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Martinez To Confront (Possibly) Mad Sandlappers

Posted May 17, 2007 by William March

Updated May 17, 2007 at 02:30 PM

Florida Sen. Mel Martinez may feel a bit like Daniel in the lion’s den during a scheduled appearance in South Carolina Friday, as Florida officials move ahead with plans move up their state’s presidential primary.

Martinez, the general chairman of the Republican National Committee, is scheduled to speak at the closing breakfast of the RNC’s 2007 state chairman’s meeting this week in Columbia. An RNC spokeswoman said details of Martinez’s speech weren’t available, including whether he’ll even address his own state Legislature’s choosing to jump out of line and move its 2008 presidential primary up to Jan. 29.

That has caused some GOP grumbling, particularly in South Carolina. Politicos there have sought to establish their primary as the first in the South, setting it for Jan. 29. 

Florida’s move also violates schedules imposed by both the GOP and the Democratic Party, which say most primaries must be held Feb. 5 or later. The rules say transgressor states will lose half of their delegates to the national convention.

Martinez has been quoted as saying he is “perfectly fine” with his home state defying the RNC and moving up its primary – and could live with sanctions. But the feathers of South Carolina Gamecocks remain ruffled. Now both parties in the Palmetto State say they’ll move their primary even earlier.