from Michigan Change to Win via PRNewswire-USNewswire

    "The Change to Win coalition, representing 200,000 working families in Michigan believes that a delegation representing the voters of Michigan should be seated at the Democratic Convention this year.

    "Michigan Democratic Party leaders assured the Change to Win unions that any effort to bring about a new Democratic primary would be open and transparent and would not be tilted to the advantage of either the Clinton or Obama campaigns. Regrettably, we are learning that may not be the case.

    "As of Tuesday, only two of the seventeen Democratic state senators were supporting the hastily drafted legislation for a process to conduct a new primary. Many legitimate concerns need to be addressed including voter eligibility, insuring the integrity of an election conducted by an outside party, and the ethics of raising resources to pay for the election with money raised outside of Michigan by governors of New Jersey and Pennsylvania who are actively campaigning for Sen. Clinton.

    "Further, the concern that the proposed legislation will disenfranchise many Democratic voters in Michigan who played by the rules and cast a vote in the Republican primary in January because their Democratic candidate was not on the ballot or because they were told the results wouldn't count, has yet to be addressed. Exit polls showed that 32 percent of those voting in the Republican primary were Democrats who would be disqualified from voting in the Democratic primary under the proposed legislation.

    "In Florida, when a group of elected Democratic officials, included supporters of both campaigns, could not reach a consensus the plans for a revote were ended.

    "Rather than an open and transparent process a pressure campaign has been mounted in Michigan. Senator Clinton is making an unplanned visit to Michigan and there are unprecedented efforts by Sen. Levin, D-Mich., Rep. Carolyn Kilpatrick, D-Mich., United Auto Workers (UAW) president Ron Gettelfinger and GM executive Debbie Dingell to pressure Michigan Democratic state legislators to change their minds and support the legislation.

    "The Clinton campaign's legislation has won the support of a majority of Republicans in the State Senate and can pass with a minority of Democrats. In an election that only affects Democrats, this is clearly the wrong way to run a primary and it would be a mistake for party leaders to support it.

    "We call upon Sen. Levin, Rep. Kilpatrick, UAW President Gettelfinger and GM executive Debbie Dingell to end their lobbying efforts and instead work with the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and both campaigns to reach a fair and equitable solution to the delegate impasse. We propose a serious discussion of a fair solution to end the debate and insure the seating of a full Michigan delegation with 50% of the delegation for each of the two major Democratic candidates."
 

    ** Note: Media representatives interested in scheduling an interview to discuss Michigan Change to Win's position on holding a revote should
contact Noreen Nielsen at Noreen.nielsen@changetowin.org. **
 

    About Change to Win

    Seven unions and six million workers united in Change to Win to build a new movement of working people equipped to meet the challenges of the global economy and restore the American Dream in the 21st century: a paycheck that can support a family, affordable health care, a secure retirement and dignity on the job. The seven partner unions are: International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Laborers' International Union of North America, Service Employees International Union, UNITE HERE, United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, United Farm Workers of America, and United Food and Commercial Workers International Union.

"We believe Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina play a unique and special role in the nominating process. And we believe the DNC’s rules and its calendar provide the necessary structure to respect and honor that role. Thus, we will be signing the pledge to adhere to the DNC approved nominating calendar.”

Clinton Campaign Statement, Sept. 1, 2007
 

DETROIT – Speaking in the state where she once refused to campaign, to voters previously spurned, Senator Hillary Clinton today had the gall to demand Michigan hold a second, and unprecedented Democratic-only presidential primary.

“When Michigan voters wanted to hear from Senator Clinton about how she would stand up for our autoworkers and help revive a local economy that has been the arsenal of Democracy, she thumbed her nose at the entire state by refusing to campaign here,” said Michigan Republican Party Chairman Saulius “Saul” Anuzis. “Now that Senator Clinton is locked in a tight nomination battle and needs Michigan voters, I suggest they extend her the same courtesy she showed them.”

Anuzis continued: “Senator Clinton snubbed Michigan once because it was politically expedient to do so. We can expect her to be no less duplicitous in the White House.  Michigan and American need a president who will take a principled stand and stick to it, not someone who will change it whenever the poll numbers move.”

Anuzis was instrumental in moving up Michigan’s presidential primary to Jan. 15.  That move reshuffled the primary calendar and made Michigan the first major industrial swing state to test the presidential candidates.  Anuzis worked with Michigan Democratic Party leaders to secure the legislative support to change the primary date.

It is ironic, however, that it was the Democratic candidates who spurned Michigan by kowtowing to Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean, who pressured the candidates to punish Michigan for jumping ahead in the primary calendar. In contrast, all the Republican presidential candidates embraced the state’s earlier primary and campaigned heavily in Michigan in the months leading up to Jan. 15.  Michigan even hosted the first nationally televised presidential debate devoted to economic issues, which was held in Dearborn, Mich., in October, and all the leading GOP candidates toured the North American International Auto Show, which is held annually in Detroit in January.