Apr. 25, Feature - Scenario 1 – Michigan and Florida have a re-vote. Scenario 2 – Michigan's and Florida's delegates are excluded from the convention. It's likely neither of those will happen. So, here's Scenario 3 – three little known committees with in the Democratic party must solve the party's primary problems. Dori Smith tells us more.

The Standing Committees of the DNC are preparing for their first meetings in advance of the August 25th Convention in Denver. According to Natalie Wyeth, press spokesperson for the DNC, the first one to meet will be the Credentials Committee, which could solve the problem of selecting a nominee by deciding on the matter of seating delegates from Florida and Michigan:

"The Credentials Committee is responsible for ruling on any issues surrounding the selection of delegates, or the seating of delegates.

Every four years there will be situations where a delegate or someone that ran for a delegate may have a challenge. The only new thing this time around is the increased attention and focus from the public and members of the media on a lot of the process and the rules involved.

The Rules Committee is responsible for endorsing a formal set of rules and processes to govern Convention Week.

The Platform Committee, is responsible for collecting public input and public testimony really around the country on the issues members of our party want to see addressed and endorsed at the convention in August."

The Credentials Committee can make its decisions about delegates from Michigan and Florida as it sees fit. DNC member and super delegate Jon Ausman of Florida is part of last minute negotiations. He submitted two formal complaints to the DNC's Rules and Bylaws committee. He says he wants it wrapped up quickly because the DNC needs to start focusing on a campaign for one candidate.

"There's at least eight serious players in the negotiating game. The Obama campaign. The Clinton campaign. The Rules and Bylaws co-chairs, James Roosevelt and Alexis Herman.

Then we have the DNC Rules Committee staff, we have our United State's Senators and Congressional folks bargaining, we have our Florida Democratic Party in play, then we have a whole bunch of other stake holders throughout the state.

So there is much negotiating and much discussion going on with nothing definite at this point."

As a super delegate for Dennis Kucinich, Jon Ausman has asked the DNC to solve the Florida and Michigan problem by applying the DNC's "timing rule" which would mean the loss of only half of these state's delegates.

"This is going to heat up all the way to the convention. The time to solve this problem is now before things go super nova."

Michigan Rep. Bart Stupak has asked the DNC to seat just over half of it's pledged delegates. DNC head Howard Dean is still urging the super delegates to announce who they are endorsing, which would also determine the nominee. Both contested states will be represented when the Credentials Committee meets, probably some time in July when there could be more party infighting plus additional challenges over delegates

When committee co-chairs present their report on delegates in open session the members will vote on it, and with an uneven number of voting members, a tie is impossible. Still, in the unlikely event that the Credentials Committee can't achieve consensus, the Democrats would have to go to a brokered convention. This has not happened since 1952, but if it does, the process will be part caucus and part horse trading, with the occasional dark horse or new candidate riding in.

For Election Unspun, I'm Dori Smith