Showing posts with label Rick Scott. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rick Scott. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Who's not who among the GOP hopefuls and why

I’ve already spoken aplenty about the current crop of declared GOP candidates for next year’s Presidential election – and who wants to beat a dead horse (or a dead elephant, for that matter)? Today, I’d like to take a look at those that seem to be choosing not to run and discuss how this affects the GOP’s chances. With the President consistently polling around 50% in approval ratings (the touchstone for his re-election candidacy,) and the Tea Party dropping like a stone in current national polls, the current crop of Republicans in the race becomes all the more important.

Unlike their counterparts, the GOP Presidential sweepstakes usually fills up with some head-scratchers early on and then thins out. Democrats would seem to attract more serious candidates to their Presidential plebiscites, perhaps because there are fewer ideologues among the blue crowd. This year’s laughable gaggle includes businessman Herman Cain, former Gov. Buddy Roemer of Louisiana, notorious nut-job Michele Bachmann, and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Nobody (including myself) has ever heard of Cain, Roemer has been out of office for nearly twenty years, Bachmann is in just her third term in the House and can’t even crack the leadership ladder, and Gingrich has been on the sidelines since early 1999.

The GOP has a nice history of recycling candidates. Bob Dole had to seek the nod three times (1980, 1988, and 1996,) before actually winning it (and getting stomped by scandal-plagued Bill Clinton); John McCain had to run twice after running face first into the wall that was George W. Bush in 2000; and even Ronald Reagan ran three times before winning it (1968, 1976, and 1980.) This year’s second-timers are the co-runners-up from the last cycle: Former Governors Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee. So, it’s been the exception that a first time candidate wins the GOP nod: Dubya took it in 2000 in his first try – prior to that, the last man to do so was Barry Goldwater in 1964!

The 2012 crop for the GOP is quite thin and could be a harbinger of some big wig stepping into the race later and claiming the prize. A recent vintage name (such as Sen. Rand Paul of Tennessee,) could also decide to give it a go, although it would probably just be to run as a way to build nationwide name recognition to try again in 2016. The crop thinned after two big rising GOP stars got caught up in very messy adultery scandals last year.

Gov. Mark Sanford was often rumored to harbor presidential ambitions, but abandoning the state to carry on an adulterous affair (in violation of state law,) while lying to your own aides yields an end to one’s political career. Sanford left office in total disgrace early this year and is presently licking his wounds in the political graveyard known as the lecture circuit. Sen. John Ensign was badly hobbled by his own scandal, where it was revealed that he was screwing a member of his staff (who happened to be married to another staffer,) and is limping out of the Senate next year. The twin killing left the Republicans short of legitimate contenders and the result is a nearly silly group.

Also shortening the list was the Republican debacle known as the 2006 mid-term elections. That (wonderful) year, then President Bush sank in the polls due to his bungling response to Hurricane Katrina and the Democrats took back the House and Senate in short order. Among the Democratic pick-offs that year were Senators George Allen (VA) and Rick Santorum (PA.) The loss left Allen to seek to restore himself to the Senate next year while Santorum is (for some odd reason) running for President anyway and getting widely ignored.

The 2010 mid-terms were a debacle of historic proportions for the Democratic Party, but those elected who might be of presidential timber are still several years away. The Tea Party revolution also put in place legislators that are WAY too far right to be of any consequence nationally. Nevertheless, pols like Chris Christie and Marco Rubio could have a future in the national arena if felicity smiles upon them. They just need to develop the experience portions of their respective rap sheets.

My question about next year’s GOP contenders is this: why aren’t any of the big dogs in the race? Sen. Mitch McConnell is nearing seventy and has always lusted after the Majority Leader position – but there’s no guarantee the GOP will take the Senate in 2012 (especially without a strong candidate atop the ticket,) and McConnell is your stereotypical Deep South Republican that won’t make it to the top of the ladder. McConnell’s #2, Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona, is stepping down after 2012 – so he’s out, too.

John Thune

Thune was the 2004 “Giant Killer” who edged out then Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle after three terms. He was re-elected in 2010 without opposition and his rugged good looks and folksy Midwestern drawl have gotten him some attention. The GOP Senate elders tabbed him for great things early on, naming him a deputy whip in his first term. Nevertheless, Thune, 50, has already ruled out a 2012 run without saying why and has also said he won’t be in the running to succeed Kyl as whip. He could change his mind on the latter to raise his profile for 2016, at which point he’d be just fifty-five.

Jeb Bush

I’ve said my piece about my home state’s former czar (um, Governor,) in previous soliloquies, so I won’t spend much time on him here. Bush would seem to be done with politics, at least in part because of the damage his big brother wreaked upon the family (and party) political brand. He left office in early 2007 a popular man, but has stayed out of the spotlight since. It’s said that Jeb is content to manage the future political fortunes of his son, George P. Bush, and remain under the radar. Had Dubya nosedived in historical fashion during his second term, Jeb might’ve made for an impressive candidate in 2008. There is no doubt that he could raise the money, but he didn’t bother with a 2010 Senate race that would’ve been over had he simply said he wanted it. So, barring the intervention of some (real, not political,) deity Jeb will remain a non-candidate.

John Boehner

The idea of a Boehner candidacy is almost amusing. First of all, the current House Speaker can’t get thru a speech without bawling and, second, he’s living his political dream as Speaker (now matter how difficult the Tea Partiers are to manage.) The Speaker of the House almost never runs for President, because there is too much risk. Boehner would have the support of the party elites, but is better off staying where he current resides. The people of Ohio’s 8th district will keep right on sending back to the House and that’s where the Tan Man should stay.

The Rest

The current Republican cast of characters is unimpressive to most. When former Gov. Jon Huntsman of Utah and Gary Johnson of New Mexico are throwing their hats in the ring and not being heckled mercilessly, you know the crop is thin. I’ve beaten that point to death, so I won’t dwell. Gov. Haley Barbour of Mississippi is considered a strong contender, but conservative Deep South candidates usually don’t run that well nationwide (George W. Bush was an extreme exception.) The GOP has little outside that base and their partners in the Midwest. The GOP may well take back the Senate in 2012; but outside of the Lord himself filming a campaign commercial for them, that will be the height of it.

Thanks to the Tea Party, the GOP is undergoing a further rightward shift that could marginalize them permanently. As Americans learn what the Tea Party’s true agenda is (killing what remains of our Middle Class,) they are less likely to keep on winning races. Governors Rick Scott, Scott, Walker, and John Kasich are so busy trying to kill every labor union known to man that they are forgetting the very people they were elected to serve. You can bet that bottom dollar none of the three will see reelection. The Tea Party “establishment” is getting exactly what they do NOT need: exposure. The more America sees of someone like Michele Bachmann, the less likely they are to be trusted with anything as precious as the Presidency of the United States.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Why unions are suddenly under attack

Suddenly, public sector unions are under attack from Republican politicians like Governors Scott Walker of Wisconsin (our nation's only Governor who does not possess a college degree,) John Kasich of Ohio, and Rick Scott of Florida (the only man among present governors to have taken the Fifth Amendment more than once in a single sitting.) This attack on unions, under the guise of fiscal conservatism, is the opening salvo in the GOP's newest battle to eliminate union representation in America, leaving our middle class truly powerless against the corporate moneyed interests. It is interesting to note that two of the three governors referenced were elected with significant backing from the Republican-in-disguise Tea Party. If they are successful in eliminating the bargaining rights of public sector unions, those of the private sector will assuredly be next.

The reason for these attacks are simple: in its landmark Citizens United v. FEC decision last year, the Supreme Court gave labor unions and corporations the same free speech rights as all citizens. Doing so, of course, means they are free to donate as much as they see fit to political campaigns and causes. The controversial 5 - 4 decision was hailed by conservatives as "fair" because both corporations and labor unions were included.

To call the decision "fair," is to ignore the gory details and to depend on the ignorance of those consuming the information (a typical Republican tactic, anyway.) First, as anyone can guess, corporations have infinitely more money than labor unions. Second, union membership has been declining since the 1970s. These two facts alone make Citizens United a ludicrous sop to the right-wingers who are now free to buy any American election they so choose.

This (short) blog article is not designed to be a bitch-fest, however. It is simply designed to show the malfeasance of the Republicans and as a testament to how well that evil intelligence works. Since 1989, the largest interest groups (including unions,) have donated $2,180,149,543 to political candidates. Twenty-eight percent of that ($619,535,364) were union donations. (These are donations of the groups and their senior officers, not the rank-and-file members.)

Here is where this gets interesting: Of the approximately $619,535,364 that unions donated, a full 90% went to Democrats. Of the thirty-one largest donating unions, only one donated a majority of their available funds to Republicans (American Maritime Officers.) The rest sent an average of 91% of their monies to Democrats. This alone is perfect motivation to attack labor union's ability to perform their duties. Without unions, the Democrats would be left with an even worse fund-raising gap.

The Republicans are utilizing the "Domino Theory" here to perfection. Safely written into Wisconsin's anti-union legislation is a little codicil that states that unions may no longer automatically deduct their dues from members' paychecks. Cutting off the flow of cash will starve the unions of their ability to do business. Eliminating their rights to collective bargaining will further erode the benefits of being in a union.

All of this means our unions, huge contributors to the very concept of a middle class, are in danger. They are being legislated out of existence by evil, surreptitious Republican business-owners and executives who will then be free to ship American jobs overseas without even suffering the mild consequences which exist today! This is why we all need to stay vigilant! People will tell you that labor unions are "socialist" or "do more harm than good" ... don't buy into it! By electing politicians such as Scott Walker and Rick Scott, any non-millionaire is voting against their own self-interest.

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Thanks, GOP!

As a long-time political observer and activist, I have seen a great many actions by the GOP that I thought foolhardy, at best. I literally could fill an entire blog post with “why did they do that” questions, and perhaps one day I shall, but not today. Today’s question is really quite simple: Has the Republican Party lost it’s collective mind or are they simply so arrogant, based simply on something as fickle and troublesome as polling data, that they feel they cannot lose this year? The GOP voters have made some decisions this year that defy all logic. So much so that it has led me to excoriate them for their own stupidity. This blog entry is about the two biggest debacles that the GOP has perpetuated upon itself this year.

Florida

In Florida, my home for thirty years, the GOP primary voters had what seemed like a very simple choice, Attorney General Bill McCollum or “entrepreneur” Rick Scott, as their party’s nominee for Governor. The voters picked Mr. Scott, 46% - 43%, after a nasty, expensive campaign. Bill McCollum is not a name that excites people; he is a banal, tedious, mild politician with little charisma - this guy’s speeches couldn’t excite a crowd of ADHD kids pre-loaded with Milky Way bars. Nevertheless, he has been a steady, if unspectacular, Attorney General and served the people of Florida in the U.S. House of Representatives for twenty years (1981 – 2001.) McCollum’s only big problem was that he has run three statewide campaigns, and only come out on top once (in 2006, when he was elected Attorney General.) He twice sought a seat in the U.S. Senate, losing the 2000 general election in a squeaker to a somehow reincarnated Bill Nelson and the 2004 GOP nomination to Bush buddy Mel Martinez.

Prior to the launch of a late, self-financed campaign, Rick Scott was not well known to most Floridians. Facing a better opponent, such as former Gov. Jeb Bush or current Gov. Charlie Crist, Scott’s candidacy would have been taken seriously only because of his immense personal wealth. Scott, a former CEO of what was once the nation’s largest chain of private hospitals, Columbia/HCA, narrowly escaped indictment in the largest Medicare fraud ever perpetuated. After throwing Scott out in 1997, Columbia/HCA agreed to a plea bargain “allowing” them to avoid criminal charges in exchange for what would ultimately become a $1.7 billion settlement. By asserting his 5th Amendment rights more than fifteen (!!!) times during his depositions, Scott was able to avoid being charged with a crime. The aforementioned depositions are still sealed and cannot be obtained without permission from Scott, whom has steadfastly declined to shed light on his malfeasance.

Bill McCollum may be the unluckiest Republican politician in recent Florida history. After all, in the past forty years Florida has elected some real crowd-pleasers to statewide office. We’re talking about a state that elected odorless, colorless, tasteless, charm-less former Tampa Mayor Bob Martinez as Governor in 1986 and the brain-less Paula Hawkins to the U.S. Senate in 1980.(1) The hapless, aforementioned Mel Martinez (no relation to the former Governor,) is yet another example of this phenomenon. Also amusingly clueless are former Secretary of State Katharine Harris (the GOP nominee for Senate against Nelson in 2006,) and former one-term Governor Claude R. Kirk, Jr.

As a stalwart member of the opposing party, it is a rare occasion, indeed, that I feel the need to thank Republicans. But, I do. I thank you folks for nominating a de facto criminal to run the state at such a crucial juncture in its history. You see, Floridians pay no income tax and the state has a difficult time balancing its books (as its’ Constitution mandates,) every year. Most political observers will agree that a Governorship is not an entry-level position. The U.S. Congress, where members usually spend a few years learning their way around before wading into deeper waters, is such a place – a Governor needs to be able to lead from Day One.

The Democratic nominee, state CFO Alex Sink, also is a former business executive with a nice personal fortune, a big fund-raising network, and a résumé that does not have the word “fraud” all over it. Ms. Sink is not charismatic, either, and she may not excite anyone, but she should easily best Mr. Scott on November 2nd. So, I thank you, Republicans, and I laugh at your stupidity, blindness, and arrogance under my breath as I walk away.

Delaware

The mention of Delaware always brings me back to my childhood. In my teenage years, I lived next door to a family of Delawareans that can only be described as some of the nicest people I’ve ever met. They were kind, gracious, industrious, and inclusive – the kind of people everyone should have living next door. I was invited to dine or play video games at their home many times and have great memories that will last forever. You couldn’t dislike these people if you tried! Husband and wife were former childhood sweethearts, successful in their respective fields (both worked for government,) well-educated at state schools, and their son was a great student, Boy Scout, athlete, and a nice kid. Nearly every day, father and son would practice baseball in the neighborhood and invite me to play whenever they saw me. I can’t remember husband and wife ever arguing or even using blue language. The strongest epithet the wife ever used was “ding-bat.” The husband’s strongest was “idiot,” and that was typically reserved for a football player that made a mistake on the field.

The family was the very embodiment of what is the American dream. They were Republicans, but they were my kind of Republicans. Not extremist, not wing-nutty, but good, old-fashioned decent Republicans who were hard to argue with because they were, in fact, right about a lot of things. They were not frothing-at-the-mouth, angry extremists that got dressed in purblind costumes and bother people, but the kind that come to opinions, practice them daily in their own lives, and only shared said opinions when queried. They worked hard, kept a perfectly orderly home, had a very well-behaved son, went to church regularly, and were a pleasure to have around in any situation. They are the kind of Republican that is fast disappearing and being replaced by Sarah Palin fanatics – a shame of the first order!!

Silly me, I assumed that most people from the great state of Delaware were just like them. Christine O’Donnell has proven me wrong on that score. Delaware is a very moderate state, neither liberal nor conservative. There is, however, a nice-sized patch of pragmatic conservatism in the southern part of the state. Republicans that are elected from Delaware are usually fairly moderate, in the Bill Roth/Pierre duPont mold. Delaware usually recycles its’ politicians, electing them in turn (though not necessarily in order) as Governor, U.S. Representative (they have just one,) and/or to the Senate. Current U.S. Senator Tom Carper is a perfect example of this trifecta, and current U.S. Rep. Michael N. Castle, a former Governor, was attempting to follow in his footsteps.

Castle, who would have been a shoo-in against relatively unknown Democratic nominee Chris Coons, somehow lost this year’s primary against a political neophyte/lightweight named Christine O’Donnell, whom has never held elected office and now has a long trail of lies on her résumé to explain. O’Donnell is a sometime, self-described PR consultant and television commentator whom inexplicably earned just $5,800 last year. How Ms. O’Donnell managed to survive on such a meager sum is anyone’s guess; perhaps this explains why her home was foreclosed on by her lender and why her former campaign manager has accused her of (illegally) living off campaign donations. Furthermore, she did not officially become a college graduate until earlier this year when she finally completed her coursework at Farleigh Dickinson University. In 1994, the school sued her over $4,823 in unpaid fees, which she re-paid nine years later.

O’Donnell’s prior political experience comes in the form of having worked for right-wing groups (The RNC, Enough is Enough, and Concerned Women for America,) for short periods and having twice run unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate in Delaware. O’Donnell placed third in the 2006 GOP Primary and won the party’s 2008 nomination, but was defeated by Joe Biden by thirty points despite the fact that Biden did not campaign, having been tapped as his party’s Vice Presidential nominee.

O’Donnell won the primary handily (54% - 46%,) despite facing a powerful, well-known challenger, current U.S. Rep. Mike Castle. Castle is a former two-term Governor, and a nine-term veteran of Congress. O’Donnell is now down to Coons in nearly every poll, thanks to Sarah Palin’s endorsement of her doppelgänger. The so-called Tea Party’s misguided attempt at nominating one of their own has horribly backfired.

In closing, I say thank you to the GOP. As I said, it is not often that I thank them – but I think it is apropos here. Every major political rating group has changed the Delaware race from “Likely Republican” to “Likely Democrat.” Thank you, Mrs. Palin, to you and your flock (that’s right, I said it,) of followers whom are so hell bent on destroying yourselves that you nominated a would-be criminal and a ditz in two crucial races. When the Tea Party recedes into history, and it will, you folks will be especially remembered for these two deeds. Good show!

(Update - 11/06/2010)


Well, we Democrats lost the House. In fact, we lost at least 60 seats - a rout worse than 1994, 1980, and 1966!! Of course, in '66 we lost nearly 50 and still kept the House! Ah, the old days (not that I was alive.) My last remaining political hero, Sen. Russ Feingold of Wisconsin, went down in a final blaze of glory against GOPlastic Magnate Ron Johnson. No Teddy, No Russ, no Joe Biden ... the Senate is just not as much observe as it once was. We managed to salvage Bobby Byrd's old seat, but also lost our sitting President's seat in a squeaker. Patty Murray pulled it out in Washington while Barbara Boxer held on in California. Jerry Brown won the Governorship of California, going from Gov. Moonbeam to Gov. Gray Beard (he'll now have the interesting distinction of being both the youngest and oldest man to ever lead our nation's largest state.)

(1) To be fair, the 1980 election of Hawkins was largely the result of Ronald Reagan’s coat-tails that year instead of her own viability. (Ms. Hawkins was later handily defeated for reelection by popular outgoing Gov. Bob Graham.) Bob Martinez’s election was at least somewhat a function of the Democratic Party having nominated the also less-than-exciting Steve Pajcic. He, too, met an ignominious end in 1990 at the hands of a rejuvenated Lawton Chiles.