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

[snakespeare]

Half the Democrats voted for one candidate and half voted for the other. It is actually a narrow margin that is tipped by the superdelegates. Is the Democratic Party supposed to ignore half of its members? If the superdelegates had picked the other one, wouldn't those who voted for the first one feel disenfranchised? It's time to stop looking out of our own heads and try to see the other perspective. We can't unite until we listen to the side that "lost", because they weren't swept or overwhelmed, the were made irrelevant by the process, and that is not good for democracy.

Hillary won't let her people vote for McCain. She won't run as an independent. She wants the VP slot because she thinks she earned that much. It's only a ribbon cutting role anyway. There will be few Senate votes needing a tiebreaker in the coming administration, so let's just do the inevitable and move on.

[Chris]

Dean, Pelosi, Reid that's all you have to read to know this party is run by idiots and Obama is a joke

[Maung Maung Nyo]

Both Hillary and Obama are great. There should be some grace and respite for the loser.

[Tom Zirpoli]

Why is it that Obama is suppose to show Clinton all of this respect, yet Clinton doesn't show any in return. After all, he did win!! I voted for Clinton in the primary and will be happy to support Obama. I'm disturbed by the Clinton folks who want to support McCain and his selection of S. Court justices. It just goes to show that they are more interested in having their way then what is best for our nation, especially women in our nation. McCain will pick at least two SC justices. They will overturn a woman's right to choose. Are your personal interests for one Clinton worth what the McCain SC will do for millions of women in America? Obama followed the rules and won. Clinton lost. And she can't claim the popular vote either by not couting caucus states (count every vote???) and by counting states Obama did not have his name on the ballot. If you are going to vote for McCain, please don't call yourself Democrats because you no longer believe in the values of the Democratic party.

[Mary Sue]

The sheer magnitude of the Clinton campaign's incompetence should be reason enough for Democrats to insist that she step aside now. But what we've seen here fits her history -- Hillary Clinton has never undertaken a large project that she hasn't somehow destroyed. This is someone who managed to screw up the universal health care initiative during President Clinton's first term, even though the public, the president, and Congress overwhelmingly wanted it. For those of us old enough to remember that debacle, the mismanagement of her campaign looked eerily similar.

That one of Clinton's campaign co-chairs would have the nerve to say that last night "was Hillary's night" dramatically illustrates how separated these people are from reality.

[Guillermo]

To heck with Obama and McCain!
Elect
Guillermo_the_Good
for
King of America

[sam]

SHALLOW PEOPLE

I think the problem with lot of voters is that they do not have a political/policy position.That is why they could think of presidential voting based on issues other than policy issues.Provably that is the reason USA is more person focussed than political party focussed.

All the following category of people need to watch more CSPAN and political debate in other countries :-

1. Those who would vote for MCCain if Obama chooses clinton as VP

2. Those who would vote for MCCain if HRC is not the nominee and VIce-versa.

[Charles]

It's time for the fanatic Clinton supporters to leave the party and join the republicans. It's time for many displaced republicans to join the new democratic party.

We don't need her, we don't want her. She is the past and not the future.

It does not matter whether we win or loose right now - it is about how heads the party. There will be a 2012 and we will get there. To accept her demands means to loose the gains we have already one.

I have been an Osama volunteer and I vote (no way). We need a strong party, and she needs to go.

By the way, I am 66.

[jill]

I'll vote for McCain even if it's not what I want to do and it would be bad for the country."
___________________
That says it all. She is nuts. Her supporters are nuts. Obama would be nuts to put her on the ticket.

Posted by: lorax | June 04, 2008 at 05:20 AM

No Lorax, The Hillary supporters will save this country from the fools that would nominate an empty suit. I am far from racist, I am 50% African American.

People will vote McCain over Obama because McCain is a known that offers experience. Obama is an unknown with the exception of the fact that what we do know is that he plays the race card. The change Obama talks about is that he will raise the taxes, payroll and capital gains. He further claims that he will renegociate NAFTA and then tells Canada that he will not. He claims that he will push for a health care system which leaves out 15 million people and therefore will cost more than the universal plan Hillary has. But even more important is that Obama has no ides how to get even his health care plan going. Worst of all is that he thinks he can talk to terrorists and will cause another war, probably here on our land.

SAVE OUR SANITY VOTE McCAIN unless Hillary is on top of a ticket, democrat or independent.

[Maddy Ellison]

Let's just take this opportunity to remind everyone that Obama did win the popular vote. In case you haven't been paying attention, Clinton's claim that she won the popular vote entirely ignores several caucus states that went for Obama.

[GW]

There's only one thing that brightens my day in regard to this whole mess of an election process - The bickering going on between HRC and BHO voters. I despise McCain because he is more of the same, a left-wing liberal socialist. Always having voted republican, I intend to vote for a true conservative, either from the Libertarian Party or the Constitution Party.

[disgustedvoter]

The only reasons for Clinton to continue:

1. blackmail a VP slot
2. invoke assassination

Both are by definition exclusions from VP.

[Robert]

I am very unhappy with the Dems choice. The Dems are bad but the Repubs are worse. I will either vote for an independent who appears on the ballot or "cut my nose to despise my face" (whatever that stupid saying is) and vote for McCain. Congrats Barack on your win. You are not the best candidate (Hillary is) and Barack, you will not be getting my vote. Not everyone is going from Hillary to Barack.

[Sharon Solomon]

I've been a little irked by all the anti-caucus talk by Clinton. I voted in the Colorado caucus. Colorado used to have a primary, but in 2004 switched to a caucus system (to save money). Last fall, unbelievable numbers of people made their way to their local caucuses to vote. My local spot (a nearby elementary school) had people lining up outside and down several blocks in the snow to wait for the doors to open. Organisers joked that the previous election cycle, 50 voters showed up. At our precinct, 500 voters showed up to vote for a Democratic nominee. Crowd control was a huge problem, since the school was really designed for about 300 people. Voter registration surged to new numbers. Was it because of Clinton? Well, let's just say that Obama won 67% of the votes in that precinct.

Just because Clinton didn't like the results, and was out maneuvered by her opponent, she twists the numbers and claims she won the popular vote, because caucus votes don't reflect the popular vote. Sorry, I beg to differ.

The creepy spin she put on Obama's success, and the bitterness voiced by some of her supporters in this forum and in others is strange and frightening. I think she has lost track of her real goals and is lost in her emotions and sense of entitlement. Obama by contrast seems stable and gracious. Which kind of leader do we need to bring this country back from the pit the Bush administration has driven it into? The answer seems pretty obvious to me.

[Mick]

OH how hilarious this whole sorry episode is! The Democrats who screamed bloody murder over Al Gore's plurality of popular votes now ignore Hillary's to anoint their supposed saviour - Obama. Obama will be Dukakis and McGovern redux - a hardcore liberal has no chance in the general election. But as always, the blind spot of Liberals is the assumption that everyone else should think like they do; but reality will once again pour cold water on their touchy-feely utopian wet dreams. It will be fun to watch Obama go down in flames.

[wbboei]

What a great leader Hillary Clinton is. During the course of this remarkable campaign she has fought against an unscrupoulous opponent, a vile media and a hyper partisan dnc to a virtual draw in candidates and sent a message to the corridors of power that the invisible people in this country do count. She has prevailed in the popular vote even though she was outspent 3 to1 by her fatally flawed opponent. Also she wins the electoral map by a huge margin as well as the swing districts. By alll accurate measures Hillary is the people choice. I am happy to see she will take some time off to get input from supporters. If the corrupt dnc leadership pulls another power play her supers need to stand tall and push back, If the party loses her coaltition becase of Deans stupidity it will destroy the party. The way I interpet this rush to force Hillary out is there is more bad stuff coming out on obama, Smart supers will not give in for precisely that reason, What a national treasure she is--the greatest leader of our time, Those who fail to see that have limited vision.

[Mike]

President= Obama
VP= Jim Webb
Sec Def= Colin Powell a real authentic war hero
Sec State= Al Gore
Att Gen= John Ewards
Sec Labor= Dick Gephardt
Hea Hum Ser= Claire McCaskill
Homeland Sec= Wes Clark

[Lori]

Wow. I always knew the Clintons were delusional sociopaths, but I never thought they'd be so proud of their complete and utter detachment from reality.

All crass, no class. That's the Clintons. God, they make me sick to my stomach.

[Lori]

I, for one, will not be giving one red cent to the DNC, DCCC, DSCC until that hateful, selfish and delusional woman is GONE.

[Caly]

Ok first of all I think Hillary has run a fantastic race. She is a great woman and a great candidate so I give her Kudos. However, I have chosen to support Obama. Her and Obama agree on all the issues, hello they are both Democrats. So I am confused by these bitter people who love HRC more than they love their country. I understand if you aren't sure of your vote and think that John McCain would be your pick. Maybe you feel that Obama is not qualified, maybe you feel he's naive or maybe you just need more time to discover your options. However, I cannot understand the people who say that they will vote for McCain to spite the Democratic party. Are you nuts? He would not do anything for health care or stop the war. You are selfish in thinking that this is the best course of action. If you truly support Hillary, how on earth could you support some one who stands against everything she believes. You are cutting your noses off to spite your face. What about your grandmother who doesn't have insurance, do you think John McCain care, no! Do you think that he is going to end the war in Iraq anytime soon, no! So my friends here is some advice, pull think of the world you want your children to grow up in. You may say oh John McCain as president for 4 yrs isn't so bad, but what if he is in there for 8? Look how Bush decimated our country in 8. So do the right thing. If you support HRC, vote for Obama this fall, so she can have influence on health care and the other issues that she and the rest of the Democratic party are passionate about.

[Lynn E]

The fact is Hillary Clinton is still hugely popular and just won another primary last night. She is too strong to drop out even if Obama is the presumptive nominee. It would ultimately be bad for the Democratic Party. She needs to take it to the convention and go on from there. Other male candidates with fewer delegates and votes have gone to the convention, there is no reason for her not to do so. I personally will not vote for Obama and would rather write in her name than have to choose between Obama and McCain. I am not alone and there is nothing Obama has done or could do to change my mind.

[Jim]

"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."
We have been hearing this throughout the Democratic primaries. So. . . rather than go with the other candidate who is the political mirror of Clinton, her supporters will cut their own noses off and vote for the Republican candidate whose conservative party base is the antithesis to the liberal party base? Clinton's supporters who advocate abortion rights and those who oppose the very costly Iraqi war would rather have McCain (who is pressured to appeal to the evangelical right) to appoint the next supreme court justice and sacrifice more young Americans until as-yet-to-be-defined victory is declared? I believe that most people are allowing their emotions and passion for their respective candidate to slip out when making off-the-cuff comments such as the one at the beginning of this post. My advice to Clinton supporters: think long and hard about what you are doing and take time to reflect on your principles and beliefs.
Although I am a Obama supporter, I do not get any hubris out of the primary results. Like Obama, I was always strongly opposed to our invading Iraq so that we could stay focused on Afghanistan and its Pakistani border. I would have switched my support directly over to Hillary had she won the nomination because I am voting against the Iraqi war in this election. I think McCain is a good guy, but I do not support his Iraqi war views.

[Aric]

I'm lovin' every minute of this. Only Democrats could create such a cluster. What is especially funny is that Dems blame Republicans for "fraud" and "voter disenfranchisement" every time they lose an election, but tell me, what exactly is going on now??

Remember, when a Republican wins, there's fraud, disenfranchisement, and intimidation, but when a Dem wins, oh everything was on the up an up. LOL!

[Obama 2008!]

Now All We Need Is for a House To Fall On Hillary. Maybe Her Imploding Ego Will Work! Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead!

[mary]

www.merriam-webster.com
Entitlement

Main Entry: en·ti·tle·ment
Pronunciation: \-ˈtī-təl-mənt\
Function: noun
Date: 1942
1 a: the state or condition of being entitled : right b: a right to benefits specified especially by law or contract
2: a government program providing benefits to members of a specified group; also : funds supporting or distributed by such a program
3: belief that one is deserving of or entitled to certain privileges

Impunity

Main Entry: im·pu·ni·ty
Pronunciation: \im-ˈpyü-nə-tē\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle French or Latin; Middle French impunité, from Latin impunitat-, impunitas, from impune without punishment, from in- + poena punishment — more at pain
Date: 1532
: exemption or freedom from punishment, harm, or loss

The Clintons truly believe that HRC is entitled to the Presidency of the United States. They come from a different world than most of us Americans. To them it is a world with impunity and entitlement.
Barack gives me hope for a better America. He gives me hope for a future in which I won't have to worry about my son having to be drafted in 15 years for a war that started 5 years ago.
He helps me to believe that he is different and he CAN bring about change.
Obama = Change
I know some of you are afraid of change, but change with Obama is going to be GREAT!!! Get ready for a whole new America!!!

HRC needs to bow out now (it is too late to bow out gracefully). Let the Democratic Party unite and take the White House in November!!!

Obama 2008

"A nation which has forgotten the quality of courage which in the past has been brought to public life is not as likely to insist upon or regard that quality in its chosen leaders today--and in fact we have forgotten."
Euripides