Extra-Super Superdelegates?

While all of us have become familiar with "pledged" delegates and "superdelegates" and even who the superdelegates might be; tonight, I learned about the super superdelegates.  There apparently are extra-privileges "some" superdelegates have via the ability to name some 76 additional supers who might make an overall difference in whom our nominee might me...

From Findlaw news...

Largely overlooked in the arcane process, though, is the power of a select few to complete the superdelegate ranks by naming 76 newbies, and Clinton and Obama are fighting hard over every one of those from state conventions to back rooms.

http://news.findlaw.com/...

Now, I have to admit that I was just not familiar with the whole delegate process thing prior toward this year's election.  I was familiar with the "electoral college"; but it appears that the Democratic Party had some special democracy in mind when getting rid of smoked-filled rooms, but not really.

Some interesting "news" is that the "super" superdelegates, depending upon whom (where?) they are have special abilities toward naming additional superdelegates who might vote despite whatever the electorate of a party has decided:

Consider Art Torres, chairman of the California Democratic Party. He remains uncommitted, yet he could be the most powerful superdelegate of all. Torres gets to name five additional superdelegates, giving him control over six votes at the national convention this summer.

"I am the super of supers!" Torres proclaims with a laugh.

He and other state party chairmen will appoint most of the additional 76, known in Democratic ranks as "unpledged add-ons."

"They basically are gifts to the state party chairs," Harold Ickes, a chief strategist for Clinton, said of the additional superdelegates.

Ok, so the Party decided long ago we need superdelegates just in case we found ourselves in a a quagmire like we might be in this year, or perhaps to upset someone the Party powers didn't think could win, and I accepted that, but finding out about super-superdelegates just kind of threw me.

The 76 "add-ons" are doled out to each state based on population and Democratic voting strength. Every state but Florida and Michigan, which were penalized for holding early primaries, gets at least one. California's five are the most.

The extra delegates will be selected at state party conventions and committee meetings throughout the spring. In about half the states, including California, Georgia and Ohio, they must be chosen from lists compiled by the state party chairmen. If the chairmen list only one person for each slot, they effectively name the extra delegates.

In other states the additional delegates can be nominated from the floor of the convention or by simply applying, turning mundane state party gatherings into spirited debates about the presidential candidates.

It seems to me that extra attention must be paid to state party gatherings, especially now that Florida and Michigan are being thrown back into the mix.

This article from Politico tonight got me to thinking, as it discusses the "credentialing committee", and how Florida and Michigan members will be seated on it...

http://www.politico.com/...