Clinton: Florida, Michigan Primaries Were "Fair" And Should Be "Honored"

Sen. Clinton, speaking today at the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, argued today that the delegates from Florida and Michigan should be seated, in some form or another:

"If you are a voter from Florida or Michigan, you know that we should count your vote. The nearly two and a half million Americans in those two states who participated in the primary elections are in danger of being excluded from our democratic process and I think that's wrong. The results of those primaries were fair and they should be honored. Over the last few weeks, there has been a lot of discussion about what we should do to ensure that the voters in Florida and Michigan are counted.

"In my view there are two options: Honor the results or hold new primary elections. I don't see any other solutions that are fair and honor the commitment that two and a half million voters made in the Democratic primaries in those two states. Whether voters are clamoring for solutions to the challenges that we face or not, or whether people are coming out in droves to be heard, we have a basic obligation to make sure that every vote in America counts.

I hope that Senator Obama's campaign will join me in working to make that happen. I think that that is a non-partisan solution to make sure that we do count these votes."

These comments follows a public letter from her campaign manager Maggie Williams sent to Obama's David Plouffe, seeking a resolution of the delegates from both states. Here is the text of the letter:

David Plouffe Obama for America Chicago, Illinois

Dear David:

The 2008 primary campaign has been a spirited contest that has resulted in record voter turnout. Both of our candidates can proudly boast of bringing new people into the process and energizing our Democratic Party.

With the campaign now entering the final phase of the nominating contest, it is vital that both of our campaigns come together to ensure that the delegations from Florida and Michigan be seated to reflect the will of the voters.

In Florida and Michigan, nearly 2.5 million Americans made their voices heard and participated in primary elections. We think the results of those primaries were fair and should be honored.

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Over the last few weeks, there has been much discussion about how to ensure that the Florida and Michigan delegations are seated. We think there are two options: Either honor the results or hold new primary elections.

To that end, we are in active consultation with all of our supporters in Florida, including Members of Congress. In Michigan, we are in active consultation with the committee appointed by Governor Granholm.

We hope that your campaign will join us in our efforts to ensure that these votes are counted.

Sincerely,

Maggie Williams
Campaign Manager

Comments

[Nochnoi]

Dear Hillary....

The voting in MI was not fair.... As you well know, both you and Senator Obama agreed to remove your names from the ballot.... Senator Obama honored that agreement, you did not... How then, you can say the vote was "fair" is beyond my comprehension....

The only was to resolve this issue in a fair and Democratic manner, is by holding another vote in Michigan and Florida, so that all the voters in both states can come out and vote for the candidate of their choice.

Only then, will the Democratic process be honored in the way it was intended.

[naschkatze]

I live in Oregon and since we have perfected the mail in vote, I suggest that election officials from Oregon be brought in to supervise the counting in Florida and Michigan.

[wilhelmR]

Hillary: You signed the deal of the DNC thinking that by February 4th the Primary would have crowned YOU. Surprise, surprise: You were not. Now, you (and Bill) are trying all the tricks possible to steal Obama's wins. Maybe or maybe not you should be the best to beat McCain but this has been "fair play" and thus far you're losing (the Primary) and you are also losing it!

[DallasMav]

Its amazing that 80%(204,000) of Obama's 253,000 Missisipi votes came from blacks. He just got 20% votes from every other ethnicity combined.

Obama has 13.27 million popular votes. More than 6 million of this are black votes.

Our liberal media will never report these facts. Obama is not a uniter... He has just united the blacks who are voting purely on black pride.

Its unfortunate that one ethnic community in America has been controlling this democratic race by block voting. This will devide the party further......

[Basho]

Typical Clintonian politics, i.e., lies, lies and more lies, as long as they find an advantage in it. I had initially thought that it was obvious MI and FL should get a chance to vote again, but I heard something today that has made me think twice. MSNBC's exit poll in Misssissippi shows that 24% of Clinton's votes came from Republicans crossing over. I find it hard to believe they favor her, except to run against in the Fall. This made me wonder how those Republicans who already voted in their MI and FL primaries are going to be prevented from voting a second time, and this time, perhaps for Clinton, just to screw with the democratic process. Voting twice is voter fraud, not a fair election.

[escapee]

Hmmm, not a peep on this thread from the Hillary slaves about this.... How very curious that is!

[Maifmart]

The interesting thing I learned on some corporate media broadcast last night was that the Florida and Michigan super-delegates are also barred from voting due to the rule breaking. One wonders how much of the indignation at the lack of representation for these States is due to the Politian’s who are super-delegates being deprived of their campaign contributions from the candidates or the inability for them to deliver their votes to the candidate who already paid them?

[kellygrrrl]

Thank You to John Kerry for doing the right thing and standing up for moral decency!!!

I'd like to see some more Dem VIPs follow suit - Jimmy Carter, Al Gore we need your wisdom NOW

[in4success]

yes . . . edwards is a MAJOR disappointment. he thinks he'll come back in and be the "savior" after hillary tears the party apart.

talk about an ego....

WHEW!

[Independent voter]

hillary,

How is it that you were the only Democrat who 'fogot' to take your name off the Michican ballot? How can you possibly be ready to lead on day one when you can't manage such a simple task

you are a miserable, lying wretch.

[riverhouse]

The Clintons are living in a fairy land. The DNC set the rules, the states of MI and FL knew the rules and elected to defy them. Obama and the other Democratic candidates did not participate while Hilalry dissed the party and did participate. I agree with Howard Dean that the rules can't be changed mid stream. Hillary is such a manipulatior and conniver. Her ambition is so ugly and despicable. She is not representative of the Democratic Party I have supported for many years.

[suntzu]

Hillary was the only candidate on the Michigan ballot. If she thinks that was a fair election, she either thinks we are all dumb, or she has lost her mind.

[Kim445588]

This is not surprising to me, in fact, this is the type of behavior that I have come to expect of kamikaze Clinton. However, what I don't get is how her supporters continue to defend her, when statements like this are offensive to anyone's sense of fairness.

[NuAgeDok]

Desperate ploy from an increasingly desperate Clinton Camp. Obama wasn't even on the ballot in Michigan so how can that be fair and democratic.

I am still praying every night that this Nation makes it through the twilight days of the Bush Administration -

now I add a little prayer that we don't have 8 more years of the Clinton's in the White House.

GOBAMA!

[MariaHopeful]

(...We think the results of those primaries were fair and should be honored...)

O. My. God! I feel like weeping. This is so, so sad!

[intuition]

What goes around comes around -- it's called Karma -- and you deserve some Ms. Hillary for cheating and ruthless campaign behavior that has only hurt the party you claim as your own!