Katherine Harris Could Surprise us...

Cross-posted from dailykos, May 11, 2006

Prior to the 2000 election.. Thought I had a good track record for forecasting political stuff.

But through 2000 then 2004, I have been in this parallel universe to which we've all been somehow wisked. Now, I take nothing for granted.

I do not want to rain on our (chuckling) parade in this diary, but.. since 2000 I've learned to never, never underestimate the enemy, especially one with 10 million bucks and in today's 'red' Florida.

Senator Nelson and others need every bit of help we can give him.

We ought to make absolutely certain Katherine Harris is really history.

P.S.
" ..Let's Get Katherine Harris 'Coming and Going'..! "

by Spuddie5348 on Thu May 11, 2006 at 03:05:04 PM EDT

My current concerns for FL-13

Crosss-posted from dailykos, May 10, 2006

My current concerns for FL-13 focus on the meddling by the DCCC in the district's primary process. I have been quite 'vocal' about this since I believe it "just ain't right". For me, it couldn't have been covered better... in 4 minutes-plus the other day on "The Colbert Report"...(Jan Schneider segment) on campaign financing in 2006.

I have seen other instances of grossly improper DCCC interference in local (primary) matters...

Without much free time for such matters, also... not being the sharpest pencil in the political box, I often feel akin to a voice crying-out in the wilderness. Can it be that what I see... from FL-13's perspective... is rare these days? My gut tells me it's not..! The DCCC current leadership's corruption of local primary processes must be stopped.

by melanie5348 on Sat May 13, 2006 at 05:09:14 PM EDT

Florida - Will we ever learn...? and if so... When might that be...?

Cross-posted from dailykos, Sat Dec 31, 2005 at 04:28:50 PM EDT

Back in September 2002 I read the election insert in the Sarasota Herald Tribune. There, I found "the one" real candidate for Congress (FL-13). Suddenly, one person had emerged. Unique. The only one who was truly ready, willing and able to step-up, enter the glaring spotlight of personal and professional scrutiny. A candidate committed to lead in battle... heads-on with Katherine Harris and her camp... while having little chance for success. That took guts and grit. I found a true leader.

What I discovered was, that like me, the "one" candidate is a lifelong Democrat. A staunch fiscal conservative, she has a decades-long, verifiable record of being passionately committed to progressive issues, positions, principles and causes. I found a highly principled, true leader with guts and grit.

Was it too much to hope for then, that she might share the same nuclear fire that had been in my belly, day-by-day to this moment since the nightmare of the 2000 election?

Through the 2002 and 2004 cycles I saw that she did. Terrific...Great!

But sadly, I was witness to so much more....

On the part of some... I witnessed back-biting, in-fitng, innuendos, dirty-tricks, defections, personal vendettas, lies, plots, deceptions, misrepresentations, non-resolvable personality conflicts, selfishness, self-serving myopic perceptions, narrow-mindedness, not to mention a good-measure of old-fashioned human pettiness, ignorance and stupidity. Some say "..that's politics..", but it made me a very sad man. All the while, this went to directly bolster Katherine Harris' position along with that of the menacing forces behind what she represents.

Can we not but sense the Katherine Harris camp's glee as we blithely skipped-down the path of self-divisiveness, and thus, defeat?

At this writing, we are days away from 2006. But we may not have learned the lessons of our recent past. Not locally, and now perhaps, not even from as far away Washington D.C.

While divide-and-conquer ought to be a strategy against one's true enemy, we are [seemingly] content to oblige our political foes once again. Unless of course we - for the next 11 months - would subscribe to the proposition that "...we have met the enemy and they are us...".

Is our side of the isle adopting a policy of political pre-emptive strikes from afar, against District 13? Further, such pre-emption would accrue to the benefit of some likely Harris-clone, hand-picked replacement or the like.

Jan Schneider staunchly withstood two consecutive election wars against some of the most formidable political and financial opposition in the entire country, and both times Jan achieved unexpectedly strong (45%) results in the generals. Further, in 2004, Jan held Katherine Harris to the smallest margin of any congressional candidate in all of Florida.

It should be noted that our Nation's mood is changing. The 2006 mid-terms are expected to signal a slight shift toward the political center. Jan has earned the highest level [by far] of name recognition for Florida's 13th; not to mention amassing strong, hard-earned "in-the-trenches" experience campaigning. She is ready, willing, prepared and quite able to take-on any opponent in the 2006 General Election.

The key questions:

....Are we ready to rise above petty differences?
....Are we willing to set them aside in order to achieve victory?
....Are we ready to stop playing into the hands of our true political enemies once again?

Are we ready to win?

Rally behind and support Jan Schneider (FL-13) for 2006!

Florida's 13th and the Nation need her voice in Congress.

Jennings vs. Schneider

Comment by Bud Hastings
#Cross-posted frrom MIKLB's Mindless Ramblings, May 18, 2006,

Among hundreds of FL-13 voters (ask one) who’ve cared enough to attend mutliple public forums since - January 1st - wherein thoughtful, pertinent yet unscripted questions were posed to both candidates, there is but a single consensus. Jan Schneider truly knows what she’s talking about… in-depth.

She has a subtsantive, rock-solid and savvy understanding of the key issues that effect us all. Why don’t you ask her a pertinent question… go ahead… seek her out at a public forum… go ahead… do it!

But I have to fore-warn you. Jan is only 5'2" tall, has brown eyes and a fairly high-pitched voice (some describe it a “squeaky” voice).

In this regard, she is reminiscent of Eleanor Roosevelt who, likewise, couldn’t do much about her height, eye color or squeaky voice either. But for our FL-13 voters who fancy themselves with an I.Q. above room-temperature… surely, it is the quality, substance, principles and values of one’s mind… what one stands-for.. says and writes that truly count… not sound-effects. After-all, this is neither an “American Idol” competition nor a fashion & hair-styling show.
The world’s pre-eminent theoretical phycisist, Steven Hawking, has no voice at all. He communicates via a synthesized language-computer.

By contrast, Christine Jennings… (with a typical voice) regularly skirts-around answers to basic questions and repeatedly refers to the only (substantive) experience she’s had in life… that of a successful banker. Further, she would portend to spread that experience all too thinly… stretching-it-out… as if it is somehow connected to other issues related to her candidacy… which, in my view, it does not.

Additionally, her campaign website’s content is superficially simple. It grossly under-estimates the intelligence of our typical District 13 voter. Why is that?
It is because her website accurately represents her to the public. It is an honest portrayal of the shallowness of Jennings -on the issues- and as a candidate. Hurry-up though… visit it now…. before her highly-paid consultants read this piece and attempt a quick ‘white-wash’ job: http://www.christinejenningsforcongress.com

I will give Jennings this… she probably knows more about banking than Jan Schneider does. As far as I am aware, Jennings also seems a nice person.

At one venue, Jennings was asked a routine campaign question… to which she had no answer… but responded by saying that (if elected) she would “…hire smart people…” to handle such issues. This leads me to the question… “hey, are we voting for an employment coordinator or our Congressperson?”… Such is the management style Jennings would bring… for our benefit?
Oh yeh… the other thing Jennings beats-to-death… is that her origins are humble and her family members were Democrats. I ask.. so what? That describes many folks in FL-13 today, but clearly is no qualification for the U.S. Congress. Is it? ‘Cause if that was so important to her, why was she a registered Republican down here for all those years? Huh?

Jennings desrcibes herself as a “Moderate”. What the heck does that mean? Can you tell me what a “moderate” is and what it stands-for? Better yet, can Jennings provide us a cogent answer? I seriously doubt it. Why don’t you go to the next public forum and ask her to describe/define just what a moderate is. It’s my guess you’ll be in for a surprise at her attempted answer… if she has one, that is.

According to Jennings, Schneider is “.. too far left..”. What the heck does that mean? “Left” where… how… on what issues… specifically….? Huh? Why don’t you ask Jennings that at the next public forum?

Jennings and her supporters believe that by labeling her as a “moderate” they’ll increase the number of cross-over Republican votes to turn FL-13 blue. I say, Horse-Pucky! That’s self-delusional. It’s nothing short of strategic political suicide. Republican-Lite just doesn’t work.
As the details of upcoming public candidate forums surface, I will try to post them here. Also, please watch the newspapers for such notices.

This election is not about money… it is all about the issues, plain and simple… the issues and you.

Jennings is a candidate that may appear to have form, but as a real Democratic congressional candidate, she scores way too low on substance.

No matter how much money she has… It won’t buy my vote.

DCCC Interference Intensifies

# Cross-posted from MIKLB'S Mindless Ramblings May 15, 2006,

CQPolitics.com Confirms: Jennings also has the open support of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC)

DCCC’s interference and meddling in local district primary-election processes is both unconscionable and indefensible.

It creates dissent and divides our forces at precisely the moment when we all must share unity-of-purpose… which is to turn this district blue with the most electable, true Democrat and not a former Republican turned latter-day-Dem who can self-finance… and who is already being referred to as “Katherine Harris Lite”.

The DCCC and its agents are undermining Schneider’s true grassroots candidacy which would represent - fairly - all the people in FL-13.

She is eminently qualified, has proven her worth, ‘earned her stripes’ in 2004, has the best name-recognition, strong local support, is a life-long campaigner for progressive causes (..formerly known as Democratic causes..).

This Rahm Emanuel-sanctioned scheme denies FL-13 voters their right to freely determine their own primary-election matters.