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The internal party controversy comes as a surprise to Democrats who had been gleefully watching Scott and other Republicans struggle with the question of whether to remove the monuments. | Getty

MIAMI U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, the sole statewide elected Democrat in Trump-state Florida, ducked a question about removing Confederate monuments and is now getting grief from members of his own party who worry hes estranging African-Americans and progressives as he faces a tough reelection campaign next year.

I don't know what to think of this, said a surprised state Rep. Shevrin Jones, an African-American Democrat sponsoring legislation to remove the monuments from public spaces.

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I would like Sen. Nelson to acknowledge that the people who are represented on those statues were individuals who oppressed black people, said Jones, echoing other Democrats, who sometimes spoke without attribution because they didnt want to seem disloyal. I want him to acknowledge that there is no place for them anymore. Our country is no longer there, we have moved on. There's no need for them, that's what Sen. Nelson should be saying.

Nelsons office pointed out that the senator has said he supports the Florida Legislature's decision to remove the statue of Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith in the U.S. Capitol's Statuary Hall. But on Monday at a Lakewood Ranch event, when asked his opinion about the removal of all Confederate monuments from the state, Nelson refrained from weighing in because he views the removal of the monuments in Florida as a state, not federal, issue.

I think leaving it up to the good sense of the communities involved is the best thing to do, Nelson said when asked about removing monuments, according to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Nelson indicated he might oppose the monuments when he said that a monument, a statue, ought to signify unity instead of division.

Nelson, in a statement to POLITICO Florida on Tuesday afternoon, said "Confederate statues belong in a historical museum, not in a place of honor. He also said the two statues in the state capitol should be moved to a Confederate cemetery.

Many Democratic insiders shook their heads and worried that Nelsons approach was a sign he doesnt appreciate the fervor of progressives, namely supporters of former presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). They say Nelson is likely to face his toughest challenge ever, from Florida Gov. Rick Scott, next year, and the Democrat cant win if progressives arent excited.

"It seems that Bill Nelson doesn't want to take a stand on the issue for political reasons. But this is not the time to shrink back from what he knows is right," said state Sen. Randolph Bracy, an African-American Democrat who is considering a primary challenge to Nelson.

It's a little bit tone-deaf from a skilled operator like Bill, one top Nelson backer said. He's slightly vulnerable from the Bernie Bro wing of the party and doesn't need to agitate it further. And Bill also needs Democrats to be enthused about him next year, not just voting out of obligation.

Said another: That sound you hear is all of our heads hitting the desks. What are you thinking, Bill?

The internal party controversy comes as a surprise to Democrats, who had been gleefully watching Scott and other Republicans struggle with the question of whether to remove the monuments and the degree to which they should react to President Donald Trumps contention that the recent racial violence during a protest in Charlottesville, Virginia, over the removal of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee was the fault of many sides and not exclusively with the white nationalists. Scott flubbed his talking points over the issue Monday before his office had to walk back his remarks.

Leslie Wimes, an African-American Democrat and Sanders supporter who has criticized Nelson, said its another sign of how tone-deaf the three-term senator is.

See, this is why I call out fellow Democrats, said Wimes, who writes a column for the conservative Sunshine State News, which makes some Democratic activists bristle. They won't call him out on being mealy-mouthed, but they will blast Rick Scott.

In contrast to their vociferous advocacy to remove Confederate statues and monuments, the three leading Democratic candidates for governor were muted in discussing their reaction to Nelson avoiding the topic.

Newcomer Chris King and former U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham of Tallahassee reiterated their call to pull down all the monuments.

The only major African-American candidate in the race, Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, would only say of Nelsons comments that "I know that our opinions differ, but I know Senator Nelson's record and he's stood tall on these issues. Local communities need to have tough conversations about where they stand on this moral issue and how we heal our state. We need to have these conversations now so our children don't have to decades from now.

In the Florida Legislature, Jones said hes hopeful that Republican House Speaker Richard Corcoran, who also might run for governor, will allow his bill to remove Confederate vestiges from the public square to be heard. But, he said, the hard work remains to reform criminal justice, improve voting rights and improve minority communities.

For the black community, the statues represent a history that we would rather not be greeted with on public spaces, considering those are the same individuals who fought against us to have the rights that we have today, Jones said in a text message to POLITICO Florida. So, although I disagree with Sen. Nelson's comments, respectfully, I hope he sees from our point of view, and we are asking these statues to come down, and be placed in their proper places a museum.

UPDATED at 5 p.m. with Sen. Bill Nelson's statement.

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Nelson draws Democrats' fire for ducking Confederate monument question - Politico