Left Flank

Senator Bill Nelson (D., FL) is high on my dump list come his next electoral contest for his narrowstate-minded fixation on salvaging Florida's reputation for ruining presidential elections. Where was he in May 2007 when the Florida state House and Senate delegations made the mistake to vote with Florida Republicans to move up the Florida primary in the first place? It's not just that he's so eager, but that cost seems no object, especially if others pay.

"If the mail-in idea doesn't go forward, Senator Nelson is working to continue talks with people in an attempt to get the delegation seated," said Dan McLaughlin, a spokesman for Nelson, who has endorsed Clinton. "But at this point, I'd call the half-delegation approach an idea, rather than a proposal," he added.

The Florida Democratic Party is planning to decide Monday whether to push forward with a June 3 mail-in vote. But that proposal, unveiled Thursday by the party chair, Karen Thurman, is drawing sharp criticism for its tight time frame and the need to raise as much as $12 million from party donors to pay for it as well as questions about the security of a mail-in election.

"The feedback we're getting certainly isn't glowing," said Alejandro Miyar, a Florida Democratic Party spokesman.

Friday, Leon County Democratic activist Jon Ausman formally appealed the DNC's penalty against Florida, in an attempt to get at least half the delegation seated as well as all 23 of the state's superdelegates -- party officials, Democratic members of Congress and state officeholders. Most of that group are publicly uncommitted.

Nelson's move builds on Ausman's approach and comes as Democrats in Michigan, also stripped of delegates by the DNC for its early primary, are pushing for a do-over primary June 3.

Some might admire his commitment. I just see millions of dollars flying into the clutches of the mainstream media, to cobble together an election where corporate advertisers are the only winners, All the while social security, health care, and Iraq need funding. Just how petty can one state, and one politician, be?

And, why bother? There's no race left to run, and not even Senator should call for a rematch (I still would argue that Schmitt's seating compromise is short-sighted). Again, only Florida and Michigan can benefit, but all Democrats would suffer making Nelson's gold-digging scheme work.