The Tiger at Home

Apparently, Clinton supporters control the Rules and Bylaws Committee of the Democratic Party.

With at least 50 percent of the Democratic Party’s 30-member Rules and Bylaws Committee committed to Clinton, her backers could — when the committee meets at the end of this month — try to ram through a decision to seat the disputed 210-member Florida and 156-member Michigan delegations. Such a decision would give Clinton an estimated 55 or more delegates than Obama, according to Clinton campaign operatives. The Obama campaign has declined to give an estimate.

So I guess we’ll know by the end of the month just how ugly this could get:

A controversial decision to seat the two delegations, as currently constituted, would be appealed by the Obama campaign to the Democratic National Convention’s Credentials Committee.

The full make-up of the Credentials Committee will not be determined until all the primaries are completed, but the pattern of Clinton and Obama victories so far clearly suggests that Obama delegates on that committee will outnumber Clinton delegates. Obama will not, however, have a majority, according to most estimates, and the balance of power will be held by delegates appointed by DNC chair Howard Dean.

H’m.

I bet Clinton’s supporters in the grassroots would support it…

Update: All of a sudden, this seems important –

Calls for Democratic unity Saturday morning in Pontiac went largely unheeded as shouting matches broke out as Democrats from Oakland County’s 9th Congressional District convened to pick delegates to the party’s national convention this summer in Denver. …

In Pontiac on Saturday, the Clinton caucus picked its delegates in 15 minutes without controversy.

But it took about two hours to pick the three uncommitted delegates as more than 100 Obama supporters sparred with mostly union-backed delegates.

Catherine Martin, a UAW member seeking an uncommitted delegate slot, told the group she planned to remain uncommitted because her union hadn’t endorsed a candidate. But Obama supporters weren’t buying it, suggesting the union clearly supports Clinton.

“I’m madder than hell,” said Gwen Taylor of Farmington Hills. “They tried to pull the wool over our eyes. Hello, the UAW is for Hillary.”

Taylor said she won’t vote for Clinton if she becomes the Democratic nominee.

“At some point, these backroom shenanigans have got to stop,” she said. “If she’s the nominee, I would have to consider voting for John McCain.”

Interesting.