The fate of Hillary Clinton's insistence on going all the way to the convo "is all but certain to hinge on 25 individuals appointed to the Credentials Committee" by DNC Chair Howard Dean.
"Though these 25 appointees are often assumed to be handpicked Dean loyalists who will take their cues from him" on the issue of seating FL and MI, that assumption is "far from certain. Many of the 25 are already publicly supporting" either Clinton or Barack Obama -- "and some are barely acquainted with Dean."
DNC spokesperson Stacie Paxton: "It was important to Governor Dean that the standing committees be diverse and be representative of the Democratic Party as a whole. He personally asked each nominee if they were prepared to do what's in the best interest of the country and the Democratic Party before he made the appointment" (Zenilman, Politico, 4/18).
[The article provides a "guide to the Dean 25," profiling each of the cmte members, his/her connection to Dean, and hints as to whether he/she will side with Clinton or Obama.]
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