A Pro-Hillary Superdelegate on Ickes' Puerto Rican Tightrope
Does Harold Ickes complicate Hillary Clinton’s appeals to Puerto Rican superdelegates?
Francisco Domenech, a superdelegate supporting Hillary Clinton in Puerto Rico, thinks that Ickes, her point-man on the wrangling of superdelegates, may find himself having to explain his work on behalf of one side of the flammable issue of Puerto Rico's national status.
Domenech, who supports statehood for Puerto Rico, pointed out that the three remaining undecided superdelegates in Puerto Rico are all proponents of maintaining commonwealth status. Ickes, who became a lobbyist after working at President Bill Clinton's deputy chief of staff, was an adviser to former Governor Pedro Rossello in the battle for statehood.
"If they know of Ickes' background—they are going to question him on that," said Domenech, a Democratic National Committeeman. "And he is going to have to answer—tell them whether he is going to be advocating X or Y resolution to a problem. But the counterproposal—if they go back and let's say for argument's sake they are for commonwealth, what does that do for the statehood superdelegates? They have a tightrope to walk, because they can't upset our side."
The conventional wisdom is that Clinton will win the late-scheduled primary in Puerto Rico because she has done better than Barack Obama among Latino voters so far. (On a conference call Saturday morning, Ickes suggested that the campaign was counting on Puerto Rico to put Clinton over the top in the delegate count. "On June 7, when Puerto Rico votes," he said, "she will be neck and neck and shorty after that will wrap up the nomination.")
Domenech argued that the status issue would be very important to Puerto Rican Democratic primary voters, who he said are about evenly divided between commonwealth and statehood.
"Status is going to be the number-one issue," said Domenech, adding, "It’s going to get a lot of attention on the status issue. Here we are. We have a delegation larger than 27 states, right? We can be helpful in deciding this primary yet we are not going to be able to vote for them in the general election."
Puerto Rico has seven superdelegates altogether. For those keeping track, the three remaining undecided superdelegates are all firmly in the commonwealth category. They are Celita Arroyo de Roques, a national committeewoman, her son Eliseo Roques-Arroyo, an at-large DNC member, and Luisette Cabanas, the vice chair of the island's Democratic Party.
The pro-commonwealth governor, Anibal Acevedo Vila, is the lone superdelegate currently supporting Obama.
Kenneth McClintock, the president of Puerto Rico's Senate, and Domenech, director of the Office of Legislative Services of the Puerto Rico Legislative Assembly, are both pro-statehood. Puerto Rico's one other pro-Clinton superdelegate, Roberto Prats—the chairman of the Democratic Party of Puerto Rico—is pro-commonwealth status.
The Clinton campaign declined to comment.
- Poll
- Obama (D)
- McCain(R)
- Spread
- RCP Average
- 46.9
- 43.3
- Obama +3.6
- Candidate
- Favorable
- Unfavorable
- Spread
- Obama
- 52.6
- 34.4
- +18.2
- McCain
- 51.2
- 34.2
- +17.0
His Majesty Bill Clinton ignored the question of the Puerto Rican status during the entire 8 years of his reign. In fact, his entire administration acted if the island did not exist. Why would anyone think the Her Grace the All Powerfull Hillary Clinton would be any different than her dear and so faithful husband?
Interesting: Hillary Clinton has been telling America that she is the most qualified candidate for president based on her 'record,' which she says includes her eight years in the White House as First Lady - or 'co-president' - and her seven years in the Senate. Here is a reminder of what that record includes: - As First Lady, Hillary assumed authority over Health Care Reform, a process that cost the taxpayers over $13 million. She told both Bill Bradley and Patrick Moynihan, key votes needed to pass her legislation, that she would 'demonize' anyone who opposed it. But it was opposed; she couldn't even get it to a vote in a Congress controlled by her own party. (And in the next election, her party lost control of both the House and Senate.) - Hillary assumed authority over selecting a female Attorney General. Her first two recommendations, Zoe Baird and Kimba Wood, were forced to withdraw their names from consideration. She then chose Janet Reno. Janet Reno has since been described by Bill himself as 'my worst mistake.' - Hillary recommended Lani Guanier for head of the Civil Rights Commission. When Guanier's radical views became known, her name had to be withdrawn. - Hillary recommended her former law partners, Web Hubbell, Vince Foster, and William Kennedy for positions in the Justice Department, White House staff, and the Treasury, respectively. Hubbell was later imprisoned, Foster committed suicide, and Kennedy was forced to resign. - Hillary also recommended a close friend of the Clintons, Craig Livingstone, for the position of director of White House security. When Livingstone was investigated for the improper access of up to 900 FBI files of Clinton enemies (?Filegate?) and the widespread use of drugs by White House staff, both Hillary and her husband denied knowing him. FBI agent Dennis Sculimbrene confirmed in a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in 1996, both the drug use and Hillary's involvement in hiring Livingstone. After that, the FBI closed its White House Liaison Office, after serving seven presidents for over thirty years. - In order to open ?slots? in the White House for her friends the Thomasons (to whom millions of dollars in travel contracts could be awarded), Hillary had the entire staff of the White House Travel Office fired; they were reported to the FBI for 'gross mismanagement' and their reputations ruined. After a thirty-month investigation, only one, Billy Dale, was charged with a crime - mixing personal money with White House funds when he cashed checks. The jury acquitted him in less than two hours. - Another of Hil lary's assumed duties was directing the 'bimbo eruption squad' and scandal defense: ---- She urged her husband not to settle the Paula Jones lawsuit. ---- She refused to release the Whitewater documents, which led to the appointment of Ken Starr as Special Prosecutor. After $80 million dollars of taxpayer money was spent, Starr's investigation led to Monica Lewinsky, which led to Bill lying about and later admitting his affairs. ---- Then they had to settle with Paula Jones after all. ---- And Bill lost his law license for lying to the grand jury ---- And Bill was impeached by the House. ---- And Hillary almost got herself indicted for perjury and obstruction of justice (she avoided it mostly because she repeated, 'I do not recall,' 'I have no recollection,' and 'I don't know' 56 times under oath). - Hillary wrote 'It Takes a Village,' demonstrating her Socialist viewpoint. - Hill ary decided to seek election to the Senate in a state she had never lived in. Her husband pardoned FALN terrorists in order to get Latino support and the New Square Hassidim to get Jewish support. Hillary also had Bill pardon her brother's clients, for a small fee, to get financial support. - Then Hillary left the White House, but later had to return $200,000 in White House furniture, china, and artwork she had stolen. - In the campaign for the Senate, Hillary played the 'woman card' by portraying her opponent (Lazio) as a bully picking on her. - Hillary's husband further protected her by asking the National Archives to withhold from the public until 2012 many records of their time in the White House, including much of Hillary's correspondence and her calendars. (There are ongoing lawsuits to force the release of those records.) - As the junior Senator from New York, Hillary has passed no major legislation. She has deferred to the senior Senator (Schumer) to tend to the needs of New Yorkers, even on the hot issue of medical problems of workers involved in the cleanup of Ground Zero after 9/11. - Hillary's one notable vote; supporting the plan to invade Iraq, she has since disavowed. Quite a resume?. Sounds more like an organized crime family?s rap sheet.
Feel free to check these records for yourself; better still, read a little more, and try and stay current before posting assinine comments: Clinton v. Obama on Legislative Experience: Senator Clinton, who has served only one full term (6yrs.), and another year campaigning, has managed to author and pass into law, (20) twenty pieces of legislation in her first six years. These bills can be found on the website of the Library of Congress (www.thomas.loc.gov), but to save you trouble, I'll post them here for you: 1. Establish the Kate Mullany National Historic Site. 2. Support the goals and ideals of Better Hearing and Speech Month. 3. Recognize the Ellis Island Medal of Honor. 4. Name courthouse after Thurgood Marshall. 5. Name courthouse after James L. Watson. 6. Name post office after Jonn A. O'Shea. 7. Designate Aug. 7, 2003, as National Purple Heart Recognition Day. 8. Support the goals and ideals of National Purple Heart Recognition Day. 9. Honor the life and legacy of Alexander Hamilton on the bicentennial of his death. 10. Congratulate the Syracuse Univ. Orange Men's Lacrosse Team on winning the championship. 11. Congratulate the Le Moyne College Dolphins Men's Lacrosse Team on winning the championship. 12. Establish the 225th Anniversary of the American Revolution Commemorative Program. 13. Name post office after Sergeant Riayan A. Tejeda. 14. Honor Shirley Chisholm for her service to the nation and express condolences on her death. 15. Honor John J. Downing, Brian Fahey, and Harry Ford, firefighters who lost their lives on duty. Only five of Clinton's bills are, more substantive. 16. Extend period of unemployment assistance to victims of 9/11. 17. Pay for city projects in response to 9/11 18. Assist landmine victims in other countries. 19. Assist family caregivers in accessing affordable respite care. 20. Designate part of the National Forest System in Puerto Rico as protected in the wilderness preservation system. There you have it, the fact's straight from the Senate Record. Now, I would post those of Obama's, but the list is too substantive, so I'll mainly categorize. During the first (8) eight months of his elected service he sponsored over 820 bills. He introduced 233 regarding healthcare reform, 125 on poverty and public assistance, 112 crime fighting bills, 97 economic bills, 60 human rights and anti-discrimination bills, 21 ethics reform bills, 15 gun control, 6 veterans affairs and many others. His first year in the U.S. Senate, he authored 152 bills and co-sponsored another 427. These inculded **the Coburn-Obama Government Transparency Act of 2006 (became law), **The Lugar-Obama Nuclear Non-proliferation and Conventional Weapons Threat Reduction Act, (became law), **The Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act, passed the Senate, **The 2007 Government Ethics Bill, (became law), **The Protection Against Excessive Executive Compensation Bill, (In committee), and many more. In all since he entered the U.S. Senate, Senator Obama has written 890 bills and co-sponsored another 1096. An impressive record, for someone who supposedly has no legislative record. . . . My last point: Obama needs name recognition, he needs to be among the people, so people feel like they have access to him. HRC's debate challenge is more about the fact that her campaign is running low on money and she gets free air-time without spending anything. Would you give up the chance to see 20,000 voters up close and personal to be on a televised debate? No way! Obama, stick to your guns. Debate on your terms, not Hillary's! Go Obama 2008!
I had been almost from the beginning a supporter of Hillary Clinton. No longer. There is a charisma or a magic about Barack Obama which grabs my soul. I hope Puerto Rico's superdelegates now for Clinton will switch their vote to Obama.
I can listen to Obama for hours and not be bored. I like his key message of "Yes We Can -- CHANGE!"
Hillary is beginning to bore me. She has no charisma or soul! She is being evil in her increasing personal attacks on Obama. They are and will continue to backfire.
Obama is the best thing to happen in politics since rice and beans!
Silly Puerto Ricans. Clinton bombed the hell out of Vieques, but you all voted for his wife to be in the senate. Try Republican next time for once.
I see the Obama-bots are out in full hateful force.
I've read an article about the FALN pardons, and it was highly critical of Bill and Hillary, strongly suggesting that these pardons were ill-considered and for political gain in Hillary's Senate race.
I'd like to hear what the thoughts are about this in Puerto Rico.
Pedro...did you say silly Puerto Ricans? Oh now we are supposed to be silly? Nice...the Obama campaign has started their campaign to manipulate Puerto Ricans. One word of caution, we are NOT pendejos. We are not easily manipulated. We know that "las palabras se van con el viento." Words go with the wind. They mean nothing (change, change, blah, blah) without having something to back it up with.
I AM Puerto Rican, de pura cepa, and I am voting for Hillary Clinton.
I hope people from Puerto Rico help us the rest of the latinos to elect Mrs. Hillary Clinton. She has offered $10,000.00 for college for two years of community service. Commnunity service is as easy as teaching people how to read and write or teaching them how to use a computer. Which is great for any country. Also Mrs. Hillary will be good in improving the economy which helps Puerto Rico with tourism, and creating jobs and providing insurance for us all.
Alicia
The mistake that most people make, including mainland Latinos, is that they forget that Puerto Rico is not simply Latino. Puerto Rico is Puerto Rico. There are more black people in Puerto Rico than in many states on the mainland. Puerto Rico is not Tijuana. And if one super-delegate supporting Senator Clinton is pro-Commonwealth and the other super-delegate supporting Senator Obama is equally pro-Commonwealth, it doesn't seem to me like the question of statehood is going to be the main issue on which Puerto Ricans base their votes in June. Many Puerto Ricans are quite happy with the Commonwealth. Btw, Alicia, Senator Clinton's $10,000 college tuition grant proposal--if she has indeed put forward any such proposal--would have been stolen straight out of Senator Obama's national service plan, yet it makes no sense. Why would anyone do two years of national service for $10,000? In every nation on earth that does national service (and I know this because I did national service), it is done for only one year, in exchange for tuition support *throughout* college, not for a one-time fixed sum. That's why Senator Obama promised $4,000 per year throughout college in exchange for one year of national service. That's the plan that makes sense. Take note.
Is Obama’s Life at Risk?
By: Amil Imani
Thursday, 28 February 2008
In eloquent speeches presidential candidate Obama has made copious promises, understandably to attract voters. He talks about “change,” without really spelling out change from what to what. It just sounds good: “change.” A great sound bite, indeed. Change is exciting, while status quo is viewed as stagnant and boring. It is all part of the political game of telling people what they want to hear, getting elected, and worrying about delivering later.
The electorates are both short on memory and long on forgiving. So, the farce of empty high-sounding promises fills the air at campaign times. But there are instances that a promise during vote-gathering can later haunt the person. This may indeed be the case with at least one of Barack Hussein Obama’s promises.
Obama boasted that he would embark on a personal diplomacy to solve our foreign policy problems with countries such as Syria and Iran. He said that he would meet their leaders without any preconditions to settle our disputes. Doesn’t that sound like change, a real change of great relief to us all? Never mind the fact that he has about zero experience in foreign policy matters, he is foolish enough to aim to negotiate with the ever-conniving Assad of Syria and masters of deceptions such as the Mullahs of Iran.
Okay Obama, don’t claim that no one warned you. If you get elected President and you receive an invitation from your fellow Muslim brother Ahmadinejad to make good on your promise and visit him in Tehran for a tête-à-tête, don’t you do it. BBC’s recent report ought to be enough for you to recant your foolish and naïve promise:
“The European Union has criticized the new penal code being drafted in Iran, particularly a section that imposes the death penalty for giving up Islam...Death for apostasy already exists in Iran under Sharia or “Islamic - law.” But the changes would for the first time bring the punishment into the criminal code. An EU statement expressed deep concern about what it calls the ongoing deterioration in the human rights situation in Iran. It singled out Section Five of the draft penal code currently before the Iranian parliament, imposing the death penalty for apostasy. In the past, Iranian courts have handed down the death penalty in such cases, but have done so relying on Sharia law. If the draft is approved by parliament, the sentence will be formalized in the country's criminal code.”
Who is an apostate according to the legislation? Anyone in the world, not just Iranians, born to a Muslim parent; also, any convert to Islam who leaves it. Only one parent needs to be a Muslim at the time of conception for Islam to own that child for life. Islam is Ummehist. Islam doesn’t recognize nationalities and national boundaries. And these Islamist zealots are very serious and have no sense of humor. Some say they have no sense at all, and they may be right. What they certainly have is a thirst for blood, particularly for the blood of infidels and apostates.
My advice, Obama: Elected President or not, don’t you hazard a trip to the Islamic Republic of Iran. In fact, don’t you go anywhere near where the crazed Islamists can get their hands on you. You don’t even rate a fatwa from one of the many bloodthirsty crafty Ayatollahs or Moftis asking for your head. Your fate is already sealed. You are on automatic, so to speak-- a person who was given the gift of Islam and who ungratefully turned his back to the one and only faith of Allah, so the Muslims believe. The punishment for this kind of betrayal is prescribed as haad (most severe), meaning death.
You may protest that you are free to choose your religion and that you have chosen to be Christian. Nothing doing! You are stamped as Muslim at conception because your father was Muslim. Further, you have been doubly-stamped by your middle name Hussein. Muslims name their sons Hussein in honor of one of Islam’s most revered saints. Hence, the Muslims want what is theirs and you either repent and return to the fold or prepare yourself for the ultimate punishment: Death.
The only time that these inveterate liar killers of Allah mean what they say is when they threaten violence and killing. So, please be careful. Stay close to home where a whole platoon of Secret Service at the taxpayers’ expense is shielding you from the thugs who would be just too happy to slash your throat while they joyously scream: "Allah is the greatest."
Puerto Ricans, please know that the CLINTONS are manipulative politicians by their nature. How many times can Americans be fooled? Just look at how Hillary talks, you can see her innerself that she is not sincere, that she is very trikish, will do and say anything to get your vote.
When she finally gets your vote, she goes her way without even thanking you. Didn't you see that she rarely thanks the states that gave her victory?
Some racists and some press have been trying all the way to divide Americans along racial lines in this campaign, be cause they want to hurt OBAMA. But you see that OBAMA is also winning WHITE STATES. Now they talked about Latinos not voting for OBAMA because there is tension between the two races -NOT TRUE. All those things are just designed to create divisions among Latinos and Blacks and win Hillary Latino votes.
Latinos and Blacks have been very close for centuries and there is a lot of mixed bloods between them. They are all brothers and sisters. Please don't believe in the dividers.
Bill Clinton has no morale right going back to that WHITE HOUSE after what he did there. Just think about that - a president smoking Cigar, while a young powerless girl more that twice his junior was under the table doing those stuffs, GOD SAVE AMERICA! Well, you judge by and for yourself!.
I AM THE FEARLESS ONE WHO IS NOT AFRAID TO ASK THE HARD QUESTIONS.
The HARD QUESTION TO GERALDINE FERRARO AND THOSE WHO AGREE WITH HER STATEMENTS.
(1) SHE SAID SENATOR BARRACK OBAMA IS A BLACK
MAN.
My question is very simple and cuts to the heart of every single racist in America who is masquerading as an American given that an American is a person who shall adhere faithfully to the constitution of The United Sates of America and sincerely believe in the Core American values.
If you do not know what the Core American values are ...well,please,need I say more?
Senator Obama is the child of a Black Kenyan father and a White American Mother....how does that make him black Geraldine Ferraro ????
How does it make him White ?
He was raised by his mother ( a great woman) who taught him the core American values hence he is who he is!
What did your parents taught Geraldine Ferraro?
Did they teach you that once a child has a black parent and a white parent the child is black ?
did they teach you that the white genes of an interracial couple counts for nothing ?
So Strom Thurmond's daughter was black even though she had a white father and now Senator Obama is black because he has a black father?
You see Geraldine Ferrao the press will not haul you to task for it because none of them Tim Russert,wolf Blizter,Anderson Cooper,Hanity and Colmes,Lou Dobbs will not jump down your throat for that because they are deathly afraid to ask the hard questions!
By saying Senator Obama is black is destroying all the work his Mother did to give the United States of America a fine and upstanding citizen...but you are the product of what your parents taught you which seems to be a person is black as long as one parent is black...and that ,Geraldine Ferraro is a DEEPLY AND FUNDAMENTALLY RACIST CONCEPT WHICH YOU BELIEVE IN.
Heck,prove me wrong! Oh,by the way,when I look at Senator Obama I see through a different glass than you and the Clintons!
I see an American Democrat running for President of the United States. I see what an American woman is capable of doing by herself and I see the hope for every single mother who is out there raising her children by herself as the fathers are absent be they killed in Iraq or on the streets or in Jail or absent by other means...that single mother has to struggle like Senator Obama's mother every single day to raise her children alone!
I salute you single mothers out there and may God bless you all and take Pride in what Senator Obama's mother did! You can do it too!
Speaking of superdelegates from Puerto Rico, why do they have ANY delegates? Puerto Ricans who live in Puerto Rico are barred by the Constitution from voting in our national elections. If they are barred from voting in our elections, why are we letting them vote in our Parties the primaries?
The constitution says you have to be a US Citizen AND live in a state. Puerto Rico is not a state, and Puerto Ricans US Citizenship is not guaranteed by the constitution either, it was granted by the Jones act - a law which can be repealed.
That Howard Dean would disenfranchise 4 million voters in Florida and Michigan, and award their delegates to people of a country that has rejected joining the US on three separate occassions in recent years is plainly disgusting.
God!! BLACK, HATERS, BOMBERS, WIFE, HISTORY and so many other names are attached to the issue of a new presidency.
It is simple!
Barack Obama promises changes. Changes happen do to personal style or personality. The question would be, "What are you willing to do for the people?", "What are you willing to do for our country?", "Are you experienced, firm, and aggressive enough to serve and protect the peoples' and the country's interest?"
Hillary, well I will let her do her job. We hispanics (color blind)will relax, vote for her. Then, when she is our President, we will simply watch her.
HISPANICS DO NOT DISTINGUISH THEMSELVES BY COLORS!!
HISPANICS DO REPRESENT THEIR OWN COUNTRY.
HISPANICS DO SPEAK SPANISH.
WITHIN OUR COUNTRIES, WE ARE ONE.
PUERTO RICO, THIS IS YOUR CHANCE TO STAND UP AND SPEAK LOUD!
VOTE FOR HILLARY