FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***
Contact: Annie Tomasini
BIDEN ISSUES STATEMENT ON MICHIGAN’S EFFORT TO MOVE UP IN THE PRIMARY CALENDAR
Wilmington, DE (August 21, 2007) -- Before departing Iowa after a weeklong stay, Senator Joe Biden today issued the following statement regarding the attempt by Michigan to circumvent the primary calendar and move its date to January 15, 2008.
“Powerful interests are trying to change the Democratic nomination for President into a game of Monopoly, replacing the retail politics of Iowa, Nevada and New Hampshire with a process in which the only credential necessary to be President is to be the wealthiest candidate.
Under the current calendar, voters can regularly meet candidates in their homes, town halls and diners. This provides an almost one on one opportunity to hold candidates accountable for their ideas and records for solving the most pressing issues facing this country. The communities of Iowa, Nevada and New Hampshire provide a diverse array of voters and a level playing field for candidates to compete in, as a lead up to the larger states which will decide who the next Democratic nominee will be for President.
I call upon all of my fellow Democratic candidates to reaffirm their support for the retail role Iowa, Nevada and New Hampshire and publicly ask their supporters, such as Democratic Senate Leader Mark Schauer, and Governor Granholm to oppose any attempts to break the Democratic National Committee’s “calendar window” as Republicans did in Florida on behalf of Mitt Romney.”
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Governor Bill Richardson Statement on Earlier Michigan Democratic Primary
| For Immediate Release
August 22, 2007 |
Contact: Pahl Shipley |
RENO, NV -- Governor Bill Richardson, campaigning in Nevada, today released a statement regarding the Michigan Legislature's vote to move the state's primary date up to January 15.
"This continuing game of 'primary leapfrog' is not constructive and threatens to disrupt the entire process," said Governor Richardson. "I respect and support Iowa's and New Hampshire's rightful places as the first caucuses and first primary, respectively, in the nation, and I call on my fellow Democratic candidates to do the same. We'll deal with the remainder of the calendar when the dust settles."
Governor Richardson is also concerned that the scramble for early dates will negatively impact the Nevada Caucuses scheduled for January 19th.
"The Nevada Caucuses for the first time give the West a critical voice in the selection of the President," said the Governor. "This diversity is essential to ensure that Western values and issues and the concerns of minorities are directly addressed during the campaign."
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***
CONTACT: Annie Tomasini
BIDEN CAMPAIGN URGES MICHIGAN GOVERNOR AND SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE TO OPPOSE REPUBLICAN INTERFERENCE WITH DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION PROCESS
Wilmington, DE (August 24, 2007) -- Two days after Michigan Senate Democrats opposed a Republican bill to break the window established by the Democratic National Committee, the Biden for President Campaign again called on Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm and Speaker of the House Rick Johnson to defeat the Republican efforts, which began with Mitt Romney’s supporters in Florida.
"The effect of this effort would be to place a greater emphasis on paid media rather than traditional retail politics in the early caucus and primary states of Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire and South Carolina" said Biden for President Campaign Manager Luis Navarro. "The retail politics in these states represents our finest American political traditions and ensures that all the candidates are challenged on the most important issues of the day like Iraq, education or health care. Voters deserve more than a thirty second sound bite, they deserve a real conversation."
"Sen. Joe Biden is urging Michigan's Democratic leaders to take every possible measure to defeat this bill in the House" Navarro said.
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