This is what happens when the Democratic National Committee is allowed to fall into the hands of a gaggle of people who are dumber than a sack of anvils, led by the body politics’ answer to the stiff in “Weekend At Bernie’s”

With the exception of DNC chairman - cue the laugh track - Howard Dean and his inner circle of political yard gnomes, the decision to treat Florida Democrats like so many medieval serfs was always known by everyone to be destined to come back and bite these dolts in the keister. And it has.

Because the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature moved up the state’s primary election date to January 29, in violation of DNC rules, Dean, the Yosemite Sam of the hustings, punished the state by denying delegates to any Democrat running for the presidency, which is a bit like beating up your neighbor for something your dog did.

Michigan was similarly punished by the Joan Crawford of the Electoral College.

But you didn’t need to be Nostradamus meets Kreskin to figure out that eventually Dean’s snippy edict would have all the staying power of the Washington Generals holding their own against the Harlem Globetrotters. Florida’s rich delegate field was only to be personna non grata, the black spot of the stump - until somebody needed them.

And that somebody, Hillary Clinton, needs them real, real, real bad.

Now the finagling begins as Clinton, who won the the Florida Primary 50-33 percent over Barack Obama, tries to figure out a way to have the potential 105 delegates she earned be officially recognized and seated at the Democratic Party convention this summer in Denver.

Obama, too, would benefit, with some 67 delegates pledged to his campaign.

Alas there are all manner of problems associated with Howard Dean’s Jim Crowesque decision to disenfranchise millions of votes cast by Florida Democrats.

Should the DNC relent and seat the Florida delegation it would expose Dean and his little friends for the petulant, myopic, small “b” bullies that they are.

What does the DNC say to Florida Democrats who stayed home on election day believing their voice, their will - their vote - didn’t count?

Would the January 29th outcome been different had there actually been a legitimate election? Would the Amendment One initiative on capping property taxes seen a different result had not voter turnout been surpressed by Dean and the DNC?

If, as some politicos have suggested, a sort of “do-over” is conducted in the form of a caucus and Obama, who is currently enjoying a swing of momentum in his favor, were to win what are the odds do you suppose of Hillary Clinton conducting a scorched-earth legal battle to have her original victory recognized?

There is no shortage of hypocrisy at foot here.

Obama has argued it would be unfair to seat the Florida delegation since the Democratic field of presidential candidates didn’t have a chance to campaign in Florida prior to January 29th election.

But that is so much balderdash.

Democratic candidates didn’t campaign in Florida because they were afraid of offending the Luca Brasi of the Beltway and the rest of the DNC.

If Obama lacked the spine to confront what was a patently insane decision by the national party, it is no one else’s fault, but his own.

With so much at stake, who knows how all this will turn out, but we can be reasonably assured whatever happens, it won’t be pretty.

If there was any true justice to be found here, or simply perhaps some delicious irony, wouldn’t it somehow be oh so fitting, and oh so Florida if the state delegation was indeed recognized and seated at the convention and in a well-deserved twist of fate everybody voted for - Dennis Kucinch?

One can always hope, can’t one?