Howard Dean’s drive toward party unity will be put to the test this weekend when the Democratic Party meets to hash out one of the most divisive wedges of the primary season.
A 30-member panel of the Democratic National Committee is set to consider the dispute over the discounted Michigan and Florida convention delegates Saturday.
The DNC chairman, who has staked his reputation on a political strategy that involves reaching out to every state to win elections, has said recently he’s committed to seating those delegations — which were stripped because the states held early primaries.
But it’s a sensitive matter, and the meeting’s outcome could make lasting impressions not just on the primary race, but on the Democratic ticket’s potency going into the fall election. Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and party leaders in both states are all attempting to influence the process.
Handled incorrectly, Democratic leaders worry it could be the thread that teases the party loose come November. So they are hopeful Dean, along with the campaigns and panel members, are able to reach a compromise that bridges a party already hurting from a bitter and protracted primary campaign.
“What’s at stake is nothing less than the confidence of Florida voters going into the general election, and the presidency itself,” said Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
She faults Dean and DNC leadership for early on criticizing Florida and Michigan in TV interviews and fanning the “flames” of their decision, which she said was over the top.
Party rules automatically allowed for cutting the delegations in half, which is what the Republican Party did. The DNC stripped the entire delegations.
“They just went way overboard and cut off their nose to spite their face,” she said.
But she said Dean has recently moved to reconcile with the states and is hopeful the panel reaches a fair solution.
A 30-member panel of the Democratic National Committee is set to consider the dispute over the discounted Michigan and Florida convention delegates Saturday.
The DNC chairman, who has staked his reputation on a political strategy that involves reaching out to every state to win elections, has said recently he’s committed to seating those delegations — which were stripped because the states held early primaries.
But it’s a sensitive matter, and the meeting’s outcome could make lasting impressions not just on the primary race, but on the Democratic ticket’s potency going into the fall election. Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and party leaders in both states are all attempting to influence the process.
Handled incorrectly, Democratic leaders worry it could be the thread that teases the party loose come November. So they are hopeful Dean, along with the campaigns and panel members, are able to reach a compromise that bridges a party already hurting from a bitter and protracted primary campaign.
“What’s at stake is nothing less than the confidence of Florida voters going into the general election, and the presidency itself,” said Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
She faults Dean and DNC leadership for early on criticizing Florida and Michigan in TV interviews and fanning the “flames” of their decision, which she said was over the top.
Party rules automatically allowed for cutting the delegations in half, which is what the Republican Party did. The DNC stripped the entire delegations.
“They just went way overboard and cut off their nose to spite their face,” she said.
But she said Dean has recently moved to reconcile with the states and is hopeful the panel reaches a fair solution.
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