The committee agreed on a compromise offered by the Michigan Democratic Party that would split the difference, allowing Clinton to take 69 delegates and Obama 59. Each delegate would get half a vote at the convention in Denver this summer, according to the deal.
They also agreed to seat the Florida delegation based on the outcome of the January primary, with 105 pledged delegates for Clinton and 67 for Obama, but with each delegate getting half a vote as a penalty.
The resolution increased the number of delegates needed to clinch the nomination to 2,118, leaving Obama 66 delegates short but still within striking distance after the three final primaries are held in the next three days.
Obama picked up a total of 32 delegates in Michigan, including superdelegates who have already committed, and 36 in Florida. Clinton picked up 38 in Michigan, including superdelegates, and 56.5 in Florida.
Obama's total increased to 2,052, and Clinton had 1,877.5, according to The Associated Press calculations.
A highlight of the end of the day was, after the votes were about to best for the Michigan compromise, Harold Ickes told the committee that Sen. Clinton reserved her right to take this matter to the Credentials Committee at the Convention. Those Clintons just don't quit.
In any event, 2026 delegates is no longer the magic number for receiving the nomination. The new number is 2118. Sen. Obama is about 66 delegates short of that number now, with the last round of primaries starting tomorrow.
The most interesting thing about the meeting was the level of sheer acrimony, with Harold Ickes as much as threatening that today's decision would destroy party unity in the fall, and visitors in the gallery shouting "Denver! Denver!"
It is interesting to note that today's compromises indicate that the DNC is no onger a tool of the Clintons, since she got essentially nothing she wanted.
The founder of the DFL Feminist Caucus in Minnesota is saying "no" to Barack Obama.
Koryne Horbal says she and other feminists are promising action that could hurt Obama's candidacy if the disputed Florida and Michigan delegations are not fully seated at the Democratic National Convention.
If Obama becomes the nominee under those circumstances, Horbal says she and others will write-in Hillary Rodham Clinton's name on the ballot in November instead of voting for Obama.
Horbal says there's a petition drive to get feminists across the country to make the pledge.
Meanwhile, inside the meeting room, one of the committee members, upset by the constant disruptions from the spectators, pleaded with them, "not to act the way people expect us to."
I hate to predict things so far in advance, but I am going to do it:
Obama is going to lose - and he is going to lose because enough people are ticked off at his smarmy, elitist attitude, his hatred of all minorities except for blacks, and his despising of white blue collar workers, and because he is simply a pr*ck for making Hillary Clinton look silly when he already has the nomination wrapped up.
McCain’s emphasis on Obama’s naivete and inexperience is working - and he should keep it up. The poll last week showing that 39% of Clinton voters will not vote for Obama, which the leftist media refused to mention, is what will do him in.
And we wondered why these things used to be settled in smoke-filled rooms?
Personally, I’m all for Obama as the nominee. I predict McCain will walk all over him.
Local radio had a good musical antidote to Obama fever. First, they played "The Barack Obama Song" from Kenya. Then another DJ came on and played "Don’t Get Fooled Again" by the Who.
I see only two outcomes out of this that the Democrats were really interested in.
1) Attempting the bury the fact they disenfranchised the Michigan and Florida Voters. I mean leave it to the Democrats to want to change the election rules after the fact, again. But at least this time it was for the superficial appearance of not disenfranchising MI & FL and not to change the outcome.
It’s so really nice to have the DNC rules committee fill in for the Democrats of Michigan and Florida. Maybe they could do the country this way. It would save a whole bunch of money, and the "right" candidate will always be selected.
