Compromise on Michigan and Florida

The decision met with strong opposition from the crowds of Clinton supporters who had gathered during the all day event.

WASHINGTON, DC (Catholic Online) - After a full day of heated presentations, a very long lunch meeting and feisty debates, officials from the Rules Committee of the Democratic Party reached a compromise agreement on the controversial issues regarding the seating of delegates from Michigan and Florida.

The Rules committee approved a compromise suggested by the Michigan Democratic Party which results in the seating of Delegates from both States but effectively amounts to the awarding of half a vote to every delegate as a penalty for violation of Party Rules.

The compromise passed by a vote of 19-8.

The decision met with strong opposition from the crowds of Clinton supporters who had gathered during the all day event. Upon its announcement, one man yelled out: "How can you call yourselves Democrats if you don't count the vote? This is not the Democratic Party!"

Supporters of Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton argued passionately that no pledged delegates from Michigan should have been given to Senator Obama in Michigan since he did not place his name on the ballot.

The Senator from Illinois had equally passionate supporters arguing on his behalf. They argued that he was not on the ballot because the Party had indicated that the Primary would not count, due to the setting of an early date for the Primary in violation of the Party's direction.

In the end, Barack Obama picked up a total of 32 delegates in Michigan, including super delegates.

As for Florida, the committee unanimously agreed to seat all Florida delegates, even though Senator Obama had not campaigned in the State after the Democratic Party announced it would count the votes.

Based upon the outcome of the Florida Primary, 105 pledged delegates were given to Senator Clinton and 67 were given to Senator Obama. However, as a penalty for the failure to follow the Rules of the Democratic Party as to the dates of that Primary, each delegate would only count for ½.

Harold Ickes, Washington lawyer, Clinton delegate and long time supporter, informed the Rules Committee that the Senator from New York reserved her right to appeal the decision to the Credentials committee, the next procedural step in the process.

This announcement only confirmed what the crowd of Clinton demonstrators outside the meeting expressed in their shouting. This fight is not over.

The action by the Rules committee has raised the number delegates necessary for the Democratic presidential nomination to 2,118. Senator Barack Obama is now 66 delegates shy of that number.

Sources in the Obama campaign indicate that the candidate expects to obtain the number by the end of the week, after the remaining contests.

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