Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Larsen (WA-02) Defends WA Democrats

Congressman Rick Larsen (WA-02) has defended Washington Democrats against DLC dead-enders claims that smaller states that hold caucuses to select delegates are undemocratic. Kudos to Rick.

Lawmakers from caucus states roiled over Clinton criticism
By Manu Raju (TheHill.com)

Democratic lawmakers from caucus states are agitated by the Clinton campaign’s attempts to dismiss Sen. Barack Obama’s (Ill.) victories in their home states.
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) and her campaign surrogates have tried to marginalize Obama’s caucus wins by saying the process is unfair because it limits participation. In a televised interview earlier this month, Pennsylvania Gov. Edward Rendell (D), a top Clinton supporter, went as far as to call the caucus process “undemocratic.” ...

... Rep. Bruce Braley (D-Iowa), an uncommitted superdelegate whose state and district were won by Obama, said the Clinton campaign’s attack on the caucus system is a “cause for concern” in evaluating her candidacy and one of a number of factors he’ll consider in making his endorsement.

He said his home state’s January caucuses “were one of the most democratic processes we’ve ever seen.” ...

... “The first thing I would say to any national leader, whoever they are, is, ‘Don’t boss around states and tell them how to select their delegates,’ ” said Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), who, like Braley, has not picked a candidate to support in the race. ... (full article)

Meanwhile... in an interview with Columbian Staff Writer Kathie Durbin, Senator Maria Cantwell stated:
... “I definitely don’t want the superdelegates to be the deciding factor,” she said.

The Democratic party should come together around the candidate with the most popular votes, the most states won and the most delegates, Cantwell said. The pledged delegate count will be the most important factor, she said, because that is the basis of the nominating process. ...

It seems pretty clear that Senator Clinton and her DLC elitist, authoritarian backers are driving away supporters by arguing that the nominating rules should be changed in the middle of the game so that she can be nominated without winning the nomination. Her attitude that she is entitled to be the nominee is revealing of a very undemocratic outlook. Hillary would do well to dump advisers like her cajun crap-meister James Carville and the other DLC weasels that surround her.

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