New Rules in Wisconsin

In a grim power struggle in Milwaukee last week, the State Democratic Administrative Committee changed the scoring system for Wisconsin's crucial Democratic primary election next April, and thereby cut the chances of clean-cut victory either for Jack Kennedy or Hubert Humphrey. After two hours of furious debate in a Kaiser-Knickerbocker Hotel suite, the committee's 26 members voted 14-12 to change the rules. Under the new system, each of Wisconsin's ten congressional districts will receive 2 1/2 votes at the national convention, with five delegate-at-large votes going to the statewide winner. Under the old rules, each district was worth two votes, with the overall winner getting a bonus of ten delegate-at-large votes. (A 31st vote is split between the national committeeman, who favors Humphrey, and the national committeewoman, a Kennedy supporter.)

Jack Kennedy stood to lose most by the change: staking his presidential hopes on the Wisconsin primary, he had counted on carrying four populous eastern districts and the delegates-at-large for a minimum of 18 1/2 votes to Hubert Humphrey's 12 1/2 (TIME, Feb. 1). Under the new rules, the same outcome would result in a 15 1/2-15 1/2 vote standoff, effectively neutralizing the Wisconsin delegation to the national convention. Said State Chairman Patrick J. Lucey, a not-so-secret Kennedy supporter: "The change can only be interpreted as an attempt to benefit the candidate of those proposing the formula." Sponsor of the new rules: Committeeman Sam Rizzo, ex-United Auto Workers official and chairman of Humphrey's Wisconsin campaign.

Kennedy, campaigning in Utah, was chagrined. "Americans have always considered it unfair to change the rules of a game after the game has started," he said. "I think this matter will be settled by the people of Wisconsin when they vote in the primary on whether they agree with this manipulation of the Democratic Administrative Committee." In Indianapolis, Humphrey was blissfully unperturbed: "For anyone to accuse the Wisconsin Democratic committee of manipulation is to falsely accuse. The decision is theirs, not mine."

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