Fla. Senator Mel Martinez to chair RNC

[jefferson_dem]

Fla. Senator Mel Martinez to chair RNC
By LIZ SIDOTI, Associated Press Writer

Sen. Mel Martinez, the first-term lawmaker who previously served in President Bush's Cabinet, will assume the chairmanship of the Republican National Committee, GOP officials said Monday.

Martinez, 60, will replace current chairman Ken Mehlman, who will leave the post in January at the end of his two-year term, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid pre-empting a formal announcement.

Martinez will remain in the Senate. Mike Duncan, the RNC's current general counsel and a former party treasurer, will run the day-to-day operations at the party's Capitol Hill headquarters.

<SNIP>

Martinez started slowly in the Senate where he was embarrassed by a one-page unsigned memo that originated in his office. Written by a Martinez aide and disavowed by Senate Republicans, the memo laid out the political benefits to getting involved in the fate of Terri Schiavo, a Florida woman whose end-of-life battle became a rallying cry for conservatives.

"This is an important moral issue and the pro-life base will be excited that the Senate is debating this important issue," said the memo. Its author resigned.

<SNIP>

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061113/ap_on_re_us/rnc_chairman&printer=1

[Warpy]

1. Mel "I never read that memo in my pocket" Martinez

is one of the dumbest human beings on the planet. Oh, he's got Mehlman's delusion combined with ruthlessness, but he's not going to be an asset to that party. He'll keep pushing the extremist line and wondering why the outcome isn't different.

[rocktivity]

10. LOL, he not only hadn't read the memo, he didn't know how it GOT in his pocket

Yet, when he showed it to a Dem, he said they were talking points in progress. Incompetent and a Rethug crony--yep, he's PERFECTLY qualified for the job!

:headbang:
rocknation

[LiberalFighter]

27. Bush GOP chair pick draws conservative ire

Bush GOP chair pick draws conservative ire
Ft Wayne Journal Gazette 11/15

President Bush’s decision to back Cuban-born Sen. Mel Martinez to help lead the Republican Party, a move intended to appeal to Hispanic voters who abandoned the GOP in the midterm elections, drew sharp criticism Tuesday from many of the party’s core of conservatives. They disdain Martinez’s support for liberalized immigration laws.

White House strategists said the decision to back Martinez marked an acknowledgment that the party lost ground in last week’s elections, with the GOP share of the Hispanic vote dropping to 30 percent from more than 40 percent in 2004.

Martinez, of Florida, supported legislation to create a guest worker program and a path to citizenship for many people already in the country illegally. That plan created a firestorm of opposition this year among conservative Republicans and much of the House Republican leadership.

[qanda]

2. What happened to Michael Steele?

I guess the Hispanic vote was more important to them than the black vote.

[rogue emissary]

4. What he always does, lose yet another campaign before it even started.

:)

[Alexander]

3. Perfect for the party that wants to overthrow Fidel Castro...

Ahh, the Bay of Pigs fiasco. Poppy Bush's first major act in the CIA.

Oh wait, Haldeman said anything on the Watergate Nixon tapes referred to as "Bay of Pigs" actually means "the JFK assassination".

:wtf:

[fladonkey]

5. This is stupid......

will not win back the Hispanic vote.

[ngant17]

22. Martinez is a product of the CIA's semi-covert Operation Peter Pan

in which representatives of the Catholic Church and PanAm airlines assisted in the airlift of some 14,000 Cuban children, separated from their parents, and typicaly deposited them in orphanages in the US.

He's been allied with the conservative wing of the Repugs since his days as a county commissioner in Orlando. He never would have been a senator had he not received sufficient Hispanic votes in a narrowly-won contest against Betty Castor in 2004.

To sum up, his life was begun in an unstable, mixed-up never-never land of anti-communist hysteria, he became a lackluster and glum lawyer, matured into a truly boring personality, absolutely devoid of any redeeming features or inspiration. In short, a perfect representative for the Repugs these days.

I suspect that years ago, the CIA surgically implanted a chipset somewhere in his brain, it will only go off when they have positioned him in a position of power, so they can use him in some complicated and nefarious plot like invading Cuba after Castro dies. Just a crazy theory of mine.

[DoYouEverWonder]

24. Amazing how Poppy just re-elected himself President

It's time for the light of day to shine on Poppy and his pack of terrorists.

[fooj]

6. Mel Martinez?

You mean Mr. "Terry Schiavo talking points memo" Man? Isn't he under investigation by the FEC for under-reporting of campaign debt by 1/2 million dollars? Sounds like the right choice to me.:rofl:

[BushOut06]

7. Martinez is a dumb-fuck religious extremist whack-job

Sounds perfect for the job. I'm sure he'll help rally the Republican base. But beyond that, can't see it happening. In fact, he'll probably wind up helping our side more as he drives away all the "moderates" into our camp.

[DURHAM D]

8. This seems like a really stupid idea. I know its about his last

name but good grief. Who would want him? What group would push this?

Perhaps he is not gay or bisexual and that is enough.

[MUSTANG_2004]

15. It's almost like they want to lose in 2008 n/t

[MaineDem]

9. The RNC doesn't get to vote???

Well, I guess that's one of the things that makes us different.

:shrug:

[MarkTwain]

11. Yet another Impotent Move for the GOP...

... that demonstrates how TOTALLY out of talent, brain power, strategy, and creativity is their party.

This dim-wit has been a total nothing here in Florida. Any walk that he took through the snow would certainly leave no footprint. If this is the man in whom they are placing their trust for victory, then we're good for another generation of Democratic majorities.

What a dumb ass move. Thanks, Georgie.

[Not Me]

12. I just fired out a nastygram to Mel...

asking him to resign his Senate seat if he wants to take another full time position.
The 17 million people here deserve full time representation. (Even if he is a puke.)

[kurth]

13. Scarface taking over the GOP now?

[klook]

14. Since phony outreach to Black voters didn't work

they're going to try more phony outreach to Hispanic voters.

[AlCzervik]

16. ding, ding, ding!!

[Renew Deal]

17. They knew they couldn't make inroads with the one group.

They probably figure that they can crack that group. Depends on how badly they scream about throwing everyone out.

[David Zephyr]

18. Looks like the Bush Cabal is setting stage for Jeb's 2008 run.

I am convinced that Jeb Bush is going to run in 2008.

This only underscores it for me.

[stepnw1f]

19. Isn't Mel Mixed up With Abramoff?

Nyyway, notice how corrupt the ANTI-CHRIST CULT crowd really is? There is nothing holy about wealth.... duh.

[DoYouEverWonder]

25. Supposedly Mel got a lot of money from Abramoff

over the years.

[JCMach1]

20. Martinez is a Bushbot... shows * wants to continue his control

over the party...

Bush's legacy of DEFEAT continues.

[DoYouEverWonder]

26. Bush sure knows how to pick 'em

The more incompetent you are, the more you will be rewarded.

[InsultComicDog]

21. And the Freepers and Redstaters are apoplectic

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/11/13/173752/28

[Simeon Salus]

23. They chose the token brown guy, as opposed to the token black guy, to replace the token gay guy

Now that closeted homosexuality has no longer in vogue among Republiks, the party chose to bypass Michael Steele (a rich straight black man who votes like a rich straight white man), and chose Mel Martinez (a rich straight brown man who votes like a rich straight white man) to replace Ken Mehlman (a rich gay white guy who votes like a rich straight white man).