Howard Dean appeared on Air America's Rachel Maddow Show (with guest host David Bender) to assure listeners that he hopes to have all the loose ends -- unpledged delegates and the issue of whether or how to seat Florida and Michigan delegates -- dragging down the primary process tied up by June.
DAVID BENDER: Senator Clinton said, I think just yesterday to Keith Olbermann, that she was committed in staying in this race until Florida and Michigan are resolved…ahhh…
HOWARD DEAN: I think that's going to happen in June.
BENDER: You do? You think that will happen in June through the- through the bylaws and through the…
DEAN: Yeah. I'm hoping- I mean, I believe that there will be a rules committee meeting and we'll take up the question of Florida and Michigan. Michigan has just sent in a challenge and we hope to do that- hope to take up them both in the same meeting. So, you know I think that will happen, I think that all the pieces will be in place by the end of June...
Mr Obama’s campaign emphasises repeatedly the remorseless mathematical logic that, barring “tragedy or travesty”, points to him being the nominee. He has five times more cash on hand to spend on the coming contests than Mrs Clinton and there is a growing sense of exhaustion among Democrats who just want this once-exciting but now damaging race to be over.
But the reluctance of hundreds of other super-delegates to declare for him just yet reflects nagging doubts about whether he can win in November against John McCain, as well as residual loyalty to the Clinton brand.
Howard Dean, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, wants super-delegates to make up their minds by July 1, leaving the party with almost two months to heal its wounds before the convention in August. This still gives Mrs Clinton time to find a good argument for why super-delegates should risk accusations of overturning the will of voters in primaries and caucuses.
I was a big Deaniac back in 2004, and I really think this is the time for Dean to step up to the plate and bring his fractious party back together. There's just too much as stake in this election. (thanks to S for the audio)
