UPDATED Super-delegate's view: Clinton must decide fate

• Published May 07, 2008

David T. McDonald, a Washington super-delegate from Seattle, said he is holding off making up his mind in the presidential race until the mess is sorted out May 31 on whether or how to seat the delegations from Michigan and Florida.

McDonald serves on the Democratic National Committee’s rules and bylaws committee that meets May 31 for a hearing on what to do. He said he wants to provide impartiality.

“I think the appearance is going to be helped by some of us staying uncommitted … So I am not planning to make a decision or issue any statements until we are finished with the challenges,’’ he said.

But after Hillary Clinton's close win in Indiana and Barack Obama's large win in North Carolina put Obama even further ahead in the race for delegates, McDonald said: “She has a really uphill battle and she really needs Michigan and Florida to somehow be added to the mix.’’ McDonald added: “At the end of the day I think Hillary’s supporters have to decide for her and with her whether she should go forward with the campaign or come up with an exit strategy. It’s not for somebody else to tell them the race is over. Because the race is not over.” McDonald is one of seven of the state's 17 superdelegates who has not yet taken sides. Six favor Clinton, and four favor Obama. Undecideds include state party chairman Dwight Pelz, vice chair Eileen Macoll of Pullman, former U.S. House Speaker Tom Foley, party official Ed Cote of Vancouver, and U.S. Reps. Rick Larsen and Jim McDermott.

McDonald, who favored punishment for Michigan and Florida for jumping the gun with their primaries in January, said Obama has a role to play on figuring out how to seat the banished delegations. “If you assume for the moment that Obama is the nominee, and the press today was making that assumption, it seems to me it is his problem to come forward with a solution that works. If he is planning on being the leader of the party of the free world, he needs to be able to come up with a solution to problems like this,” McDonald said.

UPDATED: State Democratic Party chairman Dwight Pelz is also sticking firmly to neutrality. But he wants the party to have a nominee in June, well before the national convention on Aug. 25-28.

“I agree with Howard Dean who says if we go into the convention divided we go out of the convention divided,’’ Pelz said.

“I think it’s clear that Obama took a major step forward yesterday and Hillary has to make the case why she should be the nominee of the party,’’ Pelz added. “I think this has increased the pressure on Hillary but she feels strongly she has a lot to offer the party and the country.’’

Pelz had not heard whether others among Washington’s seven uncommitted super-delegates were getting ready to announce.