How Hundreds of Superdelegates were "bought" by the Clinton Campaign.

[Pharaoh]

You know, I always thought it was somewhat strange that so many Superdelegates had endorsed Hillary Clinton even many months before the Primary race started.

As Debbie Wasserman Schultz explained to Rachel Maddow, the Superdelegates should not be treated or counted like pledged delegates. They do not have to declare their preference until the Convention.

I always thought it was strange, then, that so many Party officials and officeholders would be tripping all over each other in a mad rush to endorse Hillary, when the convention was still a year away.

Now I know why.


http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/4/6/1511462/-CORRUPTION-How-Hundreds-of-Superdelegates-were-Literally-bought-by-the-Clinton-Campaign

[geek tragedy]

1. Raising money for state parties and candidates is evil

according to people who want to destroy the party.

Thank goodness for closed primaries.

[Downwinder]

3. Pay to Play has destroyed the party.

[geek tragedy]

5. Clinton is raising money for Democrats to aid GOTV

People who find that too icky belong in college faculties, not running a political party.

[Downwinder]

10. Please indicate where these party funded

and sponsored GOTV campaigns are taking place. Not in my County.

[geek tragedy]

12. I do not know and don't want to know where you live nt

[CentralCoaster]

14. Not for everybody, just for the ones who pledge support for her royalness.

And it seems to work.

Carrot and stick, you can get some $$$ help or find yourself on her shit list.

[pangaia]

30. What do you find offensive about a college faculty member?

Other than that you are not one?

[geek tragedy]

34. Nothing. They are good at what they do nt

[CorporatistNation]

41. It's All 'Bout The Money Honey! $$$$$$

EVERYONE DIVING FOR DOLLARS!$$$$$$$$

[Jackie Wilson Said]

76. And has been for decades. What is it you folks think is happening under Hillary

that hasnt happened in the past?

Or a version of it, anyway.

Why are the rules by which you will or will not support the Democratic candidate changing now?

[Perogie]

4. By your post it looks like you didn't take the time to read what really happened.

[geek tragedy]

7. I read the unhinged Daily Kos diary

by a guy who will vote Trump if Clinton gets the nomination.

Based on an article by the loons at counterpunch.

Thank goodness for closed primaries. Greens already have their own party.

[beedle]

15. no ..

the state parties raise the money ... the DNC takes all that money and decides that it goes solely to Hillary, who then gets to hold it out to party politicians as a reward for supporting her.

Why not direct it to Sanders, or O'Malley, Webb or 'Vermin Supreme' for that matter. They they too could buy off their supporters.

[geek tragedy]

22. Clinton is the one raising the money. nt

[DemocracyDirect]

27. Raising money like raising it from the dead?

You mean she's holding white noise $350k dinners.

Making promises to get money.

[beedle]

29. You mean organizing the laundering of money

through the state Democratic parties, don't you?

Why is there an agreement that runs directly from Billionaires -> State Dem Parties -> the DNC -> Hillary? And then used to blackmail Super Delegates (don't do your job, just support me no matter how you really feel, or how your state votes, or the money will stop.)

[geek tragedy]

32. Objection; assuming facts not in evidence. Sustained. nt

[beedle]

36. Objection: Irony is not a defence. Sustained. nt

[Buzz Clik]

2. The superdelegates were invented by the Democratic Party ...

Last edited Sun Apr 10, 2016, 10:58 PM - Edit history (1)

... to keep the primaries from putting forward unelectable idiots as the Party nominee.

Don't like the supers? Go to the national convention and get it changed.

[chillfactor]

18. AMEN!

I get so sick of everything being blamed on Hillary.....the super-delegates were in place many eons before Hillary became involved in the primary season.

[DemocracyDirect]

6. Yes

Unfortunately this is why Bernie Sanders says at every event...

"We have a corrupt campaign finance system, that is undermining democracy in America."

[WhiteTara]

19. Don't like super delegates? Talk to Tad Devine.

He helped engineer them.

[DemocracyDirect]

23. Okay I will.

And who says I don't like super-delegates.

I just don't like super-delegates that are bought out before a single campaign event and a single vote is cast. Heck even before we know who the candidates are.

They are supposed to represent the best interest of the party. I expect them to do their due diligence and make the best decision at the appropriate time. Nobody can argue that is what happened here. Instead it looks like they jumped on the money train.

[beedle]

33. Save your breath

They are like a dog with a bone .. you can explain till you're blue in the face about the difference between 'superdelegates' and 'blackmailing superdelegates', and they will steadfastly refuse to recognise the difference.

[DemocracyDirect]

38. You got that right.

But it's no breath or sweat, just a few keystrokes at 110 cps.

[giftedgirl77]

49. Oh look another new member that has decided to do nothing

but bash Dems. Weird that your agenda would bring you to a place called Democratic Underground. Maybe you should find a place called Disgruntled Hipster to air all of your grievance's.

[LiberalArkie]

69. Results

On Mon Apr 11, 2016, 10:39 AM an alert was sent on the following post:

Oh look another new member that has decided to do nothing
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1251&pid=1702868

REASON FOR ALERT

This post is disruptive, hurtful, rude, insensitive, over-the-top, or otherwise inappropriate.

ALERTER'S COMMENTS

This is nothing but personal insults and a not-very-subtle-accusation that the other poster is a mole.

You served on a randomly-selected Jury of DU members which reviewed this post. The review was completed at Mon Apr 11, 2016, 10:47 AM, and the Jury voted 1-6 to LEAVE IT.

Juror #1 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: Perfectly reasonable criticism of folks who cant see the big picture
Juror #2 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: Get over it alerter.. quit wasting our time... the poster actually makes a good point.
Juror #3 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #4 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: At first it was a leave, then I changed to hide. The new member was not even posting to this member. Disgruntled Hipster?
Juror #5 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #6 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: Sometimes things need to be said.
Juror #7 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: I think that the alerter may be a mole.

Thank you very much for participating in our Jury system, and we hope you will be able to participate again in the future.

[giftedgirl77]

70. Lolololol, why is pointing out general observations such an issue

for some folks?

[Surya Gayatri]

78. Bwaahaaaa! "Disgruntled Hipster"...so true, LOL!

[giftedgirl77]

80. .....

[chillfactor]

20. then quit whining

and get involved to help change it

[DemocracyDirect]

24. I am.

What do you know about what I am doing?

I'll be there in Philadelphia.

[elleng]

8. 'You see, these Superdelegates are members of their State Democratic Parties,

upon whom they rely for support and funding for re-election. And the money that will be available for those re-election efforts has, in many cases, been provided by Hillary Clinton.

Clinton has provided funds for these candidates through a sophisticated system of money laundering that has allowed the Clinton campaign to funnel billionaire’s donations to State parties in return for their participation in a massive money-laundering payback system to also funnel money to the Clinton campaign itself.

In August 2015, at the Democratic Party convention in Minneapolis, 33 democratic state parties made deals with the Hillary Clinton campaign and a joint fundraising entity called The Hillary Victory Fund. The deal allowed many of her core billionaire and inner circle individual donors to run the maximum amounts of money allowed through those state parties to the Hillary Victory Fund in New York and the DNC in Washington.

The idea was to increase how much one could personally donate to Hillary by taking advantage of the Supreme Court ruling 2014, McCutcheon v FEC, that knocked down a cap on aggregate limits as to how much a donor could give to a federal campaign in a year. It thus eliminated the ceiling on amounts spent by a single donor to a presidential candidate.

From these large amounts of money being transferred from state coffers to the Hillary Victory Fund in Washington, the Clinton campaign got the first $2,700, the DNC was to get the next $33,400, and the remainder was to be split among the 33 signatory states. With this scheme, the Hillary Victory Fund raised over $26 million for the Clinton Campaign by the end of 2015.
… and the rest of the money went to the State Parties and, eventually, the candidates, including many officeholders who are Superdelegates.

You see, when it comes to all this money flowing in from the millionaires and billionaires who give to Hillary, the Clinton Campaign can decide which State Parties get to partake in the spoils:

The fund is administered by treasurer Elizabeth Jones, the Clinton Campaign’s chief operating officer. Ms. Jones has the exclusive right to decide when transfers of money to and from the Hillary Victory Fund would be made to the state parties.
So if a Superdelegate whose State voted overwhelmingly for Bernie switched her support to Sanders under the reasoning that she was representing the will of her State, then Clinton’s Campaign COO would shut off the spigot and all that sweet, sweet billionaire cash would stop flowing into the coffers of her State Democratic Party — and the candidate herself.'

[Gregorian]

25. Thanks for the explanation.

This is pretty infuriating. It's amazing what they get away with. And I mean what people are not aware of that they're getting away with.

It's a beautiful sunset, so I'll go look at that for a while.

[elleng]

28. I thought it useful to provide a summary,

as many probably wouldn't read, and clearly we all need an explanation of how the 'system' became as rigged as it did.

Glad you had a beautiful sunset; so did we here.

[Pharaoh]

48. Fuck that Shit we can get what Tammy Baldwin needs

once she flippes she will get a money bomb.....

[tex-wyo-dem]

57. That's an excellent and informative post, elleng...

Infuriating as well...

You really should make this post an OP, because I'm sure many are unaware.

[elleng]

60. Yes, infuriating.

Everything's in the OP, people SHOULD read. Of course, many won't.

[Octafish]

58. Thank you for putting it into words so succinctly, elleng!

And precisely.

[elleng]

59. I thought it was informative too, Octafish.

I took bits from the OP. Those interested SHOULD read it.

[m-lekktor]

66. yes, I figured the establishment DEMS were lining up to endorse Clinton in order to get "paid". nt

[m-lekktor]

67. excellent post, btw. thanks!! nt

[elleng]

73. You're welcome.

I was glad to find all this background in the OP, and I clearly think EVERYONE should understand how this was/is accomplished. 'Supers' don't just wander over; hrc's campaign has worked this for a long time.

[Politicalboi]

9. They're just like her

It's the ONLY way she can win. She sure can't go with her record. Hillary Coattails is just buying her way, she is disgusting. Riding coattails is how she got where she is. She didn't do this all herself. Coattails and MONEY.

[bkkyosemite]

11. It's called bribery.

[Pharaoh]

13. ^^this^^

[elleng]

31. Yes, and happened before our eyes.

[mythology]

16. The Margot Kiddor article was really poor

Basing another article off of it that ignores that Sanders signed those same evil joint fundraising agreements, doesn't make it any better.

[chillfactor]

17. oh Bernie fans...

take a break already...you really are becoming unglued

[Skink]

26. Are you lost?

[dana_b]

75. we're unglued?

we aren't the ones supporting the candidate who offers bribes to people. Absolutely disgusting and shameful.

[azmom]

21. Kick

[oberliner]

35. "The whole sordid affair was recently brought to light in a Counterpunch article..."

And there you have it.

[notadmblnd]

37. Collusion between Clinton campaign and DNC allowed Hillary Clinton to buy the loyalty of 33 States

In August 2015, at the Democratic Party convention in Minneapolis, 33 democratic state parties made deals with the Hillary Clinton campaign and a joint fundraising entity called The Hillary Victory Fund. The deal allowed many of her core billionaire and inner circle individual donors to run the maximum amounts of money allowed through those state parties to the Hillary Victory Fund in New York and the DNC in Washington.

The idea was to increase how much one could personally donate to Hillary by taking advantage of the Supreme Court ruling 2014, McCutcheon v FEC, that knocked down a cap on aggregate limits as to how much a donor could give to a federal campaign in a year. It thus eliminated the ceiling on amounts spent by a single donor to a presidential candidate.

In other words, a single donor, by giving 10,000 dollars a year to each signatory state could legally give an extra $330,000 a year for two years to the Hillary Victory Fund. For each donor, this raised their individual legal cap on the Presidential campaign to $660,000 if given in both 2015 and 2016. And to one million, three hundred and 20 thousand dollars if an equal amount were also donated in their spouse’s name.

From these large amounts of money being transferred from state coffers to the Hillary Victory Fund in Washington, the Clinton campaign got the first $2,700, the DNC was to get the next $33,400, and the remainder was to be split among the 33 signatory states. With this scheme, the Hillary Victory Fund raised over $26 million for the Clinton Campaign by the end of 2015.

The money was either transferred to the Hillary for A......

http://www.counterpunch.org/2016/04/01/how-hillary-clinton-bought-the-loyalty-of-33-state-democratic-parties/

[Agnosticsherbet]

39. So trying to help Get Democrats elected to State Assemblies, Governor, U.S. House of Representative,

U.S. Senate is a bad thing?

The U.S. Congress controls the legislative agenda, without which no good legislation will be passed or protected.
State Assemblies and Governors will control voting districts, after the 2020 Census, and those state representatives and Governors often go on to the U.S. Congress, or even the White House, so they are a farm team.

We are not just electing a President; we are electing a government. If we want better government, we damn well better make sure that we elect more Democrats.

The writer of this DailyKos post has no idea what he or she is talking about.

[Sheepshank]

40. Purpose of the OP is to preemptivly argue why Bernie is not supporting down tickets

It was just a matter of time. It had to happen for the justification of why it's ok he doesn't support the Party he reviled for decades, but decided to bilk for his own purposes

[Agnosticsherbet]

42. Supporting down ticket races is what they call "coat tails" in politics.

But true believers will go to any lengths to justify something that justifies their beliefs.

Millions pumped into Tad Devine's bank account may lead to coattails. It could happen.

[Pharaoh]

43. so then we should just elect people

who are beholden to super pacs and corporate money?

That's the system that got us in to this mess. Vote your heart, the money/support will come. Otherwise join the republicans, cause were taking this party over.

FEEL THE BERN!

[Agnosticsherbet]

45. No, we should help Democrats get elected to Congress so we can pass legislation.

Because we elected a government not a tyrant.

Helping people get elected is what is called coattails.

[Go Vols]

71. :/

The DNC’s prohibition on lobbyist donations was instituted in 2008 at the behest of then-presidential candidate Barack Obama, who told voters: “They will not fund my party.” Clinton’s current Democratic primary opponent, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, has pushed her to demand the DNC reinstate the lobbyist contribution ban. Clinton is already the top recipient of money from lobbyists in the 2016 campaign, the New York Times reported.

http://www.ibtimes.com/political-capital/hillary-clinton-2016-dc-lobbyists-set-raise-cash-hillary-victory-fund-2327589

[uponit7771]

56. Yeap, the podium bird told them they don't need no damn congress or down ticket dems to win

...

[Pharaoh]

44. this post never once ended up in the trending column

are people filtering what hits the front page?

[tammywammy]

47. Neither GDP, the Hillary group nor the Bernie group show up on the homepage.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1251&pid=1633218

[zappaman]

65. Yes, the illuminati is.

[Surya Gayatri]

79. You, bad! LOL!

[oldandhappy]

46. Tis hard to give up my childish belief in democracy.

One person = one vote? I do not think so. Money seems to mean more.

[highprincipleswork]

50. Ain't it wonderful how so many "Democrats" are willing to defend this kind of behavior?

[LiberalFighter]

51. And when people complain about campaigns unable to win

because they lack financial support?

[Uncle Joe]

52. It's corruptive.

Thanks for the thread, Pharaoh.

[Bread and Circus]

53. Anyone else notice the incessant whining that Bernie wasn't raising money for Democrats ended...

...when this scam came to light?

Interesting, isn't it?

[lumberjack_jeff]

54. Yup. n/t

[uponit7771]

55. Yeap, everyone else is bought off Sanders can't be bought unless it has something to do with guns..

... and wall street and the MIC and ... well, dammit

Sanders is no different than anyone else... sigh

[Go Vols]

72. k

The DNC’s prohibition on lobbyist donations was instituted in 2008 at the behest of then-presidential candidate Barack Obama, who told voters: “They will not fund my party.” Clinton’s current Democratic primary opponent, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, has pushed her to demand the DNC reinstate the lobbyist contribution ban. Clinton is already the top recipient of money from lobbyists in the 2016 campaign, the New York Times reported.

http://www.ibtimes.com/political-capital/hillary-clinton-2016-dc-lobbyists-set-raise-cash-hillary-victory-fund-2327589

[Gothmog]

61. Raising money for the party is important

If Sanders wants to compete for super delegates, he may want to consider being party of the Democratic Party and helping down ballot candidates

[PufPuf23]

62. The super-delegate rule and the DNC work against

the interests and votes of Democratic grassroots.

Establishment Democratic leadership does not now nor want to serve a sizeable proportion of their own current, some very long term, and potential young constituents.

I do not think these shenanigans are moral.

[felix_numinous]

63. Money allows the rules to be bent

and have put this country on a slippery slope far away from a democracy.

It is deeply dismaying to see so many people enabling yet more rich greedy people take away the ONLY power the people have to vote--and to lie and cheat their way into POWER, not service, not representation.

The world is waiting while America gets its collective shit together to face reality like adults, we are not voting our fancy, this is not a fantasy here. It is IRONIC not funny to have these same people enabling this addiction to power and influence while 32 TRILLION was taken out of circulation and just hoarded out of naked greed, while children seniors starve, couples work like slaves to eat, innocent people being treated like criminals and climate change is upon us--and they have the NERVE to call human rights ponies and unicorns, that WE aren't facing reality?! This country has had enough of clueless enablers, we do not have the time to listen to any more lies.

I am not sure how, but this election cycle needs to be remedied. We have to start somewhere, and fair elections are a good place to start.

[seabeyond]

64. Sanders is the first Democratic candidate unwilling to do his part. This is the repercussion of

hording and not being a team player. It is his bad and only has himself to point that finger at.

Either Clinton has to pick up his slack, or we the people to, because he does not get the concept of socialism, only self interest.

[Jackie Wilson Said]

68. This article says Clinton's are money laundering by providing support to other Democrats.

No, that is not money laundering.

It is POLITICS 101.

Jesus christ.

[immoderate]

77. It's as American as buying votes.

--imm

[dana_b]

74. legal bribery

absolutely corrupt and disgusting. I have NO dedication to anyone who participates in this crap. Even if it's 'legal', I consider them all crooks.