DNC caught lying to candidates about Florida straw poll & boycott threat [View All]

[pruner]

National party leaders and several of Dean's eight rivals for the nomination have complained that the Florida straw poll would drain precious resources at a critical time. The Democratic National Committee has even asked each campaign to sign a letter to Maddox promising to boycott the convention if a straw poll is held. So far, the campaigns are reluctant to embrace the threat out of fear of alienating activists in the nation's biggest swing state.

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It appears increasingly inevitable that the straw poll would happen despite the DNC's protests.

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Among the campaigns, confusion reigns over what to make of the DNC's boycott threat.

Aides to Edwards said last week that the North Carolina senator would definitely participate in the straw poll.

Jadotte said Saturday that the Kerry campaign ''has no position'' on the poll and had not seen the DNC's letter.

Trippi, Dean's campaign manager, said he was told by DNC officials that every campaign had agreed to sign on to the boycott threat except Dean's. Matt Bennett, a spokesman for Clark, said the Clark campaign was given the same pitch by the DNC -- that only Clark remained uncommitted to the boycott.

''This puts all of the campaigns in an awkward position,'' Bennett said, adding that the campaign revoked its signature from the letter Saturday after learning it was misled by a DNC operative.

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/7047929.htm