NJ Governor Jon Corzine and Pennsylvania Ed Rendell have offered a plan to re-stage the Florida and Michigan Democratic primaries. The two men, both Clinton supporters, say they will raise half of the $30 million it would take for new primaries. Funny, where's Governor Spitzer, who said he'd support Clinton but has called Obama "spectacular"?
Corzine told the Star-Ledger, "We ought to have a revote. I think the money would be available if it brought peace to the party and a resolution to the nomination." He added that he would contribute, "I'm not going to be the overwhelming proportion of the money. But I'm more than happy to try to contribute to be part of a national solution."
Rendell appeared on Meet the Press, to argue Clinton's strength, noting that Obama has won states with 190 electoral votes whereas Clinton has won states with 260 votes, "And we decide the presidency not by a popular vote, we decide it by the electoral vote." When MtP's Tim Russert pointed out Rendell was counting Florida in the vote, Rendell insisted she won and called for a revote.
Barack Obama supporter former senator Tom Daschle was also on the program and he said the Obama campaign would "absolutely" support a privately-funded revote. And Democratic National Committee head Howard Dean told Face the Nation that everyone's working on a compromise, but emphasized DNC money will be used for the presidential campaign to "convince the American people that our nominee is better than Senator McCain... We don’t think knock-down, drag-out fights are ever good between Democrats. We'd much prefer to have this all settled well before we get to the convention, if that can happen.”
And the Reverend Al Sharpton is headed to Florida today, to "compile lists of residents who skipped the January contest because they thought their votes would not count." He has threatened to sue if the Florida and Michigan delegates are seated.
