YEAAARRH!!! Dean lays down the law on Michigan, Florida delegate battle

The most intense debate over Florida and Michigan since the 2006 BCS controversy heated up late today, as the governors of the two states issued a statement demanding -- demanding! -- that the Democratic Party find a solution to the ongoing delegate impasse. Never mind that Governors Granholm and Crist are the very people who effectively disenfranchised their own constituents by moving their states' primaries to forbidden dates, thus inviting the parties' promised delegate-stripping penalties. They now want the DNC to fix the mess that the states themselves created:

"The right to vote is at the very foundation of our democracy. This primary season, voters have turned out in record numbers to exercise that right, and it is reprehensible that anyone would seek to silence the voices of 5,163,271 Americans. It is intolerable that the national political parties have denied the citizens of Michigan and Florida their votes and voices at their respective national conventions."

Look, I don't deny that the "disenfranchisement" thing is a real issue, but it's pretty hard to stomach this sort of righteous rhetoric coming from two governors who walked into this situation with their eyes wide open. Just as Obama says to his supporters, "we are the change we seek," I say to Governors Granholm and Crist: you are the disenfranchers you decry!

Anyway, DNC chairman Howard Dean is having none of it:

"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.

Amen, Howard!

Said a source close to Dean: "Everyone seems to be asking what the DNC will do. But the question is: what will the state parties do."

According to Politico's Ben Smith, the Clinton campaign's "official line remains to reject re-votes in Florida and Michigan." But as I've noted previously, there have been some hints of that position softening in the last couple of days. In particular, it sure sounded like Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland was endorsing a re-vote last night:

I expect the Clinton position will continue to soften. Demanding re-votes (actually, the first and only legitimate votes), instead of demanding that the illegitimate delegate slates be seated, is obviously the right move for them, both morally and strategically. Prepping for an August credentials fight is a losing proposition for them; fighting for re-votes is a winning one. How can Obama argue against such a proposal? If he does, he'll look as shamelessly opportunistic and self-serving as Clinton usually does.

Bottom line, if she plays her cards right, a "re-vote" -- unlike a "just count the delegates" gambit -- is something Hillary can actually make happen. And what's more, it's the right thing to do.

Anyway, very interesting stuff. This issue is definitely not going away.

P.S. What's the statute of limitations on referring to the Dean Scream in headlines about the former Vermont governor and/or his home state? At least five years, right? Phew. :)

Comments

[PenguinSix]

You seemed pretty worked up about this and a few other posts today....

How about setting up a video camera and doing a Dean Scream yourself? Would be top vid on Youtube!

[Brendan Loy]

LOL!

I could list all the places I've lived.

"WE'RE GOING TO GO TO CONNECTICUT, AND CALIFORNIA, AND NEW YORK! AND WE'RE GOING TO GO TO ARIZONA, AND INDIANA, AND TENNESSEE! AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO GO TO COLORADO SO I CAN BE A DIRTY ROTTEN LAWYER!! YEAAARRRHHH!!!!"

:)

[texasyank]

I think Rush came up with the best idea today.

Florida and Michigan should re-vote.

And the GOP should offer to pay for it.

[4-7]

Whyeth the hecketh does Crist care about whether DNC delegates are seated. He's a Schmurpublican.

[Anonymous Hoosier]

Crist isn't running to be Vice "President of red America, or of blue America, but of the United States of America."

The only way the moral issue and the question of blame here are in any way clear-cut is if you passionately care about one candidate, or the other (or if your state budget is on the hook for millions of dollars for an extra election!)

[JD]

So, to punish them for scheduling early elections, we're going to let them choose the nominee by (re-)voting at the end?

Who is being hoisted by whose petard?

[A Running Commentary]

The govenors have the innocent look of foxes pleading the case of the hens to the farmer. If Hillary keeps this tight, the states will have to pony up for do-overs.

Also, you're good on the statute of limitations. Bush's "Read My Lips" was in 1988 and it's still getting mileage.

[Mike]

As a registered voter in MI, I have to admit I'm going to be pissed off if there's a revote in the D race here but not the R race. MI has an open primary. I chose to vote in the R race in large part because it was well publicized that the D race would receive no delegates, and thus that the net effect of voting in that race was nothing. I'm far from the only one who did that. If there's a revote in just the D race, I will be unable to vote in it (as I case a ballot in the R race when that was the only race which mattered). It will end up, effectively, telling people who paid attention to the rules of delegate seating that their decision to vote in the only race which would generate delegates was a bad idea, because enough people were upset with following the rules that there's a do-over for anyone who chose to vote in a meaningless contest or to not vote at all.

[sandy underpants]

Well who actually chose to run the M and FLA primaries early? And why did they do so in the face of having their outcomes nullified by the DNC as a consequence, which was never in doubt? I really can't believe it's the governors (sole) decision to do this. What a clusterfrock. They're going to obviously have to hold their elections again for the first time in June, and they will be Caucusus, which means Obama will keep that pimp hand strong.

[ndlaw06]

Unsurprisingly, Crist was on CNN this morning insisting that unless all the votes from Florida's primary are counted, it's tantamount to disenfranchisement. He also referred to the founding fathers and fucking Cuba of all things. What an asshat. When asked whether people who abstained in from voting in the primary because of the rule-breaking and the DNC's insistence that the votes wouldn't count, he just blah-blahed about record turnout. Good for Dean for sticking to his guns.

[sandy]

What really burns me about this whole mess,is that 18 months ago when all this surfaced, nothing and I mean nothing was said from the people of Florida. NOW, when Clinton is behind, everybody starts screaming. The DNC had a vote, everyone vote,including Hillary. Vote should stand. If the DNC changes the RULES, you are going to see the Democratic party implode. When rules are made, they should stick to them. This seems to be the way the Clinton's have always worked. If things aren't going there way, they figure out a way to cheat. Fairs,fair America.

[ralph tyler]

The DNC is working for McCain! What a bunch of idiots!

[Myrtle]

Both Governors knew the consequences when moving their primaries. Both Obama and Clinton signed papers agreeing to abide by the rules set forth by the DNC. It is simple - abide by the rules.

[Jenn]

I totally agree - Rules are rules, everyone agreed to them. The reason they are bringing this up now folks... because the republicans KNOW that they will beat Hillary. They know this. So they want her in, she wants in, so here we go...

[sazzylady]

If i am correct ,The Democrate Party is just an organization. A political organization , and if I was denied my vote because of their rules ,I would get out of the organization , Refuse to support the organization with funds and support and probably other states would follow suit and we could get a real election in this country.
sazzylady

[Tim]

The DNC, all Democrats, the media, and the general public should be absolutely disgusted about Hillary Clinton attempts to break the DNC's own rules and get Florida and Michigan delegates seated. Little kids on the backyard baseball field know how to follow their own rules better than does Hillary Clinton.

Her "win at all costs" attitude, sacrificing truth, integrity, honor, and her own party's rules is the exactly the type of Washington thinking that got us into the trouble we're in today, and exactly the type of questionable character that America does not want to see in our next president.

[Marc]

What debate? There isn't even an issue- everyone knew the rules when they decided to have their premature elections. Two states willingly decided to break those rules, and they lost their delegates, by the rule.

This should not even be a discussion.

[Aaron]

Re: the statute of limitations. I think it got tired a long time ago, but that's just me.

[David Mann]

Both states were warned in advance, thus they have no room to argue now. It is the government of each of those two states that owes an answer to its' citizens. Under no circumstances should the rules be changed for the benefit of either state. Furthermore, when Florida learns (if ever) how to run an election, then and only then should we listen to them at all. Hanging chads, butterfly ballots, failure to count votes and now this. If they can't get it straight perhaps they should have no right to vote until they prove themselves competent.

[Taos Glo]

First Florida & the supreme court gave us bush now they are going to give us mccain....hold on....after
two "gimme" elections...its time the people
speak! Rules are rules! If the candidates
signed the paper....did they not read it??
If so do we need them as our president?? rules are rules and if the DNC changes them in the middle of the race this is not
fair! Why don't you just hand the presidency to the next loonatic!

[Howard Dean]

BYAAAAAHH!!!