Posted on 06/24/2005 1:12:52 AM PDT by RWR8189
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Gov. Jeb Bush said Thursday the financial struggles of the "pathetic" Florida Democratic Party are unhealthy for the two-party system.
The second-term Republican governor was responding to questions about the Democrats' newest difficulties in the aftermath of a disclosure this week that the Internal Revenue Service filed a lien for unpaid payroll and Social Security taxes in 2003.
"How could you not know that you haven't paid your FICA and your Social Security taxes?" Bush said. "Hello! That's just the craziest thing I've ever heard."
New state Democratic Party Chairwoman Karen Thurman hired former statewide prosecutor Melanie Hines on Wednesday to investigate why the party failed to make the tax payments and to help resolve a $900,000 discrepancy on its balance sheet.
The problems occurred while Scott Maddox, who is one of three Democrats running for governor, was serving as the party's chairman.
"If I were a Democrat I might take a look at some of the other candidates," Bush said. "The sad fact is, the Democratic Party isn't even a big business, it's a small business and you should be able to stay on top of stuff like that."
Maddox, in Miami, almost immediately shot back, pointing to several resignations of top Bush appointees after ethical questions surfaced.
"The difference between Jeb Bush and I, I'm going to take responsibility for my mistakes," Maddox said. "Anytime Jeb Bush wants a debate about ethics or taking responsibility, I'll be there. He can name a time or place."
Democrats, who ruled Florida for 125 years following the Civil War, have struggled financially for several years and have just one statewide elected official -- U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson.
Republicans now hold the governor's mansion, all three independently elected Cabinet posts and enjoy a 2-1 advantage in the Legislature.
"The Democratic Party has gotten pathetic," Bush said. "And it's important that there be a vibrant two party system so that there's a focus on ideas.
"I feel bad for rank-and-file Democrats that are expecting their leaders to do the basics," Bush said.
Ouch, that's gonna leave a mark.
Wow. Jeb is just asking for a new party to the right of the GOP.
WHERE DO I SIGN UP!?!
Oh right, good one, Maddox. Casual employee turnover really compares to the potential embezzling and theft of nearly $1,000,000.00 in fund from your own party.
That's a lot of KY there, fellah, but I suspect where you'll end up you'll need all of it.
They quite litterally ruled the state with a political machine supported by revenues from moonshiners and brothels. Those "businesses" paid off the machine to keep the dry laws in place (giving the moonshiners a monopoly) and to not crack down on their other activities. This scheme was broken when in 1966 Claude Kirk became the first popularly elected GOP governor in state history. He immediately began a clean-up by ousting 17 county sheriffs. In four years, Kirk broke the financial underpinnings of the Democratic Party's racist and corrupt political system.
Wow. Jeb is just asking for a new party to the right of the GOP.
WHERE DO I SIGN UP!?!
Start it yourself pal. If you think it's such a good idea and you, of course are soooooooo much more conservative than everyone else, hey ! start your own party! You can hold your first meeting in a phone booth and who knows maybe in a bus some day.
We have a few people like you in New York State. The Conservative Party. All they do is cry about how weak the GOPers are and sit in the stands. They haven't elected anybody to anything without GOP endorsement since 1970.
But they have help elect rats many many times by splitting the conservative vote. In fact in some counties rats even run rat/conservative. So give it a whirl pal the rat party in your state needs all the help you can give it.
4
LOLARMAO!
The Dems are becoming weaker and more irrelevant every day. If the GOP would stop propping them up through boneheaded laws like McCain Feingold, they would be a memory.
But they are doing a fine job of imploding anyway. The weaker they get, the more viable a new party to the right of the GOP will be.
Having said that, I have no intention of following some Ross Perot jackass. When the time is right on a national level, we will all know it. But it may be here in FL already.
ah..many thanks for the history lesson...
We need two parties - it's healthy -- but maybe the other party doesn't have to be "democrat". Other than hunger for power, they're bereft of ideas.
We need two parties - it's healthy -- but maybe the other party doesn't have to be "democrat". Other than hunger for power, they're bereft of ideas.
Its a bad sign when you are asking the people to choose you to run an entire state.. and a large one at that.. when you can't even manage a small political party.. Without massive corruption and failures.
(Sniffle) Let's not be too judgmental. Dims forgot to pay FICA and Social Security taxes becaue they trying to be really, really "tolerant and compassionate" of diversity, multi-culturalism, and the sexual preference proliferation (sob).
In the spirit of Dumbocrats (sob) sensitivity to all living things including Gitmo prisoners and the Koran (but excluding unborn babies, Terry Schiavo and flag-burning), Dims are eager to flaunt their sexual tolerance, and win voters and contributions in the process.
As a prelude to 2008, Dr Dean, Bwaney Fwank, and the rest of the looney libs, are gearing up to accomodate gays, transexuals, and whatever, to substantially increase the Dummycrat 2008 pervert vote.
As a means to achieve this end, Dims are creating sexually-oriented victim caucuses for the 2008 convention. The sexual identity caucuses consist of:
Unknown Gender Caucus (AKA heads-or-tails voters)
Necrophiliac Caucus (partners both genders as long as they are deceased)
Date-Rape Caucus (partner must be unconscious - as in Andrew Luster - Max Factor heir)
Inanimate-Object Caucus (partners non-humans such as cigars)
Bestiality Caucus (partners only with pets approved by PETA).
Transgender Caucus (whatever).
With such burdens, you'd forget to pay your taxes, too.
Sniffle.
Add me to your Florida ping list.
Done.
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