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Opinion: Rep. Wexler offers Barack Obama’s “major concession” on Florida

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What had been a fairly uneventful debate before the Democratic National Committee’s rules committee on the Michigan/Florida primary imbroglio finally was enlivened when fiery Rep. Robert Wexler of Boca Raton appeared on behalf of Barack Obama.

His appearance also produced the proceeding’s most laughably arcane exchange (and believe us, much of the discussion during the morning session only could be appreciated by lawyers).

Wexler, in his typically high-decibel fashion, made the case for allowing the Florida delegation to be seated at half-strength at the party’s August convention in Denver. He presented that as a ‘major concession’ by Obama because that would mean a delegate pickup for Hillary Clinton, who won a primary that the party had ruled would not count for anything.

Of course, what Wexler pushed for falls 50% short of what the Clinton forces want -- the seating of a FULL Florida delegation, which would give her even more delegates.

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Two of the Clinton stalwarts on the rules panel, Harold Ickes and Tina Flournoy, sought in questions to puncture Wexler’s ‘major concession’ stance, and the result was a clear demonstration of the tensions between the two camps that is unlikely to dissipate anytime soon.

And then there was that moment of arcana.

Ickes, with a sly smile of his face indicating that he believed he was about to ensnare Wexler, asked the congressman his position on ‘the concept of fair reflection.’

Wexler, no doubt speaking the thoughts of many, replied with his own smile that Ickes would have to ‘educate me’ on that concept.

Ickes thankfully took a pass.

-- Don Frederick

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