| In 2010, along with Mel Martinez's senate seat, the governor and the three elected cabinet posts will all be on the ballot.
It is assumed that Charlie Crist will be running for re-election on the Republican side. If CFO Alex Sink decides not to challenge Jeb Bush (which I hope she doesn't), then she would also be running for re-election.
Republican Attorney General Bill McCollum has certainly been disabused of the notion of trying for another senate run and will also probably run for re-election.
The last statewide race, Agricultural Commissioner, will be an open seat since the incumbent, Charles Bronson, will be term-limited.
My idea is an expansion and slight change to my last diary in which I brought up the possibility of Congressman Kendrick Meek running for Martinez's senate seat and Tallahassee Mayor John Marks running for governor in 2010. Since they are both African-American, that in itself would create a great deal of buzz.
But, after thinking about it more, I decided to seriously look at the possibility of developing a coordinated Democratic approach to the 2010 statewide elections. Let me lay out my ideal of a complete five candidate slate and then discuss a comprehensive campaign strategy to accompany it. (Sorry, Mayor Marks, but I left you out this time).
Senator
Congressman Kendrick Meek
 Meek (born September 6, 1966) has been a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives since 2003, representing Florida's 17th congressional district.
Recognizing his accomplishments in Congress, The Miami Herald wrote in a September 2006 editorial that, "Mr. Meek has grown in influence and effectiveness in Congress, working across the aisle to promote issues and funding for his district." The Miami Herald wrote in an October 2006 editorial that Congressman Meek "is tireless, creative and willing to work across party lines."
The South Florida Sun Sentinel wrote in an August 2006 editorial that, "For the district, Meek has helped obtain federal funding for several projects in the district, including buses in Broward County and Metrorail in Miami-Dade County . Affordable housing, job creation and education remain Meek's top priorities. He also plans to continue working to provide federal support, economic development and aid to Haiti ."
Speaker Nancy Pelosi has described Congressman Meek as "a rising leader in the House who is respected throughout our Caucus and throughout the Congress." He is the Co-Chair of Speaker Pelosi's "30-Something" Working Group, which articulates Democratic positions to the public on critical issues before the U.S. Congress.
Governor
Pam Iorio
 Pam Iorio (born April 27, 1959 in Waterville , Maine ) is the 57th and current (as of 2008) mayor of Tampa , Florida . She moved with her family to Temple Terrace as an infant and also attended school in Temple Terrace . She is the second female mayor of Tampa.
Her first term dealt largely with renovating the downtown area, as well as creating economic confidence for poorer citizens of the city. Iorio is also a big supporter of the arts, and she wishes to make Tampa a major arts center in the South. Iorio has also been credited with a sharp drop in drug trafficking in the city limits. In her second term, Iorio will continue to be a supporter for a light rail mass transit system for the city.
In 1985, at the age of 26, she became the youngest person ever elected to the Hillsborough County Commission. For a decade before her successful run for mayor, she served as Supervisor of Elections for Hillsborough County . During the 2000 presidential election recount, she was the president of the State Association of County Elections Supervisors.
Chief Financial Officer
Alex Sink
 (In case you're wondering, her given name is Adelaide ). Born June 4, 1952 in Mt. Airy NC.
Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink is a dynamic financial and civic leader whose professional experience and public service have made her a champion for fiscal responsibility and accountability.
CFO Sink was first elected statewide in 2006 as Florida 's Chief Financial Officer. As CFO, Sink oversees nearly 3,000 employees and an annual budget of $300 million in the Department of Financial Services.
One of CFO Sink's most important duties is serving as Florida 's fiscal watchdog, identifying waste and government inefficiencies. Since taking office, she has halted faulty contracting procedures.
Before her election in 2006, CFO Sink had a distinguished private career for nearly 30 years that culminated in her presidency of Florida 's largest bank, Bank of America. For seven years as president, she managed more than $40 billion in customer deposits while supervising more than 9,000 employees in 800 branches and earning a reputation for credibility, integrity and fair dealing.
Agricultural Commissioner
Joe Garcia
 Garcia was born in Miami Beach, Florida, on October 12, 1963. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and public affairs in 1987 from the University of Miami, where he was elected president of student government. He earned his J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law in 1991.
Garcia served on the Florida Public Service Commission (FPSC) and also served as its chairman. While serving on the FPSC, he also was chair of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC). He was also Second Vice-Chair of the Southeastern Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (SEARUC). Garcia was also appointed to the Federal Communications Commission Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service. Garcia was a member of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO).
Garcia currently serves on the board of the Spanish American League Against Discrimination (SALAD) and on the board of directors of Regis House, a drug addiction treatment and prevention center for inner-city youth in Miami. Garcia is a member of the board of directors of the Cuban American National Foundation, and is a past president. He is currently the director of the New Democrat Network Hispanic Strategy Center , and chairman of the Democratic Party of Miami-Dade County.
Garcia, was the Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in Florida's 25th congressional district, running unsuccessfully against incumbent Republican Mario Diaz-Balart during the 2008 election.
Attorney General
Dave Aronberg
Dave Aronberg (born May 4, 1971) is a member of the Florida Senate. Aronberg was born in Miami . He attended Miami-Dade County Public Schools and then Harvard College and Harvard Law School , where he graduated in 1996.
Aronberg was elected to the Florida Senate in 2002 and is its youngest member. In the Senate Aronberg wrote major consumer protection legislation, sat on the state's Medicaid task force which enacted major reforms to combat rampant fraud and abuse, and served as chair of the state's Joint Legislative Committee on Everglades Oversight, leading the Senate's efforts to secure federal funding for Everglades restoration.
The Orlando Sentinel stated, "If you're looking for new leaders, try starting here." The Fort Myers News-Press said that Senator Aronberg "is considered to be the strongest consumer advocate in state government." The Naples Daily News called him "the real deal," and Governor Charlie Crist has praised him as "a rock star."
I wish to point out the rather apparent, major distinction of this group of five politicians. There is an African-American, two women, an Hispanic, and one white guy who is considered "young". Can we all agree that this is what a slate of Democratic politicians should look like?
The beauty of this slate it that it would highlight Jeb Bush's comment that the Republicans can't be "the old white guy party" and still succeed. The Republican slate for these positions would all be OLD WHITE GUYS. Don't you just love it already?
But it gets better. The first point is that this slate of candidates all need to campaign as a group as much as possible. How do you counter Jeb Bush's star power? Combine your own. Sure, it's a gimmick, but it would be an effective one.
They would define the FDP as the Party of the People rather than the Party of Wall Street, that is, folks like Jeb Bush's non defunct ex-employer Lehman Brothers. Jeb says he wants less government. Is he against the kind of regulation that would have prevented the out-of-control financial system from ruining the economy?
Now, I know you're smiling at this, but in the back of your mind you're still saying, "Come on, Jeb would kill Meek." Let me pull out some material from my previous piece on Meek and Marks.
Why do I want Meek to run against Jeb Bush? Many consider him unbeatable. Consider this comment:
Mac Stipanovich, a lobbyist and Bush ally on a Bush candidacy: "I can't imagine anybody in the Democratic Party who he wouldn't club like a baby seal."
But I think people seem to be forgetting that the main reason that Obama crushed John McCain was the Economic Meltdown. Remember a little something called Lehman Brothers?
Even so, one commenter had this to say:
Jeb would crush Meek imo
You really think Meek could pull enough support to beat Jeb? I have a hard time imagining it.
To which I responded:
Go back and look at what people said about Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama in 2006.
How many of you looking askance at this proposition thought Obama could win the presidency in 2006? Personally, I supported Obama from the beginning and donated to his campaign, but I was way too cynical to think he could win. I didn't begin to believe it might actually happen until after the results of Super Tuesday came in and I began to pay a little more attention to Poblano's (aka Nate Silver) postings. If we learned anything from that experience it should be to totally discount polls two years out. Instead, we need to be bold (and put together a dynamite campaign organization and raise money like crazy).
The other great beauty of this confrontation is that Meek has a long history with Bush. Allow me to quote at length from a very revealing piece on Rep. Meek from Answers.com:
Meek found himself in the thick of the increasingly acrimonious national debate over affirmative action programs. Florida governor Jeb Bush proposed a new program called One Florida that would scrap race-based preferences in favor of guaranteed admission to the state university system for the top 20 percent of each public high school's graduating class. Many African-American leaders objected to the plan because Bush had not consulted them before revealing it and because it threatened to lower black enrollment at the state's flagship universities.
Meek and a fellow legislator visited Bush's office in January of 2000 hoping to discuss the issue, but Bush indicated that he was too busy to meet with them. Meek said they would be happy to wait, and Bush responded that the pair would need blankets because the wait would be a long one. Meek took Bush up on the dare, staging an overnight sit-in that drew wide publicity. Bush at one point was heard telling an aide to "kick their asses out" (according to the Palm Beach Post and other papers), although he later claimed the episode helped Meek in his effort to register black voters for the 2000 U.S. presidential election, an effort widely credited with helping candidate Al Gore make an unexpectedly strong dead-heat showing in that heavily disputed contest.
But, because of my long interest in getting voter initiatives on redistricting reform on the 2010 ballot, the piece of Meek's history with Bush that I find most appealing is the following:
In 2002 Meek emerged once again as an irritant to Bush and as a figure around whom his opposition could rally. The issue this time was a Meek-sponsored amendment to the state constitution that would limit class sizes in Florida schools. Meek was inspired to create the legislation when his daughter, Lauren, started kindergarten in a classroom with 33 other students. The measure put Bush on the defensive in the 2002 gubernatorial election as he was forced to answer questions about state education budgets. Bush won a close election in November of 2002, but Meek's amendment was also enacted by voters.
And then the real kicker is this little bit:
Meek's constituents, Miami talk show host Victor Curry . . . told the St. Petersburg Times, "see him as a guy who is not intimidated by the Bushes [President George W. Bush and his brother Jeb], and there are not many people up there in Tallahassee, black or white, Republican or Democrat, who are not intimidated by the Bushes." Even Jeb Bush grudgingly complimented the young lawmaker's skills, telling the St. Petersburg Times that "I wouldn't put him in the statesman category but I would put him in the category of a very effective politician."
In other words, Meek drives Bush crazy. I love it.
But, let's go back to the real crux of the matter when it comes to rebranding the FDP. This slate of candidates needs to campaign under a common theme of "Taking Back Democracy". Rep. Meek has already shown the way and can really lead on this point. JEB BUSH AND THE REPUBLICAN POLITICIANS IN TALLAHASSEE DID NOT WANT TO PROPERLY FUND EDUCATION. SO, REP. MEEK TOOK THE MATTER DIRECTLY TO THE PEOPLE.
Folks, that there is a powerful concept.
This is what Democrats need to keep doing. The group needs to promote the redistricting reform voter initiatives and make sure they get on the 2010 ballot and are passed. Someone also needs to immediately draft up an initiative for a constitutional amendment that would create a true referendum process in Florida .
Most people here don't realize that residents of other states don't vote on constitutional amendments. Rather they vote on a proposition which will simply become a law or a referendum to revoke a law passed by the legislature. This is a much cleaner process than constitutional amendments. It could be set up to only require the usual 50% majority vote and a lower number of petition signatures. This would make it less onerous and more democratic.
If all five statewide Democratic candidates keyed on this approach it would have a powerful impact on the voters' perceptions of the FDP. It would also tie in to what President-elect Obama is trying to do with his Change.gov outreach to citizens, thereby enhancing the Democratic brand concept.
Having the group campaign together would also highlight a big issue for Republicans if Jeb Bush runs for senate. Jeb and Gov. Crist are polar opposites. Crist stiffed Bush's brother when he was running for governor in 2006. He has made a point of being friendly and non-partisan, the direct opposite of the haughty, gung-ho Jeb. If you go back and look at the early reports on Crist's administration there is a lot of talk about what a relief it was to be rid of Jeb.
Every time the two would have to appear together while campaigning Crist would be gritting his teeth trying to smile. If Jeb won the seat it would push Crist to the back of the bus of his own party. He would essentially lose control of it.
By temperament (if not intelligence), Crist is a lot like Obama. It is hard for Democrats to run against him because he is very likable and projects a pleasant persona. But, it will be quite easy for the group to run against the Republicanism of Jeb Bush. That's another of the big reasons to stick together in this outing. You keep making a point of contrasting the Democratic brand with the Republican brand.
And if Crist and Jeb can't even agree as to what their brand is, it will raise a lot of questions in voters' minds. It would be interesting to ask Senate candidate Jeb what he thinks about a National Cat Fund, something supported by Gov. Crist and Democratic Senator Nelson. Especially in the face of all his bloviating about less government.
We should remember that the first legislative session after Jeb left thought it was going to pass a set of insurance reforms based on the recommendations of the blue-ribbon committee set up by Jeb and chaired by his lieutenant governor Toni Jennings. But that was before House Speaker Marco Rubio and his south Florida real estate and developer cronies squashed the idea and came up instead with the financially questionable State Cat Fund that CFO Sink cautioned about but had to throw up her hands in defeat when she saw the handwriting on the wall. (As an aside, Jeb never had developer cronies, even though he spent time in south Florida . His buddies are the financiers and business executives.)
Crist's views on all of this aren't ideological. He just stays optimistic and goes which ever way the wind blows. What ever you want to say about his intelligence, he is a master of political astuteness, as his maneuvering with McCain's nomination showed. But, he's no match for Bush and whatever Rovian helpers he has behind him. That's why it's clear to all the reporters quizzing Crist on it that he's not real thrilled at the idea of Jeb running. Jeb's senate candidacy will ruin Charlie Crist's single handed attempt to revamp the Republican brand in Florida . It's not hard to imagine a series of questions that, when put to the two candidates, will elicit totally different responses. The reporters will have a field day, ESPECIALLY if the Democrats put forth a unified approach to governing.
I know there are a lot of people who are hoping that Alex Sink will run against Jeb Bush for the senate seat. Hell, up until Martinez withdrew, I was pushing for her to go for the senate seat. But, since the Jeb announcement I've had to rethink that.
We need to remember that Sink has her own history with Bush. Her husband, Bill McBride, unsuccessfully ran against Bush in the 2002 governor race. Having her face Bush would be the wrong dynamic. It would give Bush the advantage. He beat her husband, now he's going to beat her.
But, within the context of a united Democratic front of statewide candidates, having Alex Sink stay in the CFO position becomes an advantage. She has personally witnessed the financial shenanigans left over from the Bush administration. She has also had to deal with the privatization fiascos that Bush loved so much and used to reward his business buddies. It will be quite easy for her to use her information and the authority of her position to portray the Republicans as being the party of Wall Street and screwing the taxpayers with their venality and incompetence. But, since she wouldn't be running against him DIRECTLY it would take the information out of the "just politics" realm. Rather, she would be speaking in her official capacity as a duly elected official of the Florida cabinet.
Again, folks, that powerful stuff.
And, a big consolation, if Crist wins re-election, then Sink will be in a good spot to run for governor in 2014 (or Bill Nelson's seat in 2012 if he retires).
The newspapers reporting on Bush's putative run are already starting to also report on all of Jeb's financial improprieties:
Bush's corporate interests could create road bumps in a statewide campaign. He landed a job as an adviser to Lehman Brothers, an equity company that later sold the state millions in bad mortgage investments, and a position on the Tenet Healthcare Corp., a Dallas-based chain with five hospitals in Palm Beach County.
Most recently, Bush joined the board of directors for Rayonier, a Jacksonville-based timber and real estate company that won approval for nearly $105 million in land deals with the state of Florida while Bush was governor. Bush will earn a $40,000 annual salary from the company and receive annual stock options currently worth another $46,000.
To give you a better idea of the extent of what we're talking about, let me pull out the nasty details of the Lehman Brothers deal from my Meek/Marks diary:
Dec. 18 (Bloomberg) -- It was the first day of November and Coleman Stipanovich's world was coming undone. Florida school districts and towns had begun pulling their cash out of the $26 billion money market fund he supervised, after they learned it held subprime-tainted debt.
Stipanovich, who earned $180,214 in 2006 as executive director of the State Board of Administration, was in New York in confidential meetings with Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc., the largest U.S. underwriter of mortgage-backed bonds. Lehman was proposing ways to help the state manage the risk of its debt investments, according to a letter the bank sent to Stipanovich after the meeting.
What Stipanovich, 58, hadn't told his boss, Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink, was that Lehman Brothers was the same firm that had sold the state fund $842 million of mortgage- backed debt in July and August. Those securities defaulted within four months, and totaled more failing debt than any other bank sold the state, Florida records show. ``At the time, I never knew it was Lehman Brothers that actually sold us these investments,'' Sink says.
Sink also was unaware that former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, who incorporated Jeb Bush & Associates in February 2007, a month after completing his second term, had been hired as a consultant to Lehman Brothers in June.
Whoa! What was that again? Jeb Bush worked for Lehman Brothers? That's right. I sure would love to see him defend that one.
But it gets better. The article continues:
Stipanovich resigned on Dec. 4. He declined to comment.
Florida CFO Sink is riled up about more than Stipanovich. She says JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Lehman Brothers were offloading tainted debt on Florida and other states at a time when those assets were plummeting in value.
snip
"Lehman and the other big players in the market decided they didn't like this stuff in their own accounts," Sink says. "Where did they drop it and who did they dump it to? It looks questionable to me."
And of course I'm sure you noticed the similarity of the name of the man in charge of the fund and the person I quoted about the seal clubbing. Let me spell it out for you with another bit from Bloomberg:
Stipanovich, whose brother J.M. "Mac" Stipanovich is a Tallahassee lobbyist and Republican strategist who ran former Governor Jeb Bush's campaign for governor in 1994, was appointed executive director of the state board in 2002.
Sounds mighty cozy to me.
And the article that quoted "Mac" on Jeb's chances at winning Martinez 's seat also happened to broach the subject with Steve Schale:
Steven Schale, Barack Obama's Florida campaign manager on a Bush candidacy: "There are a lot of people who are going to look back at the Jeb Bush record and say, 'Look where it left us."
That's right, we sure are. I mean, Jebbie, your brother was only stupid. He just let things happen. Hell, you're smart, you made it happen for Florida . You tanked our investment portfolio and then took a cushy job in exchange for selling out Florida taxpayers!
(To get the full effect of the venality and corruption of the sub-prime mortgage industry and how its collapse caused this whole Financial Meltdown mess that Jeb was apparently a part of, I highly recommend Michael Lewis' piece in Portfolio.com).
I don't see 2010 as a disaster for the Democrats if Jeb decides to run. Rather I see it as an enormous opportunity to continue to build on the political structure that Obama created in winning Florida's 2008 electoral votes.
The party can use the struggle to create a new, dynamic, good government mantle. It can show how its politicians are willing to work together to do the people's work (not Wall Street's). It can be in the forefront of creating a citizen involvement movement to Take Back Democracy from unresponsive politicians in Tallahassee .
Like people say, "It's all good." |
