Granholm: Obama to give full votes to Mich, Fla delegates

[Hope And Change]

Granholm: Obama to give full votes to Mich, Fla delegates


by The Associated Press
Saturday June 14, 2008, 3:47 PM

LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- Gov. Jennifer Granholm says she has gotten personal assurances from presidential candidate Barack Obama that he'll restore the full voting rights of Michigan and Florida's national convention delegates.

Granholm says Saturday during a conference call with reporters that Obama told her he plans to make sure delegates from both states get their full votes.

The change would be made by the credentials committee at the start of the Aug. 25-28 national convention in Denver.

The two states were stripped of their delegates by national party officials for breaking party rules by moving up their presidential primaries. The Democratic National Committee's rules committee agreed last month to seat the delegates, but give each just half a vote.

http://www.mlive.com/elections/index.ssf/2008/06/granholm_obama_to_give_full_vo.html

[Saturday]

1. It doesn't matter now, but of course he knew that. nt

[PermanentRevolution]

10. It doesn't?

Wasn't this whole issue about making sure all of us poor voters in Florida and Michigan were fully represented? Wasn't it about making sure our voices were heard? I'm sure I read many, many times that it wasn't about which candidate would benefit, it was a matter of principle.

So, if that's the case, what's changed? How come it "doesn't matter" now that the primaries are over? Isn't it still important to give our delegates their full voice, to protect the rights of all of us poor disenfranchised voters?

Surely, you're not suggesting that it really WAS about which candidate would benefit all along, and that all those impassioned pleas on behalf of us poor voters in Florida and Michigan were cynical manipulations to try and sway public opinion by creating a false impression of fighting injustice. Because, as a person directly affected by this whole mess, that would really piss me off to know that others were trying to use my vote as a political football to achieve their own agenda while all the time telling me that they were fighting for my rights...

But I'm sure that's not the case. So I'm sure you'll agree that it's just as important for Florida and Michigan to gain full representation now as it was back in March, and you'll join me in my praise of Obama and his principled stance on resolving this important issue.

[madfloridian]

11. We all knew it would be done at the end. Faux outrage and outbursts

were all in vain. In the end as Dean always said...the nominee will seat all the delegates.

The power play by FL and MI failed. They need to hush and get on board.

Granholm signed the bill, so glad she is on board now.

[MaraJade]

18. If they arey smart, they will say "no thanks"

and vote the half votes they were given.

[seaglass]

14. There were NO principles involved in this decision at all. n/t

[MaraJade]

20. Now they all have a full voice

to vote ONLY for Obama? What kind of choice is that?

[MaraJade]

17. Doesn't matter one whit. . .

Michigan and Florida have no choice of whom to vote for now so this is
nothing but an empty and stupid gesture that means absolutely nothing at all.

Nothing at all.

[sandnsea]

2. Well I'll be

who could have foreseen that!!!

All that fuss - only because Hillary was trying to use illegitimate primaries to win.

[madfloridian]

12. Their power play....

failed. We always knew they would be seated with full votes, but only when they did not have an effect on the outcome.

[sandnsea]

13. It infuriates me

all those people out there who hate Obama over this, when anybody who has paid any attention to politics knew this is what would happen. Do you think any of the pundits will be required to admit what they've done, or even be confronted? Oh of course not. That is what is wrong with our politics.

[DerekJ]

3. Wicked.

[bluestateguy]

4. I had a feeling he would do this

And now that the nomination is effectively resolved, I approve.

Oh, and maybe now those outside agitators that were cackling at the meeting on 5/31 can apologize.

[anonymous171]

5. Chicago politics, I love it.

[Kaleko]

6. Smart move. Generous. Presidential. Strategically immaculate.

God, I love the way O runs his campaign.

[BlackVelvet04]

16. Not to mention....

pandering.

[MaraJade]

21. Absolutely pandering. . .

If the people of MI and FL take this offer, they are FOOLS that fully deserve
to be disenfranchised over and over again in the future. They should keep the
half votes they were "granted" and throw it back in his face. After all, he was
all in favor of the half votes for them, and now it is different.

Hypocritical and pandering.

[BlackVelvet04]

22. It's rather easy to be

magnanimous after the fact, eh? ANYTHING to win I guess.

[MaraJade]

19. Meaningless. . .

and arrogant. Utterly worthless to MI and FL.

[4themind]

7. Also the RNC has still not given Florida it's original number of delegates

If I remember correctly.

[DavidDvorkin]

8. What a great v.p. candidate Granholm would be

Oops. Can't happen. Constitution forbids it.

[MichiganVote]

9. Pointless.

[madfloridian]

15. Does Granholm understand that Dean has nothing to do with delegates now?

I would not expect a governor to make a statement like this. Not even sure what all she means?? Is she going to keep blaming Dean for a bill she signed to break the rules?

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080614/POLITICS01/806140403/1409

"Under a penalty assessed by the national party, however, each delegate is scheduled to get just a half-vote. But during a telephone conference call with reporters Saturday, Gov. Jennifer Granholm said she had spoken with Obama and is confident he will restore the state's full voting strength in Denver.

"I expect him to have a very persuasive discussion with (Democratic National Committee Chairman) Howard Dean," said Granholm, who had supported Clinton during the primaries."

Gov. Granholm, could you please hush about Dean? The party followed the rule you broke. Now enough is enough.