Clinton Still in the Game, but Wants Rules Changed

Many of Clinton's advisers are former party insiders, including Terry McAuliffe, her campaign's chairman and former party chairman, who helped make the rule in the first place.

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"What is amazing to me is that she has got a camp filled with DNC operatives. These are the people who essentially created the rules," Dowd said. "She has been in the game a long time. It's not as if she's new to this and didn't know better. Her campaign is run by the insiders who have been running the party for the past 16 years."

For his part, Obama has tried to strike a conciliatory tone, careful not to prematurely declare victory or alienate Clinton's key supporters -- women and working-class whites.

Last year, the Democrats barred Florida and Michigan from having their votes counted after they scheduled primaries in January, despite being instructed not to vote until Feb. 5 or later.

Michigan and Florida lost all their delegates to the national convention, and all the Democratic candidates agreed not to campaign in the two states, stripping them of all the influence they were trying to build by voting early.

It appears now that when the committee meets May 30, a compromise will be reached, in which a portion of the delegates from both states or, more likely, just Florida will be awarded to the candidates.