Democrats look at delegate mess

After a primary fight made even more bitter by the delegate selection process, Barack Obama and the Democratic National Committee announced today that they want a commission to recommend changes.

The panel would look at changes to the timing of primaries and caucuses, reducing the number of superdelegates, and tinkering with the caucus system. "The goal of the commission will be to ensure that no primary or caucus is held prior to the first Tuesday in March of 2012, with the exception of the approved pre-window states, whose contests would be held during February 2012," Obama's campaign and the DNC said in a joint statement.

The proposal to establish the commission is to go before the Democratic convention's rules committee on Saturday. If formed, it would make its recommendations by Jan. 1, 2010.

This primary season, Florida and Michigan held their primaries outside the party-approved timing, leading to months of acrimony. Hillary Clinton, who won the primaries, was pushing for them to be counted. But when the DNC rules committee voted in June to give the two states' delegates a half-vote each, that all but sealed Obama's path to the nomination.

"After the 56 contests in this historic primary season, our party is stronger and more energized than ever before -- with millions of new voters participating. As we look to the future, we must continue to strengthen the process and ensure a fair process in which the diverse voices in our party and our nation have a chance to be heard. That is the essential role that the Democratic Change Commission can and will play, and we look forward to their recommendations," said DNC Chairman Howard Dean.

"Senator Obama is committed to working towards growing our party, improving our nominating process and ensuring as many people as possible participate in the process. Obama believes the Democratic Change Commission is an important and necessary step to achieving these goals," Obama campaign chairman David Plouffe said in the statement.