A delegate from Utah, who supported the rule, also reacted.

"Rule 16 preserves the rights of the states to determine the way they select their delegates to the national convention," Bruce Hough said. "It gives the complete sovereignty to the states -- as it has now -- to make those determinations."

Romney attorney Ben Ginsburg - a Washington D.C. delegate - spoke about the rule.

"It's a great compromise," Ginsburg said. "It brings the party together. Some of the grassroots activists told us they had concerns about [the original proposal.] They were valid concerns. We were able to work out a compromise."

When pressed about lingering grassroots opposition to it, Ginsberg said:

"The vote was 78-14. It had the overwhelming support of the committee."

"I'm sorry we can't please everybody."

Though Rule 16 was approved by the committee, opponents vowed to try to kill it on the floor through a procedure called a "minority report."

Twenty-eight signatures were needed to advance that procedure. It's unclear if the opposition obtained the necessary number to do so.

Former Republican presidential candidate, tea party favorite and Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, spoke to CNN outside the committee meeting after the vote.

"Well I was for the minority report because the backbone of our party is the grassroots," Bachmann said. "And I think it's very important that the people at the local level have their voice and have their say and be able to come here to the national convention and we need to hear their voice."

Meanwhile, some committee members suggested meddling was at play. A bus full of Virginia delegates arrived at the committee meeting -- after it had adjourned.

"The bus that was supposed to pick up the Virginia delegation arrived an hour later than it was supposed to," explained Virginia delegate Morton Blackwell, a prime opponent of Rule 16.

Blackwell continued: "And then when we went downtown, we went around the same series of blocks repeatedly - twice. And then the bus took out away from downtown, went about a mile and a half, and then did a u-turn and came back. And did another circuit, of the same place where we had been before. And at that point, the Virginia delegates demanded, 'Stop the bus. And we're going to walk.' And we did."

Mike Rothfeld, a Virginia delegate also on the bus, went further.

"They pushed us around for 45 minutes and then we missed the meeting," Rothfeld said.

"We were in the security perimeter, they pushed us out of it three separate times. They moved us around until the meeting was adjourned."

Sebern claimed the snafu was "deliberate."

Neither she nor the others recalling the story would say who they were directing their anger at. And none could provide proof to back up their claims.