The Spencerian

In Defense of the Endorsement (and Partisanship)

I'm going to tell you about a couple of generic political things that I dislike.  What I tell you, in turn, may make you dislike me (I mean, more than you already do).  In my meager defense, this thing I don't care for is born out of bitter personal experience.  Both of them, I'm sorry to report, seem to dwell primarily in the land of Democratic politics. 

I cannot stand the games Democrats play with respect to campaign endorsements.  When I worked for Jan in 2002, there was a five-way primary.  It was clear that not only was Jan the heavy favorite among the Democratic establishment, it was clear that she would have the best shot in the general election.  No, the Democrats, mostly in Sarasota, had to stand on principle.  "Anyone can run!" they'd exclaim gleefully as I rolled my eyes, all the while apparently blinded to the fact that not everyone should run. 

I noted in my last post that I used to think Republicans were the party of campaign discipline (maybe not so much anymore).  One of their (admirable, in my view) discipline's was to groom and support candidates early.  Did you know that Katherine Harris actually had a primary challenger back in 2002?

Yeah.  You didn't.  And do you know why?  Because the Republican Party ate him up.  I don't know that I ever saw the guy.  Anywhere. 

This wasn't specific to Harris -- this happens in GOP races all over the country.  Their system to grooming and promoting from within their ranks is just different than how Democrats do it. 

I know what you're thinking: Republicans are a bunch of lying crooks -- at least Democrats have an honest, fair system, at least their standing on principle with respect to primaries and elections.

Stop it.  Please.

And while you're getting over your righteous indignation over the purity Democratic primaries, lay off elected officials endorsing candidates, either in primaries or in non-partisan races.  I once workedo on a race where the person for whom I was working was clearly going to come out ahead in the primary (not Jan in 2002), was head and shoulders above their token primary opposition, had out-hustled them on the fundamentals and had out-polled them as well.  And yet the Democratic establishment (specifically some elected officials in the area, but also members of the local Democratic Committee and the Democratic Club) simply refused to endorse.  

I found this to be idiotic beyond measure, not to mention irresponsible.  While you're mumbling about what a jackass I am, at least ready why.

Endorsements matter.  Endorsements make a difference.  I would love nothing more than to believe that everyone is as informed and engaged as I am in politics and elections.  It's just not the case.  In fact, we have something of a civic and political engagement crises today.  People don't turn out for elections like they should, and despite how easy it is in the Internet Age to get information on candidates, voters frequently remain woefully uninformed.  Thus, when the newspapers print their endorsements, it matters.  A newspaper editorial endorsing a candidate will often be the first time a voter has heard of a candidate, and is in fact the moment they make up their mind to vote for or against a candidate. 

The same thing is true with our elected officials.  When they make and endorsement, it says something.  You've entrusted me with the powers of this office, and I believe you can trust this person, too.  Our elected leaders have a voice -- it's part of the job.  From my perspective, I don't just hope they use it in support of candidates they believe in, I fully expect it.

Alright, here's the back story.

There's an election here in Gulfport -- the City Council, Ward 2.  The things you need to know are there are two candidates and these are non-partisan races.

As a brief aside, I can't stand non-partisan races, either.  There.  Is.  No.  Such.  Thing.  I recognize that people affiliate themselves as independent, or with a different party, such as the Green Party, or the Tea Party, or something else.  But that misses the point entirely.  Everyone has a partisan view on something, and usually on most issues.  Simply calling yourself "independent" doesn't make you independent in your political thought.  I can say I drive a brand-new Ferrari all the live long day.  That does not preclude the fact that what I drive is my beloved Subaru Outback with nearly 150,000 miles on it.  Saying I drive a Ferrari may make me feel better, but that's not being true to reality.

I think we have "non-partisan" races for the same reason -- it makes us feel good.  Oh, see, we don't let dirty, filthy partisanship seep into our politics here in Gulfport.  Nonsense.  All non-partisanshiop does is further obfuscate the political ideologies of people running for office.  Like I said before, despite how easy it is to get information on candidates in this day and age, people still don't do it.  Adding a protective layer of non-partisanship isn't going to help -- it's only going to hide it further.

Anyway, there's this Ward 2 City Council race, and the two people running are Avrio Taylor and Barbara Banno.

Before I am labeled a hypocrite, let me say up front that I will be voting for Mr. Taylor.  Mr. Taylor came to our door, was thoughtful, and very understanding of our 110 pound dog, our escape-artist cat, and our fussy 1 year-old.  Yet he still managed to get in a couple of articulate words in about the PACE program as well as public safety.  I appreciated his time, like his materials, and like his demeanor and approach. 

With that being said, let me be clear: this ain't Meek versus Rubio versus Crist, or something.  If Ms. Banno were to be elected, I have every confidence she'd do a fine job on the City Council. 

Okay, so you know who I'm voting for, and I'm nobody.  But it turns out that somebody who is, well, somebody has endorsed Avrio Taylor for City Council as well: Rep. Rick Kriseman.  

Representative Kriseman has faded a little heat for his endorsement in a non-partisan election.  I don't really understand why.  In fact, I applaud his endorsement of Mr. Taylor.  

And before you jump my case to point out that it's easy for me to say that, since I'm voting for the guy, let me assure you that I would applaud this had Rep. Kriseman endorsed Ms. Banno.  

The reason I'd applaud the Representative no matter who endorsed is because I'd be applauding his forward thinking and his -- no other word -- bravery.  Mr. Taylor approached Representative Kriseman.  Mr. Taylor gave a speech that Kriseman liked.  Kriseman compared the two and made a decision.  

And yeah, I think he did the right thing. 

To circle this thing back around, let me not underplay the importance of what's going on here.  Democrats need to do a better job of building the minor-league field, which one day becomes the major-league candidates.  I've talked to Democratic candidates before, even in other states, who have told me they feel abandoned by an establishment oftentimes they have helped build. 

Frequently these choices aren't easy.  But that's life -- sometimes our choices are hard.  My hope is that Democrats think ahead.  Let's not sacrifice smart strategy for an idealistic purity which, if we're honest with each other, never existed in the first place.    

Re-Endorsement! The Spencerian Endorses: Kendrick Meek for United States Senate

I endorsed Kendrick Meek back in August of last year. 

I think we can all agree that was perhaps... a little early.  Me, back in August:

I will be voting for Kendrick Meek for United States Senate.  If you read this blog, even just casually, you already knew that was coming. 

So for my Florida readers, I'd like to explain why, and explain why you too should not only vote for Congressman Meek in November 2010, but you should help out his campaign, if you can.  Let's get going. 

Actually, before I get started, I'd like to make a couple of clarifications.  First, let us labor under the presumption that Charlie Crist is going to roundly defeat former Florida House Speaker and darling of the tax-cutting wingnuts Marco Rubio in the primary. 

Woah, hey there, Skippy McGee.  How about we not "labor under" that "presumption".  Okay?  Fortunately for me, I was wise enough to say this next:

This is not, in my estimation, necessarily a foregone conclusion.  Nonetheless, for the purposes of this post, let's go with the conventional wisdom that Crist will overwhelm Rubio with establishment GOP money, and will be their nominee for the United States Senate

Makes it a little bit better.  I guess.

Couple of things.  What is striking is how different this race was just under a year ago.  Don't you think?  Charlie had it in the bag.  He was Mister Establishment.  He was the guy who was cake-walking to the U.S. Senate.  

Until he wasn't.

Also, I was smart enough to caveat Meek's primary opponents at the time as well:

For that matter, Congressman Meek as a contested primary, too, against Kevin Burns a former Mayor, as well as Congresswoman Corrine Brown.  With respect to Mayor Burns and Congresswoman Brown, I think the odds of an upset on this side are even longer than an upset for our friends in the GOP.  So for the purposes of this endorsement, I'll be comparing Meek to Crist.

With the ugly entrance of recession pimp Jeff Greene, things have changed on the Democratic side of the equation as well.  If the Steve Bousquet piece in the St. Petersburg Times on McCollum was a wake-up call in the governor's race on the GOP side, then Jonathan Martin's piece in Politico is the wake-up call for Democrats in the Senate race. 

The emergence of a politically unknown billionaire self-funder in the Florida Senate race is prompting top Democrats in the state to say publicly what some have been whispering for weeks: If Jeff Greene, who got rich betting on the collapse of the housing market, becomes their nominee, many in the party will have the cover they need to get behind Republican-turned-independent Gov. Charlie Crist.

Establishment Democrats in Florida, for now, are sticking with Rep. Kendrick Meek, who lags far behind in early general election polls against Crist and Republican Marco Rubio. Yet with Greene promising to drop at least $40 million of his fortune on the primary and pulling neck and neck with Meek in one survey, Sunshine State Democrats are beginning to consider the increasingly realistic prospect that their nominee might be a “meltdown mogul” — one who collects erotic art, had Mike Tyson serve as his best man and once hosted “Hollywood Madam” Heidi Fleiss as a house guest.

Faced with such an awkward possibility, many influential Democrats indicated that supporting Crist — who has quickly moved leftward since leaving the GOP — or just remaining quiet would be the better of the unenviable options.

That is just not cool.

More on recession pimp Jeff Greene in a minute. 

First, I stand behind my original endorsement -- and I re-affirm it today, strongly, wholeheartedly and unconditionally.  If you're looking at qualifications, Meek just runs away with it. 

So now let's take a quick look at recession pimp Jeff Greene.

You might remember credit default swaps from such events as the current fucked-up state of our economy, the desperate misery wrought upon hundreds of thousands -- even millions -- of Americans who have lost or are losing their home, their jobs, their dreams.  Credit default swaps -- and their lack of regulation -- are why we're in the recession we're in. 

Jeff Greene got rich exploiting those credit default swaps.  In plain terms, he bet against the American economy -- he bet against me and you.  He bet the housing bubble would burst, and when it did, he got rich.  Not like he profited hansomely -- he got way wealthy.  Many millions and millions of dollars.  Which is why I call him a recession pimp.

I also don't like the fact that Greene has pledged to spend as much as possible to win.  I'm not naive -- I know that candidates finance their own campaigns all the time.  Sometimes they win (see: Michael Bloomberg).  Sometimes they lose (see: Steve Forbes).  Sometimes you just don't know what will happen (see: hospital grifter Rick Scott).  But this is a blatant vanity campaign.  This isn't about public service.  It's about Jeff Greene's ego.  And every day he stays in this race, he hurts Democrats, and frankly he hurts everyday Floridians, no matter their party (because he engenders cynicism of the system).  

Now, I get that this is the Year of the Outsider.  Fabulous.  You want to kick the bums out and bring in fresh blood?  That's just great.  I hear you on that -- I really do.  I believe in the power of elections and campaigns, and I think that everyone running for office comes out on the other side with better ideas and plans for having had a tough campaign fight (usually).  But when you get behind Mister Johnny First Time, you never quite know what you're getting.  

Think about going out to eat -- one of my favorite activities.  Think about Mexican food, also a favorite of mine.  Let's say I have a favorite Mexican food place (which I do).  We go there when we can (it's reasonably priced, for sure, but we ain't rich), and I just love their burritos.  Their chips and salsa are the best.  They even brew their own beer -- it's freaking fantastic.  Why would you ever go anywhere else?

Great question.  But hey, what's this?  A new Mexican food place opened up.  It's not that it looks any better than my current favorite -- in fact, I don't really know anything about it at all -- but, hey.  It's kind of new.  And you never know.  Maybe this place will be ten times better than my current favorite.

Great.  Now I'm hungry.  

Here's the point.  Yes, there is every possibility that what you'll get with the new place -- the new, unknown candidate -- is something good.  But because there is no record to run on, you just can't know what you're getting until you sit down, order up something you think looks good, and get it served in front of you.  

Jeff Greene is out of nowhere.  Yes, his freshness, his newness, his non-politician-ness may be appealing to some people.  But to those people I ask: aside from the boilerplate language on his issues page (a standard burrito/taco/chimichanga offering if I ever saw it) what do you really know of Jeff Greene?

Let's be fair. The language on Kendrick's issue pages (and it's multiple pages, versus the one run-on page featured at the Greene site) could be described as "boilerplate" by a Greene supporter (though less fairly in my estimation).

But at least Kendrick believes enough in public service to have stepped up and built a record on which to run.

To me, that's where the rubber meets the road between Meek and Greene.  Kendrick believes in service to Americans, to his fellow Floridians.  Greene believes in his checkbook.

I'll give you a practical example.  Here's what we know about Kendrick Meek on the issue of abortion (me from last August):

We'll start with a tough one -- but one that always clearly divides Democrats and Republicans: abortion.

According to Project Vote Smart, In 2008, Congressman Meek "supported the interests of Planned Parenthood 100 percent."  So far, so good, Congressman.  In fact, his supporting the national Planned Parenthood interest 100 percent of the time is consistent all the way back to 1995.  NARAL has given him a consistent 100 percent as well, since 2003.  The National Right to Life Committee gave him a rating of zero in 2007-2008, as they did in 2003-2004.

On The Issues gives us a bit of insight into the Congressman's voting record on the issue of abortion.  He voted yes to expand embryonic stem cell research in 2007 -- and he made a comparable vote in 2005.  He voted no on restricting the interstate transport of minors to get an abortion.  And he voted no on making it a crime to harm a fetus during the perpetration of another crime. 

Well, that's good news!  So we have a candidate who has, apparently, a pretty strong record with respect to a woman's right to choose.

Okay.  Here's what we know about Jeff Greene on the issue of abortion from his own site:

I support Roe v. Wade that guarantees a woman’s right to choose.  I believe that abortion should be safe, legal and rare.

It's the last two sentences on the page.  And that's it.  I mean, it's real nice.  He says he believes in a woman's right to choose, he cribs President Clinton's line that "abortion should be safe, legal and rare."  Fantastic, really.  But while Congressman Meek has been involved in this issue, has voted on bills affecting this issue, Greene has two sentences, part of which he stole from a former president.

Ready for some whiplash?  Here is Marco Rubio on a woman's right to choose:

SANCTITY OF LIFE: “I am pro-life. As a state legislator, I supported various pieces of pro-life legislation that, among other things, would require doctors to perform ultrasounds before performing abortions and another bill that would ban the use of taxpayer dollars to fund stem cell research.”

If Charlie mentions abortion on his website, I can't find it.  But he did veto the legislature's evil bill that would have -- wait for it -- required doctors to show a woman an ultrasound before performing an abortion.

People were surprised when he did this.  After all...

Crist has vacillated on the issue in his political tenure, calling himself "prochoice" in 1998 and then saying earlier this year (as a Republican candidate) he would "fight for prolife legislative efforts."

No one would have been surprised if it were Kendrick... because aside from the far-right wingnuttery of Marco Rubio, he's the only known quantity in the race.  We just don't know Jeff Greene, and we can't trust Charlie Crist.  

On a similar note, whether or not you agree with me on the "issues" pages on the websites, you can't refute this.  Kendrick doesn't have an entire page dedicated to explaining his relationship with A.) Mike Tyson, and B.) Heidi Fleiss.  I'm sorry, but that's just weird and/or gross.

Now here's the best part.  You don't have to take my word for any of this.  Just watch Jeff Greene himself with Chris Matthew's on Hardball.  He barely remembers that he ran for Congress -- in California -- in 1982.  And he doesn't remember who he voted for in 1980.  That wasn't just any election, by the way.  It was Reagan versus Carter.  Carter defeating Ted Kennedy in the primary?  Supply-side economics?  Iran-Contra?  Philadelphia, Mississippi, state's rights?  Gigantic landslide for Reagan?

Hey, it was 1980.  That's, like, a long time ago, dude.  I'll wager Kendrick Meek is familiar enough with himself and his politics.

I ended my last endorsement pretty well (if I do say so myself):

My hope is that Congressman Meek will continue to share his story, county by county, community by community, and make his case to all Floridians.  We're a complex state with complex demographics.  But this isn't an insurmountable problem -- for a guy like Kendrick Meek, it should be an opportunity.  Civil Rights activist, small business owner, family man, community leader, and yes, someone who cares about issues (and doesn't just tell us what we want to hear because it makes him politically popular). 

Watch for Congressman Meek in your neck of the woods.  I will.

I hope you'll join me in supporting Kendrick Meek for Senate.

That's still true today.  Keep doing your thing, Congressman. 

And if you're a Florida voter, don't be scared off by the Jeff Greene's and the Charlie Crists and the Marco Rubios -- it's a crowded field (and the governor's race makes it seem even more circus-like).  Ask, yourself who you want representing you in the United States Senate.  I'm betting you'll want to go with someone you know.

The only answer is Kendrick Meek.  

The Spencerian Endorses: Kendrick Meek for United States Senate

I will be voting for Kendrick Meek for United States Senate.  If you read this blog, even just casually, you already knew that was coming. 

So for my Florida readers, I'd like to explain why, and explain why you too should not only vote for Congressman Meek in November 2010, but you should help out his campaign, if you can.  Let's get going. 

Actually, before I get started, I'd like to make a couple of clarifications.  First, let us labor under the presumption that Charlie Crist is going to roundly defeat former Florida House Speaker and darling of the tax-cutting wingnuts Marco Rubio in the primary.  This is not, in my estimation, necessarily a foregone conclusion.  Nonetheless, for the purposes of this post, let's go with the conventional wisdom that Crist will overwhelm Rubio with establishment GOP money, and will be their nominee for the United States Senate.  

For that matter, Congressman Meek as a contested primary, too, against Kevin Burns a former Mayor, as well as Congresswoman Corrine Brown.  With respect to Mayor Burns and Congresswoman Brown, I think the odds of an upset on this side are even longer than an upset for our friends in the GOP.  So for the purposes of this endorsement, I'll be comparing Meek to Crist.

As usual, I'm going to employ the research of those who have already done the heavy lifting: the non-partisan Project Vote Smart, and the non-partisan On The Issues.  Let's see how Kendrick and Charlie do.  We'll start with a tough one -- but one that always clearly divides Democrats and Republicans: abortion.

According to Project Vote Smart, In 2008, Congressman Meek "supported the interests of Planned Parenthood 100 percent."  So far, so good, Congressman.  In fact, his supporting the national Planned Parenthood interest 100 percent of the time is consistent all the way back to 1995.  NARAL has given him a consistent 100 percent as well, since 2003.  The National Right to Life Committee gave him a rating of zero in 2007-2008, as they did in 2003-2004.

On The Issues gives us a bit of insight into the Congressman's voting record on the issue of abortion.  He voted yes to expand embryonic stem cell research in 2007 -- and he made a comparable vote in 2005.  He voted no on restricting the interstate transport of minors to get an abortion.  And he voted no on making it a crime to harm a fetus during the perpetration of another crime. 

Well, that's good news!  So we have a candidate who has, apparently, a pretty strong record with respect to a woman's right to choose. 

How about Charlie's position on abortion.  Well, if you look at his page on Project Vote Smart, you'll see he hasn't bothered to commit himself on this issu.  Or any issue... except for -- wait for it -- business and consumers.  You'll be not at all surprised to learn he has supported the interests of the Florida Chamber of Commerce 96% of the time (in 1997, when he was a legislator, presumably).

Hey, I'm willing to let the Governor speak for himself.  Let's see what his website says about the issue.

Oh.

His campaign website -- and I kind of wish I was making this up, but I'm not -- doesn't have an issues page.  Seriously.

Kendrick's site does have an issues page, by the way.

Moving on.

You may ask why move on at all if we're not going to be able to evaluate Candidate Crist against Candidate Meek.  Fair enough.  

We're going to keep going and looking at Congressman Meek's record, because it is worth evaluating in and of itself.  There have been some public declarations that perhaps the Congressman is not appropriately Democratic, or not appropriately progressive, or is conventional, or perhaps establishment -- whatever that might mean.

Let's move on to a hot-button issue these days: education.

According to On The Issues, Meek voted for an additional $10.2 billion for federal education projects, and he got a 100% from the teachers union, the NEA.  

Crist, they noted, wants to reduce class size.  He has this in common with Meek.  I wonder if it will come up on the campaign trail, or if Crist will waffle on it like he did with oil drilling off the coast, climate change, health care, etc., etc.

From Project Vote Smart, we see that Congressman Meek most recently supported the interest of the American Association of University Women 100 percent of the time from 2007 to 2008. 

You can love or hate the NEA -- and I have my issues with unions, to some degree, and with the NEA specifically -- but they love Congressman Meek, giving him an "A" in 2007-2008.  In fact, the worst he ever did among education interests was garner a 62 percent from the National Association for College Admission Counseling. 

Remember, you can't find anything about Crist on education on the Project Vote Smart site... or on his own website.

Okay, here's an issue where I really wish the Governor would, you know, take a position: health care.

In 2008, Kendrick voted yes to give mental health full equity with mental health (I assume with respect to reimbursement).  He voted to extend SCHIP to 6 million more kids.  You remember that fight with Bush that ultimately led to a veto over-ride, don't you?  He voted no on limiting the prescription drug benefit to Medicare recipients.  He voted to increase fuding for AIDS treatment and prevention.   

Project Vote Smart notes that Congressman Meek supported the interests of the American Academy of Family Physicians 100 percent of the time in 2007.  The AIDS Action Council gave him 100 percent in 2005-2006, the same year the National Breast Cancer Coalition gave him a 75 percent.  He has also supported the interests of the Global AIDS Alliance 100 percent of the time.  He got a 100 percent from the Nurses Association as well.

We're in the middle of a pretty intense national discussion on this issue (an understatement, I know).  I think I'll go with the guy who has a solid record, here: Kendrick Meek. 

As far as Congressman Meek is concerned, there are many, many more issues you can find on his interest group rating page at Project Vote Smart, as well as On The Issues.  Governor Crist... not so much.

Let's move away from the issues for a moment.

There can be no denying that Crist, for whatever reason, remains wildly popular in Florida.  He retains better than a 30 point lead over Rubio in most polls, and anywhere between about a 20 and 30 point advantage over Meek, depending on what polls you want to believe.  Crist will be showered with GOP money -- they want to retain that Senate seat.  Meek will have to combat Crist's popularity and treasury of GOP cash with a strong, persistent grassroots campaign.  

My hope is that Congressman Meek will continue to share his story, county by county, community by community, and make his case to all Floridians.  We're a complex state with complex demographics.  But this isn't an insurmountable problem -- for a guy like Kendrick Meek, it should be an opportunity.  Civil Rights activist, small business owner, family man, community leader, and yes, someone who cares about issues (and doesn't just tell us what we want to hear because it makes him politically popular).  

Watch for Congressman Meek in your neck of the woods.  I will.            

I hope you'll join me in supporting Kendrick Meek for Senate. 

Obama's Florida Guru Steve Schale Endorses Kendrick Meek for U.S. Senate

While broke Marco Rubio and Empty Chair Charlie Crist try to out-wingnut each other, Florida Democrats are standing up and getting behind Kendrick Meek.

Today, the guy who orchestrated delivering Florida to Barack Obama is going to endorse Kendrick Meek for Senate.  From Steve's message:

Last year, I had the great honor of leading the Obama campaign here in Florida.  For five months, I had the greatest job in the land working with what I believe was the most amazing organization of volunteers ever assembled.

But as rewarding as it was to see Florida's 27 electoral votes go to Barack Obama, I knew that we had only taken the first step on the long road to change, especially here in Florida.

The State of our State is not good.  Ten percent of our fellow residents are unemployed, some four million of our neighbors lack basic health insurance and some forty percent of our high school students will never get a diploma.  While we live in a state whose potential is limitless, we have a Governor who seems to be satisfied with our current state of affairs, unwilling to lead our state towards greatness.  Now he wants to represent us in the United States Senate.

My friends, we deserve better.

You ain't kidding, Steve. 

This is big, because Steve worked for an early rival of Meek, Dan Gelber (who is now running for Florida Attorney General).  Steve wrote a great endorsement of Gelber (and I wrote a so-so one).  

Now Steve is putting his considerable political clout behind Kendrick Meek.  Steve's support for Congressman Meek will be huge throughout Florida.  It's big news.  My support -- which the Congressman has -- will be considerably less so, but he has it nonetheless.

I'll let Steve tell you how Kendrick is going to win this thing:

Kendrick knows that it was your blood, sweat and tears that delivered Florida for President Obama, and he knows that it is the collective efforts of everyday people who will send him to Washington and help deliver change up and down the ballot in 2010.  That is why Kendrick is working to build a grassroots movement to place his name on the ballot by petition, one that can eventually take our message of change door to door in every corner of our state.

But he can't do it alone.  And here's where I need your help.

So help out Kendrick Meek. 

This is Democrats coming together to support a strong candidate.  This Senate race between Meek and (presumably) Crist will be the race to watch in 2010, but only if we help make it so. 

Get behind Kendrick Meek, everybody.  And let's help him, and Steve Schale, deliver for Florida once again.

The Spencerian Endorses: Dan Gelber for United States Senate

Living and working in Washington, D.C. frequently manipulates one's perspective of the real world in sometimes unexpected ways.  Washington is a place of remarkable beauty.  But for all its beauty, it is as unreal as your dreams.  Everyone maintains a close proximity to almost unimaginable power -- no matter your party, no matter where you work -- and like a black hole devouring light in the farthest reaches of the universe, that power sucks away at your common sense, bending it away from you and towards a particular epicenter of power, the hunger of which is never satiated.  D.C. is, stubbornly, a one-company town and the company business is politics, and everyone has a piece of the game.  Stay in D.C. long enough  and you will likely lose sight of what matters in the real world -- what matters in American cities and towns, neighborhoods, what happens to your friends, your family, what you stand for, who you are -- and the city itself will rend the goodness from your soul.

Which is to say I picked up some bad habits in Washington, D.C.  Although I worked very hard, and continue to work hard, to maintain a sense of decorum, a sense of decency, and above all a sense of respect around politicians, I still carry around one permanently warped priority when it comes to supporting politicians and candidates, and it is without question borne from my days in D.C.:  I simply insist on meeting candidates them before I endorse them.  I make an exception (grudgingly) for presidential candidates, because snagging my endorsement is, against all odds, not near the top of their list, usually.  Fine -- it's not on their list at all (see what I mean about warped perspective?).

At the beginning of the Florida Legislative Session, the estimable Kenneth Quinnell -- a good soul whose perspective is consistently sound and balanced -- offered a very good endorsement of State Senator Dan Gelber's candidacy for the United States Senate.  Read it here.

Over the course of the last several days -- beginning last Friday -- Dan has hosted a series of conference calls for bloggers around the state, and I've been on every one.  Now seems to be a fine opportunity to tell you about that first call.  I am not the most punctual person you will ever meet.  Tardiness is one of my many flaws.  On Friday, though, I managed to log onto the call a little early.  You dial in to a number, and then punch in a code, say your name, and you find yourself on the call.  For several minutes before the other bloggers joined the call it was just me and Dan -- he insisted we call him Dan, which is simply one more good reason not only to support the man, but to like him as well.  He comes with no pretension too often found in politicians on both sides of the aisle.

His informality is representative of his comfort with people, and more importantly with bloggers, a notoriously strange group, if we're honest about it.  Dan wasn't putting on an act.  This, of course, is why I've listened in on every call.  To test what might be called the sincerity of his comfort with us, a group who most think of as lonely uber-nerds frittering away their free time incessantly typing on laptops wearing Spongebob Squarepants pajamas camped out in our mother's basements.  The stereotypes are not true, of course.  There are no basements in Florida. 

Dan's authenticity is real, and his commitment to giving a frank assessment of the legislative session was real.  My first question to him was, "how are things going?" to which he flatly responded, "it's a disaster."  I'm not going to lie to you: I was expecting the spin, and was pleasantly surprised when it didn't come. 

And it never came.  Ever.  Dan spoke with us over the course of several evenings, covering topics from oil drilling in the Gulf, to stimulus money, to education, to taxation, to the state budget, to the corruption of the system, to growth management, to the name "Baxter Troutman" ("it's a name Carl Hiaasen would make up!") to class size, to energy, to the CSX rail issue, to employee free choice.  And more.  With respect to every single issue he was up-front and not afraid to break the bad news. 

Taken aback by the "disaster" response, I gave him a softball follow-up, in case he wanted to bail himself out.  He didn't.

"Do you have any hope for the rest of this session?"

"No."

Dan introduced Congressman John Lewis (D-GA) at a Democratic Club dinner in Sarasota a few months back.  I won't do you the disservice of lying to you: John Lewis was simply epic. 

But I took note when I met Dan then that he seemed to be just as humbled as everyone else to meet a guy who is a pillar of the civil rights era.  So my first meetings with Dan have gone better than expected.

When I first came to Florida in 2002 to manage a congressional campaign in the 13th CD, someone gave me a wonderful book, which I treasured.  It was Bob Graham's "Workdays".  [Image courtesy Florida Memory.]  I found this idea of spending an entire shift -- and entire day -- at the job of an "average" Floridian to be fantastic.

Dan has taken on the same idea with "100 Days of Service."  Even if the man is never elected to another public office again he'll have done great things for Florida by simply working with Floridians.  I place a great deal of value on the American work ethic, and I deeply value people who work hard in this country.  It is quite evident that Dan does as well.  Floridians are in desperate need of hard work in the United States Senate on behalf of Florida.  We haven't gotten this with Mel Martinez.  And hard work is not something we've gotten from the empty governorship of Charlie Crist, either. 
 
I respect the other Democrats in this race, and I very much like Congressman Kendrick Meek, but as Ken Quinnell says, we need a fighter.  Kendrick recently offered up some answers to The Buzz here in the Tampa Bay area.  When asked how he'd grade Crist as governor, he... demurred.  I confess to you that I am having a difficult time getting around this.  

We do need a fighter.  It should come as no surprise that I would have said Charlie Crist gets an "F."  I'm willing to make a safe wager that Dan Gelber would say the same thing.

Finally, I would be remiss if I did not point out the endorsement of Dan Gelber by Steve Schale.  Quite frankly, I would like to think that Steve is just another smart guy with a keen political sense, but that would be underestimating him.  It would do a disservice to his delivery of Florida to the "win" column for Barack Obama (which I foolishly bet against).  Steve knows this state, and he knows how to win in this state -- and that is saying something.  Politically, Florida is as complex a puzzle as they come.  And Steve has cracked the code (and made it look easy all the while).  I give a great deal of defference to the choices someone like Steve Schale makes.

It is my intention to do what I can to help Dan Gelber in his campaign to be our next United States Senator from Florida.  It is my hope that D.C. will not jade his wit or his common sense or his perspective on behalf of Floridians. 

Please join Dan for what promises to be one of the best campaigns of 2010.  We'll be watching.

Eye on Southwest Florida's Down Ballot Candidates

Now that the Conventions are over and the debates are looming, and with just under sixty days to go before Election Day, it's easy to get caught up in the action at the top of the tickets.  Every story everywhere, it seems, is Obama/Biden and McCain/Palin.  Given that this is the most important presidential election in a generation -- maybe more -- we certainly should be paying attention. 

But I get worried when we cover the Presidential/Vice Presidential candidates non-stop, because it tends to be at the cost of really great state-wide and local candidates. 

With that, I'd like to introduce you, or perhaps re-introduce you to some local candidates from the Sarasota area.  I should point out that each of these has the backing of the Sarasota DEC, so you know they are solid.  The Sarasota DEC in particular has shaped up in recent years under the leadership of the Chair, Rita Ferrandino, who was covered by the New York Times at the Democratic Convention.

Help them how you can.  If you're in the neighborhood, volunteer with them.  If you can afford it, donate to them.  Make calls for them.  Tell others about them. 

This is going to be a good year for Democrats -- but only if we widen the net across the whole ballot.

You have likely heard of Christine Jennings.  She is running to unseat corrupt thug Vern Buchanan, whom she narrowly "lost" to last time around.  An EMILY's List-supported candidate, she is what District 13 needs after Buchanan and his predecessor -- Katherine Harris.

Morgan Bentley is a Sarasota lawyer running for the State Senate vacated by Lisa Carlton (District 23).  Morgan, looking confident at right, apparently has every reason to, according to the Sarasota Herald Tribune:

Fresh from a hard-fought primary election that drained her bank account and energy, Republican state Senate hopeful Nancy Detert is confronting something she has never faced during 12 years as an elected official in Sarasota County: A legitimate Democratic contender in the November general election.

Democrat Morgan Bentley, also seeking the District 23 Senate seat, is president of the Sarasota County Bar Association and a well-connected lawyer at one of the county's largest firms. He already has $114,000 in campaign contributions.

I know for a fact that Morgan has been working hard, going door to door.  Detert upset Empty Chair Charlie's chosen candidate in the primary, but don't let that fool you.  She'd be terrible in the Senate.  Help out Morgan however you can.

The Republican stranglehold on Sarasota -- in fact, on much of the Southwest Coast -- is eroding. 

The current Sarasota Tax Collector, Barbara Ford-Coates, is proof of that.  She's running for re-election, and Sarasota should keep her.  After all, the National Association of County Collectors, Treasurers, and Finance Officers named her the "Victor E. Martinelli Outstanding Tax Collector."  Come on.  It's like the Oscars for tax collectors. 

Jono Miller is running for Sarasota County Commission, District 1.  Read more about Jono -- he's one of these guys you read about and wish you could accomplish half the stuff he already has -- and I think you'll agree, there isn't one single county in Florida would couldn't use a guy like him.

Also, you'll want to check out his blog.  There have been a couple of local candidates with outstanding blogs this election cycle.  Jono is one.  His most recent post on yard signs is a must-read.

Those of you who know me even a little bit know of my affinity for police officers and military personnel.  It has to do with my time working for the Drug Czar, when retired New York Police Officer George Kosnik served as a mentor to me, I'm sure -- not to mention all of the military personnel who treated me very well under the tenure of General McCaffrey.

So once I met Barry Sullivan, who is running for Sarasota Supervisor of Elections, I knew I'd like him.  He has a remarkably distinguished career in the United States Air Force as well as with the Sarasota Sheriff's Office.  Candidates like Barry are exactly the kind of candidates we mean when we talk about cultivating good Democrats to run for higher offices in the future.  Consider donating to his campaign.

And speaking of law enforcement and politics, also consider donating to Curt Lavarello.  Being a Democrat and running for Sheriff is tough.  It's an office that is traditionally written of by Democrats -- for some reason -- and dominated by Republicans.  It is time to break the mind-set that Republicans are the tough-on-crime party.  Barry and Curt are proof that it's not. 

Did you know that Sarasota has a Charter Review Board? 

Yeah, me either. 

But they do.

Ryan Stanley, who is running for Charter Review Board in District 1, actually tells us all about it.

And we have a good slate of folks running to oversee "Sarasota's Constitution."

Virginia Hoffman-Meketon is in District 2.

Bryan Worthington is running in District 3.

Jamie Wilson is running in District 4.

Ray Porter is in District 5.

These are the folks who run for County Commission, State Representative, State Senate, and even Congress later on down the road.  But they need to be "nurtured" now.

I don't want to forget Teresa Carafelli who is running for the Hospital Board, Seat 1, or Alan Penn who is running for Seat 2.

I have a lot of people ask me how they get involved in politics.  I tell them to go volunteer -- on a campaign like Teresa Carafelli's, or Alan Penn's, or Virginia's, or Bryan's, or Jamie's, or Ray's, or any local ones. 

They always look at me funny. 

It's because I'm funny looking.  But what they want me to say is Oh, just call up Barack and Joe and ask them if they need any help.

Doesn't work that way. 

Anyway, let me round this out with a few more candidates I want you to consider.  Florida House races are close to my heart, mostly because of Keith Fitzgerald -- but more on him in a minute.

I want to tell you about a race in District 71, the district vacated by Empty Chair Charlie's candidate, Michael Grant.  Want a prediction?  I predict that seat goes Democratic when Betty Gissendanner wins in November.

I strongly encourage you to check out her site and learn more about Betty.  I am particularly fond of the "100 Women for Betty G" concept.  Keep your eye on Betty G this November.

Sam Rosenfeld is running in District 70 against Representative Doug Holder. 

I know that Sam has been working hard -- and he could use your help.

Richard Jackson rounds out the field in District 67.  Richard has solid experience, and will make a solid Representative in Tallahassee.

Of course, I couldn't end this post without a plea for two of my favorites:  Representative Keith Fitzgerald, who is running for re-election in District 69, and Adam Tebrugge, who is running for Public Defender.  Adam has a great blog, which you should read.  It's a great accounting of a local -- and critically important -- race.

And as for Keith, well, he beat the Republicans in 2006, and he's going to beat the harsh negative attacks again this year.  But he could use your support, and your help.

All of these candidates do.  So give them a look, and see how you can help.  It's an important election year, no question.  Let's make sure we cover all our bases.

Please Help Re-Elect Rep. Keith Fitzgerald Today -- GoFitzGo!

You know that Representative Keith Fitzgerald is a candidate I've volunteered for in the past, and will volunteer for again in the future.   He is one of the smart, pragmatic Democratic voices in the Florida legislature, and we need to do everything we can to help him.   From the message Keith sent out today:

The Republican Party has indicated that they will spend up to a million dollars to defeat me and win this seat back. The last thing the people of District 69 need is another member of the legislature to march in lockstep with the majority party. I hope you will consider donating your time or money to our campaign in order to ensure I remain as your pragmatic voice in the state legislature.

The bold is mine, because I want you to stop and think about that -- a million bucks.  Yes, it's totally nuts.  Yes, it's something Republicans -- running scared this year -- would absolutely do.

I really hope you will consider making a donation to Keith.  More from his message:

I must raise enough money to counter the nasty smear tactics that are sure to be thrown at me in the final weeks of the campaign. I want to run an above-board campaign based on the issues and my success in my first term. But I need your help to get there.

If you think they won't say nasty stuff, we'll, you don't know Republicans.  Last time they said he would "tear apart the fabric of our nation." 

Um, just so you know, Keith has not torn apart the fabric of our nation.

I know that many of us are looking up-ticket for our donations, and I'm right there with you.  But we need to remember -- if we want to ensure that Democrats have a great November, we need to help all our good candidates.  Keith is one of those candidates.

Please donate to his campaign today.   Thank you.

Also -- keep an eye out.  The GoFitzGo team will be unveiling a new website soon.

Adam Tebrugge for Public Defender

Adam Tebrugge is a life-long Floridian, and he's running for Public Defender down in Sarasota, Manatee and DeSoto, the 12th Judicial Circuit.

In a presidential election year, it's easy for us to get caught up in the big horse race.  And I'll admit -- it's wildly entertaining, especially if you're a political junkie like me. 
But we shouldn't forget our "down-ballot" races.  After all, they are the future big ticket political races in Florida and America. 

I've met Adam a couple of times, and I've chatted with him some.  He's got a great record of service, and he's a good guy, not to mention wildly smart.  I encourage you to first check out his blog, here, then his campaign website, here.  Join his email list.

Tell him how cool you think his sign/logo is:

I know, right?  It's about time someone did something different. 

I'll be keeping up with Adam over the course of the race, and keeping you updated.  Watch for more.      

      

A Call To Action: Tell Senator Nelson To Share The Wealth And Support Local Candidates In Florida

We think Senator Bill Nelson is fantastic.   He's a moderate voice in what has become an increasingly shrill and partisan echo chamber.  We like that. 

We also like that he's totally going to destroy -- just absolutely crush -- his miserably pathetic opposition in this senate race.  We think that's just great, and have said so on these pages.

Funny enough, our friends over at Florida Politics beat us to the punch and posted on an issue we'd like to take with Senator Nelson: the fact that he has not donated nearly enough to what some have called "benchbuilding," or more precisely, to local Florida candidates.  As of right now, he's donated a woefully anemic $250K to the Florida Democratic Party, and helped raise about another $30,000.  That's after he's raised $18 million for his own race. 

We may not be the best political minds of our time, but we feel fairly safe in saying that Nelson's going to win his race.  We think he can afford to share a little love. 

As the poster over at Florida Politics says, if he only gave just 10% of his haul, he'd be donating almost 2 million dollars.  2 million bucks donated to help candidates across the state, candidates that could use the help in a year when we are so close to taking back the House and Senate, we can taste it.  2 million bucks out of his pocket, which would leave him with 16 million -- plus whatever he'd continue to bring in.

Now, we saw an ad the other day for Nelson.  In Spanish.  And not to belittle the Spanish vote here in Florida -- it's important -- but if Bill Nelson can afford to spend money on ads in Spanish, we think he can afford a few million to candidates in races that could decide the makeup of the House of Representatives.  Or even local races for State Senate and State House. 

The logic of the Nelson Campaign is eluding us just a little bit.  For what amounts to a pretty small price tag, he'd be more than the Senior Senator from Florida -- he'd be King of Florida, or at least King of the Florida Democrats.

So, it's win-win, as far as we're concerned.  We can't understand why he wouldn't do it. 

That's why we've decided to voice our concern to Senator Nelson.  If you're reading this, take some time out of your day and thank Senator Nelson for his service to America.  Then strongly encourage him to donate some of his cash to his fellow Democrats.  It's only right. ts 

The Spencerian Endorses: Senator Bill Nelson

As new residents of the Sunshine State, we feel strongly that it is our duty to be involved in the political process here and help make Florida, and America, a better place to be.  Because of that, we've added a new feature here at The Spencerian entitled "The Spencerian Endorses: Florida Candidates."  We think it speaks for itself, but let us tell you what we're up to, anyway. 

It's a mid-term election year, and a particularly big one here in Florida.  There is an open governor's race, and a number of Congressional seats, as well as Florida State House and Senate seats up for grabs, too.  It's an exciting time.  And with that in mind, we've decided to play a small role in our state and local politics by endorsing candidates as we see fit.  There are only a couple of ground rules.  We have to like them -- and we have to tell you why we like them.  That's about it.  We may not always endorse the candidate you like, but at least you'll know where we stand.

You've probably heard that Senator Bill Nelson is up for re-election.  You know, at least, who he's up against, right?  Our old nemesis, Katherine Harris. 
Now, we don't want to endorse Senator Nelson just because he's not Katherine Harris.  That wouldn't be fair.  Unfortunately -- unfortunately for Katherine, anyway -- when we typed "Bill Nelson" into the search function of the Miami  Herald, the first story to come up was one about how Common Cause is asking the Justice Department to open a formal investigation in to Harris' crooked dealings with defense contractors. 

That, and her really, really scary new ad.  You know what the only -- the one and only -- "issue" featured on her ad is?  "Supports the Marriage Amendment."  Wow, super.  So you're a bigot.  Thanks for that, Katherine.  As if we didn't know.  If you want to see a great example of a really terrible ad, you can find it here:link.  But hold your nose.  Wear a protective suit.  Avert your eyes or you'll turn to stone.

But back to Senator Nelson.  We support his bid for re-election strongly and whole-heartedly.  He is a good Senator, a moderate Democrat, and one of those guys on the Hill who is busy doing the work of the people while others are spending time on Meet the Press or This Week.  You should know that he's on two very powerful Senate committees: the Armed Services Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.  He is also on the Commerce Committee which oversees, among many other things, NASA.  As a former astronaut, Nelson is the leading Congressional expert on NASA affairs.  Mostly you just have to think that's pretty cool that he's been to outer space.  Katherine Harris is just spacey. 

We strongly encourage you to visit his campaign website here:link.  If you're a Floridian, consider donating some of your time to his campaign, or if not your time, a little money.  Support Bill Nelson for the United States Senate. ts