Well, no…

…he doesn't actually have super powers, Bill Clinton's claims notwithstanding…

PARIS, KY. -- Bill Clinton raised the issue of seating FL and MI's delegates again today, telling a Kentucky audience that Barack Obama's camp is "desperate to disenfranchise" those states. He said Obama's team wants to prevent votes from being counted in upcoming states because they "know she can" win.

In fact, it's not within Barack Obama's power to disenfranchise anyone in the Democratic delegate selection process. That's a matter between the Democratic National Committee and the respective State Committees. The leadership of the Michigan and Florida Democratic Parties chose to use the results of procedures which they understood at the time of their decision were in violation of the Party rules. Whatever the reasons for their decisions, whether Republican mischief, pandering to local broadcasters hungry for early primary ad revenues or, well, whatever, they decided to break the rules, telling themselves that the national Party wouldn't dare enforce its rules. Michigan and Florida, after all, are too big, too important, too likely to provide make or break electoral votes in November. Obviously, states of such political import are above the rules, right.

Well, no again. It turns out that the people who make the rules and the people charged with enforcing the rules take the rules rather seriously. They've informed the Florida and Michigan Democrats that until they follow an approved delegate selection plan that respects the rules that the other 48 states and the various territorial and expatriate delegations have managed to adhere to, they needn't bother showing up.

Of course, it's not exactly 'disenfranchisement,' because absent an approved delegate selection process in the first place, there's no enfranchisement. Similarly, 're-vote' is a misnomer in this context, since there's never been a vote in an actual Democratic delegate selection process. All we've had in those states is what we were forced to endure here in the upper left - a state sanctioned straw poll conducted without the proper sanction of the Democratic Party. Of course, here in Washington, respectful of the rules, we don't use the state straw poll to select our delegates.

Nope, folks, it's not Obama. He didn't have the power to cause the problem, he doesn't have the power to solve the problem and he doesn't have the power to forestall a solution. He's something, alright, but he's not all that.

As far as votes in upcoming states, I haven't heard anyone suggest that the calendar be scrubbed. Every upcoming primary and caucus will be held, and there's nothing Barack Obama can do to stop those votes from being counted. We will not see an army of chino-clad Obamanites descending on Guam to stop the count by threats and intimidation. In every case, Democrats will vote, ballots will be tallied and the results will be announced. All within the rules of the Democratic Party.

I get that there's an element of anti-establishment sentiment out there, a small 'l' libertarianism that chafes at the concept of rules. I don't expect to find it among our presidential candidates or their top-tier surrogates. Overriding every other
issue in this election is the need to restore the principles of Constitutional government in the conduct of our national affairs. Enduring peace depends on it. Civil liberties are meaningless without it. Tax codes are trifles beside it. No, for Democratic victory to be meaningful, it must be a victory for the Constitution as well.

So, again, how can we be the Party of the rule of law if we aren't a Party that follows the rules?

And Bill? No she can't. But we could all lose.