John and Monica Conyers urge Mich. Democrats to vote "Uncommitted"

[MadBadger]

John and Monica Conyers urge Mich. Democrats to vote 'uncommitted'
Gregg Krupa / The Detroit News
Two supporters of U.S. Sen. Barack Obama announced today that they will produce and air campaign advertisements urging voters to cast "uncommitted" ballots in Michigan's Democratic Presidential primary on Tuesday.

U.S. Rep. John Conyers, D-Detroit, and Detroit City Councilwoman Monica Conyers said they are acting because of the failure of state and national leaders of the Democratic Party to salvage a consequential primary for voters in Michigan.

"Democratic voters have been disenfranchised, indeed had their vote rendered meaningless, by not being able to vote for viable Democratic candidates because of Democratic party rules that evade reality," said Monica Conyers. "We urge Democratic party voters to cast a ballot for uncommitted if the candidate of their choice, such as Senator Barack Obama, is not on the ballot."

//snip/.

The Conyerses, who are married, both support Obama, according to Sam Riddle, Monica Conyers' chief of staff.

"Here in Michigan, the primary is almost meaningless," said Riddle, who blamed both state and national party leaders for effectively disenfranchising Democratic voters in Michigan. "Because of the screwed up process, no one is really having a chance to endorse any of the candidates. That's why we are urging people to vote uncommitted."

Radio advertisements will begin running as soon as today, Riddle said, and the Conyerses also hope to run advertisements on television.

The cost of the advertising will likely be between $15,000 and $25,000, Riddle said.


http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080109/POLITICS01/801090443/1022

[SharonRB]

1. You, go, John!

[knitter4democracy]

2. I just wrote the DNC: I'll be voting uncommitted and not giving a dime.

I just can't unless they really fix this up right. I'm just sick that my party thinks my vote isn't worth fighting for.

[PassingFair]

3. I'm DONATING to the DNC.

46 other states (I'm subtracting New Hampshire and Iowa)
PLAYED BY THE RULES.

Michigan and Florida decided to play chicken at this
juncture, WHY?

Because powers that be in the party wanted to FRONT LOAD
the primaries as much as they could get away with.

:puke:

Sorry, we ASKED for this.

Committee members spoke out at every meeting, we were ignored.

Maybe they will seat our delegates after all, who knows...

P.S.: I'm also voting "uncommitted"!

[knitter4democracy]

4. I sure as heck didn't ask for this. I don't know anyone who did.

I don't know anyone who wanted to play chicken with the primary. That was all higher-ups, not the workaday Dems. Not the rank and file.

[leftupnorth]

5. IIRC Carl Levin and Granholm pushed the early primary idea and both endorsed Hillary. n/t

[TahitiNut]

11. Stabenow endorsed Clinton but Levin has not.

:shrug:

[PassingFair]

6. Sorry Knitter, by "we", I, of course, meant "they".

:crazy:

Michigan's legislature and congressional delegation
brought this on us.

I just meant it wasn't the party's fault.

[knitter4democracy]

7. Just another reason to chuck them all.

Honestly, I'm furious with our state senator (schmuck that he is), and he's a Dem (Schauer). I had such high hopes for Granholm, but she just hasn't led the way we needed her to. The congressional Republicans are total morons who have made a horrible situation worse, but it's not like the Dems are really doing anything.

Maybe cleaning house is just what we need.

[PassingFair]

8. Let's get crack-a-lackin'

[knitter4democracy]

9. How do we do it?

Supposedly, they were going to nominate me for the Executive Committee for the local party, but nothing came of it. I've been ill a lot lately, so I figure that's a good bit of it. Still, what do we do to fix this? Where do we get new party leadership that's not Mark Schauer or the other up-and-comers who are just as bad?

[PassingFair]

10. I'm on the executive committee here in our county.

Fat lot of good it did.

We all agreed that we didn't want to push
the primary date.

The committee CHAIRS apparently caved to
MDP pressure and allowed the legislature
to *uck us over.

The only thing we CAN do is keep speaking out
in local meetings every chance we get.

This primary is already giving the DLC a shot
across the bow. I don't know if we'll win.
Probably not.

Look at what happened in Connecticut. Even when
the grassroots, boots on the streets dems were able
to CROWBAR LIEberman out in the primary, the party
insiders and "independents" (read republicans and centrist
dems) kept him in his seat.

:puke:

But, step by step, we are making the change.

4 years ago, Carville would have been LEADING the charge for Hillary.

He's TOXIC now.

[butterfly77]

12. Who listens to Monica...

that woman has a problem..Had to say it.

[skipos]

13. I am voting UNCOMMITTED! nt