Obama Memo to Press: Florida Doesn't Count [View All]

[Bluebear]

Sen. Barack Obama's campaign is encouraging the national media not to fall for a Clinton campaign declaration of victory in Florida's Primary election today, because the state cannot award delegates to the Democratic Party's national nominating convention. Florida and Michigan both were penalized after scheduling early votes without national party approval.

"The Clinton campaign had a (media conference) call that Flkorida should be covered by all you folks in a serious fashion," said Sen. John Kerry, D-MA, and an Obama supporter. "What this race is about right now is delegates. The bottom line is that Florida does not offer any delegates. It should not be a spin race, a fabricated race."

Kerry said Florida is a state where Obama, former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina, and Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, signed pledges not to campaign after the Democratic National Committee stripped it of delegates for moving its primary date up without national party approval.

Yet Clinton campaign allies, notably the AFSCME labor union has been "spending tons of money" there, Kerry said, to create a symbolic Clinton victory before Feb. 5 elections in 22 states. Moreover, Hillary Clinton will be in Florida tonight, to thank supporters after today's votes are tallied.

http://www.alternet.org/democracy/75353/