More info on the Meeks situation.

[dgibby]

According to CNN, this is story so far:

Clinton confirms (on video) that he did talk with Meek, but did not tell him to get out of the race, and that he doesn't know who reported the story.

Meek, also on tape, says he is not getting out, that he will not abandon the Dems in Fla.

CNN is reporting that officials in the WH were aware of the situation, but that they did not lobby/interfer in the situation, nor was Obama involved or even aware of what was happening, that the WH staff did NOT want him to know. This was reported by Ed Henry, CNN's WH reporter.

CNN is also reporting that the Dems are hoping that somehow, the blowback from this story will encourage Fla dems to vote for Crist.

Personally, I don't know who did what,when, why,how or with whom. I'm just relaying what CNN is reporting.

[Nite Owl]

1. Seems that was the purpose

to get the dems to vote for Crist without having Meeks get out.

[Bitwit1234]

2. Why didn't you also post the rest of the article that says CRIST

and not President Clinton was the one who asked Meek to drop out. Why is post after post trying to blame President Clinton when he had nothing to do with it. Seems the republicans aren't the only ones spreading rumors.

[dgibby]

3. I reported the news from CNN that was broadcast this am.

I did not add or subtract from what they reported. No said anything about Crist asking Kendrick to drop out, although that wouldn't surprise me.

I did NOT blame Clinton for anything. I related what Clinton himself said to CNN. There is a video of this interview running on CNN.

I would suggest to you that if you have more info, perhaps you should start your own op or link to what you have.

In the meantime, making unfounded allegations about blaming Clinton or helping the republicans spread rumors is pure conjecture on your part, and assumes facts not in evidence.

[bigtree]

5. you took one unreliable source

. . . and you failed to find and report Meeks own words on this. Meeks says it didn't happen. Period. The media and many Democrats were mislead by the lie that Crist's camp started long ago and continued with the lie about Clinton. If you're really interested in setting the record straight, it makes no sense to just post a CNN report by itself.

[dgibby]

6. I disagree..

I clearly stated what Meeks said, and also said it was on video.

I was specifically relating what CNN was reporting, not acting as a news aggreator. If you have a problem with that, then feel free to start your own op or link to any info you think pertinent.

FWIW, I'm for Meeks, but don't live in Fla, so have not interjected my personal opinion. I have enough trouble with the Dem candidate in SC.

[bigtree]

8. I don't see where you posted that Meeks (himself) denies he was asked by Clinton to bow out

I don't see where you've posted that Meeks camp calls the report false. All you've posted are the deliberate half-truths CNN is promoting.

[dgibby]

10. Do you see where I said I posted what he said in the interview I saw?

Did you see what I said about ONLY posting what was said in that interview?

I think you "see" what your want to see. I also think you're playing "let's blame the messenger" because you don't like the "unreliable" source (your opinion, not mine).

You know what I see? I see that you have not yet linked to what you're asserting. Interesting. If it's so important to you, why haven't you provided a link so that everyone else can see what you're talking about?

I clearly stated that the op was about what CNN was reporting, nothing less, nothing more. I did not embellish, nor am I required to aggregate the news reports. If you want to do that, knock yourself out.

[bigtree]

11. sure, here it is. One sentence that doesn't include his denials about being told to exit

you posted:

"Meek, also on tape, says he is not getting out, that he will not abandon the Dems in Fla."

I'll go ahead an provide what are clearly repetitive links for most folks here today:

Democratic candidate denies Bill Clinton urged him to quit Florida Senate contest - Los Angeles Times

"I told him I didn't have any thoughts about getting out of the race," Meek said of Clinton on ABC's "Good Morning America." "He didn't encourage me to get out of the race."
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-meek-florida-senate-20101030,0,2286922.story

Meek Denies That Clinton Convinced Him to Drop Out

Kendrick Meek's campaign manager, Abe Dyk, issued a denial Thursday night that former President Bill Clinton had convinced Meek twice last week to drop out of the state's three-way Senate race.

The campaign released a statement Thursday night after Politico's Ben Smith reported earlier Thursday evening that said scenario had unfolded. The statement from Dyk:

"The article is not true. Kendrick Meek was never dropping out of this race, is never dropping out of this race, and will never drop out of this race. Kendrick Meek will always stand up for the middle class and will not leave Floridians a choice between two lifelong conservative Republicans who only stand with the special interests. Kendrick is the Democratic nominee so if anyone should drop out, it's Charlie Crist."
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2010/10/meek-denies-that-clinton-convinced-him-to-drop-out/65375/


. . . more reports out there for you, if you look for them

[dgibby]

12. Thank you.

I appreciate that. It sheds new light on the subject, and I'm glad you posted it.

As I said, I'm for Meeks, would vote for him if I could. Too bad he isn't running in SC, as the choices here are bad and badder. Greene has been indicted on felony charges and DeMint scares the crap out of me.

[soryang]

4. I think Crist's actions guarantee Rubio's election

Did you see where Crist's name is on the ballot, at the bottom, below a slate of unknowns.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

7. Nice that there are things the WH staff doesn't want the President to know

[dgibby]

9. I think they were trying to protect him from any criticism,

especially in light of what happened when the WH tried to get the Gov. of NY to not run again.

[LynneSin]

13. I'm a diehard Dem supporter who has voted straight D since 1988...

and even I don't know what I would do if I was a Florida voter.

I mean it's real easy for me to criticize people for voting for Crist because I'm in a state where it's very very very very unlikely that our raging lunatick nutjob teabagger is going to win the election (Delaware).

But Castle did consider a write-in campaign for US Senate and honestly, I think it would have wrecked havoc in our state. Most of Castle supporters (he's a republican) did not go to O'Donnell but to Coons, the democrat. Castle was very moderate and gets alot of the votes not just from Independants in our state but moderate democrats too. I think all of those voters went Coons and even some moderate republicans are going that way too.

But if Castle ran, he very well could have made this a 3-way race where O'Donnell could very well come out the victor. I think her 35% is pretty solid in the state (that's what she got against Biden in 2008) and it would be down to whether the former Castle voters would stick with Coons or go back to Castle. Personally I think the reason that Mike Castle did not do a write-in campaign is because even he knew it would enable the possiblity of an O'Donnell win. And Mike Castle cannot stand Christine O'Donnell, he still will not endorse her and that lack of endorsement has carried over to the DEGOp, who have only given her minimal support.

So having said that, I have no clue how I would have voted in that situation. I would like to say I'd stick with Coons, but if for some reason he was far back in 3rd place and there was a risk of having O'Donnell as my senator, well I might have to suck it up and vote Castle because he is a far cry better than O'Donnell any day of the week.

THank goodness Castle didn't do the write-in.