Let's break down this morning's press release war over the proposed do-over of the Michigan primary.The Let's break down this morning's press release war over the proposed do-over of the Michigan primary. The Obama camp is concerned its supporters will be disadvantaged in two ways. First, they claim many Obama voters were siphoned off into the Republican electorate on Jan. 15 because their guy wasn't on the Democratic ballot. According to DNC rules, anyone who voted in the Republican primary is ineligible to vote in the proposed June 3 Democratic re-vote. Of course, Obama is the Democrat who does best among independent and Republican voters. Secondly, first-time voters, another key Obama constituency, are ineligible to vote by absentee ballot in Michigan. In other words, in order to request an absentee ballot, you must have already voted at least once in person. The Clinton campaign counters that Obama never complained about Illinois' ban on absentee ballots for first-time voters. Of course not. Illinois was -- duh -- a cakewalk for Hyde Park's hometown hero. Clinton also says it was Obama's choice to keep his name off the Michigan ballot. That's true, and his and John Edwards' original decisions to do so were colored, in large part, by the fact that the state seemed like a clear win for Clinton. By keeping their names off the ballots, they stripped the original Michigan primary of its legitimacy. Just a little short-term historical perspective as we consider the fate of Michigan's votes. --Dana Goldstein
