Fla., Mich. delegates will get half-votes

WASHINGTON

Here's how it breaks down:
Hillary Clinton will pick up 56.5 pledged delegates from Florida and Barack Obama will receive 36 from that state.
Senator Clinton will end up with 38 delegates from Michigan and Senator Obama will get 32 from that state.

This meeting of the Democrats Rules and Bylaws Committee was called because the delegates from Florida and Michigan were taken away as punishment for moving up their primaries.

Saturdays deal was reached after committee members met privately for more than three hours in Washington D.C. All Florida and Michigan delegates will be seated with a half vote.

A big sticking point was Michigan, where Obama's name was not on the ballot. Clinton's camp insisted Obama should not get any pledged delegates in Michigan and she should get 73 with 55 uncommitted. Obama's camp wanted to split the pledged delegates in half. In the deal, Clinton receives 69 and Obama receives 59.

Obama supporters say most of the uncommitted voters would have voted for him if allowed.

"Mrs, Clinton has instructed me to reserves her rights to take this to the credentials meeting," says Clinton's chief delegate hunter, Hrold Ickes.

Clinton supporters started chanting "Denver", in reference to the location of the Democratic convention in August. The appeal to the Credentials Committee would have to happen there, delaying the party from naming a presidential candidate.

But even top Democratic leaders, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, say the fight should not be taken all the way to convention. Pelosi says she doesn't want a scorched earth campaign.

The next phase in the fight between Clinton and Obama takes place Sunday as Puerto Rico holds its primary.Then on Tuesday, it's the final two, with Montana and South Dakota.

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