Congressional delegation threatens Dean

The Florida Congressional delegation is warning Howard Dean that it would call for a voting rights investigation if the national party cracks down on the early primary.

"If true - and, if the DNC strips Florida of all or some of its delegates to the national convention - we would ask the appropriate legal officials to determine whether this could violate any state or federal laws governing and protecting individual voting rights," a letter to Dean reads. "Furthermore, we would recommend to the chairman and leadership of the Florida Democratic Party that they send the party's entire delegation to the national convention in Denver next year anyway."

Complete letter in comments section.

Comments

The Honorable Howard Dean
Chairman
Democratic National Committee
430 S. Capitol St. SE
Washington, DC 20003

Dear Chairman Dean:

It has been our understanding the Democratic National Committee intended to satisfactorily resolve any potential rules problems arising from the decision by several states to move up their 2008 primary dates.

Florida - as directed by the state Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Charlie Crist - advanced its primary to Jan 29. Our goal now is to protect the right of every citizen to vote and to have that vote count.

Yet it was reported just today the DNC still appears poised to assault this basic right. According to ABC News and other news publications, the DNC may sanction Florida if the state's Democratic Party doesn't make the new primary a nonbinding straw poll - or in effect, a "meaningless . . . beauty contest."

If true - and, if the DNC strips Florida of all or some of its delegates to the national convention - we would ask the appropriate legal officials to determine whether this could violate any state or federal laws governing and protecting individual voting rights.

Furthermore, we would recommend to the chairman and leadership of the Florida Democratic Party that they send the party's entire delegation to the national convention in Denver next year anyway.

It always has been a priority of our party to protect the right of every eligible American to vote. We would hope the DNC will continue to honor this right, when the Rules and Bylaws Committee meets Saturday in Washington.

As has been discussed privately on a couple of previous occasions, there is an easy compromise to resolve this situation: the states with administrative officers legally empowered to do so can move their primaries up seven days from when they were originally planned. This would keep the same sequence and timing for all the states in the presidential selection process.

Sincerely,

Sen. Bill Nelson
Rep. Alcee L. Hastings, Democratic Chair, Florida Congressional Delegation
Rep. Kendrick Meek
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz
Rep. Kathy Castor

Nice job Dems. Threaten your own party with litigation, then undermine your own efforts by encouraging other states to move before Florida.

Republican incompetence hands you Congress on a silver platter, and yet you still seem to find every way possible to do something even dumber.

Florida Democrats have become laughable. I hope Jeremy Ring switches parties. Good job eating your own.

I thought this was a Republican cabal. Now we find out the truth that this was a Democrat sponsored effort. Now that you're in the truth telling mode, could you please tell the truth about the butterfly ballot and the 2000 election?

[Boca Grande]

All that voting by felons (with restored rights) in the Democratic primary will be for naught.

umm, yeahhh, the republicans are doing the same thing

[Gene Smith]

Yes a Dem filed the bill in the Senate. Riddle me this: How many Dem filed bills passed the legislature without the support of the Republican leadership? The idea that this was a Dem effort is pretty misguided.

Now, good on our Congressional delegation, or at least those that signed on to the letter. When this is all said and done, the FDP will have a full delegation at the convention. The DNC just needs to get a grip on reality and work this out. And, if Howard Dean wants to stay Chair, the hotel will not be in Montana.

You Democrats even want to investigate each other's suppossed voting law violations!! What a hoot!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA