Democratic Showdown: DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee

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There are still contests in Puerto Rico, Montana and South Dakota in the next few days but the major showdown is at the DNC's Rules and Bylaws Committee meeting (on what to do with the Florida and Michigan delegations) today in D.C. Although both camps said they would not campaign in either state and would forgo the election results, the Clinton campaign reversed its position when they realized they could no longer beat Obama under the mutually agreed-upon rules. (Here's some punditry on her original position of accepting and signing DNC rules barring the two states.)

While presidential nomination contests are won by the number of delegates acquired and not by the accumulated popular vote, it the latter that Team Hillary is hoping for by seating the Michigan and Florida delegations--even though Obama was not even on the ballot in the Wolverine state. Concerns about uncounted caucus voting notwithstanding, the popular vote is the only metric--and perhaps hollow moral victory--that she has left unless we include the you-never-know-what-happens-in-June asides.

FYI. Obama was won more primaries and caucuses (pledged delegates) and Super Delegates (unpledged delegates) than Clinton and is also ahead in the total popular vote. Albeit 368 potential delegates in limbo from Michigan and Florida, Obama is a mere 42 delegates short of the 2,026 needed to clinch the nomination.

Read the full update by the AP's Nedra Pickler.