Friday, May 30, 2008

DNC Rules & Bylaws Committee to Meet Saturday, May 31st

Note: The DNC Rules & Bylaws Committee can be viewed live on C-Span 2, and MSNBC on Saturday, May 31 at 9:30 am.


DNC Rules & Bylaws Committee to Meet Saturday, May 31st
Press Release
For Immediate Release
May 21, 2008

***Media Advisory***

DNC Rules & Bylaws Committee to Meet Saturday, May 31st

WASHINGTON - The Democratic National Committee's Rules & Bylaws Committee will meet on Saturday May 31, 2008 in Washington, DC. The Rules and Bylaws Committee will consider the two challenges that have been filed pursuant to Rule 20.B of the 2008 Delegate Selection Rules and Regulation 3 of the Regulations of the Rules and Bylaws Committee concerning the seating of delegations from Florida and Michigan.

Pursuant to Section 3.4(N) of the Committee's Regulations, each challenger will be entitled to present an Oral Argument before the RBC prior to Committee consideration for a period of 15 minutes each. A representative from each state party and from each presidential campaign will also have an opportunity to address the committee regarding each of the challenges. Oral arguments from the parties will be heard during the committee's morning session. Following a lunch break, committee members will consider and debate the challenges.

What: DNC Rules & Bylaws Committee Meeting
When: May 31, 2008 - 9:30 AM

* Morning Session: Oral Arguments
* Afternoon Session: Consideration and Debate

Where: Marriott Wardman Park Hotel - Salon I
2660 Woodley Road NW, Washington, DC


A Note on Public Participation

This meeting is open to the public, however due to space constraints, guests are being asked to pre-register their attendance. Registration will open online at 10:00 AM on Tuesday, May 27. Members of the public wishing to register should fill out the form at the following link: http://www.democrats.org/rbcmeeting . Those lacking Internet access who would like to pre-register can do so by calling 202-479-5137.

Guest credentials are limited to one per person. For those who register, a confirmation message will be sent to the e-mail address indicated on the registration form. Registrants must bring that confirmation e-mail, along with a photo ID, in order to pick up their guest credential.

Credentials must be picked up at registration tables located outside the meeting room between 8:00-9:30 AM on May 31st in order to guarantee a seat. If reserved credentials are not picked up by 9:30 AM, they will be released and given out to other members of the public.

Same Day Registration

If a member of the general public is unable to pre-register, limited same-day registration will be available. Same-day guest credentials will be distributed on a first-come first-serve basis and are limited to one per person. Individuals with a same day guest credential will be allowed into the meeting as space permits.

Additional Information

In order to maintain the decorum of the meeting, banners, posters, signs, handouts, and noisemakers of any kind are strictly prohibited. Also, please be advised that the agenda for the meeting does not include time for questions from the general public.

Key Points Of The DNC Staff Analysis

Challenges:
  1. The first challenge requests the Rules and Bylaws Committee (“RBC”) to reinstate all of Florida’s unpledged delegates (also known as “superdelegates”). The basis for the challenge is that the Charter of the Democratic Party of the United States (the “Charter”) provides that delegates shall be chosen through processes which “provide for all the members of the DNC to serve as unpledged delegates,”1 and which “permit unpledged delegates” consisting of several other categories including all Democratic Members of Congress and Democratic Governors.
  2. The second Ausman challenge holds that the DNC unfairly penalized Florida (and Michigan) solely because they violated the timing provision of the rules; if that was the only violation, then the DNC, under its rules, should not have reduced -- eliminated -- the delegation because that penalty is reserved for other violations.
  3. The third challenge involves the status and seating of Michigan's delegates; the party argues that it has been punished enough, and that the DNC should consider a variety of remedies, including a compromise delegate slate wherein Hillary Clinton seats 79 delegates and Barack Obama seats 59. (The Clinton campaign wants all 128 delegates; the Obama campaign wants them split equally.) The DNC reiterates its view that the RBC cannot lift automatic sanctions, but it points out that the credentials committee, which takes over jurisdiction in early July.
Continue reading

No comments: