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Play By the Rules : Howard Dean Sticks to the Correct Principle

By Andis Kaulins

Although we are political centrists and support Barack Obama in this election, we are not great friends of either the Democratic Party or Republican Party, since we see little evidence in either party of model excellence or model ethics. It is a dirty business, often fought by dirty players.

We definitely are, however, developing a certain respect for Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean, who is trying to get the party members to obey a tried and true rule of life, but one sorely lacking in the political world, which is to play by the rules. One candidate who does not know what it means to play by the rules is Hillary Clinton.

Hillary Clinton is now urging that Florida and Michigan delegates be seated, even though their primary elections clearly broke rules that the Democratic Parties of those States had agreed to, and even though those elections had not been contested by the candidates, as void on their face.

As written about the Florida and Michigan primaries by Joan Lowy of the AP at Dean Urges Do-Overs in Florida, Michigan:

"The results were meaningless since the elections violated national party rules. The DNC stripped both states of their delegates for holding the primaries too early, and all Democratic candidates ? including Clinton and rival Barack Obama ? agreed not to campaign in either state. Obama's name wasn't even on the Michigan ballot."

Yet, Hillary is now clamoring about the voters in those states that "They clearly believed that their votes would count, and I think that there has to be a way to make them count," Clinton said. Yes, of course, since she came out on top in those invalid elections, which she knew to be invalid then, which is why all candidates, including Clinton, agreed not to campaign in either state, a promise which Clinton broke by leaving her name as the sole name on the Michigan ballot. True Democrats would have revolted and thrown the offender to the lions. None did.

It is a mystery to us that anyone can still be voting for someone with this much lack of character.

As Lowy writes, and contrary to the pablum that Hillary is promoting:

"Florida and Michigan moved up their contests to protest the party's decision to allow Iowa and New Hampshire to go first, followed by South Carolina and Nevada.

"The rules were set a year and a half ago," Dean said. "Florida and Michigan voted for them, then decided that they didn't need to abide by the rules. Well, when you are in a contest you do need to abide by the rules. Everybody has to play by the rules out of respect for both campaigns and the other 48 states.""

Read more at:

Naked Hillary - Clinton Doesn't Want to Play by the Rules

First Read at MSNBC - The rules are rules

da_craw - Democratic Disenfranchisement, or How to Play by the Rules

Carpetbagger Report - Clinton pulling a fast one?

Surprise: Hillary doesn't play by the rules

Max and the Marginalized - with a Song that you can listen to there dedicated to a Hillary who does not play by the rules with the following lyrics:

Two Peninsulas (A song for Hillary's Florida/Michigan power grab)

Two peninsulas pointing off an island
sticking out like two sore thumbs
One agreement to play within the playbook
throw it out when the game's been won
When I was younger, a saying i remember
"work hard and play by the rules"
And though I've always been one of your defenders
These accusations might all hold true

So let's play cards just for fun and plastic chips
If you bust me will you try to get my money in your grips
And I'd really hate to think that this was the plan all along
and I know you know it's wrong
Two peninsulas we're cut right off the island
don't you try to sew them on

Start the efforts to certify the phantoms
Under the guise of counting everyone
Any victory without a competition
Counts for less than Barry Bonds' home runs
And to you, i know it's surely not a problem
To have an asterisk next to your name
And though you've been the victim of some dirty tricksters
It's no excuse to be one just the same

So let's play ball in an exhibition match
If I rout you can I try to get it added to my stats
Drive a rusty stake into questionable ground
Looking for a workaround
Two peninsulas were cut from the equation
don't you try to make them count

'Cause we've grown, old and tired
Of willful disregard for the rules
So it's high time I object
To ambition left unchecked
You've got so much more than my respect to lose"

When rock bands start writing about a loss of ethics in a primary election, the subject's fate is as good as sealed.

Wake Up America

Rolling Stone Bob Kerry to Clinton: Work Hard and Play by the Rules

the reaction - Clintonian ethics, a case study: When you're losing, change the rules

Ezra Klein at The America Prospect - Clinton Tries to Reinstate Michigan and Florida's Delegates

Alter Net - Hillary Clinton's Ruthless Campaign

At the New York Observer, we find written, and beautifully so:

"I thought all the candidates, including Hillary, agreed not to campaign in Florida, as the state broke the party rules in having the primary before February 5th. (Like Michigan) There was no contest in Florida. There are no delegates. Now all of a sudden "Hillary" is in Florida claiming victory to a contest that never happened. What a piece of work she is.

Once again she looks foolish, and once again she shows that when it comes to winning, "The Clintons" will play by their rules and their rules only.

Wake up "Hillary" Democrats - If she gets the nod, John McCain is our next President."

And that last statement is true.

Also we, who support Barack Obama, would never vote for Hillary Clinton. Never. We love America and the wonderful things it stands for. Hillary Clinton stands for all the evil things that America tried to get away from when the country was founded. But it is America's choice. They will get the President they deserve, as they always do.

Full post as published by LawPundit on March 07, 2008 (boomark / email).