Susan Davis reports on the presidential race.
If New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer resigns, as is widely anticipated, Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Clinton will be down one superdelegate. The scandal-tainted governor and his Lt. Gov. David Paterson currently are two of the roughly 800 superdelegates who will also cast ballots at the August nominating convention. Both are public backers of Clinton.
If Spitzer resigns, New York succession laws provide for Paterson to assume the role of governor until the term expires in 2010. Here’s the rub: succession law also provides for the president of the state senate to become lieutenant governor. That man is Joseph Bruno, a Republican and political enemy of Spitzer.
It is safe to say that Bruno will not be casting a ballot at the Democratic National Convention in Denver.
The Democratic National Committee today confirmed that New York would lose Spitzer’s superdelegate slot. His resignation at this point seems inevitable. The New York Sun reported today that the governor is using his resignation as a potential bargaining chip with federal prosecutors to avoid criminal charges.
Leaders in the Republican-controlled New York Assembly said today that they will move towards impeachment if Spitzer doesn’t resign within 48 hours.
As for Clinton, she can use all the superdelegates she can get. With rival Sen. Barack Obama on track to maintain his lead in pledged delegates — those awarded based on the state’s nominating contests — the nomination fight may ultimately be decided by the votes cast by the party leaders and elected officials that make up the superdelegate count. He’s expected to win Mississippi’s primary today where 33 delegates are at stake.
Currently, the combined delegate count gives Obama a 1,579-1,473 lead over Clinton. Obama’s campaign announced the addition of two superdelegates on Monday: DNC member Joyce Brayboy of North Carolina and DNC member Everett Sanders of Mississippi.