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Sam Stein

The Huffington Post

2008 election, huffpolitics, Bill Nelson, delegates, democratic primary, endorsement, florida, Florida Primary, Hillary Clinton
2008 election, huffpolitics, Bill Nelson, delegates, democratic primary, endorsement, florida, Florida Primary, Hillary Clinton

Exclusive: Sen. Bill Nelson To Endorse Hillary Clinton

January 25, 2008 05:20 PM


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Senator Bill Nelson, D-FL, will endorse Sen. Hillary Clinton for president, according to several sources with knowledge of his plans.

Nelson was expected to announce the endorsement early next week, shortly before his state's presidential primary, in which no Democratic candidate is formally competing. All of the candidates signed a pledge to not campaign in Florida after the state moved up its primary and the Democratic Party stripped its delegates. Nelson and others filed an unsuccessful suit attempting to reverse the decision.

On Friday morning, Sen. Clinton released a statement urging the party to reconsider and accept delegates from the Sunshine State at the national convention.

"I believe our nominee will need the enthusiastic support of Democrats in these states to win the general election, and so I will ask my Democratic convention delegates to support seating the delegations from Florida and Michigan," she said. "I know not all of my delegates will do so and I fully respect that decision. But I hope to be President of all 50 states and U.S. territories, and that we have all 50 states represented and counted at the Democratic convention."

A well-connected Democratic strategist who asked not to be named did not think that Nelson's endorsement was part of a quid-pro-quo for Clinton's statement. But Nelson was quoted as recently as two weeks ago saying that his endorsement would depend on "how [the candidates] treat Florida."

An official with Nelson's office declined to confirm or deny the endorsement. They did, however, send a press release issued by the office in which the Senator criticized the stripping of his state's delegates. Nelson, the release read, is "happy to see that Clinton agrees with the principle at issue in his lawsuit - that every person has a right to vote, and have the vote count as intended."

The Clinton campaign did not return a request for comment.

If Clinton does not win South Carolina's primary on Saturday, a victory in Florida (where polls show her ahead) could provide some positive media coverage heading into the February 5 "Super Tuesday" primary elections. Sen. Barack Obama's campaign released a memo earlier this month downplaying the Florida race, noting that it has "no bearing on the Democratic nomination contest."

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Too bad for Senator Nelson. Does he know what this editorial is talking about, or is he blindsighted like many who follow the Clinton?
Read it:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/article/20080124/EDITORIAL/774081954

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:44 PM on 01/26/2008

"I believe our nominee will need the enthusiastic support of Democrats in these states to win the general election"...Hillary

If you want democrats enthusiastic support come out for single payer health insurance and pulling out of Iraq in 30 days. Otherwise go after the Republican vote.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:42 PM on 01/26/2008

Nelson voted YES on designating Iran's Revolutionary Guards as terrorists.

Want a wider war with Iran and total economic collapse in the USA then support Hillary.

Why does the establishment want economic collapse?

It gives them more power over people. Affluent people with secure jobs tell people like Nelson and Hillary to go screw themselves when they bring out the Politically Correct crap. They want to create an atmosphere of fear.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:38 PM on 01/26/2008
photo

When ever I see Bill Nelson all I hear is;

'What's it gonna take to get you in this used car today?'

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:30 PM on 01/26/2008

Hillary is not losing Florida. Now whatever it means is anyone's guess. The media will talk about it, whether the Obamanites like it or not. My guess is it will be hard for Obama to make a case for electability if he loses the state by 20 points.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:13 PM on 01/26/2008

...And this from a "public servant," who in 2005, when I had the misfortune to reside in Tallahassee, sent an e-mail threatening to have me arrested by Capitol Police if I ever contacted his office again.

I've worked and voted in Florida all my life, and no constituent should ever be treated in such an abominable manner by an elected official.

I initially contacted his office regarding a food stamp issue, which was resolved, after which I sent a thank-you letter.

His office then promised to resolve a health insurance issue and provide the names of the Board of Directors of Capital Regional Medical Center, a greedy HCA hospital that charged $6000 for a CT scan and had collectors hounding me 24/7.

Suddenly, his office stopped responding and sent the threatening e-mail. It's obvious he was "urged" to drop my issues, and I never received the Board of Directors' names, nor was the health insurance issue ever resolved.

I was born in Florida; this is my home, and I'm now disabled, in poor health, and "good ol' boyed" or completely ignored when contacting any government entity.

Florida, in deliberate violation of Federal EEOC laws, employs "risk managers" who delve into medical histories and claims filed by current and prospective employees. Two budding careers were destroyed by the State, and though highly educated and qualified, I was repeatedly denied employment after being terminated for "medical reasons" in 2002. State of Florida health insurance benefits are "self insured," meaning claims are paid by the State (what this boils down to is government--in its sick unrealistic, "fantasy" world--only wants "healthy" people, who never get sick or file claims, to work for them).

The Florida Commission on Human Relations and Division of Administrative Hearings (what a joke these agencies are) just ruled against me (as against most Plaintiffs) in an action filed in which I was unethically and illegally denied employment.

I've filed for Social Security Disability, as the stress has destroyed my health, career, and ability to pursue the "American dream," a now non-existent concept.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:25 PM on 01/26/2008

And Canada took out of their manual that the US and Israel are states who torture because the US pressured them. Who are we kidding?
Nelson supports Hillary because they want to keep the looting in the families!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:14 PM on 01/26/2008
- LITU I'm a Fan of LITU permalink
photo

Amazing that John McCain has any support in this country. Just goes to show how few of our citizens actually pay attention to detail.

McCain was touted as a co-sponsor of the Anti Torture Bill, but in the fine print, they left out accountability for the CIA. Guess what folks, the CIA is the group responsible for torture. Duh! So omitting them from the bill really didn't effect a change in policy at all. Just looked good on paper.

McCain wants to position our military anywhere in the world where our corporate interests lie. So much for sovereignty or the rule of law. Of course, in reality, McCain is simply the mouthpiece for the Friedman ideology of disaster capitalism, which is rolling right along (to our diminution).

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:06 PM on 01/26/2008

While all candidates take endorsements where they can, including spurious ones, Senator Bill Nelson's (D.'sort of' Fl), is not one to be proud of. Senator Nelson's astronaut time at zero gravity has left him a lightweight and a bit odd. He won re-election easily, but look who his opponent was: the certifiable Katherine Harris. Many posts here have stated his right-wing voting pattern. Moreover, his reason for voting for the Iraq war resolution was especially curious. He claims that Saddam had in his possession a drone airplane that was equipped with nuclear weapons that could reach NYC. This information he, apparently alone, received as a member of an intelligence committee. Oh, and this statement was given just two weeks ago at a town hall meeting for constituents.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:06 PM on 01/26/2008

Look at that picture - Sen. Nelson could be stunt double for a televangelist.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:38 AM on 01/26/2008

Mitt Romney publicly professes that he is concerned about Bill Clinton being back in the White House with a lot of free time.

He shouldn't worry. There are lots of public/private initiatives that come to mind, just off the top of one's head, some of which the ex-president could conduct from the comfort of the Lincoln bedroom.

Consider these:

1) Special envoy to Fidel's Gulag to end U.S. embargo on Cuban cigars.

2) Commissioner of Women's Softball

3) National spokesperson for adolescent campaign for sexual abstinence.

4) Head of the Motion Picture Association (with lots of unpublicized trips to Hollywood, and foreign film colonies--nothing like private diplomacy, I always say).

5) Head of the U.S. Office of Public Integrity.

6)Chief, White House intern program.

7)Special advisor, Congressional intern program.

8) Co-Chair, with Clarence Thomas and Larry Craig, of blue-ribbon National Commission for the Rights of High-Minded but Misunderstood Public Servants.

9) Washington-based Rove-ing correspondent, Hustler magazine.

The list goes on ...

If the Republicans choose Romney, claiming that his vast experience in the private sector makes him tailor made to right the economy, we Democrats have a better argument with a Clinton co-presidency. ...

Bill Clinton has been getting down to business for years!

Seriously, he likes to say that in politics, you have to do what you have to do.

So do a grand coaltion that includes Democrats of conscience, parents and grandparents, and defenders of the meaning of that tiniest and most vulnerable of words--"is".

Clean slate !!!
Barack Obama,
'08 !!!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:02 AM on 01/26/2008

Edwards is on his way UP ! It's time for people to look at the real truth. Hillary and Obama are for big corporations, when are you going to open your eyes ? Neither one of them are for the American people.
Edwards 08

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:48 AM on 01/26/2008
- KaAp I'm a Fan of KaAp permalink

As I said last night we will not ever donate to Senator Nelson's campaign again. Ironically, last night my husband got an e-mail from Sen Nelson's office asking him to donate to a campaign in South Carolina we wrote a scathing return email and told him why he would never have our financial support ever again. If, money talks etc ... well guess what ... We never really liked his centrist tactics and games.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:27 AM on 01/26/2008

I don't understand why Obama people keeps complaining that HRC campaign is doing everything they can to win the election. (Of course, they use the phrase "ANYTHING SHE CAN" to cast a negative tone to her campaign.) But, really, are they not doing everything (or anything) they can to win this election? Why whine about your opponent's effort to compete? SUCH A BABY!!!! How do you expect to win over the Republicans????

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:24 AM on 01/26/2008

Indian Country Could Back Obama on Super Tuesday

New America Media
Ketaki Gokhale
Jan 24, 2008

Editor's Note: Barack Obama is doing well with Native American voters, but - perhaps more significantly - the exciting race is having an empowering effect on Native communities across the country.

Barack Obama is big in Indian Country ...

He has ... somehow, managed to capture the imagination of Indian Country, say Native American commentators and community activists.

Whether that wave of goodwill is enough to carry him to "Super Tuesday" primary victories in the states of Alaska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, North Dakota and Arizona, remains to be seen.

"Obama represents a break from the old"something fresh and new," says Paul DeMain, managing editor of the Northern Wisconsin-based newspaper News from Indian Country. "Native people are looking at him as someone who can empathize with other people of color." ...

Over in Nebraska, Kevin Abourezk, a reporter with the Lincoln Journal Star and a prominent Native affairs blogger, agrees. "Obama is appealing to younger voters across the ethnic spectrum. He"s just exciting, and he harkens back to people like John F. Kennedy." ...

A recent column in Indian Country Today, however, argued that Obama is reaching out to Native Americans, and that he is the only candidate to have a page on his website dedicated to his Native American supporters. The site, First Americans for Obama, includes a post on a bill Obama cosponsored last year that aims to improve the Indian Health Service, a federal program that operates medical clinics and hospitals on Indian reservations.

The close race between Clinton and Obama ... had an empowering effect on Native communities across the country.

In states like Alaska, where 16 percent of the population is Native Alaskan, New Mexico, where 10.2 percent of the population is Native, and Oklahoma, where is 8.1 percent of the population is Native, the way Indian Country votes, if it votes as a bloc, could influence the Democratic Party pick for a presidential nominee.

Compounding the political strength of Indian Country is the strong Democratic streak that runs through it. ...

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:48 AM on 01/26/2008
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