But as we also noted then, Graham's biggest obstacle was his lack of charisma. He is a thoughtful, serious politician who can speak articulately about public policy and whose moderate views appeal to centrists in both parties. He is the antithesis of the consultant-run, glamor-guy celebrity politician exemplified by the circus like recall campaign in California.
It's a sad commentary on today's political culture that he was considered too serious, too focused on substance, to win the nomination. We had hoped that the power of Graham's message, built around the war on terrorism and homeland security, would resonate in this stage of the campaign. That, and Graham's moderate views on domestic issues such as Social Security, Medicare, corporate corruption and the economy, should have given him a decent chance to survive the early primaries and remain a contender. . . . The question now is whether Graham intends to seek re-election as a senator. Would-be candidates are lined up in both parties on the assumption they were running for an open seat. Graham should make his decision soon, rather than drag out the uncertainty. But that decision is colored by the possibility he could be chosen as a vice presidential running mate by the Democratic nominee sometime next year. Jumping into the Senate race now and jumping out next July if the Democratic nominee picks him would throw the Senate race into turmoil, especially for Democrats. It would then be too late in the game for a Democrat to mount a credible campaign. Graham should decide now whether it's going to be the Senate or a chance at the vice presidency and stick with that decision.
Knowing Graham's commitment to integrity, we're sure he'll make the right decision. "Too serious".
In the meantime, in "Graham undecided about future move" Peter Wallsten writes that friends of Graham say he "is weighing a variety of factors, including whether running for reelection makes him a more or less tempting candidate for vice president."
AN UNDESERVED SENSE OF ENTITLEMENT -State Rep. Connie Mack IV resigned Thursday to run for the congressional seat once held by his father. "Connie Mack IV eyes Congress".
$310 MILLION HANDOUT TO A COMPANY; IS THAT REALLY THE WAY TO GO?Gov. Jeb Bush asked the state Thursday to spend $310 million to lure a branch of the largest biomedical research center in the United States to Palm Beach County, arguing the investment will create thousands of high-paying jobs and position Florida as a hot spot for the biotech industry. "Bush woos major biotech firm".
And here's a reality check: While it would open with only 31 employees as early as next summer, it's expected to house 545 scientists, researchers and support staff by 2009. "Giant biotech deal set". So we're paying a company $10M per job. And, assuming there really are 545 jobs in 2009, we're paying $568,807.00 per (promised) job. Who wrote this contract.
Will this result in a "biotech" boom in Palm Beach; we hope so. However, as we have pointed out in the past, Florida is losing good jobs - that are already here - hand over fist, and little if anything is being done to save them.
OR IS IT "AT LEAST $400-MILLION", AND THE STATE PAYS THE SALARIES?taxpayers will build you a brand new lab and spend millions of dollars on high tech equipment. We'll even pay your employees' salaries for eight years, he said. The cost to taxpayers: at least $400-million. The Scripps Research Institute hadn't seriously considered expanding, until they heard the offer. They quickly agreed. Now all Bush has to do is sell it to the Legislature. "Huge incentives lure research group to Fla".
UNBELIEVABLE -It is bad enough that your Legislature - YOUR Legislature - took big campaign money from the telephone companies, and in return voted to jack up your local telephone bill.
Bad enough.
It also is bad enough that the Florida Public Service Commission now appears to be dead-set on ramming through that rate increase as fast as possible.
Bad enough, for sure.
Now, here is the new part.
On Thursday, "your" Legislature kicked out the lawyer who has faithfully, aggressively represented the public in utility cases.
Instead, he will be replaced. The list of finalists includes an aide to House Speaker Johnnie Byrd, who was one of the guys who rammed through the telephone rate hike. Read the Troxler column, "For betraying public trust, they must go", and find out why he
will regularly and vigorously use the resources allowed me by the St. Petersburg Times from now until November 2004 to make sure that the voters do not forget this twisted, puking offensiveness, and do not return to office any legislator, not a single one, on whose watch it occurred.
WELL, AT LEAST HE'S A "JEB!" SUPPORTER -The Florida Department of Law Enforcement proposes to give a $1.6 million no-bid contract to a company run by a man accused of drug-running. Hank Asher, now a Boca Raton techno-data entrepreneur, downplays his past, but an FDLE memo to Gov. Bush says that investigators "were able to confirm he had been involved in smuggling during the early 1980s," and that he admitted flying cocaine shipments into Florida.
That's the kind of character to whom the U.S. Departments of Justice and Homeland Security, and nine states -- including Florida -- already are entrusting $12 million in no-bid seed money for his company's criminal-tracking database called Matrix. "No bid, and no sense".
"SQUEEZE PLAY" -In Tallahassee, they have for the last two years slashed funding for the state universities. Meanwhile, lawmakers expect the University of Florida and its sister institutions to accept more and more students with less and less per-student funding.
The university presidents and trustees, recognizing that state general revenue dollars are drying up, are trying to make up the difference by getting permission to raise tuition and costs.
The only alternative to doing so is to accept the mediocrity that invariably comes with more students and less dollars.
Enter the pols from Washington.
They are shocked that colleges and universities are jacking up their tuitions. So a bill before Congress would punish academia by denying federal financing to colleges and universities that raise costs "Into the breach".
SECRET DEALS -[R]eporting finally has exposed to public scrutiny a practice that has funneled millions of dollars in secret contributions to key legislators in the last few years. Making use of a loophole in a law relating to ''committees of continuous existence,'' legislators seeking leadership positions have used the device to solicit contributions with no reporting requirements and no limits. "Secret deals have no place in government". 6:13 AM
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