Posted on 06/29/2005 4:58:34 PM PDT by RWR8189
Frustrated with the White House and a key Republican, supporters of Rep. Katherine Harris' (R-Fla.) 2006 Senate campaign lashed out at the administration yesterday for seeking to convince another prominent GOP official to enter the race.
"It's unimaginable that the White House folks and the National Republican Senatorial Committee would be so disloyal to Katherine Harris, especially after all she has done for the Bush family and the Republican Party," a Florida political operative who supports Harris said. "It's unconscionable and a stab in the back."
Harris backers are irritated that State House Speaker Allan Bense met with White House chief of staff Karl Rove and NRSC Chairwoman Elizabeth Dole (R-N.C.) this week to discuss challenging Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) next year.
The operative added, "If it is true, they should be ashamed and embarrassed, considering she stepped aside at their request for the president and Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.) in 2004. It's her turn."
People loyal to Harris claim her move not to run last year demonstrated her loyalty, noting that the president has already won his reelection bid. Some in the White House were concerned that a Harris run in 2004 would have hurt Bush's chances in the Sunshine State.
Sources said Harris has hired several political heavyweights, including Edward Rollins, who has served in three Republican presidential administrations and was President Ronald Reagan's campaign director for his 1984 re-election campaign. Rollins also served as campaign manager for Ross Perot's presidential bid in 1992.
Others who are on Harris's team include Ed Goeas of the Tarrance Group, a highly regarded pollster, and Adam Goodman of the Victory Group, a media consultant who has worked with many Republicans.
Jim Foster of James Foster and Associates will be in charge of Harris' direct mail campaign. Harris is also being advised by two lobbyists -- Ben McKay of the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America and Dan Berger with America's Community Bankers.
Some GOP officials fear that Harris, who became a household name during the prolonged 2000 presidential election, is too polarizing a figure to defeat Nelson.
Others Republicans disagree, with one saying that Democrats and pundits "said the exact same thing about Bush's re-election in 2004…The polarization is a made-up word by people who fear her."
Another GOP official said, "Polarizing can be a plus," explaining that she has strong support from many Republicans and hope to enhance her negative numbers over the next 16 months.
Florida strategists who back Harris stress that the congresswoman is not frustrated, adding that she knows what she was getting into.
They also point out that Harris is used to being an underdog, with one commenting, "The Party establishment primaried when she ran for State Senate. She won. The Party establishment supported her primary opponent when she ran statewide for Secretary of State. She won….Don't bet against Katherine, she will win again in '06."
Bense has not yet decided to enter the race. But if he does, a Bense-Harris showdown could lead to a bitter GOP primary race that could damage Republican hopes to unseat Nelson.
Brian Nick An NRSC spokesman confirmed its meeting with Bense, which was reported by Roll Call yesterday. Nick added " it is common" and "a normal occurrence" for the NRSC to meet with prospective candidates
A GOP poll released in February showed Harris as a favorite to grab the GOP nomination in Florida , but also indicated she would lose to Nelson by 7 percent. Harris supporters note that Martinez was trailing in his race last year before surging in the last several weeks.
In March, Rove twice met with Harris, triggering speculation that he was urging her not to run. While Harris disputed that account at the time, Republicans in Washington and Florida maintained that the White House wanted her to remain in the House.
Taylor Gross, a White House spokesman, said: "At this time, the president has not taken a position on the upcoming primary. The White House has met with numerous candidates who have shown interest in the primary."
The White House also indicated that Harris is one of those candidates.
No good deed goes unpunished.
Governing by polls and interfering with primaries reminds me of the Bill Clinton adminstration.
Sending the strongest candidate to meet the challenger sounds like good politics to me.
This is not coming from the Harris campaign officials or the candidate herself. Her "backers" (the only individuals the article mentions) should shut up - their commentary makes her look weak, unsupported, etc. They are doing her no favors.
They can't get jack done with 55 should we assume they could with 58?
The voters for Toomey, Salier, Cain, Fletcher, et al. are not ammused.
At least in 08 there won't be Senatorial primary treachery
Making it to 60 is not out of the question.
I'd be careful loosely tossing around comments like this. We wouldn't want people to think that Harris abused her position as Secretary Of State in order to give Bush the win, instead of simply following the law.
-PJ
There is nothing like a good primary to get a good candidate.
So, 60 would include Chaffee and Snowe and McCain. So it really would be 60 conservative votes at all. Maybe the administration should think about finding finding a real replacement for Nelson in Nebraska instead of chosing sides in Florida.
Judging from your tagline, I don't really think we are that far apart.
Post of the day! Good job.
No F-up goes unrewarded.
Is that you with Katherine...hubba hubba
Mason-Dixon Poll shows Nelson leads Harris [53-36] in race for U.S. Senate [Florida]
I supported her for the House and I will support her Senate run.
I like her.
60 votes means being able to invoke cloture on things like tax reform and social security.
It means the marginilization of the Democrats even more.
And 2006 is probably is the last push to 60 for a long time.
In 2008 we have to defend many more seats, and we may be in a country going through "Bush fatigue"
Ha! Snowe and Chafee are already against personal accounts.
As for 2006 send a few bucks to Mark Kennedy in Minnesota and tell Liddy Dole to get on the stick and find us a candidate in Nebraska.
"Bush fatigue"? Only when I'm dead.
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