In the turbulent world of presidential primaries, two new stories from Michigan, courtesy of Stateline.org. First the Washington Post,
For Debbie Dingell and Sen. Carl M. Levin, the standoff has been brewing for years. The Michigan Democrats have long worked, mostly behind the scenes, to change an electoral calendar that places vast importance on results in Iowa and New Hampshire, states that bear little resemblance to the industrial heartland.
And they don’t look as though they are going to give in.
“We are going January 15,” Dingell, a Democratic national committeewoman and the wife of Rep. John D. Dingell (D-Mich.), declared after a fiery speech here Friday. “No matter what, people are going to pay attention to what happens on January 15 . . . even if it’s a beauty contest.”
And the Republicans? Campaigning as usual.
And from the Boston Globe,
Five Democratic presidential contenders yesterday yanked their names off the Michigan ballot, delivering a group snub to a state feuding with the national Democratic Party over its decision to move its primary to mid-January in violation of party rules.
Obama, Richardson, Kucinich, Edwards and Biden were the five. Clinton and Dodd remain on the ballot although they’ve agreed not to campaign.
