Clinton Adviser Says Not Letting Florida and Michigan Votes Count Insulting

(CBS)

PITTSBURGH -- Choosing a nominee without Florida and Michigan votes amounts to "slapping these people on the face," according to Harold Ickes, a senior adviser to Senator Hillary Clinton.

The issue of seating Florida and Michigan delegates is crucial to Clinton's hopes of overtaking Barack Obama's current lead in the delegate race, and the Clinton campaign is not going to let the issue sit. In the past four days, Clinton aides have hosted three conference calls with reporters with the Florida and Michigan re-vote at the heart of the call. Today, Clinton Deputy Communications Director Phil Singer highlighted the importance of winning Florida in the general election saying, "We could have avoided the entire George W. Bush Presidency if we would have counted the votes in Florida."

The Obama campaign maintains that certain complications in a re-vote in Michigan or Florida have slowed the process, and that they are open to finding a compromise. But the Clinton campaign says they support either letting the votes stand in Florida and Michigan, or a re-vote.

As time passes, and as the nomination calendar begins to dwindle, it seems unlikely that a re-vote will occur in either state. But the Clinton campaign will continue make a case for Florida in Michigan. "We can't jeopardize our prospects in those two states," Singer added.