Ever since the DNC suspended the Florida and Michigan Caucuses, it was almost a sure invitation to litigation and controversy.

And who else would we expect other than Al Sharpton to make an issue of it.

SHARPTON THREATENS LAWSUIT OVER FL, MI

Al Sharpton is in Florida and said he is prepared to sue if Florida and Michigan’s delegates are seated as is. He said there are people who didn’t vote because they knew their vote wouldn’t count and “there must be a formula to factor” them in.

“There were many people that did not vote, because the DNC said their vote did not count,” Sharpton said on MSNBC. “Whatever way this is resolved, they must be factored in.”

Sharpton instead called for a re-do of the voting in both states. “There must be a way that people can exercise their right to vote who did not vote.”

Called it “absurd” that Michigan where uncommitted was on the ballot, would get their delegates seated as is.

”If they try to seat as is,” Sharpton said, he and the National Action Network are prepared to file suit.

As we noted in First Read this morning, Sharpton is in Florida to meet with local National Action Network chapters in Orlando, Port St. Lucie and Miami where they will plan to sign up people who will say they didn’t vote because they were “told their vote wouldn’t count. And we’ll do it in Michigan too.”

What no one wants to say is that Al only cares because Hillary would get the delegates if they were seated as is, and while he had is issue with Obama in the past, Sharpton would rather see Obama in the Whitehouse than Hillary…for obvious reasons, IMO. 

Now I will grant that it seems unfair to let her sweep the states when the Obama didn’t even campaign and wasn’t even on the ballot in Michigan, but then again, the DNC created this mess, so they need to figure out how to make it right.

The obvious answer is to uphold the ban and not allow the delegates.  No one likes it but it is consistent with their initial decision (which caused this mess).  I just do not think they have the stomach for the division that will create.

No one anticipated that the race would come down to the end this close with no clear winner determined, and the angst it is causign in the DNC must be huge.

Hillary needs those delegates to keep in the race, and Obama knows it, so I am sure that is why he supports the DNC rules.  I would imagine he would take a revote as a second choice and hope his momentum would give him some of the delegates.

Interestingly, what the article does NOT say is anything about race.

But this one does:

Lawsuit Eyed by Sharpton Over Florida

Rev. Sharpton is traveling to Florida today to compile lists of residents who skipped the January contest because they thought their votes would not count. He plans to have those residents sign affidavits saying they would be disenfranchised by the seating of the Florida delegation, in the event the Democratic Party allowed that to happen.

…

A professor of political science at the University of Virginia, Larry Sabato, said he thinks Rev. Sharpton is trying to say that if Mr. Obama wins the most pledged delegates and the most popular votes, but loses the nomination, there will be consequences.

“One of the consequences will be legal trouble or lower turnout by African Americans. That’s what they are threatening. I’m not saying that necessarily will happen” Mr. Sabato said. “Who knows whether legal action will occur? Who knows whether African Americans would actually take a walk — they may end up voting Democratic anyway — but that would be the threat.”

…

During an interview with Bill O’Reilly on Fox News on Friday, Rev. Sharpton said the rules that were set by the party mean that Michigan and Florida delegates should not be seated.

“We cannot have the perception that the rules changed because of some favoritism, or because some people didn’t want to see Senator Obama as the nominee, when he legitimately pulled ahead,” he said.

…

If Mr. Obama is denied the nomination because of “back-room deals” made by superdelegates, he said, “you not only would see people like me demonstrating, you may see us talking about whether or not we can support that ticket.”

Other civil rights leaders haven’t always agreed with Rev. Sharpton’s assessment of the Florida primary.

Last month, the chairman of the NAACP, Julian Bond, wrote a letter to the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Howard Dean, to express “great concern at the prospect that millions of voters in Michigan and Florida could ultimately have their votes completely discounted if they are not assigned delegate representation for the Democratic National Convention.”

The dynamics of this are really very interesting.  First of all, why is the Florida Primary a civil rights issue where one of the loudest civil rights activists is squaring off on the opposite side of one of the largest civil rights advocacy groups?

What no one wants to admit is both of these groups are only concerned about black votes in Florida.  There is no way you will convince me that the Rev Al Sharpton and the NAACP give a rats ass about white voters in Florida or Michigan.

Which is irrelevant perhaps, as any action they take serves the interest of all voters, not just those of color.  But still, I sit here and I am unsurprised that this has finally boiled down to suggestions of lawsuits because black voters are being disenfranchised.

The irony is that this time the Democrats are fighting among themselves, and the disenfranchisement was clearly the result of the democrats.

Watching these two camps tear the party apart is amazing.

Hillary is playing a cool game of presumption with her casual suggestion that Obama fly under her wing as the VP, with her almost mentoring tone that she can help him gain the experience he lacks.  His answer is an indignant shout asking why he is only qualified to be VP, not the president.

Now many people are making sport of the levity here, but the question is actually relevant.  You need to remember that the VP is the next in line for the presidency, so in reality, any VP candidate MUST be qualified to assume the office.  So if he is not qualified to be president, then why is he qualified to be VP? 

So in the end her presumption is pointless.  She is trying to edge him out, and he is trying to raise the specter that she is insulting him, without quite making it a racial one.  

But as is typical, both have their panties in a bind over the wrong question.

The real question we still need to ask is:

Are either of them qualified to be president?

I think you know my answer.

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