WHITE House hopeful Barack Obama should wrap up the Democratic Party nomination for president next week but not before another political circus in Washington today.
After six months of coast-to-coast campaigning against a never-say-die Hillary Clinton, Senator Obama is staggering to the finishing line. He is expected to secure the majority of delegates earned through the nominating process to assure his run for the Oval Office.
But the Clinton camp is still trying to stay in the race by getting votes in Michigan and Florida counted in full.
The two states were penalised by the Democrats for bringing their votes forward in contravention of the party`s voting timetable. Despite being told their ballots would not count, more than 2.3million people voted in both states.
The candidates agreed the states` votes should not count and both declined to campaign in Michigan and Florida. Senator Obama`s name was not even on the Michigan ballot.
Senator Clinton won both, and as it became clear she was losing the nomination contest, Florida and Michigan became critical to her unlikely comeback.
If the Florida and Michigan votes are counted in full she will win extra delegates, but not enough to surpass Senator Obama`s lead. Delegates are awarded proportionally from each state count to attend the party`s convention in August, when the nominee will be anointed. A simple majority secures the nomination.
Senator Clinton argues that party officials should take into account the popular vote in deciding who the nominee should be, and with Florida and Michigan counted, her tally could exceed Senator Obama`s.
Clinton supporters plan to protest in Washington today as a 30-member Democrat committee meets to decide what to do with the Florida and Michigan votes.
Seating the delegates in full looks unlikely, and anything less than that may prompt Senator Clinton to drag out the ugly nomination fight. Party chiefs are desperate to stop her camp limping into the convention, since history shows prolonged and hostile nomination fights hinder presidential campaigns.
But Senator Clinton argues she is the strongest candidate, and polls indicate she has a broader advantage over presumptive Republican nominee John McCain than Senator Obama.
Clinton campaign chairman Terry McAuliffe said: "You just can`t shove her to the curb and say forget about all that."
After the rules committee meeting, three contests remain. The US territory of Puerto Rico holds its primary tomorrow, followed by Montana and South Dakota on Tuesday.
Democratic grandees known as super delegates would make their decisions pretty quickly after that, Senator Obama tipped this week. The nearly 800 super delegates - mostly elected Democrats in Congress, governors and party officials - hold the swing vote in the nomination, as Senator Obama has not reached the critical majority in delegates awarded from public voting.
He has won nearly all the super delegate endorsements since February 5, when more than 20 states voted and when Senator Clinton had been expected to seal the nomination. Fewer than 200 super delegates are yet to make an endorsement, and rumours persist that most will nod to Senator Obama.
Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said yesterday that he and congressional house Speaker Nancy Pelosi, along with party chairman Howard Dean, were urging uncommitted delegates to choose sides.
Ms Pelosi, the top elected Democrat, who is to preside over the convention, said she would "step in" if there was no resolution by late June about Florida and Michigan.
Without Florida and Michigan counted, Senator Obama is within 43 delegates of clinching the nomination, leading Senator Clinton by 200.
