a Michigan re-vote
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To: Interested Parties\
From: The Clinton Campaign\
Date: March 19, 2008\
RE: Obama’s Re-Vote Pledge: Just Words\
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On February 8, 2008, Barack Obama stood in the aisle of his airplane and told reporters that he would be “fine” with a new primary in Michigan if it could be done in a way that gave him and Senator Clinton time to make their respective cases and the DNC signed off. Since then, such a plan has garnered broad support from top Michigan lawmakers and the DNC has given its blessing.\
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So Barack Obama is on board, right? Guess again. It turns out that his comments about being fine with a re-vote if the above conditions were met were just words. As yesterday’s headline in the Detroit Free-Press made clear, Senator Obama is the lone standout: “Michigan do-over depends on Obama’s backing, Senate leaders say.”\
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The Clinton campaign believes the right to vote is a bedrock principle of our country and that empowering the people of Michigan and Florida to make their voices heard must be a priority for any candidate running for the Democratic nomination. As such, we must either honor the original vote or hold a state-run primary that doesn’t leave the taxpayers footing the bill.\
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So why is the Obama campaign refusing to give the people of Michigan the chance to exercise their fundamental right to vote? Let\0x2019s take a quick look at what the Obama campaign is arguing and explore why those arguments are wrong:\
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False Excuse #1: Barack Obama Wasn’t on the Ballot. The Obama campaign argues that their candidate wasn’t on the January ballot because the Michigan primary wasn’t sanctioned by the DNC and they were trying to comply with the early state pledge. Let’s remember that the point of the early state pledge was to protect the role of the four states that held early nominating contests. Well the contests in those states were protected and the people in Iowa, South Carolina, New Hampshire and Nevada got a chance to vote. Keep in mind that nearly twice as many people voted in Michigan and Florida than voted in the four early states combined.\
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There aren’t many second chances in life but Senator Obama has one now and should ask the people of Michigan for their vote. Why is he refusing to do so?\
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The bottom line is that Michigan has all the problems and promise that we talk about in this country. Competing in Michigan sends a signal that Democrats care and understand the people there deserve the chance to make their voices heard and need someone in the White House who will hear their voices. \
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If Barack Obama doesn’t want to help make that happen, Hillary Clinton is ready to do so. We call on the Obama campaign to let the people of Michigan vote.
op-ed in today’s New York Times
— Christina Bellantoni, national political reporter, The Washington Times
