Politics and sleaze envelop Orlando

[T_i_B]

Sorry to butt in here, but I found this article in a UK paper, posted it in LBN and I feel that it might be of some use down here. Make of this what you will.

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/story.jsp?story=566037

In Orlando, the Florida home of Disneyworld and a vital political battleground, the campaign for the November presidential election is getting sly, nasty and very, very personal. Normally, at this stage of the proceedings, Ezzie Thomas, a well-known character on the predominantly African-American west side of town, would be out chatting to the people, registering them to vote before the 4 October deadline and helping them with absentee ballots if they do not think they will have time to make it to the polls on election day. But the 73-year-old Mr Thomas, an affable ladies' man, is staying out of public view for fear of exacerbating what is already a highly controversial - and highly political - criminal investigation of his election-related activities. A similarly low profile is being taken by Steve Clelland, the head of the local firefighters' union. Last week, he did not even dare attend a local appearance by John Kerry, the candidate he is supporting for President, in case it added to the legal troubles facing his own organisation. The firefighters are also subject to a criminal investigation, the chief allegation - for which no evidence has been produced - being that they colluded with City Hall to set up an illegal slush fund for political campaigning.

What makes the troubles facing the two men particularly sinister is that they are declared Kerry supporters, with the power to bring in hundreds if not thousands of votes for the Democratic Party. The investigations are being conducted by the state police, known as the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), which reports directly to Governor Jeb Bush, brother of President George Bush.

The Republicans, naturally, deny the investigations are politically motivated. But even they acknowledge that a chill has spread through Orlando's overwhelmingly Democratic black voting community after a flurry of unannounced visits by armed state police to at least 52 homes whose mostly elderly residents had signed up for an absentee ballot with Mr Thomas's help.

The Republicans have been hard put to explain what exactly the two men have done wrong. The media has aired official allegations ranging from vote fraud to campaign finance irregularities to racketeering, but no charges have been brought, despite exhaustive investigations. A grand jury examining allegations concerning the firefighters' union concluded that no laws had been broken, which has not deterred the FDLE from pursuing the case.

[Paradise]

1. Sigh... :( n/t

[The Backlash Cometh]

2. Thanks for posting.

It did get some white space over here. It's not uncommon for the powers that be to intimidate anyone who challenges them. I know of one Dem candidate who was pulled over by the local police for speeding. They backed off when he called their hand.

And another one who sent his bio information to the Orlando Sentinel by the due date, but the O.S. printed that he failed to submit his paperwork and it made him appear incompetent.

[dryan]

3. Mr. Thomas has....

done nothing wrong. I happen to have spoken to him on many occassions. He is president of the Orange County Voters League. During the mayoral election in March of this year, the loosing candidate (who doesn't even live in the city limits) charged that Mayor Buddy Dyer's campaign was trying to "buy" absentee votes.

[The Backlash Cometh]

4. Orange County's absentee elected officials.

Several years ago, the O.S. reported that the majority of Orlando's elected officials came from outside the county. Many of them lived in Seminole County -- which is a steadfast Republican county. It makes a big difference.

But those are the easy things to spot. Years ago I looked up some old articles and found some interesting correlations. You know how they say, follow the money? Well, it would be easier to follow the city attorneys. I found an attorney for one city in a certain county who was also an attorney for another major governmental agency in another county. Wouldn't you know it? A city commissioner for the city in which the attorney was city attorney, got a nice contract from the agency the attorney represented in the other county.

Geez, what are the chances of that happening?

[T_i_B]

5. Thanks to you

I've got this article by Jimmy Carter I can post too if it's of any help!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,1314125,00.html