Kerry about the Florida issue.

[Mass]

Kerry did a conference call for Obama concerning the Florida primary and its significance. Here is the American Prospect version. It was reported by various newspapers as well, so I would expect to see it on GDP any time soon.

I have no problems with Kerry's comments. Rules are here to be followed, not twisted when needed.

http://www.prospect.org/csnc/blogs/tapped_archive?month=01&year=2008&base_name=john_kerry_on_obama_today

JOHN KERRY ON OBAMA TODAY


Listening right now to David Plouffe, Obama campaign chair, on a media call that was led off by Sen. John Kerry. Here are quick translations of Kerry's opening remarks, which were directly specifically and near exclusively focused on the Clinton campaign's attempt to claim significance from what happens today in Florida:

"The bottom line is that Florida offers no delegates. It should not become part of some spin campaign...So now here we are with AFSCME spending trying millions of dollars…to assign some meaning to a contest that the chair of the party has said awards no delegates."

"You have a contrast today, a juxtaposition. You have an avoidance of a rule set up by the chair to create something that isn’t supposed to be something. In my judgment, personally, as voters look at the meaning of the Florida primary, the voters are not looking for spin to win the news cycle…they’re looking for a real kind of unity to unite the country."

--Tom Schaller

UPDATE: “We think it’s a very political maneuver and one we think voters will see as too cute by half,” added Plouffe. “And if wants to spend the night in a non-February 5 primary state, that’s fine with us.”

Posted by Tom Schaller on January 29, 2008 12:58 PM | Permalink

[Mass]

1. Well, already started.

[Noisy Democrat]

2. I'm in Michigan

and I can say that many Michigan voters are pissed off that Hillary is trying to make our sham primary count, too.

Someone on Kos said that it's ironic that the two so-called "change" candidates boycotted the Michigan primary, leaving only Hillary to support Michigan's efforts to move its primary up. I replied that if we got a president who actually believes in playing by the rules, that *would* be a wonderful change.

[ginnyinWI]

3. according to the Florida Dem chair

(he was just speaking on Ed Schultz), they were out-manuevered by the republicans in their state legislature. I can't explain all the technicalities, but there was a bill where the date was tied to paper-trail verified voting, and for some reason the Dems were not able to move the date back to Feb. 5 to comply with the DNC. So blame the repubs for this one.

[Luftmensch067]

4. I just heard that guy on Ed, too

And I can see why Florida Dem voters are mad (and Michigan voters, too!) But it's the same thing the Clintons did in NV. If they thought the Repubs were to blame and that FL delegates should be seated, fight it when it happened, not a week before the primary when it's clear the only thing you care about is getting some extra delegates!!!

And -- she's in FL but she's "not campaigning"??

[karynnj]

6. exactly - She should have spoken out before Dean made his decision

That she AGREED to abide by Dean's decision should bind her to it. Had she have said then that she would keep her name on the MI ballot and run in seriousness - then the others may have followed - or pushed Dean for a better solution. Dean was absolutely wrong to disenfranchise the Florida voters - and even on DU he had only one person really defend it.

Dean, here, is part of the problem. The Republicans were fairer cutting the delegates in half - and as they are big states, insuring that everyone still participated. Michigan in particular is a mess. There is no way to know what percent of the people would have voted for each.

[dwahzon]

11. Actually

I made an http://www.dailykos.com/comments/2008/1/27/164738/204/15#c15">uneducated comment about it on Daily Kos and got corrected by a FL person who was then further corrected by http://www.dailykos.com/comments/2008/1/27/164738/204/46#c46">this person who pointed out that as much as the FL Dems point the finger at the FL Repubs being responsible for the date since they (the R's) dominate the legislature, the fact is that the FL Dems did vote for it too. In fact, only 3 Dems in FL's entire legislature voted against it per this commenter.

115-1 and 37-2

Florida's reps voted in favor of the January 29th date by 115-1, with the senate voting for it 37-2. To call it a case of Republicans beating up on poor Democrats in Florida in the face of near-unanimous bipartisan support is disingenous and bogus!

Heck, Michigan did far more to try and stop this insanity than Florida did, but it was blocked at the (Rethug-led) state supreme court level in a decision so ridiculously stupid that it's still being fought in the courts after the primary:

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080111/NEWS15/80111035/1008/NEWS06">http://www.freep.com/...

[LittleClarkie]

12. Madflo has stuff about this on her journal. The Dems pretended it was the Republicans fault

and yet they supported the move as well. If there had been even a token effort on their part to stop what happened, I'm sure Dean and the DNC would have cut them some slack. But there are quotes from Sen. Nelson in particular that show that he supported this move.

[rox63]

5. They're piling on JK about FL here in GDP

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4270597

About this article: http://www.rollingstone.com/nationalaffairs/index.php/2008/01/29/kerry-hits-hillary-for-florida-flip-flop

[politicasista]

7. I saw that too

First Tyra Banks, the other candidates supporters (not suprising), people that used to talk up about him, and other chronic haters. Go figure. :(

[Mass]

8. Typical primary fever.

[politicasista]

9. Yep. n/t

[wisteria]

10. Typical Clinton behavior. Not really fair or ethical but not against the law either. n/t