I have to love her slogan, "Anybody But Katherine". Pretty damn lame!
Posted on 05/21/2002 9:31:42 AM PDT by JulieRNR21
Firefighters appear in political ad
By VICTOR HULL
victor.hull@heraldtribune.com
SARASOTA COUNTY -- Four Sarasota County firefighters apparently violated a policy forbidding employees from political activity on the job.
The firefighters appear in a Candice Brown McElyea campaign ad that began airing over the weekend on television and on the candidate's Web site.
Video of the firefighters was shot recently in a Sarasota County fire station while they were on duty. The firefighters are shown talking to McElyea, a Democrat running for the District 13 congressional seat, in front of a fire truck. The words Sarasota County Fire Department are visible on the back of one firefighter's shirt.
The ad prompted Sarasota County Administrator Jim Ley to direct a staff inquiry into the firefighters' appearance.
And it sparked a sharp rebuke from Republican frontrunner Katherine Harris' campaign, both for the use of the firefighters in the ad and the ad's "Anybody But Katherine" slogan.
"The brave men and women that are our firefighters and paramedics are not to be used in a blatant political manner," said Harris campaign spokeswoman Rori Patrise Smith. "The firefighters and taxpayers should be outraged."
McElyea's campaign stood by the ad, saying nothing improper was done. Patrice Webb, spokeswoman for McElyea, said the firefighters were aware of why the video was shot.
"Everyone gave some form of consent prior to the videotaping," she said. "It was fully explained."
Webb accused the Harris campaign of "pressuring" the firefighters for appearing in the video.
The ad -- and reaction to it -- highlight the stakes in the District 13 campaign. Seven candidates are battling to replace retiring Republican Dan Miller as the representative for the district, which includes all or portions of Charlotte, DeSoto, Manatee, Hardee and Sarasota counties.
Florida Secretary of State Harris, with national name recognition and nearly $2 million in campaign contributions is widely considered the favorite to win.
But two Republicans and four Democrats are vying for the seat as well, with the national Democratic Party seeking to score points against Harris for her role in the 2000 presidential election.
A large Southwest Florida firefighters union, Suncoast Fire Fighters and Paramedics Local 2546, already endorsed Harris.
Harris has also publicized endorsements from police officer clubs.
McElyea, a former TV reporter for SNN-Channel 6, a cable news station owned by the Herald-Tribune, has dubbed herself the Democratic frontrunner in terms of contributions and name recognition. Last week, she announced that she would become the first Democrat to begin television advertising.
The 30-second spot shows McElyea in various settings, including the brief shot with the firefighters. Near the end, it shows a car with a bumper sticker in the rear window that reads "Anybody But Katherine."
County officials and McElyea's campaign disagree on whether the firefighters knew how the video would be used. It isn't against the rules for firefighters to have their pictures taken with people while on duty. But it is against the rules if the pictures are for a political purpose.
The union released a statement Monday quoting one of the firefighters featured, station officer Leigh Flynn, saying she didn't know the purpose.
"I specifically asked (McElyea) if the photos were to be used as a political ad and was told no by Ms. McElyea," Flynn's statement said. "I also told her the firefighters had already supported Katherine Harris."
Neither the county or the union would identify the other county employees in the video.
Ley said the situation was unlikely to result in disciplinary action against the firefighters. Instead, he said, it will emphasize the importance of the county policy against on-duty campaigning, especially at a time when politicians may seek to take advantage of the special status of firefighters today.
"I don't think anybody was doing anything purposeful," Ley said. "We'll find out. If anything, it's going to heighten the awareness that it's campaign season. To me, this is more of a learning experience."
Sarasota County policy bars on-duty employees from political activity
I think this is a fair article considering that McElyea had worked for a cable news station owned (by the NYTimes owned) SH*T.
I have to love her slogan, "Anybody But Katherine". Pretty damn lame!
"I specifically asked (McElyea) if the photos were to be used as a political ad and was told no by Ms. McElyea," Flynn's statement said. "I also told her the firefighters had already supported Katherine Harris."
Can you imagine? Typical RAT....mean & brainless! No political experience & no qualifications except....I'm not Katherine! GRRRRRR!
Surprise… NOT!
Thanks for the flag, Julie.
Did I tell you my friend Meredith [katherineharris4congress] met Mrs. Harris on May 7th? And.... Katherine's going to try to get her an internship should she get to DC.
Mere and Katherine Harris.
Hope she gets that intern job!
Adding from the same benefit concert, Mike Moran's "bin laden you can kiss my royal Irish a#$" might be a magnificent touch.
REAL democrats? Who might they be?
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