Dems Scramble For Solutions Ahead Of DNC Meeting But Fail To Reach Agreement

Washington, D.C.(AHN) - A meeting among Democrats extended into the weary hours of Saturday morning and ended with no agreement on how to seat Florida and Michigan's delegates.

The closed-door, late night meeting included Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman Howard Dean. It was held at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C ahead of scheduled talks among members of the DNC's Rules and By-laws panel later the same day.

"It was a full discussion, we'll see what happens," Sen. Hillary Clinton's (D-NY) adviser Harold Ickes was quoted by ABC as saying."And I think there was some agreement on some issues and still some disagreement on others."

The DNC's Rules Committee will be holding what is expected to be a historic meeting beginning at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday at the same hotel to settle the issue of how to seat Florida and Michigan's delegates at the party convention in August. Both states were stripped of all their convention delegates for scheduling their respective primaries earlier than party rules allowed.

Supporters of both Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) are expected to descend in Washington and rally in front of the hotel.

"I believe we will come up with something tomorrow," Obama supporter and DNC Rules Committee member Allan Katz said on Friday, according to CNN. "There will probably be a little sort of tussling but we are Democrats."