Howard Dean responded to Bill Nelson's and Alcee Hastings' demands that the DNC stand down on Florida's primary. Dr. Dean's prescription for Florida: Get in compliance or deal with the consequences. The letter's in the jump.

September 21, 2007
Honorable Bill Nelson
United States Senate
716 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Honorable Alcee Hastings
United States House of Representatives
2353 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Senator Nelson and Congressman Hastings:
I am in receipt of your recent letter concerning the date of the Florida 2008 presidential primary.
In your letter, you ask that I lift the sanctions imposed against the Florida Democratic Party by close of
business, Monday, September 24, 2007. You also suggest that my doing so may help to avoid a legal
challenge.
As you know, Florida’s 2008 Delegate Selection Plan was found in Non-Compliance by the DNC Rules
and Bylaws Committee (RBC). This finding of Non-Compliance inc luded the automatic delegate
reductions imposed under the 2008 Delegate Selection Rules. Additionally, the RBC, exercising a power
conferred exclusively on them under the Rules, imposed a further reduction in the delegation, equal to a
total 100% delegate loss. The decision to impose the additional reduction was approved by a very
substantial majority of the RBC.
As the Florida Democratic Party was fully informed a month ago, the delegate reductions become
effective if the Florida Democratic Party fails to submit a revised and compliant Plan by September 29,
2007.
Proposed solutions that you reference in your letter would not comply with the Rules in that both
proposed solutions keep the January 29, 2008 primary as a binding event that would allocate delegates
among presidential candidates.
As I have said before, I remain committed to discussing solutions to this issue that comply with the
Delegate Selection Rules overwhelmingly adopted by the full DNC over a year ago.
Sincerely,
Gov. Howard Dean, M.D.
Chairman