Can regular delegates vote other than pledged ?

Are this year's Democratic caucus delegates required to stay with whomever they are pledged to ?

I think the only thing they are required to do is cast a vote for their pledged delgate on the very first vote. If no winner is chosen after the first vote, they are free to vote however they want on subsequent votes. I am not positive, but I think it works something like that.

But also be aware, the delegates get to be delegates because they are generally very partisan and rabid about their candidates. In a close race, they are not going change their votes.

The only delegates that can vote however they want are the ones pledged to a candidate that has dropped out, like the 26 delegates that Edwards won.

Thanks for the clarification - I asked because Hillary answered this way the other day:

How can you win the nomination when the math looks so bleak for you?

It doesn't look bleak at all. I have a very close race with Senator Obama. There are elected delegates, caucus delegates and superdelegates, all for different reasons, and >> they're all equal in their ability to cast their vote for whomever they choose. Even elected and caucus delegates are not required to stay with whomever they are pledged to. << This is a very carefully constructed process that goes back years, and we're going to follow the process.

Hillary is in denial. She can not win unless the superdelgates reverse the popular vote. And if they do that it will rip the party apart and assure a President McCain.

But maybe that is what she wants if SHE can't win. It will give her another chance in 4 years.