Michigan Democrats Agree to Push for Early June Primary Re-Do
WASHINGTON — Michigan Democrats agreed Friday to push a do-over primary in early June to give them a say in the close presidential race between Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama.
Amid talks with the two campaigns, the four Michigan Democrats said in a statement they were “focusing on the possibility of a state-run primary in early June which would not use any state funding.” Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, one of the Democratic participants, said a likely date is June 3.
“This option would require the passage of legislation by the state legislature, and we look forward to working with the members of the legislature in the coming days to see if this option can be made a reality,” the Democrats said.
Other Michigan Democrats working on the plan were Democratic National Committee member Debbie Dingell, Sen. Carl Levin and United Auto Workers President Ron Gettelfinger.
Mark Brewer, chairman of the Michigan Democratic Party, said the potential privately funded primary was “a good first step” toward seating the state’s delegation at the Democratic National Convention.
The agreement now hinges on getting the campaigns and party officials to approve legislation, still being written, that would set the primary for early June. In the statement, Brewer said party leaders would need to write legislation “that is acceptable to the MDP and both the Clinton and Obama campaigns.”
To go forward, any plan would require the approval of the two campaigns, the Democratic National Committee, state party leaders and Gov. Jennifer Granholm, who is backing Clinton. Brewer said a revised delegate plan would also need to be approved by the state party’s executive committee and the DNC’s rules and bylaws committee.
Michigan Democrats need to act quickly because the politically divided legislature will have to sign off on the deal and approve how to spend the privately raised funds for a new election. Members of the Democratic-controlled state House and Republican-controlled state Senate leave at the end of the month on their two-week spring break.
The contest must be held by June 10 for the results to count under DNC rules.
The national party punished Michigan and Florida for moving up their primaries before Feb. 5, stripping them of all their delegates. The two states have been struggling to come up with alternative plans to ensure their delegates are seated at the national convention this summer in Denver.
Michigan held its primary Jan. 15 and Florida voted Jan. 29. Clinton won both, although she was the only major candidate on the Michigan ballot.
Kilpatrick said although she is optimistic, Detroit City Clerk Janice Winfrey has expressed concern they may not have the time or manpower to pull it off. She said they are trying to work through those issues.
Both campaigns said they would evaluate the plans. Obama spokesman Bill Burton said the campaign hoped “a resolution can be arrived at that is fair and practical.”
Former Michigan Gov. James Blanchard, the co-chairman of Clinton’s Michigan campaign, said they were “looking at this with great interest … it has some great possibilities.”
Florida Democrats said they will make a decision by Monday on whether to hold a dual mail-in and in-person re-vote. But the plan floated this week faces opposition from the state’s Democratic congressional delegation, and Obama has also expressed concerns about security and accuracy of a mail-in vote organized so quickly. Democratic National Committee rules require the vote to be scheduled by June 10.
Florida DNC member Jon Ausman on Friday filed an appeal to the rules committee asking that the state’s 23 superdelegates and half its at-large delegates be restored. He argued that party rules say superdelegates “shall” be seated and that the punishment for holding an early primary is losing half the at-large delegates.
“They far exceeded their authority by giving us the death penalty,” Ausman said.
While party rules at the time the primary date was moved did say that states would lose half their delegates, the rules committee later voted to strip Florida of all its delegates. Florida had 210 delegates, including 185 pledged delegates.
I am a Democrat and I am tired of this whole debacle. Mark Brewer and others knew there would be ramifications in what I call a “want-to-be-first” syndrome, this is how it started. The Michigan Democratic Party wanted to tout to the whole US of A the importance of our troubled state: jobs leaving, housing foreclosures, poverty increasing, etc. “By being first we will be noticed.”
So the, primary gets pushed up to January 15, but before this happened, lawsuits were filed, monies wasted, and the consequences? A closed primary. Our names and party choices are with the parties that we voted with due to the lawsuits. And on top of this, Hillary’s name was the only one that appeared on the ballot…..she didn’t take it off, the others did, but she stated that she would not campaign out of respect for the DNC. Secretary of State and local clerk’s offices in a frenzy to adhere to the date. Lost yet? I sure am.
Then we wait for the proverbial pot to boil over with the fighting between the state party and the national party to see if and when the delegates will “take their seats”. Well, it sure did. (Sorry Florida can’t help you with your debacle seems, we Michiganians are having troubles as well.)
Wow, no one can agree as to how to settle this dilemma. So it would appear that out of state and in state “investors” are reaching into their pocketbooks to give monies to the Democratic Party of Michigan to hold another election, so we can have delegates seated. I am supposed to pay homage to them for the “honor” of being able to vote again? That’s the way the voters in Michigan will take it. Someone is paying for me to be able to vote again, not the taxpayers, but a Party with major monies from private entities.
Boy, still confused? I am. Forget about the time line, let’s consider the average voters’ response right now: flummoxed, mad, feeling ignored, defeated, etc. The Democratic Party of Michigan made everyone, Republicans and Democrats, go to the polls early on January 15th, 2008, due to the Michigan Democratic Party’s insistence. Now that they did not like the outcome they want to do it again? They knew that the penalties would be put in place but they forged on anyway. That’s the key issue. We lined up like cows for a slaughter amongst the ropes on the way to the booths and we were decimated. Our choices are decimated.
These results will not be the same and an outcome will be different than what they were to begin with. Hillary was on the ballot, Obama and Edwards were the “uncommitted.” Should we throw Edwards back in to make them true to the first election’s outcome?
I will NOT be voting again and a lot of others won’t either. Especially since our first vote didn’t matter, what makes me think that my second vote will matter? I will not be fooled a second time.
Andi
No do-over in Michigan. The party better not expect the taxpayers to foot the bill for 10+ mil.
Who pays the bill? The DNC or the tax payer? If it is the tax payer are the republicans exempt?
Michigan’s plan sounds like something that is doable. As far as Florida is concerned, after 2002, 2006 and this present nonsense…the clowns running that organization simply need to be expelled from the Democratic Party. They have already given us George Bush, hanging chads and confusing ballots. Those incompetent bumblers don’t know how to do wrong right. The Republicans don’t even need to have an organization to beat this bunch. These Democrats will beat themselves every time.
This is bizarre…first of all, Florida and Michigan DECIDED to hold primaries ignoring DNC RULES. Now they have to make a decision to hold primaries before June 10th according to DNC RULES. What makes the rules important now? They obviously didn’t mean anything before.
Does anyone out there on the “Political Planet” see that they are making a joke out of the U.S. Political System? Michigan and Florida made their DECISION…now just move on.
The democrats made their own mess on primary. I don’t think the democrats in Michigan can be serious that the republicans are going to help them at all. Democrats get real. Your party is a three ring circus.
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There should be no re-vote. All the rest of the states new the rules why didn’t Michigan and Florida. Another act of errogance by people in power. The citizens in these states should hold the people responsible for staging the Primary Elections in these states responsible monetarily and morally for this mess. Never mind this is the Democrats. For get accountability.
looks like hillary will get her way? what the over and under odds for how many lawsuits will be filed before the votes are counted?
Go Michigan. Vote . Hillary was there on the first ballot! Obama could of had his name there but chose not to. Hillary will look out for Michigan. Vote your will and your heart . Don’t forget Hillary .
Patricia