Obama Urges Full Vote for Florida, Michigan Delegates (Update1)

Aug. 3 (Bloomberg) -- Barack Obama, who battled with Hillary Clinton over delegates from Florida and Michigan during the Democratic presidential primary campaign, today urged that delegates from both states be allowed ``to cast a full vote'' during the party's convention this month.

The Democratic National Committee stripped all the delegates from Florida and Michigan last year for violating party rules by holding their primaries earlier than the Democratic schedule allowed. New York Senator Clinton won both primaries and had argued that their delegates should be allowed to vote at the convention.

A party committee decided in May to seat delegations from both states, though with only a half-vote for each delegate.

``I believe party unity calls for the delegates from Florida and Michigan to be able to participate fully alongside the delegates from the other states and territories,'' Obama, who in June clinched the Democratic presidential nomination, wrote in a letter today to the party's credentials committee. Clinton conceded the race later that month.

Obama urged members to pass a resolution during the group's Aug. 24 meeting.

Clinton responded by reiterating her support for Florida and Michigan delegates having a full vote.

``The Democratic Party has always stood up for the principle of counting every person's vote,'' Clinton said in a statement today. Obama's stance ``is the right position for the Democratic Party and for the country.''

Co-chairs of the credentials committee -- Alexis Herman, James Roosevelt Jr. and Eliseo Roques-Arroyo -- said in a statement that they had received Illinois Senator Obama's letter, calling the matter a ``top priority.''

``As always our goal is to ensure a fair process and a unified Democratic Party so that we can win in November,'' they wrote.

The Democratic convention will be held Aug. 25-28 in Denver.

To contact the reporter on this story: Nadine Elsibai in Washington at nelsibai@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Michael Forsythe at mforsythe@bloomberg.net.