May 20, 2008 5:16 pm US/Eastern
Democrats Returning To Florida After Boycott
MIAMI (CBS) ―
Democratic presidential candidates Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton will both be in Florida Wednesday after avoiding the state since last fall.
Both candidates signed a pledge nine months ago that kept them from campaigning in Florida before the January 29th primary. Other than a rally Clinton held after polls closed that night, neither candidate has campaigned in Florida since the Democratic National Committee stripped Florida of its delegates in September because its primary was held before February fifth. The DNC said Florida, and Michigan as well, violated its rules by holding primaries in January and would not seat their delegates at the national convention this summer.
Obama announced last week that he was coming to Florida, the largest of the swing states and a crucial battleground in November. He has to build relationships in both states if he wins the Democratic nomination. They are considered critical battlegrounds for the general election.
Obama will begin his campaign sweep through the Sunshine State with a rally in Tampa around noon, followed by a town hall meeting in Orlando scheduled to begin at 5:00 p.m.
On Thursday, Obama is expected to travel to Palm Beach County, Broward and end the day with a star-studded fundraiser on South Beach but details of those events have not been released.
Senator Clinton announced Monday that she would be in South Florida Wednesday in her continuing push to have the state's primary count.
Clinton will start her day in Boca Raton at a "Solutions for America" Event at 12:45.
The New York Senator will then travel south to Miami at 4:00 p.m.
Her third and final event of the day will take place in Coral Gables. The event begins at 8:00 p.m.
Republican rival John McCain has been campaigning in Florida Tuesday. He held a town hall meeting in West Miami-Dade. It's his third trip here since the state's primary. He plans to return again in two weeks.
(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
