Why not count FL votes, Obama?

Rules are rules and all that. But Barack Obama has all but clinched the nomination, Hillary Clinton can't catch up in delegates or popular vote even if Michigan and Florida are suddenly counted 100%. So why doesn't the presumptive nominee take the issue off the table, make nice with the Sunshine state, and join Sen. Bill Nelson's call to fully seat Florida's delegation based on Jan. 29 but only give delegates half a vote? More specifically, cut that half so she nets 19 delegates rather than a measly 6 that would keep her campaign complaining about disenfranchisement.

Obama campaign manager David Plouffe: "Obviously there's a lot of discussion about remedies in Florida and we've expressed openness to those. I think the Clinton campaign has been less willing to consider anything other than full seating of the delegates and so we're hopeful that dialogue will continue. And again I don't think the results of Florida and Michigan are going to be used in any way to overturn the outcome of this election. ...

FL Poll: McCain beats Obama, not Clinton

4/30-5/1 robo poll of 623 registered Florida voters by War Room Logistics of Gainesville: John McCain 47%, Barack Obama 40% (independents - 45% McCain, 38 percent Obama); McCain 44%, Hillary Clinton 45% (independents 39 McCain, 39 Clinton).

52% said Gov. Charlie Crist is doing a good or excellent job, and 47 percent said fair or poor. 51% said the economy was the top issue, followed by the Iraq war at 15%.

The latest on FL's DNC appeals

Is the DNC's rules and bylaws committee going to finally step up and act on the pending appeals by Jon Ausman, arguing the rules require some of Florida's delegates be seated, or wait for the credentials committee in July or August?

Sen. Bill Nelson ain't optimistic: "They're just slow-walking this thing, they're dragging it out. There's been no leadership to try to resolve this issue going back to last August, and as a result we are where we are, so nothing's going to be done until basically you have a winner."

But Ausman, after venting the other day, says he's talked to "a lot of people" familiar with the matter and now thinks Florida will get a hearing in about six weeks: "I think the rules and bylaws committee is going to try to handle this before it gets to the credentials committee,'' he said.

Nelson: 8-point Hillary win is "blowout"

On Morning Joe, Bill Nelson said the DNC has "slapped Florida around enough now" and responded to whether Hillary Clinton should consider dropping out if Barack Obama gets within 5 points in today's PA primary.

NELSON: "There will be pressure for her to do that. But if her win is 8 to 10 points, it's a blowout. And she's going to have new life."

DNC stalling FL, hoping Clinton drops out?

STORY HERE: "There’s obviously a stall going on. .... They’re treating Florida worse than their own dog,’’ said Jon Ausman of Tallahassee, who five weeks ago filed two appeals with the Democratic National Committee’s rules and bylaws committee, arguing that the committee overstepped its authority in stripping away all of Florida’s delegates to the national convention.

For weeks, Ausman said he has been unable to get calls returned the prominent co-chairs of that committee, Alexis Herman and Jim Roosevelt, or any word on how the committee will proceed. Either they want to wait until a candidate drops out of the race or don’t want to admit they made a mistake in punishing Florida so severely for setting a primary earlier than the DNC allowed, Ausman said.

Is Obama blocking a delegate deal or Clinton?

Frankly we can't really tell because it's often tough to tell who speaks for whom. Officially the Clinton camp position is "count every vote in FL," and officially the Obama camp position is, "We'll talk, but a fair solution would be divide the delegates evenly."

Meanwhile, Clinton supporters like Bill Nelson say the DNC should divide the Florida delegation in half - net Clinton 19 delegates - while prominent Obama supporters in Florida are talking about a deal that might perhaps net Clinton 6 or 13 delegates. Except they say the Clinton campaign won't budge from fully counting and seating the delegation based on Jan. 29, to net 38.

Chairman Dean I know has asked both sides to come together and we've said, "Where and when,' " said U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor of Tampa, an Obama backer. "And the next thing I hear (from the Clinton campaign) is, "We're not interested.' "

Bill Nelson could boost Crist's VP prospects

Well, that's the theory from former Republican U.S. Rep. John LeBoutillier: "...(John McCain) needs to wait to see what the Democratic ticket looks like first because that ticket will signal their electoral strategy. For example, if Obama wins the nomination and picks Bill Richardson, then we know he is going for the Southwest region - New Mexico, Nevada, Colorado - full of Hispanic voters - plus McCain’s own Arizona and California (strongly Democrat anyway).

"Or Obama may go for Florida Senator Bill Nelson and try to take the Sunshine State out of the GOP column. In that case McCain might take Florida’s popular new governor, Charlie Christ (sic), who helped propel McCain to victory in January in the GOP primary there. That would make Florida the key to the whole general election race.

"So, until the Democrats pick both their nominee and ticket - don’t forget that as the ‘out’ party they go first - McCain should wait to make his decision."

VP Crist or Nelson?

  Nothing like evidence that Florida could be a challenge for John McCain to boost Charlie Crist's vice presidential prospects. The Veep-O-Meter this week takes a big swing in the direction Crist flying on Air Force Two on the heels of a Quinnipiac poll showing Mcain vulnerable in the the must-win Sunshine state.

The Fix, Washingtonpost.com's political blog, again last week pegged Crist among the five most likely vice presidential picks for McCain. Perhaps more noteworthy, though, was The Fix putting Bill Nelson among the five likeliest choices for Hillary Clinton, along with Barack Obama,Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh, former presidential candidate John Edwards of North Carolina, and Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland.

Wrote Chris Cillizza: "Every four years, the senator from Florida seems to be among those mentioned -- but not picked -- for the national ticket. He is a more serious choice in this election, having been an ardent advocate not only for Clinton but also her interests in the SunshineState. It was Nelson who, unsuccessfully, pushed hardes for the idea of a Floridare-vote. He's also from a state that is almost certainly going to be a batteground in the fall and remains quite popular among Florida's voters."

Obama should pick Bill Nelson as VP

So says some guy in Massachusetts: "...Nelson has shown his electoral prowess in Florida, having been re-elected in 2006 with 60 percent of the vote. In addition, he won five terms in the U.S. House of Representatives from a district that includes Brevard County, not known as a citadel of liberalism, and where President Bush garnered 57 percent of the vote in 2004..."

Nelson: Abolish Electoral College

Choosing the president of the United States by the popular vote, rather than by the Electoral College, is chief among the election reform proposals that U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson is scheduled to outline tomorrow morning in Tallahassee.

In a speech scheduled for 9:30 a.m. before the Florida Senate, Nelson, the state's top elected Democrat, also will call for expanding early voting, Internet voting and voting by mail. He'll also tout his idea to hold regional, rotating presidential primaries so that every state gets a turn in choosing the presidential nominees. He and Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., filed a bill to do that last year, but it hasn't moved.

Obama and Clinton react to FL Dems

...And Bill Nelson dubs the looming situation, you guessed it, A TRAIN WRECK

CLINTON campaign “Today’s announcement brings us no closer to counting the votes of the nearly 1.7 million people who voted in January. We hope the Obama campaign shares our belief that Florida’s voters must be counted and cannot be disenfranchised.”

OBAMA campaign on FL and MI: MICHIGAN: “Considering the fact that Senator Clinton is currently trying to prevent and delay votes in Texasfrom being counted because she didn't like the outcome, it's pretty apparent that the Clintoncampaign’s views on voting are dependent on their own political interest. Hillary Clinton herself said in January that the Michiganprimary ‘didn’t count for anything.’ Now, she is cynically trying to change the rules at the eleventh hour for her own benefit. We received a very complex proposal for Michiganre-vote legislation today and are reviewing it to make sure that any solution for Michiganis fair and practical. We continue to believe a fair seating of the delegation deserves strong consideration."

FLORIDA: “We hope that all parties can agree on a fair seating of the Floridadelegates so that Floridacan participate in the Democratic Convention, and we look forward to working with the Florida Democratic Party and competing vigorously in the state so that Barack Obama can put Floridaback into the Democratic column in November.”

Nelson's VP Prospects sinking?

If we had a Bill Nelson Veep-O-Meter the needle this week would be dropping far away from him getting a vice presidential nod after his mail-in-primary plan was so roundly torpedoed. Give Nelson credit for stepping up with something concrete, but if he can't convince a single member of the Democratic congressional delegation to back his plan should a candidate expect he can carry the state for a candidate.

While Florida's primary remains stuck in debacle mode, Michigan Democrats look more and more likely to conduct a do-over.

FLA DEMS: Heeeeelppp!!!

Pleading with the presidential candidates to take a serious look at their plan to salvage Florida’s Democratic primary, the state party leaders proposed a new vote-by-mail primary overseen by an independent commission. But with Hillary Clinton on Wednesday insisting that only a full-scale statewide primary could make up up for not counting the Jan. 29 vote, and Barack Obama hostile to any mail plan, their proposal appeared to be on life support.

The stakes? Nothing less than Democrats winning or losing Florida in November, said state Democratic chairwoman Karen Thurman "Fingers have been pointed in every direction, but how we arrived at this breaking point is irrelevant,’’ she wrote Obama, Clinton, Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean and top Democratic leaders in Florida. "The stark reality is that all Democrats lose if this is not resolved immediately...Because of the unprecedented nature of the national race, a situation that previously was a relatively minor, party-insider issue now has the potential to result in irreparable damage for years to come"

Story here.

Crist, Democrats' friend or foe?

STORY: When it comes to dealing with their primary mess, divided Democrats nationally and in Florida are reading from countless conflicting scripts. Amid their leadership vacuum, Florida's Republican governor has happily stepped into the media spotlight.

His offer to help Florida Democrats is infuriating some of them. "If Gov. Crist really wants to make some news, he ought to stop offering up improbable ideas for the Democratic primary instead of dealing with the state's Republican recession as a governor should," Florida Democratic Party spokesman Mark Bubriski said.

But U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, Florida's senior elected Democrat, said Friday that he was encouraged by Crist's offers to help and said he would support a primary by mail that's run by the state. "The enemy here is time. We're going to run out of time if we don't get going pretty quick," said Nelson.

Nelson: New Dem primary

Sen. Bill Nelson introduces Presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Clinton during a January campaign rally in Davie, Florida. [Getty Images]

Sen. Bill Nelson, Florida’s senior Democrat and the titular head of the state party, reversed course and called for a new primary election this afternoon. He also demanded that the Democratic National Committee pay for it, even though DNC Chairman Howard Dean has said no and the party lacks the jack.

“With two outstanding candidates battling so closely for their party’s nomination, there’s no way you can tell nearly two-million Florida voters they don’t count,” Nelson said in a statement.

Nelson supports Sen. Hillary Clinton, who won the Jan. 29 primary in Florida and Jan. 15 primary in Michigan, and he had argued that Clinton should get to count the delegates she won in those states.

Sen. Nelson, D-Fla., defends McCain

Despite the New York Times-generated controversy now swirling around the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination, Sen. Bill Nelson endorsed Sen. John McCain as a man of integrity Friday while speaking to the Suncoast TIger Bay Club.

And then, because he's a Democrat, Nelson also endorsed the two remaining Dems in the race, Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton, too.

"All three of them are people of great integrity," Nelson said, responding to a question from St. Petersburg Times CEO Paul Tash about reports that McCain did favors for a female lobbyist. "My personal opinion is that any one of the three would make a good president."

Enviros dig Nelson

The League of Conservation Voters released its 2007 scorecard today, and Bill Nelson was one of three senators to get a 100% rating on votes deemed key to the LCV. Mel Martinez got 13%.

Here are the scores of Florida members of Congress: Jeff Miller, (R)   10; Allen Boyd (D)  65; Corrine Brown (D) 85; Ander Crenshaw (R) 5; Ginny Brown-Waite (R)   20; Cliff Stearns (R)   15; John Mica (R)  5; Ric Keller (R) 15; Gus Bilirakis (R) 15; CW Bill Young, B. (R)  35; Kathy Castor (D)  95; Adam Putnam (R)  5; Vern Buchanan (R) 25; Connie Mack (R)   5; Dave Weldon, D. (R)  5; Tim Mahoney (D) 75; Kendrick Meek, K. (D) 85; Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R) 30; Robert Wexler (D)  85;  Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D) 90; Lincoln Diaz-Balart, (R)  20; Ron Klein (D) 75; Alcee Hastings, (D)  90; Tom Feeney (R)  5; Mario Diaz-Balart,(R)  15. 

How neutral are FL's uncommitted superdelegates?

The question popped into our  heads when he heard the Broward Democratic Chairman and uncommitted superdelegate Mitch Ceasar's son, David, did some advance work for Hillary Clinton in Wisconsin. Ceasar assured us it has no bearing on his own preference and that the Clinton campaign reached out to his son, who had done advance for John Kerry too. "I've always encouraged my children to be independent thinkers," said Ceasar. "Is there any parent out there who could ever remember their children listening to them?"

Still, suspicious minds could find plenty of fodder to speculate about where the leanings of these uncommitteds are. Jon Ausman and Janee Murphy have both donated to Obama, for instance. Karen Thurman owes her job largely to Bill Nelson, a Clinton supporter (and Obama has repeatedly snubbed FL's primary voters); Ron Klein's district is Hillary country, but Clinton gave his campaign only $2,500, compared to $11,000 from Obama; Obama won the Congressional district of Kathy Castor, who received $1,000 each from Clinton and Obama, but she and her mother owe a lot to the pro-Hillary Emily's List. Does anyone doubt Terrie Brady will follow the lead of the teacher union bosses?

Vice president Bob Graham

Bill Nelson is already getting mentioned as a potential vice presidential pick for Hillary Clinton (Mark Shields yesterday threw out Nelson and Ohio's Ted Strickland), and the Buzz about Obama is that he needs a seasoned, reassuring figure with political, national security, and/or chief executive experience (General Anthony Zinni, Joe Biden, Bill Richardson?).

We'd offer another name for Obama's list: Bob Graham. He has experience beating Charlie Crist in Florida, knows something about reading a National Intelligence Estimate, is a hawk who came down against authorizing force in Iraq just as Obama did, and has said good things about Obama. And somehow we doubt that the 71-year-old McCain would take a shot about the age, 70, of Graham.

What do you think?

Obama: seat, don't count, FL and MI

From today's excellent AP overview: ''...Obama said Friday that he wants Michigan and Florida - two key states in the general election campaign - to participate in the convention without affecting the outcome of the election. He did not provide specifics about conditions except to say it wouldn't be fair for Clinton to get the majority.

"I want to make sure that the Michigan and Florida delegates have the means to participate," he said at a news conference. "There are probably a whole slew of different solutions that could be come up with that would both achieve the interests of making sure that Michigan and Florida delegates participate without skewing the delegate count." "

And check out Nancy Pelosi, who back in June in Broward sounded like she supported Florida Democrats scheduling an early primary. Now, she's saying FL's 1/29 vote should not be counted if it could decide the nominee.

Fl vet out of Hillary campaign

Consider this more bad news for Democrats' shot at taking Florida in November. Hillary Clinton deputy campaign manager Mike Henry, a former Bill Nelson strategist, has left Hillaryland, per The Fix. There isn't much experienced FL talent on the Obama campaign, which also hasn't shown much inclination yet for targeting Florida.

Most popular and unpopular pols in FL

Check out the favorabilty/unfavorability ratings on a recent Florida House Democrats' internal poll obtained by the Buzz:

Hillary Clinton 50 fav/48 unfav; Barack Obama 59 fav/32 unfav; Charlie Crist 69 fav/14 unfav; George W. Bush 41 fav/56 unfav; Mel Martinez 45/27; Bill Nelson 59/18

Take it from Mel and Bill

Florida's two U.S. senators, Democrat Bill Nelson and Republican Mel Martinez, have collaborated a public service announcement urging Floridians to vote in the Jan. 29 presidential primary.

You'll remember that the national Democratic Party stripped all of Florida's delegates to the national nominating convention after the state Legislature moved the primary a week earlier than allowed under party rules. The major Democratic candidates have pledged not to campaign here because of it (though somehow raising money in Florida is fine).

The national Republicans, meanwhile, docked their Florida cousins half of their delegates to the Republican National Convention.

No matter, Nelson and Martinez say in the PSA, which the senators unveiled on YouTube today. They're offering it in English and Spanish to TV stations across the state.

Nelson: Beware McCain

The top Democrat in America's biggest battleground state says he has little worry about taking on Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney, or Mike Huckabee in Florida. None of them, says, Bill Nelson, is presidential enough to win the state.

But John McCain is another matter. "He's the toughest of the crop,'' said Nelson. "The only one of the Republican candidates that really can win in November, that has a chance to win in November, is John McCain.

New Hampshirites on Tuesday will decide whether or not McCain has a chance to compete for Florida 27 electoral votes.

Nelson: Florida more important than ever

Despite the Democratic presidential boycott of Florida and the unpleasantness between Florida leaders and the DNC, Sen. Bill Nelson sees Florida's Jan. 29 primary shaping up to be crucial: "Despite the Democratic National Committee trying to miniize Florida, I think Florida is going to be a major influence going into the 22 primaries on Feb. 5, '' Nelson told Buzz.  "It looks like the Democratic candidates are going to kind  of be bunched up with  with no clear winner coming into late January...'' Nelson told Buzz. "Florida becomes the table-setter for super Tuesday."

Nelson said he'll be surprised if candidates actually bypass Florida after South Carolina's primary on Jan. 26. "They're saying they won't (for now) because there's a gun to their head from Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.

Sen. Nelson dismissed the suggestion that he's already aligned with Clinton, and said he hasn't decided when and who to endorse:  "Clearly the nominee is going to need Florida in November, so I'm going to wait and see how they treat us in the meantime."

Florida Democrats lose prez primary suit

UPDATE: The judge tossed the case.

Things don't look good for Florida Democrats. A federal judge in Tallahassee questioned today why the state should get a special right to move up its primary when 28 other states must hold theirs no earlier than Feb. 5.

Judge Robert Hinkle will rule shortly whether to throw out the case Sen. Bill Nelson and others brought against the national party.

-- Jennifer Liberto

Congress smacks down Bush veto on Glades money

Congress this week sent President George W. Bush the most stinging rebuke of his administration so far, as some of his most loyal partisans joined in voting to override his veto of a massive water and environment bill that directs billions of dollars toward the restoration of the Everglades as well as continued recovery from Hurricane Katrina.

The Senate voted Thursday to override the veto, 79-14, far more than the two-thirds majority needed to overturn Bush’s veto. That followed a resounding 361 to 54 vote in the U.S. House Wednesday. Together the two votes turned the $23.2-billion Water Resources Development Act into law, despite Bush’s objections to the cost.

The bill, which has been in the works for six years, directs $1.8-billion toward the Everglades restoration project, which has stumbled because of the lack of promised federal funds. Florida members of Congress -- including some Republicans who had never before bucked a Bush veto -- praised the bill’s passage as a key to getting the massive environmental reengineering project back on track.

“It took Congress six years to pass it and a misguided president one day to try to kill it,” said Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla.  “Fortunately, common sense prevailed.  Everglades restoration now will receive a much needed boost.”

--Wes Allison and Craig Pittman

Clear your calendars

In case you had plans Dec. 5, cancel 'em: That's the date U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle has set for the first hearing in the case of the jilted Democrats, the lawsuit that U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson and Rep. Alcee Hastings have filed against the DNC and Howard Dean for denying Florida's delegates to the national convention.

The Democratic National Committee punished Florida after the state moved its presidential primary to Jan. 29, a week earlier than DNC rules allow. Hastings and Nelson argued that not counting Florida's primary vote illegally disenfranches 4.2-million Florida Democrats. The DNC says it can do what it wants.

DNC, Dean respond

The Democratic National Committee thinks Sen. Bill Nelson and Rep. Alcee Hastings are all wet.

In a legal response to the Democratic duo's lawsuit over the decision to strip Florida's delegates to the party's national convention, the DNC contends that the case has no merit and, like the Florida Democrats themselves, it should be tossed out on its rear.

Fla. Dems sue DNC

Florida's top congressional Democrats today sued the Democratic National Committee and DNC Chairman Howard Dean, saying the decision to strip Florida of its delegates in the presidential primary violates the Constitution as well as the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

"For the DNC to say to the fourth-largest continency of Democrats in the nation that their votes will not matter in next year's presidential primary is not only shocking and ironic, but we believe is illegal," Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Miramar, said at a U.S. Capitol press conference with Sen. Bill Nelson.

"I'm sorry, but tell me what is the issue in New Hampshire that's more important than the issues in Florida?"

Suing the DNC

You know how Karen Thurman says Florida's Jan. 29 Democratic presidential primary is a big deal that will "count"? Apparently Bill Nelson and Alcee Hastings disagree. As promised, they sued the DNC today for imposing on Florida democrats "disenfranchisement on a massive scale."AP: The lawsuit against the Democratic National Committee and Chairman Howard Dean said the party violated the Constitution and federal voting laws by taking away Florida Democrats' ability to have a say in the primary.

"For the right to vote in a Presidential primary to have any meaning, those Presidential primary ballots must result in votes that are going to count at the party's national convention," said the suit filed in federal court in Tallahassee. More here.

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.

Dean to Nelson: Suck it up

Howard Dean responded to Bill Nelson's and Alcee Hastings' demands that the DNC stand down on Florida's primary. Dr. Dean's prescription for Florida: Get in compliance or deal with the consequences. The letter's in the jump.

Or else

Florida's senior Democrats, Sen. Bill Nelson and Rep. Alcee Hastings of Miramar, had given the Democratic National Committee until today to reinstate Florida's delegates to the party's convention.

The party has stripped Florida's 210 delegates to the 2008 nominating convention in Denver because Florida, which has set its primary for Jan. 29, broke party rules that forbid all but four states from holding primaries before Feb. 5. Over the weekend, Florida Democratic Party leaders decided to stick with the Jan. 29 primary.

In a recent letter to DNC Chairman Howard Dean, Nelson and Hastings warned they may sue if the DNC didn't renege by close of business to do. As 6 p.m. neared, Nelson's office reported the senator had heard nada.

"The goal is to make sure Florida's vote counts," Nelson said in a statement. "We’re keeping all options on the table to achieve this goal.”

Mid-March FL Dem convention?

That's what Bill Nelson has talked to Howard Dean about as a way to select delegates to the presidential convention and as a potential solution to the primary mess. In a 9/14 letter DNC Rules and committee co-chairman Jim Roosevelt tells Nelson that option would be fine long as delegates to that convention would have to be elected beforehand.

Also, that convention "could not be bound by state law to simply ratify the results of of the violating Jan. 29, 2008 state government primary... As fellow Democrats, we remain optimistic and hope that conversations can in fact continue with you and other leaders in the Florida Democratic Party and that we can come to a solution that is faithful to the national party rules that were adopted last year."

Nelson and Thurman with different talking points?

The Florida Democratic Party may be ratcheting down the anti-DNC rhetoric and downplaying the significance of delegates, but not Bill Nelson: "The DNC says that Florida's earlier primary would alter the sequence of contests in Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire and South Carolina, and they are threatening to penalize us by stripping our 210 delegates to the national convention.  This would essentially take away our right to pick a Democratic presidential nominee,'' says an e-mail from his campaign operation, asking people to sign a petition demanding Florida keep its delegates. "Take a stand today. I need your help.  Demand that the DNC allow Florida a fair say. I'm not backing down from this fight."

Sounds kinda like a political shop building up its e-mail list, doesn't it?

Nelson: DNC penalties unacceptable, unacceptable, unacceptable

You think a lot of Florida Democrats are mad about the DNC saying the Jan. 29 primary won't count? Well, Bill Nelson is at least three times madder. His remarks today, while introducing a primary reform proposal for 2012, about the DNC stripping Florida of all its delegates to the national convention:

"This means the country's fourth largest state will have no say in picking a Democratic presidential nominee. Unacceptable. Unacceptable. Unacceptable. Florida still has several weeks to find a solution the DNC will accept - or, as I have suggested, legal action may be necessary. It's a case of the fundamental rights of voters vs. the rules of a political party. And, as to our right to vote, and have that vote count, there can be no debate."

Terrible way to pick a president?

That's the opinion of the USA Today's editorial board, which was happy to see the DNC clamp down on Democrats. But Bill Nelson pens the opposing view today: "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."

An 8/27 InsiderAdvantage poll of 502 registered Florida Democrats found 53 percent disgareed with the Jan. 29 Democratic primary being relegated to a beauty contest and, a sign that Democratic turnout could be effected, 22 percent said they would swith parties to vote in the GOP primary as a result.

Did Nelson hurt Florida with DNC?

The best strategy for Florida Democrats, and one they should have adopted long ago: Stop whining about "disenfranchised voters," stop threatening bogus lawsuits, and instead declare victory as a big state in the thick of the nominating contest. ... In the Florida fiasco, almost nobody looks good so far.

Sen. Bill Nelson, Florida's top Democrat, didn't help the state's case. He held a news conference the day before the DNC rules committee meeting to say the national party was going to disenfranchise votes and might face lawsuits from Florida. He prompted a front-page Washington Post article that clearly antagonized some of the committee members.

"When you saw the vote here, the above-the-fold article in the Washington Post and some of the comments coming out of Florida clearly contributed to that. They were over the top," said Hartina Flournoy, a DNC member from Washington.  More here.

On Gonzales, Putnam sounds more like Nelson than Martinez

Mel Martinez: "Alberto Gonzales is an honorable man whose life history speaks volumes about what’s best about America. ... Alberto Gonzales has conducted himself always with honesty, dedication and integrity. He is my friend and he is a good man. He and his family have my thanks for their sacrifice for serving during difficult times, and my best wishes for the future."

Bill Nelson: “We have an urgent need to restore credibility at the Justice Department.  My hope is President Bush’s new pick will take politics out of enforcing the law.”

Adam Putnam: “The Department of Justice now has the opportunity to benefit from fresh leadership. What the American people need right now is an effective, independent Attorney General who will be undistracted in his or her efforts to enforce our laws, secure our borders, and vigorously prosecute the war against militant Islamist jihadists.

Democratic Primary war

Florida Democrats have known for months that the DNC would likely penalize the state for setting a Jan. 29 primary. But Sen. Bill Nelson on a conference call with reporters today sounded shocked that a compromise had not been found and the the DNC is about to turn the Jan. 29 election into officially meaningless beauty contest election. He threatened, vaguely, legal action.

Nelson: "We are quite concerned that Florida Democrats are going to lose their right to vote. Of all states, we have this sensitivity on this because of what we have gone through,'' Nelson said, alluding to the 2000 election and 2006 Congressional District 13 election.

Alcee Hastings: "I don't see it as offering us a beauty contest, I see it as offering us an ugly contest."

Debbie Wasserman Schultz: "We're trying to inject some sanity into this ... The bottom line is we should not be disenfrachising voters based on arcane political party rules."

FL Poll: Hillary up 20, Rudy up 16

Strategic Vision's 8/10-12 poll of 1,200 likely Florida voters (moe +- 3). R's: Rudy Giuliani 34%; Fred Thompson 18%; undecided 16 % Mitt Romney 10%; John McCain 8%; Newt Gingrich 3%; Tom Tancredo 3%; Mike Huckabee 3%. D's: Hillary Clinton 40%; Barack Obama 20%; John Edwards 16%; Undecided 10%; Bill Richardson 9%; Joseph Biden 3%; Christopher Dodd 1%; Dennis Kucinich 1%.

71% approve of Charlie Crist's overall performance, 37 percent approve of President Bush's and 20 percent approve of Congress's job performance. 53 percent approve of Bill Nelson and 43 percent Mel Martinez

Nelson would prefer Thurman not lobby

Sen. Bill Nelson, the man who helped Karen Thurman become Florida Democratic chair, for the first time (as far as we know) today weighed in on the little controversy over Thurman having a side job lobbying alongside former state GOP chairman Al Cardenas:

"It is not illegal and its not unauthorized. If I had my own personal preference I would prefer that (she) not,'' Nelson told Buzz today. "But the fact is that when she came into the chairmanship she had certain clients and it was understand she was going to continue to do that business, and every other state does it as well. It is what it is.''

Asked about DNC penalties facing Florida for its early primary...

Nelson wants firing over Everglades

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson plans to convene federal hearings into why Everglades National Park was taken off a United Nations environmental "danger" list at a time when restoration of the River of Grass has faltered. More here.

Nelson's son convicted of battery

ORLANDO - A jury on Wednesday convicted the son of Sen. Bill Nelson on charges of battery on a police officer and resisting arrest stemming from an incident that occurred after a re-election party in November. Charles William Nelson, 31, faces a maximum penalty of six years in prison but could also get no jail time. Sentencing was scheduled for July 31 by Orange County Circuit Judge Stan Strickland.

"While we are disappointed with the verdict, we respect our system of justice, " said Sen. Nelson and his wife, Grace, in a statement issued in Washington. "And we love our son and support him during this difficult time in his life." More here.

Will FL Democrats count the 1/29 votes? Probably

HALLANDALE BEACH -- Sorry, Howard Dean. As much as the Democratic National Committee chairman wants Florida Democrats to back off on holding the nation's first megastate presidential primary in January, it looks like he's out of luck. More here.

Elite Democratic endorsements

The Fix offers a list of the most coveted Democratic endorsements a presidential candidate could get in Florida, and if I'm Bill Nelson, I'm thinking one thing: ouch!

Chris Cillizza's picks for most sought after Democratic endorsements in Florida: Bob Graham, Kendrick Meek, Alex Sink, Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, Robert Wexler.

Wasserman-Schultz already has endorsed HIllary Clinton, and Wexler is with Obama. Sink told us recently she doubts she'll endorse anyone in the primary.

Sink opposes non-binding primary

Howard Dean isn't getting much help from Florida's top elected Democrats as he tries to convince the state to back off plans to hold one of the country's earliest presidential primaries. Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink on Wednesday said she opposes a plan to make Florida's Jan. 29 Democratic primary nonbinding and officially meaningless. Sen. Bill Nelson also opposes that idea.

"If people take the trouble to express their opinions and everyday Florida Democrats take the trouble to go to the polls, they ought to have some assurance that their voices will be heard and taken into account and the results will mean something, " said Sink, the only Democrat on Florida's Cabinet. More here.

See how New Hampshire is mulling its options in response to Florida here.

Nelson to White House: Safety Pick Isn't Safe

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, a Florida Democrat who has made consumer issues a hallmark of his career, has asked President Bush to choose someone else to lead the Consumer Products Safety Commission.

In a letter he signed Thursday with Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., Nelson takes issue with nominee Michael Baroody, a lobbyist for the National Association of Manufactures, whom they contend has made protecting corporate interests over consumers a hallmark of his career. They cite several examples, including opposition to a plan requiring many products used by children to include a registration card, to facilitate recalls.

"I have no confidence in his ability to safeguard the public from dangerous products," Nelson said.

Sink, Nelson push for KidCare special session

CFO Alex Sink and U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson are asking Gov. Charlie Crist to expand the June special session and make it include legislation that would help enroll more kids into the state's health insurance plan for uninsured children who don't qualify for Medicaid.

A bill to shore up KidCare enrollment didn't get to the Senate floor during the last week of session, because Senate leadership said there were too many questions about it (like whether children of state employees and undocumented immigrants should be covered) to pass so late in the regular session.

So Democrats CFO Sink and U.S. Sen. Nelson are asking a Republican-controlled legislature to take up KidCare legislation during the special session.

Nelson, House Lunch Room and Sunshine

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson stopped in at the Florida House's exclusive "members-only" dining room on the third floor of the capitol, and chatted it up with House members.

He inquired to a passing Buzz reporter:

"So what do you (media) guys do about the House members and that special lunch room that you can’t get into? Doesn’t that break the Sunshine law?"

Buzz: "Well, they’re not supposed to be talking about existing legislation.

Nelson: "Well, that didn't stop them from talking about it with me."

Hillary's Fla $$ record

From Fort Lauderdale lawyer and Clinton national finance team member Alex Heckler: "Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton set a new standard for fundraising in Florida, taking in over $1.85 million in contributions in the first quarterly filing period of her campaign for President. Senator Clinton managed to surpass the previous post McCain-Feingold record for a Democratic candidate of $1.45 million for a filing period set by Senator Bill Nelson (2006 - Q1) despite losing nearly three weeks due to the timing of her campaign announcement on January 20th. The preliminary reporting figure of $1.85 million includes only event-driven contributions and will surely increase when internet, phone and direct mail contributions are factored into the Florida numbers. Events were held throughout the State on both February 20 and March 31 and included events ranging from $100 per person at the Diplomat Hotel in Hollywood/Hallandale, a $1,000 per person reception at the home of R&B Super-producer Timbaland, and a $4,600 a plate dinner at the home of Miami businessman Chris Korge. Other events were held in Tampa, Orlando, Palm Beach and Miami."

A third term for W!!!!

The former Democratic challenger to CW Bill Young often laments that she didn't get more respect from those of us in the MSM. But Samm Simpson doesn't help herself sending us an urgent e-mail with an article about Dick Cheney saying the administration may challenge the 22nd Amendment to stay in office beyond 2008.

"I've been concerned about this for a long time.   Spread this around.  We can't let this happen,'' Simpson wrote in her e-mail to a bunch of journalists and Bill Nelson, and Rep. Young.

Uhm, Sam? The date of that "article" was April 1. The byline is Philip McKrack.

Gators go to the White House

President Bush honored the national football champion Florida Gators at the White House this afternoon, recognizing both their athletic and academic achievements as well as their volunteer work.

He began his speech with one of his usual jokes about his younger brother, Jeb. ("So you might remember one of my family members held elected office in Florida. I hope he's found work.") And then he poked fun at himself. (You might remember, all the pre-game polls said you couldn't win. So much for polls.")

Hundreds of people attended the outdoor ceremony including several members of Congress (Sen. Bill Nelson, accompanied by his son, Billy, and Reps. Gus Bilirakis, Adam Putnam, among others), UF President Bernie Machen and Carolyn Roberts, chairman of the Board of Governors. The team gave the President a number 43 jersey and a football.