Charlie the Coward

In the wake of the Foley affair, Charlie has developed a sudden aversion to public events involving children: "Crist Won't Participate In Children's Summit".

Color Charlie yellow:

has declined recently to participate in two such events, forums on health care and child welfare issues, even after their organizers thought the campaign had agreed to them.

This week, Crist also threatened to withdraw from one of two planned televised debates with Davis. His campaign objects to the format of the event, an unst

"Crist Leery Of Debate With Davis". And this will come as a shock - Charlie can't come up with an original idea; first he wants to copy Jebbie, then on the issue of health care (where Jebbie has done nothing), he copies Davis:

Crist's prescription drug plan and his proposals to negotiate with the drug industry to get volume discounts for Floridians, along with allowing businesses to pool together to get cheaper insurance for their employees are similar to proposals Democratic candidate Jim Davis presented in March.

"Crist Touts Program For Florida's Health". Or was he copying someone else? See "Crist's prescription plan: Copy Wal-Mart"

And then there is this: Charlie couldn't "offer details on costs or savings for taxpayers." "Crist vows to cut health costs". No wonder Charlie has "threatened to withdraw from one of two planned televised debates with Davis ..., an unstructured conversation between the two candidates and Chris Matthews, host of MSNBC's 'Hardball.'"

And then there is this bit of originality: "Crist backers blast Davis for Cuba trip".




Harris Continues To Lose It

This kinda things apparently moves Republican voters:

Six weeks after urging voters to elect only "tried and true" Christians, Senate candidate Katherine Harris is questioning her opponent's faith by saying he "votes completely contrary" to Christian principles.

"Nelson doesn't act like Christian, Harris says".




Common Sense

"All eight elections supervisors in former U.S. Rep. Mark Foley's congressional district said Thursday they will not include a notice with absentee ballots to inform voters that the Republican has resigned and his votes will count for Joe Negron." "Elections chiefs won't send note about ballot". See also "Some counties say they won't explain Foley's ballot substitute".

The Miami Herald editorial board:

At first blush, the decision by state elections chief Dawn Roberts to inform voters that a ballot cast for former U.S. Rep. Mark Foley will be counted in favor of his successor seems innocent enough. It seems merely like providing useful information to voters. But there are two problems with this approach -- and the election supervisors would be better served to disregard Ms. Roberts' advice. ...

The secretary of state department's explanation that Ms. Roberts' recommendation was merely advisory and not mandatory doesn't wash. Saying that election supervisors could include a notice or omit it in absentee ballots would mean that voting across the various districts would not be uniform. Florida's embarrassing experiences in the 2000 election, which included butterfly ballots, hanging and pregnant chads and a secretary of state who acted in a partisan manner should have impressed on state election officials the need to be scrupulously fair and impartial. Apparently, though, not everyone has learned that lesson, painful though it was.

"Foley out of race but his name is still in it".

Meanwhile,

Both parties are preparing to fight.

Mark Herron, an election law expert representing the Florida Democratic Party, said the party hasn't decided whether it would oppose the posting of signs that could possibly provide voters with an in-the-booth reminder of Negron's candidacy.

"There are parameters saying what the supervisors can do in terms of voter education and these things, (the Negron-Foley signs) don't fit in those boxes," he said.

The Republican Party of Florida also has attorneys studying the situation. Party spokesman Jeff Sadosky said Democratic efforts to prevent notifying voters of the changes would be unfair.

"Fray centers on advising voters of Foley change".




Foley Fallout

"Republicans admitted mistakes and rallied around House Speaker Dennis Hastert to contain the Internet-message scandal involving Mark Foley." "Panel to investigate Foley scandal".




Shaw-Klein

"Foley's folly at forefront of Shaw-Klein encounter". See also "Shaw, Klein use debate to attack".




Davis Short on Cash

"Strapped for cash, Davis is trying to make every dollar count. His first two ads, which debuted this week, are 15 seconds long. An announcer has time to introduce the issue at hand, offer two declarative sentences and then identify Davis and his running mate Daryl Jones with the tag 'because it's time for a change.'" "Lack Of Contributions Hampers Davis TV Campaign".




Getting Old

"Republican Charlie Crist unveiled his health care plan at the Sweetwater Senior Center in Miami Thursday and used the visit to charge up the crowd of reliable voters with anti-Castro rhetoric."

As supporters waved Crist signs, and a two-man band revved up the crowd, Crist stood between U.S. Reps. Mario and Lincoln Diaz-Balart, two popular Cuban-American Republicans, as they criticized Crist's opponent, Democrat U.S. Rep. Jim Davis and his record on Cuba.

"Crist backers blast Davis for Cuba trip".




Harris Gives It Up

"U.S. Senate Katherine Harris said she’ll donate to charity $2,000 in campaign contributions she received from disgraced U.S. Rep. Mark Foley, even though the contributions came nearly five years, in her first campaign for the U.S. House seat she currently holds." "Harris To Donate Foley Cash".




Social Issues

"The fall campaign for governor has so far been consumed with education, insurance and taxes, but when Democrat Jim Davis sat down at an east Orlando church this morning he found himself confronted with some of the day's touchstone social issues. A group of nearly two dozen Hispanic ministers quizzed Davis about abortion, immigration, gay rights and more during an early morning forum that stretched more than hour. With a Spanish-speaking pastor by his side to translate, Davis tiptoed carefully through the questioning." "Davis Talks Social Issues". See also "Davis meets with Hispanic ministers".




Stranglehold

"Democrat aims to break stranglehold".




Republicans For Davis

"Davis announces GOP support". See also "Republicans for Davis".




Corruption a Problem for GOP

"The poll found that by a margin of nearly 2-to-1 likely voters say Democrats would better combat corruption than Republicans. More troubling to Republicans, likely voters in some key Republican groups were split on whether to trust Democrats or Republicans to clean up corruption." "Corruption large on voters' minds".