Clinton campaign blasts Obama for premature victory lap. Not yet “mission accomplished.” Wolfson memo.

SHARE Clinton campaign blasts Obama for premature victory lap. Not yet “mission accomplished.” Wolfson memo.

WASHINGTON–The Obama campaign plan to claim victory Tuesday night in Des Moines, is “a slap in the face” to millions of people who have not yet voted, says a memo from Clinton campaign communication chief Howard Wolfson. Not quite “Mission Accomplished,” Wolfson writes. But in politics perception is often as important as reality, so Obama’s staking the claim to the nomination—based on the majority of pledged delegates–makes political, if not mathematical sense.

Click below for Wolfson memo…

To: Interested Parties

From: Howard Wolfson, Communications Director

Date: Monday, May 19, 2008

Re: Mission Accomplished? Not so fast.

Senator Obamas plan to declare himself the Democratic nominee tomorrow night in Iowa (http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0508/10184.html) is a slap in the face to the millions of voters in the remaining primary states and to Senator Clintons 17 million supporters.

There is no scenario under the rules of the Democratic National Committee by which Senator Obama will be able to claim the nomination tomorrow night. He will not have 2210 delegates, the number needed with Florida and Michigan included in the process, nor will he have 2025 delegates, the number needed to secure the nomination without Florida and Michigan.

Premature victory laps and false declarations of victory are unwarranted. Declaring mission accomplished does not make it so.

While Senator Obama inaccurately declares himself the nominee, Senator Clinton will continue to work hard, campaigning for every vote in the upcoming states and making the case that she will be the best nominee to take on John McCain and be our next President.

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