Judge Tosses Suit Seeking Seating of Democratic Delegates

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Election Law

Judge Tosses Suit Seeking Seating of Democratic Delegates

Posted May 29, 2008, 09:58 am CDT
By Debra Cassens Weiss

A federal judge in Tampa has tossed a lawsuit that seeks to force the Democratic Party to seat Florida delegates.

Judge Richard Lazzara said the party has the right to make its own rules, CNN reports.

The suit by Democratic strategist Victor DiMaio had contended the party’s plan to penalize Florida for holding its primary too early discriminates against the state’s voters, the Associated Press reports.

Florida Senate Democratic Leader Steve Geller has filed a similar lawsuit. It contends the party is violating the Voting Rights Act by disenfranchising minority voters.

The rules committee of the Democratic National Committee is expected to meet Saturday to determine whether to seat delegates from Florida as well as Michigan, which was also penalized for holding its state primary early.

Updated at 11:30 a.m. to link to prior coverage.

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Posted by Jesse - 3 months, 1 day, 1 hour, 24 minutes ago

Thank goodness there is some sanity over there in Florida! How many voters did not vote since they were not going to take time off from work or spend the gas money because they knew in advance that their vote would not count. I’m sure many retired people did vote. Democracy demands fairness. It would be unfair to seat all delegates as is since the primary was tainted and not an accurate reflection of the will of the voters. Therefore, it would be undemocratice to seat them as is. It is also undemocratic to claim victory over the popular vote without counting all the caucuses. That is ridiculous!! Just getting tired of all the spin and manipulation to influence the demographic sector most susceptible to it, the undereducated and elderly.

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