There is a two state meeting going on. Howard Dean not invited. [View All]

[madfloridian]

The campaigns not invited. Wonder which two states those are? Three guesses and the first two don't count. They are having a meeting to decide things that are already supposed to decided by party rules.

But then we are learning that one campaign does not recognize party rules are important. However, I was happy to see Obama on a Countdown segment tonight saying his campaign was abiding by DNC rules.

Here is something about the meeting. Sounds pretty important.

From NBC's Mike Viqueira
The Florida and Michigan Democratic congressional delegations will meet together behind closed doors this evening to discuss their respective convention delegate situations.

Rep. Alcee Hastings has organized the confab. He says that it is not the first such gathering, but that the situation "became more complicated after yesterday," and this meeting has been called in reaction to the fact that the race continues. There were those who had hoped that things would be decided so that this issue could be glossed over, he says, but the results from Ohio and Texas "muddied the water."
Hastings, a Clinton supporter, says that the meeting is not expected to result in a definitive decision, but is needed to make sure everyone understands the state of play, both politically and procedurally.

He dismissed the notion that the GOP-controlled Florida legislation would allow Dems a "do-over," and regards the comments attributed today to Gov. Crist with skepticism. Hastings says the cost of such a re-do would be between $18 million and 20 million.

He says that senators from the two states are invited. There will be no reps from the Obama or Clinton campaigns, nor will Howard Dean be there. The meeting is to take place in the Capitol later tonight after votes, perhaps 8ish.

From First Read

Did you happen to notice that Hillary Clinton did not tell the truth in that Countdown segment? I am looking for the transcript to get the exact words...but she said she wanted FL and MI to count, and she portrayed them as victims of the GOP. I was stunned to hear her say that. I want to believe she is not aware of the way it went down here. I do not want to think she lied on purpose. Not when she is running for president.

They were most certainly not victims. The state party and the legislators, plus our congressional delegation were right in on it from the start with the GOP, since 2006. They helped introduce the bill, supported it every step of the way, and they voted for it 115 to 1. Then they sent emails blaming Dean for disenfranchising them.

From instigator to victim. It was a Dem who introduced the early primary bill in Florida.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1829

How it began last August....how Florida Democrats began their propaganda war
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1819

This is a direct challenge to Howard Dean's authority at the DNC. There is no doubt of that. There is another lawsuit to be heard on March 17, and if the results don't suit them....they will go on to the Supreme Court.

"We have been impatiently waiting for the Appeals Court to grant us this hearing considering the fact that time is running out if we have to appeal our case to the United States Supreme Court if the Florida Delegation is still shut out of the convention in August at the same time the Supreme Court takes its annual recess" according to Mr. DiMaio. "We are grateful to the Atlanta Justices for granting us the best option of of the three options available. The Court could have denied our appeal and dismissed our case or they could have asked us to mail in our pleadings. Instead they have granted us the opportunity to present oral arguments and the Court has cleared their docket for an entire afternoon, an option that was denied to us at the Tampa District Court. Considering the closeness of the Presidential Election at this point, every delegate vote could make a difference in deciding who the next President could be.

Did anyone notice the snarky attitudes of Keith Olbermann and Chuck Todd tonight as they read the statement from the DNC signed by Dean. They smirked over the word "rules". They giggled. They acted as if rules were foolish things not needed.

Hillary will get her Florida delegates one way or the other. The media loves this story. The media is on her side on this. That makes her the winner of the delegates.