DNC Panel Approves Delegate Deal on Michigan and Florida Primaries

[Dos Equis]

Hillary might appeal?  Desperate.

DNC Panel Approves Delegate Deal on Michigan and Florida Primaries, Despite Objectionsby FOXNews.com
Saturday, May 31, 2008

 

Members of the rules panel of the Democratic National Committee raise their hands to vote on a proposal on how to count the Florida primary Saturday in Washington, D.C. (AP Photo)

Democratic leaders struck a long-awaited compromise over the disputed Florida and Michigan primaries Saturday evening in Washington, D.C., flying over objections from the Hillary Clinton campaign and agreeing to give both delegations half their vote at the party’s August convention.

The deal was reached after members of a Democratic National Committee rules panel spent all day bargaining and met privately for more than three hours. Members announced their plan to a raucous hearing room that reflected deep divisions within the party. Both states had their delegations initially stripped for holding early primaries in violation of party rules.

Though Clinton, who won both contests, wanted both delegations counted in full, the campaign seemed satisfied with the Florida plan. The sticking point was Michigan, where Obama’s name was not on the ballot.

“This body of 30 individuals has decided that they’re going to substitute their judgment for 600,000 voters — now that’s what I call democracy,” Clinton adviser and committee member Harold Ickes said in the closing moments of debate, saying the Michigan plan would be “hijacking” delegates from Clinton.

Ickes added that Clinton has “instructed me to reserve the right to take this to the Credentials Committee.”

That means the Clinton campaign may be considering appealing the decision and drawing out the dispute to the August convention, something party leaders dread.

The Clinton campaign echoed Ickes’ remarks in a written statement, saying the Florida decision is a “victory” for them but that they reserve the right to challenge the Michigan deal.

“This decision violates the bedrock principles of our democracy and our Party,” the statement said.

The decision of the Rules and Bylaws Committee does not drastically change the delegate math. Clinton was banking on the DNC meeting as one of her last chances to make up ground against Obama’s huge delegate lead, but Obama is still within striking distance of the nomination.

The resolution increased the number of delegates needed to clinch the nomination from 2,026 to 2,118, leaving Obama 66 delegates short. With the new math, Clinton has 1,877.5 delegates and Obama has 2,052.

There were 368 total delegates at stake in Florida and Michigan.

Clinton’s camp insisted Obama shouldn’t get any pledged delegates in Michigan since he chose not to put his name on the ballot, and she should get 73 pledged delegates with 55 uncommitted. Obama’s team insisted the only fair solution was to split the pledged delegates in half between the two campaigns, with 64 each.

The committee agreed on a compromise offered by the Michigan Democratic Party that would split the difference, allowing Clinton to take 69 delegates and Obama 59. Each delegate would get half a vote at the convention in Denver this summer, according to the deal.

The deal passed 19-8. Thirteen members of the committee supported Clinton, so she wasn’t even able to keep her supporters together.

The committee also unanimously agreed to seat the Florida delegation based on the outcome of the January primary, with 105 pledged delegates for Clinton and 67 for Obama, but with each delegate getting half a vote as a penalty.

Proponents of full seating continuously interrupted the committee members as they explained their support of the compromise, then supporters of the deal shouted back.

“Shut up!” one woman shouted at another.

“You shut up!” the second woman shouted back.

Hundreds of protesters, mostly supportive of Clinton, lined up outside to urge the DNC to count the votes in full.

Alice Huffman, a Clinton supporter on the committee, explained that the compromise giving delegates half votes was the next best thing to full seating.

“We will leave here more united than we came,” she said.

http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/05/31/dnc-panel-approves-delegate-deal-on-michigan-and-florida-primaries-despite-objections/

[calmus]

Hahaha. wish I could have been there. Some dude yelled "lipstick on a pig"

[Dos Equis]

So much for party loyalty.   

Angry Clinton supporters tell party leaders: 'Let's go McCain!'
Posted: 11:20 AM ET

From CNN Associate Political Editor Rebecca Sinderbrand

Some Clinton backers said Saturday they're voting for McCain.
WASHINGTON (CNN) – Democratic leaders hopeful that a deal to seat delegates from Florida and Michigan would mark an end to the deep division the controversy has brought to the party got some instant – and less than encouraging – feedback as they finalized the measure Saturday evening.

As members of the Democratic National Committee's Rules and Bylaws panel voted in favor of the measures, some supporters of Hillary Clinton's White House bid rose from their seats and began to shout “Don’t steal my vote!” and “Let’s go, McCain!”

Several paced the back of the ballroom, yelling at the committee members and chanting “Denver! Denver!” – the site of this summer's Democratic presidential nominating convention.

When Barack Obama’s name was mentioned, boos filled the room.

"This motion will hijack, hijack, remove four delegates won by Hillary Clinton and most importantly reflect the preferences of 600,000 Michigan voters,” said Clinton senior adviser and RBC member Harold Ickes, who added that the White House hopeful reserved her right to bring an appeal before the DNC's Credentials Committee later this summer.

The delegate allocations were a blow to Clinton, who comes away with an advantage of just 24 delegates.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/

[Bindare_Dundat]

Political Soap Opera

[calmus]

Which can all be trace to Hillary's sense of white entitlement. 

Hillary does look like a pig wearing lipstick

[youandme]

I was switching radio stations this morning going to the gym, heard a rap song singing "Obama says we need change"

at that point you know if a rapper who sells drugs, has not even graduated high school, can influence people to vote for a candidate because of skin color, then the world is fuced.