Tag: Florida

Pensito Review Interview: Brian Moore, Independent Candidate for U.S. Senate from Florida

Buck Banks

Brian Moore is running against Bill Nelson and Katherine Harris for U.S. Senate, but most people in Florida don’t know that. I heard of him when he received some media coverage by going to Cuba the night of the first Nelson-Harris debate.

I was intrigued by a guy who, like me, is a political independent, and who was savvy enough to figure out a way to garner some media coverage for his campaign while the Republican and Democratic candidates traded platitudes before a public television audience.

I contacted Moore’s campaign to see if he would agree to an e-mail interview. He was amenable, and what follows is the exchange between Brian Moore and me from Monday, Oct. 30.

Moore is 63, lives in Spring Hill, Fla., and has run for mayor and city council of Washington, D.C., and has mounted a campaign for the House of Representatives in 2002 and 2004. He has never won an election, though he has served in a variety of civic and activist organizations for 34 years.

PENSITO REVIEW: What gave you the idea to go to Cuba when the debate between Bill Nelson and Katherine Harris was broadcast?

BRIAN MOORE: I had to do something that could top them, and show up the hypocrisy of our so-called “Democratic system.” Cuba seemed a natural, because supposedly that is where there are no freedoms and Democratic rights. Plus, I could speak their language, the embargo was a contrast to my opponents, and the relevancy of Cuba to Florida was very high. In addition, I am an advocate for a national health care system, and their system is universal, comprehensive, accessible, portable and preventive.

[…]

Wouldn’t It Be Simpler to Drink a Shot?

Trish

Sometimes I see fellow editor Buck’s point about the emails from the Florida Democratic campaigns. This just in from governor’s candidate Jim Davis in regard to his debate tonight with Republican Charlie Crist:

Try playing this game, whether you’re attending a debate watch party, sitting around with your friends and family, or watching the debate by yourself at home. Grab a piece of paper and make a checkmark every time Charlie does one of the following:

* Each time Charlie calls for “more of the same,” “stay the course,” or any other reference to continuing the way things are going now
* Each time Charlie says “double the homestead exemption” – because it means Florida will have to wait four years for tax relief
* Each time Charlie mentions Jeb Bush
* Each time Charlie doesn’t answer the question (double it if Chris Matthews calls him on it)
* Each time Charlie gets visibly flustered or angry
* Each time Charlie expresses his love for Ronald Reagan
* Each time Charlie refers to himself as “the happy warrior”

At the end of the night, count all checkmarks and ask everyone to go online and contribute at least a dollar for each checkmark.

I think the chances of Charlie doing any of these things, now that he’s seen this email, are slim. If Davis really wanted to see Crist get “flustered or angry” he would have Matthews ask him why, as a gay man, he would be a Republican.

More on the Story That a Crist Male Ex-Lover Spilled the Beans

Trish

A Palm Beach independent weekly has more on the story that a former Katherine Harris staffer was heard by multiple sources to say he is one of the ex-lovers of Florida Republican governor’s candidate Charlie Crist.

The GOP staffer, 21-year-old Jason Wetherington, told friends at separate social functions in August that he had sex with Crist, according to two credible and independent sources who heard Wetherington make the claim first-hand.

‘”He was like [Katherine] Harris’s gay valet,” the source said.

Wetherington, who recently worked as a field director for U.S. Senate candidate Katherine Harris and currently works for state representative Ellyn Bodganoff’s reelection campaign, also named a man whom he said is Crist’s long-term partner, a convicted thief named Bruce Carlton Jordan who also recently worked for Harris in her long-shot Senate bid…

Jordan was charged in 2003 with stealing thousands of dollars from two organizations for whom he worked, including the Tallahassee-based Florida Funeral Directors Association, where he served as executive director. He completed a 60-day jail sentence in February and will be on probation until the year 2011, according to state records.

Sometimes, the very way someone denies something makes it hard to believe they could be telling the truth. This is one of those cases. Not only is Crist denying he and Jordan are long-time lovers, he says he can’t place the name or face.

When the [Miami] Herald questioned Crist about Jordan this past August, the frontrunner in the governor’s race told the newspaper that he doesn’t remember the man. “I don’t know who Bruce Jordan is,” he said at the time. “It doesn’t mean I haven’t met him. I don’t know who you are speaking about.”

I asked Crist during a phone interview on Monday morning if he had ever had sex with Jordan.

“No,” he said. “I don’t recall the name.”

That Crist doesn’t remember Jordan seemed incredible to me. Not only did the attorney general make a special appearance at the funeral directors’ conference, but former presidents of the association say Jordan was known to be pals with Crist.

Wetherington, a former Florida Senate page himself, publicly denies an affair with Crist. Privately it’s a different matter. […]

Nelson v. Harris: Not-So-Great Debate

Buck Banks

Words without ideas: Watching the debate between Democrat Sen. Bill Nelson and Republican Rep. Katherine Harris last night was a frustrating experience. Not because the candidate I favor lost the debate, but because both candidates failed to articulate a coherent message that communicated either vision or capability.

Granted, Nelson came off a little better overall than Harris, but not much. It was clear that Harris had been prepped with some stock phrases and soundbites, which she strung together in a somewhat haphazard fashion, as if she were constructing a dadaist speech from random sound samples. I had expected Harris to come off as crazier than she did, but she managed to keep it together, although she did go after Nelson on his voting record in kind of a mean way. His weak-assed response to Harris’ quoting the St. Petersburg Times’ criticism of Nelson’s rather short list of accomplishments in the Senate was to hold up a paper and claim to have been endorsed by a dozen newspapers from across Florida. This was not even your high-school debate club level of discourse.

Harris had been prepped with some stock phrases and soundbites, which she strung together in a haphazard fashion, as if she were constructing a dadaist speech from random sound samples.

Harris’ most annoying habit in the debate was to walk out from behind the podium, I suppose to show off her cream-colored hose (which kind of made her legs look big), and to show off her bosom, which otherwise was hidden by the podium, and which seems to be a major part of her campaign platform. Unfortunately, standing out in the open like that meant that she had to use a range of about six stock hand motions to emphasize her points, whether they made sense in context or not. Nelson did not rise to the bait, however, and remained safely ensconced behind his podium.

But Harris’ most bizarre behavior of the night came immediately after the debate. As soon as it was over, she exited stage left, while Nelson bee-lined to the journalists who asked the questions and started glad-handing and chumming with them and the moderator. He also was joined by his wife, and the two of them stood chatting with the panelists and moderator as the credits rolled.

Meanwhile, Harris was visible in the darkness of the other end of the stage because of her cream-colored blouse. After watching Nelson for about 30-45 seconds, Harris marched across the stage and inserted herself in the scene, shaking hands with the panelists and moderator. But then, having shaken hands all around, she didn’t have anything else to do, as no one seemed interested in jaw-jacking with her. So she turned and walked back over to the darkness of the oppposite end of the stage and stood there, arms crossed, watching Nelson work the stage as more people came up from the audience.

She was still standing there, alone and in the dark, when the credits ended.

I suppose after all was said and done, I kind of wished I’d done what Brian Moore did. He’s the independent candidate running for Nelson’s seat who, along with a handful of other unknowns, was not invited to participate in the debate. So, figuring there are more ways than one to get media coverage, Moore went to Cuba to underscore his opposition to the U.S. embargo of that island nation.

Now that’s my kind of independent thinking — and, with coverage in the International Herald Tribune, an admirable PR ploy to boot.

Imagine — A Room Full of Katherine Harrises

Buck Banks

What the Kat dragged in: I just love this story, but don’t think my tender constitution could handle a room full of Katherine Harris look-alikes:

With Senator Bill Nelson running far ahead of US Representative Catherine Harris in the polls, Florida Democrats are pretty happy about his re-election prospects — but one of the party’s debate-watching parties tonight could be a real drag.

The Florida Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Democratic Caucus will host a debate watch party featuring a Katherine Harris look-alike contest in Broward County. The contest is set for 9 p.m., right after the debate, and is open to both men and women.

The $10-per-person event is scheduled at Rosie’s, formerly Hamburger Mary’s, in Wilton Manors. Proceeds go to the Democratic Vote Center in Fort Lauderdale.

Florida’s Next Governor Might be a Democrat After All

Trish

The latest Quinnipiac University poll shows a dramatic change in the Florida governor’s race. Democrat U.S. Rep. Jim Davis is in a statistical dead heat with Republican State Attorney General Charlie Crist. The poll shows 46 percent support Crist, 44 support Davis, and 11 percent say they might still change their minds.

”We are seeing a candidate for what he really is…But it’s not going to work. We’re not stuck on stupid.”

For someone who seemed like a shoe-in the day after the primary, Crist has been unprepared for the going to be this tough. His early commercials stressed that a vote for Crist would be the next best thing to being able to vote for term-limited Jeb again.

Until Davis started pointing out some flaws in Jeb’s policies. Then Charlie — dare we say it — flip-flopped.

…Crist’s late-season conversions, coincidentally or not, target issues that Davis has been using to make inroads into Crist’s sizable lead in the polls…

”Life’s a journey,” Crist told The Miami Herald editorial board this week, explaining why he changed his mind on felons’ voting rights…

The felon-vote issue was accompanied this week by another zigzag, when Crist said he wants to allow flexibility in the way the high-stakes FCAT test is handled…

Those are all positions that Democratic opponent Jim Davis has staked out. They are also contrary to Gov. Jeb Bush’s approach — which Crist had earlier said he supported.

As the poll shows, everybody’s not buying it.

”We are seeing a candidate for what he really is — one who will do whatever it takes to win an election,” said [Democrat] Rep. Dorothy Bendross-Mendingall of Miami. “But it’s not going to work. We’re not stuck on stupid.”

And as Crist tries to distance himself from his soul-mate Jeb, he’s gotten a little taste of the big guy’s famous temper.

Some background: Crist’s ads have focused on the fact that Davis has missed votes (mostly minor ones that House Republicans have sewn up) during his campaign. After Jeb cancelled a cabinet meeting in order to give Charlie more time to campaign (Editor’s note: we’re positive Jeb would have cancelled the people’s business for a Democrat too. Not!), you could hear the testy in Jeb’s tone from here.

Citing an article in The Palm Beach Post in which Crist said he never asked for the cancellation, Bush said, “So what the heck, let’s have it.”

Finally, Florida newspapers this weekend, while still not offering proof Crist is gay, focused on his status as single and childless.

[Crist] seems to be missing one key ingredient: The typical politician pictures with his adoring wife and cute offspring.

…So does Crist’s lack of a family affect his qualifications to serve as governor?

After all, as a bachelor he has the time to devote to the demands of the office, without taking time away from his own wife and children. The same way Catholic priests can be single-minded in their devotion to their parish, Florida will get a governor who is committed full-time.

…we can’t help wonder, without those family experiences to hone skills that are also important in the political venue, can a person do as good of a job at governing and dealing with the Legislature?

Nice insertion of the priest image there. Did everyone get that? But wait, another paper took it from a different angle.

If voters choose Charlie Crist as governor, Florida won’t have a first lady. But it will have a first father.

Crist’s best friend, football-watching buddy and financial adviser is his 74-year-old father, the original Charles J. Crist, a politician in his own right who passed on his name to his only son.

You get the idea. All Davis needs now is more money since Crist’s millions have him outgunned with a deluge of ads. If you live in Florida, or if you just have some cash sitting around, go to the Davis web site and give. Hurry, the cut-off date is Nov. 2. Do it now.

Florida Newspaper Endorsements: Nelson 10, Harris 0

Buck Banks

But who’s counting: Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson leads Republican Rep. Katherine Harris by almost every measure — in the polls, in sanity, and now, in newspaper endorsements. Last weekend, Nelson picked up endorsements from three Florida newspapers, bringing his total to 10. Harris has yet to garner an endorsement from any Florida fish wrapper.

Harris should be able to expect an endorsement by the Lakeland Ledger, right? I mean, she was born there.

Nelson has been endorsed by the Tampa Tribune, St. Petersburg Times, Gainesville Sun, Palm Beach Post, Daytona Beach News-Journal, Fort Pierce Tribune, Port St. Lucie News, Stuart News, Vero Beach Press Journal and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

Ouch! That last one had to hurt, since Sarasota is smack in the middle of Harris country. But maybe it’s too much for the Lord’s Chosen One to expect endorsements from the state’s top-tier newspapers. Maybe Harris should aim a little lower and go for quanity, not quality.

She could start by courting the Sarasoto Tempo-News, which, while it is not the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, it is hyphenated. Then there’s Basta Pinoy in Boca Raton, which serves the oft-forgotten Filipino constituency. Or the Bradford County Telegraph in Starke, home of Florida’s Death Row and a well-known bastion of wingnuts. Harris could probably pay to get endorsed by Miami’s El Nuevo Herald, as long as she said bad things about Fidel Castro.

Harris should be able to expect an endorsement by the Lakeland Ledger, right? I mean, she was born there, and did really well in a picnic poll two weeks ago, clobbering Nelson by 20 points. Other possibilities include the Okeechobee Times, Palatka Daily News, the Walton Sun and Williston Pioneer.

So take heart, Kate, there’s still a chance you’ll get a newspaper endorsement before the election. After all, I hear they’re expecting a cold front in Hell next week ….

Why I Don’t Join the North v. South Racism Debate

Buck Banks

Count me out: In reference to Trish’s earlier post, I am going to go out on a limb and get a lot more personal than we ordinarily do on this Web site. The reason I stay out of the fray for the most part is because I think the racism question is incredibly difficult to parse, and the question of whether the North or the South is more racist just skirts the issue.

Disclosure: I have in the past been misidentified as a racist because A) I was born in a Cracker Florida town where, instead of desegregating the city pool, the town fathers filled it in; B) my name is Buck; C) my aunt and uncle were members of the KKK in the town of my birth, and D) my father was one of the worst racists I have ever met. In reality, I have always strived to allow my fellow humans to make complete asses of themselves, regardless of race, creed of skin color.

Anyay, here’s how I see it:

During slavery, the industrial North benefited from the South’s peculiar institution by receiving the raw materials and foodstuffs grown on the sweat of slaves. In Reconstruction and the early part of the 20th century, the massive flight north of millions of blacks fed the North’s need for cheap industrial labor (to augment the poor immigrants arriving from Europe) and created huge black ghettos in most Northern cities.

In the contemporary South, in every town I have lived in, there have been the tracks — literal or implied — across which blacks did not relocate by enforcement of the white-ocracy. In every Southern town I have lived in there have been acts of overt racism of varying degrees, race-on-race violence and conspiracies to deny blacks the rights to vote, congregate or worship. I would suggest that intelligent readers could say the same thing about any mid-size town or big city they have lived in.

In seventh grade (1970), Florida finally complied with a court order, issued in 1963, to desegregate its school system. The bright lights of Lee County responded by closing the historically black high school and junior high, and busing all seventh graders from all over the entire county into those two schools, located across the tracks in the predominantly black section of town. It was a rough year — for everybody, regardless of color.

Every year of my high school we had violent race riots, some rumored to have been incited by the Black Panthers. I learned a lot during those riots — the effect of a bean bag gun wielded by a policeman, the unforgettable aroma of tear gas, the sensation of bare knuckles rapping on my noggin and that the safest place to be during a race riot was in the Agriculture Building among the rednecks.
[…]

Will the Foley Scandal Bring Down the GOP’s Candidate for Florida Governor?

Jon Ponder
It beats me why gay people want to belong to a political party that does not want them, that actively attempts to codify discrimination against them into the law and that cynically uses issues related to their civil rights to gin up votes among homophobes and bigots. It can only come from a deep self-loathing.

Like the California governor’s race, the race to replace Gov. Jeb Bush in Florida has not been making a lot of news outside the state. But in the wake of the outing of Florida GOP Rep. Mark Foley, there appears to be heightened interest in the sexual preference of the Republican candidate, Charles Crist:

Last week, [speculation about whether Crist is gay] broke through to the national media when, in an appearance on Tucker Carlson’s MSNBC talkshow, Pat Campbell, an Orlando-based conservative radio host, accused Democratic operatives of floating the gay rumor to help Crist’s opponent, Jim Davis, who is behind in the polls. “What are they playing right now? Charlie Crist is gay,” Campell complained. “This is the party that supposedly deplores the personal destruction, yet they’re experts in it.”

Max Linn, an independent candidate for the governorship, pushed the story along further Wednesday in another radio interview, claiming he knew Crist to be gay for a fact, and challenging him to admit it. “Charlie, come out, come out from wherever you are,” Linn jabbed.

While it’s undoubtedly a poor time for a Republican to be forcibly outed, it’s not clear how much a public admission of homosexuality, on its own, would hurt Crist’s prospects in a state with a large gay population. For one thing, Crist is relatively insulated from charges of hypocrisy: While he supports the state’s Defense of Marriage Act, he also has cautiously endorsed gay civil unions.

That may be why Crist’s antagonists are resorting to a potentially more damaging tactic: trying to make explicit the implicit link between him and Foley. According to Bob Norman, a columnist for the New Times of Broward-Palm Beach, and the first reporter to out Foley back in 2003, “As soon as the scandal broke there were rumors that Crist and Foley had been roommates in Tallahassee in the early ’90s when they were both state senators.”

Crist’s office didn’t return calls for comment, but a search of public records turned up no evidence of a shared address during that period or any other.

It beats me why gay people want to belong to a political party that does not want them, that actively attempts to codify discrimination against them into the law and that cynically uses issues related to their civil rights to gin up votes among homophobes and bigots. It can only come from a deep self-loathing.