The architect of Florida’s current presidential primary mess, Democratic National Committee Chair Howard Dean, had the audacity to come to Florida yesterday and dismiss the primary debacle (caused when the state legislature moved Florida’s primary to Jan. 29, ahead of the Feb. 5 date set by the DNC) as a “spat between politicians”:
— DNC Chair Howard Dean
“Do I wish this fight weren’t happening? Yes,” said Dean, who had driven from Jacksonville to Tallahassee for a $100-per-person fundraiser. “At the end of the day, I think Iraq, health care, education and ethics matter far more than a fight between politicians.”
Wait a minute. The spat wouldn’t exist if Dean hadn’t enforced the DNC’s rules. Notice that Mel Martinez, Dean’s counterpart on the Republican National Committee, chose not to lower the entire boom on Florida’s Republican primary, stripping the state of only half its convention delegates and allowing candidates to campaign in the state. By contrast, Dean and his cohorts stripped Florida of all its delegates and vowed to punish any Democratic candidates who campaign in Florida.
Seems Dean-o forgot that part, too:
The full effect of what Dean passed off as a “blip” may come to pass later this month. Local Democrats will convene a state convention that lacks a single big-name presidential contender mere days after all the major Republican presidential candidates have descended upon Orlando for a state convention and nationally televised debate.
However, Dean disassociated the DNC from the candidates’ pledge to avoid Florida, saying “what the candidates do is their business.”
Huh?? If the candidates campaign in Florida, they will be punished by the DNC, Howard, so rather than risk that, they’ve pledged not to campaign here. But they can raise money. Is any of this coming back you Howard? Apparently not, when he blurts out inane comments like:
“Floridians, despite the fact that they have strong feelings about this issue … are Americans, too, and they want a Democratic president,” said Dean.
Thanks for including us in, Howard. Now please leave.
[...] On a question of smoking preference. [...]
Last time I checked, there were no penalties from the DNC for campaigning in Florida and Michigan. That whole thing came from a voluntary pledge signed by the candidates with the early states, and it is those states that would do any punishing, if they were to do it.
Au contraire, Kenneth, the DNC did threaten to punish any candidate who campaigns in a “rogue state” by stripping him or her of any delegates they might pick up in the primary. That’s why the five leading Dems signed the pledge, which allows them to fundraise in Florida, but not campaign. That’s why several candidates’ wives turned down an invitation to attend a garden party thrown by Mrs. Bill Nelson because it might have appeared to be a campaign event. They signed the pledge to avoid pissing off Dems in Iowa and New Hampshire, not out of any loyalty to their misguided party.
This Republican-sponsored bill was passed by a Republican-controlled Senate, a Republican-controlled House, and signed by a Republican governor. Florida Democrats are being punished for our failure to stop something we had no ability to stop.
Here’s an excerpt from a Tampa Bay Online article that references the potential punishment:
After the bill’s passage, the DNC and the four states announced that the state party would lose all of our votes at the Democratic Convention and that they would take action against any Democratic presidential candidate who campaigned in Florida before Feb. 5, except for fundraisers.
The states demanded that all major Democratic candidates sign the pledge that they would not campaign in Florida before Feb. 5, and advised all of the presidential candidates that they would punish any candidate who did not sign the pledge.
Howard and the DNC still see this as “a fight among politicians” - the voters be damned.
This from the political genius whose claim to fame was
losing his ass in Iowa four years ago.