Senate Rules Committee To Explore Democratic Primary Process

(The Politico)  As the long and seemingly never ending Democratic presidential primary process finally winds towards a conclusion, Senate Democrats are already thinking ahead to the next nomination battle.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Tuesday that the Senate Rules Committee will explore the Democratic primary process, acknowledging some difficulties with the current process. 

“I hope that's one of the first things that we do next year, is take a look at this,” Reid said. “The present system is very difficult.”

Reid however, was very vague as to what specific changes he would like to see made and did not specifically  address a question when asked if he would like to see changes in the superdelegate system.

Howard Gantman, the staff director for the Senate Rules Committee, told Politico that the committee was planning on holding a hearing on the issue in July, though declined to offer any specifics.

There are currently two bills pending in the Senate to institute some form of rotating regional primary system to give states other than Iowa and New Hampshire increased importance in the early stages of the primary campaign.

Both Michigan and Florida were punished by the Democratic National Committee for moving up the dates of their primaries, leading to a protracted fight over the seating of the state’s delegates at the Democratic Convention.