A Caucus Fight
Clinton forces charge Obama camp with irregularities.
The Clinton campaign held a last-minute "emergency" conference call with reporters Tuesday night, ostensibly to lay the groundwork for a challenge to Texas's caucus results. Clinton's Texas state director, Ace Smith, complained of "a tremendously disturbing pattern emerging here tonight." Among the Clinton campaign's allegations: Obama supporters "locked out" Clinton supporters from caucuses, filled out sign-in sheets before caucuses started, and called in caucus results before the 7 p.m. starting time. Smith, who said that the Texas Democratic Party issued two memos today to remind campaigns of the rules "as a result of the acts of the Obama campaign," challenged a reporter who labeled his assertions "accusations," saying, "These are not accusations. They're documentable incidents."
The call quickly dissolved into a heated war of words between Clinton communications director Howard Wolfson and an Obama campaign lawyer, Bob Bauer, who joined the call surreptitiously. Bauer accused Wolfson of selectively "attacking the caucus process" whenever a caucus doesn't go his way. "It's part of a stream of accusations you've made against the caucus process," Bauer said. He challenged Wolfson's assertion that he has never before complained to reporters of caucus improprieties, noting that "in Nevada you filed a lawsuit." Wolfson shot back, "This is the first phone call we've had … The lawsuit you refer to was not filed by us." When dumbstruck reporters asked Wolfson who had interrupted the call, Wolfson identified Bauer and said he was mounting "a vigorous defense of the indefensible."
Meanwhile, Clinton lawyer Lyn Utrecht alleged that Hillaryland has received hundreds of complaints from supporters, many of whom she said have not been able to get through to a state Democratic Party hotline because it is "jammed." "We've identified witnesses and spoken to them," Utrecht said. "There are numerous locations across the state where Obama supporters have taken over caucuses and locked out Clinton supporters … We have lawyers all across the state observing all of this." Utrecht refused to rule out a lawsuit or promise that Clinton would concede Texas if she loses. "All options are open at this point," she said when asked about the possibility of legal action.
Wolfson added, "There is always a somewhat chaotic quality to caucuses. That is normal. What is happening in Texas today, throughout this evening, is not typical. It is quite extraordinary."
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Member Comments
Posted By: Jrmapu @ 03/17/2008 12:54:25 AM
Comment: Many of you say you want a female president yet you continuously demean Hillary. Sorry , but the lady (yes, lady) has always carried herself as a crusader even before she married Bill. This is why Laura Bush will not run for President. Hillary was always destined to fight for rights of people. I don't believe one word that comes out of Obama's mouth. He's saying all the right things. The difference is he is sticking his foot in his own mouth. NAFTA, Teamsters, his xerox speeches, riding on the coattails of Hillary's ideas. He cannot think for himself. He stumbles when challenged. Hillary may not get the delegate count but she damn well got the states that elect presidents spending less money. The DNC is in major trouble, they know this and they know their strongest candidate is Hillary. She can go head up with McCain on any issue. Obama will crash and burn because the only thing he can preach is hope and change. The problem is this hope and change involves shady characters whom will be looking for the promises that were made to them to get him the nomination and the presidency. That is why I will vote McCain for president if Obama gets the nomination. Voting for Nader won't do a thing. I will stomp for McCain the same as I am for Hillary. Many others not far behind.
Posted By: Kim in Pasadena @ 03/15/2008 1:46:38 AM
Comment: I wasn't going to post again, but another poster has it wrong. I know Senator Clinton has been saying that Senator Obama "actively campaigned" for uncommitted in Michigan. This is not true. Go back and do a google search. Representative John Dingell of Michigan actively campaigned for uncommitted in Michigan. Representative Dingell was an uncommitted superdelegate at the time. Since the primary, Representative Dingell is now a superdelegate for Senator Clinton.
http://demconwatch.blogspot.com/2008/01/superdelegate-list.html
Representative Dingell did urge folks who supported either Senator Edwards or Obama to vote "uncommitted." But, he also argued that if they voted "uncommitted" they might be able to be a real force at the convention and achieve what they tried to do by moving their primary so far forward into January. This was not an effort by Senator Obama's campaign. It was not an effort by Senator Obama's supporters. It It certainly was not an effort by Senator Clinton's campaign or supporters. It was the effort of a State (Michigan) trying to get its concerns heard, both by moving up its primary too far and asking people to vote "uncommitted." I would urge everybody to do what I do, even though I am supposedly a "delusional" Obamabot -- I don't take anyone running at their word. I do the research and find out the truth. It is not that difficult, after all this is the age of the internet!
Posted By: Kim in Pasadena @ 03/15/2008 1:40:14 AM
Comment: My parents and sister's family live in Texas. I've been reading the Texas newspapers and blogs. Most of the people at caucuses said they were chaotic (too many people) but fair. Most of the Texas Democrats seem to care more about a unified party and a stronger Texas Democratic party than a fight between potential nominees. I have read some stories that are not positive and accuse both campaigns of misbehaving. I have read more stories about Senator Clinton's supporters using these kind of tactics, but what is interesting is that I am reading many of these stories from other supporters of Senator Clinton who actually stood up to stop abuse (and did, in fact, stop it). What I have read about Texas and heard about Texas from Texans gives me great hope for the Democratic party and the democratic process. I hope everybody will keep up the civility and stand up for what is fair as well as they seem to have done in the Lonestar State.