Behind the scenes

Posted: Saturday, May 31, 2008 3:49 PM by Chuck Todd

From NBC's Chuck Todd
It's informed speculation, but there is some buzz circulating that the Clinton forces on the Rules committee right now are attempting to convince a majority of the members of the committee to punt the decision on Michigan to the Credentials Committee.

However, there doesn't seem to be a majority on the committee to support the idea of NOT coming to a resolution on Michigan. Florida seems to be a done deal with a small dispute as to whether Superdelegates can be halved or not. But with Michigan, there is just no consensus on the simple issue of whether that state's January result should have any bearing on the allocation of delegates. And without that and with Clinton folks adamant that a 50-50 even split is unacceptable, the state party's 69-59 plan might actually accepted by the rules committee. This is something the Obama campaign isn't happy about at all but they may take it, according to one source, if the Rules Committee makes it crystal clear the January results didn't count, period.

Again, this is informed buzz and, well, anything can still happen; expect a heated debate when the re-convene publicly.

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Comments

The Clinton camp are acting like spoiled children. If they can't get their way they'll just have to cause a scene and break something like the democratic party.

chris, SC (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 4:01 PM)

I say they finish it NOW. And stand firm.
CAN the Credentials Committee call an early, emergency meeting? Do they HAVE to wait until the convention?
I love that this is televised. The Clintons and their ilk are so conniving and petty and desperate.
Cheaters.

Deborah Greenlawn, NY (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 4:02 PM)

If this is true...

...WHAT ARE THEY THINKING?

This isn't the closed-door session they had when they first decided to strip the delegates. They're on national-freakin'-TV and they should know that they're being watched.

Now is not the time to chicken-s#@! this decision to the Credentials Committee.

Pete - Albany, NY (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 4:04 PM)

MEMO TO ALL ELECTED DEMECRATS: YOUR JOBS OR ONTHE LINE ALSO. LEVIN----YOU DOG, YOU LET THIS HAPPEN IN MICHIGAN YOU HAVE DISINFRANCHISED ALOT OF US DEMS. MAYBE IT'S TIME YOU THINK ABOUT RETIRING, OLD SCHOOL POLITICS ARE BECOMING PASSE'. EITHER KEEP UP OR MOVE ASIDE.

LENI,WESTLAND,MICHIGAN (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 4:04 PM)

If more than enough supers to clinch this thing at any number the Clintons divine in their fantasy world don't flood to the winner Tuesday night, the Dems. DESERVE to LOSE in November!
Weenie Roast.

Deborah Greenlawn, NY (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 4:05 PM)

Another disgusting move by the Clintons. They're trying to make sure there's no "magic number." This is so transparent.

Reality Check (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 4:05 PM)

I am a life long Democrat. I was 16 when Bobby was killed and I remember the chaos of 1968. I have seen the party's self-destructive actions since then.

What I am seeing now is nothing short of cowardice from the super-delegates. Any shred of respect that I had for Hillary Clinton is gone.

Robert White, Austin, TX (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 4:08 PM)

Why is the Clinton camp doing this? To the Credentials Committee? Have they no understanding that in doing so, they are greatly reducing our chances of winning in November? I hope the SD come out in force in support of BO so that whatever the results of MI, it doesn't matter. So the point can be conceded and we can move forward to the GE.

Sarah D., Springfield, VA (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 4:08 PM)

Just like Clinton, just keep delaying the process until she wins.

Kipp, Janesville, WI (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 4:10 PM)

The world will laugh at us if the DNC does not stand up to the Clintons's cheating game. They already succeeded in teaching this undemocratic game to their daughter who embraced it without any questions.

Cecile - San Diego, CA (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 4:10 PM)

The Obama camp throwing out a 50/50 split, reminds me of the fine art of haggling. (I've been overseas where the only path to any purchase is to haggle over it. Stickers with prices on them don't exist).

The 69/49 split may well be what Barack's team was after all along, but upped their figure in order to get it.

Just my thoughts.

donna (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 4:11 PM)

Dear Democratic Party - I'm about to leave and become an independent. This entire thing is a mess, you look like children scraping on a playground. Grow up and get over your self-importance.

FL, MI broke the rules - What are we doing here? Demonstrating that our rules are not really rules except when we want them to be.

Tom Gremm, Baltimore, Maryland (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 4:11 PM)

I can't believe that the DNC is still listening to anything that the Clintons are saying-spinning. The nominee is Barack Obama. The voters have spoken and we are speaking within the rules!!

Seattle (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 4:12 PM)

The comments on your blogs are so lopsided (obviously pro-obama) that it's getting cynical - sometimes your words seem to spit venom.

Guess, it is partly due to the fact that the NBC pundits have called the shots so early that they are worried that something contrary to what they have said might happen.

"Objectivity" is the biggest loser in this election.

Mick, NY (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 4:12 PM)

Great job Chuck!

Brian (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 4:12 PM)

President Obama should quietly have Ickes audited.

ariel (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 4:17 PM)

We are about to see Obama's prowess with regard to how he will handle himself as a Statesman, and as the representative of our Foreign Policy.

Will he fail, or score big, once again?

donna (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 4:17 PM)

This is such FUN. I miss gavel to gavel. Thanks for giving us today!

vk kent, Ridgefield, CT (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 4:18 PM)

How can Ickes be allowed to vote when he is paid by the CLinton campaign? They won't let the members from the states vote on those states; why let a paid staffer from one of the campaigns vote. It is so obvious that Ickes is working for Clinton it makes me sick. Some of the other Clinton supporters have been more than obvious in pushing her specious talking points, but Ickes is really pathetic.

JWHICK, American Fork, UT (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 4:20 PM)

Thanks chuck for keeping us updated!

AAH, Houston, TX (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 4:21 PM)

Listen to you every day and count on you for accurate information on this heated debate.

Will you tell Nora O'Donnell that the quote from Governor Dean was that Al Gore told him it was about "his country" not as she misquoted about "his party."

Helen (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 4:22 PM)

Chuck
If media commentators validate Clinton's claim that she has more "votes", (I fully understand the qualifications, although others may not if short hand is used) will that empower her and her supporters to declare that an Obama victory is not legitimate? I sense that the media is about to be exploited. The democratic party will severely suffer if this occurs and Clinton will point to the media as the source of the claim and not her. Beware! I am watching the MSNBC broadcast and the intense discussion about Clinton's strategy and popular vote claim is clearly treating that claim as a legitimate measure of success instead of delegates. You are walking a fine line and I wonder if you realize it.

Robert in Virginia (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 4:22 PM)

I do believe that the advice Howard Dean received from Al Gore in the story he told this morning was that it was not about him, but about the country, not the party.

Jennifer Wilson McCallsburg,IA (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 4:22 PM)

Before today, I didn't know the arguments for counting the Florida and Michigan delegates. Now I understand and totally support this. If these states had not been "punished", Hillary Clinton would have won and the momentum of the race would be totally different today. This is what saddens and frustrates many of us. She is the better candidate and Obama is winning because of these unfortunate events.

Monique, NC (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 4:23 PM)

It is not going to Credentials.

Everybody but Obama is going to leave pissed and even he will have to pretend to be pissed until Tuesday.

After lunch... the game is all over but the shouting, pissing, moaning...

Good theater anyway.

Mark Thieme (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 4:23 PM)

Revote still makes the most sense to be fair to all parties. Too bad One camp ffaught so hard to stop that effort. If not I would not have a problem with either taking it to the credentials committee. Washington is broken and the Democratic party is broken. Sometimes things have to get really messy to get real change.

Chris,Warwick, RI (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 4:23 PM)

Hillary Clinton is a real piece of work. It is pretty clear that her entire life is dedicated to making herself President, even if the rest of us don't want that.

It makes me wonder why Bill has been faithful to her all these years.

Kelly, Seattle, Wash (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 4:24 PM)

That would be aweful! How sad of the Clinton Campaign

Crystal, tn (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 4:24 PM)

Isn't it fun watching the sausage being made?

All of these presenters and committee members know that the eyes of the world are riveted on them today.

Just imagine what goes on behind closed doors, when we aren't watching. The majority of us, including myself, haven't cared enough to really pay attention, which has landed us all where we are today!

This is a great lesson for all of us. If we don't take the time to learn about and engage in the process, we suffer as a nation.

For better or for worse, we get the leadership we deserve.

Gail, TN (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 4:24 PM)

If this is the case, then I think there also needs to be public, televised, written and signed aggreement by the candidates so that this issue ENDS HERE.

Neither candidate (although only one is likely to) should have the opportunity to snake out of the decision. There needs to be no room for conjecture nor equivocation.

Lets put an end to this and unify our party so that we can end the reign of the neo-con aristocracy and the corporate control of America.

Virtus, Albany NY (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 4:25 PM)

Gee, it's kinda sad when the circus leaves town-but at least Howard Dean & the DNC proves it's no crime to be stupid-so you all are free to go-just try to play nice next time.

David (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 4:26 PM)

Punting to the Credentials Committee is not an option. Just ask Nancy Pelosi and Senator Reed. We have to move on to the general election long before the convention.

Gregory Peek, Birmingham, Alabama (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 4:27 PM)

In all of this talk about Hillary negotiating for VP position, I don't hear Chuck, Nora, Chris or anyone discussing the REAL problem. It's not just a matter of choosing her for VP position, it's getting the husband in the deal. Obama's position would immediately be lessened w/Bill Clinton in the White House as co-VP. We all know that BC is incapable of keeping his mouth shut and would be continuously undermining Obama as President.

62 white female for Obama (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 4:28 PM)

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