Sen. Harkin today: "The rules are the rules"

[Adelante]

Someone I know was at the District Convention in Iowa today, where Tom Harkin spoke.

Tom Harkin just spoke and he made it clear he thinks rules are rules and he said he spoke to Hillary and told her just that. The room erupted!

Just a little tidbit :)

[LakeSamish706]

1. I somehow doubt that it registered though! n/t

[Solomon]

5. But the point is the reaction to what he said. It's good news that

most people are getting it now.

[jasmine621]

22. Did he also say that the "rules" allow SDs to vote any damn way they want to? nt

[LakeSamish706]

32. Probably, but they are sure as hell not voting for Hillary Clinton at this juncture. n/t

[Solomon]

33. The point that you are missing is that delegates counts

first. The delegates can do what they want but will only do so if there is some extraordinary reason to not choose the frontrunner.

Saying Obama is unelectable because he's black is not the kind of reason to change from the frontrunner.

[Cha]

35. My thought..anyone who's in deep denial

like hilary isn't going to listen to a US Senator from Iowa(which does not count)!

[ClayZ]

2. K and R

[rwheeler31]

3. Good for him, he is one of the most honest senators.

[cali]

4. hmm. looks like a hint as to who Harkin's supporting.

Now if he'd just do it.

[Adelante]

13. He is staying uncommitted

So I heard today. But I think you're right on his sympathies.

[BalancedGoat]

16. I didn't take it that way.

I took it more as loyalty to the DNC. But I guess no one really knows other that himself.

[Adelante]

17. Were you there today, BalancedGoat?

If so, do you have anything to tell us about how it all went? Thanks.

[BalancedGoat]

19. Nope, wish I had been though.

I was just making an observation based on what you posted.

[Adelante]

21. Me, too

I'm nowhere near Iowa, but I'm so jealous every four years. :D

[BalancedGoat]

31. This was my first year caucusing.

I stood for Edwards. Definately a positive experience. Everyone was friendly and polite when it came to trying to recruit the undecideds and those who stood for an unviable candidate. The closest thing to intimidation was the couple of times Obama supporters started chanting; though they quieted down quick enough when it came to getting business underway. I regret choosing to not become a delegate for the county convention however; I could have shifted my support to Obama when Edwards failed to retain viability.

The experience has encouraged me to become more involved in the local politics around here. I just need to figure out the best way to do that.

[Inspired]

18. Interesting since his wife is a Clinton supporter. n/t

[Major Hogwash]

30. That's not what they call a hint. If that were a brick, you'd have a lump on your head from it.

Don't need any bricks to hit me in the head to tell me what he thinks.

Nor from Clyburn either.

They're just being nice about it, is all.

[billyoc]

6. Any sane person realizes this. States can't just leap backward in time

in an attempt to be more "relevant", or you'd need a fucking time machine to vote.

[bluestateguy]

7. I was proud to support Harkin for president in 1992

He would have made a fine president.

[Gore1FL]

27. Me too

By the time it got to MO it was basically Brown vs Clinton, with Brown as a long long long shot. I almost went toi the caucus to vote for Brown, but decided I didn't really like him any more or less than Clinton.

I ended up voting for Clinton in sheer disgust of Bush. I will have to admit that in my lifetime he was the best president. I would also go further and say that speaks more about the lack of quality presidents in my lifetime than it does for his two terms.

Harkin would have been the 1990s version of FDR.

[BenDavid]

8. well the rules say that delegates can vote for whomever on the

first ballot. Howard Dean said superdelegates have the right to overturn the popular vote.....so I reckon, the rules are the rules......and watch HRC win by those sames rules as harkin so rightly stated, "the rules are the rules"....

[VolcanoJen]

14. Why did Terry McAuliffe threaten Carl Levin in 2004?

Something about how his Michigan delegates could enjoy watching the Boston Convention on the television if they went ahead and held their primary against the rules. :-)

I guess Terry's not a man of his word?

[Gore1FL]

28. Yes those are the rules

But including FL and Mi is not.

Plus, don't bet the house on Clinton getting 80-90% of the remaining super delegates to do that--unless you don;t like your house, that is.

[wileedog]

41. Yes they have the right.

The rules say so.

They will also rip the party in half if they do it, because perception is reality.

The African American's will see there candidate taken away from them. Ditto the younger generation voters. The MSM and particularly the Repubs will gleefully talk about the SDs overturning the will of the voters. "Ha Ha, Democratic Party?" the will chuckle.

A Democratic base that has energized itself more than it has been in decades will wonder why the fuck they bothered if a bunch of party insiders were just going to take matters into their own hands anyway. An exhausting and brutal campaign will be seen as a useless waste of time.

And McCain will win.

And most of the SD's - the smart one's paying attention - know this.

Some rules aren't as clearly defined as others, or as they should be. And some rules, like don't over-turn the vote unless you really, really mean it, are unwritten.

[TheDoorbellRang]

9. Hey, will there be anymore delegate shuffling today in Iowa?

Edwards still had six left after the Iowa district convention. Will any more go to Obama today?

[Adelante]

12. That's what they were doing

I don't know the outcome. I hope Debi or someone else from Iowa comes in with more information.

[BalancedGoat]

40. Apparently it went the other way.

Keep in mind that the those national delegate numbers for Iowa are just projections at this point. Edwards wasn't projected to remain viable in CD-1, but he did; so Obama lost a delegate that was previously projected for him.

[Tribetime]

10. the only other time I saw the rules changed at the end

was the gold medal game in basketball in the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

11. The Queen can't change the rule midstream

[Coexist]

15. wonderful news

thank you so much for posting.

[my3boyz]

20. He said the same thing

here too :

http://www.iowaindependent.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=2042

[Adelante]

23. So he did

Harkin said the issue is simple: "Rules are rules."

[GoldieAZ49]

24. Exactly right, no early SD primary

they vote at the convention

buckle up, it is going to be a long summer!

[JackORoses]

25. Harkin will endorse Obama.

I believe that he is the Committee Chair that Harry Reid said would be coming out for Barack.

[RBInMaine]

26. GOOD !! MORE SHOULD TELL HER JUST THAT !!

[tekisui]

38. The ranks are closing. Harkin, Clyburn and more every day,

Say goodnight, Hillary.

[VenusRising]

29. I wish I could vote for that man.

He's such a great Senator. ]

Yay, Tom Harkin!! :yourock:

[anonymous171]

34. She knows that, of course. She just doesn't care.

[MadBadger]

36. I think Harkin is that committee chairman that Reid was talking about who will endorse soon.

[lib2DaBone]

37. Piece of paper

.."The United States Constitution is just a god damm piece of paper." George W. Bush

http://www.gnn.tv/threads/10799/Bush_on_the_Constitution_It_s_just_a_goddamned_piece_of_paper

[StevieM]

39. Just another example of Obama's people sliming Hillary. They pretend they are neutral,

and then they make a statement, the only purpose of which is to imply that Sen. Clinton is trying to break the rules, not to present an actual example of what they are supposedly upset about and trying to address.

Steve

[southerncrone]

42. Sweet!!!! But I'm still mad at him for excluding Kucinich from his BBQ.