Florida group hypes "Florida Dems vs. the DNC". Glad Richardson cancelled.

[madfloridian]

Good for him.

Palm Beach Post politics

The Palm Beach County Democratic Professionals Council, which had national Dem Chair Howard Dean as a speaker last year, is hyping a conflict with Dean to promote a lunch this week.

The group planned to have New Mexico Gov. and Democratic prez hopeful Bill Richardson speak in West Palm Beach. But Richardson canceled because of the national party's Florida campaign blackout to punish the state for moving its 2008 primary up to Jan. 29. So the group booked Florida Senate Democratic Leader Steve Geller to speak Wednesday. An e-mail titled "Florida Dems vs. the DNC" touts the lunch as a chance to hear from Geller "as Florida Democrats stare down Howard Dean and the national party."

This Steve Geller who laughed his own amendment off the floor to keep Florida's primary at February 5 where they would lose no delegates.

Geller: "...So the Democratic leader and the Democratic leader pro tem are jointly making this motion, which we will duly show them later, that we tried not to have the election on, um, before (Feb. 5).

President: "And so Sen. Geller are you urging a negative vote or would you like us to pass this vote?"

Geller: "Oh no sir. We really, really want this. Don't we senator? (sarcasm and audible laughter in chamber).

Florida's Geller joked about his amendment: "sarcasm and audible laughter in chamber"

And Bill Nelson just can't let it go. Anyone heard if he has filed his suit yet?

Nelson to Dean: drop sanctions or face lawsuit

In another last-ditch effort, U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson has told DNC Chairman Howard Dean that if he agrees to lift the sanctions by Monday, Democratic state lawmakers will try to move the primary back during a special budget-cutting session next month.

"Doing so will also help avoid a legal challenge based on voter rights versus political party rules,'' Nelson warns in the letter.

The worst part of this whole messy situation is the way the major bloggers have stood silent. It is as if they are afraid to speak of it too loudly lest anyone hear them.

[Maribelle]

1. Do you agree or disagree that republican run Tallahassee paralyzes the Dem's regarding the date?

It seems to me that Floridian Democrats are between a rock and a hard place, and without a legal battle against the DNC, or without the mercy of the DNC, there is not a thing they can do about it.

Just when I was starting to appreciate Crist, he pulls this.

[madfloridian]

2. You must not have read my posts about how Florida lied.

The Florida Democrats pushed the bill, they went with it all the way. They could have fought it and kept their delegates. It was NOT just the GOP, trust me.

Here they are in chronological order. Florida did such a swift and powerful propaganda war against Dean that the truth does not get through. I have tried.

Enough of this. Florida Democrats now threaten Dean and the DNC with a "voting rights probe".
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1453

The "appropriate legal official" to "investigate" Dean and the DNC...is...Gonzales.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1452

Nelson: "I will lead the delegates to Denver whether or not the DNC plans to let them in."
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1455

Two summaries of the DNC committee ruling about Florida.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1456

Florida sowed the seeds of a propaganda war against the DNC.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1458

Proof. Vindication. Both Florida parties did it for "relevance." From March.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1459

The latest Florida propaganda tactic here about attacking the DNC...local email.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1460

Florida's Geller joked about his amendment: "sarcasm and audible laughter in chamber"
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1461

One Florida county is saying there will be further bloodshed. Much argument here today.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1462

Florida Democratic Party website building anger toward the DNC
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1465

Democratic activist sues over loss of Florida delegates
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1466

"Dean was conciliatory and offered DNC help for the state"..hour long phone call
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1467

Gelber admits they did not fight the GOP about the primary.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1468

"Primary bully Florida ought to be ashamed"...four articles catch on to Florida's primary ploy.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1469

Bill Nelson today will file a bill for regional primaries...but first he had to get your attention
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1478

Bill Nelson today: "DNC penalties unacceptable, unacceptable, unacceptable"
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1479

Carl Levin and Terry McAuliffe made a deal about primaries in 2004.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1483

Email from Florida DEC chairs saying not to give to the DNC or candidates.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1481

[nashville_brook]

5. kick for this list --

this is a confusing crisis. it's prolly not getting traction because a) it's local to Florida, and b) it's ambiguous who to blame (bc of the repub state house).

also, there's seemingly no good action. do we alienate the state dems or the national dems -- either way, we lose.

do you have any thoughts on this last part?

[madfloridian]

6. Not confusing to me. Florida lied about the DNC and Dean to be first.

That is the harsh reality. Florida voted for the rules, and now they are breaking them.

It was done for several other reasons, but for now...let's just say they wanted to be first.

It depends on who wins the primary.

[nashville_brook]

9. bear with me -- how does it depend on who wins the primary?

they've basically taken us Florida Dems out of the primary equation. the way I see it, Florida is going to be a rubber stamp for whoever is the front-runner. i'm i missing something?

what really bothers me is that the popular vote is going to suffer. dems are going to stay home which is going to skew the Amendment 10 vote.

i don't trust the dem leadership here at all -- my sense is that they'd likely not honor the popular vote in assigning delegates.

where are you located in florida? i'm in east orange county. can you recommend any progressive groups in the central region?

[madfloridian]

10. I think it is unfixable now.

In the long run, the nominee, if there is a definite one, will seat the delegates anyway.

[madfloridian]

3. But I do understand your confusion.

It was hyped at Daily Kos that way even by Markos himself.

And you have every right to stand with Florida on this. I won't because they lied.

We will no longer work with them on the ground the way we have. We have treated badly for questioning this action.

If there is a change of chairman who gives Nelson less say, we will reconsider.

We will keep donating to the DNC.

[Cha]

4. Like the DNC and Dean need this

at a time when building strong Democratic voting bases in all 50 States is so crucial. But, nothing this worthwhile is ever easy and my faith in Dean and the network he's built up based on experience and solid Democratic Principles is strong.

Sounds like there's going to be a lot of shake up and I hope those who "lied" have to take responsibility for it.

[madfloridian]

7. It is hurting all of the party.

When they sent those emails trying to cut donations...there is no telling what effect it had.

It is an ugly thing to do.

[Cha]

8. Stupid vindictive..anything to make

sure the Democrats split and we still can't get a victory over the worst form of fascism the world has been exposed to.

Thanks for doing all this Heavy Lifting for your party down there in Florida, mad, and the rest of the darn country.

[madfloridian]

11. Geller still not telling the truth. From yesterday...calls 1st four states "rogue states"

They simply do not give up. He blames the "rogue states" for all of it.

"Four rogue states took action against the state of Florida," said Sen. Steve Geller of Cooper City, the Senate's Democratic leader.

Florida Democrats said it wasn't their fault the date was set for Jan. 29; the Republican-controlled Legislature did it. But Democratic leaders said they ruled out other options, such as holding a Democratic-only primary, a caucus or a mail-in vote.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/florida/sfl-flbdems0924nbsep24,0,5177669.story

They refuse to tell the truth. If they had fought against the GOP when they moved the primary up their delegates would not have been taken away.

They are going to cause something to hurt the whole party by convention time. I do not trust them.

Thurman said the national party isn't likely to carry out its threat to ignore the delegates selected by Florida Democrats.

"I believe they have to seat Florida's delegates," she said. "Florida is part of the United States."

"There is no question that in Denver our delegates will be seated, no question about it," Geller said.

U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Weston, agreed but wouldn't say why she is so sure the national party will be forced to let Florida's Democratic votes count.

I have been so surprised at the way Wasserman Schultz has acted about this. Geller, no. Thurman, no...not surprised at them. But Wasserman Schultz acting toward the national party this way is a surprise.

Nothing good will come out of this.

[madfloridian]

12. A bit of a glimpse of the conflicts here....

Can't post the source, but it covers a lot of territory. Not many were involved the decision making process, and that is not the way it is supposed to be. There are a few who decide. Many of the members were not told of yesterday's announcement at all.

From a communication:

The best laid schemes of mice and men Often go awry
And leave us nought but grief and pain
For promised joy. Robert Burns, “The Mouse”, 1785

The effort by the Democratic Florida Legislators working with the Republican Legislators to make Florida more relevant by moving the primary to 29 January 2008 has had the opposite impact. The Democratic Presidential candidates will not be running television ads in Florida and campaigning hard for our votes.

The House and Senate staff analysis of moving the date forward stated that it was more important to vote early than to “send a few select Floridians to the national conventions.” The Democratic and Republican state Legislators were aware that we might have no delegates because of their willingness to violate party rules without any contact with FDP Party leaders. Well, they got what they asked for.

Very little promised joy, lots of anger and pain.

[madfloridian]

13. "High-Noon Came and Went Without a Peep"

TBO blog Tampa Bay

Last Friday, Sen. Bill Nelson and Rep. Alcee Hastings of Miramar warned Democratic national chief Howard Dean and other party officials to reconsider their sanctions against Florida Democrats for the state having moved its presidential primary to Jan. 29, against party rules. The two Democrats wrote that “for the sake of the National Democratic Party, we respectfully request that you lift the sanctions against Florida by close of business on Monday … doing so may help avoid a legal challenge based on voter rights versus political party rules.”

Well, the close of business today has arrived. And there’s been no word from the Democratic National Committee, says Nelson’s spokesman Bryan Gulley. What now?

“The goal is to make sure Florida’s vote counts,” said Nelson, in a statement released by his office.

“We’re keeping all options on the table to achieve this goal,” he said.

Asked what this means, Gulley added: “They (the DNC) did not respond, so that is our response.”

“The statement speaks for itself,” he said.

Our response is that they did not respond? Okay. :shrug: