Democrats Disenfranchise...Democrats

Gee, I thought from all the crap Jay, Xoff, and the elected gang in Madison have been telling all of us for years; only our side can do that.

Guess we were all wrong.

Florida Democrats would forfeit their votes in selecting a presidential nominee unless they delay their state election by at least a week, the national party said in a stern action Saturday meant to discourage others from leapfrogging ahead to earlier dates.

The Florida party has 30 days to submit an alternative to its planned Jan. 29 primary or lose its 210 delegates to the nominating convention in Denver next summer.

The state party chairwoman, Karen Thurman, said she would confer with state officials about the ultimatum. "It's going to be a difficult discussion," she said, because Floridians are wary of having their votes taken away.

Elected officials in Florida have said they would consider legal action and a protest at the convention if the national party barred the state's delegates.

There is general agreement that the eventual nominee will seat Florida's delegates rather than allow a fight at a convention intended to show party unity. But the decision by the Democratic National Committee's rules panel could reduce Florida's influence because candidates may want to campaign in states where the votes are counted.

I for one, demand an apology.

Yeah, like we'll get one...

This is just one of the circumstances of the trend started in 2003, when states across the nation began to shuffle the calendar of their primaries so they "mattered" when it came to selecting their respective party's nomination. Wisconsin is no less guilty of this crime since moving its Presidential Primary from April to February. Much at the urging of ironic as it is, from then-Congressman Tom Barrett, and then-State Rep. Scott Walker, who kept pushing the idea on two fronts as early as 2000.

The change was signed into law in 2003 by Governor Doyle.

2007, could probably be best seen as "Revenge of the Jumped."

The popular blame among Florida Democrats about why this is happening from the DNC is that they got railroaded in its state's move by the GOP-controlled legislature and signed by a GOP Governor. That'd be a great excuse if a Democratic Senator in Michigan - Carl Levin - wasn't pushing his Democratic-controlled State Legislature and Democratic Governor to jump its primary as well.

Yeah know, I'm beginning to like this idea of regional primaries on a rotating schedule each Presidential cycle after the Iowa Caucuses and New Hampshire Primary. It may be the one thing that finally ends this madness; because I really don't want to start casting votes for the 2012 Presidential Election in 2010.