Friday, March 14, 2008

DNC Still Unsure On Issue Of Seating Florida Delegates

WE'VE MOVED! Democratic Convention Watch is now at http://www.DemocraticConventionWatch.com

On Tuesday night, Florida's nine congressmen voted to oppose a mail-in vote proposition put forth by Florida Democratic State Chairman, Karen Thurman. Thurman has urged the national and state party, as well as both Senators Clinton and Obama to consider a combined vote-by-mail/in-person plan to serve as a re-do of Florida's premature January 29th presidential primary. This is just the latest news in the ongoing struggle the DNC faces in figuring out how to get the Florida and Michigan delegates seated in August.

First, an introduction:
As this is my first contribution to this site, my friends at 2008 Democratic Convention Watch encouraged me to say hello. My name is Anthony Timperman, and amongst certain other duties, I am the publisher of Waxpolitic.blogspot.com . I will be contributing regularly here at DCW up to and after the Convention. I hope you will stop by and join in our forum at Wax Politic from time to time as well. There... hello. Back to Florida.

Thurman's plan calls for all of Florida's 4.1 million Democrats to be mailed a ballot. They could send it back or cast a ballot in one of 50 regional voting centers. The election would end June 3rd, a week before a Democratic National Committee deadline to name delegates. Price to Florida voters? $10 to 12 million to be exact. Asked how she felt about the chances of her proposal being actualized State Party Chair Thurman replied,

I have a feeling that this is probably closer to not, than yes.
So what needs to get done at the national level for Florida and Michigan to seat their delegates?

In Michigan the DNC and state party leaders who include Governor Jennifer Granholm, a Clinton supporter, are working to get on the same page. The stumbling block is how to pass legislation that would agree on spending privately raised funds for a re-do. If this happens, it looks likely that an early June vote is possible.

In Florida, it may take a more novel approach. One idea would seat Florida's existing delegates at the convention with half a vote each. Florida's superdelegates would then be given a vote in Denver. (Senator Bill Nelson is floating this idea also). A curious proposition, but one that seems to make more sense logistically for those legislators in Florida who contend that a mail-in re-do is far more involved than some would like to think. They're using Oregon, whose mail-in ballot process took years to iron out, as evidence. Talk from DNC headquarters makes obvious the fact that no one wants this dragging out until the National Convention in August.
The best option is whatever we can get the candidates to agree with, which puts a vote back in the hands of the people of Florida and Michigan. And that's going to be not so easy to do. - DNC Chairman Howard Dean
The Clinton and Obama camps have different stances but each continues to publicly assuage fears that they would interfere with the rules the DNC laid out. Senator Clinton, having won both Florida and Michigan (although she was the only major candidate on the Michigan ballot), is hopeful that these two states' delegations will swing a hotly contentious race in her favor. Obama strategists have publicly called into question the timing of Senator Clinton's heightened focus on the issue.

We'll keep on top of this in the coming days to find out how party leaders in Florida and Michigan will sort through all of the political jockeying and logistical hurdles.

Update (from Matt): The DNC is playing hardball with Florida:
Florida Democrats got a stern warning Friday from the co-chairman of a group that will determine whether the state gets a say in the presidential race: Hold a re-vote, or risk not getting seated at the party convention to pick a nominee.

"It's the responsibility of the state Democratic Party to come up with a [re-vote] proposal that complies with the rules and has the support and the planning that's needed within the state," James Roosevelt, who runs the Democratic National Committee's credentials committee, told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Florida's Democratic leaders had floated the idea of a June 3 redo election to comply with national party rules, which the state violated with its Jan. 29 primary. But the re-vote plan was opposed by Florida's congressional delegation and faces many logistic obstacles.

The DNC's credentials committee, which has two other co-chairmen and about 200 members, most of whom are still to be named by the presidential candidates, has the power to decide whether Florida and Michigan get a say at the nominating convention. The two states were punished for moving up their primary dates in violation of national party rules.

A re-vote "seems to be moving forward in Michigan; it seems to be a little bit stalled in Florida," said Roosevelt, a former official in Bill Clinton's administration appointed to his party post by DNC Chairman Howard Dean. "If they can do it in Michigan, I don't see why they couldn't do it in Florida."

Roosevelt's comments drew a swift rebuke from Florida Senate Democratic leader Steve Geller, who said the national party is flirting with disaster by threatening to snub Florida.

"What the DNC fails to understand is that not only are they giving away the presidency, we're apparently heading toward a Democratic National Convention that is a repeat of Chicago in 1968," said Geller, D-Cooper City, referring to the most chaotic Democratic convention in modern history.
There's been some talk that the Credentials Committee would be pro-Clinton because of the Clinton ties of the three heads. I think the above makes it clear that the person pulling the strings of the Credentials Committee will be Howard Dean.

8 comments:

cbsmith42 said...

Thank you, Anthony. Great first post.

Yamaka said...

A very simple solution is accept FL and MI AS IS because of the very closeness of the race:

Give HRC whatever votes she earned and the rest goes to BHO.

BHO removed his name voluntarily in MI - not required by DNC. HRC left her name. A good judgment in her part. He violated the Rule by running campaign Ads in Florida.

She did not violate any rule, period.

On the other hand, if you can raise 25 million dollars, then have the primaries re-vote. This is very difficult, and time is running out.

What is horrendous is disenfranchising several million voters, for no fault of theirs.

FNJ said...

Mrs. Clinton did not criticize caucuses until she lost. She did not pick which states were meaningful and which were not, until she lost. She did not state that the decision be left up to super delegates, until she lost. She did not state that the candidate with the most popular votes should be the nominee until she lost. She did not state that the DNC decisions regarding Florida and Michigan were wrong, until she lost.

You can't change the rules after you've lost.

Unknown said...

There is NO simple solution. If there was it would have been exercised by now. The simple facts are: FL and MI intentionally violated agreed upon DNC rules; both states understood the consequences--before they ignored the rules; both candidates knew and agreed to the rules; neither candidate campaigned in either state (the ad for Obama received a DNC exemption due to the inability of the broadcaster to NOT run an ad in FL while also running the add in surrounding states); Clinton DID conduct fundraisers in FL.

Now FL is complaining that they have to suffer the consequences of their decision, and Clinton is crying foul because she sees an advantage to having the delegates seated. This situation is absurd. Grow up, people! And Clinton, start acting like a leader--not a whiner.

As far as MI goes, at least they are trying to make good on their responsibilities to their citizens. They are trying to make right the wrong they committed earlier. Give them credit for that.

Liquid Sunshine said...

AS IS = bad and contestable.

Better solution: convert all delegates to super-delegates and then revise the sentence.

Kind of a plea bargain, many advantages e.g., re-enfranchisemant, improved limelight, some disadvantages e.g., Howard Dean would have to act in a reasonable manner so rabies shots would be required for him. ;)

cbsmith42 said...

Clinton's decision to leave her name on the ticket in Michigan just proves that she is not a team player. She should have joined Edwards and Obama in the party's protest.

Wolle said...

I think, that it would be a clever move of Obama to accept the Florida results...

we have seen in Iowa, that Edwards-supporter move to Obama; if they do that in Florida too, hes only 3 % behind...

Anonymous said...

No one twisted anyone's arms to remove their name from the FL. ballot. If the people were upset about the lack of candidates, they probably did not vote. Those who did should have their votes recognized and counted - it's not rocket science. We are a nation governed by the people. Why is the DNC trying to shut them up? I don't care what their "rules" were - I do see it that FL did not act in its best interest, but it did hold an election, and the election needs to stand.