AP: Dean Leads 'Superdelegate' Race

[Khephra]

WASHINGTON -- Democratic insiders have given self-styled outsider Howard Dean his first lead in the chase for delegates needed to capture the party's presidential nomination, according to an Associated Press survey.

In the first "ballots" cast of the 2004 race, the former Vermont governor has endorsements or pledges of support from 80 Democratic "superdelegates" -- elected officials and other party officials who will help select a nominee at this July's convention.

Rival Dick Gephardt, the former House Democratic leader who has served as Missouri congressman for 28 years, has the backing of 57 superdelegates. Four-term Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts has the support of 50.

Among the remaining candidates, three-term Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, the 2000 vice presidential nominee, has 25 superdelegates, while Wesley Clark, the retired general who has never held elected office, has 22. First-term Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina has 15.

snip.......

One superdelegate, conservative Democratic Sen. Zell Miller of Georgia, has endorsed Bush. Miller, a first-term lawmaker, has decided not to seek another term.


more.............

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-democrats-superdelegates,0,602.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

[wtmusic]

1. Buh-bye, Zell

come back and visit...NOT!

[xultar]

5. I live in GA, If you'd like I can whoopa his ass and send u a video tape

or DVD version of the Beat down as a public service.

U interested?

Zell rhymes with Hell ring a Bell?

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

8. We will hold you to that.....

Think of the profits you can make from the DVD version.

[Democrats unite]

2. That is out of 800 super delegates...

Keep in mind that super delegates can and have changed their support to other delegates.

[Polemonium]

3. I like it

admittedly, it's pretty early in the race to think that this means much but I still like it.

[denverbill]

4. This sucks. A Democratic superdelegate voting for Bush. Wonderful.

[Khephra]

7. A superdelegate should be kicked out of the party automatically

If they support the candidate of the opposition party,imo.

[onehandle]

10. No sh*t.!

I've voted for him. Given him money. Shaken his hand several times. And this is his thanks?

Kicked out? How 'bout deported.

[JNelson6563]

15. Yes, send him back to

Assholevania! :-)

[progressivebydesign]

17. Wasn't Assholevania one of the Coalition of the Willing? N/T

[depakid]

20. I agree-

How can a delegate possibly perform his official duties if he endorses the opposition? Obviously, he can't so either stripping him of his status (I don't know whether the rules provide for this) or kicking him out of the party are the only logical things to do.

[Foswia]

21. I think it’s a valid criticism.

I think it’s a valid criticism. I don't agree with it, but as long as he is dem he can so whatever he wants.

[damnraddem]

23. He can do whatever he wants and register Dem till he switches ...

but that doesn't mean that the Party must, nor should, retain him as a superdelegate. Kick the bum out!

[Atlant]

9. And that friends, is why...

The non-Democratic wing of the Democratic Party has been such a
"Miserable Failure" these last few years.

Take back the Party!

Take back the Presidency!

Take back the Country!

You have the Power!

Join People-Powered-Howard!

Atlant

[mobuto]

12. Um, the non-Democratic wing of the Democratic Party

is limited to Zell Miller and Ralph Hall.

Now there are lots of conservative Democrats who we may disagree with on a regular basis, but they're still Democrats and any Democrat is better than any Republican. That may sound cynical but its the honest truth. Every extra Democratic vote in Congress is one step closer to Democratic control, even if that vote is from a congressman who isn't as ideologically pure as the driven snow.

[Atlant]

13. Oh, I think we can find room in it...

For John Breaux, and maybe Mary Landreu (sp?), and quite likely
Joe Lieberman as well.

Generally, anybody who's standing behind Shrub in the ceremonial
Rose Garden Bill-signing ceremonies with a big, shit-eating grin
on their faces as they watch shrub signing away pur democracy is
in the not-very-Democratic wing of the Democratic party.

Atlant

[mobuto]

14. Really?

I take it you'd prefer Louisiana to have two Republican Senators? Maybe take them a little closer to the sixty votes needed to overturn Democratic filibusters?

Landrieu is actually quite good on most issues, but even John Breaux votes for Tom Daschle as Majority Leader. Would you prefer another vote for Dr. Frist?

Now Lieberman infuriates me. But he's still infinitely better than a Republican would be. You don't believe me? Look at his opposition in 2000. Phil Giordano. One of the most despicable human beings on God's green earth.

Whether we like it or not (and I trust that you don't like it), Democrats are the minority party at present. We don't have the luxury of making more enemies than we have to.

[Atlant]

16. If we had an actual stance on any given issue, uncontaminated by...

> Whether we like it or not (and I trust that you don't like it),
> Democrats are the minority party at present. We don't have the
> luxury of making more enemies than we have to.

If we had an actual stance on any given issue, uncontaminated by
back-stabbing self-aggrandizing RINOs, we MIGHT NOT BE the
minority party.

The DLC's been losing ground for us since '94.

Atlant

[mobuto]

19. The Democratic Party isn't an ideological body

No one ideology can fit white Alabama factory workers, Upper East Side intellectuals, first-generation Mexican immigrants, California writers, Philadelphia janitors, Iowa farmers, etc.

We are a party of diversity and diverse views and we have to recognize that if we want to appeal to our base. If you want lockstep ideological rigidity then perhaps some other party would be a better fit.

[pyro1392]

18. Note:

Zell is retiring, and Ralph Hall is switching to the Republican Party.

[sonias]

6. Great for Dean!

And Zell can go to hell and take Ralph Hall with him.

Sonia

[joefree1]

11. Go Dean

Images from Dean Rocks the House of Blues, Hollywood
From wtmusic http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=919849
From Joefree1 http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=921300

[missile_bender]

22. Kucinich gets only 2!

Behind Al Sharpton (3) and Carol Moseley Braun (4). Give me a break!

[dolstein]

24. Now will all the Dean supporters who repeatedly bash "the establishment"

finally fess up to the fact that this so-called "Democratic establishment" isn't conspiring to deny Dean the nomination? To the extent a "Democratic establishment" actually exists, the superdelegates are it.

[deminflorida]

25. 551 Super Delegates Remain....

Wow and Dean showing a 38% Disapproval Rating Among Registered Democrats Nationally. That well is going to dry up really fast now.