity, we're encouraging our supporters not to protest.’”
Here's more from the Washington Post: "Saturday's pro-Clinton event is being co-organized by the Women Count PAC -- founded by five top Clinton supporters, including longtime friend and fundraiser Susie Tompkins Buell -- and a coalition of disparate other groups working under the umbrella of Count Every Vote '08. Organizers said that they expect people to come from 26 states for the rally, as well as some major celebrity speakers, and that they are receiving logistical assistance or other support from the pro-Clinton United Federation of Teachers and Emily's List.”
“Count Every Vote '08 first came together in mid-March to lobby Democratic superdelegates on behalf of Clinton. Allida M. Black, project director and editor of the Eleanor Roosevelt papers at George Washington University, joined with Tompkins Buell to start Women Count PAC two weeks ago. They raised more than $250,000 and used the money to buy newspaper ads, including ones that ran in the New York Times over the weekend calling on female readers to attend Saturday's rally."
“[T]he Democratic National Committee issued a statement that said the lawyers' memo was not an official recommendation,” the Boston Globe writes. “‘The staff analysis is intentionally neutral; it does not make specific recommendations,’ the statement said. ‘The analysis lays out a rules framework for each challenge, and the issues raised within each challenge. The analysis maintains that the RBC did have proper authority and jurisdiction in imposing the 100% sanction. The RBC had wide latitude in that decision.”
“‘The document also examines the 50% automatic sanction and how to implement such a sanction: Under this scenario, one option would be to reduce the total number of delegates by half; the second option for consideration by the RBC would be to reduce the delegation's votes by half, so that each delegate gets a half vote,’ the statement continues. ‘We look forward to a thorough discussion of these issues at the Rules and Bylaws Committee meeting this Saturday, May 31st in Washington, DC.’ Senior Clinton aides disputed the notion that the DNC lawyers memo requires punishing Florida and Michigan with the loss of at least half their delegates, saying that was only one option available to the rules committee.”
"Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she will step in if necessary to make sure the presidential nomination fight between Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama does not reach the Democratic National Convention -- though she believes it could be resolved as early as next week,” the San Francisco Chronicle writes. “Pelosi predicted Wednesday that a presidential nominee will emerge in the week after the final Democratic primaries on June 3, but she said ‘I will step in’ if there is no resolution by late June regarding the seating of delegates from Florida and Michigan, the two states that defied party rules by holding early primaries."
Do realize that Pelosi probably holds sway over anywhere from 20-40 superdelegates…
