Dean: Florida will be seated

DNC chief Howard Dean, under fire for not resolving the Democrati's delegate debacle, offered nervous Floridians one bit of hope: Hotel rooms have been reserved in Denver for Florida's renegade delegates.

Dean, who met behind closed doors with Florida's Democratic congressional delegation, offered the confirmation of hotel rooms as assurances that Florida's votes will be counted.

But it doesn't bring the situation any closer to resolution. Dean noted it was still going to be up to the rival presidential campaigns "to find a fair solution."

"It is our intention to do everything we can and we believe we will absolutely seat the delegation at the convention in Denver," Dean said. "It is in everyone's absolute interest to see that happens."

Rep. Ron Klein, D-Boca Raton, an uncommited superdelegate, said he was pleased with the meeting, which came after weeks of angst over the fate of Florida's delegates.

"I think the commitment is there now to make sure that Florida's delegates are counted," Klein said. He said the delegation sought the meeting with Dean because of the "concern based on cable news network discussions that Florida's delegates weren't going to be counted.

"We've pretty much had assurances all along, but this was an opportunity to bring full circle with the DNC the opportunity to say that Florida was going to be counted," Klein said.

But he noted, "It's up to the two candidates to ultimately make a deal." Of course, nothing is stopping a deal from occurring. But for Hillary Clinton's insistence that the unsanctioned Jan. 29 primary results should stand and Barack Obama's insistence that they shouldn't.

Comments

[Joan]

Finally, Howard Dean has decided to listen to what the voters want for Florida and for Michigan too, for that matter, and that is to seat the delegates that were elected by the voters in those states. Anything less would be unfair to Senator Clinton. The state party then could be "punished" in some manner for breaking the party "rules."

[BGP]

But would that not make it then unfair to Senator Obama who was not on the ballot in one state and per rules did not have a presence in the other? There for the opposite said seating them as is would unfair as well. And for the record I am an Independent who has not decided who I will vote for as of yet. truth be told, I cannot vote for Macain, and both Clinton and Obama are turning me off o the DNP as well with the issues there.

[INDEPENDENT]

Howard Dean sees the light finally.

Hillary 08

[Whatever]

But of course a white norther transplant in Florida is going to hope this automatically means yeah it is all Hillary's. They screwed up the north, moved south screwed up Florida, then messed up an election once already now want to do it all over again. The state is becoming a joke to the rest of the nation

[Carlo]

Taken/Copied from Article:

Eager to please the superdelegates on the DNC, both Clinton and Obama agreed with the rules, and both signed pledges not to campaign in either state. “You know,” Senator Clinton remarked, “it’s clear the election they’re having isn’t going to count for anything.

Clinton, however, hedged her bets. Though she vowed not to campaign, a vow that implies rejection of the election, she kept her name in the running in Michigan.

As momentum for Obama’s nomination swelled, Clinton reversed her position on the DNC rules and decisions.

Of course, it is hypocritical to oppose a half-election before it takes place, only to accept the results when they appear favorable.

[John]

Then what's the point to setting certain rules and conditions, then when the rules are broken there is no punishment? I tell my Grandson not to touch those pictures and if he does, he'll need to stand in the corner. So, he touches the pictures. Now what? There are no consequences? Then he can do whatever he wants. Come on! Florida was told what would happen if they moved their primary up. They moved their primary up. Now what? There are no consequences? Then they can do anything they want. Come on!

[Nancy sabet]

Your comment "But would that not make it then unfair to Senator Obama " is unfair period. We can not tell Fl. delegates and voters that your votes don't count because mr. Obama, loved by the media, want to win our election. To my opinion he is not even a democrat, he never express his feeling about the unity of our party.

[Mike]

It looks like Hillary was looking ahead when it comes to Michigan. That is the kind of President we need. Not smart on Obamas part!!!

[Ricky]

Making the Florida vote count will not be unfair to Obama because neither candidate campaigned and was on the ballot. Both candidates were on equal ground, and it's not as though voters in the digital age don't have information about candidates. Sure neither Obama nor Clinton got a shot to stump there, but it's not like wyoming got too many visits from candidates and they count. I don't know about Michigan.

[Pam]

Hillary won Florida and Obama's name was on the ballot. Neither campaigned except Obama had ad's running in Florida claiming that in order to have ad's running in other states he had to run them in Florida. Hillary didn't have any ad's running on TV in Florida.
Hillary should get all the delegated she has coming to her based on the votes and Obama should get the ones he has coming to him based on the votes. Anything else would be unfair.
It would be a disgrace to the people of Florida not to have their votes counted and be seated at the convention. The original votes should stand.

[RON]

I DON'T LIVE IN FL. OR MICH. WHY WASTE ALL THE TIME AND MONEY WHEN YOU VOTED ONCE. JUST SPLIT THE DELEGATES.THE END RESULT WILL BE THE SAME,ANYWAY.THAT IS HALF THE TROUBLE WITH THIS COUNTRY. NO ONE ANYMORE FOLLOWS RULERS.SAD WORLD.

[Carlo]

Hillary was ok with the DNC's decision because she thought she'd have the nomination won by Feb. 5th. Wow, she was dead right on that one. Definately the kind of presidnet we need.

[cliff]

There is no room in the Democratic party for Howard Dean. This laughingstock, would-be presidential candidate has discredited himself by his efforts to disenfranchise Florida Democrats. He is not to be trusted and must be removed via a floor fight if necessary at the Democratic National Convention in Denver. Howie would have the convention be a coronation for Senator Obama. It will not be so, despite his efforts to stack the deck. Democrats need a fighter, not a the winner of the school oratory contest. Talk about the "transformative" aspects of Obama as the "Lincolnesque" candidate fail to appreciate the desperate straits in which many of this country's itizens find themselves. We don't need to be "transformed," we need to help the working class with jobs and universal health care. Howie is a political shill for Obama. Howie and his candidate won't last in the tumult of an open convention.

[akivaah]

with the tight race going between the democratic presidential hopeful, Howard Dean has now realised that Florida should be seated in the DNC as Obama did participated in the primary. so there is no need to strip the state. the result was clear.

Gud luck Hillary...as the next president of USA
God Bless you

[John]

Of course the rules shouldn't apply to the Clintons! That's why Bill should never have been impeached.
He was impeached for LYING UNDER OATH, by the way, not for the indiscretion. Hillary stood by him because she had her own skeletons to that he was complicit to. Whitewater, anyone?

[Rosa]

It is hard for Clinton to beat Obama and the news media,she has been crucified for every word and He is the fair haired boy of the media.

[Daniel21]

Rules are rules for a reason and they should be enforced. Sen. Clinton herself stated that Florida and Michigan shouldn't count prior to Super Tuesday, because she thought that would be the day that she wraps everything up or at least comes out with a substantial lead. Didn't work out that way and now she is reversing her position on the issue to win by all means necessary. Sen. Obama wasn't on the ballot in Michigan and didn't campaign in Florida at all, so to go by the resluts as they stand would be an injustice to him. For those who may argue that Sen. Clinton didn't campaign either, she for one is more known and is able to run on name recognition. Through the last couple of months it has become clear that, the more people get to know Sen. Obama, the more people vote for him, so he never had a chance to present himself to Floridians. The thought that somehow not seating Michigan and Florida would effect the contest in Novemeber is rather far fetched.

[JMichel]

Why worry about it - Obama will end the primary with more pledged delegates and popular votes even if they are seated with the original vote counted.

[iosh]

disgusting that democracy's final convulsions should take place in Florida , especially over a creature as slimy and filthy as Hillary.

[Educated]

I think it is fine to seat the delegates but I say split the delegates down the middle. I think Mr. Dean just needs to make a stand and say this. Because Florida broke the rules and no one can say the Floridian vote didn't count, because it did when they voted for the idiots running the state who broke the rules. I am tired of hearing Clinton who calls herself a democrat, trying to unfairly take the delegates.

[Republican for Life]

Keep up the good work Howard so we can have another four years!

[Ricky]

From two states that are near 50/50 splits when it comes to ideology? It could definitely affect voting in either state. People getting to know Obama hasn't helped him win any states recently despite the fact that he's had weeks to work on Penn.

You shouldn't penalize democrats because the republican governor and republican house in florida decided to move both primaries up. I'm voting for McCain so part of me hopes that Dean does screw both states over, but I happen to like my democracy.

[Dem]

I would hope the voters of Florida and Michigan blame their leaders for this fiasco. Everyone new that their votes wouldn't count and it should have been important to all democrats before their primary to resolve this. I am concerned that Hillary Clinton didn't care about our votes until she started losing and now she needs them and now these voters are important to her. What about the people that did't vote because they knew that their vote wouldn't count during the primary. I believe that Florida and Michian delegates could be seated and their delegates should be split anything else would prove that their breaking the rules had no consequence.

[DaveC]

Great for Hitlary. She will steal the nomination yet. It is funny how she wants to get the votes in Michagan too where Obama wasn't even on the ballot. Then she blathers on about how voters votes should be counted. What about voters in Michagan that wanted to vote for Obama, Hillary? Shouldn't their voice be heard? Oh yeah, in that case rules are rules, so no. So self serving. When will people come out of the ether and see what the Clintons really are. Win at ALL cost, neo-con lite, smear and fear DLC politicians.

[Ricky]

Oh, and if you counted Michigan and Florida, Hillary would have a higher popular vote than Obama right now. Counting Michigan when Obama didn't have his name on the ballot wouldn't be right.

[Ron]

In my opinion I think there is a few options for the delegates of florida...1) since the problem is there was an early vote,and the delegates would not count at that time , then the delegates should be appointed at the time when the DNC said the delegates would be counted....it is not the vote that was error, it is the time period of the representation of those votes that was delayed....those delegates should be appointed according to the original vote on the date aproved by the DNC for them to count..2) if the votes are to be half and the rest acording to the national vote , then it should be the national popular vote at the time of the vote and not now...that popular vote should include Michigan and florida's popular vote when determining the popular vote at that time....to leave out the popular votes of those 2 states in determining the popular vote for delegation is the same as not counting the votes at all, which is the problem now....3)leave the candidates out of the decision making of how those votes are to be counted, for they can not agree on the other to win.

[Daniel21]

To those supporting Sen. Clinton. Do you honestly think that the money she is receiving from big companies isn't buying them something? Don't you want an honest individual as president? Her statements concernig Bosnia were lies, lies, lies. There is no "misspeaking" on several occasions.

[Rick]

Whatever the ethics involved in this mess, the voters of these states are getting screwed. They didn't set and violate the rules.

[Jolly, Massachusetts]

Dont be fooled, Hillary Clinton sent volunteers from massachusetts to Florida to campaign!!!And shame on thise who think Hillary was smart because she believes in rules only if they favor her. Florida and Michigan delegates being seated only fuels the distaste some people have for the Clintons. There is nothing respectable about a candidate who does nothing but complain and threaten party with going to court everytime something doesnt go her way.
Any honest and forward looking Merican should reject this kind of politics. Rules are rules and you dont reward those who violate. One wonders if the DNC is anything to trust anymore!Please people...think and feel free to reject!

[DaveC]

Damm typo, It is supposed to be Michigan above.

I misstyped, kind of like how Hillary misspoke about Bosnia sniper fire, or McPain when he mispoke about Al Qaeda being trained in Iran. Oh well, it must be sleep deprivation.

[J-Lin]

You shouldn't blame Howard Dean, but your on local officals that made that decision. rules are rules and I'm tired of the Clintons changing the rules when it best suits them.

Here goes Florida screwing up another election! Let's give Florida to Raul Castro as a gift.

[Jolly, Massachusetts]

Sorry for the miss-types above:America, those

[Susan]

I don't think the delegates from Florida or Michigan should be seated. There has to be consequences for breaking the rules!!! It certainly isn't fair to Obama who was not on the ballot in Michigan and didn't campaign in Florida because he was told it didn't matter. Clinton will do anything to win the nomination even though she knows she can't beat McCain in Nov!!! So looks like we might be in for at least 4 more years of the same, what a shame!!!

[JimC]

Forget Florida and Michigan. They knew the penalty. I don't care who wins the nomination, but YOU CAN'T CHANGE THE RULES AFTER THE GAME STARTS!!!

[James Kearney]

Everyone is commenting on the fact the rules were broken and the fact that Howard Dean is enforcing the rules of the National Democratic Committee. I think the blame should be focused on the idiots in Florida and Michigan who decided to break the rules and caused these problems for the candidates and the voters. They should be fired?

[Lifelong Liberal]

If Florida or Michigan count in this primary, I will not vote for the Democrat in November.
Play by the rules people. You aren't special, just because you think you are.

[Janice Wallace]

How about we free all the prisoners that broke the law because their parents are heartbroken because they are locked up....Isn't this what Hillary is asking us to do...you break the rules or the laws and you pay the consequences
Especially when you know in advance but you decide to make your own rules so that you can benefit

[Ron]

as for the candidates agreeing not to participate in the campaigning and choosing to remove their names from the ballot in michigan, we must remember....Tiger woods would never be the best in the world of golf if he removed his name from the golf tournament, because a sponsor didn't like the timing of the tournament.

[AKS]

Hey, let's just take the pre-campaigning polls from last summer and use those as the final results. Hillary was up big in 49/50 states. Why campaign? That is what many of you are effectively saying with your Florida arguments.

For clarification, when Dean says that Florida will be seated, he is not saying they will be proportioned by the fake-election results.

[Tim, California]

Obviously rules aren't important to the DNC and Howard Dean! Watch the Democratic primaries next time around disregard the rules and receive no consequences. It's disgusting how the Clintons are able to manipulate those around them, and I hope everyone votes for McCain in protest if Billary gets the nomination!

I think I'm going to change my party to "I". I am very frustrated with Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic party rules. However, if Hilary wins, I'll stick around. By the way, the media is also unfair to their reporting especially CNN when it comes to politics. One candidate got more news coverage than the other; playing favoritism, eh. I'm beginning to like the FOX news because they are the one who discovered the faux pax of Obama. He doesn't impress me. Why are whites afraid of blacks? Because of being sued for discrimination? It's the other way around now. Look at the voting, majority of blacks are now voting for blacks even though their candidate has a disputed reputation.

[dem]

Why is it when there is an election problem Florida is always at the helm? The people of Florida please elect some honest leaders. It was the responsibility of the voters of both states to fight against the date change so their votes would be counted. It is not fair to the rest of the states that followed the rules. Split the delegates and be done with it.

[noname]

I think I'm going to change my party to "I". I am very frustrated with Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic party rules. However, if Hilary wins, I'll stick around. By the way, the media is also unfair to their reporting especially CNN when it comes to politics. One candidate got more news coverage than the other; playing favoritism, eh. I'm beginning to like the FOX news because they are the one who discovered the faux pax of Obama. He doesn't impress me. Why are whites afraid of blacks? Because of being sued for discrimination? It's the other way around now. Look at the voting, majority of blacks are now voting for blacks even though their candidate has a disputed reputation.

[noname]

I think I'm going to change my party to "I". I am very frustrated with Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic party rules. However, if Hilary wins, I'll stick around. By the way, the media is also unfair to their reporting especially CNN when it comes to politics. One candidate got more news coverage than the other; playing favoritism, eh. I'm beginning to like the FOX news because they are the one who discovered the faux pax of Obama. He doesn't impress me. Why are whites afraid of blacks? Because of being sued for discrimination? It's the other way around now. Look at the voting, majority of blacks are now voting for blacks even though their candidate has a disputed reputation. White people stick together!

[Andrew]

"Your comment "But would that not make it then unfair to Senator Obama " is unfair period...

Posted by: Nancy sabet | April 02, 2008 at 12:58 PM"

So, Nancy, you think it's fair to change the rules during a game, just because it makes "your team" winning, that would otherwise loose. Interesting ... that's exactly the impression I got from Billary - do *anything* to win ... and to say that Obama didn't say anything to unite the party ... perhaps you have never listened to any of his speaches or just didn't get it - as he does want unite, but not just the party, but the country! And imo Obama is the only person around who is capable of doing exactly this - uniting this horribly divided country. Any other election result will divide the country even deeper, but perhaps that's what you wish. Then go ahead and vote for Billary or McCain, both "respected" politicians that wouldn't change much.

[K C]

Give a Clinton and inch and they take 10 miles. Mark my words if you 'give' Hillary the nonmination and she somehow steals the presendency. She and bill will be laughing their butts off as they walk into the whitehouse again chanting - "I can't beleive we pulled it off again! Who knew the American people were so stupid? - WE DID!!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAH"

[Ron]

it is hard to believe the amount of people that think it is the people of florida that made the mistakes...the problem of the Dnc and the voting dates were a debate way before the voting dates... and the people HAD to vote on the date allowed by their state, they had no choice...and by the way it was the republican majority in florida that changed the voting dates in that state not the demacrats

[ncarrizo]

My question is, why would anything related to this mess suprise anyone, considering who the dems/dem leadership picked as their chair??? And if you think he looks inept, just wait until the real debates when Obama starts stu-stu-stuttering in his attempts to evade the real details the "fixes" he proposes.
Yeah, boy!!

[GW Crawford]

Come on, Florida and Michigan broke the rules

Disenfranchise them!

Democracy has no place in a Democrat election!

(I really do hope they disallow them to vote at the primaries... disenfranchising whole states should send a message. And that message is 'vote Republican if want to vote ever again)

[Traci]

This is just like telling your child not to do something, punishing them for doing it, then caving on the punishment when they whine too much. The only fair thing to do, at this point, if they insist on seating them,is to split the delegates evenly between Obama and Clinton. I say they stick by their guns and tell FL and MI tough. They need to pay the price for breaking the rules.