MI: Delegates celebrate full voting rights, prime convo seating
10:14 AM
Michigan caused a stir when it moved its primary up this year in violation of the Democratic National Committee's approved calendar. The move meant that no Dems campaigned in Michigan and also could have caused the state's delegates to lose all their convention clout.
But the DNC's rules committee voted this weekend to restore their convention voting privileges, leaving them able to participate fully in the Denver proceedings.
The ruling left Michigan Dems celebrating:
U.S. Senator Carl Levin, a key player in the effort to move up Michigan's primary and to break the stranglehold Iowa and New Hampshire have on the presidential nominating calendar, crowed at the delegate breakfast about what he called a party victory.The chair of the state party also crowed about the delegation's seats, which are one section to the side of center stage and behind only the four rows taken up by convention host Colorado.
"Score this one as a clear win for Michigan Democrats," Levin said, reading from a Detroit News editorial, adding that the credential committee's action will help motivate state Democrats to campaign for Obama, who will be officially nominated for president this week.
"We have got seats on the floor. Better than Iowa and New Hampshire," said state party chairman Mark Brewer.But all is not perfect for Michigan's delegates: despite the chance for full convention participation and the almost-front-row seats, the state's delegates have been relegated to a hotel 17 miles away from Denver's Pepsi Center.
He was referring to the fight this year over the primary schedule in which Michigan tried to challenge Iowa and New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation status by moving up its primary
