The skirmish between the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and the Florida Democratic Party is escalating into a 21st Century War Between the States.
Three Democratic also-rans (New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, Delaware Senator Joe Biden and Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd) announced yesterday they will not campaign in Florida at the behest of the four states whose early primaries are “protected” by DNC rules; Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada. These four states have launched a campaign urging Democratic candidates to boycott states, such as Florida, which are violating DNC rules by scheduling primaries earlier than the February 5th date set by the national party’s Rules Committee.
Florida Democratic officials were quick to react, led by Chairwoman Karen Thurman, ''I don't see how anybody who believes he or she should be president of the United States of America could get tricked into signing a pact to ignore tens of millions of diverse Americans by a selfish, four-state alliance of party insiders,” said Thurman.
With a wry reference to Idaho Republican Larry Craig, Dan Gelber, state House Democratic leader wrote, in a letter to DNC Chairman Howard Dean, ''Today, toe-tapping Republicans with their excesses and over-reaching are imploding on the national stage. Leave it to Democrats to create a distraction born out of a nuanced disagreement over some arcane party rule.''
In an opinion piece published earlier in the week in USA Today, Florida’s senior Senator, Bill Nelson wrote:
”The issue before us is simple: It's a case of fundamental rights vs. party rules.
It's ironic, because national Democrats just celebrated the 42nd anniversary of the Voting Rights Act by unveiling a plan that "ensures all eligible Americans are able to vote and have their vote counted."It's ironic, because Florida has seen its share of disputed elections and disenfranchised voters, from hanging chads in 2000 to faulty machines in Sarasota last year.
And it's ironic, because this year, after heartbreaking losses in 2000 and 2004, Democrats supposedly are united in their determination to win the presidency. That's hard to do when you tell 4 million Florida Democrats they don't count.
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Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - anon
you said larry craig was from iowa. he's not. he's from idaho. two totally different states.
2 - Clavos
Of course, you're absolutely correct.
More than a typo, but an error nonetheless.
Thanks for the correction!
3 - Clavos
Thanks for correcting, Dave!!
4 - Dave Nalle
It serves to help justify my existence.
Dave
5 - Dr Dreadful
Oh dear, Dave, you've left yourself wide open to a moonraven putdown yet again...
6 - Dave Nalle
Which would only be meaningful if I paid attention to anything the crazy woman writes.
Dave
7 - Zedd
Where is she when we NEED her.
Clav
Good article.
8 - vascodegama
Clavos ... obrigado. How's the titfer??
9 - Clavos
De nada, Vasco.
Como vai voce no Portugal?
Me titfer, mate, as you well know, continues to occupy an honored place in my house, even as the man who so kindly gave it to me attempts to fool me into thinking he's now a long dead Portuguese explorer.
Whose name, BTW was Vasco da Gama, Stan.
10 - Zedd
Vasco,
You mean obrigada don't you.
Sorry couldn't resist.
Not sure how I feel about Vasco de Gama. It's personal.
11 - Clavos
"You mean obrigada don't you."
Not unless he is a she, Zedd.
You say obrigada, but a man says obrigado.
BTW, thanks for #7.
12 - Dr Dreadful
"Obrigado", Zedd. Stan's male, as far as we know... ;-)
How are those internet cafes in Portugal working out for you, mate?
13 - Zedd
He was greeting Clav.
I was making a funny.
14 - Dr Dreadful
Also male...
Hmm. About 10.40 p.m. in Texas by my estimation. Getting a bit late to do those errands now. Bad Zedd.
15 - Dr Dreadful
Clav, sorry. Up to coment 14 and not one serious word about your actual article yet...
16 - REMF
"Oh dear, Dave, you've left yourself wide open to a moonraven putdown yet again..."
Speaking of moonraven, with Labor Day around the corner, I wonder if we can expect another 10-hour mud wrestling contest between Clavvy and moonie, like last July 4th? What a way to spend Independence Day (gag!).
BTW Clavos, if said "action" does take place on Monday I'll miss it. While you and moonraven are rolling around the mud criticizing each others writing, my bride and I will be climbing an 11,000 footer in the Montana Rockies.
17 - Clavos
Sigh...
Not only that, but Akismet ate one of my own comments about an hour and a half ago; I was replying to Zedd's obrigado/a comment right before you did.
It's 0452 in Lisbon right now, so even Stan's probably through carousing and has gone to sleep.
Think I'll go out in the garden and eat some worms....
18 - Clavos
Doc,
You don't know the half of it. Cocomment has eaten two of my comments in a row on this thread; the first responding to Zedd on her obrigado/a comment, and the second minutes ago replying to you.
Not my day...
19 - Dr Dreadful
MCH:
Your bride? Congratulations!
Don't worry, I'll be sure to let you know who won and who looked the most horrendous in a spandex leotard (or stretchy pants).
Now there's a nice image to take with you on your climb...
20 - Dave Nalle
MCH has a wife? I wonder what branch of the service she was in. Or maybe she's just not allowed to speak or have opinions.
Dave
21 - Clavos
To paraphrase the old saying about going to sea:
"Any man who would climb a mountain for pleasure, would go to Hell for a holiday."
22 - Zedd
Clav,
I was calling you a girl. You guys are so slow. I have friends from Brazil....
I was joking off course.
I will have more to add about the bullying tactics of Iowa, New Hampshire and the rest after I have done some additional reading. I read an interesting article on the subject a few days back but want to do more reading.
I'm glad you brought the topic up. There will surely be more discussion on this topic. Kudos.
23 - Zedd
Oh, my mistake. I was making fun of Stan then.
Okay I goofed... sigh.
((((YOOOOOOOHOOOOO Chris)))), another error!!! Come-and-get-it!!!
24 - Clavos
Zedd,
"I was calling you a girl. You guys are so slow. I have friends from Brazil...."
But you weren't because the gender of the word refers back to the speaker. The literal translation of obrigado/a is "I am obligated to you," therefore the ending is determined by the gender of the speaker.
Eu falo portugues. I worked for a Brasilian company for ten years, back in the seventies, and traveled to Brasil about once a month during that time.
25 - Zedd
Clav
I realized that I goofed when I remembered how it works. Hence the mortified retraction.
Thanks for the translation. It will be more meaningful when I say it to my friends (Brazilian Japanese) and the pizza guy. I'll tell my kids.
We try to learn "thank you" and "Hello" in as many languages as possible.