Oh, the primary races here in Florida are certainly hot. Hotter than the midday sunshine.
The political ads absolutely litter the airwaves. It makes it hard to get through a single TV show with almost every single commercial is yet another candidate (or one of their "supporter" groups) spewing vile comments about their opponent.
With Florida currently a "toss-up" state between the two parties, the candidates are fighting hard to gain their party's nod so they can continue the "good fight" to the general elections where, no doubt, the ads will be even more vicious and ubiquitous than they are right now.
In the U.S. Senate race, the incumbent is a pretty much unknown appointee, George LeMieux, put there by current governor Charlie Crist as a de facto placeholder for Crist himself.
Crist made his wish to vacate his current role and hop into the Senate seat known early on and the airwaves became heavily congested with his and fellow Republican Marco Rubio's mutual slander very quickly.
But when poll numbers indicated Crist was losing ground to Rubio, he slickly abandoned his party and became unaffiliated. This may have pissed off more than a few Republicans but now Independents and even Democrats are taking a look at Crist. His numbers have improved and are now better than Rubio's.
The list of other candidates for this post is long, but unimpressive. Most can't muster the millions needed for a modern campaign.
On the Democratic side, though, two candidates who have big funding are talking lots of smack 'bout one another. Kendrick Meek and Jeff Greene alert the public to the depravity and corruption on the other guys' political and financial resume.
The most heated race though, in my opinion, is the massively funded campaigns for the Republican gubernatorial nomination.
Since Crist isn't running for Governor, the seat will be wide open and the Republicans are fighting tooth and nail to make sure it's one of them to grab it. But which candidate, Attorney General Bill McCollum or businessman Rick Scott? According to the ads put out by either campaign, voting for the other guy would be akin to voting for the Devil.
But they all have one thing in common. And these days, it seems that almost all politicians and wanna-be politicians share this singularly unifying commonality...scandal.
Bill McCollum
Rick Scott
Ran one of the largest for-profit hospital corporations in the U.S. In the late 90's the company fraudulently over-billed Medicare and Medicaid amounting to millions. The company settled with the federal and state governments in an unprecedented record $1.7 billion. Rick Scott was never charged with wrong doing and insists he knew nothing of any fraud under his tenure.
Solantic, a health care services business founded by Scott has been the target of numerous employment discrimination suits, including one that settled with 7 plaintiffs for an undisclosed sum on May 23, 2007. These suits allegedly stem from a Scott directed policy to not hire elderly or overweight applicants, preferring "mainstream" candidates
Another Rick Scott venture which offers online social-networking services targeted at Hispanic users also offers links to a Spanish-language version of Playboy featuring naked women in erotic poses...a very unsettling venue for profit for his conservative Republican supporters.
The political ads absolutely litter the airwaves. It makes it hard to get through a single TV show with almost every single commercial is yet another candidate (or one of their "supporter" groups) spewing vile comments about their opponent.
With Florida currently a "toss-up" state between the two parties, the candidates are fighting hard to gain their party's nod so they can continue the "good fight" to the general elections where, no doubt, the ads will be even more vicious and ubiquitous than they are right now.
In the U.S. Senate race, the incumbent is a pretty much unknown appointee, George LeMieux, put there by current governor Charlie Crist as a de facto placeholder for Crist himself.
Crist made his wish to vacate his current role and hop into the Senate seat known early on and the airwaves became heavily congested with his and fellow Republican Marco Rubio's mutual slander very quickly.
But when poll numbers indicated Crist was losing ground to Rubio, he slickly abandoned his party and became unaffiliated. This may have pissed off more than a few Republicans but now Independents and even Democrats are taking a look at Crist. His numbers have improved and are now better than Rubio's.
The list of other candidates for this post is long, but unimpressive. Most can't muster the millions needed for a modern campaign.
On the Democratic side, though, two candidates who have big funding are talking lots of smack 'bout one another. Kendrick Meek and Jeff Greene alert the public to the depravity and corruption on the other guys' political and financial resume.
The most heated race though, in my opinion, is the massively funded campaigns for the Republican gubernatorial nomination.
Since Crist isn't running for Governor, the seat will be wide open and the Republicans are fighting tooth and nail to make sure it's one of them to grab it. But which candidate, Attorney General Bill McCollum or businessman Rick Scott? According to the ads put out by either campaign, voting for the other guy would be akin to voting for the Devil.
But they all have one thing in common. And these days, it seems that almost all politicians and wanna-be politicians share this singularly unifying commonality...scandal.
Charlie Crist
Investigated for alleged favoritism based on political contributions to his campaign from convicted Ponzi-schemer former boy-band producer Lou Pearlman
Took a 12-day European vacation that cost Florida taxpayers over $400,000
Supported a ban on gay marriage, but it is widely speculated, by some, to be secretly gay himself.
Marco Rubio
Racked up over $100,000 on a State Republican credit card for personal items and services like repairs to his mini-van and hundred dollar haircuts.
Advocated for greater funding for Florida college FIU while Speaker of the Florida House. Then took a cushy "part-time" (read: no show) job at the institution after his term in the House ended and reported it to no one.
Kendrick Meek
As a U.S. Representative, Meek was accused of aiding a Miami developer gain lucrative federal funding for a building project that was never done. Allegedly received favors from the developer to the tune of an aide's home purchase as well as a high-paying job and a new Cadillac for Meek's mother.
Allegedly failed to disclose stock-ownership in a medical waste company that eventually went bankrupt and was accused of cooking the books.
Jeff Greene
Made over half a billion dollars investing in options that hedged on the anticipation that millions of homeowners would fall into foreclosure as a result of the 2008 housing loan crisis. As countless people entered homelessness, Greene profited on their misery, buying a huge luxury yacht, tearing up ecologically sensitive reefs in Belize and allegedly having drug and booze fueled parties on the yacht with European strippers.
Bill McCollumMcCollum and Democrat Alex Sink, both of whom are running for Governor of Florida, were the subject of reports questioning their 2009 use of state planes. Both candidates have had ongoing ethics complaints filed against them by citizens
As the Florida Attorney General he used over $120,000 in state funds to hire a psychologist, George Rekers, to testify as the star expert witness and one of only two to testify in defense of the state's homosexual-adoption ban. It was discovered that Rekers hired a homosexual prostitute for a 10 day vacation in Europe, raising questions about Bill McCollum's connections to Rekers and his conduct as Attorney General
Rick ScottSolantic, a health care services business founded by Scott has been the target of numerous employment discrimination suits, including one that settled with 7 plaintiffs for an undisclosed sum on May 23, 2007. These suits allegedly stem from a Scott directed policy to not hire elderly or overweight applicants, preferring "mainstream" candidates
Another Rick Scott venture which offers online social-networking services targeted at Hispanic users also offers links to a Spanish-language version of Playboy featuring naked women in erotic poses...a very unsettling venue for profit for his conservative Republican supporters.