Echoes of 2000

Something about this sounds familiar: Florida Democrats have picked Kendall Coffey, the Miami attorney who took the lead for Al Gore during the 2000 recount, to challenge the Democratic National Committee's decision to relieve the state of its delegates at the 2008 presidential convention.

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., and U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings, Florida's top House Democrat, say they plan to file suit next week to force the DNC to recognize Florida's Jan. 29 presidential primary. The DNC voted last month that Florida must forfeit its delegates because the primary will be held before the allowed date of Feb. 5.

Nelson said the suit raises questions involving due process, equal protection, freedom of speech and the Voting Rights Act. Because the state Legislature voted to move the primary, Nelson said he believes it’s unconstitutional for the DNC to fail to recognize it.

"I believe the case law in our complaint will show that that supersedes the right of the party to dictate who does what," Nelson told Buzz this afternoon.

Comments

woohoo...... go get em FL Dems!

[Zhombre]

Dems battling Dems over counting the votes in Florida. This is surreal. And almost too good to be true.

[zenator]

As a Repub, it is tempting to view this continuing soap opera as a "gift that keeps giving." However, from a broader policy perspective, we need to recognize that it is bad for Florida and bad for the United States to deny all of the registered Dem voters in the 4th largest state the right to vote in a presidential primary.

At this juncture, it matters not whether the FDP, or the DNC is more to blame for the impasse. Something needs to be done to rectify it.

[terminator]

Coffey's a loser.
Is he still groping strippers down in South Miami (how he got fired from his job as federal prosecutor)?
The Dems are totally out of control. Who could even think of supporting these guys?
Try doing what you're supposed to and play by the rules.
Jesus H. Christ, you guys can't even read a *ucking script!
Glad I'm not a DEM but these guys piss me off.
This whole thing is getting too stupid.
Gene, will you do something with this worthless bunch of roving lunatics you call leadership?????

It really won't much matter, Hillery would take FL easily....... She is the next President of the United States.

zenator,
I thought you were brighter than that. Now even you are falling for the line.
Dems can vote, and their votes will be counted, they just don't get to seat delegates at this time. And that hasn't mattered in decades.

Please, correct me if I am wrong, but isn't this the same Bill Nelson who, as insurance commissioner, allowed the industry to set up Florida only corporations? His kind of help we don't need.

[zenator]

6:19

To paraphrase Bill Clinton, "it depends what you mean by the word 'count.'"

In the past, the Florida Dem primary votes didn't "count" in the sense that they had no impact on candidate selection, because the nominee had already been determined by the time the primary election occurred. Today, the Florida Dem primary votes will not "count" in the sense that they have no impact on delegate selection. However, under either scenario a mathematical "count" of the votes occurs.

zenator, 6:19 here,
Your answer is one reason I enjoy your posts. You appear to take great enjoyment from your ability for word play. And you are very good at switching sides of the argument. Perhaps you are an attorney. Regardless, we are talking about the upcoming election, and my comment stands that the nomination has not been decided on the floor of the conventions for decades.
Your comment that the Democrats have been 'denied the right to vote' is without merit, and really beneath you, if you truly are a Republican. I appreciate someone who wants to 'stir the pot', especially without name calling a vindictiveness. However, your credibility will be in question if you continue to use such liberal media terminology.