Florida shocked, shocked at RNC sanctions

The news today that Florida's GOP convention delegates will have to drive a healthy distance to Tampa brought a swift response from the state party chair:

The Republican National Committee had vowed to give Florida lower priority for hotels as part of the punishment for state legislative leaders setting the presidential primary in January in violation of party rules. On Monday, the RNC Committee on Arrangements announced that the Florida delegation will be at the Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor, nearly 32 miles from the Tampa Bay Times Forum. "I'm p---ed off,'' said Florida Republican Party Chairman Lenny Curry. "We're one of the most important swing states, if not the most important swing state, and our activists and our donors are going to be punished for something they had nothing to do with."

Florida GOP officials have to express a certain level of outrage at the punishment or risk looking insensitive to delegates' needs. But getting docked in the hotel-space department is on the mild end of what national Republicans could theoretically have done to a state that broke calendar rules in such a brazen fashion, and everyone in the Republican Party of Florida knew exactly what they were getting into when they scheduled a January primary. And by and large, they're happy they did it.