As I noted earlier, the Governors of Florida and Michigan called on the DNC to seat their states delegates.
Marc Ambinder reports that the DNC has already responded:
Howard Dean will not bend the party rules to grandfather in the disputed delegates from Michigan and Florida, the Democratic party chairman said in a statement today.
Instead, he put the state parties on notice: either they can wait and allow the credentials committee to decide whether to seat their delegates, or submit to a re-vote sanctioned under DNC rules. “We look forward to receiving their proposals should they decide to submit new delegate selection plans and will review those plans at that time,” he said in the statement.
“Everyone seems to be asking what the DNC will do,” a Democrat close to Dean said. “But the question is: what will the state parties do.”
Dean’s statement implies that he has no intention of changing the rules to accommodate any solution proposed by the candidates or the state parties. There has been some suggestion that the two remaining presidential candidates might try to broker a deal among themselves. His line in the sand narrows the options for Hillary Clinton’s campaign because it is unlikely that a credentials committee would endorse a delegation congenial to her mathematical interests.
He also points to this statement from the head of Florida’s Democratic Party that seems to put the idea of a second primary in doubt:
“It is important also that we are clear about one issue. At this time, no suggested alternative process has been able to meet three specific and necessary requirements: the full participation from both candidates, a guaranteed commitment of the millions of dollars it will cost to conduct the event and a detailed election plan that would enfranchise all Florida Democrats, including our military service members serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere.
The Florida Democratic Party cannot consider any alternative that does not meet these requirements. Indeed, it is very possible that no satisfactory alternative plan will emerge, in which case Florida Democrats will remain committed to seating the delegates allocated by the January 29th primary.
The states have until June 10th to submit an alternative plan.
March 6th, 2008 at 12:34 am
Florida and Michigan were scammed by the Clintons and the Clintos should be charged for new elections, since it matters to them so much to have the delegates in the convention. Obama and Edwards respected the rules and Hillary did not, because it was all a part of her game. Looks like the game-plan is back firing, because now she needs Michigan and Florida, two states that are Red and most likely will go Republican, unless of course they cross-over to Obama, because Hillary would not get those cross-over votes.
March 19th, 2008 at 2:16 pm
Mrs Hilary Clinton is looking to use money to buy the DNC party. She has deliberatly disobeyed the laws of the DNC by participarting in the Florida and Michigan election. She thinks that disobeying the law, will get her elected, she should be bared from the DNC immediately becasue she does not accept or follow the the laws stated before the 2008 race began. You can not change the rules in a game at the 11th hour because you are losing to a better candidate. OBAMA, Edwards obeyed the laws and rules and have played by the DNC regulations.
The Florida and Michigan states should not be seated, and if the party decides they may consider then the delegates will be shared equally 50% each to Obama and Clinton. Clinton is dividing and trying very hard to destroy the DNC by her antics and is playing the card of the victim while being the aggresor, its so obvious to the public. The Obama campaign is right to reject any redo elections in both states. The rest of the elections are yet to come, lets prepare for those ones. Michigan and Florida are disobeyed the laws and should be punished as a warning to any other state and it will serve as a precedence for failure to abide by party rules. We all live by the law and can not flaunt the law because it does not suit us. It was meant to be obeyed or be punished, Clinton needs to be told to either get in line with the decision no revotes or she should drop out of the race. Obama is going to win and needs time to build to face a tough McCain in November for the DNC to win.
Hilary can not unit America, Obama can and that is what the DNC needs to win.