Ickes Unplugged

WASHINGTON -- Harold Ickes also dubbed the Michigan proposal one of "enormous violence." He cited the inaccuracy of exit polls and noted that the principle of "fair reflection" should guarantee that delegate allocation reflect the actual vote tally.

Under the MI proposal, the state shifts four delegates to Barack Obama without justification, Ickes said.

"Hell, why not take 10 of them, take 20 of them," Ickes said. "Just keep on going. I am right where you are on the full delegation, and I am right where you are on full votes. I'm right behind you, but, senator, I really plead when you think about fair reflection and what it means to the history of this party for this state Democratic Party to come to this group in my view, senator, in what is a matter of law ... I do not think that this committee has the jurisdiction, does not have the jurisdiction, senator, to even entertain this challenge as drafted."

Levin fired back: "You're calling for a fair reflection of a flawed primary. What we're trying to do is to keep a party together so that we can win a critical state in November. And let me tell you the precedent that we set it seems to me is a good precedent if circumstances like this ever existed again. ... It's an unusual circumstance."

(JENNIFER SKALKA)