March 26, 2008
Dead Horse
A federal judge ruled today that MI's presidential primary law is unconstitutional and blocked the state from giving voter lists from the Jan. 15 election to the state's major political parties.
The Detroit News: "U.S. District Judge Nancy Edmunds in Detroit ruled that the law's provision giving the list of voters' partisan preference only to the Democratic and Republican parties violated the rights of several small parties, who argued that the information should be distributed to all who wanted it or to no one."
The critical fallout ... Ruling makes it even less likely that the Jan. 15 results wil be counted OR that there will be a redo. Clinton's campaign promptly responded to the news with another call for a revote in MI.
From HRC campaign manager Maggie Williams:
In the wake of today's court ruling regarding Michigan’s January 15th primary, we urge Senator Obama to join our call for a party-run primary and demonstrate his commitment to counting Michigan's votes.
Senator Clinton has consistently urged that the more that 600,000 votes cast by the people of Michigan be counted and if that is not possible, that a new election be held.
Michigan voters must not be disenfranchised and the Obama campaign must not continue to block Michigan’s efforts to hold a new vote. Rather it should move quickly to announce its support for a party run primary.
Michigan will be a key battleground state in November. Disenfranchising Michigan voters today will, in the heat of a general election, provide Senator McCain with a powerful argument to use against the Democratic nominee. We cannot allow this to happen.
The people of Michigan must be counted and their voices finally heard. What the people of Michigan need now is just action, not just words.
UPDATE: David Plouffe, Barack Obama's campaign chairman, weighed in on the MI ruling in a statement released by the campaign ... “As we’ve said consistently, we think there should be a fair seating of the Michigan delegates. The Clinton campaign has stubbornly said they see no need to negotiate, but we believe that their Washington, my-way-or-the-highway approach is something voters are tired of."
Posted at 04:49 PM
Comments
...but we believe that their Washington, my-way-or-the-highway approach is something voters are tired of."
HA. HA. HA. Pot, meet kettle.
This, from the candidate who is insisting that a) Obama get a 50-50 split out of the Michigan primary even though he voluntarily took his name off the ballot and b) refuses to sign on to any revote plan in either MI or FL.
That's more than "my way or the highway." That's called running out the clock.
corinne | 03.26.08 09:47 PM
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