Clinton: Michigan and Florida Were Fair

I shouldn't be shocked...

...but, yes, contrary to historical fact and what the reality-based community accepts to be true, this is what the junior senator from New York believes... and says publicly.

Today she addressed the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and unloaded this whoppper:

"If you are a voter from Florida or Michigan, you know that we should count your vote. The nearly two and a half million Americans in those two states who participated in the primary elections are in danger of being excluded from our democratic process and I think that's wrong. The results of those primaries were fair and they should be honored. Over the last few weeks, there has been a lot of discussion about what we should do to ensure that the voters in Florida and Michigan are counted.

Just a reminder to anyone who might have forgotten, here is the gist of the pledge the three major Democratic candidates made in September 2007:

Hours after Senator Barack Obama of Illinois and former Senator John Edwards of North Carolina agreed to sign a loyalty pledge put forward by party officials in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York followed suit. The decision seemed to dash any hopes of Mrs. Clinton relying on a strong showing in Florida as a springboard to the nomination.

Of course we know now that the Clinton campaign only made this pledge because they thought winning the nomination was going to be a cakewalk. Here's what former campaign manager Patti Solis Doyle had to say at the time:

"We believe Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina play a unique and special role in the nominating process."

Since the Clinton campaign no longer has to pretend to care about these four states, they don't have to reaffirm the DNC's decision to protect the states that followed the rules. Besides, she expected to be 4-0 after South Carolina and rolling toward a Super Tuesday coup de grâce.

Here's what current campaign manager Maggie Williams wrote to Obama consultant David Plouffe:

In Florida and Michigan, nearly 2.5 million Americans made their voices heard and participated in primary elections. We think the results of those primaries were fair and should be honored.

Over the last few weeks, there has been much discussion about how to ensure that the Florida and Michigan delegations are seated. We think there are two options: Either honor the results or hold new primary elections.

So which is it, Ms. Williams? Were the results fair or not? Could it be clearer that is actually "fair" (a new vote in both states, IMO) could matter less to the Clinton campaign? That's the rule: if it's the best outcome for Senator Clinton, then it's fair. The sense of entitlement is suffocating.

Since the results of those primaries were strongly in her favor, that's what most fair to the voters, naturally.

For Hillary Clinton or anyone in her campaign to claim that the results of the early Michigan and Florida primaries were "fair" is dishonest and destructive. Perhaps this is John Edwards' chance to set the record straight and make his long-awaited endorsement of the only remaining presidential candidate who represents hope for a better America.

It will be at least six more weeks of this scorched earth strategy, folks. Get out your sunblock.

UPDATE: Thanks to deminva for this snippet for adding more historical context from the 10-10-07 Washington Post (see comments below):

"It's clear, this election they're having is not going to count for anything," Clinton said Thursday during an interview on New Hampshire Public Radio's call-in program, "The Exchange." "But I just personally did not want to set up a situation where the Republicans are going to be campaigning between now and whenever, and then after the nomination, we have to go in and repair the damage to be ready to win Michigan in 2008."

Clinton was prompted by a caller who said, "It strikes me that this is politics as usual, where politicians say one thing and do something else."

Clinton brushed aside the comment.