http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/primary_scramble_clinton/2008/04/05/85768.html
Clinton Ramps Up Call to Count Fla, Mich
Saturday, April 5, 2008
HILLSBORO, Oregon -- Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton Saturday strengthened
her pitch to allow disputed primaries in Michigan and Florida to be
counted
in the nominating contest, noting the vote totals had been officially
recognized in each state.
"Some say their votes should be ignored and the popular vote in Michigan
and
Florida should be discounted. Well, I have a different view," Clinton said
at a rally here. "The popular vote in Florida and Michigan has already
been
counted. It was determined by election results, it was certified by
election
officials in each state, it's been officially tallied by the secretary of
state in each state, and the question is whether those 2.3 million
Democrats
will be honored and their delegates seated by the Democratic party."
Both the Michigan and Florida primaries were essentially nullified after
they were moved into January in violation of national Democratic party
rules. The party voted to strip both states of their delegates and all the
candidates, including Clinton and Obama, signed a pledge not to campaign
in
either state.
Sen. Barack Obama and several other Democratic candidates also removed
their
names from the Michigan primary ballot.
Both states saw record turnout in their primaries and the former first
lady
won both contests. Her campaign has pressed hard for the results to be
recognized, even as the Obama campaign has argued Clinton is trying to
cir***vent rules she agreed to long ago.
Clinton's latest comments came a day after Michigan Democrats announced
there would be no do-over of that state's Jan. 15 primary, vastly dimming
Clinton's chances of catching rival Obama in the popular vote and in
pledged
delegates. Democrats in Florida had already announced there would be no
revote there.
Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean has been conferring
with
party leaders in both states, hoping to find a way to seat their
delegations. The Obama campaign has proposed a 50-50 split of both states'
delegations, an option Clinton advisers have resisted.
Obama spokesman Bill Burton dismissed Clinton's latest call to recognize
Florida and Michigan's results.
"Senator Clinton herself said these contests 'didn't count for anything.'
But now that it serves her own political self-interest, she's trying to
change the rules and count the results of contests where she and every
other
candidate pledged not to campaign," Burton said. "In Michigan, Senator
Obama
wasn't even on the ballot. Our focus should now be on seating the Michigan
and Florida delegations in a fair manner."
It was Clinton's first campaign visit to Oregon, whose primary is May 20.
The state holds a largely vote-by-mail primary with ballots mailed
starting
April 28.
Also Saturday, Clinton campaign officials acknowledged that an anecdote
Clinton has made a staple of her stump speech in recent weeks may not have
been true and wasn't thoroughly checked for accuracy before she began
repeating it on the campaign trail.
Since competing in Ohio's March 4 primary, Clinton has shared the story of
an Ohio woman who worked in a pizza parlor and died after giving birth to
a
stillborn child. The woman was uninsured, Clinton said, and twice denied
medical care at a local hospital because she couldn't pay a $100 fee.
Clinton said she learned of the story from a deputy sheriff whose home she
visited while campaigning in Ohio. She told the story as recently as late
Friday, at a rally in Grand Forks, N.D.
Officials with O'Bleness Memorial Hospital in Athens, Ohio, have disputed
the story, saying the woman, Trina Bachtel, was insured and did receive
care
through an obstetric practice affiliated with the hospital, The New York
Times re****ted Saturday.
Hospital officials did not immediately return phone calls Saturday from
The
Associated Press.
Clinton spokesman Mo Elleithee acknowledged that the campaign had tried
but
hadn't been able to "fully vet" the story before she began repeating it on
the campaign trail.
"She tells the story as it was told to her by the deputy sheriff. She had
no
reason to doubt his word," Elleithee said. "If the hospital claims it
didn't
happen that way, we certainly respect that and she won't repeat the story.
She never mentions the hospital by name and isn't trying to cast blame."
Elleithee noted that candidates often retell stories they are told by
voters
they meet on the campaign trail.
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