BREAKING NEWS: Dean, Pelosi, Reid set Friday deadline for superdelegates' choices, move to force end to Clinton bid

With the final primary concluded barely hours before, top Democratic Party leaders in Washington early this morning ratcheted up the pressure to force all remaining uncommitted superdelegates to make their choice of candidate known by Friday -- and thus end the now hopeless, onetime front-running campaign of New York Sen. Hillary Clinton.

The joint statement was obviously pre-planned and timed for issue shortly after Clinton refused to concede the presidential nomination victory to Barack Obama, who's gained sufficient delegates to clinch the party's nomination.

Howard Dean, right, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin, chairman of the Democratic Governors Assn., issued the brief statement for unity just minutes ago:

"The voters have spoken," they said, adding later, "Democrats must now turn our full attention to the general election. To that end, we are urging all remaining uncommitted superdelegates to make their decisions known by Friday of this week, so that our party can stand united."

The carefully worded statement, which does not urge the superdelegates to go one way or the other, is a clear step to force an end to the effort by Clinton, who said Tuesday she would take a few days to consider her options and protect the voices of the nearly 18 million voters who cast ballots for her in recent months. Her hand is now being forced by the Friday deadline.

The move is also a sly one politically, since it leaves Obama free of any appearance of forcing Clinton to quit and thus alienating her millions of supporters, whom the Illinois senator will badly need in the general election come Nov. 4.

In exit polls throughout the just-concluded primary season, an unusually high number of Clinton voters indicated they were likely to reject Obama and vote for the Republican Party's presumptive nominee, Sen. John McCain of Arizona.

A complete text of the Democratic Party leaders' joint statement is available by clicking the "read more" line below.

--Andrew Malcolm

Photo Credit: Associated Press / Manuel Bolce Ceneta

     Joint Statement by Democratic Leaders on the End of the Presidential Primary Process

"We have come to the end of an exciting primary and caucus process -- the voters have spoken.  As the Democratic leaders of the Senate, House of Representatives, the Governors and the Democratic National Committee we commend all of the participants of the 2008 primary process, especially Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, for making this such a transformational election. 

"Because of the enthusiasm our candidates have inspired, our party has brought record numbers of voters to the polls, gained millions of newly registered Democrats and now has advantages in states many thought were difficult to win.  We are grateful to the millions of Independents and Republicans who have crossed over to vote for a Democratic candidate for President.

"Democrats must now turn our full attention to the general election.  To that end, we are urging all remaining uncommitted superdelegates to make their decisions known by Friday of this week so that our party can stand united and begin our march toward reversing the eight years of failed Bush/McCain policies that have weakened our country.

"We once again congratulate all of the candidates for their leadership and dedication to providing this country with a New Direction. We look forward to working with them and with all Democrats to win the White House, congressional seats and state capitals so we can deliver the change the American people deserve and demand."

Comments

[JD]

Ed said everything I have heard from Clinton supporters for months. He attacks anyone who doesn't show proper reverence, in his mind, to Sen. Clinton, bashing this party's leaders in Pelosi, Reid, and Dean. He then speaks of voting for McCain, even though he admits it's not what is best for the country.

Hillary is bad enough. Her supporters are simply unbelievable.

[vjs]

I've had it. Enough with Hillary. Enough with Bill. And enough with Hillary supporters threatening to vote McCain. If Hillary supporters are so insanely stupid as to vote against their own interests, then so be it. Vote McCain if you want. Then we can all sit back and watch the country deteriorate even further. Hillary supporters, having empowered McCain, will feel the guilt later. Guilt over the fact that McCain further entrenched the courts against freedom; guilt over the fact the McCain further encased the demise of the planet by delaying strong action to clean up the mess we've made of this planet; and guilt over the on-going loss of lives in an illegal war.

Go ahead. But quit threatening us about it.

Vote for McCain you Hillary supporting fools. And in November you can feel happy about helping to defeat the best chance the country has. Reality will set in come January 2009.

[Eric Wolf, NYC]

Howard Ino said:L

"However, Dean, Pelozi and Reid are using strong arm tactics to force her out, as they have been trying to do this for months even with primaries pending. It WILL backfire on them and the Democratic Party! "

No, they are not "strong arming her out", the legitimate primary process did that. She lost. They merely want to get on with the general election campaign so they can beat McCain, not pretend this is a suburban toddlers' little league tee-ball game where you don't keep score and everyone gets a trophy. There are rules, Obama won, Clinton lost and it is over. No one less arogant and entitled (and famous) than a Clinton would still be covered at this point. The game is over and her inability to admit defeat is merely a distracting sideshow, which helps McCain and encourages her senseless backers who say they will vote Republican rather that support the candidate who legitimately won. The game is over.

[Bitter Nation]

Clinton won the popular vote ??? Caucuses apparently dont count. But elections where she is the only one on the ballot count ?? I recall that elections for Castro and Saddam Hussein had only one person on the ballot.

Clinton is showing colors of a dictator, tempered enough because of running in the US. But her dictatorial tendancies are there. Manipulation, rabble-rousing, completely changing rules when the outcome is not in her favor. Comparing this primary to Zimbabwe ?? Only in the light of her tactics and how she suppresses and pressures the process to go. Even a democracy is susceptible to hijacking by a dictatorial type.

Recall that H Clinton was fired, and almost prosected for obstruction of justice during the Nixon Impeachment Hearings. She stole and supressed evidence that was favorable to Nixon. People get convicted as felons for that. Such tactics are those of an immoral person with dictatorial tendancies.

Clinton often advised us that McCain would be a better president than Obama. So she should lobby McCain to be chosen as his VP. She has no business being VP to Obama, whom she does not believe in.

[Don Wood]

For those of you who say you will vote for McCain instead of Obama if you don't get your way, I say: Good Riddance, you'lll get what you deserve in November.

[Dan Cooper]

Dali Obama as the German papers put it will not save the world or this country. Stupid whites that support him maybe never read his book. He is an African through and through, and his worldview is not as an American but as an African who happens to live here.

His wife is an angry one, really angry. I bet she uses get whitey talk all the time, like they did in church.

I don't blame the blacks for supporting him since they always think race when they do anything. Leave it to the stupid guilt ridden liberal whites to sell out their own group and culture.

Race war, here we come.
Maybe this will wake up some stupid whites from their trance.

[Vic]

Obama's VP should be one of the highly qualified women in public office who will contribute to a victory in November. This obviously excludes HRC.

[View from Canada]

There seems to be a lot of anger directed at HRC and her supporters which I think should be toned down. It seems to me that the primary contest played out within the ambits of certain rules and based on those rules she's ran a close second. Therefore, I have to agree that she should congratulate the other contender and perhaps concede. However, the unchecked emotions leading to all the name calling I think is counter productive. And I see some of this from the HRC supporters as well. I don't see how a party or a nation for that matter can come together when the different contituents are so hell-bent on defending only what they regard as important at the peril of everything else. Its like brawling during and after a hockey game.

[Nate P]

Yes, the Democratic nominating process this year has been anything but useful in furthering the goal of a Democratic white house on January 20th, 2009.

That said, I think a fair amount of people are getting caught up in the largely symbolic(and meaningless in the grand scheme of things) aspects of the primary process. Contrary to the beliefs of supporters of either of the candidates, Hillary Clinton being a woman and Barack Obama being African-American ARE MEANINGLESS. I understand that it would be neat to see either one as President because we've not had a woman or an African-American in that office before. I just fear people are losing sight of the bigger picture here.

Our goal, first and foremost, needs to be a conclusion to the Bush/Cheney/Republican policies that have destroyed this country over the last 8 years. To that end, saying you'd vote for McCain over Obama just because Hillary is not the nominee, is destructive not only to yourself, but to your party(if you happen to be a Democrat) and the nation in general. This election is not about who gets to be the first to do anything and it never was, even if the media played it out that way.

The Democratic party messed up this year, starting with the mess with Michigan and Florida and then the whole Hillary/Obama fiasco. Even so, it is no excuse to hand the country to another Bush Republican for another 4 years. McCain at one time was a reasonable man. He is not that man anymore so don't harbor any illusions to the contrary. There is entirely too much at stake.

[Tyrone Jenkins]

Hillary has the right to go all the way to Denver. Why is the so called democratic party acting like a bunch of fascists?

[JohnH Canada]

Talk about a sore loser. In Canada, even the oppositon party's leader has the grace, dignity, and professionalism to concede and congratulate their opponent when the outcome has been decided. What respect and admiration I had for the Clintons have been replaced by anger and contempt for their lack of judgement and professionalism. They do not have the party or country's interest at heart, it is strickly for themselves. What a sad way to be remembered.

[Alessandro Machi]

Howard Ino,

Why be sick of the Clintons when our country was liked the world over and we had a projected 3 trillion dollar10 year surplus before George Bush took over and turned it into a 5 trillion dollar deficit with three years to spare.

[Vic]

The raging Clinton supporters who say they will vote for McCain would accept an anti-abortion administration before an enlightened Obama presidency. Get a grip.

[Bill Smith]

I look forward to voting for Sen. Obama again. However, if he chooses Clinton as his running mate, I will be forced to vote for McCain.

[Fred L.]

I think the Clinton supporters who are threatening to bolt the party and vote McCain in Nov. are out of their gourds. Why is it so hard for them to accept that their girl didn't win? She campaigned her butt off, to be sure, but in the end, she came up short in the delegate count. Instead of blaming Reid, Pelosi, the press, or some imagined underhandedness by the Obama camp, you should direct your ire at her campaign staff. Not having a plan after super tuesday was just plain dumb, running out of money halfway through the primaries didn't show very disciplined spending.Your loyalty to Sen. Clinton would be admirable, if you weren't so ready to punish the whole Country for passing on your chosen candidate.
Sen. Obama and Sen. Clinton share so many viewpoints that their platforms are nearly identical, the Republicans have driven this country into a ditch, and the economy is circling the drain, yet you threaten us with a vote for the "Bush wasn't so bad" candidate? Please get over your disapointment and think of what's best for the country, your joy in succeeding to torpedo Obama's presidency would be short lived, and the consequences of a McCain presidency would come back and bite your kids and grandkids. Think about it, I'm just sayin.....

[ck]

Hill as VP? Doubt it very much. Too much baggage. 20mil debt half of which is Hills personel cash. Hillary is also high maintence and the Washington Dems like Conyers had enough defending her while being backstabbed with trianglelation. Tammy, traveloffice, co-president, DNC cash leverage, third way right up to last nights non-concession. Hillary the drama queen will now fade into the Senate cloakroom.

[Hoa]

I am a woman, and once a Hillary fan, but after observing her, I am disgusted with her. She is stupidly single-minded and selfish. She is a worker, not a leader. The world is changing, and we need a broad-minded, intelligent, talented, charismatic leader to restore America's place in the world. If you would take the time to understand Barack's merits, you would understand why he is the right choice for this time.

If Hillary actually cared about the Democratic party and our county, she would have conceded a while back, and Dean, Pelosi and Reid would not need to encourage wrapping up the Democratic primaries. What other pimary candidate drags his or her party on like HIllary? Do you really want a President who only cares about her own legacy? Do you think that's what's best for you as an American?

Use your brain.

[americang]

The Obama cult is a bunch of thugs. It's time for America to realize the Messiah from Kenya is just another race-baiting corrupt politician from South Chicago.

[fjd]

Just as Gore should have won in 2000, without Florida or Nader, he did not due to bad management and strategic decisions.

Just the same with Clinton. It was hers to lose, and she did for the same reasons.

Why does she think she deserves the nomination or the VP slot?

[Nova yos Galan]

I'm so depressed that the person with no substance gets the nomination while the person who has worked the hardest for the values I believe in gets the fuzzy side of the lollipop. I don't think there is a way for Obama to win against McCain. Unless Hillary runs as VP or as an independent, I'm voting for Nader. This two-party system sucks. As Eddie Izzard would say, "Cake or death? Well, we're out of cake! So my choices are 'Or death!?"

[Jordan R. Hill]

Time to get behind the winner and move on. Last night was not HRC's "night". The night belonged to the American people and the Democratic party. HRC has somehow convinced herself and her anxious/angry followers that she was somehow entitled to the nomination and it was in effect stolen from her by possibly men, the press or some other dark force...presumable because she is a woman.

Remember HRC was was the heavy favourite going into the primary season and had huge advantage in money and institutional support within the party. Being a woman and the favoutite is no more a liability than being a black and an underdog. All of the white males who entered the presidental primary all lost. Maybe she lost it herself, or maybe Bill helped her lose it, or maybe it was not her time.

Lets her have few days to regroup. Then it is time for HRC to be gracious and time to move on.

[greg mccollin]

i voted for hillary in the primaries and supported her till yersterday..Obama is the niminee and it is time to unite. it is not about obama or clinton .it is about our coutry.. but after hilalrys speech last night i think she is just retarded..somebody call the doctor...she lives on another planet.Obama better pick a VP who can do the math

[Its about time]

Ed----What an idiot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Chris W.]

First off Nancy Pelosi is obviously addicted to the microphone in Washington. That is a California character defect. Get a movie camera or a microphone in front of there face and they will say anything to get attention. The California Democrats are more like a socialist-communist party members.

D .Demoralizing
E. Emotional
M. Manipulative
O. Obnoxious
C. Crass
R. Repulsive
A. Arrogant
T. Tasteless

[Chris H]

For those who keep harping on about Senator Clinton winning the popular vote, a word of advice: you are making yourselves look foolish.

The system was not set up for the "popular vote" winner to be the nominee, no matter how much the Clinton-ites want to cling to some shred of the "Hillary really won" mantra.

Let's put this in a sports metaphor... suppose a baseball playoff final is the best of 7 games... and Team HRC wins one game 14-0, and Team BHO wins each of the next four games by a 3-1 margin, the cumulative score (votes) is HRC 18 - BHO 12. Guess who takes home the trophy: Team BHO.

Those are the rules, the rules everyone agreed to at the beginning, and changing them in the middle or the end of the process to justify the result you want, in sports or politics, is called "cheating" (as Donna Brazile said, and as the Clinton team tried to do in Florida, and more egregiously, in Michigan).

Good luck to Mrs. Clinton in the future, but she has no claim on the nomination. Let her try again in 4 or 8 years.