Posted on 12/13/2001 1:20:31 AM PST by kattracks
Miami (CNSNews.com) - As Janet Reno's Democratic campaign for governor heats up in Florida, so too does the opposition from some law enforcement groups, who say she politicized crime-fighting efforts as a local prosecutor and mishandled the Elian Gonzalez situation as U.S. attorney general.
Reno, who served as attorney general for nearly eight years and as Dade County state's attorney for 15 years before that, hopes to win the Democratic nomination for governor and then unseat Republican incumbent Jeb Bush.
During a recent campaign stop in her native Dade County, Reno spoke to a group of business people who offer support to families of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty.
Almost immediately, the head of the local Police Benevolent Association (PBA) fired off a letter to the 200 Club of Dade County, objecting to the business group's invitation to Reno
"Despite the image that Ms. Reno portrays, she has never been a friend to law enforcement nor a supporter of its causes," wrote Dade PBA president John Rivera.
Critics say although Reno will likely have the support of Democratic loyalists in South Florida, her record as a local prosecutor and as the nation's top law enforcement officer will be under attack.
Alberto Millian, PBA Director of Political Affairs and a former prosecutor, said many local officers feel betrayed by Reno's actions.
"She's not liked by law enforcement," he said. "As a local prosecutor she presided over an explosion of crime down here. Drug trafficking increased, she was soft on public corruption and generally made it harder for law enforcement to do their jobs," Millian said.
"Janet Reno's legacy has been one of politicizing the law enforcement process to serve either her political constituencies, her friends or alliances or her agenda. That's not a good law enforcement official," he added.
Reno's decision-making in the Elian Gonzalez controversy still looms large in the minds of many Cuban exiles, Millian said.
Elian, then six years old, was rescued off the Florida coast on Thanksgiving Day, 1999 after the boat he was in capsized. His mother and several other people, who had escaped Cuba, drowned in the same accident, but Elian clung to an inner tube.
A long custody battle ensued with Reno's Justice Department siding with Elian's father, who wanted to take his son back to Cuba and against Elian's Miami relatives, who wanted to raise him in the U.S. For many in South Florida, the defining event occurred Easter weekend of 2000, when armed federal agents burst into the home of Elian's Miami relatives and forcibly removed the boy from the home. Elian eventually ended up back in Cuba with his father.
"Her mishandling of the Elian Gonzalez situation is just another symptom of her inability to make a good decison or handle problems," Millian said. "Although it won't be the defining issue in the election, it will be huge among Cuban-Americans and Hispanics in general which is the majority vote down here.
"Yes, the outcome may have been the correct one, but the way it played out is something that won't be forgotten anytime soon," Millian said.
Rick Kolodgy, vice president of the Miami-Dade PBA, said the group was more concerned with her treatment of police during her tenure as the county's state attorney.
"She's never been pro-law enforcement, and we've never been pro-Janet Reno,'' Kolodgy said.
On Reno's campaign Internet site, she describes her vision for Florida as "building the best schools in the country, protecting our open lands and water, managing our growth and standing up for our elders.
"It's time to bring our state and our people together," she states.
She also recently defended her handling of the Elian Gonzalez case.
"I feel very comfortable with what I did," Reno said. "I sent that little boy to his daddy, where he belonged."
As for her tenure as U.S. attorney general, Reno's Internet site boasts that "crime was dramatically reduced and heightened professionalism became the order of the day in the law enforcement community."
Reno, according to the web site, "is known throughout government for her integrity, independence and respect for the rules of law and evidence."
Agreed. This woman is going to be toast if the liberals let her win the primary.
Otherwise, they are no more a friend of truth and justice than she is. They had the opportunity to testify at her hearings to be confirmed as AG under clinton and they stood silently by while she became the nations top cop.
They like the fbi need to reearn our trust and support, not take it for granted.
Mark
Exactly. That is exactly why I hope and pray that she gets the nod for the Dems. Bush will annihilate 'er. It'll be ugly..........................and I couldn't be happier.
"Janet Reno's legacy has been one of politicizing the law enforcement process to serve either her political constituencies, her friends or alliances or her agenda . . ."
Repeated for emphasis. She enabled the crook from Arkansas and his evil wife to inflict major damage on our country.
Somebody forgot to use the sarcasm tags. The reality is just the opposite. Reno is a byword for her lack of integrity, her subservience to her bosses and for her contempt for the rules of law and evidence.
the klintoons did win & gore came close, therefore I do seriously worry about my country.
pssst...Millian, don't forget waco...
This guy should be made an honorary FReeper and this statement should be listed in the FReeper quote hall of fame. IMHO
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