Democratic Convention Watch <> Democratic Convention Watch: Convention Standing Committee Chairs Named

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Convention Standing Committee Chairs Named

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Democratic Conventions have 3 Standing Committees: Credentials, Platform, and Rules. What does each of these committees do?

The Credentials Committee is charged with coordinating issues around the selection of delegates and alternates to the Convention and will likely meet in the summer. The committee will issue a report that is the first official item of business at the Convention.
The Rules Committee is responsible for proposing the Permanent Rules for the Convention, adopting the proposed Convention agenda and making recommendations for permanent Convention officers – all addressed as the second official item of business at the Convention.
The Platform Committee is responsible for drafting and recommending a proposed National Platform for approval at the Convention.

Each committee, interestingly enough, has 3 chairs. So as we discuss whether the delegates for Michigan and Florida will be seated, lets see who is in charge of the Credentials Committee that will make the first recommendation:

Alexis Herman, no endorsement made, U.S. Secretary of Labor from 1997 to 2001, CEO of the 1992 Democratic National Convention. Since 2005, she has served as a Co-Chair of the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee and also served as a Co-Chair of the Commission on Presidential Nomination Timing and Scheduling. That would be the Commission that set the up the schedule that Florida and Michigan violated.
James Roosevelt, Jr, no endorsement made, Co-Chair of the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee
Eliseo Roques-Arroyo, no endorsement made, former Executive Director of the Democratic Party of Puerto Rico

Rules Committee:

Sunita Leeds,no endorsement made, Chair of the DNC Indo-American Leadership Council Advisory Board
Mary Rose Oakar, no endorsement made, former Congresswoman, President of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee
David Walters,no endorsement made, former Governor of Oklahoma

Platform Committee:

Patricia Madrid, no endorsement made an Edwards supporter, served two terms as the Attorney General of New Mexico
Judith McHale, a Clinton supporter, the former President and CEO of Discovery Communications, Inc.
Deval Patrick, an Obama supporter, Governor of Massachusetts.

A number of other members of the committees have been named. A full list of committee members and biographies is available from the DNCC.