Two federal courts in Florida are dealing with lawsuits by Florida Democrats, against the Democratic National Committee, over Florida’s lack of representation at the national convention. DiMaio v Democratic National Committee, which had been filed in August 2007, has a hearing in U.S. District Court, Middle District, on May 28. The plaintiff is a Florida Democratic voter. The case has already been to the 11th circuit, which found a procedural error, so technically this is the new DiMaio case, not the original case. 8:08cv-672T.
The other case was filed May 22 by three delegates to the national convention, State Senator Steve Geller (who is an uncommitted superdelegate), Barbara Effman (who is for Hillary Clinton) and Percy Johnson (who is for Barack Obama). It is Geller v Democratic National Committee, 08-cv-60774, southern district, in Miami.
They should not be seated. Hillary is BITTER because she has lost the race. She voted on Flordia and Michgan not being counted because they did not abide by the rules. Now she cries WOLF!!!
Everybody must follow Rules including the Clinton’s.
Hillary, learn to abide by rules then you won’t get into this type of mess in future.
To Ruby & Keith: this has NOTHING to do with Hillary, it is about the VOTERS and the process. But I guess Obamabots aren’t into the “inclusiveness” and “new politics” they preach about. Instead they want to go along with Dean’s draconian, rule-flouting decision to yank away ALL of FL & MI’s delegates, when the precious rules just called for yanking HALF, which would have left the voters with a representative voice at the convention. But I guess Obama supporters mean “get rid of democracy” when they speak of “new politics”. SCARY.
Edna – this has EVERYTHING to do with Hillary, so please don’t spout your pious diatribe here. Again you Hillary supporters are shading the issue. The rule for withholding half the delegates was a Republican one which had nothing to do with the Democratic rules. And all parties, HILLARY INCLUDED, agreed to the Democratic rules months before the primaries took place. If the voters in those states want to complain, go see their state Democrat Party reps.
Steve:
This may involve Hillary, but it is not about her. It is about ME – a registered Democrat in Florida. We (the voters in that state) HAVE, in fact, complained. There are two lawsuits pending in federal court. Hopefully, they will be decided fairly. If not, the Democratic nominee (whoever that may be) will suffer.
Simply put… I cast my vote in January and the DNC rejected it. They have a lot of nerve asking me for it again (in November). They will either seat my delegates the way we, the Florida voters, detemined that we wanted them seated, or they will LOSE my vote. If they want my November vote, they MUST accept my January vote. There are alot of us that feel this way. Rejecting us would be a terrible mistake; they can’t win without us. Remember 2000?
We all know Hillary is the only one who can beat McCain and take care of us the people of the USA…Obama needs to grow up if he can!
Steve, I’m with Dale, who stated: “This may involve Hillary, but it is not about her. It is about ME – a registered Democrat in Florida.” (Right on, Dale!!!!!!!!!!!) Why do you (Steve) assume I am one of “you Hillary supporters”? Every time I state my opinion on the delegate sitch, I get a ton of Obamabot responses assuming that I am sort sort of rabid Hillary supporter. I am an Al Gore supporter and he isn’t even in the race. So, since he didn’t get in, I was for Edwards. Then after Edwards, Dodd. Then after Dodd, Biden. Hillary and Obama are the last two I’d want to see in the endgame (other than Gravel, who is really the LAST one I would have wanted to see *lol*). Again, this is NOT about the candidates. As Dale said, this is about the VOTERS. We are being disenfranchised wrongly, insanely and unfairly. Should we have NO VOICE in selecting our nominee because of the violation of an arcane, arbitrary rule (not that I’m saying the rule should have been violated–it should not have been violated…but the punishment didn’t fit the crime and was directed at the wrong people!) that we had NOTHING to do with violating? No, the delegates should have been cut in half, thereby effectively chastising the states (FL & MI) yet leaving the voters with a voice. Surely any fairminded Democrat can agree with that, right? I would be shouting just as loudly about this if Obama had won Florida, even though I pretty much can’t stand Obama at this point (hopefully, he’ll win me over by November, but it isn’t looking too good right now).
P.S. Also to Steve: The DNC rule was that the delegates should be cut in HALF in such a situation, that was not a repug rule, it was our rule. Dean decided to change the rule. He’s gone off the deep end on this, never thinking ahead to the fact that the race could be deadlocked due to his draconian “punishment”, and definitely not thinking about: is this fair to the voters? Is this a way to treat Florida Democrats after 2000? Is this a way to treat any Democrats, period? The man is a loose cannon who has shot off a crazy cannonball that has effectively messed up what should have been the most unified, exciting, passionate primary season in eons for us Dems.
Dean: get out of our DNC now before we throw you out.
Florida Democrats should be ashamed to call themselves Americans if they are satisfied with HALF their voting rights!
Imagine that, the first Black President in office, and ONLY because people were deprived of HALF their voting rights!
Not only that, Obama wants to deprive babies born live and healthy of birth certificates if,
by the Grace of God, they miraculously survived a botched abortion attempt!
Makes me hope that detectives will search to find out if Obama’s birth certificate is a fake and if he’s really an illegal alien with fake papers.
Cris Ericson http://crisericson.com Vermont