BREAKING: MI Caucus Likely, Says DNC Rules Committee Member

[one...two...tree 2,762]

A member of the DNC's Rules And Bylaws Committee--the committee that stripped Florida and Michigan of its delegates for moving their primaries before February 5th--told me that Michigan plans to get out of its uncounted delegate problem by announcing a new caucus in the next few days.

"They want to play. They know how to do caucuses," the DNC source said. "That was their plan all along, before they got cute with the primary."

Michigan Democrats had originally planned on caucuses after the legally permissible Feb. 5 date, but then went along with top elected Democrats, including Gov. Jennifer Granholm, who pushed for an early primary.

Hillary Clinton won that Jan. 15 primary, but was the only major candidate on the ballot. Barack Obama and John Edwards had removed their names, although Obama supporters in the state urged voters to choose “uncommitted” over Clinton. Forty percent of the voters that day did just that, compared to 55 percent who voted for Clinton.

--S.V. Date

http://blogs.tnr.com/tnr/blogs/the_plank/a...tee-member.aspx

[simple_male 1]

A member of the DNC's Rules And Bylaws Committee--the committee that stripped Florida and Michigan of its delegates for moving their primaries before February 5th--told me that Michigan plans to get out of its uncounted delegate problem by announcing a new caucus in the next few days.

"They want to play. They know how to do caucuses," the DNC source said. "That was their plan all along, before they got cute with the primary."

Michigan Democrats had originally planned on caucuses after the legally permissible Feb. 5 date, but then went along with top elected Democrats, including Gov. Jennifer Granholm, who pushed for an early primary.

Hillary Clinton won that Jan. 15 primary, but was the only major candidate on the ballot. Barack Obama and John Edwards had removed their names, although Obama supporters in the state urged voters to choose “uncommitted” over Clinton. Forty percent of the voters that day did just that, compared to 55 percent who voted for Clinton.

--S.V. Date

http://blogs.tnr.com/tnr/blogs/the_plank/a...tee-member.aspx

Hillary would like Primary than caucus.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

A member of the DNC's Rules And Bylaws Committee--the committee that stripped Florida and Michigan of its delegates for moving their primaries before February 5th--told me that Michigan plans to get out of its uncounted delegate problem by announcing a new caucus in the next few days.

"They want to play. They know how to do caucuses," the DNC source said. "That was their plan all along, before they got cute with the primary."

Michigan Democrats had originally planned on caucuses after the legally permissible Feb. 5 date, but then went along with top elected Democrats, including Gov. Jennifer Granholm, who pushed for an early primary.

Hillary Clinton won that Jan. 15 primary, but was the only major candidate on the ballot. Barack Obama and John Edwards had removed their names, although Obama supporters in the state urged voters to choose “uncommitted” over Clinton. Forty percent of the voters that day did just that, compared to 55 percent who voted for Clinton.

--S.V. Date

http://blogs.tnr.com/tnr/blogs/the_plank/a...tee-member.aspx

Hillary would like Primary than caucus.

Yep. Because she's knows she can't get better numbers than that.

[no name 1]

Do both parties have to agree or not?

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

I believe it's the DNC's decision. Just like it was their decision not to count FL and MI in the first place, the campaigns certainly didn't "agree" to that, they just accepted it as the rules.

[no name 1]

Both Clinton and Obama have said they'll abide by whatever solution the DNC comes up with.

Not sure if the state presents to the DNC how they will do it, fund it & whatnot - then the DNC says yes?

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Don't know.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Both Clinton and Obama have said they'll abide by whatever solution the DNC comes up with.

Not sure if the state presents to the DNC how they will do it, fund it & whatnot - then the DNC says yes?

I listened to Howard Dean last night - he said the states must pay for it, not the DNC.

[SMOKE 1,426]

i don't think obama should get a do over. seat the delegates...done. i don't think its gonna matter either. if i lived in FL or MI i'd be insulted he & his campaign didn't care about us ......till it counted

[no name 1]

Both Clinton and Obama have said they'll abide by whatever solution the DNC comes up with.

Not sure if the state presents to the DNC how they will do it, fund it & whatnot - then the DNC says yes?

I listened to Howard Dean last night - he said the states must pay for it, not the DNC.

I said that!

I was asking how the states go about getting a new vote - how do they present their solution for a revote to the DNC?

[Dan J 277]

The states usually pay for primaries. Which mean it could be $5-25 million depending on the size of the state. Caucuses are usually arranged for and paid by the state parties themselves.

[no name 1]

(CNN) – Elected officials, state and national party leaders and campaign advisers in Michigan and Florida are confronting major obstacles in their quest to stage new Democratic votes in those states that would allow delegations to be seated at the party’s summer convention.

Negotiations for a new Michigan caucus fell apart Thursday evening, and were to re-start Friday, according to a source close to discussions.

The plans were stymied when the chairman of the Michigan Democratic party, Mark Brewer, reported that a new vote – which would involve an estimated two million voters — would cost $10 million.

The source said the cost "is a very real challenge," since the state party, which had agreed not to use taxpayer money to fund any re-vote, is uncertain how they would cover the cost. One option under consideration was to cover expenses through a combination of fundraising, money provided by the Democratic National Committee, and funds directly from the campaigns themselves.

Now a group has been formed to "figure out a solution and start again.” The group includes: Senator Carl Levin, Debbie Dingell, GM Union President Ron Gettelfinger, and Rep. Caroline Cheeks Kilpatrick. They will talk to the state party, the DNC and the campaigns to determine how to raise the money – though the source tells CNN the campaigns have not made it clear to the other parties precisely what they want, or what they would be willing to agree to.

One plan would call for a "firehouse caucus" that would take place at some point between mid-May and June 6. A "firehouse caucus" is an all-day vote that is run by the state party; it is called a caucus because the party cannot legally hold a primary: and unlike the procedure in a typical caucus, voters are free to show up throughout the day and voting is done by secret ballot.

In Florida, Florida Department of State spokesman Sterling Ivey, which oversees the State Board of Elections, said that any statewide primary would take at least 90 days to organize from the moment a plan is set in motion.

One potential snag is the fact that 15 counties in that state are changing over from touchscreen voting equipment to optical scanners. That new equipment is required by law to be in place by July 1 — so that may be the earliest a statewide vote could take place.

Another obstacle, as in Michigan, could be the cost. Estimates of the price tag for a new vote run as high as $20 million – although a mail-order election idea being floated by some Democratic state senators in Florida would cost significantly less, around $5 million.

And that plan comes with its own set of logistical headaches: there would have to be special legislation and state direction involved – and the process itself, which would be unprecedented in state history, would require special safeguards to ward off potential fraud.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/...rida/#more-5772