Background.
In early June a Wisconsin Democratic delegate, Debra Bartoshevich, that was to be seated at the Democratic convention in August, stunned her party by announcing that she would vote for John McCain rather than cast her vote for Barack Obama.
She cited Obama's lack of experience and his judgment and says, "I will not be voting for Obama. I will cast my vote for John McCain." She continues on to say, "I just feel you need to have somebody who has experience with foreign matters.”
Bartoshevich stated examples of what she considers Barack Obama's bad judgment to include but says it is not limited to Jeremiah Wright, who was Barack Obama's pastor of over 16 years that has come under fire recently for his controversial statements that some categorize as racists as well as his "God Damn America" rant that went viral as a YouTube video.
She also named Tony Rezko, a close associate of Barack Obama who was just convicted on several counts of fraud and bribery.
Bartoshevich says she has been a devoted Democrat that has never before voted for a Republican for president and she quotes Susan B Anthony, saying, "No self-respecting woman should wish or work for the success of a party that ignores her — that’s by Susan B. Anthony."
She concluded by stating, ""The Democrats jumped on this wagon of Barack Obama, and nobody really knows him.”
When first presented with the news, chairman of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, Joe Wineke, expressed disbelief but stated that after checking the rules, he "assumed" Bartoshevich would remain a delegate.
He changed his tune soon enough though when Wisconsin Democratic Party convention members offered a resolution to make sure that Bartoshevich will not be seated at the convention.
They then filed a formal credentials challenge against Bartoshevich, which accused her of the following:
• Violated party rules in expressing support for the other party’s presumptive nominee.
• Violated party rules requiring that delegates be “bona fide Democrats who are faithful to the interests, welfare and success of the Democratic Party of the United States.”
• Failed to honor a pledge that delegates sign stating their intent to vote for the party’s presidential ticket in the fall.
The challenge also states that the "Democratic Party of Wisconsin and its members have been embarrassed in the local and national media by the decision of Ms. Bartoshevich to endorse Senator McCain.”
Today we see, via LA Times' Top of the Ticket that the state state party voted to dump Bartoshevich, in a vote of 23-0 and to bar her from attending the Democratic National Convention in Denver.
Before the committee took the vote, Bartoshevich participated in a teleconference with them where she asked to be allowed to attend the convention and cast her vote for Clinton, whom she has supported throughout the campaign,
She informed them that she has donated her time and her money to Clinton and she still believed that Clinton was the best candidate. She then told them that she hadn't officially decided whom to support and that she wanted to attend the convention and listen, that perhaps Obama could win her over.
The discussion also included Bartoshevich telling the committee that her sister, a McCain supporter, had signed her up for the Citizens For McCain website, to which one committee member, Dottie LeClaire, responded "You reached right back and hugged them. I have a problem with that."
Huge thank you to Top of the Ticket for emailing me the video (seen below) of Debra.
She says she is finished with the Democratic party.
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