Meet The DNC Rules Committee Members Who Will Decide Michigan And Florida

[curious one]

from Hoffpo
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/05/21/meet-the-dnc-rules-commit_n_102924.html



Rules and Bylaws Committee Members

Co-Chairs - no endorsement
Alexis Herman (co-chair, Washington , D.C. )
James Roosevelt, Jr. (co-chair, Massachusetts )

Members - Clinton supporters (13)
Hartina Flournay (DC)
Donald Fowler (SC)
Harold Ickes, Jr. (DC)
Alice Huffman (CA)
Ben Johnson (DC)
Elaine Kamarck (MA)
Eric Kleinfeld (DC)
Mona Pasquil (CA)
Mame Reiley (VA)
Garry Shay (CA)
Elizabeth Smith (DC)
Michael Steed (MD)
Jaime Gonzalez, Jr. (TX)

Members - Obama supporters (8)
Martha Fuller Clark (NH)
Carol Khare Fowler (SC)
Janice Griffin (MD)
Thomas Hynes (IL)
Allan Katz (FL)
Sharon Stroschein (SD)
Sarah Swisher (IA)
Everett Ward (NC)

Members - no known endorsement (7)
Donna Brazille (DC)
Mark Brewer (MI)
Ralph Dawson (NY)
Yvonne Gates ( NV)
Alice Germond (DC) - DNC Secretary
David McDonald (WA)
Jerome Wiley Segovia (VA)

[murielm99]

1. Do you know any of them? n/t

[hokies4ever]

6. Donna Brazille hates Lanny and Paul Begala

She took great exception to some of their comments belittling the importance of black voters to the Democratic Party. Not a wise move to openly piss off someone on this committee.

[murielm99]

12. Thomas Hynes from Illinois

is the one I know. He was the Cook County assessor until he resigned about ten years ago. He is an Obama supporter, and a big fundraiser for the Democratic party.

The Hynes name is well-known in Illinois politics. His son is the comptroller of Illinois. He did run against Obama in the Senate primary, but now is a strong supporter. In fact, Dan Hynes has been mentioned as a possible appointee to Obama's seat if Obama should win the Presidency. I can't think of anyone better. Dan Hynes is a man of integrity. He knows the state well and he cares. He is also very accessible. He reminds me of Durbin in many ways.

[hokies4ever]

15. Brings up a more important point ignored by the media

Undeclared is not the same as undecided. Do people seriously believe that most of the undeclared superdelegates are actually undecided? I think it's clear that this race is over, even if the superdelegates haven't told us who they've chosen.

[Writer]

2. This will be interesting. n/t

[dkf]

3. If these guys try to throw it to Hillary I really would hate to be at that convention. Yikes.

[Blue_State_Elitist]

4. Donna Brazille no endorsement hahahaha

[iamthebandfanman]

32. so because she defends someone

that means she endorses them?


my goodness, then ive endorsed alot of people i didnt much care for then.
including hillary.


bah she hasnt endorsed anybody, regardless of the on-air fight on CNN that one night.

[Youphemism]

5. That list can be refined...

I think Donna Brazille's commentary on CNN shows her to be a clear Obama supporter.

I don't know Ralph Dawson, but any New York politician is pretty likely to be a Clinton supporter... Especially if he's planning to try to get re-elected.

[dkf]

8. Ralph Dawson is a partner at a law firm, not a pol. Also, he introduced res to strip FL.

You may not know Ralph Dawson. But he could be a pivotal player in the Democratic presidential primary. He’s an uncommitted superdelegate from New York—which is rare, since this is Hillary Clinton’s home state.

Dawson, a partner at the law firm, Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P., is also the Democratic National Committee member who introduced the resolution to strip Florida of its delegates for holding its presidential primary ahead of the February 5 date recommended by the D.N.C.

Dawson said for him, it’s not a question of choosing a president he prefers—he likes them both—but rather, seeing which one is more electable in November

“I think both candidates have proven they’re worthy of being presidents and would make good presidents,” Dawson told me this afternoon. “So, for me, the real issue is who has the best chance of winning and I think that remains undetermined at this point.”

Dawson has contributed $1,000 to Obama's campaign, and he says he’s given to Clinton, too.



http://www.observer.com/2008/patient-uncommitted-superdelegate-new-york-ralph-dawson

[MercutioATC]

10. Brazile has always leaned HRC, IMO.

...but she's seemed more neutral in the past 2 weeks and she's been speaking a lot more about the rules than any Clinton supporter would be at this point.

I always considered her a bullshitting Clinton supporter (her claims to be neutral making her the "bullshitter", not her support of Clinton) but I think she's either more in synch with the electorate or more politically savvy now.

[murielm99]

13. She has been a clear supporter for a long time,

despite her official neutrality. She made a statement about Bill Clinton's "fairy tale" remark that was very distorted and partisan.

I don't dislike her for supporting Obama. I dislike her for trying to be coy about it. And she has run too many losing campaigns for me to respect her.

[my3boyz]

23. She made if clear on CNN that she was NOT undecided. She said she is undeclared! nt

[iamthebandfanman]

33. no it doesnt, they pissed her off

thats all. she got mad. i dont blame her.


if defending someone is an endorsement, then ive endorsed alot of people ive hated... including hillary.

this logic is flawed.. but what other logic did i expect from hillary sheeple besides the flawed type.

[MercutioATC]

7. Let anybody who has accused Dean of stacking this deck beg forgiveness now.

This is one eclectic group...no telling how they'll decide this.

[Drunken Irishman]

9. Is James Roosevelt Jr. FDR's grandson?

[MaineDem]

17. Yes. n/t

[Diane R]

11. I don't think Harold Ickes should be allowed to vote on this.

Even though he DID vote for the rule in the first place, his ability to be impartial and fair is zilch.

[murielm99]

14. They all support one or the other.

I think he will be as impartial as anyone else on this committee. You have no logical or valid reason for your claim.

[mkultra]

36. Ickes is a current clinton supporter

[murielm99]

37. And there are Obama supporters on the committee, as

mentioned above. So what?

[mkultra]

41. well, i meant to say that he is a current clinton staffer

[MonkeyFunk]

24. LOL

No one's impartial on that committee. Or in the DNC altogether. What a silly requirement.

[murielm99]

30. Impartiality is not a requirement!

I am laughing at some of the people in this thread.

[Bullet1987]

16. I thought Obama would have more sway

Why does Clinton get 13?

[cali]

20. Stop worrying about this. Really.

They aren't going to give Hillary what she wants. It's been widely leaked that he'll get the uncommitted- at the very least- out of MI.

[Yukari Yakumo]

40. Also...

It's widely believed that only 50% of each delegation will be seated. They've made it abundantly clear they don't want chaos at the next primary.

The only thing that's unclear is how the delegates will be divided up.

[cali]

18. They've already decided. Obama knows it. Hillary knows it.

Anyone who thinks they haven't come up with a decision, hasn't been paying attention. And one of the reasons Hillary is flailing around, is she doesn't like it.

[my3boyz]

22. Yup! nt

[Hola]

19. Who was the only one who voted against

stripping FL of all it's delegates?

Allan Katz - Obama supporter (since 2007)

Every single one of Clinton's supporters voted for it, everyone.

Btw, Alexis Herman (co-chair) served in the Clinton admin.

[my3boyz]

21. I think the Clinton shills on the committee already told Clinton

the way it is going to go. That is why she went from being nice/sweet Hillary to threatening to take it to the convention if she did not get her way within a few days. Once they told her the probable outcome she decided to go public threatening them and letting them know how far she would go if she did not get her way. Now what will Hillary do if Barack suddenly says she could have it all if she agrees to concede? If she truly just wanted the votes to count and she still had no way to catch up in the delegate count, she should be happy to concede, right? NO..not in HIllary world. She wants to go the convention regardless. I hope she is 50 million in debt by the time it ends. She deserves it for being so evil.

[murielm99]

27. Clinton shills?

You need to grow up. After you do that, look at some of these people. No matter whom they support, they are party stalwarts. The makeup of this committee was considered carefully. There is nothing wrong with their credentials. Who are you?

[my3boyz]

29. Oh people like Harold Ikes who voted to strip the delegates but is now parading

around demanding they be reinstated? Yeah, he is a really respected member of the democrat party! The best we have! NOT! If they are respected members of the party then they should be fair to both candidates and not spin it for the candidate they want to win.

[murielm99]

31. The democrat party?

Again, who are you?

[my3boyz]

35. I'm not a desperate Hillary supporter! nt

[murielm99]

38. Anyone who refers to the "democrat party"

shows their true colors.

[murielm99]

39. I'm a Democrat who will support the nominee.

Who are you?

[Jersey Devil]

25. They can't give Hill what she wants even if they were all her supporters

I see some Clinton supporters salivating about the makeup of the committee and how pro-Clinton it is, but you have to understand that these are the same people who stripped MI and FLA of their delegations in the first place for refusing to obey DNC rules. If they just totally reverse themselves and seat both delegations the way Hillary wants they will all look like total assholes, something they won't do even for Hillary.

So they will vote for some kind of compromise and I'm sure they've been talking about that with both sides. Hillary apparently doesn't like it and is trying to pressure her supporters to give her more. The problem with that is besides looking like idiots if they simply reverse themselves is that if they go too far for her it will be appealed to the Credentials Committee which is not controlled by Hillary but more likely by Howard Dean who personally appoints 30 of the 185 (not sure of this number) members of that committee, which will not be leaning over backwards for her. And taking it to the full convention will do her no good whatsoever if Obama has more delegates than she does at the time of the convention.

[AllentownJake]

28. I think

I can't find the link but Ickes was basically conceding that the 50% and MI uncommitted was going to be the compromise today.

[cornermouse]

26. Brazille belongs in the Obama column

based on what she's said on the talk shows.

[phrigndumass]

34. 30 members, Majority vote would be 16, and there's 13 Clinton supporters

All they need is three of the uncommitted members to side with them to get whatever they want.

And if that happens, the Democratic Party will implode. :nuke:

[davidpdx]

42. Yep, there in lies the problem,

if she does a full tilt push for no penalty in either state (which we know she will), getting 3 people to agree may just be a matter of arm twisting on the part of the Clintons. Just another day at the office...