Madfloridian's Journal - St. Pete Times...thanks for a fair primary article: "DNC chairman Howard Dean is in a tough spot."

Adam C. Smith usually comes through on the side of fairness in most cases. I appreciate this article, as our Florida Democrats have been spinning their own rule-breaking to make it look like Howard Dean is the one in the wrong.

The reporter presents both sides:

Don't expect to meet the candidates in Florida

It's pretty long, so a few snips...

There's a reason Democratic Party leaders trying to craft a more ethnically, racially and geographically diverse nominating process allowed only small states - Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Carolina - to schedule caucuses or primaries before Feb. 5.

Those states are manageable for candidates without massive campaign accounts to mix it up with voters. Even celebrity politicians like Rudy Giuliani, Clinton and Obama can't get away in those states without occasionally taking unscripted questions from voters or reporters. Florida is more of a state for quick tarmac rallies and costly TV ads..

....."Democratic National Committee rules punish states like Florida that violate the DNC schedule. Under the penalties likely to go into effect in late August, any candidate who campaigns in Florida won't win any Florida delegates. Florida Democrats at one point were seriously considering making the Jan. 29 election nonbinding and instead holding caucuses later on.

I am glad he recognizes that Dean's ability to change the rules is very limited. The rules were made by a committee appointed by Terry McAuliffe, and voted upon by the 447 DNC members. They will meet in August, but no assurance things will change.

DNC chairman Howard Dean is in a tough spot. Unless he ignores the national party's clear rules, there appears to be no leeway for him to waive penalties against Florida. Even if he could make an exception for Florida, he risks provoking Michigan - which has long chafed at giving Iowa and New Hampshire such influence on the nomination - to join Florida in jumping earlier.

The rules are different here.

"Florida—The Rules Are Different Here” was a state promotional slogan that began in 1986. It is still used derisively, whenever someone wants to break the rules.

Florida Democrats helped push this through, and they have made sure the press should blame Howard Dean for trying to "disenfranchise" Florida. Even two of my favorites, Wasserman Schultz and Robert Wexler have gone that "warning to Dean" route.

I am glad Adam C. Smith put some common sense on it, even though he does want Florida to be viable.