Lanny Davis Loses His Cool On DNC Member

A brief but spittle-filled shouting match broke out in the halls of the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee hearing on Saturday between a committee member and a surrogate for Sen. Hillary Clinton's campaign.

Lanny Davis, the colorful, committed, and sometimes unrestrained Clinton supporter deliberately interrupted a small gathering of press who had come to hear Jon Ausman, a DNC member, explain the basis of his proposed Florida delegation compromise.

"I'll tell you what," Davis chimed in, "the Clinton campaign's position has been misrepresented by this wonderful love-fest, and the lady who testified for us was saying that the Obama campaign and your proposal is not generous. But it is in fact unfair. If you want to hear, now that the love-fest is over, why don't you come over and hear the counterpoint to this completely disingenuous argument."

A befuddled Ausman who had earlier proposed that Florida's 185 pledged delegates be subject to a 50 percent penalty, asked who exactly Lanny Davis was. By then, however, Davis had herded a slew of reporters around Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones, another Clinton supporter, who was standing feet away and insisting that Ausman's deal was far from a "generous" token by the Obama campaign. Then, in the midst of the hastily gathered question and answer session, Ausman reemerged to defend himself.

What proceeded was a heated and, at times, unintentionally hilarious exchange, with the two standing inches apart from each other and the occasional finger pointed in the other's face.

Ausman: [My proposal] is very generous, because Obama was initially fighting for a situation where Clinton would net 6 delegates, now it's 19.

Davis: Don't say you're being generous.

Ausman: I can say we're being generous.

Davis: But you're allowed to and I'm allowed to disagree...

Story continues below

Ausman: But I'm the one who's on the petition...

Reporter: Ok ok, why don't we --

Ausman: Are you a representative of Clinton?

Davis: No, I'm actually just a person...

Ausman: Are you a designated representative of Clinton?

Davis: I am not a designated representative.

Ausman: Then why don't we have a designated representative speak for Clinton and you be silent?

After the fracas ended, Tubbs Jones fielded several additional questions. Arguing that the only "fair" outcome in Florida would be for the full seating of the delegation and not for those delegates to be halved, she deflected questions as to whether the Clinton campaign's proposals were, themselves, uncompromising.

"My name is Stephanie Tubbs Jones and I am the congresswoman from the great state of Ohio, and on behalf of the Clinton campaign, we don't expect that the Obama campaign could be so generous to us to give us these 19 delegates. It is in fact more generous, and more appropriate, that all the votes be counted as they were cast. And if the votes are counted as they were cast, Senator Clinton will get much more than the Obama campaign is saying will be generous."

Within minutes the congresswoman and the press had dispersed. But a heated Davis was still strolling the halls of the Marriot Hotel. Talking to a separate reporter, he acknowledged that even if Clinton were to get everything she wanted, the likelihood remained that she would still lose the nomination.

"They can give us the full 38 delegates [the net gain of counting 100 percent of the vote] and still win," he said. "So why won't they."

Asked about the exchange with Ausman, he said: "I'm f-ing angry."

Comments

[booksnmore4you]

I cannot stand when Lanny Davis appears on television. I turn it off.

[Tulka2]

LOL i watch Lanny Davis everytime his visage floats accross my screen. I am like a small bird hypnotized by a cobra. I must watch. It is every bit as facinating as watching a train wreck. I was just the same with Nixon, btw.

[progressiveamerican]

Why am I being sanctioned?

[112985]

who cares if you don;t like him Lanny Davis is a honest peson and he is correct!!!! I will never vote for OBAMA unless Clinton is onthe ticket

[progressiveamerican]

right on...hope this one gets through...there seems to be biased sanctions on this blog site.

[loveamerica4real]

If Hillary supporters make Obama loose in 2008 she will loose in 2012. Count on it.

[theplaintrutho1]

You see "Maury100", These people will never change, even for a better candidate.

I call it "Death Wish 22"!

[DemsUnite]

Typical of this group of people representing her. Low self-esteem and diffiulty controlling their emotions. I think Lanny sees his political future fading. The operative word in his comment below is, give...

"They can give us the full 38 delegates [the net gain of counting 100 percent of the vote] and still win," he said.

[bigtlaw]

pretty amazing....more people have voted for Hillary....but the anti Hillary people.....give the impression
that more people have voted for Obama.......quite the "power figure"....doesn't say much about him does it?

[Zeje]

You are wrong.

[UnknownSoldier]

If you are so sure that more people, as you say, voted for Hillary Clinton; then if you please tell the entire world how many people voted for Hilary Clinton in the great state of Maine? While you are looking for those numbers maybe you can tell us How many more people voted for Obama. If you can not accurately answer that question then please stop saying who had more votes and look at who has more delegates.


Thank You and Goodnight

[DemsUnite]

"Give the impression..."? "Power Figure..."? What race have you been watching? The determining metric this race started with was delegates. Can you tell me at what point during the race it was changed?

[northcan]

That's not so at all bigtlaw; the caucaus wins of Obama's do not have a popular vote attached...instead one delegate represents many. Nothing powerful about it. Clinton math has always had difficulty, whether in delegates, popular vote or $$$$$.

Just the way it is. And anti-Hillary are not 'haters', they just know Hillary's game, and respect and admire Obama. That simple.

[gigi09]

Who's winning?

[scotterb]

Irving Janis, writing about foreign policy fiascos, came up with the theory of groupthink. That's when a group of like minded people lose their objectivity because of their overwillingness to reach internal consensus. It's symptoms are a belief in the inherent morality of the group, believing their opponent weaker than he is, a belief that any means are valid for achieving an inherently moral goal, and the silencing of those who would question the agreed upon consensus. I see lots of groupthink amongst the Clinton advisors. I think they are so convinced that they are right that they can't comprehend how the media, DNC members and others don't see what is to them obvious. Groupthink makes errors in judgment more likely. But the question is how much Hillary has bought into this, or is it mostly people like Ickes and Davis? http://scotterb.wordpress.com

[S1m0n]

Hillary has entirely bought into it. In fact, she's the center and the source of the delusion. I'm having trouble constructing a scenario in which everyone around her could be a part of the group-think mind-meld while she isn't.

[bigtlaw]

Am I wrong...is Obama limping to the finish line....why?

[cthomp7280]

Because he is dragging the party's dead weight behind him. I would rather have a limping Obama than a "spinting" (and I use that term very loosely) McCain.

[bigtlaw]

I suppose all you anti Clinton folks feel the most proud that you have felt all your adult life?

[northcan]

Actually Yes!! Right on, and the global pride of Obama is the same. You should check it out.

[buzzy]

MOST PROUD!!! More Obama people would vote for Hillary, if she had won it fair and square. Not proud of the Hillary people that would not vote for Obama. Those people are an embaressment.

[artsandminds]

wow, did you come up with that all on your own. yes keep letting yourself be focused on the things that don't really matter, and you will help send the US down the drain that much faster. Sheep, go PREY in your church and leave politics to the grown ups.

[miloseven]

Actually, I feel sad. HRC had a chance in her speech to show both class and grace. She did neither. From Terry Mac's intro..."The next President of the United States..." to HRC's fans chanting, "Yes SHE can!". Did you notice that Obama's were chanting. "Yes, WE can!" One is inclusive and one is exclusive. Also noted were HRC's folks yelling.."DEN-VER". Are they somehow going to change the rules that ALL parties agreed to? Probably the strangest moment was on CNN, as they are trying to talk to Lanny Davis while workmen were breaking down the podium. Kinda like the carnival leaving town, and some folks have no place to go. Yeah, sad.

[Pema]

Why is it the Clinton camp has been so nasty/ usingh profanity is not the way we should behave esp in public. It makes me even more sure of my choice....Obama. TG we wont have Davis, and Wolfson and that nasty Ickies around.

[oscartucker]

Lanny Davis needs help; Terry McAullife needs help; Howard Wolfson needs help. People of Ohio, please help Stephanie Tubbs Jones. Give her a rest next election so she can go somewhere and get some rest and reflect!!!!

[bodo]

Add Ickes and Carville to your list of over-anxious zealots and supporters that have damaged Hillary more than they helped her. What every executive, most of all a President needs is organizational talent and the ability to pick the right people. Hillary's haphazard and totally disorganized campaign proves that she possesses neither.

[UnknownSoldier]

What I find funny about the media coverage of the Obama and Clinton Campaigns, is that the media and Hillary Clinton supporters seem to feel that Obama and his campaign have been attacking her. Yet the only attack people you can name are all in the Clinton Camp. Ickes, Wolfson, Carville, McAlluife, The Republicans....etc.

My question is WHERE ARE THE OBAMA ATTACK DOGS, can anyone name them. I want to balanced in my opinion.

We watched ABC News attack Obama in a debate, we have watched Fox News attack Obama's Rev., We have watched the media attack him and call him an elitist (see guns and religion).

Outside of the Sniper story what has the media said about Hillary Clinton. I want to be balanced in my opinion. So please inform me before I vote.

[netgecko99]

How could you forget Penn, the ultimate architect of her defeat?

[gigi09]

All of them are SICk! Especially Stephanie Tubbs Jones...calling all Jones voters...remember her at the polls! Obama 08!

[debrouillard]

Its Funny how the put together the PA ad of "Truman says it best,if you cant stand the heat,then get out of the kitchen"
And yet,we have only seen the Clintonites melting as the heat rises. Harold Ickles,Lanny,Bill,Hillary.etc.

I remember Bill Clinton in Indiana saying "I never heard Hillary complaining" following the ABC debate.

Yes you right Bill,she doesnt complain,she whins and go nutts and that includes Bill as well.

[bluesman49]

This is all about power shifting from New York Clinton to Chicago Obama. These guys like Davis just can't fathom how they screwed the pooch in this primary election and have essentially lost control of the democratic party. Obama will be a refreshing change from both Bush and the Clintons and McCain and Romney and Rudy and ........

[marc1antony]

guess you won't get a cabinet position now, eh lanny?

[brizzle]

As an Obama supporter, I want to reach out to Hillary supporters and say "Come back! We can give this country a historic election and change the face of this nation forever".

Then I hear Hillary quote Karl Rove. Then I see Lanny Davis and Harold Ickes, and I just think: these are the men representing her campaign?

I wonder what would happen if you put these men together in a room with some of Hillary's most ardent supporters. Would they even get along?

[ZeusBoots]

I am just pleased to see the truth come out finally. The Clinton camp has not changed over the years, but the American people have. Now they can clearly see through the spinning, lies, and bad manners of the Clinton's and their surrogates.

You know, I believe we are beginning to grow up and choose wisely for the first time in decades!

For all the women who feel disenfranchised, I say, go out and get some power for yourselves, it's not too late and there are opportunities. Rather than latching on to the coattails of another woman, do something for yourselves. Stop blaming others for your lack of power, position, or prestige. It is time to stop being "victims" and start being "warriors". As a woman, I can say this: you do not need to live vicariously through Hillary Clinton, stand up for yourselves.

[progressiveamerican]

I hereby announce my bid for the presidency in 2012.

[progressiveamerican]

By the way, could you tell this to the black population too.

[nonconformist2]

He's loud. He's bitter. He's devisive. AND he supports Clinton. What a shocker. NOT!

[EGNY]

I heard Lanny Davis interviewed on the radio a while back.

Lanny was ticked off, because the Edwards endorsement had stolen a lot of thunder from Clinton's WV victory. He basically said "why couldn't the Obama people have allowed Hillary to bask in the victory for one day before announcing Edwards.”

You don't suggest that your rival forgo timing the Edwards' endorsement to mute HRC's WV victory coverage -- the only rational tactic in a hard-fought campaign -- unless your underlying reasoning is that everyone on both sides knows the race is over and Obama won.

Obviously, Lanny’s been out of the loop for a while. Even while he was saying this, Clinton was gearing up her fuzzy math to claim the popular vote, and announcing that “hard working Americans -- White Americans” were supporting her. I guess HRC thought the hard-fought race was still “on.” So, it was pretty lame for Lanny to whine that Obama wasn’t letting her “bask,” while his candidate was sharpening up a new set of knives.

Then, he roams the halls at the DNC meeting, basically arguing the same thing. Obama will win even if he rolls over on HRC’s absurd demand that she get every delegate she wants from FL & MI, so why not do it? Yet, at the same time, Clinton’s “official” mouthpiece on the committee is threatening a floor fight over their allocation of MI delegates.

Maybe Lanny just drank the wrong Kool-aid.

[northcan]

Everyone wonders why so many Clinton screwup's in the Clinton camp. They all went to Yale together. Knew each other and gathered back in Arkansas or WH when Bill Clinton elected President in 92. They've known each other all their adult lives. Most of the people Clinton's knew in their twenties went to the WH in 92'. They are bedfellows that have never split.

[MrsPeel]

Lanny Davis didn't have any cool to lose.