Dean Enters FL-13 Mess - Feeney Hits Dean Back

The AP reports that DNC Chair Howard Dean has injected himself into the middle of the FL-13 debacle. Now it should really get ugly.

Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean called for another election in the race to replace Rep. Katherine Harris, saying the declared Republican winner should not be sworn in until election questions are sorted out.

''You cannot seat someone if you don't have an election that's valid,'' Dean said in a taped interview scheduled to air Sunday on a Tampa Bay-area news channel.

Rep. Tom Feeney (FL-24) is firing back at Dean (SP Times Buzz Blog):

U.S. Rep. Tom Feeney, an Orlando area Republican, blasted Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean for his earlier comments on the Vern Buchanan-Christine Jennings race.

"DNC Chair Howard Dean and his liberal entourage should be called the UNDemocratic party for their refusal to honor the election results from Florida's 13th Congressional District,'' Feeney said in a press release.

"There is no way to stimulate 18,000 disenchanted voters or reconnect with voters who deliberately chose not to vote for this particular seat. It would be irresponsible to have a new election every time someone claims confusion' at voting precincts.

District 13 residents have spoken through an election day count and a subsequent manual recount and deserve to be represented as of January 4, 2007. Floridians should not be put at a disadvantage in the 110th Congress due to the obstinate plan of Howard Dean and Co. We need all 25 members of our delegation seated, and I would feel this way regardless of the political party involved."

We agree with Feeney. The last thing Florida wants for Christmas is to have Howard Dean tramping around the state.