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Posted on 09/19/2004 9:43:39 AM PDT by dread78645
MIAMI (AP) -- The nation's leaders need to put aside partisan labels to help Florida recover from the devastation of three major hurricanes during the past month, Democratic Senate candidate Betty Castor said Saturday.
In her party's weekly radio address, Castor said Hurricanes Charley, Frances and Ivan "have cut a terrible swath of destruction," destroying homes and damaging military bases and the state's agricultural industry.
"At times like these, we are not Republicans or Democrats. We are all Americans," Castor said. "The worst of Mother Nature brings out the best in human nature."
Castor, a former state education commissioner, defeated Rep. Peter Deutsch to capture the party's nomination in the Aug. 31 primary. She faces Republican Mel Martinez, a former U.S. housing and urban development secretary, for the seat of retiring Democratic Sen. Bob Graham.
The race has been overshadowed as the state recovers from the hurricanes. Frances was a slow-moving storm that covered much of the peninsula after it struck the state's central Atlantic coast Sept. 5, while Charley was a faster, stronger, more compact storm when it blasted into the state's southwest coast Aug. 13.
Ivan damaged hundreds of buildings in the Florida Panhandle with 130-mph winds, flooding and tornadoes when it struck before dawn Thursday.
Early estimates put Ivan's insured damages at $3 billion to $10 billion - adding to estimated damages of about $11 billion to $13 billion for Hurricanes Charley and Frances. Overall, at least 65 people have been killed in the three storms or during the cleanup.
Castor said the state was "thankful for the disaster aid approved under the leadership of President Bush, Senator Tom Daschle (the Senate Democratic leader) and our wonderful Florida senators, Bill Nelson and Bob Graham." She urged Congress to approve a $700 million appropriation to help Florida's farmers recover from major losses to the citrus industry.
"These are not political problems, they're human problems. Their solutions should not be held hostage to political imperatives," Castor said. "If there's one lesson to be taken away from our response to these terrible hurricanes, it is this: There is nothing we Americans cannot achieve when we put our differences aside and work together."
Can't we all just get along?
Isn't this the ol' biddy that called for Rush Limbaugh's head??
Are there any polls out on this race? Castor is dangerous. Martinez ought to make a commercial connecting her to that Al-Arian guy.
Geesh
she's part of the 5th collumn...anyone who went nuts for Sami like that--warning warning warning
This from people of abortion on demand, gay marriage, gun grabbing and Christian-bashing.
Of course the statement is true but the wicked left cannot give ground on anything. The Florida 2000 elections proved that even Democrats in judges' robes are hopelessly partisan and will not recognize the truth or the law if they can't get their way.
Cry me a friggin' river you people who stand against everything good and decent in America until a natural disaster blows down your houses and brings you to your knees. As soon as the rest of America helps you rebuild, you'll be back on the trail of full-on hatred and lies in your insatiable demand for political power.
In a short 40+ days she will join Janet Reno in la la land.
Anyone with any reading comprehesion at all knows about Betty Castor.
Martinez will do just fine.
Betty Castro
Guess she's sorry she doesn't have a picture of herself hugging Dubya, ala Daschole, so she's doing the next best thing.
She's got a BAD name for running for office in Florida doesn't she?
The nation's leaders need to put aside partisan labels to help Florida recover from the devastation of three major hurricanes during the past month, Democratic Senate candidate Betty Castor said Saturday.
Only a Dumocrat would make such an assinine statement.
The is right up there with we want room to grow.
This is a PR trick to "imply" partisan ship.
Castor has a strong chance of loosing to Martinez for the senate.
I sure hope so, last poll I saw showed her ahead by a little. Is there any new ones?
McCollum isn't being helpful either. His 'endorsement' seemed like it was just a chance for him to take a shot at Martinez (I do agree that Martinez was a little over the top in his criticism of McCollum, but this isn't the time to discuss that). McCollum was a good congressman, I wish he would have retired a bit more gracefully.
Same here.
He is doing us no great service by remaining bitter.
Possibly a personal fault?
Castor is unqualified for the job and she was unqualified for all her jobs. She is ahead in the polls by 4 percent,and unless Martinez stops running to the far right,starts smiling,kills the accent,and talks about issues and reasons to vote for him he will lose. Castor is well known and well liked(why I will never know) even though she is an extreme leftist. Unless you are a political junkie from Florida you cannot understand what is going on.
Castor is part of thet old FL Democrat Janet Reno insider circle.
McCollum is being short sighted and egotistical. If he would take a reasonable stand back he would be able to self correct and Run with Martinez endorsemnts against Nelson's Machine.
Loosing sucks, but McCollum should have the forsight to realize that he would be a number one to continue the trend of dumping the democrats.
Look a Thune, Thune is now on the road to booting "disappointed" Dashle.
Ummmmmm That would be ME. Betty Castor is B-A-D news. Talk about a Gun Grabber!! She'll make the other two look like NRA wannabes in comparison.
Remember, sHrillary is coaching her!
Maybe in S.FL but not up in Central. Heck, I never heard of her till she was running against Deutsh and I've lived here almost 15 years. Did she ever do anything in the senate?
If Mz Castor is soooooo concerned about bipartianship - she needs to tell sKerry to stay out of FL with his lies and negative campaign. She also needs to tell the DNC not to send their legal goons down here to try and steal another election. She also needs to tell the displaced NY voter snowbirds that they can only vote ONCE.
I hadn't thought about McCollum and running against Nelson. Good point.
It isn't that Mac didn't have the experience to know from being in Congress. Oh ... well.
As for Thune, isn't that exciting? That may well be a sign of things to come.
Fingers crossed, and all that. ;)
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