Party Boss Assures Dems:

SEBRING - The head of Florida's Democratic Party has assured Highlands County's rank and file that its delegates will be seated at the national convention, Aug. 25-28, in Denver.

Karen L. Thurman, who chairs the state party, is "confident that when it is all said and done, our delegation will ... travel to Denver for the National Convention," said Pam Holt, a spokeswoman for the Highlands County party.

That's true, said Mark Bubriski, communications director, and it's coming from other party leaders as well.

By August, he reasoned, the primaries will be long gone, and so will be the issue of which state held its election first.

In eight months, the more important issue will be whether the Democratic Party really wants to upset the voters of Florida and Michigan.

"Florida is the fourth largest state in population, and it's the largest swing state," Bubriski said. Michigan, while not as large, is in a similar position.

Currently, the rules committee is deciding whether Michigan and Florida violated party rules by scheduling their primaries on Jan. 15 and Jan. 29, respectively. Their purpose is to control the primary calendar, and to maintain the privileged position of Iowa and New Hampshire, Bubriski said.

In August, the credentials committee will decide which delegates are seated, Bubriski said, and its priorities will be different. Two-thirds of the credentials committee is appointed by the delegates, and only one-third by national party chairman Howard Dean.

County GOP chair Justine Devlin said she had not been contacted by the Republican Party about seating the delegation at the national convention Sept. 1-4 in Minneapolis-St. Paul, but she believed Florida would be seated.