What are those concerned about election integrity saying about the millions of Florida and Michagan Dem voters who are right now being disenfranchised by their own Party? This is a travesty to democracy. Here's a copy of a letter I sent to a local editor on this topic:

To the Editor:

Unbelievably, millions of voters have been thrown out of the 2008 primary. This time it's not faulty voting machines and hanging chads! To recap how we got to this sad place of disenfranchisement, here's the history. For lack of space, I'll focus on Florida, though Michigan's voters need to be addressed too.

The Florida State Legislature (under Republican rule), not happy with being lumped together with everyone else on Super Tuesday, moved their primary date up to January 29. They purposefully chose this date following the earlier primaries/caucuses of Iowa, NH, Nevada and South Carolina, so as not to encroach upon the first primary status of those states. This legislation was then signed into law by Florida's Republican Governor (05/21/07). (see full version)

The problem is this new legislation did not follow the Democratic National Committee rules, so the DNC meted out a 2-part punishment. And who does the DNC punish? Their own Democratic voters! -- who have become innocent victims of this whole insanity.

Anyway, here's the punishment: First, the presidential candidates would not be allowed to campaign in Florida. If punishment were warranted, this was harsh enough, but the DNC added a second stick: Florida Democratic voters, who by the way turned out in record-breaking numbers, will not be represented at the National Convention. Talk about throwing a baby out in the bathwater!! For the DNC to tell millions of voters not to bother to vote because they don't count is incredibly short-sighted and just plain STUPID!!

Doesn't the DNC know how critical Florida and Michigan are to the general election? Why are they alienating millions of their own Democrats?! In effect, the DNC has disenfranchised its own people, voters who themselves had nothing to do with the Florida State Republican-ruled Legislature's rescheduling of the primary date.

Is this what we call representative democracy?