Bernie Sanders hits a wall, called the Congressional Black Caucus.

What's that you say? You LIKE super delegates?

Courtesy of Politico: 

Bernie Sanders is on a crash course with the Congressional Black Caucus. 

In a letter sent to both the Sanders and Hillary Clinton campaigns, the CBC is expressing its resolute opposition to two key reforms demanded by Sanders in the run-up to the Democratic convention: abolishing the party’s superdelegate system and opening Democratic primaries up to independents and Republicans.

"The Democratic Members of the Congressional Black Caucus recently voted unanimously to oppose any suggestion or idea to eliminate the category of Unpledged Delegate to the Democratic National Convention (aka Super Delegates) and the creation of uniform open primaries in all states," says the letter, which was obtained by POLITICO. "The Democratic Party benefits from the current system of unpledged delegates to the National Convention by virtue of rules that allow members of the House and Senate to be seated as a delegate without the burdensome necessity of competing against constituents for the honor of representing the state during the nominating process." 

Bernie Sanders, meet reality.

You know the thing the Berners need to realize is that there is a very good reason for the existence of the Super delegates.

And that is to keep the political neophytes and the easily manipulated from choosing a candidate who has no chance of victory in a general election.

In other words, it is so the Democrats don't end up with their own version of Donald Trump.

But do you know what? Didn't even need'em this time.

Apparently it is Bernie Sanders' plan to piss off every high ranking Democrat in California before the primary.

Courtesy of Politico: 

Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) sharply criticized Bernie Sanders on Wednesday for lumping her and Jerry Brown into the "establishment" wing of the Democratic Party after the California governor announced the previous day that he, along with Boxer and other high-ranking California lawmakers, would be supporting Hillary Clinton. 

"For Bernie to say that Jerry Brown is establishment is kind of the biggest joke of the day," said Boxer, a top Clinton ally in the Senate. She made her remarks in an interview on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" while promoting her latest book, "The Art of Tough." 

Sanders on Tuesday told reporters that he has "taken on the entire Democratic establishment" in each state that he has contested in the primary process. 

"It’s not surprising to me that, you know, we will have the Democratic establishment supporting Hillary Clinton," Sanders said Tuesday, according to the Sacramento Bee. "I like Jerry Brown, but people can make their own choices.” 

What in the actual fuck?

Calling Governor "Moonbeam" part of the establishment is almost unbelievable.

How does he expect to woo ANY super delegates while he is bitching about the "Democratic establishment?"  Where does he think the super delegates come from?

At this point it seems that Sanders is acting like a spoiled child, and since he cannot win the nomination is simply willing to pour gasoline all over the process and light a match.

And his actions appear to be having a rather negative impact on his followers who more and more are threatening to take their ball and go home.

Courtesy of CNN: 

Three words are hanging over the final days of the Democratic presidential race: Bernie or bust. 

"When you say Bernie or bust, that means if we don't get Bernie, we're just not going to automatically vote for the demon because you're saying the devil may be there," said Billy Taylor, who is organizing a coalition of Bernie Sanders supporters to protest at the Democratic convention here in July. 

Sanders has inspired a movement, but it's unclear whether he can control it. Or if he wants to.

Jesus, what a mess.

The Sanders supporters have even started to go after Elizabeth Warren after news leaked that she is likely going to endorse Hillary after the final primary in California.

Speaking of that California primary, it may not be quite as tight as the polls are predicting.

Among those who have already voted in CA, Clinton leads 58%-41% in NBC/WSJ/Marist poll

— Mark Murray (@mmurraypolitics) June 1, 2016

Oh well, it's almost over folks.

Just keep a happy thought until the end of July. 

Bernie Sanders claims that his supporters can do math, admits that Hillary Clinton can beat Donald Trump, and says if he is elected Debbie Wasserman Schultz would be out of a job.

Courtesy of Raw Story:

CNN host Jake Tapper asked the candidate over the weekend if he was misleading his supporters by downplaying the fact that Clinton has “roughly 54 percent” of the pledged delegates. 

“It seems unlikely that you’ll actually achieve the majority of the pledged delegates,” Tapper noted. 

“I assume that most of the people who come to my rallies can do arithmetic,” the candidate quipped. “If I have 46 percent, she has 54 percent. The point that I was making is there’s something absurd when I get 46 percent of the delegates that come from real contests — real elections, and 7 percent of the super delegates.” 

“I am the stronger candidate because we appeal to independents, people who are not in love with either the Democratic or the Republican Party,” Sanders insisted.

That argument about independent voters is a strong one, assuming of course that they would also be willing to vote for Democrats down ticket to give a President Sanders the support in the House and Senate that he would need to pass ANY of his very progressive policies.

Which by the way would have to be vast. Overwhelming even.

However independents are exactly that, independent. So if they are voting all up and down the ballot based on their own criteria for who they like, that does not build the kind of coalition that Sanders would need.

Hillary Clinton on the other hand has strong support from the Democrats, and is strongly identified as a Democrat, so a vote for her on a ballot is an almost certain vote for other Democrats on that voting form as well.

And if Hillary feels she really needs those independents, well I'm sure she knows who to call.

Later in the interview Sanders makes the case that he thinks super delegates who signed on with Hillary before he jumped into the race should reevaluate and consider supporting him.

But this is after weeks, and weeks where Sanders attacked Democratic leaders, suggested that the Democratic party was owned by Wall Street, and after his supporters disrupted the Nevada convention causing many in the party to express concern over what might happen in Philadelphia in July.

The idea that many super delegates would ignore all of that and abandon Hillary Clinton in favor of the self described Democratic Socialist seems fantastical at best.

Which brings us back to the question at the top of the page, CAN Bernie Sanders supporters actually do arithmetic?

Not entirely convinced.

Hillary Clinton's 2008 letter to the Democratic Super Delegates is something that supporters of Bernie Sanders might want to read.

Courtesy of The Atlantic:  

In a final plea to undeclared Democratic superdelegates, Sen. Hillary Clinton points to her lead in the popular vote, some recent polling showing her strength against John McCain, and surveys showing that voters believe she is ready to serve as commander in chief. 

In a letter, sent Tuesday, and in an extensive memo, sent today, Clinton frames the choice for superdelegates as one between a candidate who has won more delegates in caucuses and a candidate who has won more delegates in primaries and has won the popular vote.

In the letter, which can be found on the Atlantic webpage from 2008, lays out Clinton's argument that she is the stronger candidate against John McCain, and that she hopes that the super delegates will recognize that fact and support her.

However towards the end of the letter Hillary Clinton makes this promise: 

Finally, I am in this race because I believe staying in this race will help unite the Democratic Party. I believe that if Senator Obama and I both make our case – and all Democrats have the chance to make their voices heard – everyone will be more likely to rally around the nominee. 

In the end, I am committed to unifying this party. What Senator Obama and I share is so much greater than our differences; and no matter who wins this nomination, I will do everything I can to bring us together and move us forward. 

This is in stark contrast with what we are publicly hearing from the Sanders' campaign, though there is information that behind the scenes Sanders is assuring the DNC that he will play nice.

At this point I am just worried that by the time Sanders calls for unity his followers will have already "Berned the place down."

After all Hillary Clinton supporters in 2008 were the party faithful, they were not interested in overhauling the DNC they just wanted to elect the best candidate.

However Sanders is calling for a revolution.

Revolutions do not respect the rules, nor do they want to maintain decorum, revolutions want to destroy what exists and replace it with something better.

Clinton supporters in 2008 liked what they had, and they wanted it to survive, not just the 2008 elections, but every election to come.

(H/T to Addicting Info)

Hillary Clinton is done fooling around, declares that she "will be the nominee" for the Democratic party. Well there you go then.

As you might imagine the Bernie Sanders' campaign did not exactly take kindly to that statement.

Courtesy of Mediaite: 

In the past three weeks voters in Indiana, West Virginia and Oregon respectfully disagreed with Secretary Clinton. We expect voters in the remaining eight contests also will disagree. And with almost every national and state poll showing Sen. Sanders doing much, much better than Secretary Clinton against Donald Trump, it is clear that millions of Americans have growing doubts about the Clinton campaign. 

Of course in order for these last states to make any real difference Sanders would have to win about 75% in each state.  And even then he would fall short of the number that he needs to win.

However, if you count super delegates, Hillary is already 95% of the way to the 2,384 number she needs to clinch this thing.

Yes I know that in the minds of Sanders' supporters somehow the top officials from the party that their candidate has been attacking as corrupt for the last several months will suddenly have a change of heart and switch their allegiance to him during the convention allowing him to walk away with the nomination, but for those of us who did not eat a marijuana brownie for breakfast that scenario seems more than a little unlikely.

So yes, as hard as it may be to admit, Hillary Clinton is essentially correct.

P.S. By the way there is a rather interesting article over at Shakesville about exactly how much of Bernie Sanders' success he owes to the Democratic party that he now labels unfair and corrupt.

After you read it perhaps it will help clarify exactly who is being unfair to who.

MSNBC host suggests to Bernie Sanders campaign manager that they are being dishonest to supporters by saying that he still has a shot at the nomination.

Jeff Weaver

Courtesy of TPM: 

When (Thomas) Roberts pressed top aide Jeff Weaver about the campaign’s April fundraising reportedly being down by about 50 percent from strong showings in February and March, Weaver argued that Sanders being on the June 7 ballot in California would help down-ballot Democrats. 

The MSNBC anchor interrupted: “But, Jeff—when we look at the math, is it intellectually dishonest to tell these supporters that you can actually win when there are only a little over 1,000 delegates left? Bernie Sanders needs to win almost 100 percent of them. Hillary Clinton only needs to win 10 percent of them before the convention.” 

“I mean, there’s one thing to say you want to take it all the way to the end, but telling supporters that you can win is factually incorrect,” Roberts continued.

In response Weaver said that they could still win the nomination with, and get this, super delegates.

To be clear the Sander's campaign is now justifying the continued acceptance of campaign donations on the premise that the democratic system, which they have labeled "corrupt" due to the utilization of super delegates, will now salvage THEIR chances for winning by giving them the opportunity to utilize those self same super delegates.

In other words the argument Jeff Weaver is making is that the very folks Bernie Sanders has referred to as "the Establishment" or as "corrupt" are suddenly going to be convinced that HE is the future of the same party that he has been attacking for over a year now.

Just how strong is the weed these people are smoking?

Bernie Sanders refuses to acknowledge that he has no path to the nomination, turns to super delegates for help. Update!

Courtesy of Mediaite:

The math isn’t there and a lot of pundits are saying this is over, and yet Bernie Sanders affirmed on CBS this morning that it’s not “impossible.” 

Sanders acknowledged it’s an “uphill fight” as John Dickerson told him it is mathematically impossible for him to win now. Sanders said it’s still possible he wins the majority of pledged delegates, but if not his campaign is ready to make their case to superdelegates.

During the interview Sanders repeatedly makes the case that polls show he is in a stronger position to beat Donald Trump than is Hillary Clinton, but the facts are that the only reason that appears true right now is because the Republicans have mostly left him alone.

Once the GOP really ramps things up Sanders will find his poll numbers dropping like a lead balloon.

Of course the Republicans will never get that chance, because Bernie Sanders simply does NOT have a path to victory.

Period.

Update: Sanders is also predicting that there will be a contested convention: 

In a news conference from Washington, D.C., on Sunday, the Vermont senator urged superdelegates from states where he has won the majority of the vote to reconsider their support. 

"It is virtually impossible for Secretary Clinton to reach the majority of convention delegates by June 14 with pledged delegates alone," he said. 

"She will need superdelegates to take her over the top. The convention will be a contested contest," he said.

This can only make those who despise Hillary Clinton happy. 

Democrats having their act together and acting like the grownups while the Republicans bicker and fight at their convention is our best strategy moving forward.

If the American voter sees infighting in both parties, it takes away much of our advantage.

Another win for Bernie Sanders in Wyoming yesterday, but does it really help?

Courtesy of USA Today:  

Sen. Bernie Sanders won Wyoming’s Democratic caucus Saturday as he looks to narrow Hillary Clinton’s sizable lead in delegates needed to clinch the Democratic Party’s nomination. 

A victory in the Cowboy State marks Sanders' eighth in the past nine contests before a critical showdown April 19 in New York. With only 14 delegates at stake, the results won’t mean much in the grand delegate scheme, and Sanders has performed well in similar Western, rural states like Nebraska. While Sanders won the popular vote at the Wyoming caucus 56% to Clinton's 44%, they each received seven delegates.

This makes the seventh victory in a row for Sanders.

However as USA Today pointed out he and Hillary split the delegates evenly, and in fact Hillary had already secured Wyoming's four super delegates, so in the end it only counts as a victory as far as momentum is concerned.

However if Sanders were to pull off a victory in New York, whose primary is scheduled for April 19th along with Connecticut and Delaware, that might prove more than a little unsettling for the Clinton camp.

Right now that appears unlikely, but even a close second could result in a serious loss of confidence for Hillary and her supporters.

Hillary Clinton leads Bernie Sanders in super delegates 45 to 1.

Courtesy of NPR: 

"Front-runner" can be a tenuous word. But when it comes to at least one group, Hillary Clinton is far and away the leader — the Democratic Party establishment. 

There's no better measure of that establishment than unpledged party leaders and elected official delegates, better known as "superdelegates." 

Among this group, Clinton leads Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders 359 to 8, according to an AP survey of the group that will help elect the nominee at the Democratic National Convention in July. Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley has two people supporting him from this group.

The article goes on to remind us that Hillary also lead Obama in super delegates back in 2008, but in that case she only had 169 to his 63, and whether liberals like it or not THAT was a completely different race than what we are seeing today.

This time Hillary is playing it very smart, and clearly it is working in her favor.

Oh the Hillary people are NOT going to like this! Not one little bit!

Paul Kane: I've spent the past several months talking to as many super-delegates as any reporter in America, I'd guess, since I cover on a day-to-day basis about 280 of them here on Capitol Hill.

I hate saying this, because all the Clinton people are going to flip out and say, You're biased, you're biased, you're biased. So go ahead and flip out if you want, but the simple basic truth is that the super-delegates stopped paying attention to the Clinton-Obama race about a couple days after the Indiana and North Carolina primaries.

They've stopped paying attention to the primary, and instead they're focused on an Obama-McCain matchup in November. That's the basic, simple, definitive reality that has happened in this race. The "undecided" super-delegates at this moment are not going to "decide" any time soon, because to them the race is over, they're just waiting for Clinton to drop out.

Now that is some interesting news now isn't it?

But if y0u think that is even slowing Hillary down then you just don't know her very well.

Unhappy with the fact that Obama now has more delegates in Texas then she does Hillary's people are trying to unseat them: Frederick Barrow, an Obama supporter who chaired the Collin County credentials committee, alleged that Clinton supporters were only trying to unseat the delegation because Obama won more delegates from Collin County.

Hillary tries to buy Superdelegates vote, but even a million dollars is not enough to keep them away from Barack Obama.

One of Sen. Hillary Clinton's top financial supporters offered $1 million to the Young Democrats of America during a phone conversation in which he also pressed for the organization's two uncommitted superdelegates to endorse the New York Democrat, a high-ranking official with YDA told The Huffington Post.

Members of the Young Democrats agonized about the potential fallout of Saban's call; his financial offer represented one-third of the group's 2008 budget. Democratic officials and fundraisers were consulted about how to respond, and at times the discussions were "emotional," one participant said. "It is scary for them, Haim is very powerful, he has great influence over donors who give to them."

Another source said that Hardt and others were acutely aware of Saban's status within Democratic circles and were concerned that their organization would suffer long-term harm if they declined his offer or if news of the proposal became public.

"I said I thought that the appropriate response was to call Haim back and say thank you but we are not interested," said the source. "I also said that it was surely the case that this story would get out because it is too interesting not to and they should think about how to deal with it. It was a day or two [before they responded]. They felt afraid. They were like, 'Holy shit, this is Haim Saban.'"

Nevertheless, the group declined the overture. A YDA official cited moral reservations as well as the overwhelming consensus of its members to back Sen. Barack Obama.

Just when you think you have seen the Clinton campaign using the ugliest, most offensive methods imaginable they do something that is even more horrifying.

I really feel for these young people and hope they have not had their idealism completely stolen from them by this embarrassing campaign tactics.

According to ABC News Obama now has more Super delegates then Clinton.

ABC News' Karen Travers Reports: For the first time this campaign season, Barack Obama has surpassed Hillary Clinton's support among superdelegates, according to the ABC News delegate estimate.

Sen. Obama, D-Ill., picked up two superdelegates this morning giving him a new metric to tout in addition to his current commanding leads in pledged delegates, popular votes, states won, and money raised.

Rep. Donald Payne, D-N.J., switched his endorsement from Clinton to Obama and Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., endorsed Obama. DeFazio was previously uncommitted.

With these endorsements, Obama has the support of 267 superdelegates and Clinton has 265 superdelegates.

Most popular votes: Obama.

Most delegates: Obama.

Most super delegates: Obama.

Now will Hillary drop out?

Former DNC Chairman and Super-delegate throws weight behind Barack. Suggests others do the same.

A leader of the Democratic Party under Bill Clinton has switched his allegiance to Barack Obama and is encouraging fellow Democrats to "heal the rift in our party" and unite behind the Illinois senator.

Joe Andrew, who was Democratic National Committee chairman from 1999-2001, planned a news conference Thursday in his hometown of Indianapolis to urge other Hoosiers to support Obama in Tuesday's primary, perhaps the most important contest left in the White House race. He also has written a lengthy letter explaining his decision that he plans to send to other superdelegates.

"I am convinced that the primary process has devolved to the point that it's now bad for the Democratic Party," Andrew said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.

Boy aint that the truth.

Bill Clinton unplugged.

The Bill Clinton who met privately with California's superdelegates at last weekend's state convention was a far cry from the congenial former president who afterward publicly urged fellow Democrats to "chill out" over the race between his wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton, and Barack Obama.

In fact, before his speech Clinton had one of his famous meltdowns Sunday, blasting away at former presidential contender Bill Richardson for having endorsed Obama, the media and the entire nomination process.

"It was one of the worst political meetings I have ever attended," one superdelegate said.
According to those at the meeting, Clinton - who flew in from Chicago with bags under his eyes - was classic old Bill at first, charming and making small talk with the 15 or so delegates who gathered in a room behind the convention stage.

But as the group moved together for the perfunctory photo, Rachel Binah, a former Richardson delegate who now supports Hillary Clinton, told Bill how "sorry" she was to have heard former Clinton campaign manager James Carville call Richardson a "Judas" for backing Obama.

It was as if someone pulled the pin from a grenade.

"Five times to my face (Richardson) said that he would never do that," a red-faced, finger-pointing Clinton erupted.

The former president then went on a tirade that ran from the media's unfair treatment of Hillary to questions about the fairness of the votes in state caucuses that voted for Obama. It ended with him asking delegates to imagine what the reaction would be if Obama was trailing by just 1 percent and people were telling him to drop out.

"It was very, very intense," said one attendee. "Not at all like the Bill of earlier campaigns."

Somebody might need their medication adjusted.

But you know I really think that this is just another sign of how desperate the Clinton campaign is becoming.

Every terrible thing you believed about the Hillary campaign apparently is true.

In an interview with me this morning, senior Hillary adviser Harold Ickes confirmed that Reverend Jeremiah Wright is a key topic in discussions with uncommitted super-delegates over whether Obama is electable in a general election.

The comments from Ickes, who is Hillary's chief delegate hunter, are to my knowledge the first on-the-record confirmation from a Hillary adviser that the Wright controversy is a subject in conversations between the Hillary campaign and the super-delegates her advisers are trying to win over to Hillary's side.

In the wide-ranging interview, Ickes also:

* Said that it was possible that Hillary forces on the convention credentials committee could bring a so-called "minority report" to a full convention vote, though he also said that this is something Hillary doesn't want to happen

* Confirmed that the Hillary campaign could still try to woo super-dels even if she lost the popular vote, with Michigan and Florida counted

* Said that there was no risk of Hillary's efforts "tearing the party apart," described the current campaign as "genteel," and dismissed those worrying about the damage the campaign could do to the party as "hand-wringers"

You know the only other organization that regularly brings up the Reverend Wright affair after Obama's historic speech is the FOX News channel. Coincidence? I don't think so.

Pimping out poor little Chelsea did not help at all.

Jason Rae, the 21 year old gay superdelegate, decided to support Barack Obama today, despite the breakfast he had with Chelsea Clinton where she tried to use her "feminine wiles" to get him to vote for her mother.

I am not sure just how intelligent Hillary and her campaign staff are if they don't understand what "gay" means.

And good for Jason Rae for voting with his brain and not allowing all of the pressure from the Clinton's to make his decision for him.

Super delegates are moving toward Obama.

The Democratic superdelegates are starting to follow the voters _ straight to Barack Obama.

In just the past two weeks, more than two dozen of them have climbed aboard his presidential campaign, according to a survey by The Associated Press. At the same time, Hillary Rodham Clinton's are beginning to jump ship, abandoning her for Obama or deciding they now are undecided.

Just more evidence that the battle is lost and it only remains for the defeated to accept the reality of their situation.

Hillary's desperate ambition to be President endangers the Democrats hopes of winning the White House in 2008.

Hillary Clinton will take the Democratic nomination even if she does not win the popular vote, but persuades enough superdelegates to vote for her at the convention, her campaign advisers say.

The New York senator, who lost three primaries Tuesday night, now lags slightly behind her rival, Illinois Senator Barack Obama, in the delegate count. She is even further behind in "pledged'' delegates, those assigned by virtue of primaries and caucuses.

But Clinton will not concede the race to Obama if he wins a greater number of pledged delegates by the end of the primary season, and will count on the 796 elected officials and party bigwigs to put her over the top, if necessary, said Clinton's communications director, Howard Wolfson.

"I want to be clear about the fact that neither campaign is in a position to win this nomination without the support of the votes of the superdelegates,'' Wolfson told reporters in a conference call.

"We don't make distinctions between delegates chosen by million of voters in a primary and those chosen between tens of thousands in caucuses,'' Wolfson said. "And we don't make distinctions when it comes to elected officials'' who vote as superdelegates at the convention.
"We are interested in acquiring delegates, period,'' he added.

Simply put this is a recipe for disaster!

What the Clinton campaign has failed to realize is that these giant turnouts in the Democratic caucuses are giant turnouts for Barack Obama, not Hillary Clinton.

The reason the Democrats are out-voting Republicans 2 to 1, is not just because George Bush is the worst President in American history. It is because Barack Obama has inspired these voters like nobody has done since John Fitzgerald Kennedy. That is not just hyperbole. That is a fact!

And what happens if all of these people, many of them first time voters or independents, find that the nomination has been stolen from right under the feet of their candidate? They get turned off to the process. They learn that their passion and their vote mean nothing. And so why would they bother to vote in the general?

If Hillary gets the super delegates to vote her way she may hang onto the party faithful, but she will lose the independent vote that will naturally return to McCain, and she can kiss those Obamicans (Republicans who support Obama) good-bye as well. In short, she will lose the lead that Democrats now enjoy over the Republicans and will give John McCain not only a fighting chance but the advantage.

This election is the Democrats election to lose, and now we know how they will do it.

And what is more if this loss gets blamed on Hillary, and how could it not, she can kiss her Senate seat goodbye as well.

And the Clinton brand will have suffered irreparable harm as well. No longer will Bill and Hillary Clinton be synonymous with prosperity; they will forever be connected to dirty political tricks and the losing of a gift wrapped election.

I implore Hillary and her supporters to put their egos and ambitions aside and to focus on the needs of our country instead. We need to stay focused on defeating the Republicans and getting our country back into the hands of those who can start the process of healing.

Healing requires hope. Please do not take away our hope.