Category Archives: Politics: FL-18

According to Blast Off!: My date with Debbie, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz isn't happy that some local blogs have been beating up on her for her stab in the back of our three strong local Democratic Congressional candidates.

Well, I'm sorry, but I'm with Daily Kos: Why we fight, or, why Debbie Wasserman Schultz is a problem: if she has a leadership role in the DCCC, not to mention Senatorial ambitions, this just won't do.

Update: More about this from Daily Kos. I think the nickname “Debbie Dubya” may be a little harsh, but I understand why people are upset about this.

Democrats won big in a special election in Illinois on Saturday, winning the congressional seat formerly held by GOP House Speaker Dennis Hastert. This suggests a large national swing to Democrats at the congressional level. Especially around here. The Fix agrees,

Putting The Hastert Seat Loss in Context – The Fix: Those statistics got us to thinking about just how wide the Democratic target list could grow if the special election in Illinois was taken as a test case for the fall.

Looking for a way to compare apples to apples when it comes to congressional districts, we turned to our old friends at the Cook Political Report and their Partisan Voting Index (PVI). The PVI was developed by the folks at Cook in the summer of 1997 as a way of looking at measuring every district in the country against the nation as a whole. Each district was given a score — R+6, D+19 — that indicated how it performed on the presidential level when compared to the country. A score of R+6 means that the district performed six points more Republican than the country as a whole; conversely, a score of D+19 means the seat performed 19 points more Democratic than the nation. (A further explanation of PVI is behind the Cook Report's subscription wall so get one today!)

Illinois' 14th district has a PVI score of R+5. …

…

Florida boasts nine districts currently held by GOPers with PVI ratings between R 1 and R 5. Those nine districts are a mix of the once competitive (Florida's 8th and 12th), the occasionally competitive (Florida's 13th and 24th) and the never competitive (Florida's 5th, 7th, 15th, 18th and 25th.) Democrats have spent considerable time recruiting in Florida and are expected to put a number of these seats — including the 24th and 25th — in play this November.

But there's a fly in the ointment: Important local Democrats are too invested in being clubby with the GOP power structure — or with local sugar interests? — to give their all. Even local stars Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Kendrick Meeks are taking a pass on fighting for their party — and for Florida.

Not surprisingly, local activists and party workers are very unhappy.

I'm particularly disappointed in Wasserman Schultz on this one.

I neglected to note that Annette Taddeo officially launched her campaign yesterday. I would have loved to go, but it happened during a class. Here’s the press release.

Annette Taddeo officially announced her candidacy for Congress in Florida’s 18th Congressional District today at Congressman Dante Fascell Park in South Miami. Taddeo was joined by supporters, elected officials, family and friends.

Taddeo kicked off her campaign for change. “I am here today, asking for your support in our quest for a new direction – not just in Washington, but here at home as well, because South Florida needs leaders who can be independent, inclusive leaders who will be bold and bi-partisan, both courageous and compassionate”, said Taddeo.

Taddeo spoke specifically about issues she plans to focus on during her run for Congress. She said she would work to balance the nation’s budget, protect the environment and slow global warming, improve access to affordable and available healthcare, and bring our troops home safely from Iraq. “My campaign for change will be about focusing on the issues that matter, and on sharing solutions about how we can create a better community and country”, stated Taddeo at the announcement.

Taddeo says she is running because she wants to make a difference for the people of the district, and believes the time is right with the electorate ready for new leadership.

“We have heard the people’s desire for change, for leaders who will work everyday in Washington to improve life here at home, for a change in the way the powers that be do business in Washington, and for leaders who will work to create a government that works for all of us”, said Taddeo.

The results last night from New York state suggest that no Republican is safe anywhere this year.

Update: Similar result — Democratic upset — in the special election for Florida House District 32.

In South Florida Democrats Field Strong Congressional Candidates I noted that the Herald's print article on Annette Taddeo didn't seem to be on the web site.

It's up now — perhaps because I wrote in asking what happened to it? — as Ros-Lehtinen latest to face a challenger.

The Miami Herald's Metro section today has a big article on Annette Taddeo's plan to challenge Ileana Ros-Lehtinen for the Florida's 18th congressional district. (Official Annette Taddeo for Congress web site.) Goodness knows that the incumbent has been a terrible representative for us: Ileana Ros-Lehtinen relentlessly for the war and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen routinely puts ideology above South Florida's economic interests.

[Other relevant past posts: Who Will Run Against Ros-Lehtinen? (All Politics Is Local) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Admits She Lied, But Doesn’t Apologize.]

There is something strange, even unique, about the Herald's article, however: it is not available on line. I have never before encountered a Metro section piece that I wanted to link to that wasn't available online for at least a week. No idea if it's human error, some new policy, or something special.

Meanwhile, some of the details are at Eye on Ileana: Annette Taddeo's bid for District 18 is now open.

Needless to say, I'm delighted that IR-L has drawn a serious challenger, although anyone would have to admit that it will be an uphill struggle.

Meanwhile, good things are happening in neighboring districts: local political operative and popular long-time Hialeah Mayor Raul Martinez is challenging Lincoln Diaz-Balart in the 21st.

Even better, local Democratic star Joe Garcia announced he's running in District 25 against Mario Diaz-Balart. (Official Joe Garcia for Congress web site.) Here's a piece of the TV coverage:

We're in for interesting times, a taste of which can be found in TheHill.com's Sensing Cuba shift, Democrats target trio of House Republicans in Florida.

According to a diary at Daily Kos, there's a move afoot to draft Joe Garcia, one the best local Democrats, to run against Mario Diaz-Balart in the 25th district. What's more, there's talk of drafting someone to run against Ileana Ros-Lehtinen here in the 18th!

It would be the year to try it. And she's seriously out of touch with this district, gerrymandered as it is.

Previous posts:

Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of the Eighteenth District of Florida Votes Against Health Care for Poor Children

Who Will Run Against Ros-Lehtinen? (All Politics Is Local)

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Admits She Lied, But Doesn't Apologize