Marc Ambinder: RBC Meeting: Watch Carl Levin

http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/05/rbc_meeting_watch_carl_levin.php

RBC Meeting: Watch Carl Levin

30 May 2008 05:28 pm


The big unknown tomorrow is a man whose primary interest has nothing to do with the electoral success of Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton. Sen. Carl Levin will be speaking on behalf of Michigan; he wants the entire delegation seated and given full votes, and if he does not get his way, he will likely challenge the RBC's ruling when the credentials committee convenes unless the rules and bylaws committee promises to strip Iowa and New Hampshire of their privileged status in 2012.

What that means is that the debate about the size of Michigan's delegation will not be settled tomorrow.

What we don't know is whether Hillary Clinton will use Sen. Levin's ornery desire to punish Iowa and Michigan as a pretext for continuing her campaign.

The blogosphere is buzzing with conspiracy theories that Harold Ickes and Tina Flournoy have set a trap for Obama: because the RBC won't given them everything they want, they'll have an excuse to prolong the drama. (That rhymed!)

Well. After Wednesday, Barack Obama stops being polite and starts getting real. The establishment of the Democratic Party will turn, en masse, against Hillary Clinton; the race changes gear; the press treats her as a side show.

Another option, and one which I think is more probable, is that Clinton may well want to continue the quest to seat both delegations fully, but she might not do so as a candidate.

Senator Levin's cousin's wife is Obama's biggest individual donor. She was that for his Senate run, too.

She's a friend of mine. Lives in Winnetka, a north suburb of Chicago.

There has to be a compromise.
Otherwise, it is voter suppression.

It is such a miserable situation. As Chris Rock said, "These superdelegates weren't a big deal until a black man is running for President."

I don't understand why MI and FL thumbed their noses at the rules. No one has been able to explain it to me.

Maybe. ;)

If I'm not mistaken, you've been away. Welcome back!

:)

Had to leave because of that tropical depression, the rain, the lack of electricity, but we only lost a day. Good to be back!

Great article AS ALWAYS -- thanks!! :hi:

:hi: I had practically no internet access; I went cold turkey. :smoke:

You ain't heard nothing yet.