Proof. Vindication. Both Florida parties did it for "relevance." From March.

[madfloridian]

The article shows that, and it tells the name of the one vote against it and why he voted against it.

The others voted yes, and they did not have a gun at their head. This article will suffice for the night, but there is more out there.

Florida House votes for earlier presidential primary

House Republicans and Democrats passed the earlier primary bill (HB 537) by a 115-1 vote - a challenge to the national parties that are wielding threats in an attempt to prevent a nationwide race for earlier and earlier primaries.

.."Florida lawmakers believe the state's demographic and political diversity merit a greater say in the selection of nominees. They're tired of candidates treating the fourth-largest state as a fundraising ATM, only to take the money to campaign in small states like Iowa and New Hampshire. And they say they are willing to call the bluffs of the national parties, which have threatened to take away delegates the state parties send to the nominating conventions. National Democratic Party rules could even punish candidates who campaign in states that move their primaries earlier than Feb. 5 by essentially not recognizing the state's delegates.

"The state can move its primary date but there are automatic sanctions," said Luis Miranda, a spokesman for the Democratic National Committee. "The rules have been adopted and we will enforce the rules."

So when they did this in March, it was made clear the sanctions were automatic. It also was made clear it was a challenge to both national parties to show that Florida was relevant.

And here is the single Democrat who voted against it. The others did it by choice. Even if they would have lost, it was their choice to vote yes. I have found some more stuff which I am wading through which indicates the economic appeal was as great to the Democrats as to the Republicans.

And here is the Senate Democrat who pushed the bill, Jeremy Ring. No one held a gun to his head. And don't forget that Bob Wexler among others stood with Crist at the signing ceremony.

Again here is the single no vote. I had heard 100%, then I heard there was one. Have been searching for it.

But some, like state Rep. Jack Seiler, a Wilton Manors Democrat who was the only House member to vote against the bill, believe Florida's earlier primary will hurt underdog candidates who don't have enough money to compete in large media markets at an early stage. He's been impressed with former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, but hasn't yet endorsed anyone.

"You're essentially going to make this into a straight money race," Seiler said, benefiting "whomever comes out of 2007 with the most money to prepare for these large states."

The Florida Senate is waiting to see what happens in other states before moving forward with a date, said Sen. Jeremy Ring, D-Margate, who is leading the effort in that chamber.

"It gives us a chance to really watch the landscape," Ring said. "When we're done Florida will be relevant."

Thank you, Jack Seiler, for seeing why there was an effort to have states in which less moneyed candidates could have a chance. And thank you for voting no because you thought it was right.

Florida sowed the seeds of a propaganda war against the DNC.

I will post more definitive stuff if they keep on with this.

And here is the statement from James Roosevelt of the Rules Committee on Saturday.

But James Roosevelt Jr., the rules committee’s co-chairman, said he was not convinced that Florida Democrats had done all they could do. He said it was “clear that the Republicans were the moving force behind the selection of a date that violated both the Republican and the Democratic rules, but that the efforts to oppose that were form over substance.”
Democrats Take a Tough Line on Florida Primary

That is enough for now. I think truth is far more important than being first. I hope they proceed with the damned lawsuit, and let's get it all out in the open.

[madfloridian]

1. More.

Boondoggle

115:1. Lets repeat that, 115:1 for changing the date. The DNC rules panel kinda has a point here. The 115:1 vote isn't exactly what I'd call "robust opposition". In fact, some might even say it was along the lines of active collaboration.

Remember that - active collaboration, because now we see this story where the Tampa Tribune is trying to lay the blame on republicans in the Florida legislature:

...Last spring, the Florida Legislature, dominated by Republicans, voted to hold the state primary Jan. 29, regardless of the parties' rules, making Florida the largest state to vote early.
Some Democratic legislators favored the move as well...

Some Democratic legislators" -- that's an interesting way to put it when the vote was 115:1. "some" == "all but one".

[jmp]

2. The DNC should just let

Land owners vote first. :)

[illinoisprogressive]

3. If they kept it at 2-5 they would have been fine and I applaud the guy who voted no.

Feb. 5th is a good place. They did not need to make a mess of things with their 'me first' attitude.
I am in Illinois and we are Feb 5th. Our state openly said why they moved it up. for Obama.
But, they are not moving it anymore. We don't have a bunch of candidates here and yet, we are a very large state as well.
We just don't see the sense in causing people and candidates grief by whining 'me first'

[madfloridian]

6. You are right about Feb. 5.

They should not have done this and said they didn't. They did collaborate.

[flaminbats]

7. this only weakens both parties..

the DNC and RNC should reserve the power of stripping a state's delegates for when state governments weaken the democratic process.

one example..if a state legislature holds the Democratic primary in June and Republican primary in March, neither party should except delegates from that state until both primaries are held on the same day..regardless of month. neither party should use party registration as a requirement or restriction for voting. in other words..independents should be able to vote in either primary, and only delegates should be required to demonstrate loyalty to the party they wish to represent.

if Florida has an earlier primary, then New Hampshire better value its position in the process enough to accept that! but stripping any state seeking additional leverage its convention delegates, is undemocratic and vengeful, regardless of which party is guilty.

[madfloridian]

4. Jack Seiler in the Miami Herald this month. "I Told You So"

http://www.miamiherald.com/418/story/200532.html

"TOLD YOU SO

Rep. Jack Seiler, D-Pompano Beach, was the lone no in the 119-to-1 vote in the House to move the Florida primary. ''I told them this would happen,'' Seiler lamented Friday, as the nation awaited Florida's countermove in the primary wars.

Seiler said he was content to allow Iowa and New Hampshire, then South Carolina and New Mexico to sort out the various candidates through face-to-face small-town campaigning. Let the small states separate the actual candidates from their mass marketing images. ''But an early Florida primary just makes this race about money,'' he said.

So Florida, a very large state suffering from a very acute sense of irrelevancy, can virtually eliminate lousy fund-raisers like John McCain or Bill Richardson, who are trying to run campaigns on ideas instead of money.

Why not bring Santa down with 'em?"

I think I really like that Seiler guy.

[jmp]

5. Just another pol representing people other than his constituents.

...

[madfloridian]

8. Ah, it is amazing what one finds on a search for "jack seiler"

http://blogs.tampabay.com/buzz/2007/08/thurman-dnc-wou.html

They are absolutely going after Dean and the DNC, and right now I say bring on the lawsuits.

Let the truth commence.

[madfloridian]

9. We've found a couple prominent Florida Democratic activists ready to blink

Thurman: DNC would disenfranchise Florida voters

We've found a couple prominent Florida Democratic activists ready to blink and have the state party look again at making the Jan. 29 primary officially meaningless and instead hold later caucuses to allocate Florida delegates. But Karen Thurman ruled that out.

Last week the DNC offered the state up a caucus proposal it priced at $866,000. How would it serve more than 4.2-million Florida Democrats? It would cover 150 caucus sites, caucus staffers, and pay for printing 120,000 ballots. 120,000 ballots? That would mean less than 3 percent of Florida Democrats would participate in picking a presidential nominee.

"We are not going to do anything that’s going to disenfranchise our Florida Democratic voters. That to us is our biggest commitment and a place we cannot move from,’’ Thurman said.

http://blogs.tampabay.com/buzz/2007/08/thurman-dnc-wou.html

Oh, Karen, please come forth with some honesty and quit making Dean play the heavy.

Enough is enough.

[jmp]

10. Continue trying to spin this like mad but ...

November 4, 2008 the votes will count.

And you better believe Howard Dean is going to get ALL the credit.

[retread]

11. If my faulty memory serves me correctly, didn't this bill also mandate voter-verified

paper ballots?

[flpoljunkie]

14. Heard Speaker Marco Rubio demanded the 1/29 primary date in exchange for voter-verified ballots

[madfloridian]

23. Marco Rubio is Jeb's pet rock....and the Dems did not have to play ball with him.

That is a bunch of crock.

[flpoljunkie]

30. I don't really know if they did or not.

[madfloridian]

17. Read the article.

.

[bear425]

12. I've met Jack Seiler many times and he's a good guy.

I am surprised he was the only one voting no.

edit: fer speling

[madfloridian]

24. He sounds like a good guy.

.

[smiley_glad_hands]

13. The fact is Dems in Fla played ball with the Rethugs and SCREWED UP.

The need to accept the DNC's solution.

[madfloridian]

22. You are right. They are turning off a lot of voters.

.

[progressoid]

15. 115:1 Wow.

I just read yesterday the "complaint" that this wasn't fair because it was pushed through by a Repub gov and legislature. Jeez, if it was so horrible, why did only one vote against it?

[The Backlash Cometh]

16. Well, that settles it for me. The proper democratic choice would be to go

with the later date to give all Democratic candidates the fairest chance possible.

[madfloridian]

18. Now Time is calling it Dean's war on Florida.

The people will lose this after all. They will keep lying and spinning..and the power and money will out.

[jmp]

35. Don't worry ... Florida Dems will still vote for the party's nominee.

It's those annoyed and insulted Independent Floridians that will turn the state red.

YEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! ;)

[slick8790]

36. Wow, you seem oddly happy and content with that.

I guess if Florida doesn't get it's way, then fuck the rest of the country! Lets have president Guiliani!

[jmp]

37. Call me hypersensitive but ...

I'm failing to see how a President Giuliani would be worse than the tyrants at the DNC.

[tkmorris]

38. Really?

I was going to respond to this but I cannot find the words. You are out there friend.

[MaineDem]

39. That statement is just...just...ludicrous!

I'm floored.

Showing true colors here, I guess.

[slick8790]

41. You're missing the sarcasm emoticon

....right? Please tell me you are, because if not you're either completely oblivious, spiteful to the point of idiocy, or just a plain idiot. Or just another freeper troll here to start conflict.

[madfloridian]

19. And I'm very tired of a party that does not value truth.

Here they value being first more than being honest.

No one here really has a voice yet. Several of us have written letters to the editors, but will have to see if they get printed.

Many of us have called and get nowhere.

Truth is suffering.

[flashl]

26. FL Dems antics same as Rs?

Democratic lawmakers risk fine for donations - More than 200 election-law violations

Democratic state legislators appear to have committed more than 200 election-law violations, nearly all of them stemming from accepting campaign contributions above legal limits, according to the Florida Elections Commission ...

The commission said that Florida House Victory, a fundraising committee set up by House Democrats in 2003, may have committed 209 violations of election law ...

The commission decided against making the same charges against a similar Senate Democratic organization, saying most of the potential violations committed by Florida Senate Victory were too old to prosecute ...

Democrats contend the violations were largely a paperwork mistake that happened when legislative leaders decided to break fundraising operations away from the Florida Democratic Party

---

Inside of the Florida Democratic Party mess who can separate what's really happening in 'Swamp Politics'? One begins to wonder if all of the other noise is just to distract from this story?

[madfloridian]

27. No, I would never compare their "antics" to the those of the GOP

Not by a long shot.

I would however compare their mindsets, which in Florida are quite similar. Very much for what is best for Florida's corporatate world, and not so concerned about the people in pain and hurt.

BUT in no way would I compare that instance to the utter disregard for laws and ethics shown by this Republican party.

[TheDoorbellRang]

20. Thanks for digging into this, madfloridian

With this attempt to move up primary dates, it seems to me one of the end results will be even more costly campaigns, so the ones with the most money win. And the ones with the most money do seem to get it from the friendly neighborhood lobbyists = corporations. Lovely result.

Someone needs to come up with an entirely different set up -- the current campaign process is nuts. These candidates who are supposed to be working for us spend most of their time either campaigning or doing campaign fundraisers. Everybody is losing here except corporations, who end up with a securely purchased congressperson or president.

[madfloridian]

21. There do need to be changes that benefit everyone, not just Florida

:hi:

[madfloridian]

25. Here is part of what the rules committee knew when they met.

Sent out by a state dem rep...only a part of it.


4. Florida House Democratic Leader Dan Gelber stated, after receiving a call from DNC Chair asking for help in opposing setting the primary date before February 5, “I don’t represent Howard Dean.”

5. Florida House Democratic Leader Dan Gelber stated, after offering an amendment to move the primary to February 5th, that the only reason he offer it was “to show that there was an attempt to state within the Democratic Party rules.” The amendment failed on a voice vote with no debate being offered.

6. Florida Senate Democratic Legislators voted in committee to move the primary to January;

7. Florida Senate Democratic Leader Steve Geller stated on the Senate floor that he was offering an amendment to move the primary to February 5 only because he was threatened by DNC Chair Howard Dean. Sen. Geller than mocked his own amendment which failed on a voice vote without any debate.

[madfloridian]

43. The rules committee had done their homework.

.

[madfloridian]

28. I hear they are working on a compromise.

According to what I understand the DNC has offered $880,000 to help Florida with some of the costs. I gather this is the first time they have offered help to a state. I think that is a good offer.

They appear to be working on a caucus idea. Not sure of the details.

[jmp]

29. Florida's primary isn't budging. There will be no caucus.

100s of posts (literally 100s) and repost on DU are not going to alter that.

The bed has been made ... the only thing left to see is who burns on it.

Bring on the sanctions! :)

[flpoljunkie]

31. Do you really want a caucus in such a populous state? I think the idea is beyond absurd!

[madfloridian]

32. Hey, doesn't matter to me.

I am so upset. I just don't care.

[jmp]

33. That probably didn't need clarifying. (nm)

...

[flpoljunkie]

34. The FL Dems brought this on themselves, and I have no sympathy for them, but I do not want a caucus!

Would rather have a "meaningless beauty contest." I don't think they could have stopped the Republicans, but I also agree they did not even try!

[madfloridian]

40. Bill Nelson is the boss of all of us. So sue already.

"TALLAHASSEE -- Democratic members of Florida's congressional district expressed unanimous opposition today to their national party's decision to strip the state of votes at the Democratic National Convention because of its early presidential primary.

Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., said the issue might wind up in court. The Democratic members of Congress insisted that votes cast in the Jan. 29 primary must be counted, regardless of national party rules forbidding the state to have a primary earlier than Feb. 5.

"The vote is going to matter -- period," said a statement adopted by the 10 lawmakers in Washington.

'.....The congressional delegation members said they will mount a legal challenge to block the DNC from banning Florida delegates to the convention in Denver next year, if the national party doesn't back down."

http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070828/BREAKINGNEWS/70828029/1086

Take all that bluster and put it where your mouth is.

[MasonJar]

42. I love all dems, but what merit has Florida to overwhelm the vast

majority represented by the DNC? After all Florida allowed Jeb to cheat his way in just in time to cheat W in and appointed a GOPer, just turned dem to design the ballot and run the Miami Dade Co. election in 2000. That alone undoubtedly cost Gore the election and has ruined the life of hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of innocent people, not to even mention the planet Earth itself.