Posted on 09/21/2006 7:26:13 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
ORLANDO, Fla. - President Bush came to Florida on Thursday and publicly complimented Rep. Katherine Harris (news, bio, voting record) for the first time since she won the GOP Senate nomination over the opposition of her own party.
"I'm proud to be here with Congresswoman Katherine Harris, who is running for Senate," Bush told a crowd of about 400 people at a fundraising event in Tampa.
The brief acknowledgment came after months of unsuccessful efforts by Republican leaders to push Harris out of the race in hopes of finding a candidate they felt had a better chance of winning against Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson (news, bio, voting record).
Some GOP leaders feared that Harris — who as Florida secretary of state oversaw the 2000 recount that gave Bush the White House — would send Democrats flocking to the polls to vote against her, dragging down the entire Republican ticket.
But now that the party is stuck with her, GOP leaders welcomed Harris as Bush visited Tampa and Orlando on Thursday to raise money for the party.
Bush's remarks came at a fundraising event for Republican congressional hopeful Gus Bilirakis in Tampa. It was the president's first trip to Florida since the Sept. 5 primary.
Harris also joined party leaders at the Orlando event, where the president followed his brother Gov. Jeb Bush in urging the crowd to vote for her.
"The party invited her, and we're glad she's able to attend," said state Republican Party spokesman Jeff Sadosky.
The star of the evening, though, was Attorney General Charlie Crist, the Republican nominee to replace the governor, who is barred from seeking a third term. Crist introduced the president, then sat behind him with Jeb Bush during his remarks. Harris was among several hundred people in the crowd.
Before Harris won the primary with less than half the vote in a four-way race, Republican leaders in Tallahassee and Washington tried to find a candidate who could defeat her. Gov. Bush openly said she couldn't win the November general election, and Carole Jean Jordan, the state party chairman, wrote to her saying the same, although Sadosky noted that both immediately supported Harris after the primary.
"Primaries are a family fight," Harris said before the Orlando event. "They're an internal little feud, and afterward, we come together so we can win."
Harris' Senate campaign has gone into a tailspin. She has been tied to a corrupt defense contractor, given embarrassing television interviews and seen top members of her staff quit in frustration.
Harris trails Nelson by more than 30 points in the polls and by millions of dollars in campaign contributions.
___
Associated Press writer Phil Davis in Tampa contributed to this report.
U.S. President George W. Bush greets Rep. Katherine Harris (R-FL) at a campaign fundraiser in Tampa, Florida September 21, 2006. Bush was in Tampa supporting Gus Bilirakis in his bid for a seat in Congress. Harris is currently campaigning for a seat in the U.S. Senate. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque (UNITED STATES)
A late September surprise? ;-)
Well, it's about time!
I wonder what she said to President Bush?
And general elections are a cure for megalomania.
The liberals and the "open borders" Bush brothers really hate this great Conservative lady.
Well, she has been relatively gaffe free for a few weeks now...let's hope she keeps it up. The media will try to destroy her anyway - don't hand them things on a silver platter to use against you.
A lesson Senator Allen might want to try to learn!
Ping-a-ling.
If there was ever a 'capture this photo' this is it.
Maybe the RNC has finally realized if they don't sit on on their dang dumb thumbs they could win in places their pointy heads didn't think possible.
Probably nothing of consequence. Bush will support her to the hilt now that she's won the nomination.
She is the nominee, so what else could they do?
To her credit, Harris has avoided any gaffes lately and seems to be improving as a candidate.
Go Katherine!
She is ahead 100% to 0% in my household poll. There are 3 voters in my home.
.......try and swing the election then would ya????
Yep but she will suck up all of the money she can get.
She has enough to make in the general.
Look, if she doesn't need the RNC then why is she campaigning with it? Ya'll were bitching last month that the GOP has abandoned her and now that she won the primary, the GOP is helping her but many on this thread are still bitching.
IMO a waste of money. Nelson does a much better job of faking conservatism than Democrats like Cleland and Daschle. Harris isn't exactly a perfect candidate to make up for it either.
I can't help but dismiss most of the crap I read about her. We all know how the media presents things and they hate this woman with a passion.
Let's face it, despite the outright fraud and open attempt to criminally manipulate the system, the rats lost the 2K election because this tough lady told them to shove it, she's sticking to the law.
I am obligated to vote for her regardless.
Detractors should reflect for a moment about what the media has done to this woman. They should think about how many lives would have been lost and what the state of this nation would be under a false President Gore.
She deserves at the very least, reconsideration.
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