Following the lead of the Democratic Change Commission, the Republicans' Temporary Delegate Selection Committee recommended Tuesday that no state hold their presidential nominating contest prior to the first Tuesday in March, 2012 [Smith, Ben (2010-5-11).  Early states prevail.  Politico.  Retrieved on 2010-5-12.].

Nineteen states, according to research done by Josh Putnam at Frontloading HQ, would have to move their primaries or caucuses back to the first Tuesday in March or face sanctions by the Democratic and Republican national committees. 

The small states of Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina --four states whose combined electoral votes are less than 5% of the total electoral college-- continue to maintain their preferential status.  Except that their presidential nominating contests must not be held any earlier than February 1, 2012.

The recommendations of both the Democratic Change Commission and the RNC Temporary Delegate Selection Committee still have to be approved by each respective national party committee.  Expect a slew of legislation from states moving their primary or caucus back after the DNC and RNC signs off on the new calendar.

Looking ahead, the Democratic and Republican national committees are finalizing the delegate selection rules for 2012.  Once those rules are adopted later this summer,  they will be forwarded to the states for use in formulating their delegate selection plans.  The states will then adopt their delegate selection plans in the summer of 2011.

(cross posted at kickin it with cg and Clintonistas for Obama)

I came across a story today about Hillary Clinton delegate Sacha Millstone of Boulder, Colorado.  Apparently Millstone has hired an attorney after she received a Democratic Party email that ordered her to come to headquarters to 'explain' disparaging remarks she made about Barack Obama.

Her attorney wrote the DNC asking for the rules that allow the party to threaten a person's removal from the state delegation. Party officials say the issue has been dropped.

Now I don't know anything about this particular person, nor her motivations.  But this raises an interesting conundrum for the Party - should delegates be free to criticize the nominee?  And if so - why would they be forced to 'explain themselves' for remarks they make.  Thoughts?

There's more...

      Having staked his claim to the Democratic nomination, Senator Obama is now transitioning to the general election phase of the campaign while his surrogates continue to pressure the superdelegates to make up their minds by the end of the week. Even though Senator Clinton has not yet conceeded the race for the nomination, Senator Obama is confident enough of his victory that he is already talking of "unity" and "party loyalty". However, his status for the past several weeks as the presumptive nominee apparently was not enough for him to win in West Virginia, Kentucky, Puerto Rico, or South Dakota. Furthermore, he has seemingly overlooked the fact that many of Senator Clinton's supporters harbor hard feelings, to say the least, of his brusque dismissal of Clinton ever since his large February winning streak. ("I would have dropped out if I were her") Comments like "You are likeable enough" and insuations of racism are never sound methodologies to use in reuniting a fractured party base. Many here and at DKOS claim that it is only a matter of time before the "chickens come home to roost," to put it in the language of Reverand Wright. While I think this is highly improbable at the present time, I do find an analysis of Obama's primary victory and large lead in delegates to be quite illuminating. I have separated Senator Obama's victories into five distinct categories, with an interpretation of their importance to his win. While it is clear that Senator Obama was much more prepared for a post Feb. 5th contest, it remains to be seen whether his coalition will be enough to win the general election come November. Please comment.

There's more...

We must and we should count every vote. Even those from space. This primary isn't over till every vote in the universe is cast! Count all the votes now!

Aren't children cute! Even a Young Hillary Clinton is cute!

Count our Votes! Count Our votes! Count our Votes! Count our Votes!

You must count our votes

There's more...

This is the absolute lowest.  Senator Obama is resorting to lies, false claims and negative politics for wanting to COUNT PEOPLES VOTES.  

Obama is showing his desperation again, to take this low road again, in saying anything in an effort to try to demonize Senator Clinton for wanting to count peoples votes, and him, Senator Obama OBVIOUSLY NOT wanting to and blocking every effort to count Michigan and Florida-even their willingness to revote if he wanted to block their existing votes from counting.

There's more...