Superdelegates to the fore after Democrat split

Washington: If Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton cannot resolve their Democratic presidential battle, maybe the "superdelegates" can. The states of Michigan and Florida could also lend a hand.

While Clinton's wins in Ohio and Texas on Tuesday kept her White House hopes alive and prolonged the Democratic race, it also renewed attention on the party's 796 "superdelegates" - Democratic officials and party insiders who are free to back any candidate at the August nominating convention.

Obama has a lead in pledged delegates won in state contests, but neither candidate is likely to gather enough of those to reach the 2,025 votes needed to clinch the nomination without help from the superdelegates. Michigan and Florida, which lost their delegates in a dispute with the Democratic National Committee, also could play a role in reaching the magic number.

Clinton won unsanctioned contests in both states, although the candidates did not campaign in them and Obama removed his name from the ballot in Michigan. Officials in both states renewed calls to settle the dispute so their delegates can be seated.

"We must restore the rights of the more than 5 million voters whose voices have been silenced," Florida Governor Charlie Crist, a Republican, and Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm, a Democrat, said in a joint statement. Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean welcomed the governors' effort to help resolve the issue, and also repeated a call for the Michigan and Florida state parties to obey rules.

"Out of respect for the presidential campaigns and the states that did not violate party rules, we are not going to change the rules in the middle of the game," Dean said in a statement. Resolving the issue might mean holding new contests if the state parties, the national party and the candidates could agree on the format, timing and financing.