G.O.P. Worries Face From Past Will Haunt Florida Senate Race

[dusty64]

By ABBY GOODNOUGH

Published: November 26, 2003


IAMI, Nov. 25 — It would seem that the last thing President Bush needs as he seeks re-election next year is anything that reopens the profound wounds from the Florida presidential recount of 2000.

So it is little wonder that when Representative Katherine Harris, who became the globally known face of the recount as Florida's secretary of state, expressed interest in running for the Senate in 2004, Mr. Bush's advisers shuddered, Republicans say.



The image of Ms. Harris campaigning alongside Mr. Bush in Florida next fall, stirring up partisan memories and potentially driving Florida Democrats to the polls in record numbers, was one of the biggest factors the party considered as it reacted to the surprising news that Senator Bob Graham would not seek re-election, several Republicans in Washington and Florida said.

Republican officials in Washington and a close associate of Gov. Jeb Bush, the president's brother, said that with an energetic nod from the White House Mel Martinez, the president's housing secretary and a Cuban-American Republican from Orlando, began hinting within days of Ms. Harris's statement that he was seriously considering the race.

That news, and the timing of it, raised eyebrows in Washington and Tallahassee because earlier this year, Mr. Martinez said he would not run for Senate and would instead wait to run for governor in 2006.

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/26/politics/26HARR.html

[CMT]

1. Run, Cruella, Run!!

poor George has to confront the fact he wasn't legitimately elected.

[mndemocrat_29]

2. Jeb has said that he's angry at his brother about getting Mel to run

He says that there's a good crop of Republican candidates already (:wtf:) and that they should support one of them.

[GreenPartyVoter]

3. This video and Greg Palast's

book should be a requirement for all American voters. (And future voters, for that matter.)

http://www.bushflash.com/gta.html