Democratic boss warns Clinton, Obama not to split party
WASHINGTON —
Democratic chief Howard Dean on Friday warned Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton not to rip the party apart with their bitter White House battle and tried to head off a divisive convention fight.
Dean spoke out as veteran senator and Obama supporter Patrick Leahy made the most explicit call yet from a party luminary for Clinton to drop out of the race, and permit the Illinois lawmaker to take on Republican John McCain in the November presidential elections.
Dean, chairman of the Democratic National committee, told CBS that “the candidates have got to understand that they have an obligation to our country to unify.”
“Somebody’s going to lose this race with 49.8% of the vote, and that person has got to pull their supporters in behind the nominee.
“That’s our obligation. Because in the end this is not about Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, it’s about our country. We’re not going to have four more years of George W Bush, which is essentially what McCain is offering us.”
Dean also said he favored a solution which would see party graybeards, or superdelegates effectively crown the nominee long before the Democratic convention in August in Denver.
“I think there’s 800 of them and 450 of them have already said who they’re for. I’d like the other 350 to say who they’re on between now and the 1st of July, so we don’t have to take this into the convention.”
Neither Clinton nor Obama can reach the magic number of 2,025 delegates necessary to wrap up the nomination, so the choice of superdelegates will be decisive.
Leahy said on Vermont Public Radio that “there is no way that Senator Clinton is going to win enough delegates to get the nomination.”
“She ought to withdraw and she ought to be backing Senator Obama. Now, obviously that’s a decision that only she can make.
“John McCain, who has been making one gaffe after another, is getting a free ride on it because Senator Obama and Senator Clinton have to fight with each other.”
Clinton campaign spokesman Phil Singer accused Obama’s team of trying to shut down the nominating battle before all Democrats had a chance to vote.
“The Obama campaign clearly thinks Senator Clinton can win and is trying to end this race before more people vote,” Singer said.
Leahy and Dean were giving voice to increasing current concern among leading Democrats that the internecine warfare could scupper a golden chance to win back the White House from a ragged Republican party, as the U.S. economy staggers.
But the DNC chairman and unsuccessful 2004 presidential candidate, has little power to force either hopeful out of the race, in which Obama currently leads in both pledged delegates and the popular vote.
On Thursday, Clinton was asked while campaigning in North Carolina what she would say to Democrats who might consider voting for McCain, if their preferred candidate loses in the noxious party tussle.
“Please think through this decision,” Clinton said. “It is not a wise decision for yourself or your country.”
“I intend to do everything I can to make sure we have a unified Democratic party ... when this contest is over and we have a nominee, we’re going to close ranks, we’re going to be united.”
Obama, speaking to ABC News, admitted that whichever camp loses the race is likely to suffer “bruised feelings.”
“It’s tough ... we have been campaigning now for a long time. We have got very ardent supporters on both sides.”
Obama Friday launched a six-day swing through Pennsylvania, the next nominating contest on the calendar, which votes on April 22, where he trails by double digits in latest opinion polls.
Clinton was on the stump in Indiana, which votes on May 6.
As the Democrats squabbled, McCain meanwhile cranked up the pace of his general election effort, debuting a campaign ad stressing his military heroism and incarceration during the Vietnam war.
“The American president Americans have been waiting for,” says the narrator in the ad, which includes film of navy pilot McCain being asked for his military identification number “624787” as he lies wounded after being shot down in 1967.
The advertisement was the latest sign that the 71-year-old Arizona senator, who strongly backs the Iraq war, wants to make November’s general election about who can best keep Americans safe.
AFP
Order by Time Order by Popularity
4 Comments
Login to comment
0
RomeoRamen2
Got my absentee ballot in the mail today. These are the reasons why I will vote for John McCain:
A President barack or hillary can't "negotiate" their way with Iran, or other Middle East countries once we demonstrate how quick the U.S. will surrender.
A President McCain will nominate Supreme & Federal Judges in the character of Justice Roberts and Alito. This is distinctly better than those his liberal democrat opponents would nominate.
A President McCain won't fabricate war stories about being under "sniper fire."
A President McCain hasn't allowed his children to be taught by a 20-year association with a "Hate Whitey," "anti-American," pastor and mentor. Think of the lessons barack's children must have learned about Whites "inventing AIDS to kill off Blacks!"
Though Mr. McCain is a liberal Republican, he's a far better choice for America then what the democrats have to offer.
RR
0
Sarge
"She ( Hillary ) ought to withdraw"
What? Obama hasn't got the nomination wrapped up. Why should Hillary withdraw? Maybe Obama, the candidate who, as RR said, has allowed his children to be taught by a 20-year association with a rascist pastor, should withdraw.
0
SezWho2
There is only one good reason why Hillary should consider withdrawing. And that is to avoid splitting the party and allowing the party the space to coalesce behind one candidate.
Yes, maybe Obama should withdraw. Maybe. But it would be rather strange to ask the front runner to withdraw for any reason short of felonious activity or moral turpitude.
Hillary could win. Could. But she is playing all out because this is her last chance. If she loses the nomination, she's gone forever as a presidential candidate. Not so in the case of Obama.
And the question is whether she is willing to sacrifice her party to her purely political ambitions. It's rather clear that she is willing to do just that.
0
Sarge
"Somebody is going to lose this race with 49.8% of the vote"
Gosh, and Bill Clinton won in '92 with only 43% of the vote.
Back to top