Extorting the DNC.

The Hillary campaign has now resorted to rounding up high dollar donors and cajoling them to participate in a truly shameless strategy. HRC donors are demanding that the DNC seat the Florida delegates, or else they want the DNC to return all of their donations. Some will accept a re-vote, others are demanding that the delegates be seated as-is.

This is not a small thing (well, the behavior is small, but the donations are not). We're talking about high dollar donors. And we're talking about donations to the DNC. Think about this for a second. The DNC is supposed to be an organization that represents all of the democrats, and these donations are supposed to support all Democrats -- not just HRC. Yet, they are demanding that the DNC break its own rules in favor of HRC, "or else" they want a refund.

This is a terrible precedent to set. I cannot recall any other major candidate ever deigning to extort either party by demanding preferential treatment in exchange for keeping what it has already been given.

What kind of future will this party have if  candidates all over America begin trying to force their will on the DNC and use their donor base to exert pressure?

[EDIT] byteb suggested that we donate to the DNC to offset any monies that they may lose. I think that's a great idea. So go donate already!

•  Dupe

  diary? See below the list.

  Ray

  by Solari on Fri Mar 14, 2008 at 09:31:14 PM PDT

  •  Below the list?

    Sorry, I'm new. Can you clarify?

    by dawnt on Fri Mar 14, 2008 at 09:34:54 PM PDT

    •  Nevermind, I see someone posted 7 minutes earlier

      Sorry dude... That person and I were probably writing at the same time. I'm not psychic :)

      by dawnt on Fri Mar 14, 2008 at 09:36:15 PM PDT

      •  No

        biggie. Your title is good, though! ;)

        Ray

        by Solari on Fri Mar 14, 2008 at 09:36:53 PM PDT

      •  Repeating my earlier post on the other diary

        let's show our love to the DNC and DONATE to show our support. Include a message why..namely, Hillary and her arm twisters have to go.  

        http://www.democrats.org/...

        by byteb on Fri Mar 14, 2008 at 09:38:03 PM PDT

    •  There's another diary about this

      prior to yours.  Check the diary front page and scroll down some. Helps to check first before posting one. ;)

      Thanks,

      Ray

      by Solari on Fri Mar 14, 2008 at 09:36:33 PM PDT

•  I like the framing...

  of your title.

  by mayan on Fri Mar 14, 2008 at 09:33:01 PM PDT

  •  yet another unbelievable desperate hil disgrace

    truly pathetic + beyond the pale. extortion is illegal. they need to seriously know this illegal shyt off. disgusting.

    by concerned on Fri Mar 14, 2008 at 11:16:50 PM PDT

    •  LOL.. ' knoCK'..scuz da typos + rant..thx 4 diary.

      by concerned on Fri Mar 14, 2008 at 11:18:57 PM PDT

•  I read the artical too...

  Can you point to the evidence that the Hillary campaign was behind this effort to lobby the DNC or just disgruntled (admittedly Hillary supporters who live in FL and MI)?

  Because I must have missed that evidence in the NYT artical...

  by dvogel001 on Fri Mar 14, 2008 at 09:43:39 PM PDT

  •  Meeting of Fundraisers

    Page 2 of the article:
    About 250 top fund-raisers for Mrs. Clinton met Wednesday in Washington. Terry McAuliffe, the Clinton campaign’s chairman and a former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, encouraged the donors to pick up the phone and call party leaders, as did Mrs. Clinton.

    But Mr. McAuliffe said in an interview Friday that he did not approve of donors’ holding back their contributions to the D.N.C.

    Yeah sure McAuliffe doesn't approve. If you don't think this plan wasn't hatched at that meeting, I have a bridge I'll give you a good deal on.

    by BlueSue on Fri Mar 14, 2008 at 10:18:37 PM PDT

    •  So you believe that...

      he told them to call and lobby the DNC but don't believe that he discouraged them from withholding money/asking for refunds...well that is convenient...

      by dvogel001 on Fri Mar 14, 2008 at 10:36:59 PM PDT

      •  Not Me

        Just to be clear - I don't believe that. I think it was all planned at the fundraisers meeting. I think it's blackmail.

        by BlueSue on Fri Mar 14, 2008 at 10:55:13 PM PDT

•  The response:

  "No.  Does 'No' work for you?"

  Howard needs to kick these WATBs in the sack.

  by beemerr on Fri Mar 14, 2008 at 09:53:35 PM PDT

•  HRC is certainly "making history"

  At the rate she's going, she'll be remembered as the most graceless presidential candidate of all time.

  by Dump Terry McAuliffe on Fri Mar 14, 2008 at 10:22:53 PM PDT

•  Let them boycott!

  Look at all the money OB raised.
  Hill's supporters are old school and need to save money to give to an independent party. That will give them a bang for their buck! Maybe the Republican party will change their platform and then they can give money to them.
  I'm sure Dean is shaking in his boots.

  by Stop Pandering on Fri Mar 14, 2008 at 10:46:38 PM PDT

•  I saw this story and it was an inside look

  At these big donors and their whining sense of entitlement. It pissed me off, for some reason. Maybe because I really don't like rich people. They're mostly assholes.

  by AWhitneyBrown on Fri Mar 14, 2008 at 10:49:51 PM PDT

•  Alright!!!

  now maybe they [DNC] will actually get off their asses and do something that will be fair to all.

  by WAKEUPAMERICA on Fri Mar 14, 2008 at 10:53:36 PM PDT

•  There is no doubt Clintons will destroy the party

  The evidence is all over the news.

  by DFutureIsNow on Fri Mar 14, 2008 at 10:57:32 PM PDT

•  I submitted the nytimes article to digg.com

  Digg link here

  by toddpw on Fri Mar 14, 2008 at 11:13:27 PM PDT

•  What right do donors have

  to request a refund?

  Answer: none.

  If they had any, any rich geezer could f*** up any candidate's campaign by making an unexpectedly large donation, then revoking it and watch the candidate try to scramble out of debt.

  The DNC's answer to this should be the same as their answer to seating fraudulently elected delegates: No, and no.

  by cville townie on Sat Mar 15, 2008 at 01:11:09 AM PDT