Yes! Miami Herald Endorses Smith

[iamjoy]

The Miami Herald Recommends

Our Opinion for Florida Governor

In 2006, the Democratic Party has its best chance since the days of the late Lawton Chiles to recapture the governor's office. For the first time since 1998, no incumbent is on the ballot, but any Democrat who hopes to be effective must be able to get along with a Legislature likely to remain in Republican hands. Our choice is state Sen. Rod Smith, who has a record of working in a bipartisan fashion with members of the GOP.

Last year, Sen. Smith was instrumental in defeating a move in the Legislature to keep Terri Schiavo's husband from removing her feeding tube. This year, he helped lead the fight to defeat Gov. Jeb Bush's effort to preserve vouchers for private schools after the courts declared the program unconstitutional.

Mr. Smith initially opposed the 2002 amendment limiting class sizes because he opposes changing the state Constitution. Now, he says the law should be implemented. Earlier this year, he helped defeat a proposal to dilute the amendment. Rep. Davis also supports the class-size amendment.

Both candidates want to ease the cost burden on property-insurance policyholders. In his TV ads, Rep. Davis says he would get rid of the law that makes it easier for insurers to avoid paying claims for water damage from a storm. Sen. Smith has a more-elaborate plan that would phase out Citizens Property Insurance and create a fund to cover the first $50,000-$100,000 of value.

For governor in the Democratic primary, The Miami Herald recommends ROD SMITH.

full article:
http://rodsmith2006.com/news/clips/the_miami_herald_recommends_rod_smith/

[flpoljunkie]

1. Interestingly, you left out this troubling paragraph in their endorsement.

and it is a "biggie"...

More troubling, Sen. Smith has been the beneficiary of a million-dollar anti-Davis ad campaign by U.S. Sugar. Sen. Smith vows to remain independent. But it could prove difficult to keep a respectable distance from special interests if he becomes beholden to them for outsized political contributions.

http://rodsmith2006.com/news/clips/the_miami_herald_recommends_rod_smith

[iamjoy]

2. A Concern For Most Politicians

Democrat or Republican.

Jim Davis voted for the bankruptcy bill. Do I think that means that he is beholden to credit card companies and the like? No.

[seasat]

4. One of Smith's main advisers is a US sugar lobbyist.

Screven Watson, a lobbyist whose clients include U.S. Sugar, is working on Smith's campaign, and Smith finance director Joe Perry said U.S. Sugar lobbyist Robert Coker helped raise money for Smith.

(LINK)

He's also a lobbyist for Bell South. (LINK)

In case anyone figures he only plays a minor role, here's a link to him acting as a spokesman for the Smith campaign

Screven Watson, an adviser to Smith, pitched the choice as "breath of fresh air versus more of the same" and likened Davis to the Democrats' 1998 nominee, Lt. Gov. Buddy MacKay. "If Rod Smith weren't in this race, you'd have people saying just what they were saying about Buddy in '98: "Nice man, would make a good governor, and we're going to lose by 10 points.'

(LINK)

The Smith campaign has admitted to supplying the Corporate Sugar groups with stock photos of him for use in their ads. Smith also used the attack on Davis's vote on reparations for Pitts and Lee during the debate and the Sugar Corp 527s already had an attack flier on the vote in the mail with the same information.

Jim Davis has an 89% lifetime rating from the League of conservation voters. Smith only got a 19% rating in 2005 and has never scored above 50% in previous years. Jim Davis has also introduced a clean air bill (LINK) and aggressively fought against drilling off the Florida coast (LINK). The Everglades bill that passed while Rod Smith was chair of the FL Senate agriculture committee changed concentrations of nutrient output from corporate sugar farms from set limits to whatever is possible.

While I agree that Jim Davis should definitely be criticized for the bankruptcy bill, he is heads above Smith on environmental issues and Smith is definitely under the influence of Big Sugar.

[madfloridian]

5. I have made a point until this week...

of not saying anything bad about Davis as the Primary nears. But there is such concerted effort at nearly all the Democratic forums on the big sugar issue that I think it is going overboard.

Both candidates are pretty moderate people. I think they agree on a lot. However, Jim Davis is bigtime DLC/New Dem, he always has been. His loyalties lie with the New Democrat Coalition, the NDN, and the DLC.

That is his right. I prefer not to vote for those people anymore. I will vote for them in general elections most likely...but not in primaries.

Smith has close ties to North Florida. They are conservative there. However I live in an area just like that...fundamental to the core. We are fighting for change, but it will take time.

I think Jim Davis owes some apologies to some very good people in the Tampa area DFA who had a forum and invited him. In fact they endorsed him in their local chapter after he had unkind things to say about the founder of the group...it should not have happened in open forum.

Florida is not a happy state for DFA people at all. The state party itself is furthering the idea that we are not nearly as good as they are, that we are not as capable, not as bright. That we don't know what we are doing basically. The state political director, Navarro, today in Daytona apparently dissed the DNC's 50 state strategy. Not sure of his exact words. Since Florida is in the top 50 expenditures for a state party since 05, they should think twice about putting the DNC down.

Rod Smith does not do that. He embraces new people, he embraces change. I am very capable, very intelligent, and I resent Davis and the state party doing that.

[iamjoy]

6. Yeah, I'm With You

I posted this because I couldn't believe the way Smith is being ripped by Davis, the media and progressive activists while Davis get relatively mild treatment. It's actually made me think something fishy is going on.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=145&topic_id=7621&mesg_id=7621

[madfloridian]

7. There are a lot of things I want to say...

about things going on in the state. I think Karen is doing a good job of turning the state party around, and I admire her for that. I think Navarro will do a good job of getting out the vote and getting organized.

But they have made it clear that people who supported Dean are different somehow, and that is just wrong. They need to do more to embrace the rest of us. After all we all dutifully fell in line, to use Clinton's term....and supported Kerry.

Now we are not worthy, and that needs to stop. There is no reason for them to feel that way. I would venture to say that about half the state county leaders now were either Dean supporters or DFA, don't have the exact figures. We work with the party, we do the activist grunt type work, we do it well.

SO that needs to stop.

[seasat]

8. You've posted this before, yet you say you're not attacking Jim.

You wrote:

I think Jim Davis owes some apologies to some very good people in the Tampa area DFA who had a forum and invited him. In fact they endorsed him in their local chapter after he had unkind things to say about the founder of the group...it should not have happened in open forum.

You've posted something regarding Davis and him criticizing Howard Dean or the DFA several times on the DU. I've tried to figure out what it was that Davis said that was so agregious. When I google Davis and comments, I don't get a news articles but they come back to your posts on DU. How about a link to show what Jim said. Did Jim attack the DFA? What did he say about it?

I've been to several of Jim Davis's luncheons at the Columbia in Ybor City and I've never heard an attack , severe criticism of Dean, or of any of the progressive roots of the Democratic party.

I don't have a problem with Davis being a New Democrat. It is kind of interesting that Rep Kendrick Meek (New Democrat member) and Rep Alan Boyd (leader of Blue Dog Democrats) both support Rod Smith while our most liberal representatives, Robert Wexler and Debbie Wasserman Schultz, support Jim Davis.

[madfloridian]

9. It was in the St. Pete Times...

Yes, Davis did do that at a DFA forum. I think the article was by Adam C. Smith. I think Davis was spouting the DLC line about Dean being too outspoken, and our group being rather fringe...which we are not. He said he did not "agree with most of what Howard Dean said." But he refused to clarify.

That was not especially negative about him as a person, I don't do that...yet.

However, I think I just said above that both are pretty moderate.

Jim Davis though has loyalties to a group that has harmed our country by sending us to war, allowing and HELPING the president to ease taxes on big business, and passing a bill that will allow senior citizens to lose their homes over medical bills. That group is the New Dems/DLC.

Smith has more state loyalty, not so much to a group.

SO you go research me some more and you will find I also said Smith was too conservative for me not too long ago.

I will vote for Smith, you vote for Davis, and in November..we do what we have to do.

[seasat]

10. I was curious, because Jim Davis has a DFA page.

(Jim Davis's DFA page)

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction regarding Jim's statement about Howard Dean. I found it and here is what they wrote (LINK):

Davis joked that he didn't agree with most of what Dean says, but the audience gave him a pass and clapped at many of the points he made during his speech.

I disagree about Davis supporting Bush tax cuts. He has a terrible rating from the NTU because of his votes against them. He did support scaling back the marriage penalty and generally supports small business tax breaks.

Jim Davis is also one of the few Democrats (like John Kerry) to publically state that he would not vote for the Iraq war resolution knowing what he knows now.

[madfloridian]

11. Many candidates have DFA pages.

Some set them up themselves, others get a DFA groups to set them up for them. Here's the one for Rod.

http://www.dfalink.com/campaign.php?id=1407

Many who were there were more than upset about what he said about Dean. It would have been better taste not to say it. We now know he does not agree with the party chairman, and he won't take time to explain what few things he agrees with him on.

I have some personal emails from people who were at that forum, and the summation in the paper was very lacking in the full import. But they endorsed him.

Look, let's be honest here. Davis is the one the party leaders in Florida and DC have been behind. There is nothing wrong with their doing that if they are fair on the surface.

It is almost like it has been accepted for so long that Davis would be governor that some in the state leadership are furious that it is not a cake walk. I am noticing at Kos and here and a couple of other forums, that there is an effort against Smith...concerted. I have not seen that against Davis.

I am not against Davis, I have been quite fair in what I have said and what I have NOT said that I could say...are you following me?

We have two very moderate Dems to pick from. I would describe them both as almost Republican. I pick one, you pick the other. In November we will do what we have to do.

[madfloridian]

3. Remember this letter from the New Dems about the bankruptcy bill?

I do. I was on the phone with Jim Davis's office for over half an hour when this letter came out. I presented his office with facts about the bill, and they seemed unaware. His aide questioned me on several of the items, but I proved myself correct on them by sending him emails while I was on the phone with him.

I never heard a word back, and Davis cheerfully voted for the bill. He did not just vote for the bill, he signed a letter to Hastert urging it be brought to a vote.

Here is the letter:

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/ca10_tauscher/030805_bankruptcy.html

The Honorable J. Dennis Hastert
Speaker
U.S. House of Representatives
H-232, The Capitol
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Mr. Speaker:

We write to encourage you to bring bankruptcy reform legislation to the House floor as soon as the Senate completes its consideration of the bill. The New Democrat Coalition has backed common sense bankruptcy reform in the past and helped in passing the bankruptcy reform bill by overwhelming margins in the House of Representatives during the 108th Congress.

Over the last several years, we have worked to advance reasonable and balanced legislation that would require individuals who have the ability to repay their debts to do so, while preserving the important safety net of bankruptcy under Chapter 7 for those who truly need it. We believe that responsible bankruptcy reform embodies the New Democrat principle of personal responsibility, while at the same time adding important new consumer protections such as requiring enhanced credit card disclosure information and encouraging participation in consumer credit counseling.

It is our hope that the House of Representatives will consider this important piece of legislation in an expedited manner. We stand ready to work with you and our colleagues on both sides of the aisle to pass bankruptcy reform into law.

Sincerely,

Rep. Ellen O. Tauscher
Rep. Adam Smith
Rep. Ron Kind
Rep. Artur Davis
Rep. Carolyn McCarthy
Rep. John Larson
Rep. Stephanie Herseth
Rep. Dennis Moore
Rep. Mike McIntyre
Rep. Joe Crowley
Rep. Jay Israel
Rep. David Wu
Rep. Diane Hooley
Rep. Melissa Bean
Rep. Jim Davis
Rep. Harold E. Ford, Jr.
Rep Ed Case
Rep. Jay Inslee
Rep. Shelley Berkeley
Rep. Gregory W. Meeks