Clinton campaign plays blame game

A proposed mail-in vote in Florida falls apart when the state Democratic party decides there's not enough support or time, while a potential second Democratic primary in Michigan is facing roadblocks. Who's to blame?

Hillary Clinton's deputy communications director, Phil Singer, called Democratic rival Barack Obama an "accessory" to excluding the two states from the nominating process. The national party took away the states' delegates to the nominating convention for holding their primaries too early, but Singer said Obama is the one who needs to step up and call for new elections.

"What is going on right now is basically a passive-aggressive effort to disenfranchise the voters of Michigan and Florida,'' he said.

While the Clinton campaign previously demanded that her victories in the states' primaries count toward delegates -- to no avail -- officials are now vigorously touting reruns that could help her catch up to Obama. Their pitch, however, is that new votes would help the party win in November.

"We are saying to these states...that you're not going to be seated (at the convention) and we think that is a very, it is a politically stupid thing to do,'' said Clinton advisor Harold Ickes. "It will give the Republican party a real opening to come into these states."

Ickes, by the way, serves on the national party's rules committee and voted to impose the harshest punishment on Florida and Michigan back in August.

Comments

[Clinton Democrat]

Obama is afraid to count Florida. He knows he will lose in Pannsylvania.Hillary can beat McCain. Obama will lose to him by a landslide, with him goes the Congress on his shattered coat tails. Listen to Bill. It's our last hope.