Clinton Donors Chastise Pelosi

[tishaLA]

Twenty top Hillary fundraisers and donors have sent a scathing private letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, chastising her sharply for publicly saying that the super-delegates should support the winner of the pledged delegate count.

I've obtained a copy of the letter, which comes from some of the most influential fundraisers in the Democratic Party, including Hassan Nemazee, Steven Rattner, Maureen White, Stan Shuman, and Alan Patricof.

Here's a key excerpt:

Several states and millions of Democratic voters have not yet had a chance to cast their votes.

We respect those voters and believe that they, like the voters in the states that have already participated, have a right to be heard. None of us should make declarative statements that diminish the importance of their voices and their votes. We are writing to say we believe your remarks on ABC News This Week on March 16th did just that.

During your appearance, you suggested super-delegates have an obligation to support the candidate who leads in the pledged delegate count as of June 3rd , whether that lead be by 500 delegates or 2. This is an untenable position that runs counter to the party’s intent in establishing super-delegates in 1984 as well as your own comments recorded in The Hill ten days earlier...

The letter also contains an explicit reference to the fact that these donors have contributed heavily to Democratic causes, and demands that Pelosi clarify her views on the role of the super-dels:

...We have been strong supporters of the DCCC. We therefore urge you to clarify your position on super-delegates and reflect in your comments a more open view to the optional independent actions of each of the delegates at the National Convention in August. We appreciate your activities in support of the Democratic Party and your leadership role in the Party and hope you will be responsive to some of your major enthusiastic supporters....

The letter represents a significant ratcheting up of pressure from Hillary's big money people on a Democratic leader in a position to influence how the super-delegates make up their minds at the end of the primary. TPM

edited for formatting

[anonymous171]

1. SMALL DONORS FTW!

[4themind]

2. A veiled threat?: "We have been strong supporters of the DCCC....

We therefore urge you to clarify your position on super-delegates and reflect in your comments a more open view to the optional independent actions of each of the delegates at the National Convention in August."
EDIT: to put in the full sentence

[Cha]

4. Nancy already clarified it...I understood

it, didn't you?

[bobbert]

7. She even stated that she wanted no ambiguity on the issue

It's pretty clear from what I hear. How does going with the will of the voters make the voters' votes less meaningful? Kind of backwards if you ask me.

[Cha]

3. Pelosi can send a letter back, asap, stating

that their girl has made a serious mistake in lying numerous times about a sniper-fire incident in Bosnia that's having major repercussions..questioning hilary's competency for the job!

"Hassan Nemazee, Steven Rattner, Maureen White, Stan Shuman, and Alan Patricof." Suckers! All of them for backing such an obvious Loser. They're also fucking extortionists!

[roguevalley]

33. fuck these idiots. they may have bought a bright shiny candidate

early on but the mud is chin deep and sticking. fuck them, fuck them, fuck them. I am sick of bastards and their money.

[DJ13]

5. Sounds like the same extortion the Florida Democratic money interests

tried to use against Dean a week back.

Its no coincedence both cases were trying to tilt things in Clinton's favor.

[EFerrari]

6. Go away, Hillary. n/t

[Lucky 13]

8. Go Cheney yourself, Hill.

[ProSense]

9. Protecting their investment. Is that Robert L. Johnson of BET fame?

I hope while they're sending letters like this to Pelosi, they're also having a frank discussion with Hillary about her despicable lies and actions, including the constant lauding of McCain.

[Hugabear]

10. Keep at it Hillary, tear the Democratic Party apart

Don't let anyone - not even an uppity senator - stand in your way. Keep that Bush/Clinton dynasty going strong!

[futureliveshere]

11. Need more outrage..K&R

[GarbagemanLB]

12. WAAAAAAAAHH. We wan't it OUR WAY!!!

[GarbagemanLB]

13. lol

[greguganus]

14. Awww...they invested money in Clinton and now their stock is plummetting. n/t

[DearAbby]

15. Oh that's right Nancy

Dont heed the people, they're nothing, Corporate donors are what is most important. :sarcasm:


Bastards

[VolcanoJen]

16. Threatening to strangle the fundraising of the DCCC?

Good God.

Just another reason to throw onto the growing heap of reasons that Hillary Clinton is destroying the Democratic Party.

Every time I think they've reached too far, they get out the crates and footstools.

[Catherina]

17. They're disgusting n/t

[JimGinPA]

18. More Clinton Arm Twisting - They Need To Go Now

K&R

[backscatter712]

19. As much as I loathe the idea of donating to Pelosi

given her position on impeaching Bush, maybe it's time she gets a small-donor money-bomb from us - a message to let her and the rest of the party elite know that if they stand with the people instead of the elites, we've got your back.

Besides, with enough of us angry peasants up in arms, even billions of dollars of political war chests won't save them if they piss us off.

[BeyondGeography]

20. So nice that people can mobilize and outraise these rich bullies now

They must rue the day the Internet was created.

[americanstranger]

21. Letter to Big Clinton Donors:

Dear Big Clinton Donors,

The internet has rendered you irrelevant. Please take your extortionate demands and shove them up your asses.

Love,

Millions Of Small Donors

- as

[Cha]

24. Signing on to that

letter!

[slinkerwink]

22. extortion, plain and simple

[Ichingcarpenter]

26. The Soprano Spoof the Clinton's did was not far from the mark

[SoxFan]

23. In other words

[slinkerwink]

25. she also said pledged delegates shouldn't abide by the primaries and caucuses

that put them into place. Essentially Hillary said, "Ignore the voters that elected you!"

[Tom Rinaldo]

32. She did not say that they should not abide by the primaries and caucuses

Nice spin though. She said technically they are not required to. You can say she shouldn't have said it, and that's fine with me, but can't we just stick with facts?

[1776Forever]

27. John Edwards said: I’m a Populist and Clinton is a Corporate Democrat

http://2008central.net/2007/08/23/john-edwards-im-a-populist-and-clinton-is-a-corporate-democrat/

Quote from his speech:

Instead of serving the people and the nation, too many play the parlor game of Washington — trading favors and campaign money, influencing votes and compromising legislation. It’s a game that never ends, but every American knows — it’s time to end the game.

And it’s time for the Democratic Party — the party of the people — to end it.

The choice for our party could not be more clear. We cannot replace a group of corporate Republicans with a group of corporate Democrats, just swapping the Washington insiders of one party for the Washington insiders of the other.

The American people deserve to know that their presidency is not for sale, the Lincoln Bedroom is not for rent, and lobbyist money can no longer influence policy in the House or the Senate.

It’s time to end the game. It’s time to tell the big corporations and the lobbyists who have been running things for too long that their time is over. It’s time to challenge politicians to put the American people’s interests ahead of their own calculated political interests, to look the lobbyists in the eye and just say no.

..............

Wake up PA - this is the truth! It is so easy to find out who is getting the support from these corporatist!

:wow:

[Nine]

28. Pelosi is spreading a myth. Good on them for calling her on it.

http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/03/in_letter_a_dozen_top_clinton.php

The "obligation" of the SDs to make their own votes irrelevant is a myth created by the Obama camp. SDs are meant to vote their consciences, otherwise why do they even exist? And Obama knows this or he wouldn't have touted Kerry's and Kennedy's SD endorsements.

[slinkerwink]

29. Hillary said that pledged delegates shouldn't vote the results of the primaries and caucuses

the DNC rules state that pledged delegates are bound to vote for the candidate that elected them to that position through the voters. Basically Hillary's telling the pledged delegates to disregard the millions of votes that put them into place. Can you defend that to me?

[VolcanoJen]

30. Good one! From the TPM comments section:

Shorter Top Clinton Donors:

We need to let the democratic process play out so that the superdelegates can overrule it.

[cooolandrew]

31. I know the whole impeach thing is an issue but mail her compliments and donartions for integrity of

the vote.