Why Florida Senate race could turn into a comedy drama

[T_i_B]

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/story.jsp?story=467590

The Republicans have a potential cruise missile for a candidate to contest the crucial race in Florida next year for a seat in the US Senate being vacated by the retiring Democrat Bob Graham. She is a woman of independent wealth, with striking looks and, most importantly, with exceptionally high name recognition.

Why then, are all Republicans, and the White House in particular, petrified at the very prospect? Because her name is Katherine Harris, once called the "power bitch" for her pivotal role as Florida's secretary of state in handing the state, and therefore the Presidency itself, to George Bush in the 2000 balloting debacle.

What was a tragedy in 2000, at least for supporters of Al Gore, is shaping up to be a comic drama for 2004. Mr Bush wants nothing more than for the country to forget the screwball manner in which he squeaked into the White House three years ago. No such national amnesia will be possible if Ms Harris is in the picture.

A Senate run by Ms Harris, who was elected to the US House of Representatives last year, is still not a sure thing. When Senator Graham recently made the surprise announcement that he was retiring, she said only she was thinking about it. But a poll in the Orlando Sentinel newspaper yesterday showed her far in the lead of other possible Republican candidates. Equally easy to see is why political strategists for President George Bush would be mortified. Not only would he have to stand on the same platform as Ms Harris every time he visited Florida next year but her candidacy would be sure to galvanise Democrat voters across the state, who blame her for "robbing" them of victory last time around.

[Racenut20]

1. Bring em On !!!!!!!!!

She is not a "power bitch". Actually she hid out and Jeb's henchmen made all the decisions and all the statements from her office of Secretary of State.

The the RW'ers flooded her district with money to elect her to the Congress as her reward.

The most notable things she ever did as a State Official was have her gardner in Sarasota on the State payroll, and take a trip to the Kentucky Derby at the expense of someone doing business with her office.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. I think the designation may be right

I have a friend who worked for the Democrat whose seat Harris grabbed. The friend is a nice person who never says a bad word about anyone, and she let me know that Harris is one bad mean person. So maybe calling her a female dog is on the mark.

[in_cog_ni_to]

3. Payback time!

I hope the wench runs. It's PAYBACK time for the 65,000 black voters who were purged from the rolls by HER. It's PAYBACK time for her from the hundreds and hundreds of voters who were disenfranchised by her by being sent away from their voting precincts because their name was not on the voter lists. It's PAYBACK time for her by the voters who were threatened/harassed by policeman while they stood in line to vote. In 2000, the African Americans who voted went up by 65%. If she runs, they will increase that %, I'm sure.

Please let her run. The African Americans would LOVE the opportunity to vote against her.

Does anyone else find an ARROGANCE in this? Look at what that bitch did in 2000! She thinks the Florida African Americans forgot??? What??! Or maybe she's counting on the Electronic Voting Machine, eh?

[FlaGranny]

5. Yes, but will those 65,000 voters be back on the

voter rolls before then? I hope so.

[kanrok]

4. Run Katherine Run

Seriously though...."striking good looks?" It really speaks volumes about the Florida repug party that Katherine Harris is "far in the lead of any other possible candidates." If she runs, Florida is a Dem pick-up, for sure.

[ShaneGR]

6. Harris vs. Castor or Deutsch........ WOOHOO! Bring it on!

Don't need much else to fire up the base than Katherine Harris.