Legal Commentary

Clinton Campaign Conference Call: FL/MI? Not A Hot Topic

By Big Tent Democrat

By Big Tent Democrat

Speaking for me only

This afternoon, the Clinton campaign offered up chief campaign strategist Mark Penn and Deputy Communications Director Phil Singer to "discuss" the Rezko issue - demanding "Obama answer all of the questions" plus various and sundry attacks by Clinton and Obama on each other. This conference call raised questions for me, about the Clinton campaign.

Instead of offering any news or positions on the Florida/Michigan situation in their opening statements, a situation which is urgent now, the Clinton campaign gave the same old same old on Rezko. We have heard it all before. If you care about Rezko (and not only do I not, I am sick of hearing about it), then whoopee. But I would have thought the Clinton campaign would rather have discussed the work it is doing to insure that the will of the Democratic voters of Florida and Michigan is counted. My mistake.

More . . .

Apparently, the Clinton campaign is not overly concerned about the Florida/Michigan situation, not overly concerned about the impasse over a Florida revote. Unconcerned by this:

Florida Democrats got a stern warning Friday from the co-chairman of a group that will determine whether the state gets a say in the presidential race: Hold a re-vote, or risk not getting seated at the party convention to pick a nominee. "It's the responsibility of the state Democratic Party to come up with a [re-vote] proposal that complies with the rules and has the support and the planning that's needed within the state," James Roosevelt, who runs the Democratic National Committee's credentials committee, told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. . . . A re-vote "seems to be moving forward in Michigan; it seems to be a little bit stalled in Florida," said Roosevelt, a former official in Bill Clinton's administration appointed to his party post by DNC Chairman Howard Dean. "If they can do it in Michigan, I don't see why they couldn't do it in Florida.

(Emphasis supplied.) The Clinton campaign seems uninterested in the Florida/Michigan issue.

Adam Smith of the St. Pete Times asked the Clinton campaign about the Florida situation, Phil Singer talks about "one person, one vote" and that here is a "solemn obligation to insure that the votes that have been cast be counted but if that is not possible new primaries should be held." This squishy and unclear message is precisely the problem with the Clinton campaign message on Michigan/Florida. Singer then pointed the finger at the Obama campaign. I point the finger at the Clinton campaign for NOT FIGHTING for revotes in Florida. They need to stop this silly game playing and get out in front of this issue.

A Detroit News reporter asked for a reaction to the proposed Michigan plan. Clinton spokesman Singer is noncommittal, says "Michigan voters need to be empowered." Weak tea.

Tom Edsall and Andrea Mitchell press on the Clinton tax returns. Apparently, to the DC Media and the Clinton campaign, silly "issues" like Rezko and tax returns matter more than anything else. Who cares about the voters of Florida and Michigan? The Clinton campaign seems to be of this world. The Obama campaign's footdragging is what I would expect, revotes hurt them. Why the Clinton campaign seems uninterested is impossible for me to understand.

Full post as published by TalkLeft on March 15, 2008 (boomark / email).