DNC Lays Out Choice For Florida And Michigan: Rules, Re-Vote

[RamboLiberal]

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.

Dean will make the rounds of the network morning news shows tomorrow to explain his reasoning.

http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/03/dnc_encouraging_florida_and_mi.php

So if Clinton keeps arguing to seat the delegates as is she is dissing Howard Dean and the DNC! What, is she above the party and does she think the DLC trumps the DNC?

[ingac70]

1. All the DLCers hate Dean. n/t

[rocktivity]

3. DING DING DING! Ingac, you're our grand prize winner!

All the DLCers hate Dean.

Why do you think they're doing this? Dean fully realizes that this controversy is nothing more than an assault on his power by the moderate end of the party.

:headbang:
rocknation

[movonne]

4. and I hope it backfires...

[anamandujano]

10. I doubt he's that petty.

[Dr.Phool]

13. Moderate?

The Republican, DLC wing.

[Tom Rinaldo]

2. I would accept a plan for Primary revotes - but not caucuses

The deadlock over this issue is hurting the Democratic Party in those States.

[ingac70]

5. The parties hurt themselves. n/t

[Tom Rinaldo]

7. Yes but the fallout hurts all of us...

..and possibly the world if it swings a tight Presidential election to McCain. It's not even just about winning Florida for example. If we can't even keep it close enough to make it competitive than Republicans can free up massive amounts of money from spending there to use against us in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and even New Jersey.

[madfloridian]

12. It's about Hillary winning.

.

[BearSquirrel2]

6. Caucauses were acceptable in other states ...

This is a false choice. Caucuses were acceptable in other states. They were in the rules. Why not in Michigan?

Look the Republican governor of Florida has proposed a new state financed primary. If so ... great. But if the party has to pay for it ... you're looking at a caucus. The rules were on the books and the Democrats in those states broke those rules. Had all the Democratic candidates ignored the rules and campaigned anyway, I think you could make an argument for seating the delegates. But in Michigan, Hillary blatantly cheated by not removing her name from the ballot. In Florida, no one campaigned and Hillary won on name recognition.

Neither of these false methods are adequate for seating a delegation. I think we all understand Michigan and Florida's point as does Chairman Dean. In fact, Dean is in favor of changing the rules. But, the rules are in place and must be followed for things to be legal. The Democratic parties of Michigan and Florida have to figure out if they want to risk Hillary's fake victories or whether they want to hold another delegate selection.

[Tom Rinaldo]

8. Michigan and Florida were not caucus states.

They have very different and in my opinion less democratic dynamics than primaries. I have long held that view.

[BearSquirrel2]

14. So do I but ...

I prefer primaries as well. But, Michigan and Florida kinda burned their own primaries. So if Caucuses are all they can afford ... that's what they have to do. The delegates won't be seated based on their invalid primaries.

[cui bono]

9. self delete

[Zachstar]

11. I think a deal can be made here.

If the states decide to pay for the revote and admit they were in the wrong they can have a primary or a caucus. If they decide that they want a free revote and want to continue to say they could move up.. Well then I think the DNC gets to pick how the revote takes place.

Nobody has any room to tell the DNC it has to be a primary or a cacus unless they want to foot the bill themselves.

[goodgd_yall]

20. I agree n/t

[Colobo]

15. Let's make a caucus here in FL.

[madfloridian]

16. Here's the complete statement.

The one Olbermann showed. Then he and Chuck Todd shared a snicker about the word "rules". Like they were unimportant. I was angered at that.

We're glad to hear that the Governors of Michigan and Florida are willing to lend their weight to help resolve this issue. As we've said all along, we strongly encourage the Michigan and Florida state parties to follow the rules, so today's public overtures are good news. The rules, which were agreed to by the full DNC including representatives from Florida and Michigan over 18 months ago, allow for two options. First, either state can choose to resubmit a plan and run a party process to select delegates to the convention; second, they can wait until this summer and appeal to the Convention Credentials Committee, which determines and resolves any outstanding questions about the seating of delegates.We look forward to receiving their proposals should they decide to submit new delegate selection plans and will review those plans at that time. The Democratic Nominee will be determined in accordance with party rules, and out of respect for the presidential campaigns and the states that did not violate party rules, we are not going to change the rules in the middle of the game.

"Through all the speculation, we should also remember the overwhelming enthusiasm and turnout that we have already seen, and respect the voters of the ten states who have yet to have their say.

"As we head towards November, our nominee must have the united support of a strong Democratic Party that's ready to fight and ready to beat John McCain. After seven years of Republican rule, I am confident that we will elect a Democratic president who will fight for America's families in the White House. Now we must hear from the voters in twelve states and territories who have yet to make their voices heard."

http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/03/dnc_encouraging_florida_and_mi.php

[mmonk]

17. I would answer your end questions but I'm tired of fighting with people

who would take offense to my answers.

[FogerRox]

18. Deans revenge.

Its sweet.

[msallied]

19. FL and MI do not exist

At least for the purposes of the primary, and it's their respective leaders' own doing. Any more ado over this will serve to split the party more and rape the taxpayers of money that they DON'T HAVE.

This is kind of reminding me of telling a kid that she can't get dessert unless she eats her vegetables, and then two hours later she's demanding ice cream, even though she didn't touch a single green bean on her plate. Sorry kid. Stop your whining.

[flyarm]

21. Obama said he would seat the delegates first..when no other candidate did that.

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2007/sep/30/obama-vows-do-whats-right/?news-breaking

Barack Obama held an impromptu news conference after a Tampa fundraiser Sunday.


By WILLIAM MARCH and ELAINE SILVESTRINI The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 30, 2007



TAMPA - Barack Obama hinted during a Tampa fundraiser Sunday that if he's the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, he'll seat a Florida delegation at the party's national convention, despite national party sanctions prohibiting it

Obama also appeared to violate a pledge he and the other leading candidates took by holding a brief news conference outside the fundraiser. That was less than a day after the pledge took effect Saturday, and Obama is the first Democratic presidential candidate to visit Florida since then.Obama and others have pledged not to campaign in Florida until the Jan. 29 primary except for fundraising, which is what he was doing in Tampa.

But after the fundraiser at the Hyde Park home of Tom and Linda Scarritt, Obama crossed the street to take half a dozen questions from reporters waiting there.

The pledge covers anything referred to in Democratic National Committee rules as "campaigning," and those include "holding news conferences.

Obama seemed unaware the pledge he signed prohibits news conferences. Asked whether he was violating it, he said, "I was just doing you guys a favor. … If that's the case, then we won't do it again."