Saturday, May 31, 2008

A Late Lunch in D.C.

Apparently the Democratic rules committee meeting in Washington today is interfering with Chris Matthews' lunch. Matthews didn't appear to be swayed by Sen. Carl Levin's passionate arguments or former Michigan Gov. Jim Blanchard's good-natured pitch to seat all of Michigan's delegates. Instead, he spoke of the Dems' "obligation" to adhere to the news media's deadlines, which prompted Andrea Mitchell to speak of an even more pressing obligation -- an evening fundraiser in New York City featuring Avignon president and former Vice President Al Gore.

Unless somebody gets huffy and tries to put it back on the table, Florida's decided -- a Florida vote equals a half a vote. The immediate question is whether Michigan's votes will be pinned down by committee today in time for the Sunday papers and the evening news, or whether everybody will be camping out in our nation's capital overnight. But no committee resolution will shut up the combatants in this fight. Unless there is some basic understanding between the two campaigns, the fight over Michigan will -- without a doubt -- spill over into a bare-knuckles brawl in Colorado this summer. Which might not be bad for democracy, for political theater or for GOP candidate John McCain's chances in November.

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