Democrats are enjoying the spat between the House Speaker and the governor, both Republicans, but 50 years ago the left-wing party had its own intra-party battles, and they often made headlines statewide.

The actors in one notable case were Gov. Reuben Askew and Sen. Dempsey Barron, the “Red Barron” as he was known.

The ugly clash between Gov. Ron DeSantis and Rep. Danield Perez has dominated the news of late, but both are conservatives.

Askew was very liberal and highly popular in his party. In those days Democrats held a vast majority in state government and Republicans largely were irrelevant. Their positions are reversed today.

Barron was born in Alabama and survived when the sinking of a Navy ship he was on when it was torpedoed in World War II. He represented a Panhandle district that was conservative although he was more of a libertarian.

Barron became powerful the same way Lyndon Johnson did in the U.S. Senate, by learning each senator’s fancies and foibles and making use of them. He spent 32 years in the legislature.

While Barron was president of the Senate I was covering the legislature for the Jacksonville Journal. Legislators tended to grant more access to reporters for the larger papers but Barron, for some reason, took a liking to me.

Each year at the start of the session I would visit him in his office, and he would outline for me the major issues and which bills would pass and which would fail.

He and Askew would team occasionally but often would clash. I was there when during one battle the fiery Barron warned Askew to “stay the hell out” of Senate business. (Barron thought Askew was getting involved in the selection of the next Senate president, which ended up being Lew Brantley of Jacksonville.)

After he left the Senate, Barron switched to the Republican Party. He and Askew are dead.

No party marches in lockstep and members have differences. The fight between DeSantis and Perez is complex and both have justification for their positions.

It, too, shall pass.