Notes For Wednesday, January 15, 2003

FLORIDA SENATE TO CONSIDER NEW TAXES? Even talking about new taxes takes a monumental amount of courage, if you're a Florida Rebublican. As the House and the Governor hide from the budget crisis, the Senate is showing the courage to at least talk about new revenue sources. Indeed, as reported in the St Pete Times, "the Senate has increasingly played the role of loyal opposition. [And] [d]espite talk that the animosity has faded, the Senate appears ready to challenge the more conservative governor." Indeed, the Senate "could be using budget hearings as a launching pad for new taxes." 8:50 AM [Go to current Florida Politics site (no popup ads)]

WHO IS DOING THE LOBBYING. A good summary of who's who in Tallahassee. 8:40 AM [Go to current Florida Politics site (no popup ads)]

TOWERY ON EDWARDS, GRAHAM AND FLORIDA. Towery's thoughts on the Dem race and Florida's role in it is worth a read.

However, you gotta wonder about a pundit who says something like this: Bill McBride "was no match for the charisma and governing record of Bush in the Florida general election." With all due respect, Bush has the "charisma" of a door knob (albeit a gold plated one), and his "governing record" was atrocious (we challenge Towery to identify one thing of substance - other than cutting taxes for the wealthy - that Bush can take credit for). McBride lost because Bush blitzed him with a massively expensive smear campaign, and the fawning media did nothing to bring the real Bush record to public light. This latter point is perhaps best demonstrated by Wallsten's article this week wherein he acknowledges, finally, that "Now there is no doubt: Jeb Bush is a true conservative." [read: right wing nut]. Fact is, Bush is and always has been a radical right winger, and the media has permitted Bush to misrepresent himself as a "moderate". 7:45 AM [Go to current Florida Politics site (no popup ads)]

BUT WILL HE RUN AS A DEMOCRAT? Miami-Dade Mayor Penelas is considering a run for U.S. Senate in the event Graham does not seek a fourth term. Linda Kleindienst, the Sun Sentinel's Tallahassee Bureau Chief reports that Graham "could run for re-election and the Democratic presidential nomination at the same time, but political observers view that scenario as unlikely. If Graham opts for a national race, the open Senate seat is likely to set off a feeding frenzy in both political parties." Penelas' Dem party loyalty has frequently been in question, most recently in the 2000 election, when he gave Gore only lukewarm support; and, prior to that, Penelas' anti-Reno behavior during that oh, so Florida of events: the Elian Gonzalez fiasco. However, as Tyler Bridges writes, "Penelas would bring several sizable strengths to the table if he ended up running for Graham's seat. He has been a formidable fundraiser, a key factor in a race that would cost at least $10 million. Were he the Democratic nominee, Penelas would also cut into the Republican advantage with Cuban-American voters in Miami-Dade County." 6:59 AM [Go to current Florida Politics site (no popup ads)]

BREAKING NEWS: GOV. BUSH IS A RIGHT WINGER. A nugget from the Wallsten article discussed below: Wallsten observes that over the years Bush has been able to soften his image, and thereby successfully fool the media into believing his views were somewhere in the mainstream, "sometimes even appearing as a moderate." And here is the breaking news, with Bush's zany inagural remarks, "Now there is no doubt: Jeb Bush is a true conservative." All we can say is, where has the media been the last 5 years.

6:33 AM [Go to current Florida Politics site (no popup ads)]

ARROGANT BUSH CLAIMS HE IS "TOO DEEP" FOR REGULAR FOLKS TO UNDERSTAND HIM. We have deliberately avoided the Wallsten piece in the Miami Herald entitled: "Bush address provokes an ideological debate" However, it does deserve brief comment.

At the inaugural, Bush spoke "dreamily of a day when state buildings will lie empty as `silent monuments to a time when government played a larger role than it deserved or could adequately fill.'" (emphasis supplied.)

Bush's inaugural comments were not so much about ideology, but the admission that he is a right wing wacko on a mission to sell and privatize government assets to GOP contributors. Bush's response to criticism? Just what you might expect from a spoiled rich kid: he suggested he was "a little too deep" for his critics.
6:27 AM [Go to current Florida Politics site (no popup ads)]