Posted on 08/26/2007 1:52:13 PM PDT by Jean S
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) Saturday gave the Florida Democratic Party 30 days to submit a new plan for a primary or caucus or lose all of its delegates to the nominating convention.
Adopting a resolution offered by committeeman Ralph Dawson of New York, the DNC’s rules and bylaws committee all but ignored the pleas of the Florida party and voted almost unanimously to strip the state of all its delegates unless it offers a new plan that meets DNC rules.
The state ran afoul of the committee’s new primary rules when it decided to adhere to a new state law that moved the primary to Jan. 29, in violation of the DNC rule preventing unapproved states from holding a nominating contest before Feb. 5. The rules committee officially found the delegate selection plan Florida submitted to be in noncompliance Saturday when it adopted Dawson’s resolution.
Florida party representatives argued unsuccessfully that they should be given an exemption and not be punished because they had taken “provable, positive steps” to obey the rule, but they were unsuccessful because of the actions of a Republican controlled legislature and a Republican governor.
“We’re asking for mercy, not judgment,” Florida DNC member Jon Ausman told the committee.
The rules committee, however, was unmoved by the arguments of the Florida delegation and moved promptly to not only enforce its rules but to make them as harsh as possible.
Any state that moved its primary ahead of the Feb. 5 window automatically loses half of its delegates under the new rules.
Presidential candidates that campaign in a state in violation would lose any delegates they win in that state. But committee co-chairman Jim Roosevelt said after the vote that in this case, there would be “no sanction on the campaigns since there would be no delegates at stake.”
“It’s essentially a beauty contest or a straw poll,” committee co-chairwoman Alexis Herman told reporters.
Florida Democratic Party chairwoman Karen Thurman told reporters after the vote she would take the news back to the executive and central committees of the state party.
“I think it’s going to be a difficult discussion,” Thurman said.
Everyone involved said they are optimistic a solution can be found, and Thurman stated that the 30-day reprieve was the only thing to come out of the meeting that gives her hope.
In adopting the harsh penalties, the rules committee appeared to be sending a message to other state parties and legislatures such as Michigan, that any moves ahead of the Feb. 5 window would be met with stiff penalties and little to no leniency.
The Michigan legislature and state parties have in recent days appeared poised to move its primary to Jan. 15.
lawsuit incoming.
Can you imagine the Vader-esque voice from the ivory towers of the Left?
“You failed us eight years ago. You will not have the chance to fail us again...”
Looks like the Dem party has learned a lesson from the Union thugs that “support” them...
From the party that wants every vote counted... /s
You had to reach a long way to come up with a statement so lacking in intelligence.
I get the feeling that the Democrats would love to do this in the general election as well, to “de-commission” states like Texas that always vote the wrong way.
Wow, they managed to disenfranchise an entire state. We were only able to disenfranchise those too criminally stupid to properly fill out a ballot.
Hanging chad anyone?
So which are you - a Democrat, or a Union Thug? The reason I asked? Your questioning my “intelligence”.
Just because you fail to see the semi-humorous (I guess not to you), tongue-in-cheek stab at the Democrat party thugs, then I guess you probably shouldn’t read about 20% of the posts here on FR.
Lets see - let me explain this to you in language that MAYBE you might understand, and not be offended...:
Which political party most directly benefits from the big unions?
And what is one of the classic strong-arm tactics of the big unions? Do what we demand “or else”.
And finally - what is the DNC telling the Florida party? Do what we say “or else”...
Come one guys, lighten up. This is important news, your little spat isn’t.
I hope FL tells the DNC to pound sand. Just remember in 2000 they were crying about "democracy" and "intent of the voter" and "count ever vote" and who can ignore their rushing to the courts in St Louis (and other places) to keep the polls open for an unfair advantage?
I don't think he was so far off. Didn't the unions recently attempt to get a law passed that basically eliminated the "anonymous ballot" meaning that all votes were identified and tied directly to the voter? This was a major problem due to the recorded history of union intimidation and corruption that infests union activities. Sadly, many unions have been infiltrated by the same likes that run civil rights groups and other branches of the unified socialist movement.
I think "battman" was simply insinuating that there's a history of intimidation to influence or rather "savagely curtail" any independent thinking outside of that which the DNC dictates. And I use the word "dictate" in the worst sense. All these folks need is a symbol a little harsher than the donkey and they can begin goosestepping parades and we won't be able to tell the difference from now and 1939 Berlin.
The consistency between the DNC and the unions referred to in Battman's post is simply the heavy handed techniques used to influence votes and election outcomes. I suspect that threatening to deprive the Florida Democrats of electoral representation in a Presidential election may (ah-hem) motivate them to reconsider their position.
I mean, you might be leaning towards defense of union activity. Yet that's an issue of public relations, and flaming him isn't going to help any...
At any rate, I didn't understand the contention there.
If I was a Florida Democrat, I’d feel disenfranchised.
Of course if I was a Florida Democrat, I’d have my head up my butt, but I digress. ;-)
This I don’t get. Florida is such a split state, why tip the balance towards the Republicans by doing this?
If I were a dem voter in Florida, I would be really pissed by this.
This is truly hilarious, the ‘Rat Party is already headed for a massive fissure between the Clintonistas who believe Mrs. Bill Clinton has some sort of birthright to the nomination, and the ‘ABC’ faction (Anybody But Clinton), and here we see Howard Dean basically telling Florida to G.F.T. and ‘obey or else’.
There is a reason for this, and it’s not complicated:
Howard Dean despises the Clintons. He will deny it, he will say all sorts of nice things about them, he will grin that insane grin of his and swear they are the best thing that ever happened to the Party, but don’t you believe it.
Dean hates ‘em, and his choosing to alienate Florida does not surprise me one bit.
They ARE serious there, aren’t they?
Democrats are ruthless when it comes to an election time, they are the real party of dogma.
I guess Howard Dean’s “50 state solution” does not include the Sunshine State South. Good logic: If you don’t want “stolen” just piss it away.
I love this guy!
The California Primary really starts on Jan. 7. During the first week, there will be massive early absentee voting for Hillary. That will be reported to pollsters and the news media. Hillary’s gang is creating a tsunami before Iowa or New Hamspshire.
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