Clinton presses re-vote case in Michigan

DETROIT (Reuters) - Democrat Hillary Clinton pressed on Wednesday for a new vote in Michigan that could be crucial to her aspirations in the tight battle with Barack Obama to be the party's presidential nominee in November.

"I am here for one simple reason: to make sure Michigan's votes are counted and your voices are heard in this election," the New York senator said in a hastily arranged visit to the state.

Democratic nominating contests in Michigan and Florida in January were invalidated by the national party because both states violated party rules. Both states were denied delegates to the August party convention that picks the nominee.

Clinton, a former first lady, won both contests and needs the delegates in those states if she hopes to overcome the lead Obama has built up.

Clinton urged rival Obama, a senator from Illinois, to give his backing to a proposal that would allow the state to hold a new Democratic contest in Michigan.

"Senator Obama speaks passionately on the campaign trail about empowering the American people. Today I am urging him to match those words with actions," she said.

"We need to either count the votes that have already been cast in Michigan and Florida or have new full and fair elections so that we can have your voices and your votes counted," she said to applause.

Michigan Democratic Party leaders said on Tuesday a proposal to hold additional primary voting in June was stalled and unlikely to be approved before a deadline this week.

Opposition from lawmakers backing Obama's campaign seemed certain to scuttle any proposal.

Michigan and Florida were stripped of a combined 366 delegates to the nominating convention after violating party rules that barred early nominating contests. Those delegates could become pivotal with the likelihood neither candidate will reach the 2,024 delegates needed to clinch the nomination.

Florida Democrats have abandoned efforts to vote again but Clinton supporters still hope to have a new vote in Michigan.

Many Democrats fear that snubbing Michigan delegates at the convention could make it difficult for the party to win the state in November.

After Clinton's speech former Michigan Gov. Jim Blanchard, co-chair of her campaign in the state, said she had made a convincing argument for a new vote and Obama "needs to realize that it will be hard to campaign in Michigan if a fresh vote is not held."

Robert Ficano, chief executive of Wayne County, and an uncommitted Democratic superdelegate, said the two sides need to find a compromise solution.

But Dennis Denno, spokesman for Michigan state Sen. Buzz Thomas, an Obama supporter, said Clinton's speech had not altered the situation. "Nobody can get past the hurdles and concerns out there over holding a fresh vote," he said.

An attorney for the Obama campaign, Robert Bauer, released a memo on Wednesday raising questions about constitutional and other legal hurdles, ranging from treatment of voters abroad and a lack of time to prepare a new election.

Critics of a new vote have also expressed concern over a rule that would bar independents and Democrats who voted in the January Republican primary from voting in the rerun contest.

(Additional reporting by Kevin Krolicki and Nick Carey; Editing by David Wiessler)

(To read more about the U.S. political campaign, visit Reuters "Tales from the Trail: 2008" online at blogs.reuters.com/trail08/)