Dean: FL/MI delegates will be seated, and cool the rhetoric, Obama and Clinton.

[Maddy McCall]

(CNN) -- Democratic Party chief Howard Dean said Friday that the party leadership has had "extensive discussions" with the campaigns of Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama to cool down their rhetoric.

In an interview with CNN, Dean denied his party's presidential nomination process was "a mess" despite the close, bitter battle between the two Democratic presidential candidates.

The chairman of the Democratic National Committee also said he's convinced delegates from Florida and Michigan ultimately will be seated at the national convention in August.

snip/

Some Democrats have said they're concerned that Michigan and Florida being left out of the process ultimately could leave Democratic voters in those states less interested in turning out for the general election in the fall.


"I think the delegates are eventually going to be seated in Florida and Michigan, as soon as we get an agreement among the candidates how to do that," Dean said.

"The truth is we've had a great campaign season. Yes, it's tough between these two great candidates, but one is going to end up being president of the United States."

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/03/28/dean.democrats/

[madfloridian]

1. He has always said they will be "seated"....but counted per agreement

of both candidates or not at all. And the old seated, counted thing is misleading. Seated is not counted toward the nominee.

[Maddy McCall]

3. I know that you think that you're the "DU Dean expert," but...

we shall see.

Dean is wise enough not to disenfranchise 2.5 million voters. Regardless of what you think.

[Drunken Irishman]

6. They'll probably split the delegates 50/50.

You're right, Dean is wise and he's wise enough to know you can't give someone delegates from an election that was not valid.

[anamandujano]

35. N. f'ing O.

That won't do.

[Drunken Irishman]

40. Yes it will.

Clinton didn't win anything, there was no official election held. Clinton herself said Michigan's votes SHOULD NOT COUNT and I agree with her...and Florida's shouldn't, either. The only fair solution is to split the delegates 50-50, since there was no real election, no real campaigning and, in Obama's case, no real name on the ballot.

[Warren Stupidity]

42. It will do fine.

And your candidate will eventually agree to that solution as she has already lost.

[hell-bent]

49. No fucking way!

[Drunken Irishman]

51. Yes fucking way.

You can't award delegates from an unofficial election.

It's simple: Either they split 50-50, or they get seated and neither candidate gets delegates.

[hell-bent]

50. Have another drink!

[cali]

9. I think of MF as the Dean expert here

but as a politically active Vermonter, I can tell you that Dean will not sit the MI and FL delegates as is without the agreement of both candidates. He's said that repeatedly. It's simply hillary wishful thinking to believe that he doesn't mean it.

[Maddy McCall]

14. MonkeyFunk?

I agree...he's been on top of this delegate thing since the beginning.

[cali]

21. nah, he doesn'[t know jack about HoHo

MadFloridian does. And so do I. You? Not so much, dear.

[Maddy McCall]

29. I see that your time away from DU didn't chill you out too much.

Is it a requisite to be a "Dean expert" to have an opinion on this topic?

[cali]

36. tut tut, dear

you're quite the unpleasant little thing yourself. You don't have a square inch of high ground to squirm around on.

[madfloridian]

16. Exactly....they will be at the convention...but under certain conditions.

that limit their voting power.

[madfloridian]

10. LOL....now I have been called everything. That's funny.

:hi:

[Hissyspit]

55. madfloridian is the "DU Dean expert"

although I don't believe she has ever referred to herself that way.

[gateley]

5. Counted per agreement of both candidates

is the only way to do it fairly. And they should be counted. The voters were caught in the middle of their States' decisions and the DNC rules.

But there was so much confusion as to what to do, if it would count at all, etc., I think it's only fair to have a compromise.

[Maddy McCall]

8. I have no doubt that the delegates WILL be counted.

No doubt at all.

Dean's a smart guy. He's not going to disenfranchise 2.5 million voters with the general election looming. Those voters will be instrumental in defeating McCain. He's NOT going to piss them off.

[madfloridian]

12. He already has pissed them off....

because the DNC sanctioned them. He put his political career on the line to keep order in the party and not have chaos.

[leftofcool]

13. He pisses them off at his own peril....and ultimate demise

[Window]

48. You are so full of doom and gloom.

[gateley]

24. Good - we DO need 'em! nt

[joshcryer]

25. Except that Obama doesn't want to count them. So we'll see how it goes.

[gateley]

33. I've heard that charge before -- can you point me to

where I can get more info on that? Thanks.

[joshcryer]

43. Simply google "Obama lawyers Michigan Florida"

Here's one hit: http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/03/19/obama_lawyer_questions_wisdom.html

It's a fact that Obama campaigned against counting these states. And he's going to be in for a surprise if he keeps doing it.

[gateley]

45. Thanks - I'll look into it.

I admit I hadn't been paying close attention, simply HOPING that the 'right' thing would be done.

Thanks for the link.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

30. That's it in a nutshell: "the voters were caught in the middle"

n/t

[LSparkle]

11. Absolutely ... I thought there was a formula

for states who went early. Like if they went early by X days/weeks, only X% of
their delegates would be apportioned according to the primary results, and the
remainder divided at the convention based on the national outcome at that point
(giving the advantage to whoever had won the most pledged delegates by the time
we get to the convention). ???

[joshcryer]

22. I've been saying this for 3 MONTHS as you posted vile crap about Clinton.

I have been saying they *WILL* be seated. But no, you keep demanding the most evil of scenarios, lawsuits, etc.

[Debi]

2. Howard is my HERO!

Heh heh

[Maddy McCall]

4. I'm glad to see him taking charge.

He's quite a looker in that photo, isn't he?

[Debi]

17. Oh yes - not that he's any less attractive now

[gateley]

7. I was going to ask who this is --

is it really Howard -- OUR Howard Dean??? (fanning face)

[Debi]

18. Oh yesssssss!

:loveya:

[gateley]

26. You and your Young Men, Debi!

:rofl:

[anamandujano]

15. Seating as just a formality is not the point. They need to have the

influence they voted for.

If the party leaders manage to push Hillary out and then seat the delegates, what is the f'ing point? I suspect this is what squeaky clean :eyes: Obama is pushing for.

If Dean is just parsing words in a sorry attempt to salvage what is left of his reputation by hoodwinking the American electorate, I say fuk him.

[DJ13]

19. They need to have the influence they voted for.

The voters didnt vote for influence.

They were told well ahead of the primary their votes werent going to count.

[joshcryer]

27. They were told they would be seated and counted, actually.

That's why the party in FL didn't even give a crap about it because they thought their vote wouldn't matter and they'd just get seated.

But they're starting to matter and the only candidate who has argued against their vote couting is Obama.

[cali]

32. And what you say to Dean is what I say emphatically to YOU

And you're delusional or ignorant or both if you think Dean's reputation needs salvaging anywhere but among nasty little hillbots.

[stahbrett]

39. Here's the deal (as I see it)

If FL and MI delegates are seated "as-is" without any penalty, then the DNC rules are a farce, and no one will respect them in the future. It looks like there are very few people who actually think that the delegates from FL and MI will be seated "as-is".

Re-votes are problematic, given time and logistical constraints, as well as legitimate disagreements as to whether voters in MI who voted in the open Republican primary because the Democratic primary was invalid should be able to vote in any re-vote.

Instead of penalizing them 100% of their delegates, I think a compromise could see MI and FL lose a lower percentage of their delegates - maybe 50% like the Republican penalty for the same rules violation. But either way, the net delegate gain by Hillary will not nearly be enough to overtake Obama's lead - so the effect on the nomination will not be substantial either way. Instead, the effect will be on future elections - if the penalty is not considered severe enough, then states will feel emboldened to try the same thing in future elections. I don't like that, even though I don't like the current nomination process itself - I agree that Iowa and New Hampshire should not always go first. But the way to change that is NOT by breaking the rules, but by changing the rules BEFORE the next nomination contest.

[Barack_America]

47. Michigan's primary was ruled unconstitutional...

You are suggesting the DNC honor the results of an illegal election?

[Maddy McCall]

20. And y'all just keep ignoring that Dean saw enough of a problem with St. Obama's rhetoric...

that he told him to cool it.

[tammywammy]

23. And he also told Clinton to "cool it" as well

:shrug:

[Maddy McCall]

28. I'll readily admit she's taken digs at Obama...

but Obama supporters won't say the same about their candidate.

[cali]

34. Sure I will. Hillypoo decided to go with the kitchen sink bullshit

and she's discovering she made yet another fuck up. She is so tone deaf. She's becoming pathetic.

[nadinbrzezinski]

31. BOUT BLOODY TIME that the adults spoke to the children

and that is BOTH sides

[UALRBSofL]

37. Maddy, Dean knows they have to be seated

He doesn't want to chance losing FL/MI in november. How they are seated is another story.

[crispini]

38. Exactly.

Of course they will be seated.

But how much of their votes will count. o.O

[joshcryer]

44. Anything less than half a vote won't be fair.

So they'll get their half a vote.

[Maddy McCall]

41. Yes, I agree.

:hi:

[loveangelc]

46. they will probably be seated after someone (obama) wins the nomination

[OzarkDem]

52. ....

:kick:

[Maddy McCall]

53. Kick

[bridgit]

54. k&r'd...

:kick: