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“We’re watching you” – that’s the message from the feds to Governor Rick Scott.  As Matt Galka tells us, Washington doesn’t want to see another election mess in Florida.

Voter purges, early voting cuts, and election flubs.  A letter from U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder points out all of these problems and more in a three page lecture to Florida’s Governor.  State Democrats are taking the opportunity to pile on.

“It’s been a continuing practice of trying to suppress the vote.  That’s what Attorney General Eric Holder was saying, that the federal Government is now going to monitor what happens in the election process,” said State Sen. Geraldine Thompson (D-Orlando).

Holder says “Florida has repeatedly added barriers to voting and restricted access to the polls.” He cited examples including a 2011 elections bill that cut early voting hours and brought long lines for some voting sites in the state. Dems say the Governor should heed Washington’s warning, and they’re going to keep watch.

The US Attorney General chastised the Governor for making it harder for a felon’s rights to be restored.  The policy has come under fire at many of clemency board hearings.  State representative Darryl Rouson says it all adds up to Florida needing to shape up.

“Anybody can look at what we’ve done in the last several years in the legislature and we keep tampering with the rights of the people to participate in Government by voting,” said Rep. Rouson (D-St. Petersburg).

The Governor’s Office says Holder is just playing politics.

A statement from Scott’s campaign linked the letter to the Governor’s race.  Part of it reads “the White House is desperately trying to prop up the sagging campaign of their candidate, Charlie Crist.”

It also says Holder’s justice department pre-cleared the voting law changes in 2011. The Justice Department did sign off on the voting changes in 2011, but only after Florida showed the maximum number of voting hours would be allowed in five counties that suffered past discrimination.