DUers in MI and FLA - are you hearing anything locally about a primary re-do or caucus?

[RiverStone]

Both Randi and Ed had guests on liberal talk radio yesterday suggesting the possibility of either a primary re-do or a caucus (probably in June) for MI/FLA if their delegates come into play.

And if Obama and Hillary remain close in the delegate count by mid-march, contingency planning for both states will need to happen.

Nobody believes the delegates in FLA/MI will be seated as is, even by a committee, because the premise by which they were allocated was NOT based on a valid primary. So the pundits were advocating for either a primary re-do with real on-the-ground campaigning or a caucus to decide valid delegate numbers.

Has anybody in MI or FLA heard talk of this on a state level yet?

[glowing]

1. If you want FL, take it.. In a re-do.. It would slant even more towards

Clinton after seeing Super Tues. results...

[tsuki]

2. Bill Nelson says that we can't. nt

[Kermitt Gribble]

3. Haven't heard a word. n/t

[UALRBSofL]

6. So far Karen Thurman said

She wants to seat the delegates according to our january 29th vote. I think we have between 210 and 241, a few of those being alternate delegates not including super delegates. I'll keep ya updated on what more I can find out.

[Strawman]

4. Front page of today's Detroit Free Press

http://freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080207/NEWS15/802070434

The article goes on to give reasons why it's unlikely. It's seems like nothing more than a titillating headline. All the party big shots in the state are for Clinton and won't give in unless she benefits. They want to seat the delegates that Clinton won a majority of in the sham primary.

[SharonRB]

5. Read this thread at MichiganLiberal

http://www.michiganliberal.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=11359

I guess there's some talk going on from the DNC to come up with a solution. I wouldn't mind this.

[UALRBSofL]

7. The Florida Democratic Party

At this point Florida is determined to seat all our delegates according to the primary we had on the 29th. I know Nelson has gotten quite a few calls to follow through on this or they would sit out the convention. I'm gonna see what I can find out here from our local representative.

[seafan]

8. Miami Herald yesterday: DNC suggests caucuses in Michigan, Florida

Personally, I would like to have a Florida caucus. There have been no large campaign rallies by the candidates, and we deserve to see and hear from them first hand here. It has been so unfortunate how this early primary flap unfolded, and it is not the voters' fault.

Another possibility for what to do with the delegates in purgatory right now, if a caucus is not held, might be to strip the superdelegates. By removing them, there is less of a risk of back room deals outside the the public's view. (We've already had a 5-4 partisan Supreme Court decide an election, and we know firsthand how THAT turned out.)

We must LET THE PEOPLE decide!


This will be VERY interesting to see what unfolds here in Florida.




DNC suggests caucuses in Michigan, Florida

By KATHY BARKS HOFFMAN
Associated Press Writer
February 6, 2008

LANSING, Mich. --
The Democratic National Committee is pressuring Michigan and Florida to hold presidential caucuses so the delegates they lost for holding January primaries could be seated at the national convention, a top Michigan Democrat said Wednesday.

DNC member Debbie Dingell of Michigan said it's unclear whether either state would hold caucuses since they've already held primaries, Michigan on Jan. 15 and Florida on Jan. 29. She said the DNC is asking the states to consider such a plan.

Florida Democratic Party spokesman Mark Bubriski said the party has no intention of holding another election.

"We've said all along that we're going forward with our delegate selection program using the vote on January 29," he said. "We've got more delegate applications than ever."

.....

Clinton won both states' primaries. Obama was on Florida's ballot but had pulled his name from Michigan's ballot because the state broke DNC rules by moving its primary to Jan. 15. That forced his Michigan supporters to vote for "uncommitted" and hope for a share of the uncommitted delegates.

It's unlikely that Clinton would favor holding caucuses, which could open the door to Obama victories in two states she has won. But there also is pressure to hold some kind of alternative election that meets DNC rules so the states don't have to wait to find out if the delegates will be seated.

Both states were stripped of their delegates for violating DNC rules by holding early primaries. Democratic leaders in both states expect the delegates will be seated at the convention, and Clinton recently said she would ask her delegates to support seating the Michigan and Florida delegations.

So far Obama has not heeded her call to do the same, and it's unlikely he would if it means Clinton would get the larger share of delegates from both states.

Florida has 185 pledged delegates and 25 superdelegates who face not being seated at the convention; Michigan has 128 pledged delegates and 28 superdelegates.

.....

Florida's Superdelegates

Feb. 07, 2008

Most of the state's 22 Democratic superdelegates -- members of Congress or members of the Democratic National Committee -- have not committed to a presidential candidate. Superdelegates can support whomever they like, regardless of how their state voted. The Florida Democratic Party can be reached at 850-222-3411 or [e-mail]

Uncommitted:

U.S. Rep. Ron Klein, Boca Raton

U.S. Rep. Tim Mahoney, Palm Beach Gardens

U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, Tampa

U.S. Rep. Allen Boyd, Monticello

Mitch Ceasar, Plantation

Diane Glasser, Tamarac

Karen Thurman, Tallahassee

Jon Ausman, Tallahassee

Andy Tobias, Tallahassee

Janee Murphy Tampa

Rudy Parker, Perry

Terrie Brady, Jacksonville

Hillary Clinton supporters:

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson

U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek, Miami

U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings, Miramar

U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Weston

U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown, Jacksonville

Raul Martinez, Hialeah

Chuck Mohlke, Naples

Barack Obama supporters:

U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler

State Rep. Joyce Cusack, DeLand

Allan Katz, Tallahassee

We shall see.

[oviedodem]

9. I agree with you. It is not fair to seat the current delegates as both

Edwards and Obama never had a chance to get down here. I know I was looking forward to it in Orlando. The only fair thing to do is to re-do the damn thing the right way or ignore the delegates. I don't care what the numbers said in the un-official primary.

[UALRBSofL]

10. We shall see what happens

This will be an issue that Dean needs to deal with soon. I can't speak for other voters but I'm not sure how it will effect them if the florida delegates call for a convention sit-out.