FL Dem leaders have dinner with Charlie..Crist, that is. Discuss do-over.

[madfloridian]

On the menu was Caesar salad and filet mignon. On the discussion menu were various items, including the proposed (demanded) new primary in Florida.

I am not sure what other Democrats were there but front and center were Florida Democratic Party chair, Karen Thurman, State Senator Steve Geller, and Representative Dan Gelber.

I am sure this is all par for the course as gubernatorial dinners go, but I found myself thinking how frustrating this whole primary issue is. I don't think there should be another one. I know the players, and I don't trust their motives. Everyone wants something out of this situation.

Crist in spotlight

On Friday, Crist was well into his third day of national media exposure, still seeking a way to give Democrats a way to "revote" and overcome the fiasco of stripped delegates from the Jan. 29 primary.

Cynics see Crist's crusade to "count every vote" as cover for his true objective of increasing the chance that Hillary Clinton will be the Democratic nominee, presumably an easier foil for McCain in November (she easily won the now-irrelevant Jan. 29 primary).

Not true, Crist says. "I find it reprehensible that half the people I work for would be disenfranchised as to picking their nominee. It's just not right."

Charlie Crist is on the short list for McCain's VP. He has a great interest in keeping Hillary in the race to keep the spotlight on McCain that much longer.

I don't know Thurman's present view on the primary, but last I heard she sounded like she doubted any option would meet all specifications, and that Florida would be at the convention seating their delegation. (Guess again, Karen...no seating "as is".)

Mostly though she has turned the decision over to Bill Nelson and buddies, who are superdelegates for Hillary Clinton. They have been demanding that Dean seat the delegates. Now some of them are demanding a new primary (Nelson), while others are saying no do-over. (Wasserman Schultz says no do-over..seat them as is)

And Howard Dean reminds them that the rules will not be changed in the middle of the primary.

Dean: DNC won't change delegate rules for Florida

Howard Dean, chairman of Democratic National Committee, does not sound like someone about to go back and restore Florida’s delegates to the national convention. And he certainly isn’t paying for a new election in Florida.

After Gov. Charlie Crist, a Republican, put out a statement yesterday calling on Florida's Democratic delegates to be restored, Dean followed it up with a statement last night (which I received well after my deadline) that repeatedly reminds everyone that Florida Democrats broke the rules by holding their primary on Jan. 29. It’s up to Florida Democrats to follow the rules, not the DNC to change the rules to accommodate the states that violated the rules, he says in his statement.

“The Democratic Nominee will be determined in accordance with party rules, and out of respect for the presidential campaigns and the states that did not violate party rules, we are not going to change the rules in the middle of the game,” Dean said.

Dean said Sunday there are precedents for having a revote. He says he is trying to handle this so the losers will feel the DNC has been fair. (I say good luck on that, Howie).

He had a little more to say about where the blame belonged.

Dean left no doubt in his statement about who he blames for the delegate mess in Florida and Michigan.

“As we’ve said all along, we strongly encourage the Michigan and Florida state parties to follow the rules, so today’s public overtures are good news,” Dean said in reference to Crist’s plea on Wednesday for Florida Democrats to have their delegates counted.

He is referring to the "public overtures" probably because the two states on their latest tirade bypassed the DNC and just took it to the media to attack him.

Here is the link to the NPR audio where he makes that clear...near the end.

The only good thing about this fiasco, if there indeed is anything...is that the Florida leaders are disagreeing with each other now. They know they screwed it up.

[madfloridian]

1. What a damn mess.

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/mar/12/na-democrats-quest-for-mail-in-revote-hits-major-h/

"TAMPA - Florida's Democratic congressional delegation issued a joint statement Tuesday night opposing any revote in the state's presidential primary, throwing what appeared to be a major roadblock in front of the state party's efforts for a mail-in revote.

Earlier Tuesday, the state party appeared to be moving forward with a plan for a mail-in revote. Florida Sen. Bill Nelson, who has advocated the idea, expected a copy of a proposed plan from state party officials Tuesday evening, a Nelson spokesman said.

The statement from the state's nine U.S. House members came after Nelson invited them to a meeting to answer their questions about the plan. "Our House delegation is opposed to a mail-in campaign or any redo of any kind."

"Current county party chairman Mike Steinberg predicted the Obama campaign would go to court to stop the plan. "They're not just going to take this sitting down," he said.

The DNC has said it won't seat a Florida delegation to the national convention based on the Jan. 29 primary - in effect not counting that vote - because it was held too early in violation of party rules"

Steinberg is the lawyer for the lawsuit being heard in Atlanta Monday.

Sharpton may sue.

I just hope Obama says a definite no. Hillary already has.