Posted on 09/20/2002 1:30:29 PM PDT by PhiKapMom
Letter from the Chairman, Al Cardenas, Republican Party of Florida
At long last, the general election season is upon us. Janet Reno, in all likelihood, actually brought more voters to the polls in the Democrat primary for governor, despite being outspent in a big way. As a result, Bill McBride has emerged nicked and tarnished from a heavily divided primary and his first decision is already a flop. He picked Tom Rossin to be his running mate and the choice was met with a chorus of yawns.
Rossin is a retiring state senator from south Florida with a long list of votes for tax increases and runaway government spending. McBride says he wants to be judged on his selection of Rossin. Given Rossin's left-wing record, we're more than happy to make sure Floridians have the information they need to make that judgment.
McBride supporters are desperately trying to spread the notion that Rossin is a moderate who will attract Republican voters to the Democrat ticket. Nonsense. Rossin has been a bitter partisan, even accusing our Governor of running Florida's economy "into a ditch" and "government graft" in an over-the-top op-ed published earlier this year. No Republican I know is interested in someone who makes wild-eyed accusations about an honorable man like Jeb Bush. Bill McBride wanted to find someone who would not outshine him. This was a most difficult undertaking but, alas, in Tom Rossin, he got his wish.
Further evidence surfaced this week showing the breathtaking extent to which the teacher's union bosses have taken over the McBride campaign. The new campaign manager is the union's lobbyist. The campaign spokesman is the union's spokesman. The union bosses are paying all the salaries and pulling all the strings. It looks like McBride's entire campaign has been hijacked by a narrow special interest group and that cannot be good for Florida.
Education is at the top of the agenda this year, and that's an issue Jeb Bush wins hands down. Just four years ago, Florida's schools were spiraling downward with no plan to push for higher standards, insist on accountability and measure results. Today, we expect our students and teachers to do better and we know achievement is up because we test for it. We have made historic investments in public schools while demanding better results, and the plan is working.
The teacher's union bosses are anxious to use their hijacked campaign to get rid of accountability and eliminate higher standards. We can't – and won't – let them take our state back to the days when the only measurement was the amount of money that went in, not the learning that came out.
The difference between the record and vision of Jeb Bush and the narrow agenda of the teacher's union bosses is crystal clear. It's our job to put that difference on display for all to see.
Al Cardenas
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Democrats should blame themselves
Excerpts from a commentary by Myriam Marquez in the Orlando Sentinel on 9-18-02:
"The Democratic Party predictably blames Republicans for last week's primary-election fiasco. Janet Reno prepares a report to outline "suspected problems with Florida's electronic touch-screen voting machines" and vows to make it her crusade.
"So far, everything points to a lack of poll-worker training in South Florida and too few, if any, dry runs before the primary. That's not the governor's fault. That's not the Legislature's fault or even the fault of the secretary of state, whose office oversees election rules. It's the responsibility of local elections supervisors, and in the counties with the most problems, those supervisors happen to be Democrats or to work for Democratic bosses.
"South Florida's election officials blew it -- either for political advantage or out of sheer stupidity. Either way, the Democrats don't look good."
McBride has no answers
Excerpts from a press release by Al Cardenas on RPOF on 9-17-02:
"McBride leap-frogged to the left of Janet Reno with his very first effort at public policy by putting his name on an education plan written by the teachers union bosses that would raise taxes and do nothing to improve the way our children are taught. He continues to pander to the tax-and-spenders by backing every effort to increase government bureaucracy without giving a hint of how taxpayers will afford it. He is quickly alienating every Floridian who knows what it’s like to work hard for a living only to see their paycheck eaten up by taxes.
"Listen carefully when Mr. McBride speaks. When he isn't bashing Governor Bush - which is a rare moment - he is talking about the need for Floridians to 'invest' more in our state. Florida voters understand that means taking more money out of their pockets and putting it into bigger and bigger government programs.
"Governor Bush has spent the last four years investing, not in bigger government, but in the people of Florida by letting them keep more of their own money, increasing the economic opportunities for all Floridians - all while still increasing funding for education, health care and environmental protection.
"Under Gov. Bush's leadership, Florida schools are finally moving in the right direction, quality health care for our children and seniors is now more available and more affordable than ever before, people are keeping more of their hard-earned money and we finally have a comprehensive plan to protect and restore Florida's environmental treasures. We now know Gov. Jeb Bush will face in Bill McBride an opponent who would undo all the positive reforms Gov. Bush has worked so hard to accomplish."
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Jeb promotes education plan
Governor Jeb Bush this week revealed "Blueprint for Achievement," an education plan that will improve Florida's schools by building 12,000 new classrooms.
"Over the last four years, Florida's students have experienced rising achievement, opening up the doors of opportunity to success. 'Blueprint for Achievement ' will compliment the success we have seen as a result of the A+ plan." Gov. Jeb Bush, Office of the Governor, 9-19-02
"Here is a thoughtful alternative that can be done without raising taxes or cutting spending. The class size initiative, I believe, guarantees both." Gov. Jeb Bush, St. Pete Times, 9-20-02
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Shut up, Bob Poe
Excerpts from a commentary by Philip Gailey in the St. Pete Times on 9-16-02:
"Democrats, as usual, rounded up the usual suspects and pointed a finger of blame at Gov. Jeb Bush. Never mind that the worst of the voting problems were in Broward and Miami-Dade, where Democrats are in charge of local government and elections. It's ridiculous for Democrats to suggest that he should be held responsible for Tuesday's election problems.
"The governor has many responsibilities, but the last time I looked, running local elections is not one of them. That's the job of local elections supervisors such as Miriam Oliphant. "It's time to fix the blame where it belongs - with local elections officials in those counties that screwed up. Except for a few scattered glitches and problems, most Florida counties did just fine on Tuesday. It's South Florida, a Democratic stronghold, that keeps making a farce of our elections. "It would help if Democrats like Chairman Bob Poe shut up."
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Sheriffs endorse Jeb!
This week, Gov. Jeb Bush was endorsed for re-election by 38 Florida sheriffs, including 13 Democrat sheriffs.
"I am honored to stand here today and receive the endorsement of 38 of Florida's finest public servants. Everyday law enforcement officers put their lives on the line to keep us safe, and they deserve nothing less than our complete respect and support." Gov. Jeb Bush, Office of the Governor, 9-19-02
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Democrats plot to raise taxes after elections
From a release by GOP Team Leader on 9-19-02:
"While President Bush and Republicans in Congress have demonstrated clear leadership on the issues that matter most, Democrats still refuse to say how they would handle the key decisions on taxes, restraining Washington spending, and our national defense until after the election. Democrats led by DNC chairman Terry McAuliffe continue to call for a post-election 'summit' to 'discuss' raising taxes. And now Senator Hillary Clinton said that she doesn't 'see any alternative' but to raise taxes by repealing or postponing President Bush's tax cuts for working families.
"Having failed to pass a budget to impose restraint, Senate Democrats are no doubt hoping to provoke a fiscal train wreck that will make it easier for them to raise taxes. Nothing could be worse for our families and our economy. Rather than pursuing a stealth tax increase strategy, Senate Democrats need to come clean now about their spending and tax proposals. The American people have the right to know."
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Quotables
Here's what his fellow Democrats are saying about LG candidate Tom Rossin:
"It's going to be very difficult for me to run around with two elderly white male lawyers and go into my churches and inspire them." Rep. Chris Smith, D-Fort Lauderdale (St. Petersburg Times)
"What's his name again?" Chuck Floyd, Democratic chairman in Alachua County (St. Petersburg Times)
"I'm incensed. I don't know who he is. I have to deliver votes in North Dade. People trust my judgment. I know nothing about him. Why is he choosing a lieutenant governor that old?" Ginger Grossman, a Reno supporter who heads the William Lehman Northeast Dade Involved Democrats club (St. Petersburg Times)
"He's sort of white toast with mayonnaise," an un-named fellow Democrat senator (Miami Herald)
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