Democrats Strip Michigan of Delegates

Alexis Herman, right, co-chair of the Democratic National Committee Rules and Bylaws Committee, leads discussions to censure Michigan's delegates to next summer's nominating convention in the wake of their plan to move up the Michigan primary to Jan. 15, 2008, at the DNC fall meeting in Vienna, Va., Saturday, Dec. 1, 2007. At left is committee co-chair James Roosevelt. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) (J. Scott Applewhite - AP)

VIENNA, Va. -- Democratic leaders voted Saturday to strip Michigan of all its delegates to the national convention next year as punishment for scheduling an early presidential primary in violation of party rules.

In spite of the vote, some party leaders and officials said they believed the delegates would eventually be seated at the convention.

Michigan, with 156 delegates, has scheduled a Jan. 15 primary. Democratic Party rules prohibit states other than Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina from holding nominating contests before Feb. 5. Florida was hit with a similar penalty in August for scheduling a Jan. 29 primary.

Michigan officials anticipated the action by the Democratic National Committee's rules panel. But Michigan Democratic Chairman Mark Brewer said before the vote that he didn't think the delegates would be lost for good. He expects the nominee will insist the state's delegates be seated at the convention.

Saturday's vote further diminishes the significance of Michigan's Democratic primary. All the major Democratic candidates have already agreed not to campaign in either Michigan or Florida because the states violated party rules. And in Michigan, most of the major candidates won't even be on the ballot.

Democratic candidates John Edwards, Barack Obama, Bill Richardson and Joe Biden have withdrawn their names from the ballot to satisfy Iowa and New Hampshire, which were unhappy Michigan was challenging their leadoff status on the primary calendar.

That leaves Hillary Rodham Clinton, Dennis Kucinich, Chris Dodd, Mike Gravel and "uncommitted," as the choices on the Democratic ballot in Michigan.

The DNC rules panel voted by voice vote, with only a few dissents.

Michigan officials defended their early primary, saying it helps provide geographic, racial and economic diversity early in the primary calendar. They also complained that other states that were allowed to hold early votes were receiving preferential treatment.

"I think it is unconscionable that we continue to grant special treatment to some states in this process," Brewer told the DNC rules panel.

Alexis Herman, co-chair of the DNC rules panel, said party leaders worked for two years to create a primary calendar that respected the historic roles of Iowa and New Hampshire, while adding geographic and racial diversity by allowing Nevada and South Carolina to vote early.

Other panel members sympathized with Michigan, but they said they must enforce the rules.