There’s no trouble in the Republican party that money can’t fix, and anyone who doubts the GOP’s ability to out-raise and out-spend opponents needs to smell that coffee. No matter how much they disagree, Republicans can be counted on to spend big on elections.
Deep pockets in question: H. Wayne Huizenga, who’s throwing a little bash for the warchest. WSNV-TV Miami:
Governor Jeb Bush and a couple hundred of Florida’s wealthiest Republicans will party next Thursday at the 18,000-square-foot mansion of billionaire H. Wayne Huizenga in Fort Lauderdale. The invited guests are being encouraged to donate $100,000 or more to keep the Grand Old Party humming along.
Bush says he’s serving as the main attraction at next week’s fund-raiser to keep Republicans focused on their 2006 election battles against Democrats.
According to Wikipedia, Huizenga started out like American presidents 41 and 43 – i.e., rich. Unlike the Bushes, whose every venture ended in losses for other people, what Huizenga touched turned to gold. Christian fanatical gold, but gold.
He started with Waste Management, then Blockbuster, finding great success with the strategy of running Mom and Pop businesses out via either acquisition or undercutting. He then moved on to sports team ownership, counting the Miami Dolphins and Dolphins Stadium along with the Florida Panthers and at one time, the Florida Marlins, among his possessions.
Those big bucks will come in handy in Florida. One of Jeb’s few successful initiatives last legislative session was to raise the limit on campaign spending for the governor’s race. Candidates can now spend up to $20 million during the election cycle. Since Democrats typically spend closer to the number of millions you can count on one hand, there is no doubt Florida’s next governor will be the best that money can buy.
