Stories related to: Democratic National Committee

The Michigan Democratic Party agreed yesterday to a plan to split its delegates to the August convention: The state wants to award 69 to Hillary Clinton and 59 to Barack Obama, who did not appear on the ballot in the primary, which was voided because it broke party rules. Michigan would also seat 29 superdelegates, reports the Detroit News . More »

Joe Andrew, a superdelegate and the Democratic Party chair during Bill Clinton's presidency, has switched his allegiance from Hillary Clinton to Barack Obama, reports the AP. Andrew had endorsed Hillary on the day she announced her candidacy, but in a lengthy letter to other superdelegates he says they must rally behind Obama to "heal the rift in our party." More »

The Democratic National Committee yesterday filed a federal lawsuit to limit the amount John McCain can spend on his campaign before the GOP national convention. In apparent violation of federal law, McCain's once-foundering campaign used expected federal matching funds as collateral for a bank loan, but then opted out of the public financing system—and the restricted spending that come with it. More »

Stumping in Oregon today, Hillary Clinton kept up her fight to recognize Florida and Michigan primary results, saying the votes had been “officially tallied,” the AP reports. “The question is whether those 2.3 million Democrats will be honored.” Meanwhile Barack Obama’s camp, which has offered to evenly split the disputed delegates, reminded reporters that Clinton once said the contests “didn’t count for anything.” More »

Since his crash-and-burn run for president four years ago, Howard Dean has served as a decidedly low-key Democratic Party chairman, slowly building up state organizations while staying out of the limelight. Yet as the Clinton-Obama race wears on, many are wondering if Dean has the political acumen—or even the will—to rally a party in danger of fracturing. More »

Citing the rights of voters to speak their piece and the “many differing opinions and strong-minded individuals” of the Democratic Party, Hillary Clinton yesterday reaffirmed her candidacy in the face of senator Patrick Leahy’s call for her end a campaign with “no very good reason” to continue and make way for Barack Obama, the New York Times reports. More »

With John McCain the presumptive Republican nominee, Democrats are rushing to expose chinks in the Arizona senator's saintly armor, Michael Scherer reports in Time . Though McCain talks tough about special interests, he has often appeared to have done their bidding. He once, for example, wrote a letter on behalf of a donor after a fundraiser on said donor’s yacht. More »

Chances of a new primary being held in Michigan all but disappeared today as the state Senate adjourned without taking action, the Detroit Free Press reports. Senate leaders said it was pointless to take up the plan because the Clinton and Obama camps disagreed on how to go about it. Most observers considered today the last chance to act because the Senate now leaves on spring recess. More »

Florida Democrats reacted to weeks of political wrangling today by ditching plans for a mail-in revote, the Miami Herald reports. "Thousands of people responded," Florida Democratic Party chair Karen Thurman wrote. "The consensus is clear: Florida doesn’t want to vote again. So we won’t." But she said the Sunshine State still isn't calling it quits. More »

Michigan and Florida senators appeared closer today to approving mail-in re-votes for their disqualified primaries, the Swamp blog reports. DNC chair Howard Dean said he also supported the mail-ins if state leaders can agree with Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama on how to run them. “I have to run these rules so that the losing side feels it’s been treated fairly,” he said on “This Week with George Stephanopolous.” More »

Hillary Clinton lost Wyoming yesterday, but today the Washington Post has some welcome news for the Democratic underdog: Many superdelegates say they’ll wait until the end of the primaries to chose a candidate. “You’re going to see a lot of delegates remaining uncommitted,” said one neutral Democratic congressman. “There’s a sense that this is going to Denver not resolved.” More »

Floridians will get a chance to vote again in the Democratic primary, this time by mail, if Florida Sen. Bill Nelson and Gov. Charlie Crist have their way. Nelson tells Newsweek that plans are all but set for a re-vote, this time paid for by soft money donations. But hurdles remain, including what Nelson’s spokesman calls a “tiny” Florida law against mail-in voting. More »

The Democratic candidates may be flush with money, but their party isn't. The GOP has a nearly 7-to-1 advantage in cash on hand, the New York Times reports. Democrats hope to make up the gap once they settle on a nominee, but the GOP already has begun plotting with John McCain on how to best use the advantage. Republicans raised $97 million last year and have $25 million left; Dems raised $60.5 and have $3.7 million left. More »

Ed Rendell could be Hillary Clinton’s greatest asset in Pennsylvania—or he could explode in her face, Politico reports. Pennsylvania’s governor is popular and authentic, and he knows how to raise money and find the state’s voters. But Rendell shoots from the hip, and often hits his foot. He once speculated, for example, that Pennsylvanian whites would not vote for Obama because he is black. More »

Do-over Democratic primary votes in Michigan and Florida are looking likelier with the support of key political players, the AP reports. The governors of both states—a Clinton-backing Democrat in Michigan and a Republican in Florida—have issued a joint statement calling for their states' delegates to be seated at the national convention.  Campaigns for both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama seem open to the idea. Clinton won both primaries, but neither candidate campaigned and Obama wasn't even on the Michigan ballot. More »

Despite big wins yesterday, Hillary Clinton still needs a secret weapon to make up her delegate deficit and, Walter Shapiro writes in Salon , her strategy might have been presaged in Ohio by Gov. Ted Strickland urging, “Let’s go to Michigan and Florida." Do-over votes in those states, whose primaries weren't recognized by the Democratic Party for violating scheduling rules, could be her next push. More »

The Democratic National Committee will file an FEC complaint today against John McCain, accusing the likely GOP nominee of violating policy when he obtained campaign loans by promising to repay them with federal funds, the Washington Post reports. The FEC so far hasn't granted McCain's request to now opt out of the public matching funds system. More »

With a tight race and a “crazy quilt of anti-democratic rules” that govern the Dems’ race for the nomination, we need a fair and transparent way to settle the matter. How? Try a July “superconvention,” writes Dan Gerstein in Politico . Superdelegates would gather to hear speeches from each candidate, openly debate the matter themselves—then cast their votes. More »

The Howard Dean who once shocked Washington is now a model of docility, “unwilling or afraid to confront the establishment that was once so afraid of him," the New Republic ’s Eve Fairbanks argues. The Democratic National Committee chair is also the wrong man for a bitter primary season, refusing to intervene when the party needs a strong hand. More »

The Clinton campaign is fraught with worries after eight straight Barack Obama victories, and as Hillary loses momentum she may also be bleeding superdelegates, writes the AP's Ron Fournier. Even the most devoted Clinton allies aren't likely to stick around long if it looks like the Good Ship Hillary is capsizing, and many weren't all that devoted to begin with. More »