Clinton Irks Texas Democrats
'Threats of Litigation' Cited by Party Officials Disputed by Campaign
By JUNE KRONHOLZ
March 1, 2008
The Texas Democratic Party charged that Sen. Hillary Clinton's campaign "threatened" to challenge aspects of the state's two-step nominating process, just days before Tuesday balloting, which now appears unlikely to produce the blowout victory the New York senator needs to stay in the race.
Among other things, party activists said the Clinton campaign was trying to delay the release of the results from that evening's caucuses, where Illinois Sen. Barack Obama is thought to have an advantage. A delay in reporting those results would allow any Clinton victory in the popular-vote count earlier in the day to briefly dominate headlines and keep Sen. Clinton's presidential aspirations alive.
Sen. Clinton's spokesman, Phil Singer, insisted without elaborating that the campaign was "simply asking for the procedures to be put in writing." He said the campaign is taking "no legal action and there is no threat of legal action."
But Chad Dunn, the state party's lawyer, and other party workers went out of their way to characterize the campaign's actions as "threats of litigation."
They also were quick to release a letter that Mr. Dunn sent Thursday to both campaigns, warning that litigation "could prove to be a tragedy for a reinvigorated democratic process" in the state. The letter and the dispute were reported yesterday by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Sen. Obama's campaign manager, David Plouffe, charged that Sen. Clinton's advisers "do not want the caucus results reported on Tuesday night. There is timely reporting and the Clinton campaign has deep anxiety about that."
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http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120433252524504533.html?mod=special_page_campaign2008_topbox
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