Democrat battle starts calls for re-run votes

The close two-way race to become Democratic US Presidential candidate has landed party leaders with an unexpected problem over states barred from the contest.

Florida and Michigan were stripped of their voting rights by officials after altering the dates of their primaries without permission.

However, with virtually every vote counting in the battle between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama they are facing calls to re-run the two contests.

The debate over how to deal with Florida and Michigan comes as Mr Obama and Mrs Clinton escalate their war of words in a protracted fight that senior Democratic officials fear could ruin the party’s White House chances.

So far, Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean and Florida and Michigan officials have not been able to agree on terms for a new vote, with cost a major concern.

Former DNC head Don Fowler, who sits on the Democratic Party’s rule-making committee, said that it would be difficult for Mr Dean to get approval for another round of contests.

Even so, he stressed that something has to be done, “the rules be damned,” to include delegates from states Democrats have to, and can, win in the general election.

“We’re going to forfeit those two big states? What kind of fools would we be,” he said.

Meanwhile both campaigns also announced huge gains in fundraising.