Reid: "Things Are Being Done" To End Dem Primary Before Convention

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) hints at some behind-the-scenes activity to bring the Democratic nomination race to a close:

Q: Do you still think the Democratic race can be resolved before the convention?

Reid: Easy.

Q: How is that?

Reid: It will be done.

Q: It just will?

Reid: Yep.

Q: Magically?

Reid: No, it will be done. I had a conversation with Governor Dean (Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean) today. Things are being done.

Washington Monthly's Kevin Drum adds, "My mind is now at rest. Thanks, Harry."

Comments

[US55588144]

Harry Reid is the worst Democratic Majority Leader in the history of the Senate. I don't give a damn what he says. If they pull any shenanigans the Democratic Party is toast. Let things run their course. This is the first time since 1968 that my primary vote will be relavent. I know how Florida and Michigan voters are seething

[kevenseven]

I bet you could not name three others.

[rojo7449]

Reid's comments are amazing. Dean won't do anything to fix the mess in FL and MI, but he's preparing to do something to negate the rules of selecting a nominee just to get this over with before it's honestly done? I think we're going to see a huge departure of democrats and the third party Hagel was saying the country needs might such be one stupid move away.

[ashen]

Dean and the Democratic Party did not create the mess in FL and MI. The state parties did. If the superdelegates tip now in favor of Obama, that would end this mess prior to the convention. Hillary has argued for the right to be able to do this herself, I don't see how she can complain about it after the fact.

[WoodyCPM]

FL and MI voters need to look to their state Party leaders for blame. They all knew what the deal was before their arrogant little Texas-two step created the mess. Now there's no money available to put FL and MI back together again. The DNC was right to strip these states of their place at the convention table for getting out of line. There's a process and there's a reason for it. That you don't care enough about the process to understand what it is and the reason for it, doesn't make it any less important. Some of these FL and MI voters just want to scream and through a temper tantrum about their RIGHT TO VOTE, which the DNC did not relieve them of. If anyone stole their right to be counted in the PRIMARY it was their own governors and legislators.

[WLA]

100% accurate.

[ApolloniaCreed]

I'm a Florida voter, and amazingly, not seething. *shrugs* Everyone knew the rules going in. Bad decision by the party, but too late to do anything about it. EVERYONE, including Clinton agreed to this going in...

[McSurgent]

Regular Americans are learning perhaps once again that Unity and Liberals do not mix. If liberals are not fighting Republicans they are fighting Democrats who they perceive as not liberal enough.

[kevenseven]

You're not a Democrat, right?

[ashen]

It's a primary. And a very spirited one, between two strong candidates. As agonizing as this process has been, I feel like I am a better American today than I was six months ago, for having to debate the issues, and think carefully about what qualities in a leader I want to see, and what changes I want to see in government. I am optimistic that we can face the challenges ahead.

[macracan]

You would have a point if the debate was substantive and about the issues, not about what said some preacher, nor what some lies a certain foreign government leaks about nafta, nor some stupid fear-mongering add at small hours of the morning. As it is, Hillary Pinocchio is hurting the party, not strengthening our presumptive nominee.

[TLV]

We all know that what we need right now is change. But Republicans fear change more than anything, even if it means that the nation will be better off. Dana Perino's comment that America had a chance to vote for or against the war in 2004 and that "we" chose war is a typical Republican pig-headed response. Even if the majority HAD chosen Bush in 2004 - which I seriously doubt - that does not mean that we cannot end this war when the majority of us want it to end.

[meanguy]

the left wing of the party cares more about 'ideological purity' , 'political correctness' and litmus tests than in actually winning elections; in fact, i think that losing is not that big a deal for them. when they lose, they can sit around crying "it's so...unFAI­R!"...they enjoy playing 'victim'

FACT: the far-left wing of the party has put ONE candidate in office...j­immy carter...a­nd it took ford's pardon of nixon to pull that one off...

[Hopeforward]

Well I hope something happens soon and puts an end to Hillary's madness! it's become apparent she knows that she can't beat Senator Obama so she wants to try and destroy the democratic party by praising the Republican nominee and hurling insults at Senator Obama. And to think I once thought highly of the Clintons, those days are over.

[jrterrier]

hillary's madness? who won TX and OH? what you call madness is voters casting ballots in primaries. if she wins PA big this will go on.

let the voters vote. who ever heard of stopping the race before it's over?

[helenwiells]

WTF? A puzzle? A riddle? This is democracy? Does anybody still believe we are on the right path to a fair election? I, personally am beginning to wonder. Can somebody tell me WHY we don't have all primaries on the SAME day??? WHY NOT???

[pinksheets]

Because spreading out the primaries gives each candidate time to campaign in each state. If this were not the case, the winner would be based heavily on name recognition. This would not be healthy for the process of our intellects.

[estreya]

The primaries must roll out over time to give the candidates the opportunity to meet the constituents, state by state. They can't be in all states at once - that would make it an election. :)

[EinChicago]

And heaven forbid Obama should have to actually compete in an election, right?

[kevenseven]

If the primaries were on the same day,

a) Of the six or nine candidtates, someone would get the most delegates, about 20%, and that would be the winner. You want that?

b) That winner would be the candidate with the most money who ran the most ads. You want that?

Why don't you go back to the kids' table now.

OK????????

[MSaldana]

K7: That was a fairly intelligent response - unlike much that we see here. Bravo!

-MS

[EinChicago]

If he does, he'll be joining you at the kids table. As the primaries are held right now, the winner is the candidate for whom teh "momentum" is most effectively manipulated by the progression of states. In this case, Obama benefited by giving SC a disproportionate voice.

[Lemeritus]

Ah, geez, keven, I hate sitting at the kids' table -- I keep banging my knees!

But I do need to disagree with you concerning a single primary day, even at the risk of being condemned to PB&J sandwiches for the rest of my life. A single primary day:
1. Encourages a broader range of candidates (instead of allowing the media to thin the herd on our behalf) which should provide a greater depth of dialogue
2. Preempts the media (again) from swinging from innuendo to rumor to non-issue ad infinitum (and, did I mention, from determining which candidate they like best and excluding the others from debate?)
3. Prevents small state with negligible electoral college impact from creating false momentum (not that I have anything against small states or momentum, per se).

We're about to get ice cream and cookies over here, so let me conclude by saying I would be amenable to a regional primary system if that will earn my parole and return to the adults' table. As always, with great respect for the effort you put into the telecomm issue.

[WoodyCPM]

Because to have all the primaries on the same day is literally too expensive for all but the most heavily funded campaigns to manage. The primaries are designed in a very organized way to afford the most candidates, especially those that are not well known, the opportunity to be heard from and to build a campaign and a political movement over time. As you might have noticed, candidates fundraising goes on throughout the primary season. As each candidate becomes more or less successful in connecting with citizens and voters, their donations either swell or diminish. It's hard enough, and expensive enough for candidates to campaign in one or a few states at a time. It would be impossible to do that in all 50 states at once, especially for those who start out with a small campaign chest. The process also gives the candidates time to hone their message, to refine their strategies and to build a governing coalition.

The order in which the states go is actually very democratic (not Democratic!).

[lcmartin]

I urge all of you to contact the DNC at Democrats.org and express your frustration with Clinton's behavior. Bill Clinton gave a speech today in which he said that Obama's camp is disenfranchising voters in Florida and Michigan. He implied that it was all Obama's fault. He said voters in Kentucky and Oregon and some other states wouldn't have a chance to be heard because of Obama. Senator Obama was in Oregon Friday; he stood in front of thousands who stood in line for hours, and he gave us hope--a hope that Clinton will never be able to instill. She will never be the the clear-headed, cool-in-a-crisis leader that Obama will be. She responded to questions about her dangerous trip much like a spoiled child would respond, "people make mistakes, and I'm not perfect." She is clearly very, very angry that Obama is winning in the polls and the delegates. I shall never trust her again. Her entire campaign has been petty, manipulative, full of lies and untruths, full of cheap tricks and attacks. I thought that I would have to vote for her if she railroads this nomination to avoid McCain, but I cannot support her. I will write Obama's name in in the general election before I will vote for her.

[jrterrier]

it's true. do you think for a moment that if obama had agreed with hillary that revotes should be had, that it wouldn't have happened. who would have stood in the way. obama just put up all sorts of objections. so it didn't happen. you have to at least accept reality if you are going to be comment.

can't complain to the dnc. after kennedy, kerry, and tom daschle, all trashed hillary in advance of super tuesday, without any restraint from the DNC, they became useless. not to mention that the mess with FL and MI is all on their lap.

the repub as bad as they are at governing, punished MI and FL by taking away half their delegates and not prohibiting campaigning in the states. much cleaner, much fairer.

[EinChicago]

Obama IS the one blocking a revote. He IS the one disenfranchising FL and MI. Sorry to burst your Obama cultist bubble with reality. His income quadrupled since being elected to Congress. He's after teh big score and trying to add zeros to his name recognition even though he knows that he is sacrificing any chance the Dems have of winning in November. For him it''s win win: he screws the Dems now and FL amnd MI go red in November, he still gets to demand 7 figure speaking engagement fees. Unless FL and MI are counted, he will never be anything more than a "de facto" illegitimate candidate, And you can add that to his long list of unelectables.

[Aleka]

The problem I see is why she keeps lying and saying that Obama blocked a vote in MI. What good does that do? Judging from the stuff being parrotted by the Clinton people, this seems to be way up there as something they actually believe, so they run around and repeat it like the good little sheep they are.

But...if she loses...sh­e then loses both those states for any dem but herself, whom she has painted a "victim". And she must know she can't win.

[jomira]

Obama IS disenfranchising the Michigan voters. He is NOT change. He is a typical politician. He says one thing and does another. Obama stated that he will go along anything the DNC decides regarding Michigan & Florida. However, when Michigan came up with a plan for another primary, Obama would not accept it by not responding to the Michigan Democratic Party. It's very similiar to his present votes or missed votes.

[kevenseven]

For Clinton to win this thing, she will need almost 500 SDs of the 795. Which she clearly is not going to get. Obama is going to going to end the primaries with 150 more Pledged than will HRC. He has won this thing. It is time for it to end.

[rojo7449]

There are still nearly a dozen states left to vote, how do you know what the delegate distribution is going to be from those? FL and MI still need to be resolved, and you don't know what the delegate distribution will be from that. I'm sure Reid is implying they are going to force Hillary out of the competition, and I can't imagine how that is going to be good for the party.

[foreffectivegovernment]

rojo449: He doesn't care about the Democratic Party He's a Republican.
He changes his name around to be cute.
He uses an least two screen names, one is kevenseven. The other he added hussein as in kevenhusseinseven.
Just don't reply to him and maybe he will go away.

[ashen]

Actually we know what the delegate distribution is likely to be -- Hillary Clinton would have to perform better in each remaining state than she has the entire campaign, with margins of 20% or better in every single state. She is tracking 20% down in North Carolina alone, and Oregon is going Obama as well. Obama is also polling only 10+ down in Pennsylvania, where her lead was 20+ just a couple weeks ago. He wins whenever he gets a chance to meet people. He has time to narrow the gap in Pennsylvania. She cannot even break even at this point.

It is not premature, given the circumstances, to press her to concede.

[Shadowmann1]

I have posted before that after running the numbers on Slate Delegate Counter and giving her wins in every remaining state AND even in Fl and MI she still is behind Obama in delegates. It's over. It is no more than a news story now comparable to watching a train wreck or a car accident. It just ranges from morbid curiosity to watching Omarosa or Jerry Springer.

[McSurgent]

These days the Obama supporters are doing a better troll job than Republicans. Keep up with that hope and change. Keep insulting that woman and showing regular Americans the meaning of unity! Liberals, really a lovable sort aren't they!!!!!

[kevenseven]

I did not tell her to make lying claims of running for cover under sniper fire.

[rojo7449]

$1.18M in donations to Obama, who tells you he is not taking money from special interest groups, from the subprime lenders who have caused this housing crisis. His take was nearly $400,000 more than any other campaign received from these corporations.

Is this lie from Obama something you could call a gross exaggeration on his part? He says no money from these corporations. Hard to miss $1.18M coming in.

My daughter chuckled over the Bosnia story and instantly shared several stories she has told as an adult because her recollection of events from years earlier had found a way to blend with dreams and come out the other side quite embellished. Apparently, she got caught in quicksand once...in her recollection, that is. Never happened, but she did lose a shoe in the mud one day.

If you've never embellished, your a better man than most.

[kevenseven]

Boo hoo.

[Shadowmann1]

You're right. And we'll get President Obama right on that problem in a few months.

[Gebby]

obama supporters are tired of the clinton hit machine. i dont think obama supporters engaged in character destruction the way the clinton team is attempting to do. unfortunately she has already lost the race for the most pledge delegates. and if you are arguing mi and fl you are missing the events as they were played out previously. only now does team clinton want them to count. besides they will count but divided 50 -50 probably.

[ApolloniaCreed]

Who are "regular" Americas?

[GoldCanyonGal]

Why do I find it so hard to believe you, Harry?

[kevenseven]

Actually, this is the sort of thing that he can do.

[Seattlelite]

The only reason the DNC hasn't stepped in is because it's the "Clinton's" if this was in reverse Sen. Obama would already be back in IL.

[MSaldana]

"if this was in reverse Sen. Obama would already be back in IL."

Hope springs eternal!

-MS

[EinChicago]

Considering the absolute lack of time he spends here and the absolute lack of anything done on the state's behalf since 2004, Obama being back in IL would actually be quite novel.

[Plank]

Things are being done. Can you please hurry up? I can't take another Clinton lie.

[EdnaEpstein]

Come. Come... the trip to Bosnia video side by side with her fabrications was just priceless. When do you get to see a psycho who is seemingly so functional? My husband has been saying for weeks that there was something odd about her... "That false smile!" he kept commenting­... And there we see it. Full blown. Delusional and then shrugging it off. "So I misspoke." Why it is too good to be true. Just think if we had that for 4 or 8 years. It would even make Bush II look good!

Why want it to end? The longer it goes on, the more likely she won't even be Senator from NY after her term is up.

What are you all so afraid of? Let any dirt on Obama she can dredge up come out now. Much better than having it out in the last 2 weeks of October.

Besides... silver linings... no one can say Obama is a Muslim any more. And you know what there are 57,000 United Churches of Christ. You can bet some of their Pastors are telling their congregations just how highly regarded Wright is in that association of churches. What a real dummy she is.

[ChimpmasterDJ]

I have made arrangements to book Mrs. Clinton on the cable show "Intervention". It combines the drama of family crises and personal melt-downs with the benefits of medical and/or therapeutic treatment, it's informational, cheap drama, and titillating entertainment all in one lucrative package. It's the American Way.

[justobserve]

The frightening thing is what if she misspeaks when the phone rings at 3am!

[Jer1957]

At first, I, too, really wanted to believe in Obama--but I know Chicago politics.

The youthful supporters of Obama-- overly influenced by the corrupt mainstream media--can be forgiven for being naive.

They know nothing of the behind the scenes stuff the Senator's well-heeled friends are bringing to bear on elected officials--to ensure that he is nominated--and loses. That is his assignment.

And Barack played the Chicago game--a very corrupt game----a little bit too well--for the purposes of his current ambitions.

Apparently, the Wall Street and London money crowd's favorite Dem super-delegates, Pelosi and Reid, are for Obama--precisely because they know he is unelectable. And neither, Pelosi or Reid expect to suffer financially from that fact.

But Reid gets a reprieve--­prostituti­on is legal in Nevada

Pelosi's top economic advisor Felix Rohatyn-- has been a Dem power-broker, for all the wrong reasons-- since he helped install Pinochet in Chile on September 11, 1973 . September 11, was that?

[EdnaEpstein]

Wrong you are. Obama never ran for anything in Chicago. The State legislature is not where the big action is. It is on the Cook County Board and on the Chicago Zoning Commission.

In fact the U.S. Senate is where the Chicago pols get rid of the Clean guys who don't play the corrupt game... or are you too young to remember Paul Douglas, Adlai Stevenson II and III? They don't want them getting fancy ideas and running for something local like mayor or governor (except that this Daley is even more popular than the old man.

In all events the Senate win was a surprise. There were 6 candidates in the primary. Tommy Hynes's son, the County Assessor was supposed to win, or at least that's who what is left of the City Machine was supporting. And Hunt the multi millionaire funding his own campaign tripped up because he beat his wife. The Latino who was Mayor Daley's chief of staff never got any traction (even in the Latino community which Obama carried), the two women, one white one black, no one even remembers their names.

No guys like Obama are considered somewhat of a joke here because they are both honest and intellectual so they get kicked downstairs to the US Senate.

Just goes to show what you know about Chicago politics.

[rojo7449]

I have found numerous articles re: the US Senate race where Jack Ryan was the victim of Obama's campaign and ended up having his divorce records unsealed and made public, of course, forcing him to drop out of the race. Can you shed any light on that?

[Gebby]

obama is a unique politician. far outside the politics as usual. many well established politicians are anxious to join is lead. this says alot. he is not the creation of some machine.

[WoodyCPM]

Wow, who are you? Bob Shrum? You're so psychic! You must be one of those Democratic Beltway consultants who keep advising the Democarts for high political office, the one's who keep losing.

[WLA]

Ah, I see you brought the Clinton campaign newsletter with you.

[ME08]

The only supporters of Obama are far left loons and Repigs playing mischief in primaries.­..no one else even gives a flyng fuck what he thinks, especially when he gets up and delivers another pompous lecture that only latte swillers and Jill and Joe college would care about. NO liberal will win the White House...Ob­ama's belief that the nation has swung left is based on no evidence that is logical or sensible. Why are more Americans now thinking that things are going better in Iraq? Could be they are watching too many lies from compliant media, yes, or it could be an obvious sign that the far left has once again managed to alienate the mainstream with its shameless tactics, ala 1968
It would be deeply delusional to imagine that just because America hates Bush it is willing to turn the reigns over to a guy who hasn't a clue about how to deal with the dilemma that we face in Iraq. Despite his ridiculous support for war, Americans see McCain as able to keep us safe...the­y sure as hell don't think Obama could...an­d it just may come down to that issue again as it did in 2004. Mark my words, Americans are NOT going to pull the lever from an unknown quantity who feels he needs to defend a man who thinks that the government gave AIDS to African Americans.­..NEVER, EVER gonna happen.

[ChimpmasterDJ]

Since you seem to define "far left loons" as anyone who will not stand for gratuitous military intervention overseas, for the shredding of our Constitution, or the enabling of the further looting of our society by ever more thinly-disguised corporate thugs and criminals, I venture to guess that "far left loons" are becoming a healthy majority in this Nation, as it feels ever more sharply the pains of the policies that have been imposed unchecked upon us. Policies that Hilary Rodham Clinton has only started hypocritically opposing once upon the campaign trail.

[ashen]

Wow are you in for a nasty shock come November. See you at the polls! ;-)

OBAMA '08!

[MSaldana]

"Wow are you in for a nasty shock come November."

this poster is CORRECT. Unfortunately, the nast shock will be a McCain landslide win if Barack Hussein Obama is the democratic nominee.

-MS

[Shadowmann1]

And yet he is winning. Hmmmm. Can you add?

[DoninJoisey]

Bill? Is that you?

We elected an unknown from Arkansas and another (with a famous name) from Texas - and one isn't sure of the meaning of "is", the other isn't sure about evolution.


No thank you to Eva Peron.

[WLA]

Aw crap, does this mean we lost the trailer park vote?

[Texas4Obama]

The Clintons belong to a church CULT:

http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2007/09/hillarys-prayer.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/barbara-ehrenreich/hillarys-nasty-pastorate_b_92361.html

Stick a fork in her she's DONE !

[ChiGuy]

Voters: "Hillary you can have one of the many games on the table before you."
Hillary: "I want a Monopoly."
Voters: "Get a Clue."

[Seattlelite]

They BETTER be doing something. The Hillbillies are out of control. The DNC keeps sending me donation forms in the mail, I just write on them "I'll send money we we have a nominee" and send it back. I also sent Bill Richardson a donation yesterday along with thank you note, LOL. To help with his campaign debt (thanks to Mr. Carville) I hope other Obama supporters will consider this as well, let those super folks now where their bread and butter will come from.

[estreya]

You're awesome! I've been e-mailing the DNC, but i'm sure they all go directly into the void.

[westreal]

I actually unsubscribed from their email service because of Hillary Clinton. They won't get another dollar from me as long as she's there. But your idea of giving to the Supers who come out to support Obama is a good idea. I'll do that for Richardson today. Thanks for the advice.

I HOPE THE SUPER DELEGATES PUT THIS PRIMARY TO REST AND PUBLICLY PLEDGE THEIR SUPPORT TO OBAMA BEFORE THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY IS TORN APART.