Clinton To Be Nominated At Convention - It's official.

By Elizabeth Benjamin - The NY Daily News - August 14, 2008

Word that a deal had been reached between the Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama campaigns to put both of their names into nomination at the convention in Denver has been percolating around the Web all morning.

Now there's a joint statement from the Obama and Clinton press offices that confirms the agreement.

Since June, Senators Obama and Clinton have been working together to ensure a Democratic victory this November. They are both committed to winning back the White House and to to ensuring that the voices of all 35 million people who participated in this historic primary election are respected and heard in Denver.

To honor and celebrate these voices and votes, both Senator Obama's and Senator Clinton's names will be placed in nomination.

“I am convinced that honoring Senator Clinton's historic campaign in this way will help us celebrate this defining moment in our history and bring the party together in a strong united fashion,” said Senator Barack Obama.

Senator Obama’s campaign encouraged Senator Clinton's name to be placed in nomination as a show of unity and in recognition of the historic race she ran and the fact that she was the first woman to compete in all of our nation’s primary contests.

“With every voice heard and the Party strongly united, we will elect Senator Obama President of the United States and put our nation on the path to peace and prosperity once again,” said Senator Hillary Clinton.

Senator Obama and Senator Clinton are looking forward to a convention unified behind Barack Obama as the Party’s nominee and to victory this fall for America.

Read more in The NY Daily News - Daily Politics

Clinton Will Be Nominated
by Steve Kornacki - The Politicker - August 14, 2008

Per Marc Ambinder, we now have formal word of an agreement between the Clinton and Obama campaigns that calls for both candidates’ names to be placed in nomination at the convention in order to “honor and celebrate” all of their supporters, according to a joint statement.

As I wrote yesterday, the Obama campaign didn’t have much choice here. The official purpose of a convention is to nominate a presidential candidate, and that can only be done two ways: by acclimation or by a roll call of the states.

If the Obama campaign had gone the acclimation route (as a way of avoiding a formal vote in which hundreds of Clinton delegates might dissent), the protests from Clinton’s die-hard delegates (there are many of them) would be deafening and would produce video clips that would be played over and over, completely defeating the purpose of an acclimation motion.

That left the roll call option, which is traditionally used (even when the nominee is unopposed). But even if Clinton had – as the Obama campaign would have liked – instructed her delegates not to nominate her (and refused to consent to being nominated if they went ahead and did so anyway), it would still be permissible for her delegates to vote for her in the roll call of the states. One way or another, the Clinton delegates who want to vote for her were going to be heard. With this compromise, the Obama campaign is finally recognizing this.

Now the questions will begin: Will Hillary explicitly urge her delegates to vote for Obama anyway, as a show of unity? And how many of them will listen if she does? And will any of this mollify the PUMA crowd, some of whom are still talking of wresting the nomination for Clinton in Denver? And, perhaps most importantly: Will we be talking about any of this once the convention is over?

Read more in The Politicker

Wolfson: Edwards' Cover-up Cost Clinton the Nomination -

Aides Say She Would Have Won Iowa if Edwards Affair was Exposed
By BRIAN ROSS and JAKE TAPPER - ABC NEWS - August 11, 2008
Sen. Hillary Clinton would be the Democratic presidential nominee if John Edwards had been caught in his lie about an extramarital affair and forced out of the race last year, insists a top Clinton campaign aide, making a charge that could exacerbate previously existing tensions between the camps of Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama.

"I believe we would have won Iowa, and Clinton today would therefore have been the nominee," former Clinton Communications Director Howard Wolfson told ABCNews.com.

Clinton finished third in the Iowa caucuses barely behind Edwards in second place and Obama in first. The momentum of the insurgent Obama campaign beating two better-known candidates -- not to mention an African-American winning in such an overwhelmingly white state -- changed the dynamics of the race forever.

Obama won 37.6 per cent of the vote. Edwards won 29.7 per cent and Clinton won 29.5 per cent, according to results posted by the Iowa Democratic Party.

"Our voters and Edwards' voters were the same people," Wolfson said the Clinton polls showed. "They were older, pro-union. Not all, but maybe two-thirds of them would have been for us and we would have barely beaten Obama."

Two months earlier, Edwards had vociferously, but falsely, denied a story in the National Enquirer about the alleged affair last October, and few in the mainstream media even reported the denial.

Read more on ABC NEWS

Elected or Designated: Democratic Nominee in Historical Perspective

OPINION: By Faith Chatham - DFWRCC - August 8, 2008
Howard Dean and some so called "party leaders" are demanding that Hillary Clinton not have her name entered into nomination. News pundits have referred to the prospect of her being nominated as "unprecedented." Others discuss how having her name in nomination will take the spot light off of Obama.

The voice of 18 million voters seems inconsequential to Howard Dean and those who are threatening Senator Clinton, trying to force her not to allow her voters to be represented democratically at the Democratic National Convention.

A look at historical data shows that the "presumed nominee" does not always win the nomination. In fact, the "underdog" sometimes goes straight to the White House.

Instead of splitting the party, entering her name into nomination and allowing her delegates to represent the preference of 18 million Democratic Voters will unify the party. Unless her name is entered into nomination, a signification number of her 18 million voters will either 1. sit the election out, 2. vote only for down ticket candidates, or 3. vote for a candidate of a different party.

Democratic voters demand that the party treat every candidate fairly. Neither Senator Obama nor Senator Clinton should be marginalized or discriminated against. A fair, legitimate, honest election at the National Democratic Convention is necessary to energize and sustain the party. Howard Dean should step down as chair of the DNC because he just does not understand the importance of upholding the sacred American principal of one person one vote.

1980:
Jimmy Carter - 1981 delegates
Ted Kennedy - 1225 delegates
Uncommitted - 122
No way Kennedy could win, but his name was placed in nomination.


2004:
John Kerry: 2192.5 Pledged delegates
Howard Dean: 114.5 Pledged delegates
Dean had already dropped out with no chance of winning, but his name was placed in nomination.

2008:
Barack Obama: 1766.5 Pledged delegates
Hillary Clinton: 1639.5 Pledged delegates
The contender is being told to shut up for the sake of the party.


In addition, Teddy Kennedy has had his name on that first ballot in 1968 (12 votes), 1972 (12 votes), 1976 (1 vote), 1980 (1150 - he lost some supporters along the way).

Jesse Jackson has had his name on that first ballot twice: 1984 (465 votes), 1988 (1218 votes).

Howard Dean fails to lead. Instead he dictates and manipulates. In addition to threatening viable candidates, he appointed a third of the members of both the Rules and By Laws Committee and the Credentials Committee. Decisions by these committees to strip her of a significant number of her delegates through imposition of penalties for A RULE VIOLATION while similar penalties have not been imposed on other states where there are MANY DOCUMENTED RULES VIOLATIONS created a false perception that Senator Obama is the inevitable Democratic Nominee for president.

These committees have violated the trust of the members of the Democratic Party. Their role is not to DETERMINE who the nominee will be but to insure that there is a fair and honest process which honors the votes of American citizens.

The Chair of the Democratic Party is not elected to be a "king maker." Howard Dean's actions during this election cycle more closely resemble that of Josef Stalin than of an American leader. Chairman Dean should retire. Democrats deserve better. The American people deserve better.

Every candidate deserves to be treated fairly and respectfully.
In order to "unify the party" the nominee must win FAIR AND SQUARE. The manipulations of the Democratic Party to curtain fair electoral processes representing all candidates at the Democratic Party violate the precepts upon which the party was created.

This op-ed was posted on Daily Kos and has attacted a lot of heated comments by Obama supporters. The attitude shown by many on that site is what many Clinton supporters face in the community. There is a lack of understanding of the process and a lack of respect for the process.
If you want to join in on the discussion, register as a user of Daily Kos. Twenty four hours after you register you can comment and post.

Clinton Diehards Want Convention Vote

By Shawn Zeller - CQ Weekly Staff - July 13, 2008
She may have given up, but a few of Hillary Rodham Clinton ’s people haven’t.

The senator from New York is said to be negotiating a respectful presence followed by a graceful exit from next month’s Democratic convention, and last week the party announced that Barack Obama would formally accept the party’s nomination in the stadium built for the Denver Broncos. But there are Clinton supporters clinging to the hope that if her name is placed in nomination and the roll call of the states is conducted, she might — might — still win.

Heidi Li Feldman, a Georgetown University law professor, insists there’s still “no way of predicting” the outcome should there be a fair vote. That’s because Obama has not secured enough pledged delegates to ensure the magic number of 2,118 needed to claim victory; the Illinois senator has gone past that benchmark only with the pledges of about 390 superdelegates — and they can change their minds at any time up to the moment they cast their ballots.

“If they had a meaningful vote, I have no idea who would win,” Feldman says. “But I know that if Sen. Obama were sure he would win, there wouldn’t be a negotiation” about Clinton’s role at the convention.

So Feldman, who says she has raised about $100,000 for Clinton, has turned her prowess to raising money for advertising demanding a convention vote, and she has teamed with a fellow pro-Clinton blogger, Marc Rubin, to form the Denver Group to lobby the Democratic National Committee, much of the staff of which has already moved from Washington to Chicago to work for Obama.

Feldman says she won’t vote for Obama if Clinton doesn’t get a convention vote. Rubin says he might not. Both say they aren’t worried that their efforts will continue to divide Democrats at a time when they should be uniting to take on Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona. In fact, they argue, many Democrats might stay home if they feel Clinton gets short shrift.

“What they have to do is make it possible for people to say to themselves that there was a fair and correct process,” Feldman says.

Read more in the QC Politics.


Click on Image to enlarge

Hillary Speaks July 31st about the Race for President and the 2008 Democratic National Convention

(Video by Simone P. DuBois and Toni Alves)
Taped Thursday July 31, 2008 around 5 p.m. at a "Unity" event held to help pay off Hillary's debt. The event took place at a private home in Los Altos, CA.
Hillary on Being Nominated at Convention:






Hillary on Choice of Vice President:

On the Money Trail, Twice the Challenge

By Anne E. Kornblut and Matthew Mosk - Washington Post Staff Writers - Sunday, July 27, 2008

Most of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's former campaign advisers have returned to their old lives, taken extended vacations or moved on to something new. But not Jonathan Mantz.

COUNTDOWN: A Time to Gain, a Time to Lose
Mantz is still Clinton's national finance director, a once-illustrious job that now carries the responsibility for a grab bag of thankless chores. He must help retire $25 million in campaign debt, and is piecing together a schedule of fundraising events -- no picnic in the best of times -- for a candidate who has lost but who needs new donors because so many of her earlier contributors gave the legal limit.

And he is in charge of persuading cranky Clinton donors, many of them still bitter about the way she lost, to open their checkbooks for Sen. Barack Obama, while he endures the doubts of Obama supporters suspicious of how much Clinton is doing for herself rather than for the presumptive Democratic nominee.

Mantz's agenda is in some ways a reflection of the challenges Clinton faces as she eases back into the public eye and prepares for her next chapter. Moving on is not possible with a debt to pay off and a sensitive merger between her fundraising operation and Obama's incomplete.

Clinton raised $500,000 for Obama over the course of two days in mid-July, and she has held about a dozen conference calls, with as many as 4,000 people listening in at a given time as she urged them to write checks to Obama. And aides said Clinton is putting together an aggressive fundraising schedule, to be ramped up this fall, as she travels for her own coffer and on behalf of congressional candidates and Obama.

Top Clinton supporters have formed new alliances to help the Obama campaign: The group Lawyers for Hillary, which raised $2 million for Clinton during the primaries and advised her campaign on legal issues, has recast itself as the Obama Lawyers Unity Fund, with nearly 75 members helping Obama raise money. (The group is working with, but distinct from, the Lawyers for Obama committee, which has been part of the Obama organization from the start).

On Wednesday night, two prominent Clinton supporters in Florida held a fundraiser for Obama featuring his wife, Michelle, that raised between $500,000 and $600,0000, aides said.

All together, Mantz said, Clinton has raised an unspecified but large amount -- "I would think it's several million already, and millions to go," he said -- and his counterpart, Obama finance director Julianna Smoot, agreed.

"She's been great," Smoot said in an interview, listing the joint events in which Clinton has participated.

An analysis by The Washington Post found that more than 2,200 Clinton donors became first-time Obama donors in June, giving him $1.8 million of the $52 million he raised last month. Of those, 355 contributed at least $2,000, for a total of $1 million. That leaves a long way to go for Clinton and her contributors to be considered a prime source of cash, but it represents what Obama advisers believe is the beginning of a real rapprochement.

Though a few election cycles have passed since former rivals had to help each other in this way, there are historical examples of the kind of partnership Clinton and Obama are trying to develop: Former president Jimmy Carter and Sen. Edward M. Kennedy helped each other retire debt after the 1980 presidential race, as did Sens. Gary Hart and Walter F. Mondale after the 1984 contest.

This year, the level of cooperation between the two campaigns' donors has varied, in part based on geography. In such places as New England, Georgia and Florida, top fundraisers for Clinton and Obama had relationships that predated the campaign, and they reported finding it relatively easy to unite after the primary race.

The Florida event with Michelle Obama on Wednesday night was an example of comity: held at the South Beach home of Abigail and F.J. Pollack -- who were once top-dollar bundlers for Clinton, with Abigail Pollack estimated to have raised more than $1 million for Clinton during the primaries -- the party pulled in more than Clinton herself did during her stops in New York earlier in the month.

Beforehand, Chris Korge, a national finance chairman for Clinton, and others held a $100-per-person event for Obama that was aimed at women and was modeled on the women's events Clinton's campaign held. About 900 people attended, raising another $100,000 for Obama.

"We have a track record together," Korge said of working with Obama's people, whom he has known for years. Still, he said: "A lot of our donors, we have a long way to go with them. They really need Hillary to come in here." Clinton, he said, "has been pushing for more" fundraising for Obama and is expected to return to Florida in August.

In New York and California, though, tensions have simmered longer. One top California finance consultant described hearing from a number of major Clinton donors who were upset that they had not received phone calls from the Obama campaign.

An Obama fundraiser on the East Coast said he had faced strong resistance from top contributors when it came to giving money to Clinton, in part because of an erroneous belief that the money would go into Clinton's own pockets (Clinton has said she is working to retire the $13 million or so that she owes vendors, rather than the remaining $12 million or so she lent herself).

Robert Zimmerman, a longtime Clinton supporter in New York, said the mutual suspiciousness has diminished in recent weeks, in part because Obama has shown interest in helping Clinton.

"He's stepped up his calls and his outreach," Zimmerman said. Referring to Obama's finance chairwoman, he added: "Barack Obama, Penny Pritzker and his campaign have made a very personal effort to bring in the Clinton campaign. And frankly, it has come quicker than in past Democratic campaigns."

Read more in the Washington Post

PUMAs in the Park July 19th

Click on image to enlarge

CNN Poll Shows Barack Obama Losing Support From Registered Democrats

CNN Hillary Supports Aren't Falling In Line for Obama

Clinton wins in Puerto Rico, CNN projects

CNN - Sunday, June 1, 2008SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (CNN) -- Sen. Hillary Clinton will win Puerto Rico's Democratic primary by a wide margin, CNN projects, giving her the larger share of the territory's 55 delegates.

With about 70 percent of precincts reporting, Clinton was leading Sen. Barack Obama by more than a 2-1 margin.

Clinton campaign chairman Terry McAuliffe said Puerto Rico was "another great win" for the New York senator.

Clinton swept Obama in every major demographic group, including groups Obama generally wins, such as younger voters and higher income voters, according to CNN's exit polls.

Clinton's campaign has been arguing that a landslide victory would push her ahead in the popular vote and help her convince superdelegates to pick her instead of Obama.

To cross that threshold, she would need to win 65 percent of the vote with a turnout of at least 2 million people.

But Luis Hector, an elections official, said only 1.5 million ballots were printed.

CNN estimates turnout will be between 325,000 and 425,000.

"Most people in Puerto Rico, I would venture to guess, they are not even aware that there's a primary going on," said Luis Pabón-Roca, a local political analyst.

He said the political atmosphere on the island this week is subdued compared to the fever that sweeps the island before local elections.

Some poll workers in small towns started abandoning the polling stations because turnout was so low, he said.

Part of the reason for the lack of interest, he said, is because voters feel the primary isn't meaningful since Puerto Ricans cannot vote in the general election.

The Democratic and Republican parties run the primaries and caucuses, and they allow U.S. territories, such as the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, to take part in the process.

DNC Decision on Seating MI and FL Delegates

Harold Ickes and Tina Flournoy of the Hillary Clinton Campaign made the following statement regarding the May 31, 2008 decision by the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee:

Today’s results are a victory for the people of Florida who will have a voice in selecting our Party’s nominee and will see its delegates seated at our party’s convention. The decision by the Rules and Bylaws Committee honors the votes that were cast by the people of Florida and allocates the delegates accordingly.

We strongly object to the Committee’s decision to undercut its own rules in seating Michigan’s delegates without reflecting the votes of the people of Michigan.

The Committee awarded to Senator Obama not only the delegates won by Uncommitted, but four of the delegates won by Senator Clinton. This decision violates the bedrock principles of our democracy and our Party.

We reserve the right to challenge this decision before the Credentials Committee and appeal for a fair allocation of Michigan’s delegates that actually reflect the votes as they were cast.

Democrats Meet Over Fla., Mich. in Late-Night Session

By Katharine Q. Seelye - New York Times - May 31, 2008
Outside the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee meeting in Washington on Saturday. (Photo: Jason Reed/Reuters)
WASHINGTON — Democratic Party officials met privately for five and a half hours late Friday night to discuss the Michigan and Florida delegations to the party’s convention but did not resolve their differences.
The officials, who are members of the party’s rules committee, are to begin an all-day public session Saturday to try to settle one of the most contentious issues that has developed during the presidential primaries between Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton — whether to seat the delegations from Michigan and Florida and if so, in what proportion.
During the private meeting, Harold Ickes, who is Mrs. Clinton’s chief delegate counter, repeatedly pressed the Clinton view that the full delegations from both states be seated, with full votes, committee members said. They also said that Allan Katz, a lawyer from Florida, emerged as the chief advocate for Mr. Obama, who has said he wants the delegates seated, but has not specified how or in what proportion.
“It was a full discussion, we’ll see what happens,” Mr. Ickes said afterward. “And I think there was some agreement on some issues and still some disagreement on others.”
Mr. Katz told reporters: “There’s a strong push from the Clinton campaign to try and make believe that those primaries were real primaries, that everyone competed in them like they did in everything else. And there’s a strong push back from the Obama campaigns that, well, the rules were that this is not how we were going to select the delegates.”

They took a few straw votes, but those votes were “so close as to be meaningless,” one committee member said.
One of the biggest points of dispute, committee members said, was over how to apportion the delegates from Michigan, where Mr. Obama’s name was not on the ballot.
The committee is also wrestling with how to bring voters from these two battleground states into the party fold while still upholding party rules and signaling to other states that they will be punished if they don’t abide by the calendar.

The private dinner, at a hotel here, stretched from 8 p.m. Friday to 1:30 a.m. Saturday. Of the 30 members of the committee, 28 attended the dinner, as did Howard Dean, the party chairman.

Some told reporters they expected to reconcile their differences during the public session on Saturday, but they offered little evidence of how they would do so.
“There are some really, really tough issues across the board,” said Martha Fuller Clark, a committee member who is a state senator from New Hampshire and backs Mr. Obama.

She said they discussed their options and the implications of them, adding, “there was no clear pathway at the end of this evening.”
The discussions left them bleary-eyed and somewhat bedraggled. After more than three hours, they took a break and a few of them could be seen hugging each other in a hallway.

Told later that the meeting lasted for five and a half hours, Thomas Hynes, a lawyer from Illinois who supports Mr. Obama, said, “It felt like five and a half weeks.”
He said that discussion ranged from barring the two states from seating any delegates to seating their delegations in full.

“A consensus has not been forged,” he said, but said he expected it would be on Saturday. The lengthy private session “gave us a chance to find out where everyone was,” he said.

James Roosevelt Jr., one of the co-chairmen, called the meeting “productive,” adding, “it was not unpleasant or heated.” He said it gave the committee members a chance to step back and examine the implications of the various options.
“I can’t predict that it will be unanimous,” he said of any decisions reached on Saturday, “but I can predict that it will be unifying for the party.”
At the Saturday session, representatives from Florida and Michigan will present their cases, as will the two campaigns, which had originally both agreed to the decision to strip the two states of their delegates. The committee then expects to break for lunch and begin its own discussions in the afternoon

Hillary Scores Decisive Victory in West Virginia; Obama and McCain rejected by voters

By Faith Chatham - May 14, 2008
Despite political pundits declaring Obama the presumptive nominee, West Virginia Democratic voters cast over three votes against Obama for every vote he received in Tuesday's West Virginia Democratic Primary. Voter turn-out was light for the Republican Primary. Of the 475,167 votes cast Tuesday (combined voters in all party primaries), Hillary Clinton was the resounding choice of West Virginia Voters.

Over four West Virginians voted against Barak Obama for every voter that selected him. John McCain trailed Barak Obama's numbers by 1,998 votes. No Democratic Presidential Candidate has won a general election since 1916 without carrying West Virginia.

West Virginia Primary May 13, 2008

U.S. President
Party Candidate Votes
DEM Hillary Rodham Clinton 239187
DEM Barack Hussein Obama 91663
DEM John Reid Edwards 26181
TOTAL VOTES CAST IN DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY 357,031

REP Willard Mitt Romney 5195
REP John Sidney McCain III 89654
REP Ronald Ernest Paul 6112
REP Rudolph William Giuliani 2839
REP Jerry Ralph Curry 728
REP Michael Dale Huckabee 12184
REP Alan L. Keyes 1424
TOTAL VOTES CAST IN REPUBLICAN PRIM 125,123

TOTAL VOTES CAST IN BOTH DEMOCRATIC AND REPUBLICAN PRIMARIES 475,167

SOURCE: West Virginia Secretary of State Election Division 100% of counties reporting

Clinton's victory inspired CNN's headline: "ANALYSIS: Clinton crushes Obama across the board".
By Alan Silverleib - CNN

(CNN) -- After enduring a week of political obituaries, Sen. Hillary Clinton's campaign proved Tuesday that it still has some life.

Clinton, as expected, trounced Democratic front-runner Sen. Barack Obama in the West Virginia primary. In the process, she underscored Obama's weakness with blue-collar, working-class white voters -- a segment of the electorate that may prove pivotal in November.

Buoyed by her landslide margin, Clinton vowed to continue what has become a longshot campaign, telling supporters at a Charleston rally that she is "more determined than ever to carry on this campaign until everyone has had a chance to make their voices heard."

Clinton's victory in West Virginia was decisive. She won men and women. She carried a majority of voters in every age group. She captured liberals, moderates, and conservatives. She took a majority in every income bracket.Clinton's largest margins, as expected, were registered among voters at the lower end of the socioeconomic ladder. Among white voters without a college degree, Clinton defeated Obama by 50 points. Among white voters making less than $30,000 a year, Clinton's margin of victory was more than 60 points.

Older voters and white women -- part of Clinton's core constituency -- also rallied strongly to her beleaguered campaign. Voters age 65 and older supported her by a 38-point margin. White women backed her by 51 points.

Clinton's proposal to suspend the 18.4-cent-per-gallon federal gasoline tax for the summer -- an idea belittled by most economists and rejected by Obama as a political gimmick -- proved to be a winner in West Virginia. Voters supported the gas tax suspension by an almost 2-to-1 margin. Those voters who supported suspending the gas tax broke for Clinton, 74 to 19 percent.
Read more on line at CNN

Evaluation: Obama's Lead in Delegates May Not Be a Good Thing
Obama campaign strategist identified weaknesses in the Democratic primary caucus system which discriminates against handicapped, the elderly and workers who cannot physically attend precinct caucuses. Many caucus states, such as Iowa and Texas, prohibit absentee or proxy voting in caucuses. No allowances are made for registered voters who are homebound, or frail, and unable to participate at nightime party caucuses. Some caucus states, such as Maine, allow certified by mail voters to register their presidential preference and their preference to be includes in the math to derive the distribution of delegates between presidential preferences. Most caucus states, unlike Maine, exclude all voters who cannot physically show up to their precinct party caucus from helping to select their party's nominee for President. Texas is the only state which has both a caucus and a primary. In Texas, significant differences emerged across the state in precincts between the percentages in the popular vote (primary voters) per candidate and causus registrants per candidate. Texas awards 25% of the delegates through party caucus's and 75% by primary voters (popular vote). The Texas system favors those who are healthier, able to drive after dark, not homebound, elderly or too frail to stay until late at night when the delegates were chosen in many precinct caucues. The presidential preference of workers who cannot get off work on caucus nights but in the primary, like their more frail elderly or handicapped neighbors, only count 75% of what their younger, healthier neighbors who were able to show up at the caucus after the polls closed on primary night. Chaos and non-compliance with Democratic Party Rules and Texas and Federal Election codes further pollulated the outcome of many precinct and senatorial Democratic Conventions.

Election Process Discriminates
Although the Help Americans Vote Act stipulates how Americans with disabilities are to be accommodated at polling places, guidelines for accommodations at party precinct and senatorial conventions are vague. Disabled supporters of both leading presidential candidates will join forces this year for the first time in Austin at State Convention in a new issues caucus. Democrats with Disabilities is the first disability caucus in the Texas Democratic Party. It will meet from 11 A.M. to 12:30 P.M. Friday, June 6th at the 2008 Texas Democratic Party State Convention. Founding members are split between presidential preferences but agree that the current process discriminates against persons with disabilities and needs to be corrected.

Non ADA Compliance in Senatorial District Conventions to be Reviewed by the Credentials Committee at State Convention

In Tarrant County, Harriet Varnum Irby, former SDEC Committee Woman from Senatorial 10, objected to the choice of the antiquated Will Rogers Colesium as the Senatorial 10 Convention site when it was chosen. Irby says she went to Tarrant County Party Headquarters when she learned that Will Rogers was the proposed site and told them that it was unsuitable because it is not ADA compliant. A landmark built before ADA laws were passed by Congress, the arena is exempt from having to eliminate many of the barriers required in newer buildings. Tarrant County Democratic Party Executive Director Keith Annis announced to the members of the Senatorial 10 Nominations Committee that "we got numerous calls from people who said they were delegates but could not attend if the convention was at Will Rogers because they were handicapped." Fort Worth attorney Jason Smith filed a challenge to the distribution of delegates per presidential preference at the Senatorial 10 Convention at Will Rogers to the State Democratic Party's Credentials Committee based on non-ADA compliance at the Senatorial Convention which discriminated against the elderly, frail and handicapped.

In neighboring East Tarrant County, at the Tarrant County Community College East Campus in Arlington, the Senatorial 9 Tarrant County Democratic Convention also failed to accommodate the handicapped. Although the college meets architecture requirements for ADA, campus security blockaded the drive restricting handicapped persons from utilizing parking near the entrance of the main building where the convention was held. Instead of being allowed to drive up to the building where handitran buses usually pick-up and discharge passengers, blockades were positioned at the entrance of the main drive, about the distance of a a city block from the main building. The Main ballrooom, where over half of the delegates were seated, was on one level and provided few barriers for the mobility challenged. However, many delegates and all alternates and guests were seated in the Theatre which has at least 8 steep steps at the entrance and 18 steps inside the theatre. The college accommodates persons in wheelchairs in the front row of the theatre and allows them entrance through a side door which has not steps. On Convention day, the side entrance was closed and all delegates and alternates were forced to enter and exit using the front steps. At County Senatorial 9 Convention at TCCC.

It is ironic that some view the nomination of Barak Obama, an African-American, as rectification of some of the discrimination in America, while others say that the campaign strategy of the Obama which has given him a lead in the delegate count (acquired mainly through his lead in caucus states) exploits flaws in the Democratic process which discriminates against registered voters who are handicapped, frail, elderly, transportation restricted or forced to work on the night of their party caucus. Even if Obama strategists did not purposely set out to discriminate against the handicapped, their emphasis on caucus states which do not allow absentee or proxy voting by certified mail registered voters, has resulted in greater discrimination against elderly and handicapped voters than occurs in states where delegates are awarded by popular vote in primaries or at caucuses which allow proxy or absentee/ by mail voting to distribute delegates between presidential preferences.

Examination of the profiles of each candidates voters this year shows that the average age of Obama's voter and caucus supporter is younger than that of Senator Clinton. Although she draws voters from all age groups, her strongest segment is among women over 50 years of age. Although both have drawn out first-time voters of all ages, a significant number of Senator Obama's supporters are young people who have registered to vote for the first time. Senator Clinton consistently surpasses Senator Obama in attracting voters who have voted in more than one Democratic Primary. Some precinct chairs were concerned to note than many of their double and triple D's (persons who have voted in 2 or 3 Democratic Primaries) were not participants at their Democratic Precinct Caucuses. Although they are faithful to vote, frequently at early voting during the day or by mail, their vote only counted 1/4 of first time voters who were able to attend the precinct caucuses.

If delegates awarded in caucues properly reflected the demographics of registered voters who participated in the primaries, the distribution of delegates at caucuses between candidates would mirror the popular vote in primary states. However, in Texas, (the only state which has both primary popular votes and percinct caucuses) the distribution of delegates between presidential preferences at precinct caucuses differed significantly from the percentages of votes per candidate at the same precinct primary elections. This discrepancy further highlights the difference between the distribution of delegates between candidates and the preferences of voters on election day.

Some Question if Obama's Lead in Delegates May Result in a Democratic Losses in November

Delegate counts which do not mirror the opinions of registered voters who habitually cast votes in Presidential elections can give a false reading. In West Virginia, despite Obama outspending Clinton by 3 to 1, she beat him in every county. He was stuck in the low 20's while she whopping 67% of the votes cast. Senator John Edwards, who has withdrawn from the race, received 26,181 votes (17%); Senator Barak Obama received 91,663 votes (26%). Senator Clinton got 269,187 votes (67%). She lead Obama by by a 41 points by defeating him by drawing more support from every age group, socio-economic level and category of voter.

West Virginia is an important state for Democratic Presidential candidates. No Democratic Presidential candidate has won a general election without winning West Virginia since 1916.

Super Delegate Delimma
As Obama swept through caucus states and surged ahead in the delegate count, Super Delegates who are supposed to be a party check and balance which helps the party select the strongest candidate to win against the Republicans in the General Election, added to his delegate total. Clinton continues to add key swing state victories. Crucial to any presidential win for any party, white working class voters continue to vote more heavily for Senator Hillary Clinton than for either McCain or Obama in most presidential primaries. Many question whether Senator Obama will be able to defeat McCain in the fall. Most feel that without Hillary Clinton, the Democratic Party's surge in voter turn-out will be diminished by another Republican win.

On-line Petitions
The level of disgust expressed by thousands of citizens through on-line petitions shows that many Democratic voters will not fall in line and vote for the "other candidate" if their candidate is not the Presidential nominee or at least on the ticket as VP. Over 5000 citizens have signed and commented on a petition to the Super Delegates urging them to select Senator Clinton as the nominee. In a few days over 800 citizens signed the "Quiet Riot" petition which says that Clinton's supporters will not "fall in line" and support Barak Obama. These petitions can be read and signed at http://ipetitions.com/'petition/quietriot/ and at http:/www.ipetitions.com/petitions/supportinghillary/

Grassroots Rallies for Hillary Across the Nation
While Senator Clinton and Senator Obama campaign in Missouri, Kentucky, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Montana and South Dakota, Clinton supporters are rallying in states which have already voted to show solidarity with Hillary and to raise money for her campaign. From the grassroots rallies are being organized by supporters. In Pantego (between Arlington and Fort Worth) a rally called "STAND WTH HILLARY" Saturday, May 17th (1-4 p.m.) at Pantego Bi-Centennial Park (3200 Smith Barry Road, Pantego, TX 76013) will feature speeches by VIPs and grassroots activists such as Teresa Meza, President of the Lulac Council and Clinton Texas State Convention Delegate. There will be laptops with internet access where people can sign three on-line petitions urging superdelegates to vote for Hillary and the DNC to honor the vote of citizens in the Florida and Michigan primaries. A similar event will be hosted by grassroots Clinton supporters Saturday in Longview at Teague Park.

DELEGATE MATH
For months political reporters have reported the delegate count without clarifying for the public that until the national convention delegates are elected at state party conventions, and those electors show up at the Democratic National Convention and sign-in for their candidates, all so-called "pledged delegate counts" are speculative. Endorsements from superdelegates are even more speculative than pledged delegates. Superdelegates endorsments will not necessarily reflect the way they will actually vote at the National Democratic Convention. Superdelegates habitually switch sides as the prevailing wind blows. They are charged with deciding for the candidate who has the best chance of beating the Republican candidate for President in November. If Senator Obama continues to show that he cannot win key swing states or the vital block of white working class voters, it is probable that we will see some of his current super delegate endorsements shift to Senator Clinton before the National Convention.

Citizen outrage, expressed by registered Democratic voters from all states, expressed in petitions, against the exclusion of delegates from Florida and Michigan may result in a further erosion of Senator Obama's lead in the delegate count. If only half (142) of Obama's current Super Delegates (284) switched to Senator Clinton, she would lead him today without inclusion of Florida or Michigan delegates or delegates from the remaining primaries in Montana, Kentucky, Puerto Rico, Missouri or Oregon.

Stand With Hillary Rally in Pantego Saturday, May 17th

Click to see larger image

Delegate challenges concerning Florida, Michigan to be heard

By NEDRA PICKLER - Associated Press Writer - April 26, 2008
WASHINGTON - A plan to award half-delegates for the disputed Michigan and Florida Democratic presidential primaries will get a hearing before party leaders

The co-chairs of the Democratic National Committee's Rules and Bylaws committee sent members a memo Friday announcing a meeting May 31 to consider the idea.

The committee stripped Michigan and Florida of their national convention delegates because they held primaries too early. DNC members in Michigan and Florida have filed challenges to restore the delegates.

Under the challenges, all superdelegates from both states would get to vote. The pledged delegates would only count for half votes.

Hillary Rodham Clinton won both contests and has been pushing for the delegates to be seated.

Her rival Barack Obama has said it isn't fair to award delegates based on the votes because all the candidates agreed to boycott the contests and his name wasn't on Michigan's ballot. Most of the Democratic candidates had their names removed, but Clinton left hers on. Forty percent of Michigan voters chose "uncommitted" rather than vote for Clinton.

Obama's supporters have suggested splitting the delegates evenly would be a fair way to handle it, since all sides want to see delegates from the two important swing states participate in the convention.

Both states, knowing the potential penalty, held their primaries earlier than party rules allowed to try have more influence in the nominating process that long has been dominated by early voters in Iowa and New Hampshire. Few figured the campaign would last as long as it has, and now that Clinton and Obama are so close in the delegate race, both states want to help choose the nominee.

Michigan lost 128 pledged delegates and 28 superdelegates, for a total of 156.

Florida lost 185 pledged and 25 superdelegates, or a total of 210.

If it were valid, Florida's election would have given Clinton 105 delegates to Obama's 67. Michigan's would have given Clinton 73 delegates, while 55 were uncommitted. That means awarding half-delegates would give Clinton 89 more delegates and Obama 33.5, with 27.5 uncommitted.

The plan would narrow Obama's lead among the pledged delegates won in primaries and caucuses. But Clinton still would not catch him in the remaining primaries.

Obama has a 154-delegate lead among pledged delegates.

The challenges were presented by DNC members Joel Ferguson of Michigan and Jon Ausman of Florida, who also are superdelegates because of their positions with the party. Ferguson supports Clinton, Ausman is uncommitted.

Ferguson and Ausman said in telephone interviews that they think half-delegates should be seated based on the outcome of the state's primary elections. That is not spelled out in their challenges and the Rules and Bylaws Committee could determine how many delegates each campaign is awarded.

"I think the allocation should be solely based on the returns on January 29," Ausman said.

Michigan's case is trickier, since Obama didn't get any votes in the state's Jan. 15 primary. Ferguson said all the uncommitted votes should count for Obama.

"The only thing that hurts my challenge is that I declared that I'm for Clinton, but this has nothing to do with Clinton," Ferguson said. "This has to do with making common sense."

He said it's only fair that the superdelegates be fully restored since they aren't bound by election results any way. The challenges argue that the party doesn't have the authority to strip superdelegates of their votes.

Ausman said as for the pledged delegates, it would be acceptable for the committee either to strip half of Florida's pledged delegates and send the other half to the convention, or to send all and give them half-votes.

The Convention Credentials Committee resolves issues about the seating of delegates, but doesn't meet until later in the summer after all the state nominating contests are over.

The co-chairs of the Rules and Bylaws Committee did not respond to messages left at their offices Friday. Party officials said it's unclear whether they will make a decision and vote on the challenges at the May 31 meeting or just discuss them.

The Clinton and Obama campaigns did not respond to requests for comment.

Read more on Yahoo News

The Pennsylvania Presidential Debate

Northern Dallas suburbs overwhelmed by Democratic turnout

Longtime Republican bastion breached by huge Democratic turnout during primary

By THEODORE KIM - The Dallas Morning News - Saturday, March 8, 2008
PLANO – Dallas' northern suburbs have long been Republican fortresses. But Tuesday, for the first time in nearly a quarter-century, Democrats showed muscle.

Democrats Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton received more than 72,000 votes in Collin County's presidential primary – the most outside of Texas' major urban centers and 20,000 more than the Republican candidates combined despite record GOP turnout.

The numbers were as dramatic in neighboring Denton County, where the overwhelming edge went to Democrats even though both parties set turnout records.

The enthusiasm was hardly limited to those two counties. Overall, about 2.9 million Texans cast votes in this year's Democratic primary, up from about 840,000 in 2004.

Still, the results are startling in this part of the state, which before the GOP dominance was once the base of operations for powerful Democratic U.S. House Speaker Sam Rayburn.

Democrats say the results offer hope for a party that has been all but irrelevant here. They say the political complexion of Dallas' suburbs is changing, a trend evidenced by the numbers.

National experts say the statistics point to a broader Democratic energy and GOP malaise evidenced in vote totals, fundraising and attendance at political rallies.

Republican observers disagree. They say the up-for-grabs Democratic primary helped fuel artificially high vote totals, drawing independent and Republican voters who saw their own primary clinched by John McCain.

"Tuesday's race had nothing to do with the general elections as far as our turnout and Democrat turnout," said Kathy Ward, chairwoman of the Collin County Republican Party. "People were just energized that Texas was even on the [primary] map."

Long lines

No Democrats hold partisan elected offices in Collin and Denton counties, and party leaders often struggle to find viable candidates.

Meanwhile, Republican Mike Huckabee, who ran as the standard-bearer for diehard evangelical conservatives, did well in Collin County and almost beat Mr. McCain in Denton County – a sign of evangelical conservative strength here.

But Democratic leaders say they saw a surge Tuesday.

In Collin County, voters seeking to cast Democratic ballots formed long lines at many precincts, creating a shortage of voting machines in places, said Dan Dodd, the county's Democratic chairman.

In fact, more Collin residents voted in Tuesday's Democratic primary than the 69,000 who voted for Democrat John Kerry in the 2004 general election. The total is staggering given that primaries typically draw far fewer voters than general elections. About 6,500 people voted in the party's primary four years ago.

"People were at the polls [Tuesday] looking around and saying, 'I'm not the only Democrat here,' " Mr. Dodd said.

Denton County also showed signs of Democratic momentum. Precincts across the county, even those in staunch Republican areas, witnessed high Democratic turnout, said Neil Durrance, the county's Democratic Party chairman. Nearly 55,000 people voted Democratic versus almost 39,000 in the GOP races.

Some national analysts say the high turnout is a reflection of a general shift.

"The numbers of people identifying themselves as Republican are down," said Charlie Cook, publisher of the Cook Political Report. "The public preference for the GOP holding the White House has dropped, and GOP enthusiasm is down. Primary turnout is a reflection of all of these things."


Battleground

The battleground for that shift is in affluent, brisk-growing suburbs like Collin and Denton counties, experts say.

Since 1990, the combined population of the two counties has more than doubled to 1.3 million. While the counties have skewed Republican for years, growth has brought diversity and more diverse politics.

"The conventional wisdom has been: 'If you move to Collin County and you drink the water, then you become a Republican," said Michael McConachie, a political science professor at Collin College in Plano. "I don't think that's necessarily true anymore."

The numbers seen here mirrored the Democratic turnout in suburbs across Texas, such as Williamson County near Austin, Fort Bend and Montgomery counties near Houston and Comal County near San Antonio, said Democratic strategist Matt Angle.

Similar shifts have occurred recently in GOP-leaning suburban communities elsewhere, such as in parts of North Carolina and the Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C., Mr. Angle said.

"These are people who are raising families, making mortgage payments and paying utility bills," he said. "They quickly relate challenges of their own life to the political leadership. We're finding out these are households that are willing to look at the two parties."

GOP leaders dismiss the notion that the political terrain is changing. On the whole, they say Dallas' northern suburbs remain overwhelmingly Republican and will stay that way for years to come.

President Bush, for instance, captured nearly 175,000 votes in the 2004 general election in Collin County – more than double the total that Mr. Obama and Mrs. Clinton received in the primary combined.

Longtime Republican U.S. Rep. Sam Johnson, who is running for re-election in the 3rd Congressional District, said he expected Collin County to vote heavily Republican in the general election.

He believed many Republicans had voted in the Democratic primary and would switch back in November. He pointed out that a large number of people who voted for Mr. Obama or Mrs. Clinton in Collin County did not continue down the ballot to vote in the local races – evidence that voters crossed party lines.

"I think you'll see the same result in the general [election] that you saw last time," Mr. Johnson said. "People will support John McCain."

Democratic organizers disagree, saying the high turnout is a sign of successes to come.

Mr. Durrance noted the Republican Party in Denton and Collin counties and many other places saw record primary turnouts just as the Democratic Party did. If many Republicans voted in the opposite primary, GOP turnout probably would have dipped, he said.

"This is a definite rising Democratic tide," he said. "What we're seeing is a shift in the public electorate."

Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, said the general election in November would make clear whether the Democratic turnout is a blip in history or evidence of a trend.

"Will it last until November and beyond?" he asked. "As we all know, human enthusiasm can wane rather quickly."

Compared with recent primaries, Collin and Denton county voter turnout in Tuesday's election skyrocketed, particularly among Democrats:

Collin County
2000
Democrats 3,735
Republicans 31,835

2004
Democrats 6,493
Republicans 16,374

2008
Democrats 72,543
Republicans 51,768

Denton County
2000
Democrats 3,532
Republicans 26,538

2004
Democrats 4,679
Republicans 14,922

2008
Democrats 54,674
Republicans 38,491

Read more in the Dallas Morning News

Hillary packed'em in by the thousands at the Stockyard

By Faith Chatham - March 2, 2008 Crossposted on Texas Kaos
Tarrant County was Clinton Country Saturday when Senator Hillary Clinton arrived at the Fort Worth Stockyard. The crowd has been estimated between 10,000 to 14,000.

Photo used by permission. Copyright Lydia Foster 2008

Young, old, healthy, frail, all races stood in line for hours to be screened and admitted to the rally area on Exchange Avenue near the Stockyard's Hotel. Secret Service and the Fort Worth Police Department controlled access. Swat team snipers were positioned on all the roof tops. Attendees, including the handicapped, entered behind Billy Bob's, through the cattle walks and allies before they were screened to enter the rally grounds. Organizers grossly underestimated the size of the crowd. Most attendees never got close enough to see Senator Clinton, yet the enthusiasm was not dampened by the long wait.

Accompanied by Henry Ciscernos and the Mayor of Los Angeles, with former Speaker Jim Wright in attendence, Senator Clinton charmed the crowd with her warmth, straight talking and deep comprehension of what truly challenges us. She speaks straight to the people. Her stump speech is not littered with slogans or platitudes. She doesn't place herself on some loftier plane than the people. She has poise and confidence which comes from years of hard work and preparation and service.


Photo used by permission. Copyright Lydia Foster 2008

She has a dry wit and does not try to capture the audience with humor, yet her warmth is infectious. Her style is different from Ann Richards, yet I found myself thinking of Governor Richards frequently during Senator Clinton's stump speech. Ann Richards made middle of the night unannounced visits to nursing homes to protect the weak, frail and vulnerable. Hillary Clinton possesses the same passion for people that Governor Richards possessed.

When Senator Clinton shook my hand I told her: "I'll be as honored to call you Madam President as I was to call Ann Richards' Governor." She shot me a smile which told me that she understood that she was receiving one of the highest compliments I could give.


Photo used by permission. Copyright Lydia Foster 2008

The Obama campaign spends weeks preparing and promoting large rallies. Most of Senator Clinton's rallies are planned and promoted only 24 to 48 hours before the event. This rally was the first one in North Texas where the Clinton campaign gvae citizens 5 days advance notice. Saturday, at the Fort Worth Stockyards, it was proven that given a little notice, Texans will come by the thousands to see, hear, meet Hillary Clinton.


Tuesday we'll learn how many of the thousands of people who are voting Democrat are choosing Obama or Hillary.

To find a pre-precinct convention caucus meeting near you go to www.hillaryclinton.com
Click on TAKE ACTION and choose FIND PARTY/EVENT.

Bill stumps for Hillary in Arlington Sunday

By Faith Chatham - DFWRCC - Feb. 25, 2008
Several thousand North Texans turned out with little advance notice to hear former President Bill Clinton address the public at a Get our the Vote Rally in Vandergriff Park in Arlington Sunday morning.


PHOTO BY BRENDA MARTINEZ copyright 2008

President Clinton was introduced by Tarrant County Constable Sergio de Leon (pictured below), who President Clinton said he'd known in Arkansas. The president said: "I've known him since he was a little boy." He told the crowds: "I'm so proud of him. I have watched him grow up!"


PHOTO BY BRENDA MARTINEZ copyright 2008


PHOTO BY BRENDA MARTINEZ copyright 2008


PHOTO BY BRENDA MARTINEZ copyright 2008

PHOTO BY BRENDA MARTINEZ copyright 2008
Faith Chatham, co-founder of DFW Regional Concerned Citizens, discusses NAFTA and toll roads with President Clinton. He said NAFTA hasn't turned out like we intended. We need to revise it. He was surprised when she told him that there are plans to build 675 miles of toll roads in the DFW Metroplex alone. He wanted to know "Why? and "Who's puahing it?"

About this year's Presidential race, Bill Clinton asked:

"Which is more important to you: Should we make a new beginning with somebody not involved in either the problems of this decade or the progress of last ... or should we make a new beginning with a change-maker who knows when to compromise and when to stand stong firm?"

Prior to the rally in Arlington Sunday, President Clinton worshipped at the Potter's House in Oak Cliff with Bishop T.D. Jakes.

President Bill Clinton will return to the DFW metroplex for a Tuesday morning event at Mountain View College in Dallas and a Tuesday evening event (5:00 p.m.) in the Marine Park on Fort Worth's north side near the stockyards.

Chelsea Clinton spoke at three area University campuses earlier this month. Senator Hillary Clinton appeared at a rally in Oak Cliff Friday and cancelled her Fort Worth Rally that same day in respect for the police officer who was killed in an accident while escorting her motorcade Friday.


U-TUBE VIDEO by JELATOV

President Bill Clinton in Arlington - Part 2

U-TUBE VIDEO by JELATOV

Hillary Clinton's campaign has visited Arlington twice this month. Chelsea spoke at UTA during her three university speaking tour earlier this month for her mother's campaign. Husband Bill returned to Arlington to speak for his wife. Usually ignored by national Democratic political campaign as being "too expensive and too Republican" to merit expenditure of campaign resources, Arlington has defied the "RED" label this year. At all five early voting sites Arlington Democratic voters outnumbered Republican early voters during each of the first five days of early voting. Larger percentages of Democrats are voting early and larger percentages of Republicans are staying home.

See WFAA Coverage

See story by Anna Tinsley of the Fort Worth Star Telegram

See DMN Story

Both Texas Democratic Governor Candidates Endorse Hillary Clinton

By Texans for Hillary - 2/21/2008

Former U.S. Congressman Chris Bell Endorses Hillary for President
Houston, TX –Former U.S. Representative Chris Bell today announced his endorsement of Hillary Clinton for President.

"It is no longer about being a great candidate - because of the many challenges we face, it's now about being a great president on day one," Bell said. "Hillary Clinton is the only candidate who has the experience, passion and vision to start turning our dreams of change into a reality on her first day in the oval office. She is also the only candidate who has faced the right-wing smear machine head on and lived to tell the tale. We need a battle tested nominee."

Bell, the Democratic nominee for governor of Texas in 2006, says he plans to appeal to his supporters throughout the state on behalf of Senator Clinton.

"Chris Bell has been a strong voice for Texans and I am so proud to have his support of my candidacy," Clinton said. "From the economy, to education, to health care, Congressman Bell knows it will take experience and strength to make change happen in the White House. I look forward to having his help in spreading our message across Texas."

Born in Abilene, Bell represented a Houston area U.S. House district from 2003 to 2005. He was also a member of the Houston City Council from 1997 to 2001. In the race for governor, he received over a million votes, trouncing two well funded independents and coming within nine percentage points of defeating the incumbent Republican.

Congressman Bell is a strong advocate for health care reform, public school education and a passionate supporter of stem cell research. He has long fought for issues important to Texans, including comprehensive immigration reform and improving transportation.

BOB GAMMAGE ENDORSES HILLARY

Former U.S. Congressman Bob Gammage Endorses Hillary for President
Austin, TX - Today the Clinton campaign announced that former U.S. Congressman and Texas Supreme Court Justice Bob Gammage is endorsing Hillary Clinton for President, demonstrating its continued momentum across the Lone Star State.

"Texas knows Hillary and Hillary knows Texas," said Gammage. "Hillary has a proven track record fighting for Texans that dates back more than three decades. Her leadership and experience are unparalleled and I am confident that she is the best candidate to lead this nation. On March 4, Texans will play a critical role in determining not only the Democratic nominee, but also the next President of the United States and I encourage all Texans to get to the polls for this important election."

Bob Gammage is a native of Houston, Texas. He served 25 years in public office in the Lone Star State. Gammage won his first race for office, for the Texas House of Representatives, in 1970. He went on to serve in the Texas State Senate, the United States House of Representatives, and as a Justice on the Texas Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of Texas. He also served as an Assistant Attorney General of Texas and as a Special Consultant to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Gammage has been setting the campaign trail ablaze for Hillary. As a Veteran for Hillary, he made two trips to Iowa to stump for her in the snow. Here in Texas, he worked with other supporters to secure her Texas state headquarters in Austin and spoke at its opening rally. He is also assisting the campaign in arranging Chelsea's visits to some Texas university campuses.

Supporting Hillary is a family affair for the Gammage family. Gammage’s wife, Lynda, is helping to coordinate housing for many of the out-of-state staffers and volunteers, and their son Sam, a Texas State University student, is volunteering at the Austin headquarters.

The Clinton campaign continues to gain support throughout Texas as Hillary’s message of change and experience resonates with people across the state. More than 100,000 Texans have signed up to volunteer for Hillary and 4,700 people attended a campaign rally with former President Bill Clinton at the Clinton campaign’s Austin Headquarters last weekend.