Mike Haridopolos' U.S. Senate Hopes Are Done

There is no way that Mike Haridopolos will become a United States Senator. Haridopolos was admonished by his own Florida Senate Rules Committee. The Commission of Ethics found Haridopolos failed to disclose property and mortgages on financial disclosure forms. The latest scandal is Haridopolos getting paid $152,000 to write "Florida Legislative History and Processes" for Brevard Community College.

Haridopolos was a political science instructor at BCC in 2003. Haridopolos was contracted by for BCC president Thomas Gamble to write a text book. Only one copy of the book has been printed. The book contains no footnotes. Current school officials say the deal is unusual. It isn't so unusual when you consider that Haridopolos placed $3.1 million in earmarks in the state budget for Brevard Community College. Former Florida House speakers Ray Sansom and Marco Rubio had ethically questionable jobs that appear to be obtained through their political positions. It is becoming a right of passage for Florida house speakers to get into an ethics scandal involving a school of higher learning.

What makes matters worse for Haridopolos is he has become a punchline for the New York Times and Redstate.com. Gail Collins mocks Haridopolos'

Other reviewers fixated on another insider tip: “A cellphone will be essential.” Although I am kind of partial to: “Most importantly, a candidate should avoid wasting money on useless novelty items such as wooden nickels.”

Or wooden prose.

RedState.com webmaster Erick Erickson promoted this post by Bloggy Bayou to the front page.

My advice to Florida Republicans: Do not elect this man. His book deal stinks, all he has done in his life is run for the next highest political office and he spends way too much time on combing his hair. Let’s face it: He belongs in the “Charlie Crist and John Edwards Hair Club For Men” school of politics.

Look for the Florida Republican establishment to beg Connie Mack to run. If not then Bill Nelson continues to be the luckiest Democratic senator. Many Democrats would give their right arm to have opponents as weak as Bill McCollum, Katherine Harris, and now possibly Haridopolos.