MIAMI -- On the same day that a federal appeals court in Atlanta dismissed a lawsuit against the Democratic National Committee about the party's decision to strip Florida of its delegates at the national convention, the state's House speaker blamed DNC chairman Howard Dean for "treating Florida like a third-rate state."

"You know whose fault this is? This is Howard Dean's fault," House Speaker Marco Rubio, D-West Miami, said Friday while taping a segment for WPLG-TV's "This Week In South Florida with Michael Putney." "This is Howard Dean's fault for treating Florida like a third-rate state, which it is not."

The DNC stripped Florida of its delegates after the state moved its primary to Jan. 29, earlier than party rules allowed. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton defeated Sen. Barack Obama, but those votes won't count.

The lawsuit accused the party of disenfranchising Florida's Democratic voters by barring them from having their say in choosing their party's presidential nominee.

Florida Democratic Party leaders proposed a plan to hold a revote by mail-in ballot, but they dropped the idea a few days later. That means the DNC is likely the last hope for Democratic voters in the state.

"Here's what they should do," Rubio suggested. "It's very simple. Split the delegates in half. If you want to render Florida's vote irrelevant, which is what they want to do, split the votes in half. Let Hillary get half. Let Obama get half. But at least seat Florida's delegates."

Dean, who was in South Florida earlier this month to attend a private Democratic fundraiser, said he wants to find a way to seat the delegates but doesn't believe the results of the primary should stand.

"You cannot change the rules in the middle of the game, and that would be changing the rules in the middle of the game," Dean said at the time. "But we're very open to alternatives."

Rubio admitted that Florida elected officials have a certain degree of responsibility but said the DNC could easily solve the problem.

"They're being very disrespectful to the Democrats in our state," Rubio said. "I take no pleasure in that. I think it's unfortunate."