May 23, 2013

Saving Colonel West?

January 5, 2012 By 4 Comments

January 5th, 2012 – Redistricting in Florida is causing an outcry from South Florida and a ‘call to arms’ effort to keep Florida Congressional District 22 leaning slightly Republican, and in the hands of Allen West. 

There can be no doubt that the new redistricting rules for Florida are a twisted mess of litigation.  Moreover, the language in the Amendments passed does nothing to ensure objective revision of the districts, choosing instead to allow for subjective and irrelevant assessment of congressional districts.  Language such as this – “Legislative districts may not be drawn to favor or disfavor an incumbent or political party. Districts shall not be drawn to deny racial or language minorities the equal opportunity to participate in the political process and elect representatives of their choice.” – create a horrible precedent of ambiguity in the decision.  “Racial or Language minorities”?  After searching extensively through Florida state law, the staff of the Political Watchman hasn’t been able to find any case or place where there is a definition of what a “LANGUAGE MINORITY” exists.  Thus the danger that now faces Florida’s redistricting. 

One of the highest profile potential victims of this subjective redistricting is Congressman Allen West.  The 22nd U.S. Congressional District has historically been slightly Republican leaning, thanks to certain sidesteps into heavily Republican neighborhoods.  Candidate Lt. Colonel Allen West benefitted from the District lines during his campaign, and secured victory in the 2010 election by a significant “get out and vote” effort by his campaign staff, and his genuine grassroots appeal.

West had the opportunity to step into the U.S. Senate race to face Bill Nelson, but declined in order continue as a U.S. Representative.  That decision to stay in the 22nd Congressional District may return to haunt Congressman West, since the District, based on the proposed redrawn lines, will now lean slightly Democrat.  That possibility has many Republicans in South Florida crying “FOUL!” and launching an email/letter writing campaign to keep the 22nd District lines in place.  Entreatments and petitions have been sent out from Republicans all throughout Broward County, including emails from members of the Broward Republican Executive Committee.

In an atmosphere where the majority of Americans want ‘straight shooting’, efforts of ANY political party, group or special interest to influence the redistricting lines is distasteful, but that includes the pandering, subjective “politically correct” language used in the Amendments themselves.  

For Congressman Allen West, the consequences of Amendments 5 & 6, and his choice not to step in to the Senate race may be a single term in office as a U.S. Representative.  It is unfortunate that Republicans may lose the 22nd Congressional District.  It is also disheartening that Congressman Allen West may be destined for a one term political career.  The fiery, outspoken Congressman, when at his best, stands for solid conservative values.  Perhaps the redistricting of CD-22 will actually save Congressman West by helping him re-anchor himself in the values of his grassroots constituents, and placing him unshakably back on Constitutional values and governance.  For the constituents of Florida, the ramifications of Amendments 5 & 6, as well as efforts on both sides to manipulate new boundries may be much more devastating, by setting an uncertain and unstable future for a very politically influential state.  This may have been the reason that the founding fathers recommended drawing districts that were as square as possible, without being hindered by city and county lines.   Keep Watch!

Filed Under: Florida Politics Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Florida’s U.S. Senate Race missing a key element

October 10, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Editorial by Michael MacPherson – Florida Statewide – As the months continue to drag on in the Republican Primary to determine to will top the Republican ticket, there is a key element that is missing – a candidate that can actually defeat Bill Nelson.

While Adam Hasner started out as a Grassroots favorite, and continues to be the leader in this race, his numbers and support do not demonstrate enough favorability to defeat the long-time incumbent Democrat Bill Nelson.  Additionally, Hasner’s voting record continues to be used against him, as it shows a tendency towards the moderate, rather than the hard-charging conservative stance he has made the cornerstone of his candidacy. In a straw poll held at the CPAC event in Orlando, Hasner did take 34% of the vote, but directly behind him was Col. Mike McCalister with 30% of the vote – not that great considering that McCalister is still a relative unknown, having never served as an elected official.

George LeMieux’s candidacy has continued to be plagued by associations with Charlie Crist, and Grassroots groups across the state seem to consider him the ‘establishment’ candidate.  To make matters worse, LeMieux is engaging in an insult trading match with Hasner, getting offended with Hasner’s “LeMieux is french for Crist” comment, and calling Hasner a “Phony Conservative”.  While I agree that it is inappropriate for members of the Republican Party to be actively attacking each other rather than the Liberals, if Fmr. Senator LeMieux can’t take a lightweight comment like that, it calls into question his ability to take what would be thrown at him in DC.

Mike McCalister is holding on to his grassroots support, but he isn’t gaining any real ground.  While Col. McCalister is a fiery speaker, and should be respected for his long service in our military, his fire and outrage alone will not be enough to carry him across the finish line to beat Smilin’ Bill Nelson.

Craig Miller is running in fourth by EVERY poll, and still remains a relative unknown

So what are we left with?  Allen West has made it clear that he will not run for the Senate seat, and for that I applaud him.  He is still working on the House of Representatives and should keep at that.  Mike Haridopolos has dropped out of the race to focus on his job as President of the Florida Senate – an honorable, but disappointing decision, since he probably had the best shot of all the candidates to defeat Bill Nelson.  It was also disappointing because of all the candidates, Haridopolos had been the only candidate to focus on beating Nelson, rather than attacking fellow republicans or getting lost in a fiery, outraged speeches.

In my opinion, we can only hope that the candidates will get their collective heads out of their snark and vitriol, and focus on the true task at hand… defeating Bill Nelson… because right now, that key element is missing from this Republican Senate Primary.  Still standing watch…

Filed Under: Florida Politics Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Team Haridopolos

June 20, 2011 By 1 Comment

Originally this article was going to be published on June 13th and was just going to be about FL Senate President Mike Haridopolos, with the speech and interview that he gave at the Broward Event. However, we learned that the wife of Sen. Haridopolos, would be speaking at the Central Broward Republican Club later last week, so an article featuring the Haridopolises seemed like too good an opportunity to pass up.

The Candidate…

On the 11th, Florida Senate President Mike Haridopolos spoke to the attendees of the Broward GOP BBQ. He spoke of the need for proven leadership in the U.S. Senate. Of all the candidates running for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Democrat Bill Nelson, Haridopolos is the only candidate that is currently in office. He stated that Nelson has grown out of touch with the Florida voters he represents in the Senate. “He’s a nice guy but he’s voted the wrong way on issues… Bill Nelson been in office since I was 2 years old…”.

Haridopolos has been criticized for legislation that has not passed in the short 7 months since his ‘swearing-in’ as President of the Florida Senate. While criticism is a regular part of any Republican’s political life, it normally comes from the opposite side of the aisle. Haridopolos has had to endure criticisms both from Democrats condemning the legislation he has passed, and from Republicans pushing for even more legislation to be passed.   Haridopolos takes it in stride, and points out the legislation that he has worked on and carried through the political process. It is legislation and a conservative agenda that has earned Haridopolos the endorsement of Florida CFO Jeff Atwater, who has stated that it is “the boldest, most conservative agenda ever passed by a legislature in Florida history”, and frankly, the list of accomplishments is pretty impressive. View the video of his speech at the Broward GOP here:

In the 7 months since taking the reins as Florida Senate President, Haridopolos has worked on and passed legislation that will have a profoundly positive impact on the lives of Florida taxpayers such as: legislation that requires welfare recipients to take mandatory drug tests prior to receiving benefits; A balanced budget amendment that eliminated $4 billion in spending, yet added no new fees or taxes; the Health Care Freedom Act, a constitutional amendment which provides a shield for Floridians against the Obama’s Healthcare insurance mandate; legislation that provides funds for a prescription drug database, and increases penalties for the owner/operators of pill mills. View the interview with Hridopolos here:

These are just a few of the accomplishments that Haridopolos reminds the voters of each time he speaks, and are an important part of his campaign’s election strategy, but there is another aspect to his race which is invaluable to Haridopolos’ ability to shake off criticism: The support of his family – specifically that of his wife Dr. Stephanie Haridopolos.

Behind every great man…

Historically, the wives of politicians were (wrongly) relegated to a role of “smile, look pretty, and wave”, completely overlooking the vital support, strength and charisma their efforts created for campaigns. In the modern era, political wives regularly publically champion their spouse’s qualifications, and their support adds a powerful dynamic to the candidate’s campaign. Dr. Stephanie Haridopolos is a prime example of this teamwork between candidate and spouse.

In her speech to the Central Broward Republican Club, Dr. Haridopolos demonstrated that she is well informed on the issues, and far exceeds the historical notion of a “campaign wife”. She covered the accomplishments of her husband as Florida Senate President thus far, and stated her admiration for his determination on an issue that was of particular importance for her – Florida’s pill mill situation. View the video of her speaking to the CRBC here:

As a practicing physician, Dr. Haridopolos knows better than most the destructive effects of prescription drug abuse. She spoke about the scrutiny that their family goes through, and the time spent apart, but that those hardships are worth it because of the work her husband is doing. When the gathering at the CBRC turned to the question & answer portion, the doctor was in! Stephanie Haridopolos showed a significant depth of knowledge on the issues facing Florida and America, and won the hearts of many in attendance with her charm, knowledge, and humor.

Team Haridopolos

While most political candidates display their family while on the campaign trail, it is clear that Haridopoloses are a team, and dedicated to working for the future of our country. The Republican primary to challenge Bill Nelson will be a hard fight, but Mike and Stephanie Haridopolos have made it clear that they are in it for the long haul. The Florida Senate President stated it clearly in his interview “… this isn’t just about winning a primary, it’s about being a principled conservative, and winning the general election…” All the candidates in the Republican Primary are coming on strong, but “Team Haridopolos” continues to gather speed, and will be one to keep watch on!

Keep Watch!

Filed Under: Florida Politics Tagged With: , , , ,

AFP-FL Calls For Action on High Speed Rail Funding

February 18, 2011 By 2 Comments

Florida Lawmakers Encouraging Reckless Spending

Tallahassee –  February 17th, 2011 –  members of Florida’s Congressional Delegation and the Florida Legislature set forth a plan to circumvent Governor Scott’s decision to reject $2.4 billion in federal funds to build a high speed rail from Orlando to Tampa.

Twenty-six State Senators, including ten democrats led by high speed rail supporter Paula Dockery, sent a letter to Obama’s Transportation Secretary asking him to circumvent Gov. Scott and send the dollars directly to a state commission created in 2009.

Americans for Prosperity- Florida quickly replied with an action alert to it’s 83,000 members encouraging to them to write their state and federal officials asking them to hold the line.

The alert noted, “Governor Scott’s decision to reject the federal stimulus dollars is backed by sound economic policy and represents the voice of fiscal conservatives – he doesn’t think it is in the best interest of the state to commit to a project we can’t afford down the road. The Federal Railroad Administration has proposed a plan for Florida that will cost an estimated $11 billion to build, and it is projected that along with SunRail and Tri-Rail it will cost $100 million per year to operate once completed. With unknown ridership numbers and a budget shortfall of $3.5 billion and growing, the state of Florida simply can’t afford Obama and Dockery’s High Speed Rail plan.”

“Apryl Marie Fogel, Director of Americans for Prosperity Florida, stressed that, “Taxpayers throughout Florida have made clear their opposition to a high speed rail project that would leave taxpayers on the hook for years to come. We applaud Governor Scott for taking a tough stand and turning away federal money. Scott lends a voice of reason to a debate where special and self interest have become the priority over good policy-making. This project would saddle Floridians with a future that includes a looming threat of untold amounts of debt.

Fogel went on to emphasize, “The call for fiscal responsibility and good government has been loud and clear. The Senators who signed this letter need to take a step back and realize that they are held to the same standards as those in DC, many of them shook their fist at the Obama/Pelosi agenda campaigning against the same time of reckless and short sided governing that they are promoting.”

Access the full letter to Ray LaHood here: Letter to Ray LaHood

Americans for Prosperity (AFP) is a nationwide organization of citizen-leaders committed to advancing every individual’s right to economic freedom and opportunity. AFP believes reducing the size and intrusiveness of government is the best way to promote individual productivity and prosperity for all Americans. AFP educates and engages citizens to support restraining state and federal government growth and returning government to its constitutional limits. AFP is more than 1.5 million activists strong, with activists in all 50 states. AFP has 31 state chapters and affiliates. More than 70,000 Americans in all 50 states have made a financial contribution to AFP or AFP Foundation. For more information, visit www.americansforprosperity.org

Americans for Prosperity does not support or oppose candidates for public office.

Filed Under: Florida Politics Tagged With: , , , , ,

Even though it was broken when we passed it…

February 4, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Senate Democrats block the repeal of  ‘Obamacare’ and continue their headlong dash to self-induced defeat in 2012…

February 04, 2011

by Matt Campbell

 This past Wednesday, Senate Democrats once again failed to listen to the will of the vast majority of American citizens, by opposing Republican efforts to put forward a repeal of the healthcare law ratified in 2010. The repeal measure, which was passed last week by the United States House of Representatives, was blunted in the Senate by a vote straight down party lines. 51 Democrats, 47 Republicans.

More distressing than the vote is the continuing willful disregard of Senate Democrats to acknowledge or even consider the will of those whom they represent. Further, the Senate Democrats refused to recognize that the healthcare bill that they passed into law should have never been passed. This stubborn attitude was demonstrated in the comments several Senate Democrats made from the floor. Perhaps the most telling of these comments were those made by Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida:

“My preference is we fix the law, that we don’t throw it out” said Nelson from the Senate floor Wednesday.

The word “fix” by its definition implies a state of brokenness, and if the bill was broken, why was it passed at the intial vote in March of last year? Senate Democrats have yet to explain that discrepancy, but Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi may have given an clear insight into the Democrat thought processes with her enthusiastic declaration - ”We have to pass the bill to find out what’s in it…”

Sen. Nelson, however, is not the only senatorial Democrat demonstrating a lack of connectivity to the will of the American citizenry.  Senate majority leader Harry Reid, took a swing at Senate Republicans saying - ”They are fighting for repeal but refusing to offer any new ideas… Republicans have had a year to propose a plan to replace the law they dislike even though 80% of Americans don’t want it repealed in the first place.”   The problem with Sen. Reid’s “80%” number is that it is just plain wrong. According to Rasmussen,  58% of Americans want the healthcare law REPEALED.  Also,  in the most recent Quinnipiac poll the numbers favor repeal as well with 48% favoring repeal to 43% falling in the “don’t repeal”, or “don’t know” category. Furthermore, Republicans were, in fact, offering a solution… Don’t pass a broken bill – especially when it goes against the will of the American people.

In all likelihood, this matter will end up before the Supreme Court, and many Democrat Senators, including Sen. Bill Nelson, seem ready to pass along the responsibility for this decision.

Sen. Nelson made this clear in his statements from the floor:  ”Doesn’t anyone conclude that this matter is going to the Supreme Court to decide if this law is constitutional or not? The Supreme Court decision is going to discard political and partisan interests.” Nelson continued “Why don’t we just expedite the matter?”

Both Republican and Democrat Senators received thousands of letters and e-mails requesting the repeal of the 2010 healthcare law. For Sen. Nelson messages from his home state of Florida included communications from two of his likely competitors in the 2012 Senate race for the seat he now holds.

Florida State Senate President Mike Haridopolos and U.S. Representative Connie Mack (R- 14) both sent letters to Sen. Bill Nelson requesting that he support the repeal. Representative Connie Mack wrote eloquently, but stated in no uncertain terms precisely what Florida constituents expected of Sen. Nelson - ”It is critically important that you listen to the will of your constituents and to the federal courts that ruled it unconstitutional, and finally stop supporting this dreadful, unconstitutional, and harmful piece of legislation… Floridians await your decision,” Rep. Mack wrote “and also know to be mindful of any procedural motions ahead of the vote that would also measure your intentions.”    Sen. Nelson will face both Haridopolos and Mack in the swiftly approaching campaign season, where it is likely the health care law will play a significant role.

By the admission of Republicans, the vote for repealing  ’Obamacare’  was a long shot in the Democrat-controlled Senate, but Republican leaders were quick to point out that this vote is just the start.  Republican Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell stated- “This fight isn’t over. We intend to continue the fight to repeal and replace ‘Obamacare’.

Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina made reference to the far-reaching effects of this Senate vote in his statement- “There is going to be a presidential election in 2012, and this healthcare bill is going to be an issue…”

Many ongoing court battles will keep this law in the forefront, including Florida’s recent court decision, finding the 2010 healthcare law unconstitutional.

All of America will be keeping watch; both on the course of this bill, and the Democrat Senators who continue to ignore the will of the people in favor of party agenda.

Filed Under: Nationwide Politics, Senate Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Haridopolos U.S. Senate bid is now official

January 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment

January 14th, 2011 – Florida State Senate President Mike Haridopolos officially announced his intent to run for the U.S. Senate seat held by Sen. Bill Nelson, D-FL.  Haridopolos announced that he has filed the necessary paperwork with the FEC to move forward with a campaign to win the U.S. Senate seat.  The decision apparently comes after a conversation with former FL Govenor Jeb Bush, confirming that Bush had no intention of running for the office.

Sen. Haridopolos has already demonstrated a commitment to transparency in government service, both through the Transparency Initiative he led, and through his headline-making action of removing the doors from his Senate office. 

Haridopolos will face off against several others vying for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Sen. Bill Nelson.  Other candidates and potential candidates include former Sen. George LeMieux, Col. Mike McCalister, Rep. Dan Webster, Rep. Connie Mack IV and a host of others. Former Senate Candidate Nick Loeb may be a potential ”citizen” candidate using the groundswell against “professional politicians” demonstrated in the last election.  It has also  been widely speculated that State House Majority Leader Adam Hasner will also put his hat in the ring.

The road to the 2012 Senate election promises to be long, and this first step taken by Sen. Haridopolos could potentially force the hand of other Republican hopefuls. Florida will be on watch as the race to the Senate seat progresses.

Filed Under: Nationwide Politics, Senate Tagged With: , , , , , ,
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