WASHINGTON – Democrats in Florida and Michigan may yet have a say in picking their party’s presidential nominee – with do-over primaries conducted by mail.
“It’s comprehensive – you get to vote if you’re in Iraq or in a nursing home. It’s not a bad way to do this,” said Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean on CBS’s “Face the Nation.”
The DNC had stripped both states of their convention delegates – a total of 313 – for holding their primaries too early.
Hillary Rodham Clinton won both states – but no delegates.
Barack Obama was not on the Michigan ballot.
This has created problems for the Democrats due to the closeness of the race, and officials from both states are trying to resolve the dilemma.
The big issue is money.
Dean has insisted that the DNC will not pay a dime.
The state’s governments, too, have declared that they should not have to pay for another election.
Sens. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) and Carl Levin (D-Mich.) have indicated they might support a plan for the state parties to pay $5 million to $6 million for mail ballots – the cheapest way to hold an election.
Both the Clinton and Obama campaigns have indicated they’re open to a revote in the states.