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WASHINGTON – Florida Democrats say they have no plans to take a second swipe at holding a presidential selection process so that delegates from the state might be seated at the party’s nominating convention.
Democratic National Committee officials also deny they’ve been in discussions with Florida Democrats on the idea of a do-over caucus on the heels of the state's Jan. 29 primary, despite speculation today that both Florida and Michigan are being pressured by the committee to do so.
“We haven’t had any such discussions,” said Florida Democratic Party spokesman Mark Bubriski.
No such talks have taken place, echoed DNC spokesman Luis Miranda.
But published reports in Michigan today said there is some interest in re-doing that state's Jan. 15 primary with a caucus, given this week's Super Tuesday primaries failed to establish a clear frontrunner between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.
Like Florida, the delegates selected in Michigan's primary, which Clinton won with Obama not on the ballot, don't count
For now, the position of the national party continues to be that both Florida and Michigan will not see their delegates seated at the convention because the two states violated the party’s calendar rules by scheduling their primary contests prior to Feb. 5.
But neither state nor national Democratic officials today were disputing that a caucus might be one way that Florida’s delegates could be given meaning by the national convention credentials committee, which would meet in July and August.
The idea of a caucus – held after the primary -- is not a new idea.
It had been suggested to Florida by DNC officials last year, amid the fight over the state’s setting its primary for Jan. 29.
And the national party even said it would pay for most of it.
In 1996, Delaware held a caucus to select delegates after holding a primary that year that was ruled meaningless; the District of Columbia did the same in 2004.
The idea is that Florida’s and Michigan’s delegates could be restored to legitimate status -- and still make a difference -- if the state parties held caucuses in the next few months and made those, not their January primaries, the official delegate selection events.
One DNC official said today there are two ways Florida can move forward.
It can press ahead with its delegate-selection process based on its primary held against party rules on Jan. 29, and likely not see its delegates seated.
Or it can now hold a caucus, and hope that the convention credentials committee will recognize the delegates selected in that process. But the official said that has been the choice facing Florida since last year.
But given a choice last September of holding a caucus after Feb. 5 or defying the national party, Florida Democrats chose to stick with the Jan. 29 primary.
And Bubriski, the Florida state party spokesman, said today that Florida Democrats are “moving ahead with our delegate-selection process using our vote on Jan. 29.”
Still, the issue of Florida and Michigan could become testy as Clinton and Obama continue what appears to be headed to a tight and drawn-out race to win enough delegates to the party’s nomination.
It is unlikely Clinton would go for a second, delegate-selection process in Florida. Rather, Clinton has said Florida's and Michigan's delegates should simply be seated at the convention, a suggestion that could ignite a convention fight with Obama.
Clinton defeated Obama in the Jan. 29 primary vote 50 percent to 33 percent, with former North Carolina Seb. John Edwards getting 14 percent.
Based on the vote – and if the delegates counted -- Bubriski said 105 state delegates would go to Clinton, 67 to Obama, and 13 would have gone to Edwards, who has since dropped out of the race.
The state also has 25 so-called “Super Delegates” who can back either candidate.
But Obama argues the Florida vote results were skewed, given that he, Clinton and Edwards had pledged not to actively campaign in the state because it had violated the party’s primary calendar rules.
Unlike Florida, Obama’s name did not even appear on the Michigan primary ballot; so that state does not have a basis on which to divvy up delegates, even if they counted.
If no clear Democratic front-runner does emerge before the party's August convention, a potential fight over the unseated delegates could get heated - especially if their number were enough to defeat Obama.
Asked on the night of Florida’s primary if she would go to court to seat Florida and Michigan delegates, Clinton responded, “This is all pretty premature.”
To win the Democratic nomination, a candidate needs to get 2,025 delegates. Clinton could stand to get most of Florida's 210 Democratic delegates and Michigan's 128 delegates if the party reversed its decision to strip the states of their delegates.
Michigan Democratic Party Chairman Mark Brewer did not return telephone calls today.
Reporter Billy House can be reached at bhouse@mediageneral.com or at 1 (202) 662-7673.
Democratic National Committee officials also deny they’ve been in discussions with Florida Democrats on the idea of a do-over caucus on the heels of the state's Jan. 29 primary, despite speculation today that both Florida and Michigan are being pressured by the committee to do so.
“We haven’t had any such discussions,” said Florida Democratic Party spokesman Mark Bubriski.
No such talks have taken place, echoed DNC spokesman Luis Miranda.
But published reports in Michigan today said there is some interest in re-doing that state's Jan. 15 primary with a caucus, given this week's Super Tuesday primaries failed to establish a clear frontrunner between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.
Like Florida, the delegates selected in Michigan's primary, which Clinton won with Obama not on the ballot, don't count
For now, the position of the national party continues to be that both Florida and Michigan will not see their delegates seated at the convention because the two states violated the party’s calendar rules by scheduling their primary contests prior to Feb. 5.
But neither state nor national Democratic officials today were disputing that a caucus might be one way that Florida’s delegates could be given meaning by the national convention credentials committee, which would meet in July and August.
The idea of a caucus – held after the primary -- is not a new idea.
It had been suggested to Florida by DNC officials last year, amid the fight over the state’s setting its primary for Jan. 29.
And the national party even said it would pay for most of it.
In 1996, Delaware held a caucus to select delegates after holding a primary that year that was ruled meaningless; the District of Columbia did the same in 2004.
The idea is that Florida’s and Michigan’s delegates could be restored to legitimate status -- and still make a difference -- if the state parties held caucuses in the next few months and made those, not their January primaries, the official delegate selection events.
One DNC official said today there are two ways Florida can move forward.
It can press ahead with its delegate-selection process based on its primary held against party rules on Jan. 29, and likely not see its delegates seated.
Or it can now hold a caucus, and hope that the convention credentials committee will recognize the delegates selected in that process. But the official said that has been the choice facing Florida since last year.
But given a choice last September of holding a caucus after Feb. 5 or defying the national party, Florida Democrats chose to stick with the Jan. 29 primary.
And Bubriski, the Florida state party spokesman, said today that Florida Democrats are “moving ahead with our delegate-selection process using our vote on Jan. 29.”
Still, the issue of Florida and Michigan could become testy as Clinton and Obama continue what appears to be headed to a tight and drawn-out race to win enough delegates to the party’s nomination.
It is unlikely Clinton would go for a second, delegate-selection process in Florida. Rather, Clinton has said Florida's and Michigan's delegates should simply be seated at the convention, a suggestion that could ignite a convention fight with Obama.
Clinton defeated Obama in the Jan. 29 primary vote 50 percent to 33 percent, with former North Carolina Seb. John Edwards getting 14 percent.
Based on the vote – and if the delegates counted -- Bubriski said 105 state delegates would go to Clinton, 67 to Obama, and 13 would have gone to Edwards, who has since dropped out of the race.
The state also has 25 so-called “Super Delegates” who can back either candidate.
But Obama argues the Florida vote results were skewed, given that he, Clinton and Edwards had pledged not to actively campaign in the state because it had violated the party’s primary calendar rules.
Unlike Florida, Obama’s name did not even appear on the Michigan primary ballot; so that state does not have a basis on which to divvy up delegates, even if they counted.
If no clear Democratic front-runner does emerge before the party's August convention, a potential fight over the unseated delegates could get heated - especially if their number were enough to defeat Obama.
Asked on the night of Florida’s primary if she would go to court to seat Florida and Michigan delegates, Clinton responded, “This is all pretty premature.”
To win the Democratic nomination, a candidate needs to get 2,025 delegates. Clinton could stand to get most of Florida's 210 Democratic delegates and Michigan's 128 delegates if the party reversed its decision to strip the states of their delegates.
Michigan Democratic Party Chairman Mark Brewer did not return telephone calls today.
Reporter Billy House can be reached at bhouse@mediageneral.com or at 1 (202) 662-7673.