Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, Howard Dean May Intervene In Dem Primary

Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid took his comments about the state of the Democratic primary one step further today, suggesting that he and other prominent Democrats would intervene in the race if primary season concludes without a clear winner:

Reid said he would consider writing a joint letter with Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) demanding that superdelegates make their endorsements public.

"The three of us, we may write a joint letter [to superdelegates]," said Reid. "We might do individual letters, we are in contact with each other."...

However, when asked by a reporter if he would be forced to intervene if the undecided superdelegates did not make up their minds, Reid replied "I might have to."

This might explain Harry Reid's primary remarks last month that "things are being done" to end the nomination:

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?

Story continues below

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.

Nancy Pelosi has abstained from such comments, though she has repeatedly suggested that superdelegates should not overturn the will of primary voters, a position that sits well with the Obama camp:

"If the votes of the superdelegates overturn what's happened in the elections, it would be harmful to the Democratic party," Pelosi said in an interview taped Friday for broadcast Sunday on ABC's "This Week."...

"It's a delegate race," she said. "The way the system works is that the delegates choose the nominee."

Meanwhile, Howard Dean has decided that superdelegates should not wait for the primaries to conclude; they need to state their endorsements now:

An increasingly firm Howard Dean told CNN again Thursday that he needs superdelegates to say who they're for - and "I need them to say who they're for starting now."

"We cannot give up two or three months of active campaigning and healing time," the Democratic National Committee Chairman told CNN's Wolf Blitzer. "We've got to know who our nominee is."

Comments

[GunnyJ]

The sad factoid of this whole mess is that if HRC was in Obama's position, Obama's bid would have ended more than a month ago. HRC is still a candidate because of name recognition and fearful Democrats. Fearful Democrats? Yes, those superdelegates who are not as brave as Gov Richardson. The Democrats should be directing the machine towards McCain and the Republicans.......

[Insightful]

Richardson is just a turncoat who went agianst the New Mexico vote. Why the big promotion for Obama? He is more controllable than Hillary. She is the stronger candidate.

This country is in deep trouble. We cannot afford to have a guy being run by a bunch of destructive advisors who have their own agendas. What is so impressive about him anyway. His strong voice spewing out a string of impossible promises.?? Maybe Rev. Wright will be one of his advisors as he has been for so many years.

If you elect him you will find out the truth and it will be too late. Here we go again with another election scam.

[longbeachgal]

Hillary squeaked by in New Mexico, winning by less than a percentage point. Richardson hardly qualifies for a "turncoat" when voters are divided almost exactly in half about which candidate they support.

[mamacat]

I don't care how long it takes to choose a nominee, as long as the process is fair, and I get to vote for someone who is against the Iraq war, is for economic fairness, and doesn't have shit for brains. Sure, I have a favorite, but I am only one voter, and realise that it takes a whole lot of votes to get nominated. I'll wait, just give me someone on the ballot I can vote for.
At this point, it does not look like there is any chance at all that there will be a Republican on the ballot whose views on the war and on the economy agree even remotely with my own.

[blytzd]

Ah great when those three get involved Clinton will get the nomination... Reid, Pelosi, Dean, and Clinton are the four who really live up to the stereotype of the liberal elite.

[kaygee]

I'm not so sure. What I do know is that a certain number of women are planning to vote on "gender-based" criteria and that should show in the African-American female vote in the two upcoming primaries. A black female named Mckinney is running with a minority party and should Clinton lose the nomination, Mckinney is SURE to get more votes than Nader did in either of the previous elections. So, we'll be back to square one with another Republican extension of the Iraq situation.

[kylie]

Pelosi and Dean are hardly Hillary fans.

[gregjones]

The media has diagnosed every demo there is....the old...the young...the rich....the poor...the educated....the uneducated....the bowlers, gun toters and beer drinkers.....And somehow ALWAYS finds a way to give the advantage to Clinton. But just today, the media is finally starting to raise the most incredible point in the whole race. HILLARY HAS LOST THE SUPPORT OF AN ENTIRE RACE OF PEOPLE !!!!!!!! Do you know how incredibly sad this fact is ? Hillary Clinton (who's husband was so loved as to have been called The First Black President) has alienated the black people of America to such a degree that there is no way blacks will support her EVER. This has nothing to do with Obama !!!! Keep in mind folks....Hillary started this campaign with close to 82% of the black support. But as blacks learned more about her (Goldwater Girl....Against Civil Rights Act of '64...etc.) combined with her LBJ statements and Bill's minimizing of Obama (fairy tale...Jesse won S.Carolina too...etc) blacks were first of all shocked...and then incredibly offended by these realities to a degree that can never be recovered. WE FEEL DECEIVED !!!! We hope that our friends of all races understand how we as blacks feel. This is the main story that needs to get out to the superdelegates. Hillary ABSOLUTELY KILLED HER ELECTABILTY. Simple as that !

Greg Jones
Blacks4Barack.org
(A Multi-Racial Organization...Dedicated To Truth)

[pleeezzze]

Has nothing to do with Obama ???
It has everything to do with Obama, he chose to make this election about Race , now he'll just have to live with it !

Making up lies to justify your claims is Not going to help Your Obama !

[Gmoney1]

Has anyone noticed that Hillary Clinton won the big state of pennsylvania and only got one superdelegate out of that big win - ummmmmm - where's the media on that story??? How can it be that you win a great big state like that and don't pick up a bucket load of superdelegates and other endorsements -

[MeLuvHillary]

Entire race: no. Vast Majority: sure. But I'm black and I totally support Hillary. If you think Barack and his "perfect" campaign didn't stoke that blow up in SC, then you are living in a fairytale. He admitted on television that his people were pushing it; memos have surfaced to that effect. If you looked at more than 10 secs of the "fairytale" remark, there is no way to construe that it was racist. Now they may have been a bit insensitive. Bill seemed to forget his blackness was honorary and not actual. Whatever you think of the clintons, they have worked for equality and justice their whole lives. They have not earned the right to automatic AA votes, but surely they've earned the right not to be called racisits. And if they are, so is Barry.

[butterfly218]

Its a shame, but its true. Like Obama, I am mixed and came from 2 mixed parents.I remember all my life watching whiteFor a people vote for white people.As I grew up I wsaw that black people voted for white people. I saw that black people and whate people married each other. One day I was shown that white people and black people could give each other their body parts and give each other their blood. It came to me that we are all one people. One "RACE" The " THE HUMAN RACE" Where does " RACISIAM " come from. We are all one people using color to hurt each other. We in this country have found no way to kiss and make up or just treat people the way we want to be treated. Obama is both and has a lot of experience in being " HUMAN ".

[dvdpt]

Excellence ! Well Said !

[OnceProudAmerican]

I have to agree, If Hillary loses(and i think she has)she has no one to blame but herself.
Politics buy nature, is a Dirty Buisness. But Hillary has raised the level to a new LOW.

[SharonB]

These three are asking all the other superdelegates to make their choice known?

How about any one of the three of them making his/her choice known?
I would faint dead away if any one of the three of them showed one iota of leadership. And, I don't mean just standing up in in front of tv cameras bad mouthing Bush and the Republicans. Everyone with half an ounce of brains is already convinced that Bush is toast. The democratic party needs to stop fighting with each other and start fighting for people who desperately need it.

Is there any chance of the Dem party changing this ridiculous way of picking a nominee???????

[pinkerman2]

Thank you SharonB. There isn't an ounce of courage between Pilosi and Reid> I can't explain Dean. I too hope this selection of candidates drops the "super" delegates. Other changes would also be good One more hope; That all three are gone from their jobs very soon. We should insist. Impeachment of bush should have been front and center "on the table" in 2006. Getting out of Iraq would diminish our problems and help us buy back our country from China and whoever else owns us, thanks to bush.

[richdoll]

blacks are united against hilllary clinton she will never get in the white house if she is depending on their vote even in nov they vote for mc cain either

[messstower]

The Democratic Party is in for a surprise. i went to a meeting to organize Blacks should the election be taken from Obama.
At this moment there are only 7200 people signed and pledged NOT TO VOTE.and stay home, we are starting with a base of Frat and Sorority brothers and Sisters. Democrats have taken us for granted for too long! This will be the dividing factor. STAY HOME for Obama!!!!!

Since, Obama is being chastised for what Rev. Wright says should I hold all Catholics responsible for not leaving the Catholic Church after all the highly publicized molestations that took place by beloved priests?

From what I observed when the Pope was here there are many Catholics attending the church many attending the same parishes molestations took place!

[pleeezzze]

Funny you should say that ,because as far as I'm concerned Obama will NOT BE ELECTED !!

This nation (seemingly unbeknownst to you ) is Not entirely Black !

So what do you suppose you accomplished ??

[dgh629]

Is molestation being taught in the sermons? Are people staying in the Catholic Church for 20 years listening to pro molestation sermons?

[ggmome]

Are these the same people, who can't/won't do anything about the Crooks and Liars in power? Won't/Can't do anything about the unanswered supeonas they isssued?

OH Please!

[Midnite]

I await their strongly worded letters with baited breath...

[abby4ever]

Me too---but we will be old and gray by the time it happens. They are just throwing bones to get people to shut up. I don't expect much, they seem to be in awe of the Clintons, i.e. they don't want to rile them.

[neocon43]

Fresh poll out.Clinton has cut North Carolina lead to 9% and closing.SHE WINS nORTH carolina and this is over.

[abby4ever]

Link?---it matters who did the polling.

[hanemg]

I don't think it will be over even IF Clinton wins NC (which I seriously doubt will happen). For that matter, I won't really be surprised if when she finally does lose the nomination that convinced of the "rightness" of her position she decides to break from the party and run as an Independent.

[dvdpt]

neocon43:
You are a real piace of work !
You write like a fool ! Dah !
you need to know your facts before you open your big mouth know what your talking about not what you want ! it does not matter what or how many vote's she gets
now listen ! stupid it is all about delegates and superdelegates you can win a state
it does not mean Hillary won ! There could not be enought delegates that Hillary needs
now obama thats a diffrent story he does not even need to win a whole state and he will win ! Hillary can not count Florida and Michigan ! she needs to be drug tested she think she's in fairy land !
in fairy tale

[nevergiveup]

Americans need to TURN OFF THE TV. Think for yourselves. Read what you can. But do NOT take your cues on who to vote for from TV ads and the Corporate Media. If you do, if you buy the FEAR, the RACISM, the ANGER that is about to hit the TV airwaves, you will buy yourself another Rethug for President.

WAKE UP!

[gregjones]

From Blacks4Barack...CALL DNC TODAY !!! Stress THE FACT !! Clinton Has Lost ENTIRE BLACK VOTE !

While the media is dissecting the demographics, for some reason they keep leaving one verrrrry important statistic out of their breakdown. The Major Fact Is.....BILLARY HAS ALIENATED AND LOST THE ENTIRE BLACK VOTE ! Where's THAT fact ? And they have the gall to think that they can claim her to be more electable to superdelegates.......with close to zero black support !!! Hillary Clinton is the first democratic presidential nominee in modern day history to lose the entire black vote ! That, too, is a fact !

It is time for EVERYONE to contact the DNC and every superdelegate and remind them that due to her own actions HILLARY HAS LOST THE ENTIRE BLACK VOTE ! SPEAK OUT !!!!

Call The DNC TODAY at 202-863-8000 or contact them at Democrats.org.

This is in no way meant to be racial. We are all in this together....blacks, whites, young, old, rich and poor......working together for a better America. But the fact that Hillary Clinton (wife of 'The First Black President', who started this campaign with 82% of the black support) has lost the support of an entire race of people....is not only pitiful.....but should be made....a very well known FACT !

Visit: Blacks4Barack.org
(A Multi-Racial Organization...Dedicated To Truth !)

SHARE THIS EVERYWHERE !

[tlcutter]

Let the People Vote. Leave it to the Dems to run off their most indebted voters. Entitlement programs and empty promises have kept them in tow for decades. Now as you eat your own you pay the price. You now have a real black vying to be the first "black president".

[Neoconstant]

gregjones is right. No Democrat has won office in the last 50 years without strong black support. Clinton can not get the nomination without further alienating this core Democratic constituency and if she manages to steal the nomination HRC will almost certainly lose in November. Contact the DNC - tell them to help put an end to this. The voting is over - it will NOT change the result. Obama '08! (We've done it!!!!!)

[EinChicago]

And no democrat has won the presidency without the moderate white swing voter block, which is about 5 7 times the size of the AA voting block.And Obama has proven time and time and time again that he cannot win their votes. Sorry, if it's a battle of the bases, Obama's is so small as to be irrelevant in a general.

[EinChicago]

Newsflash. The black vote accounts for 9% of the voting population. About half the hispanic vote, which Obama has lost and about 1/6th the moderate white vote. In other words, to your point... HRC has lost the support of 9% of the voting population while baralk has alieanted 80%.

[PhoenixWmn]

--and you're getting these stats where ???!? Where do you find this statistic that Obama has alienated 80% of the electorate ?? Sounds kinda suspect, pal.

[Hallucinocynic]

Just wondering how you arrived at this conclusion. So, did Obama lose 50% of the Hispanic vote, does that mean he still has the other 50%? 16% of the moderate white vote (in what context is that 16% And what, exactly, defines the 'moderate' white vote?) WILL or WILL NOT vote for him? So, either 84% of the 'moderate white vote' will vote for him? How about the white voters that lean to the left? Have they been disenfranchised? And how about those polls (note plural) that indicate that more than 50% of all Americans now have a negative opinion of HRC? I'll grant you that the polls only slightly reflect reality. But your numbers are...shall we say...questionable.

[LarBear]

Blacks4Barack Website (Quote) Obama: " I want a justice department that is color blind"
Uhmmmm, do you see a wee bit of incongruity in that Statement and a Vote "Black," Website?
I do NOT care what color someone's skin is... I do NOT want a "Black" Community which is failing their own "Members," extended into the White House/ Presidency... Stop Segregating people with black skin, from ALL skin colors and tones, America...
No, I do NOT want a White America, or White Community, either... Nor G W Bush's Amurrica...
How does a child with black skin grow up non "Black"? Who teaches them there is NO "White" America out to get them? Who teaches them black skin, like white, yellow, brown and red, skin, neither compels, nor excuses, behaviors and beliefs? Skin color/ tones do NOT make one do either good choices, or bad choices....
Who teaches having Slave Ancestry disadvantages a child? Even if "White's" brought crack into the "Black" Community, who chooses to sell and use it? Stop the Belief in excuses!
Successful people such as Athletes make it on practiced Self Belief, skills and talent, NOT skin color...
Success = Beliefs... Beliefs direct choices and behaviors... Hate is Belief based... Anger is Belief based... WE are NOT our Beliefs/Behaviors... Those are chosen (consciously/ un-consciously) and changeable...
Again: I do NOT want a (self Segregating) "Black" Community which is failing their own "Members," extended into the White House/Presidency... America's about Unity... The Obama's are NOT!

[Whinger]

Ha! Getting ready to do a Mugabe on Obama!

[nolalily]

Too bad Pelosi, Reid and Dean can only use decency in their appeal to Clinton. That'll never work.

[tlcutter]

They have no decency to use. Why should Clinton pull out of the race. If the situation was reversed who among the party would have the courage to ask the "black" candidate to pull out of the race.

[MiddleRoad1]

Hillary

[MiddleRoad1]

And all her lapdogs

[Neoconstant]

"Why should Clinton pull out of the race?" Because she's LOST! That's what gracious losers typically do, rather than cling on embarrassingly long after your campaign has expired...

[RevMetheus]

You know, if they'd only intervened in the past 4 years and actually done their jobs regarding the Bush Administration the Dem primary wouldnt be in this mess.

Now they want to pile on?

[Truthmeter]

Regardless of who you vote for..it's going to be more of the same. They are POLITICIANS who care about themselves.

What happened in the last election? Dems won...no changes. What changes do you think will occur?
If you recall, Pelosi promised more transparency when it came to earmarked spending...what did she do? She wanted to change the name to "discretionary spending"...is that change? They still pissed away our money like gangbusters.

Obama- unknown creation of the anti-Clinton democrats...he's going to owe alot of people jobs and favors...too inexperienced.

Hillary Clinton...liar, cheater, self-centered, money grabbing power hungry. Rendell will get a big job.

McCain...same, same same, same

That's Presidential politics, where it counts, although unsexy is at the state levels.

[abby4ever]

I don't think they will be piling on. It's all just words anyway---what have they actually done lately, or ever, with regard to sewing up this run for the nomination? Reid says things are being done, easy to say, especially when you give no detail. I don't trust them to get any results, they are not as strong-willed as Hillary. No one is.

[jrterrier]

Intervene? This is a primary. Let the people vote. Who said two ineffectual politicians get to decide for the people?

Do they think come November the'll get to intervene so select the President? Why don't they go out an campaign for Obama. That's the only way they can intervene. Unfortunately for them and for Obama, if they went out and campaigned, Hillary would win even faster.

[Neoconstant]

Why is it that people who keep saying "Let the people vote" are also the ones who think its perfectly legitimate for the superdelegates to overturn the will of the voters? I think I smell an agenda.

[bubbainca]

Marks my words... this thing ain't going any further than May 21st when the Oregon primary is done.

Right now including committed superdelegates Obama leads 1724-1589 and there are 307 uncommitted super delegates.

A rough month for Obama would look something like Guam: 6-3 Clinton, IN: 45-39 Clinton, NC: 69-65 Obama, WV: 22-17 Clinton, KY: 33-27 Clinton, OR: 34-31 Obama.

... which will make it.... 1913-1791 Obama.

At that point Obama will need just 112 of the 307 currently uncommitted superdelegates... less than 40%.

I dont see how Clinton can persuade more than 60% of the remaining superdelegates to remain uncommitted or to support her at that point just to prolong the inevitable.

It could even happen earlier... say May 13th, once WV is done, if Obama can get 173 of the 307 (about 57%) superdelegates or May 6th once IN and NC are done, if Obama can get 190 of the 307 superdelegates (about 62%)

So... get the picture? It doesnt matter much if you change my pledged delegate assumptions... the point is with each primary Obama is now drawing closer to the 2025 magic figure and making it that much easier for superdelegates to put him over the top without having to wait for more drama and hype.

[skoryras]

I hope your math is correct. But your forgetting the most important fact. The media is now focusing on
destroying Obama's chances. Listen to MSNBC, CNN, and most importantly Fox News. There is a sence of change in the air waves.

Yesterday on MSNBC Cuck Dodd and some idiot republican said Obama is weak and soft, they said he would lose because he can't convince the white racist to buy into his message. They didn't focus on what Mr.Dodd said earlier. He said that 16% of the white voteres in PA. durring the "exit polls" said they won't vote for a black man. He didn't focus on the fact that he said 72% of the Catholic vote said the same thing.

The real story hear is that race is previlant in the campaign now. Chriss Mathews, Lou Dobbs, Wolf Blitzer, Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly are beginning to promote Hillary's claim ,Obama is unelectable.

I am an Obama supporter but I am also a realist The country would rather have a War Monger or a
Liar in the whitehouse before they would an Afro-America. It's a shame, there is something, something Great about the man, I can feel it.

He could not only bring our country together but he could bring back respect world wide for America.

That type of person comes along once in a life time. Wake up people, you are missing a wonderful opportunity here.

[ylpatriot]

He sure is a Great Muslim......

[ThePhilosopher]

To all those saying this is 'undemocratic' - you do realize that they are talking about intervening once the primaries are over, right? And that they are planning to intervene to ensure that the candidate who has won the most votes and pledged delegates gets the nomination right? That they are going to intervene to ensure that the person who loses the popular vote and the pledged delegates doesn't steal the nomination, right?

And furthermore, you do realize that these primaries are not a general election but are to determine the nominee for the Party. The Democratic Party is a quasi-private organization; the nominee is supposed to represent the party and it's quite legitimate for the party leaders to step in to ensure that the nominee is chosen fairly.

[cadbury]

It is also the job of the super delegates to elect a nominee that can win against McCain. In this case, they may decide that it is NOT the candidate who has the most elected delegates. After PA they may be VERY concerned that Obama can't close the deal with a core Dem constituency: white working-class voters.

BTW I'm from MA. Hillary won here quite handily. Does that mean the Sen Kennedy, Sen Kerry, and Gov Patrick should UNENDORSE Obama? Just wondering.

[CarmenCameron]

The supers' biggest responsibility by FAR is not to decide which nominee has a better chance in the general election, cadbury, but to be sure that they do NOT tear apart the party that they're leading. (And they know full well that if they chose the candidate with the fewest votes and/or elected delegates, that's precisely what they'd be doing so dream on if you think they will.)

[GravitonX]

Hillary has no chance of winning either the nomination or the general election. The DNC is simply trying to find the best method to put her to sleep.

[Uberbah]

http://dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/4/24/113851/565/912/502497

Obama is the stronger general election candidate, by far.

"After PA they may be VERY concerned that Obama can't close the deal with a core Dem constituency: white working-class voters."

Why couldn't Hillary "close the deal" on Super Tuesday? Why wasn't the ability to connect with "white working-class voters" a big problem for her when Obama won 11 states in a row? How about in North Carolina in a couple weeks?

Finally: core Dem constituency? What are you smoking and where can I get some? White working class voters have been the base of the Republican party for decades.

[shengirl]

I assume there were a lot of white working class voters in, oh, Iowa and Montana, too, and they all went for Obama. Or do they no longer count, in the media metrics of the thing? Then there are the white working class voters who have consistently gone for GW Bush and the GOP. They'll never go for Obama, either. This is an argument that won't hold water. Bottom line, racist whites won't support Obama. I have been to w. PA; their open racism and continuing segregation was a shock to me. Analyze all you want, but the bottom line is, he is black. They won't vote for a black.

[nevergiveup]

Yeah, Massachusetts really sets the pace for presidential nominees!

Can you say Dukakis?

[Bliss]

Democrat leaders shouldn't intervene. It's a CONVENTION not an INTERVENTION.