Boyd Richie is not amused

[TexasThoughtCriminal]

Below is a statement by Texas Democratic Chairman Boyd Richie regarding the Delegate Selection Process:

The Texas Democratic Party and local Democratic Party organizations around our state are working to turn the enormous opportunity created by the record Democratic turnout experienced on March 4th into a positive outcome for Texas Democrats this fall and in 2010. We are proud of both our Presidential candidates who helped create that turnout. We ask now that the campaigns work with us rather than become an impediment to this extraordinary opportunity to build our party.

On March 4th, our Democratic precinct conventions experienced record turnout of roughly one million precinct convention attendees, a ten-fold increase from the previous high attendance mark. As expected in any record turnout involving hundreds of thousands of people, there were reports of problems caused by long lines and crowded facilities. These problems are not unique to Texas. Similar problems, in proportionately similar numbers, occurred in pure caucus states like Iowa and Nevada.

The overwhelming majority of problems reported in Texas do not affect the legitimacy of delegate allocation. It is important to remember that the precinct conventions are just the first of three steps where delegates and alternates are selected. "Final results" will not be determined until June 6-7 at the Texas Democratic State convention. And at each convention step, Texas Democratic Party rules provide a credentials process to address problems and provide an avenue to register complaints and make formal challenges

For that reason, the Texas Democratic Party will not do as suggested by one campaign and circumvent Party rules to set up an unnecessary, ad hoc "verification" process that could effectively disqualify delegates selected at their precinct conventions after the fact. The Party has never stated any intention to set up a verification process of this nature because Party rules already provide for "verification" through our credentials process. Candidates who wish to disqualify delegates must pursue formal challenges based on evidence filed appropriately in accordance with our party's rules.

The Texas Democratic Party plans to conduct our district and county conventions on March 29 and our June State Convention in accordance with procedures set forth in Texas law and party rules. Both campaigns have the opportunity and responsibility to do their jobs by documenting evidence, filing challenges if warranted, and turning out their delegates in a system that rewards such an effort when final delegate results are determined at the State Convention in June.

[MagickMuffin]

1. I just posted this in GDP

Since I thought it might quell some of the crap going on over there.

If anyone wants to venture over there. Enter at your own risk:rofl:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x5126251

[Melissa G]

3. Not me! Baakkk Baaakkk!

squawking like the chicken that i am...GDP is too scary for me...:scared:

edit to say I did go vote it up though!

[WolverineDG]

2. Good

Let's see if they stick to their guns.

dg

[tammywammy]

4. Good to see he's sticking by the rules

:)

[sonias]

5. Let's play by the rules - what a concept

Boyd is showing some backbone.

I'm impressed!

:dem:


Sonia

[PDittie]

6. Photo

http://blogs.chron.com/txpotomac/2008/03/texas_on_the_potomac_news_link_39.html

[tammywammy]

7. Very good!

:)

[ceile]

10. Nice! n/t

[sonias]

8. Texas Democrats to stick with delegate-selection plans

AAS 3/18/08

Texas Democrats to stick with delegate-selection plans
Clinton campaign has urged party to postpone regional meetings, but state chief says any caucus problems can be addressed at state convention.
(snip)

Party spokesman Hector Nieto said copies of caucus sign-in sheets are being given to the campaigns as they are scanned by a contractor hired by the party. He said the campaigns should have copies of all sheets with enough time to review them before the March 26 deadline for making credential challenges.

Clinton's campaign has said that it fielded 2,300 complaints about the caucuses. "A lot of people signed in, especially in the urban areas, without being checked on whether or not they had voted" in the primary, Mauro said.

Mauro said Clinton's campaign probably won't sue the party over the dispute.

Sherman lawyer Bob Slagle, a former state party chairman helping the Clinton campaign, said a lawsuit wouldn't make sense considering that Clinton won the popular vote in most counties, including most of East and West Texas. "Why do we want to annoy county chairs in 240-plus counties, all of them whose voters went for you?" Slagle said.

Smart thinking Bob! Why would you want to annoy county chairs in 240-plus counties?

Sonia

[WolverineDG]

9. Because all she wants is the delegates

and to heck with anything else in Texas after 3/29...she's already told Burka Blog that she can't win Texas in the GE, so after 3/29, it will be business as usual re: Texas (ie: ignored).

dg