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Politics

State Democrats predict compromise after talking with Dean

National rules would penalize Florida for moving its presidential primary to Jan. 29

By WES ALLISON
Published June 22, 2007

WASHINGTON - Florida Democrats emerged buoyant from a meeting with national Democratic chairman Howard Dean on Thursday, saying they were confident of finding a way through the impasse over Florida's early presidential primary.

But while several of the six U.S. House members there said they were encouraged, they also said Dean made no promises and didn't discuss specifics.

"I'm both hopeful and confident that when all is said and done, there will be a compromise that is acceptable to the Florida Democrats and to the national Democratic Party, " Rep. Robert Wexler, D-Boca Raton, said afterward.

"There's a realization on both sides that we're all on the same team, and that the goal is identical - to elect the Democratic nominee president."

The Florida Legislature elected to hold presidential primaries on Jan. 29, earlier than all but a handful of states.

Under rules adopted last year by the 447 members of the Democratic National Committee, any state that moved its primary to earlier than Feb. 5 would forfeit half of its delegates to the convention.

Candidates who campaign or raise money in that state also would lose delegates they won there.

Dean declined to comment. Democratic Party officials say Dean has no power to change the rules, and the full Democratic National Committee isn't scheduled to meet until fall.

But during an hourlong meeting with the chairman at his Capitol Hill office Thursday, the Floridians asked him to help craft a compromise that would allow Florida to hold its early primary and still count its 27 delegates in the national convention.

Despite the sanctions, Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., has said she will continue to campaign in Florida. The other major candidates haven't yet said.

"He's going to be listening and talking to other states, and try to work out a solution, " Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Tampa, said as she left.

Members also told Dean that Floridians will vote on a proposed property tax change on Jan. 29. That's expected to attract far more people than most party primaries, and members argued that could make it hard to ignore the primary outcome.

Castor said she hoped for a compromise before Aug. 25, when the party's rules committee meets to decide whether Florida's primary schedule breaks the party rules.

Based on a draft of the state's plans and the rules, right now it certainly would.

But Wexler said that "everybody who matters is going to want this resolved.

"If the chairman comes up with a compromise, it will be a fair compromise, and it will be easy to sell to all parties."

Wes Allison can be reached at allison@sptimes.com or (202) 463-0577.

[Last modified June 22, 2007, 07:00:12]