John Baer: How Pa. extension benefited Clinton

Philadelphia Daily News

HERE'S A LITTLE political banana peel.

Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign failed to file a full slate of convention delegate candidates for Pennsylvania's April 22 primary.

This despite the possibility the primary proves critical and despite Clinton owning the full-throated support of Gov. Rendell, state Democratic Party leadership, Mayor Nutter and, presumably, the organizational skill all that entails.

And despite a Rendell-ordered extension of the filing deadline that could be viewed as more than just coincidental.

"There are a number of Clinton delegates that did not file for reasons of illness or other issues," Democratic state chairman T.J. Rooney conceded yesterday after being questioned by the Daily News.

He initially said he was unaware of the fact, but confirmed it after checking with Clinton's state delegate petition organizer.

It appears Clinton came up 10 or 11 candidates short across a number of congressional districts, including two in Philadelphia.

That's close to 10 percent of the 103 delegates to be decided by voters.

It appears the shortage would've been double that if Rendell hadn't extended last week's candidate filing deadline by a day and a half, ostensibly due to bad weather.

This at a time when Clinton's campaign, like Barack Obama's - which did file a full slate in the state - hoards delegates like diamonds.

Going into today's Wisconsin primary, Obama leads Clinton by just 61 delegates (1,322 to 1,262 with 2,025 needed to win).

But Clinton's faux pas is more of an image problem than a practical one.

Under Democratic Party rules (and does any organization on the planet have more rules or more complex rules?) a presidential candidate winning in a congressional district gets delegates from that district (assigned at a later date) whether he or she files slates delegates or not.
Still.

For a national campaign stressing competence, experience, "ready day one," one might expect a full slate in what could be a key state.

Especially given the backing of big-shot party leaders.

"The Clinton people had the support of the ward structure here in Philadelphia," says Philly attorney Seth Williams, Obama's eastern Pennsylvania coordinator. "We just had grass-roots volunteers."

Pennsylvania has a total of 188 Democratic delegates, including superdelegates, at-large delegates, party leaders and elected officials.

Delegates elected by voters run in the primary after filing petitions with 250 signatures and a $25 filing fee.

The filing deadline was Feb. 12 at 5 p.m. But it was extended by Rendell until noon last Thursday, easing Clinton's filing woes.

The official announcement of the extension cited "winter weather," accidents and the "closure of interstates at various times."

But even with the extension, Clinton came up short, including what appears to be four candidates shy in Philly.

One is Erin Dougherty, 27, daughter of union boss and state Senate candidate John Dougherty.
She decided not to file, according to her father, to prevent voter confusion over more than one Dougherty on the same ballot.

Elsewhere, say Rooney and other Clinton supporters, one candidate's mother died suddenly, another candidate was ill and another had to deal with a property foreclosure.

The shortfall was brought to my attention by western Pennsylvania attorney Jack Hanna, a Democratic state party regional caucus chairman and Obama supporter.

Hanna says before the deadline extension Clinton could have been 21 delegate candidates short. One late filing was by former Mayor John Street.

"It seems to me they did not pay sufficient attention to the details," Hanna says.

And it seems to me, in a state that could be important, in a state known for bad winter weather, a forward-looking campaign might be, well, more forward-looking.

You know, so as not to slip up.

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