Sen. Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign continued on Tuesday to push for the counting of Florida's delegates, even as more questions and criticisms were raised about the validity of the position.
In a conference call with reporters, several high-ranking Clinton officials repeatedly stressed their hope that delegates from the Sunshine State would be seated at the Democratic Party's summer convention, even though, months earlier, Clinton herself had supported an agreement saying they wouldn't.
"The decision not to seat delegates was the decision of the DNC [Democratic National Committee]," said chief campaign strategist Mark Penn, "and we are not here to get into an argument with the DNC or Chairman [Howard] Dean.... We think that a million people voting in this country matters."
At issue was the move by the DNC to punish Florida and Michigan for pushing up their presidential primaries by stripping them of their delegates. The move, which was greeted by a lawsuit from Florida Sen. Bill Nelson, was heavily debated at the time. But each Democratic candidate for president pledged to honor it by not campaigning in the state.
Up until a week ago, the pledges seemed mostly intact. All the major candidates had hosted fundraisers in the state, and Sen. Barack Obama had launched a national ad campaign that reached into Florida. But none of the White House contenders had openly pined for the state's delegates. Clinton, in particular, had publicly taken steps not to do so.
As far back as early October, the Miami Herald reported that the New York Democrat nixed attending an event hosted by her brother, Hugh Rodham, in Fort Lauderdale, out of concern that she could be violating the agreement.
Even earlier than that, the Tampa Tribune editorialized that Clinton's decision to void Florida was a "vexing" "flip-flop." The Senator, the paper reported, "had promised to campaign here despite the [DNC]'s retaliatory decision."
Around that time, moreover, Clinton's campaign manager, Patti Solis Doyle, said in a statement that, "We believe Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina play a unique and special role in the nominating process. And we believe the DNC's rules and its calendar provide the necessary structure to respect and honor that role."
Yet on Tuesday, Doyle's stance was seemingly reversed. "If it is Obama's position that these delegates won't be allowed to participate in the convention, then we just have different positions," she told reporters.
What changed (if anything)? And why was the Clinton campaign worried about Florida's delegation but seemingly not Michigan's - which voted a few weeks back? Critics, ranging from the Obama campaign to political commentators, noted that Clinton's camp was raising hay only after its loss in South Carolina and with a Florida victory seeming imminent. On Tuesday, the conservative New Hampshire Union Leader argued that "Clinton coldly and knowingly lied to New Hampshire and Iowa" about her commitment to not campaign in Florida and Michigan.
Penn addressed this and other criticisms, noting that because Clinton was the sole name on the Michigan ballot it was not a comparable situation to what is transpiring in Florida.
"The other candidates had taken their names off the ballot," he said. "And while I feel we won the majority of those who cast the vote, there were not the names on the ballot. Here you have a situation where everyone's names are on the ballot and you have the playing field of no one campaigning."
Playing off that logic, a reporter asked whether Clinton now regretted signing a pledge that her campaign argued is disenfranchising voters.
"She doesn't think it was a mistake," communications director Howard Wolfson chimed in. "But I believe all candidates believe the situation is unfortunate...and something we would want to avoid going forward."
It was not hard to turn up a clip showing that, not far back, the Clinton camp had a bit more confidence in the DNC rules. "We are committed to honoring Iowa's role in the nominating process," the campaign was reported as saying in October. "We will support the pledge and not campaign or spend money in states violating the DNC rules."
Shortly after the Clinton call ended, Sen. Barack Obama's campaign held a conference of its own. The stated purpose was to discuss strategy heading into the February 5th super-primary. But plans changed. Sen. John Kerry, a surrogate jumped on the line to greet reporters.
"I've been alerted to a Clinton conference call," he began. "I know that what this race is about right now and ultimately it is about delegates. That's what the Clinton campaign has described it as being about. The bottom line is that Florida does not offer any delegates it is not a legitimate race, [and] it should not become a spin race or a fabricated race."