Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : WHO IS RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT IN 2004 -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: calgal who wrote (5706)	10/23/2003 9:56:07 PM
From: calgal	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 10965

National Party Warns Fla. Democrats to Skip Straw Poll foxnews.com Thursday, October 23, 2003 MIAMI — They say politics makes for strange bedfellows, but all nine Democratic presidential candidates are jumping out of bed with the Democratic Party (search) in Florida. In a showdown between the national and state parties, all nine presidential candidates have joined the Democratic National Committee (search)'s threat to boycott Florida's upcoming Democratic convention. State party leaders want to hold a straw poll (search) that the DNC is calling a waste of political resources. "We're running against the president who will have $250 million in his primary account, and we need to be very careful about how we spend our Democratic primary money," said Terry McAuliffe, chairman of the DNC. The DNC has sent a warning to Florida Democrats, telling them to "not organize or conduct a straw poll at your state party convention" and adding "should a decision be made to hold a straw poll, it would make it impossible for us to attend." DNC rules prohibit straw polls, but Florida's top Democrats are standing firm, talking up the fact that their state makes up one-tenth of the electoral votes needed to win the presidency. They add that snubbing Florida Democrats still smarting from the 2000 recount would be a "big mistake." "Every minute of time spent in Florida by the candidates is going to pay dividends in the general election. They're going to need the support here anyway when it comes [to] November, so we might as well get started now," said state party Chairman Scott Maddox. Democratic fund-raising front-runner Howard Dean told Fox News that whatever the decision is, he will move with the majority. "I'm not a fan of straw polls, but if everyone is going to participate in one, we're not going to be left on the sidelines," Dean said. Whether nominee hopefuls do or don't show, state party leaders say the candidates' supporters have begun lining up votes in case the straw poll does take place. Meanwhile, the state party's central committee is expected to finalize plans on the poll next month. Fox News' Orlando Salinas contributed to this report.