Clinton allies threaten "imminent" lawsuit over Texas caucuses

Ugh.

The Texas Democratic Party is warning that its March 4 caucuses could be delayed or disrupted after aides to White House hopeful Hillary Clinton raised the specter of an "imminent" lawsuit over its complicated delegate selection process, officials said Thursday night.

In a letter sent out late Thursday to both the Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama campaigns, Texas Democratic Party lawyer Chad Dunn warned that a lawsuit could ruin the Democrats' effort to re-energize voters just as they are turning out in record numbers.

Spokesmen from both campaigns maintained there were no plans to sue before the March 4 election.

"It has been brought to my attention that one or both of your campaigns may already be planning or intending to pursue litigation against the Texas Democratic Party," Dunn said in the letter, obtained by the Star-Telegram. "Such action could prove to be a tragedy for a reinvigorated Democratic process."

Democratic sources said representatives from each campaign had made it clear they are keeping all their options open but that the Clinton campaign in particular had warned of an impending lawsuit.

I am willing to state that the Texas system of primary AND caucus is freakin' moronic. Throw it on the list of things in desperate need of reform once these elections are done, along with all caucuses, the super delegates, the delegate apportioning formula, the calendar, the Iowa/NH monopoly, and open primaries. (Though I concede that of all of these, the "open primaries" thing would probably meet the most resistance.)

Yes, many of these rules are stupid. But they're the rules. You don't change them mid-contest. Yet it always seems as though it's the Clinton campaign seeking to change the rules when they don't suit Hillary's efforts.