Clinton Compares FL/MI Fight To Civil Rights, Suffragists, Bush V. Gore, Zimbabwe

Sen. Hillary Clinton is making a full-court, last-ditch effort to seat the delegates from Michigan and Florida at the Democratic convention.

Campaigning in Florida today, Clinton compared the fight to have those two states seated to no less than four other historic events: the U.S. Civil Rights movement, the struggle for women's suffrage, the contested Bush v. Gore election in 2000, and even the recent violent elections in Zimbabwe. An overview:

FLORIDA/MICHIGAN = CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT?

Hillary Clinton compared her effort to seat Florida and Michigan delegates to epic American struggles, including those to free the slaves and win the right to vote for blacks and women...

"This work to extend the franchise to all of our citizens is a core mission of the modern Democratic party," she said. "From signing the Voting Rights Act and fighting racial discrimination at the ballot box to lowering the voting age so those old enough to fight and die in war would have the right to choose their commander in chief, to fighting for multi-lingual ballots so you can make your voice heard no matter what language you speak."

FLORIDA/MICHIGAN = SUFFRAGE MOVEMENT?

Jettisoning her standard stump speech, Clinton gave a 25-minute sermon on the sacred place voting holds in American history, invoking women's suffrage and the long struggle for minorities to gain voting rights.

"Each vote you cast is a prayer for our nation," she said. "Each vote is a tool, one used throughout history, to break barriers, open doors and widen the circle of opportunity."

FLORIDA/MICHIGAN = BUSH V. GORE?

Invoking the controversial dispute over electoral results in Florida in 2000, Hillary Clinton is campaigning in areas where Democrats felt their votes were not counted fairly then and demanding that this year's results of primaries both in the Sunshine State and Michigan be counted, even though they violated Democratic Party rules.

"We believe the popular vote is the truest expression of your will. We believe it today just as we believed it back in 2000 when, right here in Florida, you learned the hard way what happens when your votes aren't counted and a candidate with fewer votes is declared the winner," Clinton told a crowd at retirement home in Boca Raton. "The lesson of 2000 here in Florida is crystal clear: if any votes aren't counted, the will of the people isn't realized and our democracy is diminished."

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FLORIDA/MICHIGAN = ZIMBABWE?

Desperate to get attention for her cause to seat Florida and Michigan delegates, Hillary Clinton compared the plight of Zimbabweans in their recent fraudulent election to the uncounted votes of Michigan and Florida voters saying it is wrong when "people go through the motions of an election only to have them discarded and disregarded."

"We're seeing that right now in Zimbabwe," Clinton explained. "Tragically, an election was held, the president lost, they refused to abide by the will of the people," Clinton told the crowd of senior citizens at a retirement community in south Florida.

"So we can never take for granted our precious right to vote. It is the single most important, privilege and right any of us have, because in that ballot box we are all equal. You're equal to a billionaire. You're equal to the president, every single one of us."

Meanwhile, in an interview with NPR today, Obama's chief strategist David Axelrod seemed open to a deal on Michigan and Florida:

"We are open to comprise [sic]. We are willing to go more than half way. We're willing to work to make sure that we can achieve a compromise. And I guess the question is: is Senator Clinton's campaign willing to do the same?"

Axelrod continues: "Well, obviously, any compromise is going to involve some give, and that means if there's something on the table, we're willing to consider it. That may include us yielding more delegates than perhaps we would have, simply on the basis of the rules."

Comments

[JackND]

Perhaps Casey Kasem could dedicate the Guess Who's "Undun" as a Long Distance Dedication to Hillary Clinton from Reality.

[zbearlady]

PART 2:
In addition: By insisting on staying in the race when there's no possible math metric that even Hillary can fabricate or rationalize, and even when pressured (by superdelegates, etc) not to smear Obama with any further lies and/or dirty tactics, she's still doing damage everytime she drums into the minds of her supporters the myth that she's the better candidate to win against the Republicans in November.

While Obama proves again & again that he has gathered great enthusiasm & support among the middle-class 'white' vote, how many times has Hillary hypnotically repeated the thoroughly unsubstantiated statement that she's the only one capable of winning those 'hard-work­ing-white-­American votes against McCain -even though the popular vote, the pledged delegates, the swarm of superdelegates & even the polls completely defy the reasoning of that argument?

Hillary, whatever your personal, ego-motivated, self-serving agenda may be -to drag this race out 'into oblivion'.­..don't you have the integrity.­..or even a shred of moral decency left to see that you are now in a position where you are actually doing far more damage than good? If you truly do care about the good of the people -as well as the Democratic party- then surely you can see that continuing this race will only create more divisiveness & unwarranted prejudice against Barack Obama -in turn, giving McCain more momentum in November.

If there is any sincerity regarding your true support of the Democratic party, then please bow out gracefully -now!

[zbearlady]

PART 1:

Hillary says that by staying in the race, she is not dividing the Democratic party, nor diverting votes to McCain? She also adamantly states she'll campaign & fight hard for the Democratic nominee, so as to assure a victory over the Republicans in the fall?

Yet, everytime she gives voice to allowing the Michigan & Florida votes, she not-so-subtly implies that Obama is the one standing in the way of these voter's rights. While playing into the paranoia of 'unfairness' & 'undemocratic vote-counting', she's creating division & outrage in their minds -implying that she's the only one championing for them -not Obama- chipping away & souring their opinions about his character & integrity. Subsequently, come the general election -when she is long gone- the fall-out from such underhanded insinuations may well result in Obama being seen as the man who supposedly stood in the way of the voter's rights to be heard.

As most of us already know, this mess was not Obama's doing. Those states broke the primary rules, the voters knew their votes wouldn't be counted, the candidates ceased their campaigning (Obama wasn't even on Mich. ballot) & Hillary agreed to it all! Yet now that she has all but lost the race & is desperate to 'steal' votes wherever she can, she's conveniently spinning it all as if this whole mess is somehow Obama's fault?

So, how is that not being divisive? And how does that not have a long-term negative impact on the Democraticnominee?

[olivia]

Dear Hillary:

Stop pretending this is about the voters and their rights.

We all know it is all about YOU.

-- Signed, a working white woman about your age who is sick of this pretending

[abby4ever]

Pop that in the mailbox, or, if it's an email, click 'Send'.

[Enlightened22]

It could be funny or simply pathetic if it weren't so outrageous. That this person, after agreeing herself that those two states did not count, would now use them for her own narcissistic ambitions, and link them to important historical battles, is quite disturbing. I have to say, I'm struggling everyday to understand how a person can still show his or her support to Clinton.

[evalsinca]

I just sent this letter to the DNC:

You made a decision in 2007 considering all appropriate factors to strip Florida and Michigan of their delegates. To change this now once the game has begun (and whose results so far are proving unfavorable to one of the parties) is patently unfair and will make it apparent that "rules" in the Democratic party are not rules: They are simply guidelines to be manipulated by the strongest party to their ends!

What makes it even more ridiculous is the notion that the rules and bylaws committee consists of people who have endorsed one or the other candidate. How on earth can these people be impartial?

Shame on you, DNC! Shame on your for letting the process become so horribly subverted and for not sticking to your decisions!

Here is the URL (thanks to HeIsTheOne): http://www.democrats.org/page/s/contact

[JackND]

All that Hillary Clinton is doing is ensuring that Barack Obama essentially writes off Florida for McCain in November because it's been throughly poisoned. He'll build his Electoral Map against McCain without Florida. Michigan will be fine - Obama has pretty much led there all along.

[olivia]

When "uncommitted" gets 40% of the votes in MI where Obama was not on the ballot, I'd say he has Michigan in the bag.

I'll bet they respect his integrity there - of making a pledge to take his name off the ballot and actually doing it.

[condew]

No, Obama, don't give in. Every time somebody indulges her, she becomes even more hurtful and outrageous.

There is no way to make the primaries in Michigan and Florida mean anything.

All we can do is seat half of Clinton's delegates and half of Obama's delegates, and kick the superdelegates from Michigan and Florida out of the party for facilitating this mess in the first place.

[olivia]

"kick the superdelegates from Michigan and Florida out of the party"

Yes, yes, yes, The people who created this clusterfuck need to be punished.

[vincealy]

Sen. Obama needs to realise nodecency or honesty abides in the Clintons. Any agreement made with them is not worth the paper it is written on they are going to pursue thier personal ambition untill 'The last dog dies' . Hillary agreed to the fact that neiter Florida or Mich. would count. But in typical Clinton fashion she probable now believes that all depends on the meaning of count

[abby4ever]

If Obama has not realized this by now, especially given the 'Hillary events' of the past 48 hours, I will begin to wonder if he really is ready for the presidency. I've said before that I think he admires some things about Hillary and has respect for her and Bill's place and history in the party, and, on that, is reluctant to get tough. Also, he is a kind man and doesn't want to hurt her. But of course she will know this and take shameless advantage of it---and that's one of the things a president must look out for at all costs. Being taken advantage of. He is going to start to look either weak or gullible to some voters if he doesn't put her out of her misery soon, even if he isn't weak or gullible. Perception is everything when it comes to the way people vote, you can lose as many votes having people believe something false about you as you can when they believe something true.
I think he better make a move.

[TheKnownTruth]

This is bunk. She will go to any extreme or lie to get someone ....anyone to listen. Barack needs to take back every nice thing he said. Truthfully he lied about her. I know she is NO role model for my daughters. She has set the womens movement back 50 years.

We will not have a Sybil test for any women running for office. The last thing America needs is another version or copy of this woman. This will make it harder for all women in the future. Pity on Chelsea.

Shame on you Billary...­.shame ...shame ..

Have a nice day

[condew]

Yup, just like when he dealt with Rev Wright by making an outstanding speech on race that embraced him, and when Wright returned that kindness with vitriol he disowned him, Obama has tried to be a gentleman with Hillary, and it is now time to disown her for the devisive and destructive creature she is.

[QuicksilverKW]

Trying to make this issue a civil rights issue and more is a bit over the top. I live in Florida. My husband and I didn't vote because of the issue of moving the primary. I wasn't going to take the time off if my vote wasn't going to count. I believe there are many people who feel the same way. I wouldn't have voted for Clinton even if the primary wasn't discounted. So Clinton saying she won is a bit ludicrous. The state disenfranchised us. The state should apologise to us. If you don't play by rules in any game you have to be willing to take the hit. It's only a big civil rights issue with Clinton because that sounds good and thinks it will rally the people. Clinton lost the battle. Trust me - she'd be trying to sweep it under the rug if the shoe were on the other foot. That - to me - is why she sounds so disingenuous. She "uses" every means she can. It's only important to her because she needs it to be important. We're ( Floridians ) only important to Clinton because she "needs" us so much now. She is so transparent and I don't think it makes anyone who doesn't support her want to say "Oh, now I get it - I need to call all my friends and tell them to support her because she loves and needs us so much" I don't think so.

[HopeGirl]

Enough is enough.

Email the DNC and demand they act to censure the Clinton Campaign for their continued attacks and planned protests against the Party's Nominee Senator Obama.

http://www.democrats.org/page/s/contactissues

[Waitaminute]

I don't recall Hillary Clinton being concerned about the stolen election in 2000 after becoming a senator. I don't recall her standing up for or showing any concerns about the "civil rights" of the voters in Ohio 2004. This is so much crap. What level will Hillary Clinton go to.

[HerbTee]

I watched HRC's speeches on MSNBC and CNN last night. This woman has finally lost it! She is losing the last few shreds of dignity she has left. As an AA man, I am absolutely disgusted she's stooping so low to compare her political grab for power with the Civil Rights struggles in this country. How dare she compare her personalized political agenda with those of Blacks who were beaten, threatened, intimidated, bombed and burned out, lynched, abused with police dogs and fire hoses, were made to suffer in poverty, lack of education opportunities (ignorance), Jim Crow segregation, racial, social and job discrimination and of course, slavery! How dare she compare the Civil Rights struggles with her pathetic and washed up campaign! Hillary Clinton is a absolutely disgusting woman. And I will say that any African Americans who’re still supporting HRC after her latest revelations and her behaviors over the past month are absolutely stupid, totally pathetic and are a disrespectful disgrace to the struggles Blacks and Whites have had to endure for achieving equality for all in this country.

I absolutely have no further respect or any use for Hillary, Bill and even Chelsea Clinton (if she ever enters politics). I hope Hill and Bill both go down as the most pandering, lying, deceitful, most ridiculous, most self-serving and the most racially polarizing political couple in U.S. history.

[Canaris]

You remember Hillary's comment back in '96 about people that didn't vote for Bill? "they didn't vote for you, you don't owe them anything"?

Clinton politics summed up in one sentence.

She lost the African American vote, so she has no more use for you. No surprise then that she's throwing you under the bus.

[HerbTee]

Canaris: You're right about the AA vote, but not about me in particular. I am a life-long AA Democrat, from a long family line of Democrats. However, I NEVER trusted or voted for Bill Clinton, but for Ross Perot instead. Although I think Bill Clinton did alright as President and I sympathized for him during impeachment over "Monica Gate", I always had a deep sneaking feeling the Clintons were simply using African Americans. I am and have been a passionate Obama supporter, but never a Clintonite. The Clintons may have fooled the remaining 7 to 9 percent of African Americans who are bowing, scraping and licking her boots to support Hillary. But NOT this African American! Just wanted to make that clear. :-)

[HerbTee]

Canaris: You're right about the AA vote, but not about me in particular. I am a life-long AA Democrat, from a long family line of Democrats. However, I NEVER trusted or voted for Bill Clinton, but for Ross Perot instead. Although I think Bill Clinton did rather well as President and I sympathized for him during impeachment over "MonicaGate", I always had a deep sneaking feeling in my gut that the Clintons were simply using African Americans to their own end. I am and have been a passionate Obama supporter, but never a Clintonite. The Clintons may have fooled the remaining 7 to 9 percent of African Americans who are bowing, scraping and licking her boots to support Hillary. But NOT this African American! Just wanted to make that clear. :-)

[HeIsTheOne]

On May 31st the Democratic National Committee’s Rules & Bylaws Committee (DNC RBC) will be meeting in Washington DC to consider the rulings against Florida and Michigan’s inappropriately scheduled primaries, and the subsequent appeals of these violations against the DNC National Party Rules & State Laws compiled by the Presidential Nomination Timing and Scheduling Commission.

Florida held their Democratic primary on January 29, 2008. They were told in August of 2007 by the DNC RBC that their plans to hold this primary earlier than February 5, 2008 was a direct violation of the DNC Rules, and were given a 30 day notice to reschedule to an appropriate date. They did not, were deemed in non-compliance and were subsequently stripped of their delegates. Again, they were stripped of their delegates more than 3 months before their primary occurred.

Michigan held their Democratic primary on January 15, 2008, also in violation of the DNC Rules. They were stripped of their delegates on December 1, 2007 after the same due notification by the DNC RBC to reschedule after February 5, 2008, was sent and ignored by Michigan officials.