SNEAK PEEK: No Do-Over for the Sunshine State
On Monday, the Florida Democratic Party closed the door on a second primary.
March 17, 2008— -- The Florida Democratic Party has closed the door on a second primary to resolve the delegate issue, a blow to the Clinton campaign's desire to hold a revote and recreate its Florida victory within the rules.
The Florida Democratic Party chair Karen Thurman sent a letter to state Democrats informing them that the party's proposal for a combination vote-by-mail and in-person voting primary on June 3 is dead.
This party was working to develop an acceptable solution within the DNC rules that would allow Florida Democratic voters to participate in the party's nomination process and allow the state's 211 delegates to be seated at the national convention in August.
Thurman states in a letter being sent to Florida Democrats tonight that the consensus is clear: "Florida doesn't want to vote again. So we won't."
The next move toward a solution to seat the Florida delegates will likely come from the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee, which will meet in April.
On Monday, Michigan legislative leaders began reviewing draft legislation which would approve spending privately raised funds for a do-over primary on June 3rd.
Race has been a consistent element of the narrative on the Democratic campaign trail over the last two and a half months. As the latest chapter, over the words of Barack Obama's pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, continues into Week Two, the Illinois Senator dives into the issue head first with a speech on race on Tuesday in Philadelphia.
But today he fended off a half dozen questions from campaign reporters about Wright by saying "stay tuned" for the speech.
"I'm giving a speech about this tomorrow, that will be a lot more wholesome than a press conference," the Illinois senator said in Monaca, Penn. today.
ABC News' Sunlen Miller reports that Obama's dodging on Wright was in "stark contrast to Friday night's cable interview rounds where he made himself available for a through grilling of questions solely on Wright."
In the speech, set to be delivered at Philadelphia's National Constitution Center, Obama said he will be talking not just about Wright but also "the larger issue of race in this campaign, which has ramped up over the last couple of weeks."
From Miller: "While condemning Wrights statements, Obama said he, along with the African American community, believes his pastor has been unfairly characterized in the slew of controversy this week. His speech tomorrow will aim to address these misperceptions."
"I think the statements that were the source of controversy from Rev Wright were wrong and I strongly condemn them. I think the caricature that's been painted of him is not accurate. And so part of what I'll do tomorrow is just to talk a little bit about how some of these issues are perceived from within the black church community, for example, which I think views this very differently."
Since the story erupted last week, Wright left the campaign's African American Religious Leadership Committee and Obama has put some distance between himself and his pastor of 20 years, ABC News' Jake Tapper and Susan Rucci report.
"I vehemently disagree and strongly condemn the statements that have [been] the subject of this controversy," Obama said, saying that he'd never heard any of them personally. Over the weekend, Obama brought up Wright's statements, weaving the storyline into the history of race in America, ABC News' Miller reports.
"You heard some statements from my former pastor that were incendiary and that I completely reject, although I knew him and know him as somebody in my church who talked to me about Jesus and family and friendships," Obama said.
"If all I knew was those statements that I saw on television, I would be shocked," he said. "And it just, it reminds me that, you know, we've got a tragic history when it comes to race in this country."
While his wife stays focused on Pennsylvania, former President Clinton heads to Indiana tomorrow for his first campaign events in the state, ABC News' Sarah Amos reports. He has a relatively light day of campaigning, making only three stops. Staffers for former President Clinton say the campaign is making a strong effort to reach out to future primary states, Amos reports.
The kicker:
"He's a comedian." --Hillary Clinton explaining why Sinbad's recollection of a 1996 Bosnia trip differs from her own
On the campaign front. . .
BARACK OBAMA
-- 10:15 am ET: Delivers major address on race, Philadelphia, PA
HILLARY CLINTON
-- Campaigns in Pennsylvania
BILL CLINTON
-- Attends event in Lawrenceburg, IN
-- Attends event in Richmond, IN
-- Attends event in Fort Wayne, IN
At the White House and Beyond. . .
PRESIDENT BUSH
-- 12:30 pm ET: Attends a Republican National Committee luncheon, Jacksonville, FL
-- 2:35 pm ET: Delivers statements about trade policy, Jacksonville, FL
-- 5:50 pm ET: Attends a Republican National Committee reception, Palm Beach, FL
LABOR DEPARTMENT
-- 8:30 am ET: Releases the Producer Price Index for February, Washington, DC
COMMERCE DEPARTMENT
-- 8:30 am ET: Releases the February report on housing starts, Washington, DC
POLITICAL NEWS STORIES AT ABCNEWS.COM
ABC News' Jennifer Parker Reports: Presidential Candidates Address Economic Woes LINK
ABC News' Jake Tapper and Susan Rucci Reports: Obama's Church Assails Media Coverage of Pastor LINK
ABC's Good Morning America Reports: Bill Clinton: 'Chill Out.' Let Voters Decide LINK
ABC News' Ariane deVogue and Dennis Powell Report: High Court to Hear Major Second Amendment Case LINK
ABC News' Jake Tapper Reports: Obama to Deliver Major Address on Race Tomorrow LINK
ABC News' Jan Crawford Greenburg Reports: Dirty Words LINK
ABC News' Jake Tapper Reports: Kos: Clinton Doesn't Deserve 'Fairness' LINK
ABC News' Gary Langer Reports: Security Gains Reverse Iraq's Spiral Though Serious Problems Remain LINK
ABC News' Jake Tapper Reports: Some Days You Eat the Bear Stearns, and Some Days the Bear Stearns Eats You LINK
ABC News' Kate Snow and Eloise Harper Report: Clinton Sticking to Iraq Plan, No Matter What LINK
ABC News' Jake Tapper Reports: Fox News Starts "The Obama Watch" LINK
ABC News' Teddy Davis, Lindsey Ellerson and Mike Elmore Report: Clinton's 3 am Ad Mocked by GOP Candidate LINK
ABC News' Bill Weir Reports: McCain Talks Progress in Iraq LINK
ABC News' Jake Tapper Reports: Clinton Assails Obama & McCain on Iraq LINK
ABC News' Matthew Dowd Reports: Carrie Underwood Time LINK
ABC News' Jake Tapper Reports: Hillary and the Iraqi People LINK
ABC News' Eloise Harper Reports: Clinton on Economy: 'We Are in the Soup' LINK
ABC News' Jake Tapper Reports: Here Come the Democratic Lawyers! LINK
ABC News' Eloise Harper Reports: Clinton vs. Sinbad: "He Is a Comedian" LINK
ABC News' Sunlen Miller Reports: Obama on Pastor: Stay Tuned for Speech on Race LINK
ABC News' Jake Tapper Reports: Clinton has Another Prop Problem LINK
POLITICAL VIDEO AT ABCNEWS.COM
Obama: History Won't Judge Bush Kindly
Obama blasts Bush for his hands-off handling of the current economic situation. LINK
Avoiding a Contested Convention
With the campaigning stretching into march madness, is there an end game in sight? LINK
Obama Hits Clinton War Judgment
Obama: Clinton and McCain's judgment "gave President Bush a blank check" for war LINK
N.Y.'s New Governor: 'We Move Forward'
Replacing Eliot Spitzer, David Paterson is sworn in as New York's 55th governor. LINK
'The View': Sex Scandal Sellout
The ladies are outraged by call girl Ashley Dupre's aka "Kristen's" success. LINK
Clinton vs. Sinbad on Bosnia Trip
Clinton dismisses Sinbad's recollection of a 1996 Bosnia trip. LINK
Clinton on Economic Woes: 'We are in the Soup'
Sen. Clinton blasts the Bush administration for not doing enough. LINK
Bush Urges Calm After Weekend Upheaval
Bush: "We're in challenging times, but..we've taken strong and decisive action." LINK
Bill Clinton's Global Initiative
The former president challenges young people to get involved in world issues. LINK
Cheney Meets With Iraqi Leaders
The vice president makes an unannounced visit to Iraq. LINK
The Politics of Race
Donna Brazile and Juan Williams discuss the Rev. Jeremiah Wright controversy. LINK
Race, Religion and Politics
Sen. Barack Obama's church slams media coverage of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. LINK
5 Years in Iraq
Gen. Ray Odierno addresses where things stand in Iraq. LINK
McCain on Iraq
The Republican presidential front-runner discusses American presence in Iraq. LINK
Bill Clinton: 'Just Chill Out'
The former president weighs in on the election. LINK
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