The Democrats are still struggling to find a way to seat delegations
from Michigan and Florida the NY Times
reports.
The current plan for Michigan is a primary in June paid for by private
sources, but who these sources are is not clear. Also, although Hillary
Clinton can live with this plan, Barack Obama prefers a caucus, so the
last word has yet to be said. In Florida, Sen. Bill Nelson, a Clinton
supporter, now proposes seating the Florida delegation chosen Jan. 29
but giving each delegate half a vote, which reduces Clinton's lead there
from 38 to 19. It is unlikely Obama will accept this proposal though.
Negotiations are continuing nonstop.
But turmoil is not confined to the Democrats. The Alaska Republican
party is in an advanced state of meltdown. Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) has
the FBI nipping at his heels and has a first-rate challenger in the form
of Anchorage mayor Mark Begich (who has the full blessing of DSCC
chairman Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Mr. Moneybags). Rep. Don Young (R-AK), who has
served in Congress since 1973, now has a primary challenger--Lt. Gov.
Sean Parnell--who is supported by Alaska governor Sarah Palin (R).
A bloody primary pitting a sitting lieutenant governor against a
18-term congressman is never good for a party's prospects. The Democrats
have a candidate for the House seat already,
Ethan Berkowitz, the former Alaska House minority leader.
CQ Politics has the
Alaska story.
In the better-late-than-never department, Andre Carson (D) was elected
to the House of Representatives this week to fill the vacancy created
when the former occupant, Julia Carson--his grandmother--died in December.
Carson is the second Muslim in history to be elected to Congress.
The first was freshman Keith Ellison in MN-05.
A reader raised an interesting question: How come everyone demanded
Eliot Spitzer's head for visiting prostitutes but nobody is demanding
Sen. David Vitter's (R-LA) for doing exactly the same thing? It is
especially surprising that the Republicans are not trying to force him
out now that the governor of Louisiana is a Republican (Bobby Jindal)
who would replace him with another Republican.
Here are the delegate totals from various news sources rounded to integers
(Democrats Abroad has 22 delegates, each with 1/2 vote).
The sources differ because in most caucus states, no delegates to the national conventions have
been chosen yet, just delegates to the district, county, or state convention. Also, all
sources try to count the PLEOs (Party Leaders and Elected Officials) and unpledged delegates, who also get to vote
at the convention.
When different reporters call a PLEO and hear "Well, I like Hillary,
but Barack has his charms too" they may score it differently.
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