FL Gov. Jeb Bush picks major Republican donor to oversee state elections

[seafan]

By John Kennedy
Tallahassee Bureau
Posted December 8 2005

TALLAHASSEE · Gov. Jeb Bush turned to an old family friend and contributor Wednesday to succeed former Orlando Mayor Glenda Hood as Florida secretary of state.
Sue Cobb, 68, a Coral Gables lawyer who served as U.S. Ambassador to Jamaica the past four years, will take over as the state's top elections official in January, Bush said.

...

Cobb and her husband, Chuck Cobb, also are major Republican donors with ties to the Bush family that stretch back almost 20 years.
"It sends a very bad message," Karen Thurman, chairman of the Florida Democratic Party, said of Cobb's appointment. "She has no experience with elections and her background is with the party. She's a political appointment."

...

Federal records show Chuck Cobb has contributed $130,000 to Republicans over the past three years, including $75,000 to the Republican National Committee.

Sue Cobb gave $2,000 to Republican Mel Martinez in his successful U.S. Senate campaign last year, and $2,000 to the governor's brother, President George W. Bush, for his 2004 re-election.

Cobb acknowledged her GOP ties. But she said they would not shape her decisions in a job that drew worldwide attention with Florida's central role in each of the past two presidential elections.

...

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/florida/sfl-fcobb08dec08,0,4662473.story?coll=sfla-news-florida

[Arkana]

1. ...

Cobb acknowledged her GOP ties. But she said they would not shape her decisions in a job that drew worldwide attention with Florida's central role in each of the past two presidential elections.

Ain't that what ol' Katherine Harris said right before she gave Little Turd the election in 2000?

[tofubo]

26. republican ties ??, more like embedded links

http://www.myflorida.com/transition/pressreleases/team-11-12-02.html

read cobbs bio.

fuck

[SharonRB]

2. And this will surprise anyone, why?

[mohinoaklawnillinois]

5. Ain't that the truth, Sharon.

I thought Illinois, Cook County and Chicago politics were bad, but Florida has them beaten, hands down....

[ClintonTyree]

31. Texas tops the list of crooked Republican politicians.....

with Florida coming in second. Any other State lags far behind these two cesspools of GOP waste. Jebbie can kiss any chance of successfully running for President good-bye because of big brother's fuck-ups. The spotlight is and will remain on the Bush "taint" and there's no way another Bush will be elected President within the next 2 decades. It will take people quite a while to get the mental picture of "W"'s bungling, arrogant, inept cronyism out of their minds. Jebbie is probably pissed as hell because his older and much more stupid brother ruined any chance he ever had of occupying in the White House.

[PinkyisBlue]

38. But that's what Diebold is for!!

(And political appointments like Sue Cobb).

[converted_democrat]

3. I'm going to have to find another place to live. Between this and the

rethug that's running for Governor on the platform of substantially reducing judicial power, it's just getting to be too much. This state is racing to bottom, and I don't think the powers to be will stop until we hit rock bottom.

[mod mom]

6. Don't come to OH, we are worse. We're going to allow Blackwell to

count his own votes in the race for governor. Anyone want to wager any $ as to who wins? Let me guess...there will be a delay then presto we will be told that the fundies came out at the last minute to vote. Of course the Ohio Dem Party won't make a whimper.

I don't get-WHY DON'T THE DEMS THREATEN TO BOYCOTT ELECTIONS UNTIL FAIRNESS, TRANSPARENCY AND VERIFIABILITY CAN BE ASSURED!

[kitkat65]

36. I have a CD from the Franklin County Board of Elections

It has a photo of the statue of Liberty and the words "Champions of Democracy." I kid you not. I don't even care what the contents are. I'm just keeping it in the hopes that someday it will bring big bucks on ebay for the sheer irony.

[peekaloo]

11. Did you see the recent quote from the president's fat brother

alluding to the common folks as "Joe Bag O' Donuts" when defending his tax cuts?

Elitist asshole is a compliment to Jebthro.

[soup]

13. Joe Bag O' Donuts?

Missed that one somehow. Thanks for pointing it out.

Maybe he was upset when someone snagged the last chocolate frosted before he could grab it.

Joe Bag O' Donuts -

sing it Aretha -

R.E.S.P.E.C.T.
jeb's got none and neither does *he.

[seafan]

14. Here is Mr. Joe Bag of Donuts himself:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x5528590

[soup]

18. Thank you for the link.

Really appreciate you taking the time to add it here. I blinked and missed it. It's getting harder and harder to keep up.

[seafan]

20. Glad to do it. It's *hard werk* keeping up with these mobsters.

They really, really don't even try to hide it any more. It's grand theft America on an infinite scale.

[FreedomAngel82]

23. The reason why they don't hide it

is because they control everything. They know they won't get caught etc.

[VaYallaDawg]

29. Ole Jeb's starting to look like he woofed down a few bags too many.

Gettin' porkier all the time!!

[peekaloo]

15. Jebthro snacks on the finest.

KKK....Krispy Kreme Kollection.

[kskiska]

35. Jeb always snacked on the finest

(snip)

Unlike his older brother George, who has maintained a strict fitness regime during his time in the White House, Jeb Bush admits he has gained weight since taking office in 1999. A spokesman for the 52-year-old governor said he weighed 102kg (16st 1lb), almost 9.5kg heavier than the ideal.

Governor Bush previously said that keeping his weight down was "kind of a struggle for me", and says he never gets enough exercise because he is driven everywhere for security reasons.

He was embarrassed in October when he compared pedometers with students at a Tallahassee school who had been challenged to walk 10,000 steps a day. His recorded only 735.

He is also partial to hearty portions of home cooking. In the Bush Family Cookbook, a US bestseller containing the first family's favourite recipes, Barbara Bush says she still prepares her son's beloved childhood dessert - baked peaches flambé with lashings of brandy and heavy whipped cream - when he visits the family's ranch in Texas.

more…
http://www.guardian.co.uk/cuba/story/0,11983,1661817,00.html

[seafan]

4. They no longer feel the need to hide their corruption.

From the article:

"She has no experience with elections and her background is with the party. She's a political appointment."

"I would be bound by the rule of law," Cobb said. "I believe we have laws for a reason. There will be a number of occasions where you have to detach your personal instincts and desires and apply the rules that are prescribed by the federal government and our state Legislature."

She added, "I don't know what will come up in the future, but I know in the past there has been a lot of partisan bickering."

And this title is the actual title from the Sun-Sentinel. Anger levels are rising very quickly now.

[mod mom]

7. THIS IS WHY WE DON'T SEE REP DEFECTING FROM THEIR SUPPORT. BFEE CONTROLS

the vote outecomes. Sorry for the scream-but this is infuriating!

[soup]

8. What a horrendous mistake was made when the people of FL

gave the Governor the power to choose their own Sec. of State rather than being an elected offical.

Grant you that K. Harris was an (and the last) elected Sec. of State, and what a 'treasure' she turned out to be - but still, ceding the right for deciding who gets the position was a HUGE mistake - in my opinion.

[DoYouEverWonder]

9. Her and her husband also gave the Bush/Cheney Team

$5000 for the 2000 Recount.

Someone so obviously partisan and apparently opposed to fair elections shouldn't be in charge of elections.

[soup]

10. and so it goes

THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION
Embassy Row

JAMAICA
Sue Cobb

The nomination of Sue Cobb as ambassador to Jamaica was the first where it appeared that President Bush was expressing his appreciation as much to the nominee's spouse as to the nominee herself.

Together, Sue and Charles Cobb make quite a generous duo. Sue Cobb contributed $52,500 to Republican candidates and party committees in 1999-2000, including a $1,000 donation to the Bush campaign and a $40,000 soft money contribution to an RNC state elections committee. She also gave $5,000 to the 2000 Bush/Cheney Presidential Transition Foundation.

Charles Cobb, the ambassador to Iceland during the administration of President Bush's father, was more generous than she. He gave $71,750 to the GOP in 1999-2000, including $1,000 to Bush and a $40,000 soft money to the same RNC state elections committee, on the same date, as his wife. He also contributed $5,000 to the Bush-Cheney Florida recount fund. Like his wife, he contributed $5,000 to the Bush/Cheney transition foundation.

The Jamaica post seems ideal for Cobb. The investment firm Cobb Partners, where she serves as managing director and general counsel and her husband is managing partner, focuses on resort development and real estate. The employees and family of Cobb Partners contributed $153,750 to candidates and parties in 1999-2000 -- all to the GOP. The firm also gave $20,000 to the Bush-Cheney inaugural committee.

Feel free to distribute or cite this material, but please credit the Center for Responsive Politics.
http://www.opensecrets.org/2000elect/other/bush/ambassadors/cobb.asp

[The Backlash Cometh]

12. These people are absolutely shameful.

What terrible examples they've set for the young, these Bushes.

[lpbk2713]

16. Jebbie is on his second term He doesn't worry about backlash.

And just in time for the '06 (S)elections too.


Just like his simian sibling, he cares even less now than he did before about what the voters think.

[LuCifer]

17. TIME TO FLOOD Jethro Tallahassee Nazi Jeb!® BU$Hitler's email...AGAIN...

[e-mail] <--POST THIS EVERYWHERE!!!!!

http://www.LU13.TK

http://sounds1.neilrogers.com/sounds/bonr19982/39.mp3

[soup]

19. Have you ever gotten a response - besides auto?

Read some time back how John Ellis prides himself on responding to e-mail, yet I've never gotten anything more than an auto-response from his office. I figure they don't like what I have to say so chose to ignore it.

[driver8]

21. Well that's a fucking shocker!! The rethugs are shameless...

absolutely shameless. The shrub is number 1 on my "people I despise" list. Jeb is slowly moving up in the rankings.

I wish the whole Bush crime family would crawl into a deep hole and stay there.

[jackstraw45]

22. FOLLOW THE CRONY MONEY - Link to their RNC donations

2006, 2004, 2002:
http://www.opensecrets.org/indivs/search.asp?Order=A&txtName=Cobb&txtState=FL&txtZip=33134&txtEmploy=&txtCand=&txt2006=Y&txt2004=Y&txt2002=Y&txt2000=&txt1998=&txt1996=&txt1994=&txt1992=&txt1990=&txtSoft=N

2000 & 1996:
http://www.opensecrets.org/indivs/search.asp?Order=A&txtName=Cobb&txtState=FL&txtZip=33134&txtEmploy=&txtCand=&txt2006=&txt2004=&txt2002=&txt2000=Y&txt1998=&txt1996=Y&txt1994=&txt1992=&txt1990=&txtSoft=N

1998 & 1994:
http://www.opensecrets.org/indivs/search.asp?Order=D&txtName=Cobb&txtState=FL&txtZip=33134&txtEmploy=&txtCand=&txt2006=&txt2004=&txt2002=&txt2000=&txt1998=Y&txt1996=&txt1994=Y&txt1992=&txt1990=&txtSoft=N

1990 & 1992

http://www.opensecrets.org/indivs/search.asp?Order=A&txtName=Cobb&txtState=FL&txtZip=33134&txtEmploy=&txtCand=&txt2006=&txt2004=&txt2002=&txt2000=&txt1998=&txt1996=&txt1994=&txt1992=Y&txt1990=Y&txtSoft=N

[TexasLawyer]

24. Sickening

but not surprising.

[mermaid]

25. GOP Ties Won't Shape My Decisions...

Cobb acknowledged her GOP ties. But she said they would not shape her decisions in a job that drew worldwide attention with Florida's central role in each of the past two presidential elections.


Yeah...and God didn't make little green apples, and it don't snow in Indianapolis in the wintertime!!

[BreweryYardRat]

27. What a damn worm...

Man, talk about anger-inducing...

[NVMojo]

28. Damn, another Brownie action ...when can we charge the Bush family

cabal with treason or something?

[dhill926]

30. arrogant bastard....

can't wait to see what Carl Hiassen says about this...

[demo dutch]

32. It never ends in this lousy state!

[Fla4kerry]

33. Your right it never ends

here in the land of delusion. Well we just got screwed out of our vote again come November and probably the primaries in Sept. I can't wait till this nasty nasty Jeb rides off in the sunset from politics in our state. If we have a Dem in the Gov's Mansion will he get to pick another Sec of Elections?? Anyone know?

Fla Blue 2006

[dkofos]

34. And the people of Florida authorized this power??

Stupid fucking morans

[W stands for Wacko]

37. Gee, those donations sure demonstrate that she is politically neutered!

[DarkTirade]

39. Considering who was running the presidential election in 2000...

this really doens't surprise me too much.
Pisses me off, but doesn't surprise me.

[nicknameless]

40. More donations here:

http://www.newsmeat.com/fec/bystate_detail.php?city=Coral+Gables&st=FL&last=Cobb&first=Sue

"Cobb acknowledged her GOP ties. But she said they would not shape her decisions in a job that drew worldwide attention with Florida's central role in each of the past two presidential elections."

Right. No conflict there. :eyes:

[AngryOldDem]

41. Oh, bullshit

>>>Cobb acknowledged her GOP ties. But she said they would not shape her decisions in a job that drew worldwide attention with Florida's central role in each of the past two presidential elections.>>


Just bullshit. How damned stupid do they think we are?