Caucus Date

GOP calendar plan passes quietly

A 2012 nomination calendar that could help keep Iowa first in the nation was one of the few items that quietly passed during Monday’s abbreviated session of the Republican National Convention.

Republicans leave caucuses alone — for now

The Republican National Convention’s rules committee voted Wednesday to approve a 2012 nomination calendar that could help keep Iowa first. The proposed calendar goes to the full convention on Monday.

Calendar “reform” risky for Iowa, mistake for Democrats

In the end, the Michigan and Florida delegate seating that was at the center of the political universe at the end of May sailed through without notice, on a quick credentials vote Monday before the delegates were even through the security lines.

“Unity,” it seems, mattered more than loyalty, and the Michigan and Florida pols who heaped vitriol on Barack Obama for standing by the rules, and for taking his name off the Michigan ballot, mattered more than the Iowans who actually caucused for him.

The Last Word on Florida and Michigan: Full Seating

The rules? Never mind.
The DNC’s credentials committee made it official yesterday: The two states that broke the rules on the nomination calendar and caused delegate count turmoil until days before the primaries ended, Florida and Michigan, will get full seating and full votes at this week’s convention.
Michigan Senator Carl Levin, Public Enemy Number One of [...]

Other top Iowa Dems don’t see risk to Iowa caucuses

After the Iowa Independent published an interview with Dave Nagle in which the former congressman and Iowa Democratic Party Chair said Sen. Barack Obama was “throwing Iowa under the bus” with his proposed DNC calendar commission, the Des Moines Register’s Tom Beaumont published a story in which other top Democrats sounded a more reassuring note:
“Senator [...]

Nagle: Obama ‘throwing Iowa under the bus’ with calendar commission

“The creation of this commission is a clear sellout to Hillary Clinton,” said Dave Nagle, who chaired the Iowa Democratic Party during the 1984 caucuses and served in Congress from 1986 to 1992.

Obama: Full seating for Florida and Michigan at Dem Convention

Remember that all-important Democratic Rules and Nominations committee meeting at the end of May, that finally, definitively punished Florida and Michigan for violating the primary calendar? Well, forget it. Barack Obama is, now that it doesn’t matter to the nomination math, recommending seating the two states at full strength.

Rules and Bylaws: Watch Carl Levin

Marc Arbinder, The Atlantic:
“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 [...]

Clinton Campaign Backs Off On Full Seating Demand

In a conference call Friday, Hillary Clinton campaign officials acknowledged for the first time in months that Florida and Michigan broke Democratic Party rules by moving up their primaries, and thus cannot receive more than a half share of delegates.

Also, in a brief, Clinton attorneys wrote: “Rule 20(C)(7) allows the (Rules and Bylaws Committee) to [...]

Delegate Math and the Popular Vote Myth

The Democratic National Committee’s Rules and Bylaws Committee is preparing to meet in Washington Saturday to decide the fate of calendar cheaters Florida and Michigan. Most observers are instead expecting delegates from the two states to be seated with a half vote each, though there’s several variations on that theme.

One thing the committee won’t settle [...]