The delegate fight: Wrapped up?
Posted: Wednesday, April 30, 2008 9:13 AM by Domenico Montanaro
More polling evidence that Clinton and Obama supporters are starting to hate the other candidate more than John McCain.
Politico reports, “Capitol Hill insiders say the battle for congressional superdelegates is over, and one Senate supporter of Barack Obama is hinting strongly that he has prevailed over Hillary Rodham Clinton. While more than 80 Democrats in the House and Senate have yet to state their preferences in the race for the Democratic nomination, sources said Tuesday that most of them have already made up their minds and have told the campaigns where they stand. Asked which way the committed-but-unannounced superdelegates are leaning, McCaskill -- who has endorsed Obama -- said: “James Brown would say, ‘I Feel Good.’”
But Clinton spokesman Phil Singer was singing a different tune ("You've gotta have faith?”) “Considering the rough patch Sen. Obama is going through, it’s understandable that Sen. McCaskill would want to change the subject, but her observations don’t jibe with what automatic delegates are actually saying,” he said. “Most are concerned about Sen. Obama’s electability and are impressed by the fact that Sen. Clinton is winning the states that Democrats must carry if we are to be successful in November.”
A Michigan compromise? “Michigan Democrats working to get the state's delegates seated at the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday suggested splitting them 69-59 between presidential candidates Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama. Clinton has argued that she should get 73 delegates based on the results of the Jan. 15 primary, which she won -- 18 more than Obama. Obama, who removed his name from the ballot, wants the 128 pledged delegates split evenly, 64-64.
“The compromise, suggested Tuesday in a letter to Michigan Democratic Chairman Mark Brewer [from Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, United Auto Workers President Ron Gettelfinger, Sen. Carl Levin and Democratic National Committee member Debbie Dingell, wife of Rep. John Dingell], fell halfway between the two proposals.”
