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Hewing to campaign conventions, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) today visited a local pastry shop here, praised his fellow Republican officeholders and declared Florida is "a battleground state" in the election. McCain entered Pancho's Spanish Bakery & Deli in Orlando this afternoon along with his wife Cindy, Florida GOP Gov. Charlie Crist and Orange County mayor Richard Crotty (R). They all shook hands with many patrons and a few employees. There was scattered applause. "Thank you," McCain said. "We have the mayor and the governor, how about that?" Upon seeing Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.), who was seated at a table, rise...

Consider: The Brazilian government has a 58 percent controlling stake in Petrobras's voting shares and 32percent of its total shares, which means that some of the profits go straight to the government's bottom line, giving the politicians more money to spend on bribing their constituents. In the United States, American politicians do not benefit from a successful oil industry, since corporate profits go to shareholders, pensioners and employees; therefore Congress has a much greater incentive to respond to the concentrated power of the special interest group known as the "greens." There are plenty of other examples, says O'Grady: In Mexico,...

Legislation to combat global warming by putting limits on greenhouse gas emissions appeared headed to defeat as Democrats and Republicans accused each other of manipulating Senate rules to impede it. Opponents of the bill, co-authored by Sen. John Warner of Virginia, are "trying to fritter away the time" that Senate leaders had set aside for debate, Democratic Sen. John Kerry charged. On Wednesday, Republicans forced Democrats to have the 492-page bill read aloud on the floor, taking up more than nine hours. Majority Leader Harry Reid then scheduled a showdown vote for this morning on a motion to limit additional...

It is often said that the best way to find out how a candidate would act in office if elected, is to see who he/she surrounds himself with. Money is another factor, what people and industries are backing the candidate. These answers should be an indicator of what to expect. Who is behind the man should gauge what kind of man he is. The great Richard Viguerie tells the story of how he and other conservatives had a “seat at the table” of the presidential campaigns of Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan for. His thinking was if Conservatives aren’t at...

Less then a week after saying he has heard the American people regarding illegal immigration and their opposition to the McCain-Kennedy Pro-Amnesty bill, John McCain would still SIGN THE BILL into law if he was President and it came across his desk: (VIDEO) This explains his receiving the endorsement of fellow Pro-Amnestians, Senator Mel Martinez, (who almost single-handedly bankrupted the RNC with his support of the bill), the NY Times, Florida Governor Charlie Crist and of the Mexico-first pro-amnesty open borders advocate Dr. Juan Hernandez. “My friends", let me give you some “straight talk", a vote for John McCain is...

MIAMI -- The Latin Builders Association basked in the attention of four Republican candidates today, all of whom pledged to pay attention to issues prized by Latino voters. While Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) came at the end of the day, as association members were sipping cocktails, he came with a key guest: Sen. Mel Martinez, who formally announced he is endorsing his colleague for president. "The man that we should trust with the leadership of our nation as commander in chief ought to be John McCain," Martinez said, breaking into a mix of Spanish and English. "This is a man...

MIAMI- Sen. Mel Martinez of Florida has decided not to endorse Republican presidential hopeful Arizona Sen. John McCain. McCain was planning to campaign Monday in Miami with Martinez to help woo Hispanic voters,The Miami Herald reported Sunday. A factor in Martinez's decision to withhold his endorsement of McCain's candidacy is that he feels badly for McCain rival, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who was a Martinez supporter and had expected his backing in return, the newspaper reported. McCain supporters had been told by the campaign late last week that Martinez was coming to stump with the Arizona senator. But,...

US Senator Mel Martinez (R) may draw an unexpected challenge for re-nomination when his seat comes up in 2010, possibly from ambitious State House Speaker Marco Rubio (R). Some Florida Republicans are upset with Martinez over his immigration position, others in the agricultural community are unhappy about his support for CAFTA (Central American Free Trade Agreement), and party activists grumble about his brief, hands-off RNC Chairmanship. Considered a fairly poor campaigner with weak name ID and no discernable association with any particular issue, Martinez could be vulnerable to a challenge from the right. Others who know Martinez -- who was...

WASHINGTON -- The Republican Party's highest-ranking Latino official abruptly resigned Friday, marking the latest casualty in the GOP's bitter internal fight over immigration and dealing another setback to President Bush's years-long effort to court Latino voters. The announcement by Sen. Mel Martinez of Florida that he was quitting as general chairman of the Republican National Committee came after he had expressed frustration over the tenor of the immigration debate within his party. ... "Mel Martinez was a symbol of the party's outreach to Latinos, and that seems to be disappearing," said Lionel Sosa, a longtime Republican strategist and advisor to...

Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.) resigned Friday as general chairman of the Republican National Committee, leaving all top-level leader duties for the embattled GOP to Mike Duncan, the current chairman. Martinez, who took the job nine months ago as the public face of the national GOP, stepped down during a tough time for the Republican Party, out of power on Capitol Hill and trying to gain traction in the national campaign under the shadow of an unpopular, lame-duck president. Martinez, who publicly parted ways with GOP congressional leaders earlier this year on immigration issues, will not be replaced as general chairman....

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Mel Martinez, the reluctant general chairman of the Republican National Committee, is planning to step down as soon as a presidential nominee emerges, party insiders say. Martinez, who was elected to the post in January, couldn't be reached for comment on Saturday. Danny Diaz, a spokesman for the Republican National Committee, said Martinez is ``the elected general chairman of the . . . party and will remain so. . . .'' Word of Martinez's possible departure before the 2008 election surfaced Saturday in a column written by Robert Novak. But Republicans close to Martinez said the freshman...

For many in the country's fastest-growing segment of the electorate, Sen. Mel Martinez is the face of the Republican Party. The Florida senator was handpicked by President Bush to become the first Hispanic chairman of the Republican National Committee, and when Univision announced its plans to sponsor groundbreaking Spanish-language forums for the presidential hopefuls -- one for Democrats, the other for Republicans -- Martinez was thrilled. The largest Spanish-language U.S. television network and the fifth-largest overall, Univision is MTV, ESPN and CNN rolled into one for millions of Latinos. But though all the leading Democratic presidential contenders are scheduled to...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A military cargo plane carrying Florida Sen. Mel Martinez, two other senators and a House member was forced to take evasive maneuvers and dispatch flares to avoid ground fire after taking off from Baghdad. The lawmakers said their plane, a C-130, was under fire Thursday night from three rocket-propelled grenades over the course of several minutes as they left for Amman, Jordan. ``It was a scary moment,'' said Martinez, R-Fla., who said he had just taken off his body armor when he saw a bright flash outside the window. ``Our pilots were terrific. ... They banked in...

A C-130 aircraft carrying an Alabama senator and congressman was fired on this evening as it was flying from Baghdad to Amman, Jordan. The airplane was carrying Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., and Rep. Bud Cramer, D-Huntsville, and two other senators. Three rockets were shot at the plane and were "near misses," Shelby said in a telephone interview. He said the pilot took evasive maneuvers to avoid the rockets. The plane landed safely in Amman at about 4 p.m. central.

In a sign of serious Republican disarray, Sen. Mel Martinez, the chairman of the Republican National Committee, has just lambasted his party's two top presidential candidates over immigration positions which most Americans regard as reasonable. The junior senator from Florida is wrong on more than the substance. This is a case of Mr. Martinez putting his own personal views and his loyalty to President Bush above the serious responsibilities of his chairmanship... And he may have just undercut the man for whom Mr. Martinez's job requires a vigorous defense next year. The irony here is that Mr. Martinez did this...

What is the Republican National Committee doing attacking the two major GOP contenders for president, Giuliani and Romney (who have no history as conservatives) for being too conservative on illegal immigration? The party leadership is out of touch with not only conservative Republicans, but mainstream Republicans as well. The Republican National Committee chairman, Mel Martinez, has come out criticizing the GOP's 2 top candidates for president, Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney for their positions on resolving illegal immigration . What is wrong with this picture? Giuliani and Romney are considered RINOs to many Republicans, with track records to prove it,...

ST. PETERSBURG - Sen. Mel Martinez, the head of the Republican National Committee, took a swipe Tuesday at the leading Republican presidential candidates for not offering solid solutions to America's immigration crisis. In his remarks, Martinez did not directly refer to former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney or former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, but he later suggested both candidates, who were critics of the controversial Senate immigration proposal, had mischaracterized the plan. He also urged audience members to pin down the Republican candidates on immigration when they come to St. Petersburg for the YouTube/CNN Republican presidential debate Nov. 28... Martinez's...

The Republican Party's national chairman scolded his party's two top presidential candidates this week for their tough stance on illegal immigration, even as both men moved to try to one-up each other in calling for stricter enforcement. Sen. Mel Martinez of Florida, President Bush's handpicked choice for party chairman, chided former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former New York Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani for opposing and mischaracterizing the Senate immigration bill Mr. Martinez helped craft. "It's about leading on the tough issues," Mr. Martinez told the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce in comments first reported in yesterday's St. Petersburg...

WASHINGTON - These are tough times for Mel Martinez. In the past month, the Republican U.S. senator from Orlando has seen the collapse of an immigration-reform bill he helped craft. As chairman of the Republican National Committee, he has struggled to defend an unpopular president and an increasingly unpopular war, even as party fundraising lags. And now a new Quinnipiac University poll shows him plunging to new lows in his home state. Indeed, more Florida voters -- 38 percent -- said they disapproved of Martinez's performance than the 36 percent who said they approved of it. It's clear that fallout...

Neighbors~ RE: Martinez Lest you think your correspondence is actually being considered, this thoughtful note resulted in the same computer generated, form letter response as a simple note to vote no, sent back on the day of the vote. BTW- Rick Keller must Go as well! Senator Martinez, I am not sure if this is a form letter or actual response directly from you. Given some of my comments to you about your position on this comprehensive legislation, I appreciate the fact that it was even acknowledged. I think it is pretty clear where the most Americans stand on this...

The Chairman of the Republican Party on Friday lambasted Democrats and Republicans who helped kill an immigration bill in the Senate and challenged them to come up with a solution beyond "just build a fence along the border." "The voices of negativity now have a responsibility to come up with an answer," RNC Chairman and U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla. said. "How will you fix the situation to make peoples' lives better? How will you continue to grow the economy? How will we bring people out of the shadows for our national security and for the sake of being a...

U.S. Senator Mel Martinez (R-FL) today made the following comments following the Senate’s failure to invoke cloture on the immigration reform bill, S. 1639. Senator Martinez voted in favor invoking cloture. The vote failed 46 to 53. Martinez said: “I came to Congress to solve problems, to do good for this country that I love so much. I also believe in democracy, and I can count. We didn’t win today. And I accept that. I know that the people of Florida, many of whom, I know, share my background as an immigrant to this country, many of whom were looking...

Now, he's really gone too far. Republican Party Chairman and Florida U.S. Senator Mel Martinez needs to get out of politics before he single-handedly (well, actually with the help of President George W. Bush and other Senators like Jon Kyl) destroys the Republican Party forever. Today's Wall Street Journal Washington Wire reports that--despite the GOP's jilted lover stalking of the Hispanic vote (including such tactics as the Illegal Alien Amnesty Bill)--more Hispanics than ever identify themselves as Democrats rather than Republicans. A new Wall Street Journal/NBC poll finds that they identify 51% to 21% as Democrats to Republicans. But, instead...

Below is a response to the recent comments I received from you: Dear: Thank you for taking the time to contact me. I appreciate hearing from you regarding comprehensive immigration reform and would like to respond to your concerns. As you may know, on June 7, 2007, the Senate was unable to reach an agreement on the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act (S. 1348) and the Senate Majority Leader has set aside S. 1348, for the time being. Delaying comprehensive reform does a disservice to America. I remain committed to working together with my colleagues to produce a tough but fair...

RUSH: I was going to call in to the show on Friday and do some minor gloating and take a little credit here for the immigration bill being pulled, but right about the time I hit my third birdie on the front nine I said, "To hell with it, I'm going to keep playing golf." Besides, in all candor, it's not dead. It's still on life support. The president's going to meet with some people: Congress, GOP, probably Ted Kennedy, too, sometime tomorrow. It may even go up to the Capitol. The original meeting was supposed to be lunch at...

All of the Republican presidential contenders have turned down an invitation to speak in Orlando to the nation's largest gathering of Hispanic elected officials, at a time when their constituents are poised to be a powerful force in the 2008 election. Making the GOP field's absence particularly conspicuous, all of the leading Democratic candidates are planning to address NALEO, the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, on June 30. The Republicans were asked to participate in a forum the previous day. About 1,000 Hispanic leaders, representing the fastest-growing part of the electorate, are expected at the conference. Hispanic...

Presidential contender John McCain chose South Florida turf replete with immigrant success stories to pick a fight Monday with Republican rivals who oppose legislation allowing illegal workers to earn citizenship. The speech to more than 200 people at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables was the Arizona senator's most extensive remarks on the bill since Congress took it up last month, setting off a firestorm in the GOP and on the campaign trail. McCain's speech, laden with references to the American dream and land of opportunity, earned two standing ovations from the crowd full of Hispanic business leaders and elected...

WASHINGTON -- These days, Mel Martinez begins each morning in a room just off the Senate floor listening to 11 of his colleagues argue the intricacies of a potentially historic immigration proposal. Sometimes, Martinez tries to lighten the intense atmosphere that builds up when polar opposites debate an emotional issue. Other times, the Senate's only immigrant sits quietly in an overstuffed crimson leather chair only to have someone ask: "Mel, certainly you have an opinion about this?" Martinez is one of the so-called "Gang of 12" senators who are taking the lead on one of the hottest topics on Capitol...

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Republican National Committee Chairman Sen. Mel Martinez rejected the claim that the new immigration bill will anger conservatives and destroy the GOP's chances to win in the 2008 election.

Republican National Committee Chairman Sen. Mel Martinez rejected the claim that the new immigration bill will anger conservatives and destroy the GOP's chances to win in the 2008 election. On CNN's Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer Sunday, Martinez said immigration "could be the saving of the Republican Party, frankly. And to do nothing would be the wrong thing for the American people." Martinez is optimistic that the controversial legislation will make it through Congress, and he is counting on President Bush "to get us over the finish line."

Sen. Mel Martinez told the Tampa Tribune editorial board today that he’ll continue pressing for immigration reform, despite the criticism his prominent role in the issue got him from the conservative wing of his own party. Martinez has proposed an “earned citizenship” program to deal with the millions of illegal immigrants now living and working in the country. That would include such requirements as showing proficiency in English, passing citizenship tests and paying a fine or back taxes before illegals could get citizenship or some other “normalized” status. But to conservatives who make up much of the GOP’s base, regardless...

I emphatically disagree with statements Sen. Mel Martinez made recently... Mr. Martinez wants to grant illegal aliens a "path to citizenship."... Do we give bank robbers "earned plunder" or make them "go to the end of the line" to get their pillage or a "path towards keeping their prize"? ...This is the worst kind of amnesty -- it grants huge benefits that are reserved only for those who have broken our laws. Mr. Martinez presents the false choice of mass amnesty or mass deportations. The sensible middle ground -- supported by Americans over amnesty by more than two to one...

Sen. Mel Martinez of Florida, the Republican National Committee's new general chairman, wants Congress to pass an immigration bill this year that will include a guest-worker program with "earned citizenship" requirements for illegal aliens. Mr. Martinez, whose election encountered sharp opposition from some RNC members who think his support for giving illegal aliens a path to citizenship is a thinly veiled form of amnesty, said, "I don't support deporting these people because I don't believe that's a realistic approach." In an interview with The Washington Times, his first since taking the helm of the RNC, he acknowledged the opposition to...

For the third time in 36 years, the Republican National Committee will accept a shared leadership arrangement with a U.S. senator as party general chairman and an RNC member as the full-time chairman. Meeting in Washington D.C., the 167-member RNC today made official the White House’s choice of Florida Sen. Mel Martinez as general chairman of the party and Kentucky Republican National Committeeman Mike Duncan as full-time chairman. But it won’t be with enthusiasm that the RNC gives its approval to the Martinez-Duncan team. As one committee member arriving in Washington for the RNC winter meeting told me, “We’re like...

WASHINGTON — Over a smattering of opposition, U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez of Florida was elected today to be general chairman of the Republican Party. Martinez, 60, a native of Cuba, is the first Hispanic to hold the largely honorary position that has not existed in recent years. Mike Duncan of Kentucky was chosen to be the Republican National Committee's chairman and will be in charge of the party's day-to-day operations. In accepting the position, Martinez said: "I am truly humbled by the opportunity that you give me and the responsibility that you place upon me." A handful of delegates objected...

Rebellion is brewing among conservatives on the Republican National Committee over President's Bush's attempt to "impose" Sen. Mel Martinez of Florida as "general chairman" of the party, who favors "amnesty" for illegal aliens. "I will be voting against Senator Martinez if he is nominated for any chairmanship of the RNC," Tina Benkiser, Texas Republican Party chairman, told The Washington Times yesterday. Bill Crocker, the elected national committeeman from Texas, says that when the RNC convenes here tomorrow, "Absolutely, I will vote against Martinez." The conservatives -- one of whom accused the Bush White House of "outsourcing" party leadership -- say...

WASHINGTON — Immigration policy and party message are at the top of a list of issues Republicans are reviewing as they try to woo back the rapidly growing Latino population following a November midterm election that saw Hispanic support for the GOP drop by nearly a third. The Republican share of the Latino vote fell from 44 percent in 2004 to 30 percent this year, according to FOX News exit polling data. With the Hispanic vote making up 8 percent of the electorate in 2006 compared to 5 percent in 1996, the largest and fastest growing ethnic minority in America...

Many in the GOP establishment are trying to blame the Democratic takeover of Congress on the patriotic Republicans who want to secure our borders. The truth is that many voters associated the GOP with President Bush's Amnesty and his antiand his Amnesty, guest worker scheme, and punished the party accordingly. This strategy was embraced by the outgoing RNC chairman Ken Mehlman who resigned his position after the party's dismal performance in November. Rather than learn their lesson and support a tough border policy that the vast majority of the American people want, the President Bush nominated Senator Mel Martinez...

The following letter appeared in a Florida newspaper this week: 11/16/06 Voters handed win to the terrorists Editor: I find it painful that I had to see Americans through Islamic terrorists' eyes, for what they really are. You Americans who voted the Democratic ticket, handed the Al Quaida and Islamic terrorists their second greatest victory after 9/11. Through the brainwashing rhetoric of the Democratic party, you bought into their aspirations to recapture the White House at the expense of the safety of our country and children. I am ashamed of my fellow Americans who no longer have the will to...

Please pardon the Vanity, but Mel Martinez is a friend and I thought FReepers might like some insight in him. Mel Martinez and his wife Kitty are outstanding people. Mel was born in Cuba. At 10 and 11 years old, with Castro in power, he wouldn’t take off his Catholic scapula. Other boys would hit him during basketball games because he wouldn’t disown his religion, as Castro demanded. Mel came to this country under Kennedy’s Pedro Pan program. Imagine arriving in Miami with nothing, absolutely nothing! I’ll cut to the chase; 25 years later, a very successful and honest lawyer,...

ACU Releases 2005 Congressional Ratings ALEXANDRIA, VA— The American Conservative Union, the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots conservative lobbying organization, today released its 2005 “Rating of Congress,” the definitive conservative assessment of the federal legislative branch. ACU has rated every member of the House and Senate since 1971, making the latest guide its 35th edition. The purpose of the “Rating” is to inform the public, in as unbiased a method as possible, exactly where individual senators and congressmen stand on the ideological spectrum. “In the House, 38 Republicans scored a perfect 100% conservative rating in 2005, including newly elected House...

Just breaking.

By ANITA KUMAR, Times Staff Writer Published August 18, 2006 ORLANDO - U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris came to Sen. Bill Nelson's hometown Thursday to try to prove she could unseat him in the fall, but the help she hoped for didn't come. It was expected to be one of Harris' biggest events leading up to the Republican Senate primary next month, with a host of prominent public officials standing by her side. But no elected official showed up at Orlando Executive Airport for Harris' fly-in - just 30 to 40 people, in a hangar that could hold hundreds. Those who...

WASHINGTON - With Cuban President Fidel Castro ailing, the Bush administration said the United States is prepared to support a democratic transition on the island. Castro, who underwent surgery for an intestinal problem, surrendered power temporarily to his brother, Raul, No. 2 in the chain of command. White House press secretary Tony Snow said there are no plans to reach out to Raul Castro. "Raul Castro's attempt to impose himself on the Cuban people is much the same as what his brother did," Snow said. "The one thing that this president has talked about from the very beginning is his...

The debate in Washington over reforming America's immigration laws has produced not only heated rhetoric but a few fantastic claims. Few are wilder than a prediction from a well-known think-tank that the reform bill just passed by the Senate will result in 103 million legal immigrants to the United States during the next 20 years. In a "Web Memo" from the Heritage Foundation, author Robert Rector claims that the Hagel-Martinez immigration bill (S. 2611) would unleash a flood of chain migration that would overwhelm America's capacity to absorb so many people. He calculates that the bill would not only allow...

I havent been posting much about the immigration bill that has unfortunately just been passed by the Senate as there are many other, more well informed folks commenting and editorializing on it in the blogosphere already. I do, however, have to state publicly, here and now, that I am extremely disappointed in our "Republican" Cuban-American Senator from Florida Mel Martinez. He voted "yea" for the amnesty bill, which included a last minute ammendment to said bill which states: (b) CONSULTATION REQUIREMENT.--Consultations between United States and Mexican authorities at the federal, state, and local levels concerning the construction of additional fencing...

U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez said he favors stricter border patrols but sees nothing wrong with a foreign-born president. BY LESLEY CLARK lclark@MiamiHerald.com WASHINGTON - Florida's Republican Sen. Mel Martinez wouldn't mind seeing the U.S. Constitution amended so that foreign-born citizens could serve as president -- but not for himself. Speaking Friday at the National Press Club in advance of a return to the immigration debate in the Senate, the Cuban-born Martinez said the ban on foreign-born citizens serving as president is the ''one opportunity'' that's missing for striving immigrants in the United States. ''In a country where we don't put...

1. Democrats Campaign to Lock up Latino Vote 2. McCain Denies Rightward Shift 3. China and Saudi Arabia Forge Stronger Ties 4. Weld and D'Amato Put Spin on Their Feud 5. Club for Growth Endorses Ken Blackwell 6. Al Gore Gets Campaign Manager 7. We Heard: Mel Martinez, Laura Bush Bio 1. Democrats Campaign to Lock up Latino Vote Democratic strategists are seeking to turn the Hispanic community's discontent over immigration policy into an opportunity to win over Latino voters. The activists believe the recent pro-immigration rallies - which are a reaction to the Senate's failure to pass a guest-worker...

WASHINGTON - Florida's Sen. Mel Martinez, who was a key negotiator in crafting a Senate compromise on immigration, had a word of advice Friday for immigrant groups protesting a House proposal to make felons out of illegal immigrants: Keep the Mexican flags at home. ''I think it's terrible,'' the Republican senator said of the Mexican flags that have drawn criticism as protesters wield them at immigration rallies nationwide. ``I think it's a very mixed message.'' ''It's fine for people to express themselves,'' the Cuban-born Martinez said. ``But if what this is about is the opportunity to be an American, to...

In an effort to advance their proactive vision for this Congress, on February 1st, 2006, Senators Nelson (FL-D) and Martinez (FL-R) unveiled the Permanent Protection for Florida Act. This measure provides permanent protection for Florida’s coasts and extends the moratoria protecting the entire Atlantic and Pacific coasts through the year 2020.