Clinton campaign: Michigan and Florida are vital partners

The 2.3 million votes that would be excluded at the Democratic National Convention were highlighted in a conference call with advisers to the Hillary Clinton campaign. In reference to the Florida and Michigan primaries, adviser Tina Flournoy emphasized that the January results should count, that January results should be used to allocate delegates, and that full delegates from each state should be seated and given full votes. Flournoy said that the habit of awarding half votes is a precedent that should not be set by the Democratic Party.

To clear confusion, Flournoy said that Michigan and Florida requested waivers for their early primaries after the dates had already been set and that candidate’s decisions not to campaign in Florida and Michigan was requested by New Hampshire, Nevada, South Carolina, and Iowa, not the national party. Advisers reiterated that Clinton’s push for a re-vote was not successful and that the allocation of delegates should adhere to the available results. Advisers also stated that uncommitted delegates in Michigan should be registered as uncommitted at the convention, saying that one cannot judge the stance of an uncommitted vote accurately.

Clinton’s lead in the popular vote and her electability in other key swing states like Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia were given as reasons why the committee should rule in favor of Clinton. Adviser Harold Ickes said the goal of the party’s convention is to determine who can win 270 electoral votes for the Democratic Party and that the Clinton campaign, believing that Clinton is best able to achieve that goal, is a practical organization. Listeners were reminded of Florida and Michigan’s importance in the general election as Ickes said it is important to include these states as full partners in the electoral process.

When asked if the Clinton campaign is facing an uphill battle, advisers said that neither candidate can win the party’s nomination without the votes of superdelegates. Ickes and Flournoy, who both serve on the Rules and Bylaws Committee, were confident that their colleagues would agree that seating Michigan and Florida is in the party’s best interests.

Obama Campaign Conference Call with Big Name Supporters

Obama Campaign supporters Senators John Kerry, Amy Klobuchar, Claire McCaskill, and Governors Janet Napolitano and Deval Patrick in addition to campaign manager David Plouffe were on a conference call today to discuss the State of the Race.

Kerry was the first to speak and called last night’s victories a “giant and decisive stride” toward the nomination. McCaskill thought last night was “extraordinary” in many ways and believed that Obama squared off the electability argument and gained the trust of the voters. Now that there are more superdelegates outstanding than pledged delegates, Napolitano believes that now is the time for the superdelegates to begin bringing this process to a close and to begin announcing their preference. Klobuchar finished with “the heart of the heartland is with Barack Obama.”

Obama’s Campaign Manager gives State of the Race

This morning the Obama campaign held a conference call with national campaign manager David Plouffe to discuss the results from last nights primary and the events for the rest of the primary season. Plouffe stated that the campaign is less than 300 delegates, meaning pledged delegates and super delegates, away from securing the nomination. The end of the primary season will be June 3rd and they expect that day to tell all. He went on to state that Obama has a 30-16 record in victories while showing a very calm and composed and very confident demeanor on an Obama victory.

The main part of the call was a review of the numbers in states. Plouffe went through their victories and did the math to show that Clinton would need overwhelming victories to secure a nomination. The call seemed like a reaffirmation of their place in the race and to display that there is no shakeup in their confidence.

Obama Campaign Responds to Geraldine Ferraro in a Press Conference Call

Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky hosted a press conference call to address recent comments made by Congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro (D-NY 9) that “If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position … And if he was a woman (of any color) he would not be in this position. He happens to be very lucky to be who he is. And the country is caught up in the concept.” Campaign representatives criticized the Clinton campaign for failing to distance itself from the comments and denounce such divisive sentiments. They claimed that campaign leadership comes from the very top, and hold Sen. Clinton responsible for accepting this kind of behavior asking “Is she serious about policing the tone of this campaign?” The whole affair was described as a continuation of the kind of detrimental “tear-each-other-down” politics against which they are striving, said Obama surrogates. Calls were also made for Ferraro to be censured and removed from her positions within the Clinton campaign.

Senator Clinton addresses supporters in Columbus, Ohio, after winning that state's primary election

Senator Clinton joined on stage by her daughter Chelsea, Governor Ted Strickland, Senator John Glenn, Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs-Jones, and Lt. Governor Lee Fisher.

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