The Credentials Committee: Tough For Clinton (Updated)

So early this summer, the 25 members of the DNC's credential committee will join 161 other members to be selected by the states.

The members do not have to be Convention delegates.

The presidential candidates get to choose them, based on the delegates allocated to them in that particular state primary or caucus.

It's proportional (of course).

So if a state has 4 members, and one candidate wins 50 percent and another candidate wins 50 percent, then each candidate gets 2 members.

What does this mean?

Let's say that ALL 25 of Howard Dean's appointees vote AGAINST seating Florida and Michigan. Let's say that 80 additional members are appointed by Obama and 81 by Clinton. 25 + 80 is more than 81. You can fiddle with the numbers and get to a scenario that might seat the Florida delegates. But it's safe to safe to say that the credential committee option for Sen. Clinton to get Michigan and Florida seated would require her to have won more delegates than she will win.

Updated: I neglected to point out that 20% of the committee is all it takes to file a minority report that will be presented to the full convention, which will duly vote.

BTW: I inadvertently left out one member from an earlier post: M. Allyn Brooks-LaSure