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Political Hay
Major Major Steps Down
TAMPA -- To paraphrase the late Joe Heller's description of Major Major, a character in Catch-22, Heller's snarky but funny 1961 novel -- Republican Mel Martinez's Senate career, among careers lacking distinction, lacks more distinction than most. Few will mourn his departure when he leaves the Senate.
Martinez rose without a trace from Orange County (Orlando) politics to be W's Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, the backwater office in any Republican administration, and then rode W's coattails to a U.S. Senate seat in 2004 by a whisker.
In the intervening four years Martinez annoyed Florida's conservative voters by joining with Ted Kennedy and John McCain to whoop up the "We Don't Need No Stinking Borders Act of 2007," referred to, eccentrically, in some quarters as the immigration reform bill. Martinez, a Cuban-American, managed to alienate conservatives without cutting much ice with Florida's Hispanic voters, who voted for McCain in smaller numbers in 2008 than they voted for W in 2004.
Since being elected, Martinez has spent little time with Florida's Republican clubs or at county Republican Party meetings, and has earned something of a reputation for indifferent constituent service work.
Martinez was urged to run for the Senate in 2004 by W, with the help of intervening personal efforts by Karl Rove, at least partly, perhaps mainly, to block former Florida secretary of state Katherine Harris from seeking the office. Harris, who went on to lose a Senate race in a landslide in 2006, was a hero to many Republicans for sticking with her man, W, in the 2000 presidential election and its operatic aftermath, and a boogey-man (boogey-woman?) to Democrats for the same reason.
National Republicans were convinced, probably accurately, that Harris would lose in 2004. So when Martinez edged out Democrat Betty Castor, they thought they had gotten away with something. But it soon became clear that Martinez's time in the Senate would be a wasted interval, no more than a holding pattern. The man has no vision of where the country should be, and few visible political skills. He's a nice enough man, but on the stump he's a lava lamp without the charisma. He never really warmed to the office that he had no business winning, and Floridians never warmed to him.
So to the relief of many Republicans in Florida, and to the indifference of many more Floridians who don't even know he exists, Martinez announced this week that he won't ask to re-enlist in 2010 when his Senate term expires. Now Florida Republicans have a second reason, along with the re-election Tuesday of Republican Saxby Chambliss in neighboring Georgia, to cut back on their anti-depressant medicine.
Ever-unimaginative, Martinez denied his decision not to run was based on his bleak prospects of being re-elected in 2010. He said -- as almost every politician looking down the barrel of a likely electoral loss says -- that he wants to (all together now) spend more time with his family. You have to wonder if guys who say this also earlier in life told their grade school teachers that the dog ate their homework.
Regardless of how eager Mel is to return to hearth and home in Florida, he certainly would be problematic in 2010. "If his poll numbers were any lower, he'd trip over them," a local Republican consultant told me. A Quinnipiac poll released Tuesday showed Martinez with 42 percent job approval and 33 percent who said they didn't like the job he was doing. Only 36 percent of those polled said he deserved a second term, with 38 percent saying he should find another job. Numbers to make a Democratic politician's mouth water.
THANKS TO MARTINEZ'S move, the chances of the Republican Party holding at least one U.S. Senate seat in Florida after November 2010 are much increased, as is the possibility that there will once again be someone named Bush in national office. No good news, bad news jokes here please. The Bush in question is former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, still popular when he left office in January of 2007, and who has not suffered from his older brother's popularity infarction. "I'm considering it," Bush said when asked if he was interested in the race.
Bush's entry into the race would clear the bench on the Republican side, as no one in that outfit wants to go up against the still-popular Bush in a primary. Bush has instant name-ID and an instant organization, along with the ability to raise gobs of money. Florida Republicans have other attractive candidates for the office, including Bartow Congressman Adam Putnam and former Florida House Speaker Allan Bense of Panama City. But Bush is the strongest contender by far. The other players are waiting to see what he'll do.
The strongest horses seeking the Democratic nomination are likely Pam Iorio, the current mayor of Tampa, or Alex Sink, Florida's current chief financial officer. Sink is probably the stronger candidate. Unlike so many Democratic politicians, former bank president Sink has actually held and thrived in responsible private sector jobs. She's the wife of former Florida gubernatorial candidate Bill McBride, who lost to Bush in 2002. (Rematch, anyone?) Iorio has always worked in government. Advantage Bush in either case.
If there's a wildcard on the Republican side, it's current Florida Governor Charlie Crist. The folks around Crist insist he wants to be re-elected governor in 2010. Maybe so. But Crist would be term-limited out of the governor's mansion after 2014, and second terms as governor, like second terms as President, are often not successful.
Those who've been around Crist for his entire political career know his eyes are always on the next prize, than which there can be no bigger prize than President. The man really wants it. So what could be better preparation for a run at the presidency than a term as governor of one of the biggest and most dynamic states in the union followed by national experience in the Senate?
A Bush/Crist primary battle would be spectator sport at the highest level. Political junkies and political reporters would love it. But you can be sure neither man relishes the prospect, and Republican officials would very much like to avoid it. They'd rather see either man win in 2010 than see the two beat themselves up to the benefit of the Democratic candidate.
Jeb better not take too long to make up his mind.
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Michael L. Hauschild| 12.5.08 @ 8:57AM
By all means show another RINO the back door, let the rung climber Crist run against Bush in the Senate race. As for Martinez, maybe he could find work in the new economy blowing leaves off off 43's new sidewalks in Dallas.
Tim| 12.5.08 @ 10:11AM
Interesting development to say the least.
Bush should win easily in Florida and would be a great help in the Senate and beyond.
Speaking of the future, has anyone noticed that Obama's campaign chief is still e-mailing their supporters as late as yesterday December 4, 2008.
Normally, no big deal but this latest e-mail, talks about meetings at people's homes all around the country in mid December and asks for more donations and specicifically describes Team Obama as an "On Going Campaign" for the future.
Is it just me or does this sound like something Chavez would do ?
Havoc| 12.5.08 @ 10:17AM
God save the Republic from another Bush.
tony| 12.5.08 @ 10:35AM
Jeb Bush is a good man, apart from his opposition to offshore drilling and some other minor imperfections. I think he would be an ideal candidate for the senate.
I would be less enthusiastic about a run for the presidency. Even though he is highly qualified and would be an effective voice for conservatism, I am leary of political dynasties, regardless of party affiliation and ideology.
I also think it will be a long time before the true history of Bush 43's presidency is written. For the foreseeable future, he will be (wrongly) regarded by far too many people as a failure. Jeb will be tainted by the association.
As Mr. Thornberry points out, Jeb needs to get moving soon. I do not want Mr. Crist to be in a position to run for the presidency at any point in the future. A senate seat sets him up for that. More than any other republican out there, he is responsible for the nomination of McCain. Good riddance to Charlie Crist.
ruth| 12.5.08 @ 1:38PM
I think Jeb would be an excellent senator, but please, no mention of the presidency . Jeb's time was 2000, and we know who won that election.
Charles Umhey Jr| 12.5.08 @ 2:30PM
NO MORE BUSHES PLEASE!!!!!!!!
tony| 12.5.08 @ 3:53PM
Then it's unanimous.
DSAMMIS| 12.5.08 @ 8:04PM
I think Mel will be retireing from the senate to enjoy his Cuban heritage and influence when US-Cuba relations warm under Obama. Not too soon in my opinion
Quartermaster| 12.6.08 @ 9:59AM
Jeb is as much pro-illegal immigration as his brother. If all you want is a party line, then Jeb is a good choice. Other than that he has little to offer. Crist is no better than Jeb.
Chef David| 12.6.08 @ 12:17PM
As an ex-Republican I will listen to JBs arguments for voting for him. I am inclined to never vote for another ('no new taxes' and a eunuch in so many ways) Bush. The brand name is of no value to me, the Bush 'corporate vision' by their own actions suffers from myopia. The other two are proven liars and incompetents by their own action and lack of action .. .. another one?
ruth| 12.6.08 @ 2:24PM
He's still better than Martinez, and I realize that's not saying much.
Alex | 12.6.08 @ 3:01PM
If the GOP wants to win elections again, it will have to start nominating people like Charlie Crist, common-sense, pragmatic conservatives (just like Reagan was), not ideological zealots and social fundamentalists.
rick| 12.6.08 @ 4:21PM
Ref: Alex's comment.....We did nominate a non-idealogical candidate in Sen McCain and got beat like a rented mule. America is a conservative country, conservatives win elections, moderates muddle through. By the way what is the middle ground on abortion?
Havoc| 12.6.08 @ 4:37PM
I nominate Jeb Bush for apprentice DogCatcher of Bagdad. He needs to prove himself in a place where he can do no harm.
Michele San Pietro| 12.6.08 @ 5:23PM
I don't see why you are talking about a "right" Bush. I wouldn't call George Bush jr. a "wrong" Bush.
ruth| 12.6.08 @ 6:45PM
Alex is just another predictable liberal who wants us to nominate another RINO to assure us another loss.
Alex| 12.6.08 @ 8:06PM
Ruth,
I'm a proud CONSERVATIVE, who undesrtands the pillars upon which the conservative philosophy rests: FREEDOM, MODERATION and TOLERANCE (just read John Locke, Adam Smith or Edmund Burke, and you'll understand what conservatism is all about).
But go on, we need people like you to say all this stuff and nominate a populist that pleases the Limbaugh/Hannity crowd (Palin would be great!), so you suffer a major defeat and we take back our party and REAL conservatism.
BTW, just a few questions to think about:
-Since when is conservatism concerned about tradition instead of liberty?
-Since when did conservatism become the ideology of intolerance and fear?
-How was it possible for conservatism to stand against its very basic core principle of balance of power?
-If you are for limited gov't, then could you please explain me how can you make sense of this social engeneering pursued by current "conservatives" like you?
-Since when is it conservative to disdain science in favor of ideology (especially on climate change)?
You should open your mind and think about these questions.
Rick,
How can you continue to be in that state of denial? Yes, McCain is a moderate, but he didn't lose because of his moderation, he lost because of the anti-GOP environment provoked by some little problems:
-an economic meltdown
-an incredibly unpopular president
-an unpopular incumbent party ruled by ideological zealots
-a terribly unqualified VP nominee
-a hyper-negative campaign
Do you think this isn't enough?
BTW, he didn't run as a moderate, he played it right from Karl Rove's campaign book (tax cuts, tax cuts, tax cuts [no wonder fiscal restraint used to be a conservative tenet], 95% of negative ads)
-On abortion, I personally struggle with that issue because I'm pro-life, but as a conservative, I believe in the right to choose in all matters (of course, reasonable restrictions must be there, for example on partial birth abortion and abortions after the third trimester)
Finally, conservatives do win elections, the problem is that there aren't many true conservatives anymore. The far right does not represent conservatism. Hopefully, they are taking a self-destructing path that will lead to a common-sense, center-right conservatism again.
rick| 12.6.08 @ 8:23PM
Alex.... The abortion debate can be distilled down to one simple matter......when does life begin? Until that question is definitively answered, I will choose life. BTW why don't they show videos of abortions? I have seen heart transplants, cornea replacements, plastic surgery , liposuction but never abortions.....I wonder why.
Alan Brooks| 12.6.08 @ 10:25PM
Alex,
we OUGHT to be intolerant.
of bad teachers
bad parents
of partial birth abortions
of 3rd trimester abortions
illegals
molesters
and of all criminals
You cant reform criminals, they learn to fake being good guys. Keep "people" like OJ in prison for the rest of their lives. Put people like Michael Jackson in prison. Execute the McVeighs and Terry Nichols of the world.-- Nichols should be executed, yesterday. Castrate rapists. Let's NOW stop being "nice" to criminals. Obama understands this, he wants death penalty for child rapists. Why? because he has two young daughters.
What does "nice" mean, anyway? A high tech toilet in a prison cell? nice means coddling.
Criminals should be breaking rocks in prison yards!
now watch, i'll be attacked here for being insensitive (oh boo hoo, sob sniff)
aggwessive (i'd better hide under the bed lest i hurt some criminal's feelings)
ruth| 12.7.08 @ 12:35AM
But, Alan, I am pro-life, and if I am going to be philosophically consistent I can't support the death penalty. I do understand your sentiments though, you are tired of chaos, right? Liberalism is based on chaos--I'm sick of it too.
ruth| 12.7.08 @ 12:42AM
Alex, with all due respect, didn't you understand what just happened on November 4? We ran a moderate republican for president--and we got slaughtered. John McCain didn't have a clear message, he ran around like a chicken with its head cut off. He was democrat light and Crist is the same. God help us if Crist runs for president--I'll off myself before I have to experience 2008 again
Turk| 12.7.08 @ 1:12PM
I was living in the Panhandle of Fla when Martinez and a flock of other Repubs were vying for the Senate seat. They all came to a meeting of The Okaloosa County Repubnlican club. The club was a very successful group of R's in a county that regularly delivers large Repub vote totals. On senate candidate night it was obvious to the crowd Martinez was weak and more than one of the others(there were several), were strong candidates. But everyone knew Mr M was the darling of the RINO/Country Club repubs, so we got stuck with Martinez for 6 yrs(even a round of him as RNC Chairman).
The debate for the future is not so much Jeb or Crist but a cessatation of letting the left pick our candidates as in '08. They loved McCain when he was embarassing our party; hated him when he was the challenger of their leftist airhead and now that he has been ripped to shreds by them they love him again. From now on lets pick our own, Bush/Rove et al be damned.
Dee| 12.7.08 @ 5:24PM
Jeb Bush in the WH? Why the heck not. After all Obama has ushered in the third Clinton term.
ruth| 12.7.08 @ 6:32PM
Dee, please, let the Bush family go. I don't care about the Clintons and Obama. The Bush men are good people but they have been weak standard bearers for our party. Look at the mess we are in; a lot of it should be laid at the feet of President Bush. We have to encourage and support strong, articulate conservatives and we have to start now. I am not interested in the past, we have to move forward.
Lakewood Bob| 12.7.08 @ 11:19PM
Florida needs a strong Republican Senator, but Jeb Bush is not the one. I suspect he would be a wimp just like his father and brother. Another Country Club Republican cannot be counted on to act in the interest of the people. We must also beware of Democrat possibility Pam Iorio. She is an avid supporter of Islamic organizations such as CAIR and would represent a clear and present danger to our welfare and sovereignty.
Mike| 12.7.08 @ 11:38PM
Alex,
You DARE invoke the name of Sir Edmund Burke, Adam Smith, or John Locke after making erroneous statements like this one?
"If the GOP wants to win elections again, it will have to start nominating people like Charlie Crist, common-sense, pragmatic conservatives (just like Reagan was), not ideological zealots and social fundamentalists."
And follow it up with this dribble?
"-Since when is it conservative to disdain science in favor of ideology (especially on climate change)?"
Emphasis on the Gorebull warming bullshiite.
My friend, you better go back and read Reflections, or maybe Vindications, and then follow it up with a very healthy dose of Dr. Russell Kirk's, "The Conservative Mind."
Charlie Crist has about as much in common with Ronald Reagan as the Easter Bunny does with Hitler.
For Gorebull Warming, Burke and other philosophers of his time would emphasize conservation of the environment and good stewardship of the Earth. Not some knee jerk reactionary garbage designed to line Gore's pockets with greenbacks. That is the only green he is concerned with.
On the "social fundamentals" Burke, Du Tocqueville, Locke, Acton, Nisbet, etc. all agreed that true individual liberties are from the Divine. Also that God is what guides our conservation and our natural rights. Science is nothing more than a tool to understand the world, as is religion. But you cannot eliminate either form the equation and call yourself a Conservative. I don't know who explained these men to you but you had better do a re-read of their thought.
ruth| 12.7.08 @ 11:46PM
What happened to Jeb Bush? I remember hearing great things about him and that he should be the Bush brother to run for President in 2000. Does it just go back to George the elder?
Daphne kenward| 12.8.08 @ 10:02AM
I have come to realise, that the issues that has been raised has been turned into, not what the subject is about, how other readers feel about what they think is Concervative values.
Many seem to confuse RIGHT WING fanatic's as been conservatives. Some even excuse Crime against the state, in way of robbery, extortion, money laundering, , mass murder, drug trafficking, corruption, and from what I have read all these are alleged to be what is now seen as CONSERVATIVE values by these people who are more KKK mafia than conservatives. In my opinion these are confused people, who have little idea about politics in the first place.
Has anybody out there read the Book, The MAFIA CIA & GEORGE BUSH Sr. About the SNL scams, savings and loans hunderds of millions of dollars of Tax payers money stolen by organised crime. Through cover up, fraud by rich powerfull people in America.
Which is what is going on in this Bailout, Bull S..t at the moment, Companies claim that they are going bankrupt to get Bailout funds, to steal money from the people and the country.
All of George W Bush children have been in trouble with the LAW, why is it unlike all Americans who commit crimes ranging from sexual misconduct to felony in prescription fraud the Bush kids never go to prison?.
Anybody who vote for crooks, deserve all they get. By the way the Book is by the Author Pete Brewton of the University of Texas.
Few of you should Google Mafia CIA & George Bush. To try and understand where this Baliout is leading to. People cooking the books to get free money, the Bushes are being Blackmailed by these high ranking men, so they have to Bailout these companies.
Jeb Bush should be kept out of public office at all cost, this is a crime family, more powerful than any Italian Godfather.
tony| 12.8.08 @ 2:38PM
Daphne:
I have tried to reason with you on this message board and others, but I can see that you are too deeply enmeshed in all this conspiratiorial nonsense. Just because someone writes a book doesn't mean that they are on the level. Anyone with a word processor is a budding author.
Now, I won't disagree that the bail out is a foolish idea, but not for the moonbat reasons you give. The reason is that we are turning over more control to the people who screwed things up to begin with. Government, be they republicans or democrats, cannot be trusted.
I know how much you hate Pres. Bush and his family, but that only serves to cloud your judgment. The Bush's are not a crime family; that is the fevered imagination of some guy teaching at U of T. So what if he's a professor; that proves absolutely nothing.
As I've said before, I'm sure you're a nice person, but this conspiracy stuff is really flaky. However, if you're absolutely convinced that conspiracies abound, I heard that the Bush's are actually the progeny of aliens who crash landed at Area 51 back in the 50's.
Daphne Kenward| 12.8.08 @ 4:47PM
Tony.
History will do it's job.
tony| 12.8.08 @ 5:20PM
Daphne:
I'm sure of that, but just not in the way you believe.
Incidentally, what makes you so willing to believe this stuff? What exactly has happened in your life to lead you to this point? It's a real shame that you allow yourself to fall prey to this stuff.
Michele San Pietro| 12.8.08 @ 5:23PM
The Bush family is really being persecuted like the Jews were persecuted by Hitler. In particular, the accusation of making business with the Nazis against Prescott Bush is extremely malicious and outrageous, since America did not fight on the Nazis' side, but against them, and lost four millions people in order to erase a barbarism named Nazism from the face of the earth!
Daphne Kenward| 12.8.08 @ 6:04PM
Tony you are just cannon fodder, full of shit.
Buck Schotte| 12.8.08 @ 8:19PM
Larry
Your snapshot of Fat Mel is on the money. Please see my comments on today's Prowler.
As I said, any orange picker from Polk County would make a better Senator than Mel.
For that matter, any cane cutter from Pahokee would make a better Governor than Chaingang.
What the Gator Nation needs is a real Conservative, not some perfumed Ponce from a blue county.
It's all good, but it's better when your government isnt run by ******'s.
Buckster
tony| 12.8.08 @ 9:03PM
Daphne:
This is the first post we have seen from you with all the words spelled correctly and proper punctuation. Well done.
ruth| 12.9.08 @ 2:37AM
Tony, you are a hoot. Daffy uses an obscenity and calls you cannon fodder--and you compliment her grammar and punctuation. Too funny.
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