Pelosi Sticks To Her Guns On Superdelegate Question

Pelosi Sticks To Her Guns On Superdelegate Question

Nancy Pelosi doesn't seem to be backing down from her position on super delegates, despite being the target of a threatening letter from big-wig Clinton fundraisers.

Speaking at a press conference Thursday morning to preview the Democratic message ahead of the visit from Gen. David Petraeus, the House Speaker reiterated her belief that "it would do great harm to the Democratic Party if it was perceived that the superdelegates overturn the will of the people."

"That is consistent with a delegate voting his or her conscience," Pelosi added. "I have been against ex-officio voting in the party my whole life. When I was chair of the California Democratic Party, we turned the California party from 90 percent appointed by the elected officials to a 90 percent elected party. That is the democratic way and that is the way of the Democratic Party."

Pelosi's remarks come just a week after 20 top Democratic donors who are supporting Hillary Rodham Clinton criticized her position on the nominating process.

Superdelegates, the donors wrote "must look to not one criterion but to the full panoply of factors that will help them assess who will be the party's strongest nominee in the general election."

The authors of the letter also opaquely threatened to pull the rug from under the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, reminded Pelosi that they "have been strong supporters" of the House Democrats' fundraising apparatus in the past.

"We therefore urge you to clarify your position on superdelegates and reflect in your comments a more open view to the optional independent actions of each of the delegates at the national convention in August," they said.

On Thursday, Pelosi did not seem persuaded.

"I want to remove all doubt in anyone's mind," she said. "Why you would have them I don't know. I think I've been very clear. I think there is enormous price for the Democratic Party to pay for all those who worked hard in these campaigns, I said this when Sen. Clinton is ahead and I said it when Sen. Obama was [ahead]. The will of the people must be respected in this election."

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