Clinton campaign picky about Missouri Dems
Republicans dealing with fervent Ron Paul supporters aren’t the only local political party having squabbles over delegates.
The tough battle for the Democratic presidential nomination between senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama had some Missouri spillover this week as the Clinton campaign decided that some of the delegates elected at county caucuses were unworthy. On March 13, Democrats chose their county delegates, who will then choose delegates to the national convention at the congressional district level. The delegates might be even more important during a year in which neither candidate will win the pledged delegates necessary to secure the nomination and their could be a floor fight or brokered convention in Denver.
But many of the county folks who were elected to represent Clinton found out this week that they weren’t acceptable for some reason to the Clinton campaign. The Democratic Party sent the list of elected delegates to the campaigns, and the list of Clinton supporters came back with many names crossed out. One such delegate was former state rep Craig Hosmer, Greene County Democratic Party chairman. Hosmer says he doesn’t know why the Clinton camp had problems, but by Tuesday he was back on as a delegate. “As far as I know, we’re back on,” he said Wednesday. Hosmer speculated that part of the problem is that some of the delegates hadn’t been active in the Clinton campaign. As county party chairman, he had maintained public neutrality until the county caucus.
State Auditor Susan Montee, an Obama supporter, said the Obama camp didn’t disqualify any delegates elected at county caucuses.
As for Hosmer, he’s hopeful he’ll be elected to go to Denver. He thinks the tough primary campaign is good for the party. “I think it’s healthy,” he said.
Oh, yeah?? Well…I’m picky about my Democratic nominee. And since this party’s all but over for Ms. Clinton, I sure wish she’d spare the party the grief that she continues to instigate and drop out of this contest. She cannot win the nomination, but she sure can make things more and more challenging for the eventual nominee. She’ll be a perfectly acceptable Senator from New York. Be satisfied with that, lady.