An interesting little titbit from the NY Daily News political blog:
The Queens Democrat and superdelegate, Rep. Gregory Meeks, who remains solidly in Hillary Clinton's corner despite the fact that Barack Obama won his district, was the target of a mysterious flyer circulated at the Association of Black and Puerto Rican Legislators' 37th annual conference in Albany this weekend."Now that you won't be part of the White House, and we know you like taking trips, we guess you'll be going to Disneyland," read the unadorned black-and-white flyer, signed by "people united for quality representation in government."
The "taking trips" gibe referred to the fact that Meeks made a top 10 list for privately funded congressional travel in 2006.
Meeks' nameless critics urged "someone" to "please step up" against him, singling out state Sen. Shirley Huntley (D-Queens) and Democratic City Councilmen Leroy Comrie and James Sanders of Queens - none of whom have so far expressed an interest in mounting a primary challenge.
Meeks, who has been touted as a potential replacement for Clinton in the U.S. Senate should she win the White House, accused his nameless critics of cowardice.
Elizabeth Benjamin - Hillary's New York superdelegates are feeling the heat
Given Donna Edwards' recent victory this probably has a little more bite than it otherwise would, and I certainly don't condone the 'anonymous' nature of this initiative, which in any other election cycle would probably go unreported, but one wonders if there is more to come. Thoughts? Representative Meeks must have a few dark ones about his senatorial prospects, in any case.
And Meeks is not alone, so it seems:
Meeks isn't the only Clinton superdelegate from New York on the hot seat. Brooklyn Reps. Yvette Clarke and Edolphus Towns, whose African-American-dominated districts were also carried by Obama, are under similar pressure to switch sides, said state Sen. Bill Perkins, an early Obama supporter from Harlem.
So far, both Clarke and Towns are sticking with Clinton.
But the pressure on them could grow, particularly if the reported undercount in the preliminary Feb. 5 primary results turns out to have skewed the results in Clinton's favor.
Elizabeth Benjamin - Hillary's New York superdelegates are feeling the heat NY Daily News 18 Feb 08
And just on the subject of a superdelegate fight, NY Senator Schumer seems to be hedging his bets just a wee bit.
For 'her most powerful backer in the Senate,' Senator Schumer is not exactly towing the Hillary line, à la Harold Ickes, of fighting this all the way to the Marriot lobby:
MILWAUKEE - Hillary Clinton is determined to fight for the Democratic nomination all the way to the party convention, but her most powerful backer in the Senate, Chuck Schumer, warned an all-out floor fight would be disastrous.Neither Clinton nor Barack Obama look like they'll be able to win enough delegates in the primaries that end June 7, likely leaving the nomination up to party-insider superdelegates.
Schumer, in charge of the party's Senate campaign efforts, fears a convention battle between the camps could doom the party in November.
"I don't think either candidate wants or can even get away with forcing their will down the throat of the other," he said on NBC's "Meet the Press." Schumer said Democratic Chairman Howard Dean should get both candidates to accept a plan to pick a winner before the party convenes in Denver in August.
"Each candidate will have to buy into that strategy to determine who wins, because if the loser and their supporters stalk away, then we will lose the general election," said Schumer.
One of Obama's top backers, former Virginia Gov. Doug Wilder, seconded Schumer, saying that if party insiders pick the nominee, the convention will face more "chaos" than in 1968, when pro- and anti-Vietnam War forces clashed violently.
"If you think 1968 was bad, you watch; in 2008, it will be worse," he said on CBS' "Face the Nation."
Michael McAuliff - Schumer: Convention battle between Hillary, Obama camps would hurt Dems NY Daily News 18 Feb 08
Rats in the ranks? Looks like Hillary's staff aren't the only ones feeling the stress of a long, unpredictable campaign. It wasn't meant to be this way, was it?
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