No Plan B as Democrat Divide Deepens in Florida

Just imagine, we have five full months to watch this Democrat civil war unfold. Guaranteed to be bloody, nasty and likely fatal to their chances to regain the White House.

As Clinton's camp calls for counting the January results, Obama's campaign has rejected them, arguing that the contests in Florida and Michigan were invalid because both candidates had agreed not to campaign in the two renegade states. Obama's name wasn't even on the Michigan ballot.

''The rules are the rules. Michigan and Florida both knew they wouldn't be seated if they moved their primaries up,'' former New Jersey Sen. Bill Bradley, an Obama supporter, said Sunday on Meet the Press.

''If we want to make sure that Michigan and Florida are seated,'' he added, ''make it a 50/50 division'' of delegates.

Several members of Congress have suggested other formulas, using the results of the January primary to apportion delegates.

Allan Katz, an Obama supporter and Tallahassee attorney, said there could be support for ''some iteration of a 50-50 split'' in which Clinton could end up with an edge of superdelegates.

''The two campaigns have to figure out what they can live with,'' Katz said.

Several of Clinton's top donors in Florida are using their purse strings to pressure Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean to mediate the dispute. The New York Times reported Saturday that several have threatened to withhold contributions to the DNC unless it agrees to acknowledge the results of the Jan. 29 primary or schedule new elections.

'I told [Dean] `If my vote doesn't count and my state doesn't count, then my money's not going to count,' '' Clinton donor Ira Leesfield said Sunday, referring to a recent conversation he had with the DNC chairman. ``We've told him he's got to grab the bull by the horns and either have a revote or recognize the election.''

Dean, though, has repeatedly ruled out recognizing the January results, saying he doesn't want to change the rules in the middle of the campaign.

How deliciously ironic that here we are nearly eight years after the 2000 recount, Florida once again becomes ground zero in the electoral process.

The Democrats have only themselves and Howard Dean's arrogance to blame for this mess. Back when all signs pointed to an easy coronation for Mrs. Clinton, they never imagined their condescension towards states that wanted to move up their primaries would every be a factor.

Now that it is, they're left baffled, befuddled and absolutely clueless as to what to do.

Tome Bevan at RCP calls it Nightmare on Dem Street.

Get the popcorn ready, kids, this one's going to be a hoot.