New Petition Backs Up Pelosi On Superdelegates

Today, OpenLeft.com and MoveOn.org are co-sponsoring a new petition to Nancy Pelosi, supporting her position on superdelegates and telling her that we'll back her up when she is threatened.

Matt Stoller noted yesterday a letter that 20 major donors and raisers to Hillary and other Democratic Party causes sent to Pelosi, upbraiding her for saying that voters ought to actually determine the election. Now, I don't think there is anything wrong with donors stating their opinion about this issue, and I don't blame them for doing it. I'm sure that the Clinton campaign asked them to send the letter, and they are loyal partisans for Hillary, so they did what they were asked to do.

But I also think that the millions of us who are smaller donors to this party, who give through MoveOn.org and blogs and ActBlue, should have an equal voice on the important issues with the big dog donors, and we believe that the candidate who wins this election ought to be given the nomination.

If the donors and raisers who signed this letter plan to take their money away from the DCCC, that would be a terrible thing, and if that's what they are implying with this letter, shame on them and on the Clinton campaign for encouraging that kind of threat. But, if they do take their money away, I believe those of us signing this petition can more than make up the difference through our collective efforts. More importantly, it will be up to us to make sure that the actions of a few do not change the course that Speaker Pelosi and our House members have been fighting for.

Please sign the petition here. Also, here is the text to MoveOn.org's email.

Cross-Posted at OpenLeft.com.

Comments

[moodpost]

Why does everyone seem to think that the super delegates are stupid and have to be led around? Everyone should expect that these people will simply vote their self interest. For many of them, that will " mean what they think is best for the party. For others, it will be what is best for their own candidacies. To me, Obama has shown he has some coattails, so I think this self-interest will translate into votes for Obama by most of the super-delegates. These people are politicians, so we should expect them to vote as politicians, and we should probably not think that rants on blog comments will change their minds. I'm not sure why Pelosi and others are making these statements, because I don't think she will actually change their minds. Perhaps her willingness to take some sort of stand that is perceived to be outside the Clinton establishment is somehow important, but I don't really get it. If I were a super-delegate, and I had to vote today, it would be an easy vote for Obama. I don't expect that anything that will happen in the next couple of months will change that.

[GoldCanyonGal]

You can collect all the petitions you want...that's simply not the way the rules were written and not the way they have been understood since they were adopted. The Primaries are a function of the Party and while popular votes should be and usually are respected, the idea of superdelegates was to protect the Party from being overruled by an 'unsound', populist revolution...in other words, the Party doesn't trust our judgement and the Party reserves the right to over-rule the popular vote. Primary votes have none of the legal protection that General election votes have. Ms Pelosi is wrong, as usual.

[Abroad]

From her reaction to the letter, it is obvious Nancy Pelosi doesn't feel in anyway threatened. One could even argue that these donors have ridiculed themselves and that this whole story is already dead.

[krisellyn]

The Clinton donors used that letter to point out that Pelosi was not the neutral politician she's been saying she is. With the help of the media, Pelosi herself, and MoveOn.org, I think that objective was resoundly completed. Now Pelosi can't be involved in refereeing the Convention fight. Yippee! If this were a chess game, the Clinton donors have knocked Obama's Queen off the game board.

[JohnnySorrow]

You must not play a lot of chess.

I'm pretty sure that Obama's lead in elected delegates, committed superdelegates since Super Tuesday, overall delegates, states won, and popular vote would be his queen.

It's sad Clinton supporters have no news to celebrate, so they have to conjure victories.

[realistxxx]

The rules are there are no rules.

Therefore, supporters of either candidate can state whatever they view as best for the party and their wished-for nominee.

They mostly wouldn't be supporting a particular candidate if they didn't believe that candidate was better for the party. Some have other motives but in the end we should take them as calculating politicians. The fund-raisers are somewhat different and may have more self interest involved.

It just so happens that Obama's supporters have a more rational, compelling and ethical argument for how they prefer the superdelegates to vote (If he maintains his lead in elected delegates and popular vote).

Both candidates have electability issues, and choosing a president is always a crap shoot. That Obama leads and likely will continue to lead the nomination process, renders HRC's arguments for why the supers should nominate her extremely weak.

[SenorBob]

I wanted to sign it, but I live overseas and don't have a US zip code :(

[Titonwan]

I signed it and encouraged all my friends to also. I tried to get a movement going to compel Bubba to stop pointing that long crooked finger at people (eye hazard), but even MoveOn.org said that's impossible.

[shawnav]

I started a donation drive on Obama's site to outraise her self-professed mega donors. It has only been up a few hours and the donations are coming in. When I think about how the Clintons are trying to strong-arm, buy, steal, etc. this election, seeing that tally go up makes me smile. :)

http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/shawnav

[LeftRight]

I love that he's raising MORE money than she is, even though she's got the BIG donors, and he's got mostly the small guys. Not saying that he doesn't have any big donors, but he's got most of his money from the small folks!

[danceswithyids]

It is great to see two far left sites try and push through their agenda of forcing supers hands.

Which is against the rules of what the supers job is, sorry those are the rules.

Just like the rule that says FLA and MI are allowed to re-vote.

Why is it people stop talking about the rules when they don't fit their desired needs?

I guess the democracy by hipocricy is doing just fine, new kind of politics, my butt.

[LeftRight]

FL and MI are only allowed to revote provided that the party agrees with what they asked for. When the party decided (correctly, IMHO) to ask the candidates, and they couldn't agree with what was being suggested, the party said no dice.

This is not a far left site, it's about middle of the road, maybe a little left. You only think that it's far left because the rethuglicants in this country have moved the POLITICAL center over to the right of Nixon!

[danceswithyids]

I want to make sure you read what I wrote correctly, I wasn't calling this site far-left.

I disagree with your theory on the political center being pulled to the right.

The Republican party pulled itself and the right to the far right.

The left has reacted by moving over farther to the left.

What we should be doing is gravitating away from both extremes, as I believe that both extremes are more reactionary then reasoned.

And as far as the re-votes go, if the candidates don't agree, you keep working until they do, or it becomes quite clear that one will do anything to keep a re-vote from happening.

As for me I am a proud liberal and am not afraid of using that word. And just so you know, this site is without a doubt, leftist and not middle of the road as you have suggested.

Anyone middle of the road would read this site as left. Not that that is a bad thing.

[Lemeritus]

Right of Nixon? How 'bout when you start thinking of Goldwater as a sweet, reasonable moderate?

[Titonwan]

Why do people get irrational when things don't "fit their desired needs?" :( And for chrissakes, leave the hipocricy's alone. There's only a few dozen left in NE Australia!

[danceswithyids]

Are you saying my post was irrational? In what way?
The Australia line was hilarious.

[CraigMM]

So Richardson, Kennedy, Kerry and Deval Patrick will be supporting HRC because she wom MA and NM, right? Yeah, I didn't think that would be okay with the Obama supporters. This is a petition with a double-standard, which is perfect for the Obama "do as I say, not as I do" campaign. The superdelegates are bound to vote for whomever they feel will be the best candidate in the GE. That's the standard. Who won more states, has more pledged delegates or hos more popular votes is irrelevent. This is Obama trying to change the rules, and I seem to remember Obama calling out HRC for that same behavior recently. Yet another example of change you can really count on with Obama. The bottom line is that NEITHER candidate can get to 2025, so it will play out. Stop looking at it as a negative and be happynthere are 2 terrific candidates. If Obama can't run away with it on his own he should just continue to campaign.

[LeftRight]

Except that we are saying on a nationwide basis for the supers, since they are NOT beholden to any candidate or state.

[Plowboy]

So they tried to buy something and failed. Poor poor little rich folks.
But now ask yourselves what they were trying to buy, and if it were for us -- or some other nation.
It can't be mine. It is -- or tries to be! -- democratic.

Poor little rich buyers, couldn't buy Obama, huh? Tough. Now get lost. We don't like your blackmail attempts.

[Jonny38103]

If the superdelegates are just supposed to echo the votes, what are they for? Obviously they were created to vote for what they think is in the best interest of the party, not that their voting the same as the electorate and doing what is best for the party is mutually exclusive. Isn't it their job in a close race to make the decision for the party? This is not an appeal for Sen Clinton; I'm just trying to understand why the Democratic Party set up its system this way. And I can't come up with any other conclusion other than their votes are supposed to count for more than the average voter's, and if need be in their minds, to reverse the will of the pledged delegates.

[TurnThePageGA]

You do realize that the way delegates are allocated a candidate can win all 55 contests by a 10 percent margin and 796 superdelegates could overturn the election? Is that what intended by the establishment of this elite group? I am sure voters would thank this group and fall in line. How about asking what is thepoint of holding 55 contests if all we need is this Elite Group to decide for us?

[danceswithyids]

How about it?
Please tell us what the DNC replies.
Tell us the rules the DNC set up for the supers.
Also tell us if they mention that a re-vote in FLA and MI are in fact not against the rules.
The rules state there can be a re-vote.
Clinton and Obama hate the rules when it doesn't suit them and love the rules when it does.
Is everyone so in love with the one or the other not to be able to see this fact?

Also I am so surprised that the two far left sites are joining in with Obama when they all hate Clinton. They are just the opposite side of the rich folks blackmailing of Pelosi.

[LeftRight]

No, they were created to ensure that the party leaders kept control of the party, and the voters down. Look at what happened right before they created the supers.....

[danceswithyids]

You are absolutely correct.
But being correct on facts is no longer important to either side.
Both have proved they are willing to do whatever it takes to win.
If you don't see that, then I believe you have blinders on and for some reason can't see your candidate as they truly are, a politician running for President.

[DavidK08]

Hillary's only chance to win, is to get elected by 800 super delegates. Why do people believe that she wants the FL and MI delegates seated? It wouldn't matter. She would be asking those votes not to count anyway.

I can't wait for the debate answers to the ultra rich threat to Pelosi.

[Whinger]

The countdown has begun, Democratic Party Implosion, who can defuse the timer?

[knowhelpnow]

I doubt that the Democratic Party will Implode. I think it is great that all this is going on, it will make it harder for the GOP to come up with something on either Democratic candidate. I'm hopeful that no matter who wins and why that the country are tired of Big Brother and the corruption. lies, the playing politics within the Bush presidency that the Democrats will be smart enough to back the candidate for progress and the people; instead of the elite.

[AnninCA]

The MoveOn.org group backs taking away the vote from people and supporting this nonsense of caucus states and bare wins and screw delegate counts? I am soooo not surprised.

[nazgul]

How many lies can one person pack in two lines?

[nazgul]

I count 4.

[AnninCA]

They back the candidate with the wussy health care plan and the wussy economic plan and.........well, he's just a plain ole good ole boy's wuss.

[TurnThePageGA]

Annin, I see you are trucking the latest Metric from the Clinton Campaign. Yesterday we were doing it by Electoral College (Evan Bayh). Today we are counting ONLY states that have had primaries (Bill Clinton). Everyday, it is something new. Get over it. It is either gonna be Obama or Gore. Hillary will not be rewarded for Tearing Obama down and hoping the superdelegates agree. She can't catch him so she tears him down so that he can't win. The party ain't gonna turn around and give it to her. You are fighting a lost cause. And yes I can live with Gore/Obama if it comes to that.

[shawnav]

Actually, MoveOn.org held an open vote for their supporters to choose which candidate the organization should back and they overwhelmingly chose Obama. So MoveOn.org and their collection of MILLIONS of people are choosing to support Obama and the side of the democratic process over bribes, arm-twisting and values-for-sale.

What I can't figure out for the life of me is what not everyone would want that kind of government instead of the bribery and corruption we currently have. Is winning at all costs REALLY what will help even you personally when this is all said and done?

[danceswithyids]

I find it hilarious that people somehow don't see that Senator Obama is and will continue to be a politician. I am supporting Obama, but I am not under the spell. I am able to see the way both sides have played and neither is clean.
Sure Senator Obama is cleaner, but cleaner just means less dirty, it does not mean clean.
The reason I say this is because part of me fears a huge backlash if Senator Obama can become president and then can't produce, not due to him but to how the government is set up.

[ljmck]

Whether in or out of office, the Clintons are no supporters of the Democratic party. The use it and abuse it, but it's always all about them.

For all her name, credentials, and "experience," Senator Clinton has not stepped forward in the last seven years and used her capital for the good of the party or the country. She has not been a vigorous advocate of Democratic principles. It's been about her getting back in the White House, and she has triangulated her votes with that in mind. She hasn't put herself out there for all the days of this administration, why believe she will start on day one?

Sign the petition. Call these blackmailers on their play. Let them know that the Democratic party is for all the people, not just the fat cats at the top.

[Fabienne]

The Clinton donors have, altogether, donated $24 million dollars to the Democratic Party over the last 10 years. Obama can raise that in a month. Who should the delegates back?