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WASHINGTON: A fresh clash brewed Thursday between Hillary Clinton
and Barack Obama over proposals to redo Florida’s voided primary
that could weigh heavily on the outcome of their White House brawl.
The campaigns jostled for position after
Democratic leaders in the southern state released a blueprint for a
postal primary, with a voting deadline of June 3.
The fierce rivals meanwhile both appeared in the
Senate for votes, and in an intriguing encounter held a private and
intense conversation that lasted several minutes.
Both Florida and Michigan had their delegations
to August’s Democratic convention stripped after leapfrogging
other states by holding primaries before “Super Tuesday” on
February 5, in defiance of party rules.
Candidates largely stuck to a pledge not to
campaign in the two states, but Democratic bosses fear they could
alienate millions of general election voters by throwing out their
primary ballots.
Clinton, the former first lady, won the original
Florida contest in which 1.75 million votes were cast, by 50 to 33
percent. But even if the Florida and Michigan delegates are
restored, neither Clinton nor Obama looks likely to reach the finish
line of 2,025 delegates needed to capture the nomination.
-- AFP
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