Top Democrats in state endorse early primary

By GEORGE BENNETT and JANE MUSGRAVE, Palm Beach Post Staff Writers

Monday, September 24, 2007

PEMBROKE PINES - Ending weeks of saber-rattling, Florida Democratic leaders on Sunday embraced the state's Jan. 29 presidential primary and said the early date will give the state an influence that outweighs candidate boycotts and threats by the national party to strip Florida of delegates.

After toying with the idea of scheduling later caucuses or mail-in voting to placate the Democratic National Committee, Florida Democratic Chairwoman Karen Thurman said the state party decided to stick with the Jan. 29 date and encourage Democrats to vote.

Given the state's checkered election history, Thurman said Democratic voters would be suspicious if the Jan. 29 exercise was called a "beauty contest" and the party then used a caucus or other procedure to choose presidential delegates.

"There is still a lot of open wounds from 2000," Thurman said of the problem-plagued presidential election that made "hanging chads" part of the nation's lexicon. "I believe that they (Democratic voters) want us to say that we're not going to try something cute."

Unlike the fiery words that have punctuated the debate since the DNC announced that party rules don't allow Florida to host a primary before Feb. 5, Thurman and other party leaders at a news conference struck a conciliatory tone. They didn't attack the DNC and urged voters not to blame the Democratic presidential candidates, who have signed a pledge not to campaign in the state before the Jan. 29 primary.

"I don't think there are any enemies here," said state House Democratic Leader Dan Gelber of Miami Beach. He went so far as to describe the controversy that has raged between state and national Democrats as "a little spat."

Using a football analogy, he said: "It's like a team that's hopped up for the big game and two linemen get into a fight in practice. That's over now. We've got to save our fight for the game."

It remained uncertain whether U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson would carry through with threats to sue the national committee over its plans to strip Florida of its 210 delegates for violating party rules that allow Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada to hold their primaries first. The state's highest-ranking Democratic lawmaker was traveling Sunday, and his press aide said he couldn't be reached for comment.

U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Weston, said she would meet with Nelson today in Washington. "I think this should forestall the need to pursue a lawsuit," she said.

She and others at the news conference said they expected the party would allow Florida's delegates to be seated at the convention, although all declined to elaborate.

Wasserman Schultz also said she wouldn't be surprised if some of the candidates visit Florida.

"I think that we will have an opportunity, more than is currently perceived, to see presidential candidates in the state and voters will have an opportunity to interact with them," she said.

Thurman, who blasted the candidates this month for signing the pact to boycott Florida, declined to reiterate those statements. "I am not going down that road with our candidates," she said. "I believe that they made the decision that they need to." Besides, she said, with TV, newspapers and the Internet, there are many ways for voters to learn about the candidates.

While a press aide for Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., didn't return a call or e-mail for comment, a spokeswoman for Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., said his campaign would have no comment.

As a practical matter, even without the national party's blessing, Florida's primary will be an important one, said state Sen. Steven Geller, D-Hallandale Beach.

"Whoever wins Florida one week before what's become Super Tuesday will have incredible momentum," he said of the 20 states, including California and New York, that will go to the polls Feb. 5.

Prominent local Democrats, who were not aware of the decision, said they backed the state party's decision. Some said turnout will be high because a statewide property tax cut measure will be on the ballot as well.

Jay Weitz, a state committeeman for the Democratic Party of Palm Beach County, said he is hopeful that the DNC will back down and recognize Florida's delegation at the convention.

He said the latest controversy reminded him of a rueful joke.

"You know what a Democratic firing squad is?" he asked. "A circle."

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