News and Politics | May 28, 2008 | 6 comments

DNC: Fla., Mich. Can't Be Fully Restored

source: http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1809854,00.html

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A Democratic Party rules committee has the authority to seat some delegates from Michigan and Florida but not fully restore the two states as Hillary Rodham Clinton wants, according to party lawyers.

Democratic National Committee rules require that the two states lose at least half of their convention delegates for holding elections too early, the party's legal experts wrote in a 38-page memo.

The memo was sent late Tuesday to the 30 members of the party's Rules and Bylaws Committee, which plans to meet Saturday at a Washington hotel. The committee is considering ways to include the two important general election battlegrounds at the nominating convention in August, and the staff analysis says seating half the delegates is "as far as it legally can" go.

The DNC analysis does not make recommendations for how the Rules and Bylaws Committee should vote, but gives context from the party's charter and bylaws for the committee to consider.

It underscores a prickly problem: If the Rules and Bylaws Committee decides to restore any of the states' delegates, there is not a simple way to divide them between Clinton and Barack Obama.

Clinton won the majority of the vote in Florida and Michigan and has been arguing that the delegates should be fully restored according to the results of the January primaries. But even if they were, it would not be enough for her to overtake Obama's delegate lead.

The DNC staff analysis argues that the Rules and Bylaws Committee was fully within its rights to strip all 368 delegates from the two states when they scheduled primaries in January. Party rules said their nominating contests could be no earlier than Feb. 5. Michigan voted on Jan. 15, Florida on Jan. 29.

[Credit: Nedra Pickler, AP; Photo: AP]
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6 comments // DNC: Fla., Mich. Can't Be Fully Restored

  • PatrickEdwardMurray
    • 0
      PatrickEdwardMurray  

    • Jan,

      Thank you:)

      One day, soon after the Declaration was signed, a fellow
      Philadelphian asked Ben Franklin " Dr. Franklin, what kind of government have you given us?

      Franklin replied " A Republic sir, if you can keep it"

      I'm very much afraid that we have just lost it:(

    • 4 years ago
  • chillwillNJ
    • 0
      chillwillNJ  

    • I think you are missing the point here.
      Nobody is pulling the wool over anyones eyes here. Their Party LEADERS opted to break the rules knowing full well what would happen.

      For the Obama camp to stick to the rules is completely valid.

      This isnt the fault of the DNC, this is the fault of those party leaders from Michingan and Florida. They should be kicked out of office, yes. But right now Hillary is using this as her last grasp at her life's ambition.

      Republicans pulled the rug out from under the country.
      Dems are playing by the rules . they arent changing them in the middle of the fight. THAT is the key here.

    • 4 years ago
  • JanforGore
    • 0
      JanforGore  

    • 2000 redux. Only now it is Democrats who think they have the right to disenfranchise voters. Never thought I would see the day when Democrats and Republicans would join together to put party over country.

    • 4 years ago
  • seeker561
    • 0
      seeker561  

    • From CNN, FL courts affirm DNC's right to make the rules:

      "Judge Richard Lazzara sided with the DNC, saying political parties have the right to make their own rules. It is the second Florida lawsuit protesting the party's decision to be thrown out of court, following one filed by Sen. Bill Nelson and Rep. Alcee Hastings, both Florida Democrats."

    • 4 years ago
  • chillwillNJ
  • mako2424
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