Best Headline of the Day

This headline comes from Peter Schorsch.

Not that anyone cares, but George LeMieux to affiliate with Palm Beach Christian college

Nope. Can't say I do care.

Related: LeMieux hysterically makes claim that he could have beat Se. Bill Nelson in the general election.

George LeMieux's hysterical Answer

George LeMieux shows an amazing level of chutzpah by saying he would have beat Bill Nelson.

Question: Do you believe that the Senate election would have turned out differently had you been the Republican nominee?

LeMieux: Of course I do! Anybody who ran for office and tells you differently shouldn’t have run. I think the race would have been a lot closer; I believe I was the best person to face Sen. Nelson. It would have presented a really good comparison, I believe.

LeMieux dropped out of the primary because he was too weak of a candidate to go against Connie Mack. Mind you, Mack barely registered a pulse beat during the entire campaign. It is no exaggeration to say that LeMieux couldn't beat an empty suit in a Republican primary.

Somehow LeMieux believes these weaknesses in his candidacy would help him beat an incumbent Democratic Senator; with President Obama on the top of the ticket. Never mind, Nelson's advantages or Obama For America getting Democratic voters to the polls. Lemieux dropping out of the GOP primary is the qualification that makes him the most bad ass general election candidate to ever to walk the planet Earth.

How did Eric Giunta of The State of Sunshine not bust out laughing when Lemieux gave his answer about he is able to beating Nelson. Did Lemieux also tell Giunta that he killed a Lion with his bare hands or computer-hacked into Wikileaks? Really, why stop at beating Nelson? I like to hear from LeMieux what other feats of greatness he has performed.

Fake Charlie Sheen Endorsement for Connie Mack

The George LeMieux campaign sent out a fake Charlie Sheen endorsement for Connie Mack on April Fool's Day.

“Today, I am proud to announce the endorsement of my good friend Connie Mack the Fourth. As the Senate race unfolds and more is revealed about Mack’s colorful past, the more I like and identify with him.

The similarities between us are endless. We both have famous and respected fathers, both went into the family business, and we love living in California and having a good time (especially on the red carpet). We’re also both known for our public displays of rage and frequent ‘lapses in judgment.’

Since I’ve decided not to run for political office myself, electing Connie is the next best thing. The US Senate can be such a boring and serious place; it needs people like Connie Mack…And maybe a few Hooter’s girls.

Sincerely,

Charlie Sheen

Being a walking punch line is a death sentence for politicians. The future political prospects for Daily Show fodder Alberto Gonzales and Anthony Weiner are bleak. Lemieux has baggage from his ties with Charlie Crist and Jim Greer. Marginalizing Mack is LeMieux's best shot at victory. Attacking Mack with humor is a way for Lemieux to avoid being accused of being mean-spirited.

Update: Peter Schorsch doesn't find the April Fool's prank funny. Schorsch's reasoning is that the media hasn't picked up on the Charlie Sheen meme. The Florida media has ignored the Republican Senate primary. That was is because the candidates have been uninspiring. I also sense that Schorsch is taking a dig at LeMieux for his Judas act on Charlie Crist. The former governor is very close to Schorsch and his wife Michelle Todd.

I'm not taking a dig at Schorsch. I hear privately that Crist is a generally nice guy. However, don't expect Schorsch to say nice things on his blog about LeMieux. Personally, I am more than happy to see LeMieux and Mack have a nasty primary. To easier it is for Bill Nelson to get re-elected the better.

Adam Hasner Staying Classy

Republican Senate candidate Adam Hasner first swore to defend America from the nonexistent threat of Sharia law taking over the American legal system. Hasner is now attacking primary opponent George LeMieux's French ancestry. Hasner is sending out this bumper sticker to supporters.



Hasner is running a cynical and disgusting campaign filled with outright bigotry. It says much about the current group of Republicans that elected Hasner the victor of the CPAC Senate straw poll.

Tea Partiers aren't supporting Hasner because they expect competent governing. They want Hasner to beat up on Muslims, gays and anyone the Tea Party deems is not American. Hasner hasn't offered a coherent plan of creating jobs. Tax cuts to the rich is not a jobs plan. In fact, Hasner doesn't even have a page for his policy proposal on his campaign web site. This is how unserious Hasner is.

Hasner's campaign strategy is to be the Republican version of the 1962 George Wallace campaign. Wallace ran on calling Martin Luther King a communist and "segregation forever." Wallace and Hasner were both considered moderates earlier in their political careers. Like Wallace, Hasner realized that there were voters who would respond to being told to be scared of colored people. Hasner has been telling Republican primary voters that immigration is a grave "national security issue" and accused President Obama of not taking illegal immigration seriously. The truth is Obama has deported more illegal immigrants than any president in history. A fearmonger like Hasner will not let facts get in the way of his attacks. All that matters is gaining political power.

The Upcoming Jim Greer Trial

The trial next year of former Republican Party of Florida chairman will be fascinating. The trial will shine a light on the blatant corruption of Greer and his fellow Republicans. Greer knows he is likely going down. He is likely to take the reputations of several past and present elected officials with him. Greer's wife Lisa is firing shots at George LeMieux on Facebook.

"Thanks for the many posts, emails and calls of support after the TV Special. Of course it has been met with some false responses issued in press releases by those who want to protect their own contracts and careers. To those who remain committed to destroy Jim no matter what the cost to my family, we stand firm with the truth on our side and will continue to reveal your corruption. By the way George, the only wrong turn my husband made was trusting in folks like you he believed to be honorable. The former handpicked Senator of Charlie Crist is desperately courting the support of the grassroots activists in distancing himself with a web of lies. He must have forgotten that he told Jim and I on a number of occasions that the Republicans only win elections in spite of the REC's and grassroots activists, not because of them."

We learn that former Gov. Charlie Crist contacted the Florida Department of Law Enforcement after receiving two messages from Greer.

"It was a little cathartic and he was able to vent," Greer attorney Damon Chase said of the voice mail and text messages Greer left for Crist. "But there's not a single threat in there anywhere. It's merely: 'I don't want to be friends anymore, stop calling and pretending you're my friend.' "

How pissed is Greer? Remember this public statement he made about his fellow Republicans.

"They just destroyed my life for no reason," a tearful Greer said of the legislative leaders last week on WTSP-Ch. 10.

Greer is no saint. A person does not have a shredding machine truck came to the RPOF office on Greer's last day to destroy documents. That is the act of someone with nothing to hide.

What I want the trial to reveal is how Greer and other Republicans were living off their party American Express cards. The RPOF is a nonprofit organization. It is illegal to use its funds not related to paying staff or operations. Which makes the the use of the credit card use more disturbing.

Greer - $500,000
Speaker Marco Rubio - $110,000
Indicted Speaker Ray Sansom - $173,000
Speaker-designate Dean Cannon - $175,000
Senate President-designate Mike Haridopolos - *$2,347
Rubio Chief of Staff Richard Corcoran - $70,000
RPOF Executive Director Delmar Johnson - $500,000
Jr. Party Staffer Melanie Phister - $1,258,000

The credit cards are the key to the corruption. This is why Marco Rubio has refused to discussed what he used his party credit card for. The secret severance package Dean Cannon and Mike Haridopolos negotiated with Greer is potentially explosive. As Ray Samson and Jim Norman has shown us. The Florida political system is seriously corrupt. Nothing will improve in the state until corruption is dealt with.

Hasner & Wilson In Spinning Mode

Adam Hasner's campaign adviser, Rick Wilson, is attempting to put the best spin on his candidate's poor fundraising quarter.

To date, more than 98% of the money Hasner raised is dedicated toward the primary. More than 90% of Hasner’s contributors have the ability to donate repeatedly in future quarters. And the overwhelming majority – more than 85% – donated less than $1,000. #

“Obviously, we’re not going to out-raise our opponents right out of the gate,” said advisor Rick Wilson. “One of them is running the Charlie Crist special-interest, establishment campaign plan. And the other one wrote it. Our approach is fundamentally different: we’re going to win this race, not by making deals with Tallahassee insiders or compromising our principles with the Washington establishment, but holding firm on principle and keeping the faith with conservative grassroots donors. We’re also building a campaign that can go toe-to-toe with Bill Nelson next fall.” #

The campaign is still finalizing the quarterly report due on July 15th, but will show over $560,000 raised with a low burn rate and approximately $470,000 cash on hand.

Hasner did his own spinning.

“We always expected the two establishment opponents to start off raising more money than us, because that’s what the establishment does,” stated Hasner. “But we’ll ultimately win this race because of our positive conservative principles and a growing grassroots movement that’s looking for leaders who’ll stand up to Democrats and Republicans who act like them. Thanks to a growing and energized grassroots base, today is a great start for our campaign and a promising foundation for the long haul.”

It is laughable for Hasner to paint himself as an outsider. He is the former Florida House Majority Leader. One doesn't get that position by being a maverick. Hasner's problem is his fake tea party conservatism isn't catching on with voters. Corporate donors see Hasner painting himself as too extremist to win against Sen. Bill Nelson.

Mike Haridopolos raised $900,000. George LeMieux is tapping into Beltway donors. Courting the base is smart. Proclaiming that Sharia law is overtaking the United States makes Hasner look clownish.

The George LeMieux Story (Retold)

Republican Senate candidate George LeMieux only mentions Charlie Crist's name once on his campaign bio page. Lemieux throws Crist under the bus.

Demonstrating his firm commitment to Republican ideals, when Governor Crist left the Republican Party, George stated, “Our friendship runs deep, but my commitment to the principles of the Republican Party runs deeper.

With friends like that who needs enemies.

Peter Schorsch takes exception to the fact that LeMieux owes his entire political career to Crist. (LeMieux conveniently forgets who appointed him to the U.S. Senate.) Schorsch decided to rewrite Lemieux's bio.

In February 2008, George launched The LeMieux Report, an electronic newsletter that few people read and rarely offered original insight.

When U.S. Senator Mel Martinez announced his intent to resign effective immediately, George didn’t hesitate to call his good friend Charlie and ask him to appoint him to fill out the remainder of Mel’s term. On September 10, 2009, Charlie Crist appointed George LeMieux to the U.S. Senate. George served as Florida’s 34th U.S. Senator. This would be the 3rd high profile political job that Charlie Crist gave to his friend George. As a token of his gratitude, George stabbed Charlie in the back and endorsed his rival in the U.S. Senate campaign.

I glanced at The Lemieux Report once. It really was worthless.

Adam Hasner Soon to be In Senate Race

I have heard rumblings that Adam Hasner would run for the U.S. Senate. It appears that is correct.

Republican Hasner has opened a Senate exploratory committee with an assist from GOP superlawyer Cleta Mitchell, who has helped an array of conservative and tea party favorites including Rubio, U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint, R.-S.C., and failed 2010 U.S.Senate candidates Sharron Angle and Christine O'Donnell.

Hasner also got a glowing write-up in The National Review last week, although not the cover treatment the conservative mag gave then-underdog Rubio in 2009.

Hasner, who is Jewish, spoke to a small Christian Coalition gathering Thursday night in suburban Lantana. While concentrating mainly on federal spending, he highlighted his opposition to abortion and said, "American prosperity, strong national security and our foundational Judeo-Christian values are interwoven and inseparable." He also invoked American exceptionalism and Ronald Reagan.

Kathryn Jean Lopez gave Hasner a postive write-up on The Corner blog. Hasner told Lopez that America is "inseparable" from its "Judeo-Christian roots." The comment either is pandering to the Christian Right or contempt for America's history of the separation between church and state. Hasner also supports reforms in entitlement spending. Translation: cuts in Medicare and Social Security.

Hasner entering the Republican senate primary should knock George LeMieux. There is no way LeMieux can win the primary with his history with Charlie Crist. This is a Hasner and Mike Haridopolos race. The latter has been mocked by both RedState.com and Gail Collins of the New York Times. Hasner is the frontrunner. The question remains if Connie Mack will get in the race or keep his safe Senate seat.

Bill McCollum & Pam Bondi Letter to Repeal Health Care

Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum and Attorney General-elect Pam Bondi sent out a letter urging other states to join in the legal battle to repeal the Affordable Care Act. I hate the health care mandate and want to see it repealed. My reasoning is it is a tax-paid giveaway to the private health insurance industry. I would prefer to see an expansion of Medicare and SCHIP. McCollum and Bondi are filing their lawsuit because they are grandstanding and are bad lawyers. The Affordable Care Act passed through both houses of Congress and was signed by the President. The process can hardly be considered undemocratic.

Essentially, Republicans are saying the federal government does not have the power to regulate commerce. The Commerce Clause in the Constitution gives the federal government the power to regulate interstate business. If McCollum and Bondi were serious legal scholars they would make the Dormant Commerce Clause argument. The legal argument for the Dormant Commerce Clause is that a federal regulation can have a negative impact on the states. Medicare and Medicaid are using private health care providers. It is obviously the millions of new customers won't have a negative impact on the health insurance industry. It will be hard to prove that a federal and private health care partnership is unconstitutional. The extent of McCollum's and Bondi's legal argument is Obamacare is bad.

Update: Sen. George Lemieux and 31 Florida Republicans filed a legal brief supporting the McCollum-Bondi lawsuit against the Affordable Care Act.

“I hope the courts recognize Congress overstepped its authority -- the authority intended by our nation’s founders -- and that this mandate will be thrown out,” LeMieux said.

Let the grandstanding begin.

McCollum_BondiLetter

Quote of the Day

"Name 1 issue you're willing to meet 1/2 way? You say no Wall Street Reform, no on Jobs, no on HCR. Obstruction-you say yes”

Eric Jotkoff, Florida Democratic spokesman and internet coordinator.

Jotkoff took exception to a tweet by Sen. George Lemieux. The latter tweeted President Obama should meet the Republican Senate Caucus half-way on legislation.

SunRail Deal Passes

The Florida Senate passed the SunRail bill 27-10. The vote was not as close as expected. Gov. Charlie Crist did some rare lobbying on behalf of the bill. Sen. Bill Nelson and Sen. George Lemieux issued a joint letter expressing their support. A major surprise was Republican lawmakers making a deal with AFL-CIO President Mike Williams to preserve union jobs.

“Our goal of stopping the displacement of federally-qualified railroad workers from Florida’s passenger and freight railroads will not be compromised as experienced rail workers will continue to maintain Florida’s railways,” Williams said.

South Florida's Tri-Rail will get state funding to keep it solvent. 13,000 riders use Tri-Rail daily. The rail is an asset but hasn't been able to make a profit.

My problems with the SunRail proposal is CSX is protected from liability. Florida is buying the track from CSX. So the state does bear responsibility. Sen. Paula Dockery made the best argument for why the CSX deal is one-sided.

"We are paying them," Dockery said, "10 times what their corridor is worth for the honor of owning that corridor. It's now our corridor. So they're introducing freight into our passenger rail corridor. They should be indemnifying us. Not the other way around."

Senate President J.D. Alexander has land near the track that would dramatically increase with the new commutor line. Rep. Baxter Troutman asked made a big stick about Alexander having a conflict of interest. Troutman and Alexander are estranged cousins. So make your own judgement on what that feud is about. If anyone knows, feel free to drop a comment.

Interstate I-4 is a mess. A passanger rail from Tampa to Orlando makes sense. I didn't support the last SunRail deal. Unlike other progressives, I am not 100 percent sold on light rail as a tranportation fix. I understand the green and congestion arguments. The problem is light rail making a profit. Tri-Rail is a perfect example of a light rail program not able to stay financially solvent. The Florida Department of Tranportation is going to have to figure out a way to promote rail to the public.

If I was in the Florida Senate, I would have voted yes. The CSX deal isn't perfect but we need to look into a tranportation future and start dealing with gridlock.

George Lemieux Panders to Cuban American Conservatives

Sen. George Lemieux has blocked the nomination of State Department official Tom Shannon. Lemieux is not a foreign policy expert. The only reason to block the nomination is to pander to elder Cuban conservative voters. Shannon was the top Latin America State Department official under President George W. Bush. The Bush administration wasn't known for being friendly with Cuba. Shannon was approved by the Foreign Relations Committee by a 14 to 4 vote.

Nine former State Department secretaries of expressed their displeasure to Lemieux.

``He has every right, if he doesn't think this individual is qualified, to go to the floor and make his case, but why should one freshman senator with no background in Latin America, no background in Brazil, decide the Senate can't vote on the president's nominee?'' said Bernard Aronson, who served as an assistant secretary of state under President George H.W. Bush, and signed the letter. ``It's really a slap in the face to Latin America. You don't see nominees to France, Germany, China, held up by a single senator. It would be an insult.''

News flash to Republicans: you are losing the Hispanic vote and the Cuban policy has been a massive failure. The majority of Cubans now want an end to the embargo. Younger Cuban Americans are more concerned with the economy. The days of Republicans milking Cuba for political gain are over.

Lemieux Hold On Offshore Drilling

Newly appointed U.S. Senator George LeMieux has placed a hold on S. 1462. Lemieux does not support ending the ban to drill for oil near Florida's coast.

Letter to Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Dear Leader McConnell:

I would like to inform you of my objection to any motion or unanimous consent request regarding S. 1462, or any other legislation that would end the current moratoria on oil and gas development in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico.

Given the importance of the issue to Florida, I would like to be consulted before any efforts or agreements are reached to advance legislation dealing with drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.

Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

George S. LeMieux
United States Senate

Lemieux Won't Support Baucus Bill

Senator George LeMieux told The Hill he can not support the Max Baucus bill.

“I cannot and will not support any health care plan that cuts health care for seniors in Florida," LeMieux said in a statement. “According to the independent, nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the Baucus proposal takes more than 400 billion dollars away from Medicare and Medicare Advantage – a program that allows 916,000 Florida seniors to have enhanced health care coverage."

The CBO report finds Medicare would save money by cost savings through insurance exchanges (Co-Ops).

That net cost itself reflects a gross total of $774 billion in credits and subsidies provided through the exchanges, increased net outlays for Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and tax credits for small employers; those costs are partly offset by $215 billion in revenues from the excise tax on high-premium insurance plans and $59 billion in revenues from other sources.1 The net
cost of the coverage expansions would be more than offset by the combination of other spending changes that CBO estimates would save $409 billion over the 10 years and other tax provisions that JCT and CBO estimate would increase federal revenues by $139 billion over the same period.2 In subsequent years, the collective effect of those provisions would probably be continued reductions in federal budget deficits.

Baucus and the CBO are assuming the co-opts will shift and lower expenses. The America’s Healthy Future Act of 2009 will not stay in its current form. Amendments will be added and other committees will have input. The final Senate bill faces an uncertain future in the House.

What is interesting is this quote from LeMieux.

"I remain open-minded that a health care proposal can be reached that will reduce costs and increase access to health care for those who are uninsured, while protecting the quality of care for all Americans," he said.

I'm not counting on LeMieux to vote for the final Democratic health care bill. It is nice to hear a Republican Senator be "open-minded" and not scream that Obama is a Socialist. Rationale-sounding Republicans are few and far between.

Lobbying For Dollars

Kenneth Quinnell did some digging and found the lobbyists that raised the most money for Gov. Charlie Crist. New U.S. Senator George LeMieux is second on the list

Brian Ballard - $204,140

George LeMieux - $142,250

Rodney Barreto - $27,400

T. Martin Fiorentino - $171,650

James Eaton - $65,734

Trammell & Co. - $19,000

Southern Strategy Group - $50,000

Dutko Worldwide - $26,400

Other Lobbyists - $12,200

Overall TOTAL $718,774

Why Crist Pushed Seminole Gambling

There is a nugget in a Miami Herald blog post about Charlie Crist supporter and political consultant George LeMieux that is fascinating. Crist and Lemieux worked on expanding Seminole gambling rights. Former House Speaker Marco Rubio fought against the expansion of Seminole casino gambling. The Florida Supreme Court ruled Crist made the Seminole deal without legislative approval. The Seminoles continued the blackjack and baccarat tables and the legislature, Crist and Seminoles have not been able to work out an agreement.

Crist and Lemieux talked about how the increased gambling revenue would help the state. There is another factor at work.

The Seminoles seem really happy with Crist and RPOF. The Seminole Tribe (since 1996) has donated nearly $912,000 to the state party, with 71 percent of that money coming in since Crist took over state party fundraising once he won the 2006 Republican primary.

Yes, I am cynical enough to believe Crist's main motivation was the Seminoles lobbying money. Why else would Crist go against the anti-gambling social conservatives?