In Other Florida News

In fact, some of this has to do with the Presidential Primaries but it's not the single focus because a LOT of stuff has happened in Florida without listening to the Republicans wacky campaigning.

Rep. Dave Weldon (R-15) is retiring. I guess it's true there aren't a lot of Republicans left. (Did it have anything to do with the arrest of his daughter for a bar fight?) He snuck in last cycle against a weak opponent. If we can get one half as good as Suzanne Kosmas, who is running against Tom Feeney, we might make a race of it.

Here's an interesting tidbit. Weldon's House District 15 overlaps Florida House District 32. In case you don't remember, that's the district of Bob Allen of park bathroom fame who offered to give an undercover officer oral sex for $20 bucks. (That still confuses me.) He would have been positioned very strongly for a Congressional run but blew it (yes, pun intended). He must be crying his eyes out right now.

Florida Senator Mel Martinez endorsed John McCain today. That's especially bad news for the Rudy camp. I guess they couldn't get the sympathy they apparently have from Governor Charlie Crist. Speculation was that Crist would endorse Rudy for his support of a National Catastrophe Fund, but he hasn't. Even more, he's been appearing with McCain all over. Rumor has it that Crist would endorse McCain but he didn't want to embarrass Rudy.

Senator Bill Nelson voted in favor of retroactive immunity for telecoms. He's trying to add an amendment that would let a FISA court decide the issue. What? In my opinion, he's the worst Democratic politician in our State. This just seals it for me.

And, please don't get me started on the Florida/Michigan delegate thing. My vote should count - period. A week ago, everyone wanted my vote to count. Now, because Hillary's championing for her benefit, my hero wants to just say No.

There's more: "In Other Florida News" >>

The Endorsement War in Florida, Part I - McCain

The newspaper endorsement wars have begun just ten days ahead of Florida's "unauthorized" Presidential Primary. The Orlando Sentinel, Palm Beach Post and Gainesville Sun all published their endorsements on Sunday. The tally:

McCain - 3
Obama - 2
Clinton - 1

The least important of these endorsements, in terms of population, may be the most important in turning out the young vote. Both Obama and McCain received the endorsement of the Gainesville Sun. That's important because Florida's flagship school, the University of Florida, is located there. Make no mistake, the hometown newspaper might as well be the campus paper. This is big news to all those college students.

To make it even more interesting, the University's President, Bernie Machen, took the unprecedented step of endorsing John McCain. Like it or not, he is still considered the "maverick" and that will attract the Republican youth vote as much as Obama will attract the Democratic one.

But, what does it mean?

[keep reading for more of what Florida's thinking about McCain ...]

Odd that one of the reasons for his support is the one that will sink McCain in the long run: his immigration stance. He can try to double-speak on this issue, but comments from readers on his endorsements tell me his previous support of Bush's immigration reform will sink him if it becomes a headline.

Machen said he was most impressed with McCain's ability to take stances that were not necessarily popular but that in his opinion were the right thing to do. He said he particularly supports McCain's immigration policy. The Arizona senator has tried to pass broad immigration reform but was met with resistance from fellow republicans.

McCain's Web site now calls for securing the American borders.

It strikes me that McCain is trying to parse his way around his support for the reform and it looks like his endorsers will be complicit. The Orlando Sentinel had five words tucked into his Iraq support:

But on two of his most controversial stands -- support for comprehensive immigration reform and more U.S. troops in Iraq -- he has stuck to his principles at the risk of sinking his campaign.

This is obviously meant to placate the "base" where support of the war is an absolute must to win the Republican vote and support of anything favorable to illegal immigrants is deadly. The Sentinel saw those exit polls that show the MSM's favorite son doesn't have the support of his own party and sought to diminish his worst issue with his most favorable.

The Sentinel labels Huckabee's flip flop on immigration and taxes and Romney's many flip flops and says, "it's hard to know what he really stands for, and what kind of president he might be". But on McCain's two major flip flops - evangelical support and supporting views tax cuts - as well as the previously mentioned immigration flip, the Sentinel says only that he changed his position for "political expediency."

The Gainesville Sun obviously didn't get the message from the Mechan endorsement article and really didn't get the Republican base memo when they touted:

We most admire McCain for his principled stand on immigration reform. He champions a comprehensive rewrite of immigration policies, including a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants, while most politicians are reduced by fear to mouthing empty slogans like "no amnesty."

Seems John has been reduced by fear also.

The Palm Beach Post puts the immigration issue in the category of reaching across the aisle:

... and collaborated with Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., on immigration. Like most Arizonans, he understands that the nation needs a comprehensive approach to immigration that not only tightens borders but deals pragmatically with the 12 million illegal immigrants already here.

Unfortunately, this is not the view of many voters in Florida - Republican or Democratic. Illegal immigration is seen as a real problem here - not just Mexican but Cuban and Haitian as well. Frankly, the Floridians against illegal immigrants are also likely to be against any concession to even legal immigrants.

Ads running in Spanish are met with derision. Read the comments on articles that are written about this and you'll know the Bradley Effect is alive and well in Florida where Hispanics are concerned. An astounding 42% of them specifically mentioned McCain's "amnesty" support of illegals as the reason they would never vote for him. And, I didn't eliminate the Ron Paul spammers from the total count.

While it's not scientific, the comments are representative of conversation after conversation I have with Republicans. This does not bode well.

I'm not proud to be in a state where such hatefulness requires that politicians deny any solution but a wall to a very real issue but it is happening. At the Police Chief conference I was at last week, only Florida's Property Tax Amendment issue got higher play. Giuliani support was abysmal but McCain's stance on this issue evoked more than a majority of negativity.

The Miami Herald reported that McCain won't be getting Senator Mel Martinez's endorsement so as not to offend Giuliani. In Miami's Cuban community - which turns out to vote - this is a fairly big slap, but I'm betting that McCain is breathing a sigh of relief. Otherwise, voters would be reminded that McCain joined with Martinez on the immigration issue:

Some viewed Martinez's decision to sit out as a betrayal of McCain, who helped Martinez push a radioactive White House-backed immigration bill. The measure was roundly condemned by conservatives as ''amnesty'' for illegal immigrants and cost McCain serious political points that helped almost kill his campaign.

Like it or not, this issue is toxic in Florida and Republican's won't forget McCain's high profile support no matter what he says today.

While it looked like McCain might be on top, Rasmussen reports softening support for McCain as well as Guiliani. Last week, it was a four way tie for first; now, Romney is ahead, outside the margin for error. Rudy imploded all on his own but Republican Floridians are surely starting to remembering the immigration fiasco this past summer.

As I've said before, the Republican Party does not like minorities and the base won't vote for anyone who supports them in any way. Factor in the fact the Florida is a closed primary - only Republicans can vote in the Republican Primary - and the only thing left is that McCain's a loser.

There's more: "The Endorsement War in Florida, Part I - McCain" >>

Mel Martinez Resigning as RNC Chairman

The Orlando Sentinel is reporting that Florida Senator and Bush sycophant Mel Martinez will be resigning his position as the Chairman for the Republican National Committee. The speculation is that he's either leaving because being a Senator and the Chairman is too much work or his dismay at the Republican attitude toward minorities.

The scuttlebutt in the local community (where Mel was the county chairman before he was Bush's HUD man) is it's the latter. Mel went out first and hard to push Bush's immigration plan. He was lambasted by both his Florida constituents and the national base. His approval ratings are in the toilet in Florida and if he were running in the 2008 cycle, he'd be out.

The local reaction is brutal: Republicans hate him because he was behind immigration reform and Democrats hate him because he's so closely aligned with Bush. No amount of time is going to distance him from those alignments. I'd say that 2010 is going to be a bad year.

There's more: "Mel Martinez Resigning as RNC Chairman" >>

Hispanics and the GOP

When Florida Senator Mel Martinez was made RNC Chairman, there was a lot of talk about his shoring up the Hispanic vote nationwide. If GOP participation at the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials in Orlando this week is any indication, Martinez has failed miserably.

According to the Tampa Tribune, none of the first tier GOP Presidential candidates will be participating in an annual conference that will feature over 1,000 Hispanic elected officials - you know, the ones who have the ability to wield influence in favor of candidates. Duncan Hunter is the only GOP Presidential candidate participating.

On the other hand, seven Democratic Presidential candidates are participating:

The participating candidates will include, in alphabetical order, Senator Joe Biden (DE), Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (NY), Senator Chris Dodd (CT), former Senator John Edwards (NC), Representative Dennis Kucinich (OH), Senator Barack Obama (IL) and Governor Bill Richardson (NM).

NALEO extended identical invitations to the Republican presidential candidates to participate in a separate forum. All have declined to date.

Apparently, Hunter responded to the invitation after the NALEO press release.

This is an astounding snub of Hispanics, especially considering the growth of their influence on local and national politics.

[NALEO Exec. Dir.] Vargas said invitations went out in January, and the Republican presidential candidates who were invited - Sam Brownback, Rudy Giuliani, Mike Huckabee, McCain, Mitt Romney, Tom Tancredo and Tommy Thompson - cited scheduling conflicts or prior commitments in declining.

"We know scheduling is a matter of priorities," he said. "This clearly sends a message that Latino elected officials are not a priority for the candidates."

While some Republicans disagree, citing the Democratic lean of the event, others expressed disappointment.

Another Miami Republican state legislator, Rep. Juan Zapata, a board member of NALEO and chairman of the state's host committee for the conference, has lobbied for three years to hold the conference in Florida.

"To go through all that and then see all the Republican candidates are a no-show, it's a huge loss for the Republicans," Zapata said.

You would think that Martinez would have wielded some influence with the GOP candidates to get at least a showing of support. More than a slap in the face of Hispanics, I think the candidates sent a pretty clear message of what they think of Martinez - not much. With the threat of purse strings, they clearly think that Martinez may chair the RNC, but he doesn't run it.

Bad for them. This will cost them in Florida where we are a bit opposite of the national Hispanic voting dynamic.

Our Hispanic politics is dominated by Cuba and the statehood debate for Puerto Rico, with much support for the Republican party. This won't sit well with a large coalition of Florida Hispanic voters who see themselves as integral to delivering Florida to the Republicans the last election cycle.

I think this bodes well for a more blue showing in the General Election. Stay tuned.

There's more: "Hispanics and the GOP" >>

$97,000 returned - and still counting

I know you all will find this hard to believe but RNC Chairman and Florida Senator Mel Martinez has been in violation of federal election laws and has already had to refund $97,000. From the Miami Herald:

His campaign disclosed this week that it has already given back $97,000 to donors to the 2004 campaign, after the audit by the Federal Election Commission found Martinez had accepted contributions from donors that exceeded the federal limit.

Auditors also found that Martinez's campaign failed to file the required last-minute contribution notices before the 2004 primary and general elections disclosing 109 contributions that totaled $162,000.

He could face penalties from $350,000 to $800,000 because its not just the above. I know you're surprised that he inappropriately took money from 4 political fundraising committees. Oh, no - he did not!

''Barring some other extenuating factors it would appear to be a substantial six-figure penalty,'' said Washington, D.C., lawyer Larry Norton, who resigned as FEC general counsel earlier this year.

Now, I know this will never happen but it illustrates the corruption of the man who is as morally bankrupt a politician as they come but is just a little more polished than most.

There's more: "$97,000 returned - and still counting" >>

New RNC Head

I'll admit that I'm pretty miffed that Mel Martinez, one of Florida's Senators, will become the head of the Republican National Committee when it votes on Thursday. I guess that means he'll be getting full-time pay for part-time work and that part-time work will be at the behest of his party and not my state.

Worse, though, is that it forces him to vote the White House line on every single issue. He is beholden to the President and his loyalty has been bought and paid for.

I'm from Orlando where Mel was our county Chairman (like a mayor) before he was appointed to his HUD cabinet position (yes, in Bush World, running a county government qualifies you to sit on the Cabinet of the United States President). Back then, he was a reasonable guy and somewhat bipartisan. How he got to this place, attached to the lunacy that is our President, I'll never know.

Here's what he had to say about Iraq:

“When I was in Iraq this fall, I met with many of our troops, many who
happened to be Floridians, and I saw high morale and sense of purpose among
them.

And this:

By taking the lead role in the stability and defense of their own country and by putting a serious financial commitment into reconstruction and job creation in Iraq, the Iraqi government has made the type of commitment that must occur if this plan is to succeed.”

Alas, only someone joined at the hip with Bush would say these kind of things.

The troops are dispirited and whistleblowing to come home. Maliki's government is so totally ineffective that an average of 94 citizens and police officers die EVERY day.

Martinez's break with reality began in January 2001 with his HUD appointment and he has continued a downward spiral that has brought us to this.

My only hope is that his fear and hate mongering in his new RNC role will wake the people of Florida up in 2010. If he was up in 2008, he'd be gone.

God, I'm even agreeing with Michelle Malkin about this.

There's more: "New RNC Head" >>