DNC stance surprises campaigns

Politico ^ | 4/2/08 | DAVID PAUL KUHN

[george76]

The Democratic National Committee said Tuesday that Florida and Michigan members will be seated on the three standing committees — including the critical Credentials Committee—at the party’s 2008 national convention, a position that could affect the selection of the Democratic nominee.

While both states were stripped of their delegates to the convention, according to the DNC’s interpretation of party rules, members from those states will be seated on the Credentials Committee. The Credentials Committee, which can meet prior to convention, resolves disputes over whether to seat delegates at the convention.

“The DNC interpretation is that there are 186 members of the Credentials Committee and both states are seated on the standing committees,” said DNC spokeswoman Stacie Paxton.

Under the DNC's interpretation of the rules, Florida members of the credentials committee would not be allowed to vote on the question of whether to seat Florida's delegates to the presidential nominating process.

But the mere presence of Florida and Michigan on the credentials committee raises the prospect of vote-trading or last-minute maneuvering, creating potential confusion for a convention already shadowed by procedural controversies.

Senior advisers to the campaigns of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, as well as several party rules experts with experience from prior presidential campaigns, expressed surprise when informed of the DNC’s stance.

“Intuitively, I would have thought that if members of the delegation are not seated it strikes me as a little odd that members of the standing committees are seated,” said Harold Ickes...

seating the Florida and Michigan members could work to the advantage of Senator Hillary Clinton, who told the Washington Post Saturday that she was willing to take her fight to seat the two states to the Credentials Committee.

Ickes declined to speculate about how the DNC interpretation may benefit Clinton’s bid.

[hsalaw]

Rube Goldberg would be so proud of the dems’ election system.

[rod1]

Yearrrrrgg.

[camle]

in an organization known for being ‘flexible’ with the rules, Obama was dumb to count upon the democrats sticking to their standards.

[TeleStraightShooter]

..according to the DNC’s interpretation of party rules..

Depends on what the meaning of "is" is.

So they can sit on the committees but they cannot vote?
Typical (D) Disenfranchisement.

[Fee]

Recommend looking at the www.270towin.com website which takes the latest state polls and convert them into electoral college votes. McCain has about 211 and Obama has about 192. I think DNC internal polls are showing something that the DNC does not like. FL and MI are listed as open states in the referenced website. If Dems in those two states do not come out to vote in 2008, McCain can get those states (44 ev).

[twigs]

I think you may be right. It might also help explain what I was hearing from callers on radio this morning, that they thought party leaders were going to say to Obama that he needed to take the VP position on the ticket. I don’t buy that myself, but something is going on to get people thinking like that. Older FL voters will probably prefer Hillary...

[SunkenCiv]

This looks huge! Thanks george.

The Democratic National Committee said Tuesday that Florida and Michigan members will be seated on the three standing committees -- including the critical Credentials Committee -- at the party's 2008 national convention, a position that could affect the selection of the Democratic nominee... members from those states will be seated on the Credentials Committee... Under the DNC's interpretation of the rules, Florida members of the credentials committee would not be allowed to vote on the question of whether to seat Florida's delegates to the presidential nominating process... "Intuitively, I would have thought that if members of the delegation are not seated it strikes me as a little odd that members of the standing committees are seated," said Harold Ickes... Ickes declined to speculate about how the DNC interpretation may benefit Clinton's bid.

In 1980, Ted the Swimmer began his nomination fight concession speech by expressing his gratification for the support he'd been given and some other wrangled victories, but then stated that Carter was "more gratified". Ickes appears to be wary in these quotations.