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RPOF Chairman Jim Greer: Time to Set the Record Straight
Tallahassee-Republican Party of Florida Chairman Jim Greer today released the following statement to regarding Florida Democrats’ misleading rhetoric on the Florida primary:
“FDP Chairman Karen Thurman has recently been seen in the national media deceiving Floridians and the nation. It’s time to set the record straight since the Democrats obviously wish to rewrite history and distort the facts. Here are the facts: Florida Democrats co-sponsored the bill moving the primary forward. They voted for it unanimously. Later, when they realized that they were disenfranchising 1.7 million Democrats by ignoring the official state primary held on January 29, they scrambled for a political strategy and couldn’t find one.
“Governor Charlie Crist demonstrated his commitment to ensuring that every vote cast by Floridians counted, by offering to allow the state to verify the signatures in order to ensure the integrity of a mail in revote, but the Democrats turned him down. Furthermore, I as Chairman of the State Republican Party, did not oppose at any time efforts to ensure that a revote counted.
“Though it is unfortunate that Karen Thurman would say that the Governor did nothing to help, it is certainly not surprising—she and Howard Dean want Florida voters to forget that Florida Democrat leaders supported the early primary and deflect focus off of their failure to provide leadership in resolving this issue.
“It’s obvious that Karen Thurman continues to be frustrated about the facts getting in her way. The facts are this: the Florida and National Democrat Parties have ignored voters in Florida and if they continue down this path they will disenfranchise Florida voters from the process of choosing the next President of the United States.”
Below, Democrats in their own words support the early primary regardless of the DNC's penalties:
Dan Gelber, House Democratic Leader
“Lawmakers supporting the move -- including House Speaker Marco Rubio, R-West Miami, and House Democratic Leader Dan Gelber of Miami Beach -- downplay the risk of being punished.” (Orlando Sentinel, 01/26/07)
“Rep. Dan Gelber, D-Miami Beach, the House Democratic leader, said Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean called him to say the move could have consequences…Florida Democratic Party Chair Karen Thurman also sent the House committee members a letter warning them not to push the primary any earlier than Feb. 5. ‘I don't have any constituents in the DNC,’ Gelber said. ‘I only have constituents in my district. They would like to be more relevant.’” (Sun-Sentinel, 02/09/07)
"This part of the problem is echoed by House Democratic Leader Dan Gelber of Miami Beach, who is backing Mr. Rivera's bill [to move up the Florida Primary to January 29] in part because he represents ‘a lot people who would like to be in the primary journey as more than just potential contributors.’” (Tallahassee Democrat, 02/12/07)
“‘We'd have a national cat fund right now if we had an early primary,’ state House Democratic Leader Dan Gelber said. (Tampa Tribune, 03/07/07)
House Democrats
“Supporters say the change would give Florida a stronger and earlier voice in the primary system while forcing candidates to take stands on issues that matter to Floridians, like a national catastrophe fund to help cover costs of hurricanes and other natural disasters. ‘We have a duty to the rest of the country to be in this process from the beginning,’ said Rep. Keith Fitzgerald, a Sarasota Democrat and political science professor. ‘I think our voters don't want to be left out.’” (St. Petersburg Times, 02/09/07)
“But those concerns were largely drowned out by their enthusiasm for making Florida an even bigger player on the national political stage. ‘There will be very little opposition in the entire state, I think,’ said Rep. Elaine Schwartz, D-Hollywood.” (Orlando Sentinel, 02/09/07)
Jeremy Ring, Democratic State Senator and Co-Sponsor
“‘If (DNC chairman) Howard Dean thinks the candidates are not going to campaign in Florida, he's got to be insane - not with all the Florida money at stake,’ said state Sen. Jeremy Ring, D-Margate, sponsor of the early primary bill.” (St. Petersburg Times, 04/28/07)
Mark Bubriski, Florida Democratic Party Spokesman
“Florida Democrats are all for [moving the primary up],’ Mark Bubriski, spokesman for the Florida Democratic Party, said at the time.” (The St. Petersburg Times, 10/07/07)
Karen Thurman, Florida Democratic Party Chair
“State Democratic Party Chairwoman Karen Thurman agreed. ‘I don't see any downside to it,’ she said.” (Tampa Tribune, 11/30/2006)
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