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Clinton, Obama campaigns accuse each other of breaking caucus rules

07:45 PM CST on Tuesday, March 4, 2008

By KEVIN PETERS
KVUE News

There were reports of caucus rules being broken before they even began Tuesday evening.

The Texas Democratic Party sent out a memo to both campaigns -- basically telling each side to behave.

Earlier in the day the Obama campaign sent out an email saying the Clinton campaign was signing people up for the caucus early.

Bill Clinton accused the Obama campaign of doing the same.

"We're going to have to make sure everyone knows they have to come back tonight. We've had some very disturbing reports in places where Hillary is strong that people are coming to these places and telling them the caucus has been cancelled and they dont have to come back," said Clinton. "The other thing is that some people have been told that there's going to be an effort to get people to sign up in advance and slip the sheets in. Nobody's signature counts unless you sign up after the polls close."

There were reports of that happening in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, El Paso and Southeast Texas.

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The Texas Democratic Party said no one can sign up for a caucus until 7:15 p.m. -- or until the last person at that particular precinct votes.

"In response to those concerns, we have responded to both campaigns with a memo outlining the guidelines and rules of the texas democratic party. Now that that memo has been sent out, we expect both campaigns and their workers to abide by the rules and regulations," said Hector Nieto, Texas Democratic Party.

The Texas Democratic Party instituted this two tier voting system that includes the general primary and the caucuses in 1988.

The idea was to give grassroots activists more voting power because the party knew those they would vote once in the primary and then return for the caucus at 7:15

The caucuses will decide a third of the delegates.

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