AP: Florida Dems to Keep January 29th Primary, Even if it Means Losing All Its Convention Delegates

[flpoljunkie]

Fla. Dems to Keep Jan. 29 Primary

By BRENDAN FARRINGTON

The Associated Press
Saturday, September 22, 2007; 7:34 PM

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- The Florida Democratic Party will stick with a Jan. 29 presidential primary even if it means losing all its nominating convention delegates, a party source said Saturday.

The Democratic National Committee gave the state party until Sept. 29 to come up with an alternative delegate selection plan to stay within party rules, such as caucuses or a vote-by-mail primary, but party leadership has rejected that idea.

State party Chairman Karen Thurman, members of the congressional delegation and state legislative leaders were scheduling a news conference Sunday to announce their position. State party staff has been polling executive committee members and determined at least 75 percent support for the early primary, the source said. The source spoke on condition of anonymity because executive committee members were still be notified.

The DNC Rules Committee voted last month to strip Florida of its 210 delegates if the state party held a primary before Feb. 5. Major Democratic presidential candidates have signed a pledge to restrict campaigning in Florida if it violates party rules.

Democratic Party rules say states cannot hold their 2008 primary contests before Feb. 5, except for Iowa on Jan. 14, Nevada on Jan. 19, New Hampshire on Jan. 22 and South Carolina on Jan. 29. Michigan has scheduled a Jan. 15 primary.

<>Even though Florida won't have delegates at the nominating convention, party leaders felt that the Jan. 29 date will let the rest of the country know who the state supports one week before an expected 25 states go to the polls, including big prizes like California and New York.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/22/AR2007092201133.html

[w4rma]

1. DLC Dummies. (nt)

[Mojambo]

2. 210 less seats at the Convention.

Maybe there will be room for a massage table or something.

[AZ Criminal JD]

5. Florida has nothing to worry about

This is an empty threat by the DNC. Whoever wins the nomination will make sure that Florida delegates will be seated.

[madfloridian]

6. Depends on if there is a definite candidate .

.

[LiberalFighter]

7. If they go into the convention without a decisive winner

how will the nominee be able to seat the Florida delegates?

[tkmorris]

8. Maybe

But those delegates won't play any part in deciding who the nominee actually IS. Once we have a nominee, who cares if the Florida delegates get seated afterwards? I don't.

[madfloridian]

9. And frankly I don't give a damn anymore, since I ain't voting in the primary

I am tired of being manipulated and then shunned by our party...all in a few weeks.

[AZ Criminal JD]

3. I wish they would vote to hold it one day before Iowa

Special interests in Iowa have blackmailed candidates of both parties every four years with the demand to bow down to ethanol. The addition of ethanol reduces gas mileage and is one of the biggest energy wasting measures ever.

[flashl]

4. I wanted to say unbelievable but its Florida. n/t

[kdmorris]

10. That's nice.. really nice

Did you think, at all, to wonder what that little bit would feel like to those of us who LIVE in Florida and have to deal with our votes for the Primary being thrown out? How about some support?

[flashl]

13. I would have had more concern if

Florida spoke up immediately after the decision was made LAST YEAR when the primary schedule was announced.

[kdmorris]

14. You missed the point

But I was pissed when I wrote the post before it anyway, so it doesn't particularly matter.

Karen Thurman and the rest of the Democratic Party (not the voters, the leaders) agreed to the rules that the DNC put forth. In fact, they were part of making the rules, with the two other early states added to the primary/caucus schedule in January. Then, they worked with the State House in Florida to change the rules, basically saying Fuck You to the DNC. They pretended to be the victims, but they were not. They were active participants.

I was thinking of those of us whose vote doesn't count in the Primary. WE didn't ask for this. I started writing to my State Senators when this first happened. But they are basically DINOs who wrote the anti-Republican sentiment straight into the State House to basically vote for all the Republican policies.

[flashl]

16. Trust me, I am clear on the sequence of events

I wasn't buying into any "oh woe me" rhetoric from anyone supporting the line that the DNC was willfully acting against Florida's voters. I am pissed that the MAJORITY voter population (Democrats) in Florida are treated as if they did not have a functioning neuron between them.

[kdmorris]

17. Ohhhh, and you thought that's what I meant?

No, I'm not angry at the DNC. This is not their fault and certainly not Howard Dean's.

I'm angry at the Florida Democratic Party, mainly Karen Thurman, but Bill Nelson is right up on my shit list, too.

Like I said, I was angry when I wrote the first post, anyway, so I apologize for sounding like a whiner. I'm really quite pissed off, too, that we (the electorate of Florida) voted in so many DINOs in 2006 because there was so much anti-Republican sentiment. But now that the DINOs are there, they vote just like a Republican anyway. I know that my Representatives certainly fit that bill. Maria Sachs and Ted Deutsch. What a crock of shit!

[flashl]

18. I support you in your observation that Florida's Democratic voter is being railroad

This is how we get to the point where everybody is scratching their heads wondering how the MAJORITY allow something so insane happen. When it actually was not a MAJORITY decision.

What is now happening in the name of all Democratic voters in Florida has been labeled as "swamp politics".

Every effort to put this decision up for a vote that would extend outside of Tallahassee has been resoundingly denied. I am deeply disappointed about the entire matter.

[kdmorris]

11. OK, now how do we get rid of

Karen Thurman and the rest of her ilk?

Stupid bitch!

[madfloridian]

12. So does that mean Billy boy will be suing the DNC?

He's been threatening long enough.

[kdmorris]

15. He says he will

I'm wondering if we (the voters of Florida) can sue HIM and Karen Thurman.

[madfloridian]

19. Keep that thought in your head.

:hi: