Tue, June 03, 2008 - 2:27 PM

With the Democratic primary elections hours from ending, Virginia Del. Lionell Spruill, D-Chesapeake, is now as firmly in the Clinton camp as he ever has been.

The superdelegate who once threatened to switch sides in the 2008 race depending on Clinton's performance in Texas and Ohio ("If I see she can't make it, it is no need for me to fall on my sword," Spruill told the Richmond Times-Dispatch in February), now is traveling to New York to be with the former first lady on what could be her last night as a candidate for the presidential nomination.

“Tonight’s the last hurrah,” Spruill said. “I don’t know what’s going to happen… I’m going to follow her lead.” He’ll be in Richmond tomorrow, he said, for a legislative meeting, and said he would not immediately endorse Obama after tonight's results, but would wait for Clinton before making his decision.

--Neil Simon

Tue, June 03, 2008 - 2:21 PM

With the article published in the latest issue of Vanity Fair, former President Bill Clinton is finding himself serving again as a distraction for his wife.

A summary of the article:

Old friends and longtime aides are wringing their hands over Bill Clinton’s post–White House escapades, from the dubious (and secretive) business associations to the media blowups that have bruised his wife’s campaign, to the private-jetting around with a skirt-chasing, scandal-tinged posse. Some point to Clinton’s medical traumas; others blame sheer selfishness, and the absence of anyone who can say “no.” Exploring Clintonworld, the author asks if the former president will be consumed by his own worst self.

If you’re in any way interested in the Clintons, the article is worth the read. (Warning: It’s lengthy!) It is dubious that the criticism of the former president comes from unnamed sources. And I’m not sure the story breaks any new ground.

But Clinton’s response to the Huffington Post is also raising some eyebrows by using some strong language in talking about the article’s author, Todd S. Purdum. (Purdum is married to Clinton’s first press secretary, Dee Dee Myers.)

Even on the eve of Hillary Clinton ending her long run for the White House, it seems her husband can’t avoid the glare of the spotlight.

-- Amy Dominello

North Carolina superdelegate David Parker, a Statesville lawyer, was just on Fox News, but not because he's making news. He is one of the dozens of superdelegates who is happy to remain uncommitted through tonight's results.

On cable, he said, "I want to see this run out." He promised no decision until "10 or 10:30 or so."

Parker said by remaining uncommitted throughout the process, superdelegates like him allowed for the primary campaign to run its course.

"You don't have 70,000 person rallies in Oregon unless there's a primary," he said.

--Neil Simon

WASHINGTON – In a terse, one-sentence press release, Hillary Clinton's team says news of her campaign’s demise tonight is premature.

“The AP story is incorrect. Senator Clinton will not concede the nomination this evening,” said the release.

-- Billy House

House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., is backing Barack Obama for president and calling the rest of his state's delegates to do the same.

Story here.

--Neil Simon

Tue, June 03, 2008 - 11:16 AM

While the eyes of most political junkies will be turned to whether Barack Obama officially clinches the Democratic nomination, there are other primaries happening today.

Voters in Alabama are voting today in House and Senate primaries.

Two House seats have rare vacancies due to the retirements of Republican Rep. Terry Everett in the 2nd District and Democratic Rep. Bud Cramer in the 5th District. Democrats and Republicans have hotly contested primaries in both congressional districts.

Despite the open seats, turnout is expected to be light.

-- Amy Dominello

Tonight is it. South Dakota and Montana. Who would of thought these two states could be the capping moments of Barack Obama's candidacy?

With Obama poised to secure a majority of the Democratic delegates, tonight he will rally in Minnesota -- the swing state that will host the Republican Party's national convention and a state where polls show Obama leading John McCain. By going to Minnesota, Obama sends yet another signal he's moving to the general election.

Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton will retreat to her adopted home state of New York tonight, where the AP says she'll acknowledge Obama's surpassing of the 2,118 mark in the delegate count.

-Neil Simon

Mon, June 02, 2008 - 9:51 AM

Virginia superdelegate Jerome Wiley Segovia of Fairfax County, a member of the Democratic National Committee, today endorsed Barack Obama, according to the Illinois Democrat's campaign.

A day ahead of the final two primaries in South Dakota and Montana, Obama is now 45 delegates from the Democratic presidential nomination.

Segovia had been uncommitted. Last month he voiced reservations about Obama and the candidate's lack of support among Latino voters, who have overwhelmingly supported Hillary Clinton.

Segovia is the sixth Virginia superdelegate to back Obama. Five back Clinton. Five are uncommitted.

The uncommitted Virginia superdelegates are:

Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va.;
C. Richard Cranwell, chairman of the Democratic Party of Virginia;
former Clinton administration Labor Secretary Alexis Herman;
Virginia AFL-CIO President Jim Leaman; and
party activist John Johnson.

-- Neil Simon

Sat, May 31, 2008 - 6:19 PM

Florida and Michigan's delegates will be seated at the Democratic convention, but with half of their votes under rules adopted by the Democratic Party's Rules and Bylaws Committee.

The two states voted before the Democratic Party allowed this year and had faced the punishment of their delegations being barred from voting at the convention in Denver this August.

The Florida deal was nearly unanimous, but several members voted against the Michigan plan. Barack Obama was not on the ballot in Michigan. Clinton won Florida handily, though neither candidate campaigned there.

Clinton adviser Harold Ickes, a committee member, voted against the Michigan plan and said the committee was "hijacking" the primary process, by approving an allocation plan that would give Obama delegates, though he was not on the ballot in that state. Ickes, who said he was speaking for Sen. Clinton, said she reserved her right to challenge the day's decision before the party's Credentials Committee.

More here andhere.

And don't let this story miss your political radar -- Obama quits his controversial church. More here.

-Neil Simon

WASHINGTON -- Let the healing begin! So says Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean, in opening up today's crucial rules meeting that will determine the fate of Michigan and Florida's delegates.

The committee's decision, expected by late afternoon , could play a big role in whether Hillary Clinton will continue her campaign, or possibly fold her tent as early as next week.

Dean is not a member of the rules committee, but just delivered some opening remarks.

He said that the party is going to nominate either the first woman or the first African-American presidential nominee.

"This has been a very long and hard-fought race," he said. "They have made our party stronger, and I want to thank them very much."

"It has been a very long, tough, difficult campaign.”

He said that over the course of the primary, there also have been some ugly moments, including "blatant sexist comments" in the media -- prompting applause from the jampacked room -- and even racist remarks.

“But I remind you that our work is just beginning," he added.

“The cynics in the media and elsewhere will look at today’s meeting and find conflict," Dean said. “Understandably, the compromise you will discuss and make today will not satisfy everyone.”

“Your actions today will put us back on course for party unity," he said.

-- Billy House

Thu, May 29, 2008 - 3:14 PM

WASHINGTON – Democrats have confirmed that state Sen. Arthenia Joyner, a Tampa Democrat and civil rights activist, will be making the case Saturday on behalf to the Clinton campaign to the DNC’s rules and bylaws panel.

Joyner is vice-Chair of the Florida Senate's Judiciary Committee. She's also an attorney.

Word of her role in Saturday’s meeting came during an appearance on MSNBC by Clinton campaign chairman Terry McAuliffe.

“We are actually ceding our time to a state senator from Tampa,” said McAuliffe, though he did not mention Joyner by name. State Democrats later confirmed she was he senator he was referring to.

-- Billy House

WASHINGTON – Barack Obama is in excellent health, says his primary care physician in a letter just released by the Illinois senator’s campaign today.

Also noted is Obama’s fight to kick the cigarette habit.

“He has quit this practice on several occasions and is currently using Nicorette gum with success,” says Chicago Dr. David L. Scheiner in the letter.

-- Billy House

Wed, May 28, 2008 - 3:50 PM

5 p.m. May 28.

If you've watched any of the chatterers on cable news today, Scott McClellan's confessional about his stint as White House press secretary, titled "What Happened," is Topic A, B, C and D in Washington. At last, something to talk about besides Hillary and Barack.

Nothing could be more delicious than McClellan's harsh criticism of the president he once idolized -- and his critique of the Washington press corps for being pussycats. Reporters have been explaining all day that everybody was wrong -- not just them -- in the runup to the war in Iraq. Typically, though, White Houses try to ignore giving credence to such unflattering books. The "sad" reaction from the White House endowed the book with that much more buzzworthiness..

Current White House press secretary Dana Perino read this statement to the pool of reporters traveling with the president this morning as he was en route to the Air Force Academy to give the commencement address.

"Scott, we now know, is disgruntled about his experience at the White House. For those of us who fully supported him, before, during and after he was press secretary, we are puzzled. It is sad - this is not the Scott we knew. The book, as reported by the press, has been described to the president. I do not expect a comment from him on it - he has more pressing matters than to spend time commenting on books by former staffers."

Yummy. Most of the chatter was by people who hadn't even seen the book, just excerpts. That's because the book wasn't on sale yet. It was supposed to go on sale next Tuesday.

But this is America and the capitalist spirit is a wonderful thing. Mid-afternoon, Barnes & Noble broke down and decided to sell copies today. I figured that would happen and had started calling bookstores this morning. Just before 4, I got the word the book could be mine, and a few minutes later, I slid my credit card across at the Barnes & Noble on 12th Street NW. The clerk told me I had gotten the first copy sold in the store. Woo woo. Just means I paid full price, no discount. The publisher moved the release date to today too.

I haven't read much yet, but here's something I didn't expect. McClellan begins by setting his decision to write and tell in a religious context. Quoting from the Gospel of John carved into the UT Tower on the campus of the University of Texas, where McClellan did his undergraduate degree, are the words: "Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free." He writes that God's greatest gift may be the ability to learn from our mistakes...

"Through contrition we find the truth and the freedom that comes with it, even as we improve ourselves and grow closer to the image that God our Creator has in mind for us to become."

Oh my. This could take a while.

-- Marsha Mercer

WASHINGTON – Harold Ickes, a senior advisor to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton predicts that neither Clinton nor Barack Obama will have enough delegates to clinch the Democratic presidential nominations after the final primaries next week.

It will come down to wooing the super delegates, he and other Clinton campaign aides say.

In a conference call with reporters just completed, the Clinton team said it will push for nothing less than the full seating of Florida’s and Michigan’s delegates during Saturday’s national party Rules and ByLaws Committee meeting. But even if that does not happen, Ickes said the race is not over.

“It always interests me that members of the Fourth Estate write that this nomination is over. It is not over,” said Ickes, of the media.

“By midnight June 3, neither candidate will have achieved the number to clinch the nomination.”

“Yes, we obviously believe there is a path to the nomination and we are following it,” added Clinton communications director Howard Wolfson.

“We believe that there is a strong case to be made to the super delegates based on electability …,” he said, adding Clinton wins that argument.

WASHINGTON – Florida’s Jan. 29th Democratic presidential primary results are a fair way to divvy up the state’s delegates if a Democratic National Committee panel this weekend decides to permit Florida to have some, party lawyers say.

“In this case, it can be argued, there is no basis for ensuring ‘fair reflection’ of presidential preference other than to use the results of the January 29 primary,” says a 38-page member, sent out late Tuesday to members of the DNC’s Rules and Bylaws committee.

The legal analysis was released as the committee is set to meet Saturday to consider how to address the ongoing dilemma over what to do with delegates from two key presidential battleground states, Florida and Michigan.

The memo states that seating half of Florida’s and Michigan’s delegates for the party’s August convention is “as far as it legally can go.”