Rules Committee Delivers Setback to Clinton

The Democratic Party Rules and Bylaws Committee today passed twin motions to allow the previously barred delegations of Michigan and Florida to be seated at this summer's national convention but at half their original size -- a decision that left many within the party disgruntled and warning of future challenges and dire consequences in the fall.

The committee's action marked a significant setback for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and makes her already improbable bid to overtake Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination even less likely. Out of today's proceedings, Clinton netted 24 delegates -- 19 from Florida and 5 from Michigan. She remains roughly 175 total delegates behind Obama heading into tomorrow's Puerto Rico primary, which Clinton is expected to win.

Primaries in South Dakota and Montana next Tuesday, both of which Obama is favored to win, will close the voting portion of the nomination fight. There now exists almost zero chance that Clinton can reduce Obama's delegate lead below 100 before the end of voting on Tuesday.

The magic number for either candidate to formally clinch the nomination rises to 2,118 (from 2,026), according to a release being distributed by the DNC.

Alexis Herman, the co-chair of the Rules and Bylaws Committee, pronounced herself pleased with the result. "Each candidate can move now with more deliberation and certainty," she said.

In regards Florida, the committee unanimously approved a measure that would seat all the members of the state's delegation but at half of their original strength. That puts the final delegate allocation from the state at 52.5 for Clinton, 33.5 for Obama (Ill.) and 6.5 for former senator John Edwards (N.C.).

On Michigan, the committee was far more divided -- passing a motion to allocate 69 delegates for Clinton and 59 for Obama and then immediately halving those totals so that Clinton comes away from Michigan with 34.5 delegates to Obama's 29.5.

Even as the rules committee was congratulating itself for a job well done, there were considerable signs of unrest, however.

Harold Ickes, a member of the committee and an outspoken Clinton supporter, voiced his opposition to the Michigan action and noted that the New York senator's campaign reserved the right to carry the fight to the DNC's credential committee that will meet later this summer.

Ickes also sounded an ominous note to those who had hoped today's meeting would be the start of a healing process between Clinton and Obama. "Hijacking four delegates is not a good way to start down the path of party unity," Ickes warned.

In a joint statement by Ickes and Tina Flournoy, another committee member and Clinton supporter, the New York senator's campaign made clear that they will strongly consider continuing the fight over delegate allocation in Michigan.

"We reserve the right to challenge this decision before the Credentials Committee and appeal for a fair allocation of Michigan's delegates that actually reflect the votes as they were cast," the duo said in a statement.

Obama's campaign manager, David Plouffe, said: "We're extremely gratified that the commission agreed on a fair solution that will allow Michigan and Florida to participate in the Convention. We appreciate their efforts, and those of the party leadership of both states, to bring this resolution about."

The meeting's second half, which began after the committee huddled for more than three hours behind closed doors, was marked by repeated interruptions of the committee members by protesters in the audience.

When a motion to fully seat the Florida delegation failed by a 15-12 vote, a group in the back of the room began chanting "Denver" -- referring to the site of this year's Democratic convention. At the close of the meeting, a group took up a "Madame President" chant, referring to the Clinton candidacy.

Advocates for Obama and Clinton vigorously argued competing positions throughout the morning as the rules committee sought a compromise to seat disputed convention delegates from Florida and Michigan and take a major step toward ending the long and contentious battle for the Democratic presidential nomination.

The decision by the committee on how to best deal with the disputed Florida and Michigan delegates could be critical to the final outcome. The Democratic National Committee barred the two delegations from the national convention in Denver this summer because those states insisted on holding early primaries, in contravention of the party's rules.

Clinton, who trails Obama in pledged delegates and has faced calls for weeks to drop her candidacy, has argued that until the fate of Florida and Michigan was decided she would not even consider leaving the race.

Today, her surrogates -- state Sen. Althenia Joyner of Florida and former governor Jim Blanchard of Michigan -- stuck to Clinton's hard-line stance, insisting that anything short of full recognition of each states' delegates (as determined by the primary results) was unacceptable.

Among the highlights of this morning's six-hour hearing:

* Ickes, the combative, master of delegate rules for the Clinton campaign, showed his stuff. Ickes and Rep. Robert Wexler (D-Fla.), an Obama surrogate, shared a tense moment about the definition of "fair reflection" of the popular vote when it comes to delegate allocation. And Ickes regularly sought to make Clinton's argument during the question-and-answer portion of the morning's testimony.

* Don Fowler: Fowler is a legendary figure in the Democratic party and has emerged in this Rules and Bylaws Committee meeting as the stickler for the rules. Fowler, a genteel South Carolinian, has stood out for his adherence to the letter of the law. (Fowler is a Clinton supporter.)

* Wexler, the south Florida congressman, perked up the proceedings considerably during his testimony on behalf of the Obama campaign. Allies of Wexler will tout his passion and intensity; detractors his anger and tendency toward point-scoring. Either way, he spiced up a meeting that until that point had been dominated by debating the definition of the word "shall".

By Eric Pianin  |  May 31, 2008; 8:10 PM ET
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