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Campaign Crawlers
Big Mack Attack
Can Eric Holder straighten out Florida Republicans?
Whoever said the race for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination in Florida this year could not get more absurd and less attractive was underestimating the participants.
Republican Congressman Connie Mack of Florida, who currently leads the race for the right to run against Democratic Senator Bill Nelson in November, has shown what a loyal Republican and thoughtful conservative he is by asking Eric Holder’s “Justice” Department to investigate Florida Republicans for possible criminal goings-on.
As Dave Barry would say, I’m not making this up. Mack says he wants the most leftist and aggressively political Justice Department in our history to muck around in the affairs of Florida Republicans looking for dirt. Does anyone doubt that Eric and his merry band, the same bunch who consider requiring photo IDs at the polls to be voter suppression, might just find or manufacture some?
On the frail basis of some overheated but vaguely sourced newspaper stories fretting that Mack’s main opponent in the primary race, George LeMieux, may have exerted pressure on Florida Governor Charlie Crist in 2009 when Crist appointed LeMieux to the unexpired portion of former Senator Mel Martinez’s Senate term, Mack has called on Holder to straighten out the Florida GOP’s closet.
The sources for the charge, if such it even is, that LeMieux lobbied too hard for the Senate seat, to which he was appointed over a lineup of Florida Republicans with more impressive credentials, are indicted former Republican Party of Florida Chairman Jim Greer and former Lieutenant Governor Jeff Kottkamp, who wanted the post himself. Kottkamp is a political nonentity, and Greer stands accused of making insufficient distinction between RPOF funds and his own. His trial is scheduled for July.
Of course, lobbying Crist for the job would not have been a crime even if LeMieux did so. What’s a political campaign after all but lobbying for office? Are we going to jug everyone who runs for office? Mack goes further out on a limb with these two way-less-than-reliable-or-objective witnesses. He buys into, or pretends to buy into, the idea that LeMieux threatened to disclose harmful information about Crist if Crist didn’t appoint him to the Senate. It’s hard to imagine that there’s anything harmful about Crist that could be worse than what just about every Floridian already knows. Besides, Crist needed LeMieux in the Senate as a seat-holder for Crist’s own Senate ambitions at least as much as LeMieux wanted the job.
Here’s a bit from the febrile letter Craig Engle, Mack’s legal counsel, got off to the federal agency some still insist on calling The Justice Department:
If true, these allegations raise serious questions about whether George LeMieux and Charlie Crist violated federal and Florida anti-corruption laws by allegedly securing and making an appointment to the United States Senate, possibly through extortion and bribery, and because of the nature of the underlying allegations, questions also arise as to whether there is an ongoing conspiracy between George LeMieux and Charlie Crist.
Wow! Extortion and bribery. Conspiracy. (And lions, and tigers, and bears, oh my.) Please wait here while I catch my breath.
This isn’t coherent accusation based on credible evidence. Unless there’s a lot Mack and Company have not brought forward, this is mere hyperventilation. Both Mack and Engle need to bend over and breathe into a bag before telling Holder to forget it, and writing a letter to the Republican Party of Florida apologizing for trying to get Holder’s highly partisan nose buried in their business.
If the allegations in Mack’s attack raise any serious questions, they are less about LeMieux’s conduct than about Mack’s judgment and about his willingness, in the name of the raw ambition he’s accusing LeMieux of, to call down Democratic attack dogs on Florida Republicans. Does he think for a second that Eric Holder and his operatives would conduct an objective investigation of LeMieux and Crist? If Mack believes Holder, set loose among Florida Republicans, would stop at an inquiry of LeMieux and Crist and not use this opportunity for a search and destroy mission on the entire Republican Party of Florida, then Mack is too stupid to serve in the U.S. Senate.
The final question to ask Mack is if he is so sold on Greer’s and Kottkamp’s credibility and political insights, does he plan to appoint them both to high positions in his Senate office should he be elected?
If you hear the laughing from Bill Nelson’s campaign headquarters, it’s probably about this peccadillo. They’ve lucked out again.
(Above photo of Connie Mack is by Gage Skidmore.)
About the Author
Larry Thornberry is a writer in Tampa.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (26) | Leave a comment
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Pseudo-Intellectual | 5.24.12 @ 6:36AM
Keep your eye on the ball, and that is defeating Democrat Nelson and Romney carrying Florida.
November is a long way off.
TLP| 5.24.12 @ 8:58AM
I have a better Idea.
Let's get us one a them new fangled Tea Party thingies, and drive it right over this "Repblican" - Connie Mack - who seems to be willing to do ANYTHING for Personal Power.
We have that, already, in the Muslim at 1600 Pennsylvania, soon to be re-named: Muslim Brotherhood Boulevard.
And, what did Christ say about such Men, as Connie Mack, who would do ANYTHING to acquire Wealth, Power, and Status?
"What does it profit a man, to gain the whole World, and lose his Immortal Soul?"
What do you think, Mr. Mack, about what CHRIST has said, after you've just made a Deal with the Devil?
He's pretty much TOAST, from where I'm sittin?
How about, you?
Albert Constantine Jr.| 5.24.12 @ 10:42AM
I was for Charlie Crist for a while; then I lost interest.
About that photo of Connie Mack--is he related to the baseball player.
I used to watch a lot of baseball, but I lost interest.
Albert Constantine Jr.| 5.24.12 @ 11:43AM
Another fake ACJ post.
Among the indicators are that I know Connie Mack is the descendant of the Philadelphia baseball legend, and I would have used a question mark at the end of the sentence.
You've got some work to do before you can properly imitate Albert Constantine, Jr.
Ken| 5.24.12 @ 1:00PM
Albert, we know how clever you are with words, and we deeply appreciate your verbosity--your extreme verbosity. Keep posting, my man. American Spectator needs more educated posters, and when it comes to educated, you are at the top of the list.
Albert Constantine Jr.| 5.24.12 @ 2:26PM
You're too kind, Ken, especially to my doppelganger. While some might think of your compliments as back handed, I will enjoy them in the spirit I'm sure they were offered.
There are many regulars who are more educated than me, though I have tried to take advantage of every opportunity these days there is to learn, as well as to inform others.
Care and accuracy in spelling and grammar are not necessarily indicators of an advanced education, as generally these are subjects covered before the completion of 8th grade. To the extent that they have meaning, they reflect a level of deliberation (or proofreading) prior to hitting "submit" in many cases.
While credentials have some value in establishing credibility, ultimately, what one says (and more importantly, what one does) is much more important to achieve effectiveness when one chooses to communicate a message.
So, Ken, (and whoever the "we" is that you are speaking for), I am glad you are enjoying it. I don't do it for you, or as a public service, I do it for my own enjoyment, but I am glad we get to share.
Old Librarian from New Orleans| 5.24.12 @ 3:16PM
"more educated than me"! "than ME"?
You should have written "than I (am)," ignoramous.
Albert Constantine Jr.| 5.24.12 @ 3:25PM
Excellent point. Thank you for your constructive participation, and I will endeavor to do better in the future.
After all, it is important to have standards, for without them, we would live in the world that the Left has been trying to create.
Lawrence of Lutz| 5.24.12 @ 6:53AM
Maybe we should vote for this guy, after all, the idots in the state need represention.
Leah Marie| 5.24.12 @ 6:59AM
You're not kidding, you can't make this stuff up.
These entrenched, career politician RINOs, have got to go.
Vote for Marielena Stuart - citizen candidate for U.S. Senate.
http://www.renewamerica.com/co.....ena/110815
Tina Trent | 5.29.12 @ 11:28AM
Larry, thank you for reporting from the swamp. If the best thing that can come of this is Mack realizing that he can clean up or follow Charlie down the plank (and probably do better personal injury ads, given his charisma), that's something, at least.
Leah Marie, tell us more. Floridians need a better choice.
Stormzeye| 5.24.12 @ 8:34AM
I don't care how bad Mack may be, I'm voting for him just to get the DemoRat Obama-lackey Nelson out.
Tomper| 5.24.12 @ 8:45AM
LeMieux has shown himself to be a conservative as a replacement for Martinez. Mack seems to be a ditz.
JimH| 5.24.12 @ 9:00AM
Larry, I like you am a Tampa Bay resident; have been for eleven years. We both know that the Florida state legislature could give Mos Eisely a run as the most wretched hive of scum and villainy. If the Justice department investigated the goings on it would not have to make up a crime. That said, Mack’s trying to bring in the feds is not wise. It would seem that he is trying to do what Rubio and Scott did and run as an outsider to the state GOP machine.
Tina Trent | 5.29.12 @ 11:55AM
Rubio an outsider to the State GOP?
That over-inflated empty suit is the state GOP, regardless of risible claims made by a fawning national media on his behalf -- financial scandals, set-aside job in the Repubs' much-indicted educational slush-fund system, insider scandals involving multiple building projects by his multiple confidants and indicted peers.
Rubio isn't merely a product of the state legislature right down to his DNA -- he ran the state legislature at its worst and most corrupt iteration, and we're still paying for what he did. Mash notes from the National Review and others do not erase this fact.
By slatheringly making Rubio our version of Obama -- needfully racial, hip, and cool -- we degrade our core values in the name of demographic pandering.
I'd far rather have conservatives simply admit that they're wedging this two-bit huckster into the national arena to massage the demographics. Then it wouldn't be so nauseating listening to the chatter about his "articulate" speeches, clean appearance, etc.
Rubio's a crook. He's the Republican party's own Michele Obama, pocketing money from an over-compensated guvmint job created expressly for him, while he and his budget leaders ignored or colluded in criminal shenanigans while whistling quid pro quo. That definitionally excludes him from being being a conservative or an outsider. He should be facing a jury, not being lauded as the next great non-white conservative Republican hope.
Allen West -- there's a guy with values who really bucks the system. JimH, I like a lot of what you've got to say. But Rubio is bad news.
fmm| 5.24.12 @ 9:51AM
If this doesn't wake up the people of Florida to vote LeMieux or any one else except Mack then they deserve to be sold to Cuba.
Von Mises Jr| 5.24.12 @ 10:47AM
Col. West! Report for Duty! The conservatives need a real man and true conservative to join Mike Lee, Ron Johnson, Marco Rubio and Rand Paul in the conservative takeover of the Senate.
OttoO| 5.24.12 @ 10:52AM
Larry---why can't you get a story straight? Kottkamp never applied for the post---and has said many times he didn't want it. He was asked by the Governor's Chief of Staff a few days before the announcement to accept the position. As for the Mack Attacks---hasn't LeMieux brought it on himself with all of the personal attacks on Mack?
Joe D.| 5.24.12 @ 2:45PM
It sounds to me the Mack is already listed as a fool. I hope he loses now. If the job means that much to him, he should not be anywhere near power.
old progrmr| 5.24.12 @ 4:30PM
I also understand that Mack is against, and is trying to block, a Contempt Citation against Holder in the Fast and Furious matter. Mack is evidently in the pocket of the lawless DOJ. It appears to me that after he wins the election he will probably switch parties. I hope the people of Florida see through this fraud and get him out of office. Better to elect a real Democrat than an undercover Leftist that can disrupt the operation of Conservative senate committees as this snake in the grass is doing on the Issa Committee.
BarocheDique | 5.24.12 @ 9:41PM
old progrmr - If what you say is true about Mack attempting to block the contempt citation, then he has no business whatsoever with a (R) after his name; he has got to be the dumbest dude around.....like Randy in the Allstate commercials.
POST American| 5.24.12 @ 10:29PM
---WHY is Holder STILL in office?
-------WHY is Ginzburg STILL a sitting justice?
----WHY is Pelosi STILL in Congress?
-------WHY is Breitbart's snuff out NOT being
talked about?
----WHY is NDAA 1021 not even mentioned?
-------WHY are the foundations STILL
being allowed to operate TAX FREE, and unaccountable?
---WHY are we afraid to talk about the
deadly sinister, wholly ILLEGAL, privately
owned, foreign owned, USURY mongering,
EUGENICS and Globalism formenting
'FED' ----NEVER mentioned?
---WHY are avowed, openly homicidal EUGENISTS
like Dr Peter Singer --NOT-- being dismissed?
---NOT being prosecuted? ----NOT being
removed from public life?
--------WHY is the Gates/Monsanto GMO food
Halocaust ----NEVER an issue?
----WHY is the FACT that pediatric cancer
is up over 10,000% since the 1950's --NEVER
discussed?
WHY haven't we yet demanded the
RETRO-active IMPEACHMENT of our
past 4 CFR front op administrations?
In this, the FINAL phase of the CFR--RED China
handover, takedown, USURPATION and OCCUPATION op
--------------------------------------WHY????????????
Albert Constantine Jr.| 5.24.12 @ 11:00PM
POST;
Where have you been all day. It is now the 11th hour plus at least 45 minutes.
I've been cloned on this site today.
The YOU-gen-IKS op has begun.
POST American| 5.25.12 @ 2:23AM
----------------------FINAL WORD----------------------
----------------------------------------'WHY?????????'
Albert Constantine Jr.| 5.25.12 @ 2:03PM
Tavistock?
sweeterajn| 5.25.12 @ 4:22AM
I hope the people of Florida see through this fraud and get him out of office. Better to http://www.vendreshox.com/femm.....-c-15.html elect a real Democrat than an undercover Leftist that can disrupt the operation of Conservative senate committees as this snake in the grass is doing on the Issa Committee.