BREAKING: Dean wants closure by July 1

Politico ^ | March 28, 2008 | Ben Smith

[COUNTrecount]

BREAKING: Dean wants closure by July 1

A potential game-changer from CBS News and "The Early Show." Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean says he wants superdelegates to make a decision by JULY 1 -- the most specific he has been in his effort to prod the party to decide between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton before the Democratic National Convention in late August.

Harry Smith asked if after the nominating contests end with the South Dakota and Montana primaries on June 3, "Do you want the superdelegates to have some sort of vote immediately so that you'll know months in advance of the convention what the outcome is?”

Dean replied: “Well, I think the superdelegates have already been weighing in. I think that there's 800 of them and 450 of them have already said who they're for. I'd like the other 350 to say who they're at some point between now and the first of July so we don't have to take this into the convention.”

An aide explains that July 1 is not a drop-dead deadline: "The point is before the convention, ideally in June."

Dean has been criticized for not taking a heavier hand in ending the bruising contest.

The aide elaborates on the chairman's thinking: "Dean is personally engaged in this process, he's had numerous conversations with over 60 leaders inside and outside of the Democratic Party, to hear their thoughts, get their input and encourage them to help reinforce the importance of keeping the party united behind our nominee in November. ... He does not want to discuss those conversations publicly because in Washington, you can work behind the scenes and not worry about getting credit and actually get something done -- or you can talk about it in the press and not get anything done. But ... he wants to see this resolved before the convention and will encourage the superdelegates to make their choice known once the voters in the remaining states have had their say."

In an interview with AP's Nedra Pickler, Dean also made it clear he wants to get the show on the road. "There'll be some nasty fights if it goes to convention, and people will walk out," he told Nedra. "But I've also been talking to a fairly significant number of, by and large, nonaligned people about how we might resolve this." Nedra adds: "Dean wouldn't talk in detail about what the plan is, but it likely involves encouraging superdelegates to pick a candidate shortly after the voting ends."

So June 3-July 1 is your window, ladies and gents.

Full Harry Smith interview apres le jump.

CBS News, "The Early Show"

HARRY SMITH: “Joining us is Howard Dean, chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Good morning, Dr. Dean.”

HOWARD DEAN: “Harry, thanks for having me on.”

HARRY SMITH: “There's a lot of ill will growing among Democrats. Polls show a significant number of supporters of both candidates, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, say that they will switch to John McCain if their candidate is not chosen. How are you going to put this back together again?”

DEAN: “Well, I think the candidates have got to understand that they have an obligation to our country to unify. Somebody's going to lose this race with 49.8 percent of the vote. And that person has got to pull their supporters in behind the nominee. That's our obligation, because in the end this is not about Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. It's about our country. We're not going to have four more years of George W. Bush, which is essentially what McCain is offering us. There's a really big difference between our candidates on these issues. And I don't believe for a moment that at the end of the day, the Democrats are going to vote for somebody who's going to put more right-wingers on the Supreme Court. But we do need to keep in mind that personal attacks now, often do have the seeds of demoralization later on. So I want to make sure this campaign stays on the high ground.”

SMITH: “OK -- well, you're coming on morning television this morning to say this. Have you talked to both candidates or talked at least to their people?”

DEAN: “I have done both. I'm not going to say how those conversations went. I have good relationships with both candidates. and I think they would both be excellent presidents.”

SMIITH: “Have they pledged to tone down the rhetoric?”

DEAN: “Well, you know, I’m not going to get into who said what on the telephone calls. But I think that it's important that we understand this is not, again, about Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. It's about a change for our country. it's about $3.50 gas prices, it’s about staying in Iraq for 100 years, it’s about a hands-off –”

SMITH: “Well, [the nominating] season is over. Do you want the superdelegates to have some sort of vote immediately so that you'll know months in advance of the convention what the outcome is?”

DEAN: “Well, I think the superdelegates have already been weighing in. I think that there's 800 of them and 450 of them have already said who they're for. I'd like the other 350 to say who they're at some point between now and the first of July so we don't have to take this into the convention.”

SMITH: “Dr. Dean, thank you so much for the time.”

[Rippin]

It could happen. It could happen.

---

If I don’t get a DVR before it happens I’ll never forgive myself. Thank God for youTube

[Miss Didi]

...She is completely unwilling to accept the cruel truth that she has been rejected by her own party, betrayed by her own family.

She was first lady, for cryin' out loud! She is the queen of this party!

No one she trusts has the courage to tell her she's done, much less force her into the car to take her home.

So on we march, scandal after scandal, contest after contest, hoping with each one that she finally accepts what everyone else began realizing long ago.

The curiosity of this spectacle has led some to openly speculate she's staying in the race only to damage Obama so badly that he can't win in November, thus leaving the Democratic ticket open for her to run again in 2012.

And the certainty with which she recalled all that sniper fire raining down on her as she landed in Bosnia 12 years ago convinced others that she's nearly gone out of her mind.

"She has become disassociated from reality," said one top Democrat. "And now she's going all the way to the convention, and she's not going to pull the plug on this thing."

HAS-BEEN HILL STILL IGNORING THE INEVITABLE

[Mr. K]

Lets see.. that’s after March, April, May, June...

Veery braaaaaaave! 4 month deadline? wow..

HA HA HA - I think I was HOPING there would be at least 4 more months of this

[2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten]

Uh, from what I’ve been reading, the Clintons dont believe it’s just about superdelegates, they’re talking about swaying the regular delegates (which evidently is allowed) to vote for her.

---

Bingo - I saw her heinous do an interview on Fox and that was my distinct impression about what she was saying. “Delegates should be able to vote their conscience blah blah blah”.

I couldn’t help but remark on the irony because the preceding talking point had been how voters in FL and MI “can’t be disenfranchised”.

But isn’t delegate flipping doing exactly that? Of course it is. But the clintons are liars, shameless, and shameless liars.

[.cnI redruM]

She needs to demand a recount. It's the only way to make sure all the votes count.

[acoulterfan]

Can’t ANY of the superdelegates change their minds as many times as they want before the convention?

[copaliscrossing]

I would prefer a back-to-back, pistol in hand, walk 10 paces turn and fire approach. This WILL bring closure quite quickly. Ala Burr-Hamilton

[COUNTrecount]

She is completely unwilling to accept the cruel truth that she has been rejected by her own party, betrayed by her own family.

Who in her family betrayed her? Did he mean her crime family? Guilluiermo Richardson? BJ ? Her Mom for naming her after Sir Hillary? Will there be another Bimbo eruption coming soon to a frenzied MSM?

[GVnana]

OOOOOH! A selected candidate?

[.cnI redruM]

I love it! Hillary! (or Barack!) Selected, not Elected.

[COUNTrecount]

I wanted a pony but I got a goldfish.

[.cnI redruM]

and not to totally threadjack, but HAIL TO THE THIEF!

[doug from upland]

[Miss Didi]

I was puzzled by that line, too. Perhaps her party is her family? Or is Bubba’s babbling really about sabotage?

[conservativeinferno]

Where did you obtain that photo?

[Ingtar]

I had a dream last night that Hillary went nuts and launched into one of her trademark profanity/slur laced rants at a press conference for all to see.

I had the same dream. In the spirit of fairness, McCain then launched into a rant of his own to "level the playing field."

[Polyxene]

“The Dems made a deal with Clintstopheles and now the two-headed beast is looking to cash the check.”

Spot on, Callahan!! Payback is a Hillary, isn’t it, Dr. Dean?

[COUNTrecount]

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.peasantswithpitchforks.com/point/images/dean-spears.jpg&imgrefurl=http://peasantswithpitchforks.com/point/2007/10/&h=464&w=340&sz=30&hl=en&start=25&tbnid=ksCPCUNfGydEsM:&tbnh=128&tbnw=94&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dhoward%2Bdean%26start%3D21%26hl%3Den%26rls%3DGGLJ,GGLJ:2007-17,GGLJ:en%26sa%3DN

[SunkenCiv]

Howard Dean wouldn't have gone as high as he has in the Democratic Party if he hadn't been a white abortionist.

"Well, I think the superdelegates have already been weighing in. I think that there's 800 of them and 450 of them have already said who they're for. I'd like the other 350 to say who they're at some point between now and the first of July so we don't have to take this into the convention." An aide explains that July 1 is not a drop-dead deadline: "The point is before the convention, ideally in June."

I wonder if the Chaplain at Cornell University is a superdelegate?

[GVnana]

Is this a date certain for withdrawal?