OBAMA NOW ALLOWS FULL DELEGATION OF FLORIDA AND MICHIGAN - SO MUCH FOR RULES!
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WASHINGTON - Now that Barack Obama has clinched the Democratic nomination for president, he wants convention delegates from Florida and Michigan to have full voting rights at the party's national convention.
Obama sent a letter Sunday to the party's credentials committee, asking members to reinstate the delegates' voting rights when the committee meets at the start of the convention in Denver.
The delegates were originally stripped because the two states violated party rules by holding primaries before Feb. 5. The delegates from each state were given half-votes at a contentious party meeting in May, as part of a compromise designed to give two important states some role at the convention.
Obama's former Democratic rival, Hillary Rodham Clinton, had won both primaries, though Obama's name was not on the Michigan ballot and neither candidate campaigned in Florida.
"I believe party unity calls for the delegates from Florida and Michigan to be able to participate fully alongside the delegates from the other states and territories," Obama said in the letter.
Some of Clinton's supporters were outraged that the delegates were not fully reinstated in May. They were also angry that Obama claimed some of the delegates won by Clinton in Michigan.
Party leaders in Michigan had developed a plan to award Obama delegates even though he wasn't on the ballot. Their plan served as the basis for the eventual compromise approved by the party's rules and bylaws committee.
Obama clinched the Democratic nomination three days later, and he has been working to win over Clinton's supporters ever since.
Florida has 211 delegates, including superdelegates, and Michigan has 156. Both states are expected to be contested in the November election.
Obama's endorsement virtually guarantees the delegates will have full voting rights. Clinton, who also has supporters on the credentials committee, had lobbied to reinstate the delegates.
Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Karen Thurman said, "Today is a proud day for all of us who fought so hard to ensure Floridians votes are fully counted."
She said Obama's request proves "his commitment to uniting the party and ending the uncertainty surrounding the process."
The three co-chairs of the credentials committee issued a statement Sunday saying the issue of Florida and Michigan would be a "top priority" at their meeting.
"As always our goal is to ensure a fair process and a unified Democratic Party so that we can win in November," wrote Alexis Herman, James Roosevelt Jr. and Eliseo Roques-Arroyo.
Granting full voting rights to the delegates raises questions about whether the party will be able to control its own nominating process in the future.
Obama said he supported the party's efforts to control the primary calendar.
"As we prepare to come together in Denver, however, we must be â€" and will be â€" united in our determination to change the course of our nation," Obama said.
Both parties struggled to control their primary calendars this year, with states jockeying to increase their influence by moving their nominating contests earlier. The Republicans penalized five states for holding contests before Feb. 5, stripping them of half their delegates: Florida, Michigan, New Hampshire, Wyoming and South Carolina.
Republican presidential candidate John McCain has not publicly pressed for their reinstatement, though many GOP insiders expect them to have full voting rights as well.
The Democrats had stripped all the delegates from Florida and Michigan, and both Obama and Clinton agreed not to campaign in the states before their primaries, which were held in January. Obama and Clinton went on to wage a historic fight for the nomination, with Florida and Michigan on the sidelines until the outcome was decided
TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE. WHAT AN ASSWIPE
Obama sent a letter Sunday to the party's credentials committee, asking members to reinstate the delegates' voting rights when the committee meets at the start of the convention in Denver.
The delegates were originally stripped because the two states violated party rules by holding primaries before Feb. 5. The delegates from each state were given half-votes at a contentious party meeting in May, as part of a compromise designed to give two important states some role at the convention.
Obama's former Democratic rival, Hillary Rodham Clinton, had won both primaries, though Obama's name was not on the Michigan ballot and neither candidate campaigned in Florida.
"I believe party unity calls for the delegates from Florida and Michigan to be able to participate fully alongside the delegates from the other states and territories," Obama said in the letter.
Some of Clinton's supporters were outraged that the delegates were not fully reinstated in May. They were also angry that Obama claimed some of the delegates won by Clinton in Michigan.
Party leaders in Michigan had developed a plan to award Obama delegates even though he wasn't on the ballot. Their plan served as the basis for the eventual compromise approved by the party's rules and bylaws committee.
Obama clinched the Democratic nomination three days later, and he has been working to win over Clinton's supporters ever since.
Florida has 211 delegates, including superdelegates, and Michigan has 156. Both states are expected to be contested in the November election.
Obama's endorsement virtually guarantees the delegates will have full voting rights. Clinton, who also has supporters on the credentials committee, had lobbied to reinstate the delegates.
Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Karen Thurman said, "Today is a proud day for all of us who fought so hard to ensure Floridians votes are fully counted."
She said Obama's request proves "his commitment to uniting the party and ending the uncertainty surrounding the process."
The three co-chairs of the credentials committee issued a statement Sunday saying the issue of Florida and Michigan would be a "top priority" at their meeting.
"As always our goal is to ensure a fair process and a unified Democratic Party so that we can win in November," wrote Alexis Herman, James Roosevelt Jr. and Eliseo Roques-Arroyo.
Granting full voting rights to the delegates raises questions about whether the party will be able to control its own nominating process in the future.
Obama said he supported the party's efforts to control the primary calendar.
"As we prepare to come together in Denver, however, we must be â€" and will be â€" united in our determination to change the course of our nation," Obama said.
Both parties struggled to control their primary calendars this year, with states jockeying to increase their influence by moving their nominating contests earlier. The Republicans penalized five states for holding contests before Feb. 5, stripping them of half their delegates: Florida, Michigan, New Hampshire, Wyoming and South Carolina.
Republican presidential candidate John McCain has not publicly pressed for their reinstatement, though many GOP insiders expect them to have full voting rights as well.
The Democrats had stripped all the delegates from Florida and Michigan, and both Obama and Clinton agreed not to campaign in the states before their primaries, which were held in January. Obama and Clinton went on to wage a historic fight for the nomination, with Florida and Michigan on the sidelines until the outcome was decided
TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE. WHAT AN ASSWIPE
He stands for so little other than his own personal interest which renders his own slogan of change nothing more than meaningless words.
He seems to be pulling at strings now. While I believe you may be accurate in your assessment, I still do not believe he can afford not to have a roll call.
It is like a Halliburtin Contract that has faults in it, it still get the deal.
If I would have been the Democratic Party I would have installed them at intervals.
I agree that they need to be there but they broke the rules. Reminds me of a movie about those Texas Cheerleaders who kept breaking the rules until someone had enough.
Okay said and done come up with a Lottery system where a small state starts it of with a large state soon after, luck of the draw, so there are no fingers to point.
Also a rethink on the Superdelegates need to be done by the state branches of the Democratic Parties, the power must be shared between the states and Washington. One thing that no candidate may openly promise or imply anything that meetings have a neutral monitor. Also that Superdelegates cannot start selecting at least until a month into the campaign. The idea of staring with a top of delegates without having the first primary is a little unnerving.
The Four State Pledge: Link
And Hillary's campaign manager Harold Ickes was the one who increased the penalty from "half vote" to ZERO vote, back when he thought Hillary would have it sewn up on Super Tuesday. She didn't and then the game playing began.
SHE even stated HERSELF on NPR that "Michigan won't "Michigan Won't "Count for Anything"" (Listen to the audio)
Is there ANY pleasing you Hillbot zombie deadender cultists?
Sheesh, she LOST even after gaming the system and trying to change the rules every chance she thought she could.
Listen here: Link
I believe they are becoming very concerned that the selected-not-elected candidate, although able to heavy hand the nomination of his party, will not be victorious in the general election.
So, their hope probably is that this will please the people of Michigan and Florida enough that they will vote for him anyway. I don't know if that will work, I lived in Florida for nine years - those people do not forget.
They still need to address the concerns of millions of other Democrats.
Perhaps your head is elsewhere other than in the sand, unless you are currently sitting on a beach.
its like the back room caucus overturning the majority primary and handing the delegates again to HIM rather than the winner of the state primary.
And they claim this great victory and wonder why the party is so fractured.
its because we did not see a true winner, we saw back room politics again and again.
What "back room" politics are tou talking about? HE WOM more delegates and HE "won" the "popular vote" (which was NEVER the purpose of the DELEGATE race. It was for DELEGATES NOT crazy Hillbot zoomed out droid deadender cultists.
SHE L-O-S-T~!
She sent out fund raising letters supporting Obama. She has asked the PUMA assholes to cool it (because it WILL hurt her in a Senate race in NY, which is coming up SOON...unless THAT is your PUMA ultimate goal?)
Knock it off with the breath holding and foot stomping.
GROW UP!
She came in 2nd in an 8 way race.
Not too shabby, unlike the actions of her so called supporters.
YOU Hillbot deadender zombie cultists are HURTING HWE~
Stop it!
Stop it!
Stop making her look like a crazed menopausal screeching irrational lunatic.
SHE has told YOU to knock it off. If you persist in this divisive crapola it is obvious that you are nothing but a Pug plant posing as a Dem.
She LOST. She KNOWS it. She still has a Senate career to worry about.
STOP making HER look bad! She could be Majority Leader in a few years if YOU just realize the damage YOU are doing and STOP SPEAKING FOR HER!Perhaps you Hillbot deadender cultists should actually listen to HER and realize that SHE wants you cultists to STOP IT!
Grow up, for the sake of the Party and Country!
She L-O-S-T! She will NOT challenge it at the convention because she DOES NOT wish to be publicly humiliated in front of a world-wide audience.
GROW UP! STOP IT! She DOES NOT want your irrational behavior to continue and damage her future!
THEY LOST! So did SHE!
Grow up and stop acting like a 2 year old on the floor of a K-Mart screaming for a new Hillary doll.
Another flip flop
All you Clinton haters, do not come asking for my vote
They're nervous. They're darn well nervous and they should be.
Arrogance will slap you every time.
Yes, the problem with Obama is his very own history.
Instead of one of great accomplishment in terms of grand legislation, there is a history of having others simply striken from the ballot and insuring lack of choice.
There is a history of present votes, non votes and acts primarily based on what is good for himself rather than the population as a whole.