The Delegates: Nelson Speaks With Dean

There was, according to a source with direct knowledge of the call, a conversation between DNC chairman Howard Dean and Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) earlier this evening.

Sen. Nelson urged Dean to pay for a new primary. Dean pointed out that he offered to pay for a new primary once before. He also told Nelson that the state party was free to accept soft money to pay for a presidential primary. Dean told Nelson that he would not endorse any change in the rules to seat Florida's delegation.

More details as they become available....

Comments

I think Dean is saying he offered to pay for a primary before, but you went ahead and broke the rules anyway, now you want us to pay for a new primary anyway - no way. You break the rules - you pay for your own primary - or something like that. No?

Posted by C.B. Todd | March 6, 2008 8:01 PM

The message seems to be, "If Hillary wants a new primary, let her supporters pay for it."

Dean is, apparently, a realist.

Posted by Rid | March 6, 2008 8:26 PM

But for Democrat Jeremy Ring of Florida who co-sponsored the original legislation to move the primary forward, this would not have happened. This is a consequence that he not only foresaw, he actually bragged about the effectiveness of his state's "boycott."

The people of Florida should look to impeach this guy and hold their elected representatives responsible and ACCOUNTABLE.

Posted by MKS, Texas | March 6, 2008 8:28 PM

There is no reason for the DNC or anyone to pay for a FL revote; that is the fault of the Democratic party of FL.

Nelson is a moron; he is a figurehead...a person of privilege who just kind of ended up in his seat...ask anyone in FL. He speaks as if he has a problem getting words out.

This is also a no win for Hillary: she has claimed these states as her victories. If she agrees to a re-vote then she was lying. For why would you agree to a re-vote if you thought you already won in a fair election?

But Nelson is exaggerating to get his way. If the situation remains as is, it will not be the end of the world. The delegates for FL and MI will be eventually seated ceremoniously for Obama as Obama becomes the nominee (the math guarantees this).

There aren't many voters in FL who lose sleep over this issue. Most are excited about voting in the general election. This is mostly a controversy drummed up by the Clinton camp in an attempt to steal the nomination. The media plays up the controversy because that's what the media does: it loves to create controversy.

Posted by cm | March 6, 2008 8:32 PM

With Michigan now agreeing to hold a repeat caucus, the pressure is now on Florida "leaders" like Nelson to do the same. They have no excuse. They can't continue to whine and pass the buck onto Dean. Nelson and the other party leaders in Florida have behaved in a despicable manner and if they don't get their act together, hopefully their constituents will vote them out of office.

Posted by Mike | March 6, 2008 9:00 PM

The short, fat, erratic, former Mayor of Vermont has his empty head up the colon of the latest Latte Liberal Cult Figure. His vapid followers have embraced the new Messiah with the same over the top cult fervor. Howdy Doody just wants a nice safe spot in The Compound along with the rest.

Posted by robert ethan | March 6, 2008 9:05 PM

"The short, fat, erratic, former Mayor of Vermont has his empty head up the colon of the latest Latte Liberal Cult Figure. His vapid followers have embraced the new Messiah with the same over the top cult fervor."

Well said. Should I be surprised that the Democratic party is rife with misogyny? If Dean won't pay for a new FL primary, the existing delegates must be seated. There was nothing unfair about that primary.
Obama must not be allowed to steal the nomination.

Posted by Tom | March 6, 2008 9:34 PM

Obama must not be allowed to steal the nomination.

Uh....ok. How, pray tell, exactly is he "stealing" it? Florida and Michigan accepted to play by the same rules long ago. They changed their minds, then suffered the consequences. What does that have to do with Barack Obama?

You strike me as a moron of epic proportions.

Posted by Cal | March 6, 2008 9:41 PM

Dean has done far better than his predecessor, the Clinton appointee Terry McCauliffe. McCauliffe lost in 2002 and 2004, whereas Dean won in 2006.

Is Dean perfect? No one is. But he has done better than the Clinton man McCauliffe.

Dean is correct: why reward a state that violated the rules?

If Hillary isn't up for a caucus in FL, then too bad.

No voter in FL is losing sleep over this. The avg person is going about their business, and looking forward to voting in the general election. If nothing is done, and this status quo maintains, it will not be so bad. This is another case of Clinton scare tactics to try to get her way, and of the media playing along, and the pundits being wrong.

Posted by cm | March 6, 2008 9:45 PM

I should also add that I am sick and tired of the media letting Hillary decide which states are important or not. It seems it is always ones that favor her, where she has a large name recognition advantage and the local party machinery all in her pocket.

Why should PA matter more than any of the others, for instance?

And why should FL and MI be so special as to be rewarded for their power grab by actually being given greater power? The people in FL and MI knew the rules, and were warned about the consequences: they tried to grab more power for themselves anyway.

Dean has to maintain the integrity of the rules, or else no one will ever abide by DNC rules ever again. Of course the Clintons believe they are above the party and even above the country. The Democratic party suffered a lot of losses under the Clintons. In fact, wherever the Clintons go, they bring division, discord, and bring others down. It's their nature, like someone who just cannot help but destroy relationships.

Posted by cm | March 6, 2008 9:52 PM

I know this sounds extreme, but I really hope the DNC has the courage to cut the Clintons loose. They are a cancer upon the party. They will not stop until they hit a brick wall. For the good of this party, the superdelegates must serve as that brick wall.

Posted by Abe | March 6, 2008 10:11 PM

So the Republican governor of Florida wants the Florida "votes" to be counted. Let's see: who do those votes favor, even though Hillary Clinton, as we all know, had agreed in advance of the primary that the votes translate into pledged delegates? Oh, that's right: those votes favor her. (Remember her victory speech the night of the primary? And why would the governor of Florida want her to receive those pledged delegate votes? Duh: because the Republicans much prefer to run against Clinton in November. The governor and Sen. Nelson are as transparent as she has proven to be this campaign cycle. Will someone please stop the madness?

Posted by just a person | March 6, 2008 10:44 PM

I'm mighty glad that Howard Dean is Chair of the Democratic Party at this moment.

Posted by lorenzo the magnificent | March 6, 2008 11:06 PM

You dumb Democrats...lemmings...hurry up
and find that cliff to jump off! For
a party of the little man....your internecine
bickering makes you look littler. If you prefer
to be acknowledged as the party of the
intelligentsia.....I refer you to Mr. Dean,
chairman of the DNC. Within months it'll
be guts and gore all over the floor...with
sane America clapping. Hill is getting tough..
more "manly" in her feminity...but if she goes
too far, she'll lose the fallopian base...but
if Barack decides to grow a pair....well...that
would hurt with the estrogen crowd...but might
gain in the "manly" constituency...however...
why don't we let you kids have your schoolyard
fight......

Posted by interferon | March 6, 2008 11:44 PM

robert ethan, you disgust me as usual.

This is probably the first pleasant surprise of the campaign from anyone in the DNC cabal. Give Dean credit for NOT having his head up his ass for once.

And by the way, how the hell is it at all unfair to Clinton to have another primary in FL where the candidates can campaign? She'd probably win it, and maybe even win the overall popular vote as a result. But the Clinton campaign would rather just seat the delegates from a primary that was never supposed to count WHEN IT HAPPENED. As I said, it's disgusting.

Posted by T.K. | March 7, 2008 1:41 AM

She might win Fl, but without Edwards on the ballot not by the same margins and I doubt that it would increase her popular vote. Now the only way FL helps her is if it is seated as is.

But she can not refuse a revote. Believe it or not, not all Democrats want her to win the nomination no matter what. (All though she is trying very hard to sell the idea that she is the only Democrat who is fit to be President).

And there is a limit to the Party bashing, and Obama bashing that a majority of voters will take before they are revulsed by it.

I would think the superdelegates are taking notes - you can't win in November if your process has been decimated by the nominee.

Posted by C.B. Todd | March 7, 2008 2:05 AM

It is that inept little clown from Vermont who is responsible for this mess in the first place, now you expect him to solve it? Get real. He never should have been given the job in the first place, and is obviously incapable of handling the responsibility. Remove him NOW, and put someone with at least half a brain in charge.

Posted by robert ethan | March 7, 2008 2:30 AM

Agree totally with C.B. Todd. Dean's an idiot, let's re-vote, I think Obama will do better than many do. She's going to be a 25-point favorite going in, let's see her try to hold onto a lead like that. If not she's screwed. The way the story's went so far if you don't win by as much as you're supposed to, you lose.

Posted by john | March 7, 2008 5:22 AM

Umm. Speaking as someone who lives in Florida, very few Florida democrats are 'looking forward to the general election'. I find a certain amusment value in having the respective campaigns come down and solicit money while trying to skirt the whole "Why your votes aren't important". But the bottom line is: The DNC decided not to count our votes. SC, NH, and IA do not have a majestic glow of Democracy that Florida lacks. Quite the contrary, we are actually a pretty good acid test in terms of demographics and non-screwy primary processes.
Also, this is the first I've heard of Jeremy Ring and I'm unusually informed about general politics in FL. The conventional wisdom among FL Dems is that the DNC is punishing Dems for something that was the decision of the republican legislature. But even if the Dems in FL were on board. SO WHAT?! Its our primary. We can vote when we want. The idea that our democratic process is somehow the purview of the DNC may be legally true, but its logically ridiculous.
Really looking forward to fund-raising calls from whoever wins.

Posted by quix0te | March 7, 2008 9:52 AM