Bill Clinton did just as Terry McAuliffe did on TV this Sunday. He reinvented the party rules right out loud. There has been too much of this, and everytime I see it I will speak out.
Here are the rules:
Under the DNC delegate selection rules, if a state party’s plan violates the rule with respect to timing,
the number of its pledged delegates—those delegates awarded proportionally to candidates based on the primary or caucus results—is automatically reduced 50%(without any action by the RBC or DNC); no member of the DNC can attend the Convention as a delegate; no Member of Congress can attend the Convention as a delegate; and if applicable, the state’s Democratic governor can not attend the Convention as a delegate. In addition, any presidential candidate who campaigns in the state for the event in violation of the rules cannot receive any pledged delegates from that state.
In addition to these automatic sanctions, the DNC RBC has authority under the rules to impose additional sanctions, including further reductions in the state’s delegation.Rules committee testimony..pdf formatHere is part of what Bill Clinton said in Eugene, Oregon.
Bill Clinton in OregonKendrick Meek, a 40 year old African American Congressman from Miami.... knows that the Democrats are blameless in Florida's decision to have an early primary, and yet we basically gutted them. The Republicans, who did it, were treated quite differently. Because the Republicans like to win elections. So they did what their rules provide. And what our rules also provide, they said, 'Okay...you went ahead of time so we're going to seat you at half-delegates and seat all your super delegates. That's what any political party with any sense would do."
—Bill Clinton, Eugene, Oregon May 12, 2008
In one breath he says Republicans have better rules, he redefines our own party rules, and he puts down the party implying it has no sense. He further said that Republicans like to win elections...the implication being our party does not. Terrible thing for a former Democratic president to say.
Not just Bill Clinton.
Former DNC chairman Terry McAuliffe also "redefined" the rules on TV recently. This is amazing to me how her campaign has done this so seamlessly. They are lying about the party rules so easily. So shamelessly.
McAuliffe misleads about the party rulesMcAuliffe was in there swinging on both Face the Nation and Meet the Press, arguing that Clinton still has a chance to win the party nomination. And if they're smart, he suggested, superdelegates will hold out and not do anything that might turn off the many people who have voted for her this primary season.
"Most of the superdelegates will wait til the end til everybody's voted," McAuliffe said. Clinton will be ahead in the popular vote, he predicted, and ahead in delegates.
Someone tell him that it is not the popular vote which chooses our nominee.
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