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by John McCormick
Two of the three leading Democratic presidential candidates have asked to have their names removed from the Jan. 15 primary ballot in Michigan because the state has not stuck to Democratic National Committee scheduling rules, likely rendering the contest insignificant.
Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois and former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards on Tuesday both filed paperwork with the Michigan secretary of state to have their names withdrawn, as did Delaware Sen. Joe Biden.
"This is an extension of the pledge we made, based on the rules that the DNC laid out," Obama spokesman Ben LaBolt said in a statement. "We still hope that Michigan Democrats can adopt a process that meets DNC rules and, if so, look forward to fighting for the votes of men and women across the state."
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson had already sent a letter Monday, ahead of today's deadline, asking for his name to be removed.
Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York and Sen. Christopher Dodd of Connecticut have agreed not to campaign in either Michigan or Florida, which ignored party rules by scheduling nominating contests before Feb. 5.
Clinton, however, is not expected to ask to have her name removed from the ballot.
"We're honoring the pledge and we won't campaign or spend money in states that aren't in compliance with the DNC calendar,'' Clinton spokesman Jay Carson told The Associated Press. "We don't think it's necessary to remove ourselves from the ballot.''
Dodd's campaign issued this statement: "We are committed to the importance of Iowa and New Hampshire going first, and we signed the four-state pledge to hopefully prevail upon the DNC and the state parties to add clarity to that situation. However, it does not benefit any of us if we are the nominee to pull our name off the ballot and slight Michigan voters."
Only Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire and South Carolina are allowed to hold primaries before that date, although the dates for those contests still remain in flux.
Comments
Read the above and read about the Florida fiasco. And a national Democratic Party pretending that Michigan and Florida don't exist.
These people can't even run the Democratic party primaries with any degree of competence. Yet they presume to ask American voters to let them run the government.
Posted by: Bruce | October 9, 2007 3:47 PM
Bruce, who says "These people" can't run the party,
let alone the country, is obviously not a Democrat himself,
so he will not be voting for or against any of these people
in any primary in any state; his opinion is completely irrelevant.
Moreover, he obviously has no idea who "these people" even are.
Democratic National Committee members
from ALL 50 states, INCLUDING Florida and Michigan,
endorsed the calendar.
The fact that
individual state organizations in Florida
and Michigan got selfish
after the fact is
NOT a reflection on Democrats nationally.
Clinton's decision not to
remove herself from the
ballot is a mistake.
But then, so was her vote
for the war, and she's not
apologizing for that either.
Posted by: George Greene | October 9, 2007 4:15 PM
I am of the belief that all states should vote at the same time; but with the circumstances being what they are, regarding money, an early Iowa and New Hamphire vote is the only way all the candidates can get anything close to a fair shot at the most powerful position in the world.
So, for the sake of the people, without public financing of elections, we need to make sure states that our huge, including mine(california), go later in the election cycle.
That way the good people in Iowa and New Hampshire can meet these people face to face and make a more educated decision than a huge mass of people voting 30 second TV ads.
Posted by: Josh McDonald | October 9, 2007 5:04 PM
Hey, take it easy on Hillary. This is the way for her to score a big win. The question will be, with no opposition, can she get 40 percent of the vote?
Posted by: Bolivar | October 9, 2007 5:19 PM
HILLARY 'all things to all people' bit won't campaign if she doesn't have too - or if 'BIG BILL' tells her not too!!! This is a 'JOKE' right like one of those HILLARY 'fake-cackle-laughs' for the media??? Yeah HILLARY will be 'all things' to 'all peoples' right??? Monday will be GAY-DAY at the WHITE-HOUSE while BILL is in his 'play-pen' with his 'bimbettes'. Tuesday will be 'TACO-DAY' for all HISPANICS while BILL is in his 'play-pen' fooling around with MS. STRONACH. Wednesday will be 'WATERMELON DAY' to please all BLACKS while BILL is in his 'play-pen' enjoying cigar-sex with anyone who still smokes. Thursday will be GLATT KOSHER KITCHEN-DAY at the WHITE HOUSE to placate all Jews while BILL is in his 'play-pen' "...restoring the image of AMERICA" with yet another intern. Friday will be 'FANATIC ISLAM-DAY' to assuage all MUSLIMS while BILL is in his 'play-pen' "...working-hard for the peoples" plowing new roads to perversity. Saturday HILLARY rested while BILL wondered if he could get the 'porn channel' and not FOX NEWS on his 'play-pen' TV??? ALL HAIL HILLARY - THE NEW FASCIST LORD replacing BENITO MUSSOLINI - NOT AS SMART NOT AS GOOD-LOOKING NOT AS ARTICULATER BUT WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT FROM A NYYANKEES FAN??? Ha - how many 'LIES' can HILLARY TELL/ACCOMPLISH before the '^SSHOLE NATIONAL MEDIA’ responds to your tirgavisations??? Ha! – a female who is as deceitful –vindictive – vicious – as any male and who has never accomplished anything!!! HILLARY – THE FEMALE FASCIST OF OUR WORST NIGHTMARES.
Posted by: Zyskandar A Jaimot | October 9, 2007 6:21 PM
Zyskandar A Jaimot you are an ignorant bigot. You are a disgrace to this nation.
Posted by: Anonymous | October 10, 2007 11:33 AM
I think Clinton's been pretty smart to stay in Michigan. To get to the white house, she's going to need to win MI in the general election. Honestly, I think Obama and Edwards are just interested in securing a VP nomination at the moment.
Posted by: Independent | October 12, 2007 12:30 PM
What's that 'HUGE FLUSHING' sound??? --- Ah that is HILLARY & D^CKHEAD being disposed of in IOWA!!!Ha!!!
Posted by: Zyskandar A Jaimot | January 5, 2008 9:14 AM
Hillary did not make a mistake by not removing her name from the Michigan ballot. If it gets to a floor fight and she needs the delegates, she will threaten and bribe people to have them counted for her.
Posted by: douglas c | January 7, 2008 2:01 AM