MAJOR DEMOCRATIC DONORS WARN NANCY PELOSI TO BACK OFF

[WashingtonPost.com]

A group of major contributors to the Democratic Party sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi today calling on her to back away from previous comments and reaffirm that superdelegates should be free to back whichever candidate they believe would be the party's best nominee.

The contributors said Pelosi has laid out an "untenable position that runs counter to the party's intent in establishing superdelegates in 1984" by suggesting on ABC's "This Week" recently that supedelegates should support whichever candidate has the lead in pledged delegates. "If the votes of the superdelegates overturn what happened in the elections it would be harmful to the Democratic Party," she said.

The contributors, who include some of Clinton's biggest bundlers, said that, with 10 contests remaining and millions of Democrats yet to be heard from, any effort to short-circuit the process should be curtailed, and they suggested that Pelosi's declaration that superdelegates follow the pledged delegate count fell into that category.

Many are raising questions about Obama’s electability in the wake of the Reverend Wright scandal, the revelation that yet another Obama spiritual advisor, the Reverend Meeks, professes racist and anti-American views (see here), and in view of the emergence of the Obama campaign as one of the dirtiest presidential campaigns in history (See here, here and here) thereby undermining Obama’s original appeal as the unifying voice of transcendent hope who would not practice the “old politics”.
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The latest poll results in Pennsylvania provide a vivid illustration of the remarkable shift in how Obama is now being perceived.Not only is Clinton leading Obama by as much as 26 points according to one poll, the breakdown is even more remarkable.Although Obama continues to lead among minority voters (76%), Clinton now leads among Pennsylvania women (57% to 29%), whites (57% to 29%), ages 55 and older (55% to 29%), union member households (67% to 26%), and Born Again Christians (45% to 38%). She also leads among Catholics (26 points) and Protestants (23 points). Obama has the clear edge only among non-whites (76% to 12%). Obama and Clinton are tied or virtually tied (within sampling error) among younger, college-educated, and male voters. (Source: Politically Uncorrected blog, Franklin & Marshall.)
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In the words if the NY Times:

“In recent days, [Pelosi] was viewed as putting her thumb on the scale for Mr. Obama with an observation that it would be dangerous for the party if superdelegates such as herself took the nomination away from the candidate who had won the most primary delegates — a position that would seem to favor Mr. Obama at this stage of the game.”

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We agree that Speaker Pelosi needs to back off or suffer the consequences.