Clinton Faces Setback on Delegates

May 28, 2008— -- Hillary Clinton is not going to get what she wants -- that's the headline coming out of the memo that DNC lawyers sent members of the Rules and Bylaws Committee this week.

Democratic sources tell ABC News that the Rules and Bylaws Committee is not going to give Clinton the full undiluted seating of Florida and Michigan's delegations.

Instead, the DNC panel is likely to impose a 50 percent sanction on the two states' delegates. Under this scenario, Clinton will see a net gain in delegates (somewhere between 15 and 28 net pledged delegates for the two states combined).

But it won't be enough for her to overtake Obama.

Truth be told: "Even if she were awarded all the delegates in proportion to her popular vote in those states -- her best-case scenario -- she could not overtake Senator Obama's delegate lead," writes the New York Times' Kit Seelye.

Giving the Florida and Michigan delegates half a vote "would raise the bar" for Barack Obama: it would increase the number of overall delegates he needs to get the nomination by about 25 or 35.

How far would that leave him from clinching the Democratic Party nod?

"Today, he's 45 delegates away," said ABC News' George Stephanopoulos on the Wednesday edition of "World News with Charles Gibson." "That will probably bring it up to about 70 or 80 delegates away. In primaries in South Dakota and other places, he's likely to cut that in half. He's going to need about three dozen or four dozen superdelegates. He's almost certain to get it next week. Maybe even Tuesday night or Wednesday."

TiVo Alert

Former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan hits the television circuit on Thursday to promote "What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception." He starts on NBC's "Today," then makes his way to MSNBC's "Countdown with Keith Obermann." He appears Friday on CNN's "Situation Room."

The Kicker

"I got that from Talladega Nights."

--Gov. Tim Pawlenty, R-Minn., on having referred to Mrs. Mary Pawlenty as his "red-hot smoking wife" at the RNC's August 2006 summer meeting. The NGA chairman and McCain veep prospect made his comments to ABC News on Wednesday morning.

On the campaign front. . .

BARACK OBAMA

-- No public events scheduled, Chicago, IL

HILLARY CLINTON

-- 1:00 pm ET: Attends rally with voters, Huron, SD

-- 5:00 pm ET: Attends rally with voters, Watertown, SD

As for the Republicans. . .

JOHN MCCAIN

-- 5:30 pm ET: Attends town hall meeting with voters, Greendale, WI

-- 7:00 pm ET: Attends finance reception, Milwaukee, WI

At the White House. . .

PRESIDENT BUSH

-- 10:35 am ET: Meets with First Presidency of the Church of Jesus of Latter-Day Saints, Salt Lake City, UT

-- 3:45 pm ET: Attends a Nick Jordan for Congress and Kansas Victory Reception, Bucyrus, KS

VICE PRESIDENT CHENEY

-- 7:00 pm ET: Speaks at the New York Republican State Committee Dinner, New York, NY

FIRST LADY LAURA BUSH

-- 7:00 pm ET: Delivers commencement address to the graduating class of Enterprise High School, Enterprise, AL.

COMMERCE DEPARTMENT

-- 8:30 am ET: Commerce Department releases the Gross Domestic Product report for the 1st quarter.

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