It occurred to me recently after deals to hold new primaries in Florida and Michigan fell through that there is a really easy, extremely simple solution to the problem.
Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama could simply write $5 million checks to both the Michigan and Florida Democratic State Committees to pay for the new elections.
And Former Federal Elections Commission Chairman Michael E. Toner confirmed it for me yesterday.
"Federal campaigns can give unlimited amounts of campaign cash to state parties and to the national committees, the Democratic National Committee, and to the congressional and senatorial committees. It's called an unlimited transfer," Mr. Toner said.
But then he hit me with a real zinger.
"It would be an easy solution for the Florida and Michigan primary issue if the candidates were willing to part with their campaign dollars, and quite frankly so would any other federal candidate in the Democratic Party who had extra campaign cash lying around; say someone who knew they weren't going to have an opponent in the race coming up and had $5 million, they could donate the money to the Florida and Michigan parties to hold the elections."
Could that be someone like Sen. BIll Nelson, Florida Democrat, who has been howling that the taxpayers shouldn't have to pay for another election, and who hasn't had a serious primary or general election contender in a decade. That also sounds like, say, Sen. Carl Levin, Michigan Democrat, who hasn't had any serious election battles in at least a decade if not more.
If the Democrats are truly serious about having those votes counted, then I am sure they can find $20 million, particularly considering their huge fundraising advantage across the board.
And certainly Mr. Obama, who is approaching 2 million donors, and Mrs. Clinton who boasted about raising $1 million in one day can find the money.
That is if they really want those votes counted.
— Brian DeBose, national political reporter, The Washington Times
Comments (9)
Obama and Hillary can foot the bil for Florida and Michigan.Why?
The Democratic Presidential Nominee needs an uncontested mandate to proceed with honour and dignity and certainty on the road to the White House.
John McCain has a clear mandate from the Republicans.He can campaign with authority from the Republican party without any HE SAID SHE SAID petty mudlinging and slinging back politics.
And just for the record BARAK is a name of HEBREW ORIGIN, ask any JEWISH RABBI worth his salt,and there are many. THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA
gives the meaning of the name BARAK as "FLASH OF LIGHTENING".
JUDGES, the OLD TESTAMENT OF THE HOLY BIBLE , chapters 4 and 5, we read of BARAK a valiant man who joined up with a righteoes virtous woman to deliver ISRAEL in their hour of need.
The Book of Hebrews chapter 11 verse 32 (NEW TESTAMENT) lists BARAK with other men of valour like GIDEON AND SAMSON.
Barak Hussein Obama has a JEWISH MUSLIM KENYAN NAME. So what is in a name?
Ask William Shakespeare. It's just that Radio Pundits and OBAMA Critiques talk of the Muslim part of his name and forget and ignore the JEWISH AND KENYAN part of his name.I am not saying that there should be a mentality of denial of the heritage of a name. Every name has a meaning.He has an international name.
The JEWS will tell you that everytime ISRAEL got into trouble GOD had to raise JUDGES or DELIVERERS to HELP ISRAEL. Men like EHUD,BARAK,SAMSON, GIDEON etc etc (See the Book of Judges).
Araham was and still is the recognised father of both the MUSLIM (through ISHMAEL) and (HEBREW mor JEWISH) NATIONS. Read your History and your Bible.
Why not get experts on names and debate this whole issue of names in the open.
BARAK HUSSEIN OBAMA has a JEWISH MUSLIM KENYAN Name and like BARAK IN THE BIBLE was raised for a purpose to deliver ISRAEL. Errol Smythe.
Posted by Errol Smythe | March 27, 2008 7:25 AM
Right now ,the Florida and Michigan voting situation is a talking point around coffee tables,golf courses, local pubs and all types of clubs, barber and hair salons,internet cafes ,internet blogs,chatting rooms etc etc.
Next year, constitutional law students will discuss it in seminars and dissect the for and against arguments to support the decisions made to date.What will history say? What will history teach? Will all the fuss and bother of much to do about nothing matter?
Your guess is as good as mine.Mudslinging politics will certainly be dissected and critically analysed and the pros and cons will become political rhetoric for the next campaign.
Will people learn from history?Will there be a new Independent party formed? Perhaps. It's all Politics at the end of the day. Or is it POLITRICKS? Errol Smythe.
Posted by Errol Smythe | March 27, 2008 10:38 AM
"I love my Country so much" and "I'm staying in this race regardless of how slim the chances are" seem to be like an AXYMORON.
Try saying I love myself so much I'm staying in this race no matter how much it RISKS the complete destruction of the party!
Hillary should be held just as responsible for her hatchet man saying GOVERNOR RICHARDSON IS JUDAS as Obama is for the remarks of his Pastor!
THE ONLY WAY SHE CAN WIN THE NOMINATION IS BY THE REGULAR CLINTON POLITICS - WHICH WILL END THE PARTY BEATING THE REPUBLICANS COME NOVEMBER. tHE CLINTONS ARE AN EMBARASSMENT TO AMERICANS.
Posted by speedycampbell | March 29, 2008 10:33 AM
The Democratic party is an embarassment to the U.S. If anything resembles the old Communist party line, it's their hold on regardless what is good for the party is good for the country.
Posted by Bob | March 29, 2008 12:16 PM
According to Ed Rendall (PA governor)the money was raised from Democratic donors for a MI revote and Obama refused to approve the plan. I'm not sure that money is really what's standing in the way of these revotes going forward.
Posted by Jackie | April 3, 2008 5:18 PM
Only in America.Only in America can there be such open debate about democracy,civil liberty,civil rights,freedom of the press, climate change,world peace,globalism,Florida and Michigan will vote,OH NO FLORIDA AND MICHIGAN WON'T VOTE because they did this and they did that,while the man standing on the street corner wonders what all the fuss and bother is about and the SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER prays for sanity to prevail and wisdom to guide the decisions of the DECISION MAKERS, while the KINGMAKERS look at tax dollars and the BUSINESSMAN looks at his profit margin and the hungry child cries for food and the blind man tries to cross the busy road and nobody helps him and everyone MINDS THEIR OWN BUSINESS except for that person that wants people to know that AMERICA IS STILL A GREAT COUNTRY no matter what! So Vote with your hearts and minds and pray with the SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER that our leaders MAKE WISE CHOICES and the KINGMAKERS put the RIGHT PERSON in the WHITE HOUSE that loves AMERICA BEST AND WILL SERVE THE PEOPLE OF AMERICA AND WILL CHAMPION DEMOCRAY IN AMERICA for all the people of AMERICA. Let the people vote in FLORIDA and MICHIGAN, it's their CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRATIC RIGHT, unless someone for their own reasons wants to ignore the constitution for one reason or another and if they do it now then what about when they are in power,WHY NOT CHAMPION THE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS OF FLORIDA AND MICHIGAN BECAUSE FLORIDA AND MICHIGAN ARE STILL PART OF AMERICA, and AMERICA is still a great country and will always be a great country because all of AMERICA will put the RIGHT PERSON IN THE WHITE HOUSE that loves AMERICA. GOD BLESS AMERICA .Amen and Amen.Errol Smythe.
Posted by Errol Smythe | April 6, 2008 3:31 AM
Regrettably to get in the media, you have to say or do something controversial.Preachers know that to grab the attention of a mind wandering audience, you figuratively build a bridge,figuratively build a fire to capture the interest of your audience, then figuratively destroy the figurative bridge if necessary so that people can examine their options.
Julius Caesar, history tells us, once did something similar by ordering his army the centurions etc to burn their ships on the shores of a foreign land.
Julius Caesar by issuing such a command inspired a fighting spirit and loyalty in his men to fight so that they could win the battle and win the war and go home to their loved ones.
How does that relate to Reverend Wright? He has by deliberate intention focused the media mindset on the stark realities of prejudice.Racial prejudice, religious prejudice,bigotism,bitterness,hatred,malice,unfair media coverage,soundbites and deliberate mind manipulation in this high tech society.
Will it damage Barak? Who knows. America needs to have its own TRUTH COMMISSION. Will America have one? Who knows? Some people are honest and others are not so honest.
There is strong undercurrents of a reality check up. Why?. Look back to KATRINA, HURRICANE KATRINA. Need I say more.
The ostrich likes to bury its head in the sand and the ostrich some say thinks as long as its head is buried in the sand , its vision is impaired and restricted and in this ostrich mindset what it cannot see the ostrich believes in it its ostrich birdbrain is not there? The ostrich needs a reality check up.
America is a great country. America is an IMMIGRANT BASED COUNTRY. That is why it is great. The beacon of hope of democracy. The open forum of democracy allows freedom of speech because America believes all men are created equal. That is on paper . That is in black and white,but some do not accept that because of the way they were brought up.
Some of their teachers that some people are inferior to them and other people are superior. That is wrong teaching.The truth will set you free.
South Africa under NELSON MANDELA had a time of TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION. Things that worried and hurt and disturbed and offended many people had to be talked about. PEACEFULLLY, TRUTHFULLY, IN AN ATMOSPHERE OF RECONCILIATION.
GOD BLESS AMERICA. GOD BLESS TRUTH AND GOD BLESS RECONCILIATION.
All this mudslinging politics and slinging back mud, and negative below the belt teleads is no good. Look how much money candidates are blatantly spending to get elected when there is a food crisis in AFRICA AND DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE WORLD. But people are so concerned with their own point of view they will forget people are dying without food, without democracy, without hope in other nations.
Maybe REVEREND WRIGHT MAY BE WRONG IN THE WAY HE SAYS WHAT HE SAYS, but maybe we need to take a GOOD LONG LOOK at ourselves.Maybe,it is time for self examination .Time for honest self judgement.Is it right to think about self first and others last? Is unfair treatment of minorities a paper excercise to look good on paper and just filed away in the back of our minds or does it mean nothing under our roofs? Are we really Christians or make believers? Do we believe in God or are we apostate? GOD HAVE MERCY ON US ALL?.
ERROL SMYTHE.
Posted by Errol Smythe | April 29, 2008 10:34 AM
Fox news had no soundbites this time.It was good to hear without interuption Reverend Wright .Christians need to pray for God to unite Christians with a passion for lost souils. The harvest is ripe, labourers are few. Errol Smythe
Posted by Errol Smythe | April 29, 2008 4:29 PM
Now that the dust has settled and we can see the trees in the forest of media spin and soundbites it would appear that all the negative energy spent by the kitchen sink strategy department has fizzled out and the wreck a candidate campaign truck has an engine blow out and had to stop in the pits for a complete engine overhaul.Well it's just too late because the Barak political racing machine is just warming up and going into high revs and looks like the finishing line is just around the corner and the race will soon be over with a triumphant winner and one sorry sore loser.
Reality check up on streetwise politics says the word on the street is that Hillary may have done Barak a big favour on the O'Reilly factor Interview because most sitting on the fence voters can see clearly now. They can see media frenzy tried to hoodwink them that it was over for Barak. But it ain't over til the lady sings. and on Friday it will be over. Barak will have won by a margin of 17%. "So who is a fooling a who?" as some wise song writer sang.Looks like the shoe is on the other foot. That's right. What goes around comes around. A new day is dawning. Time for a breath of fresh air. Watch the press for details of the ALLEGED PREDICTED BARAK OBAMA LANDSLIDE VICTORY, next week. Errol Smythe
Posted by Errol Smythe | May 1, 2008 10:12 AM