Primary seen as test of GOP core: Randall Terry-Jim King race

Florida Times-Union ^ | July 31, 2005 | J. TAYLOR RUSHING

[eartotheground]

The First Coast's 2006 state Senate primary between Jim King and Randall Terry is 15 months away, but fast becoming a bellwether race. At the very least, there is increasing national interest in how such a conservative core of the state defines conservatism, how powerful the religious side of the party continues to be and how big of a tent has been built by the GOP.

Former Environmental Protection Agency Administrator and New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman is among the national figures diving into the debate.

"This is precisely the type of race I'm interested in, because it's a good, moderate incumbent who's not in trouble with the electorate but from people who say he's not Republican enough," said Whitman, who has offered King campaigning and fund-raising help.

"I don't think my race is going to define the Republican Party, but conceptually that's the right track," Terry said. "To me, the question is if the party is going to be the party of Ronald Reagan or Christine Todd Whitman. Those are not the same party."

King in recent years he has played key roles in major debates among Florida Republicans that may have divided the support beneath him. In 2003, while Senate president, he led a chamber that bucked Gov. Jeb Bush by refusing to support any medical malpractice lawsuit cap beneath $500,000. The result was a summer-long political stalemate and still-simmering debate about fiscal conservatism.

A second wound came this past spring during the Schiavo episode.

Former state party Chairman Tom Slade of Jacksonville said King's gains for Northeast Florida are more than long enough to overcome lingering resentment.

Slade said. "If that wild-eyed nut can beat him I'll be shocked, disappointed and wondering if this is a party I want to identify with."

[Clemenza]

Is their a third alternative? Both men are the south end of a horse.

[floriduh voter]

listen up, I didn't even know who or what a Randall Terry was until he showed up to help Terri's parents. My point of reference is from October 2003 okay? Randall Terry's web site is the society for truth and justice which covers a lot of issues.

Jim King is a fat cat RINO. He's legislated many, many deaths in Florida, deaths by starvation and dehydration and that's his legacy, thousands of deaths of innocent Floridians - that's Jim King's legacy. HOW CAN EVIL MEN LIKE JIM KING SLEEP AT NIGHT?????

[floriduh voter]

go gather some news because you are just spreading nonsense here. Blaming the victims is a very liberal thing to do.

[floriduh voter]

bttt.

[russesjunjee]

Felos knew Florida was the right state in which to carry out a killing, and he knew that Greer was the right judge to take his case to. All he had to do was wait for the right spouse to come along.

Michael Schiavo was his dream client.

[atlanta67]

King will crush him....quite literally from the pics ive seen

[atlanta67]

while there have been 40m abortions since ROE, the trend was to legalizing abortion through the legislative process...without ROE, probably only a few states waould have abortion restrictions today.

ROE was a totally unnecessary ruling for the pro-choice movement, it actually delegtimized them

[Wallace T.]

You're probably right. However, I suspect the fifty states would be all over the map. Utah and several Deep South states would likely still prohibit abortion, except to save the life of the mother. OTOH, the West Coast states (except Alaska) and the Northeast (except Pennsylvania and maybe New Hampshire)would have had the terms of Roe v. Wade codified into state law. Most other states would have landed somewhere in the middle. The Western European democracies have a similar range with regard from abortion, from its prohibition in Ireland to abortion on demand in the Netherlands.

You can't blame the pro-abortion crowd for favoring Roe v. Wade. Most people like to hit a grand slam rather than a bunt. Conservatives, especially social conservatives, decry Federal funding of Planned Parenthood and the Roe v. Wade decision, yet they favor the Right to Life Amendment and support the War on Drugs. States rights and limited government are only important to these conservatives when the liberals are in control and promote such items as gay rights, affirmative action, and school busing.