Posted on 12/02/2008 7:45:03 PM PST by St. Louis Conservative
Sen. Mel Martinez's announcement Tuesday that he would not seek a second term immediately set off speculation about possible candidates for his seat. The following is a look at people who have indicated interest or are the subject of speculation:
Republicans
- Former Gov. Jeb Bush. He is seriously considering a run and party and elected officials from Florida and beyond are encouraging him, according to a former political adviser who spoke on condition of anonymity because Bush is not ready to publicly discuss his plans. But for now, the official word from spokeswoman Kristy Campbell is this: "Governor Bush hopes to play a constructive role in the future of the party, advocating ideas and polices to get the conservative cause back on track."
- Attorney General Bill McCollum. McCollum has twice run for Senate, losing to Democrat Bill Nelson in 2000 and in the GOP primary to Martinez in 2004. "At this point, my plan is - at the appropriate time - to announce my intention to seek re-election as Florida's attorney general. However, given today's development, I will seriously consider and discuss with my family a race for this U.S. Senate seat."
- Former House Speaker Allan Bense. Bense, of Panama City, considered a run for Senate in 2006. Party leaders urged him to challenge then-U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris in the Republican primary, but Bense refused to start a campaign while still serving as speaker. He said Tuesday he is considering a run and will make a decision in the next several weeks.
- Former House Speaker Marco Rubio. Rubio, of West Miami, wants to run, but won't if Bush decides to get in the race. Officially, he said, "The developments today create some rare opportunities and I need to assess them and make a decision soon."
(Excerpt) Read more at miamiherald.com ...
bump & a ping
Think of it this way:
Anybody who lives under the Castros deserves better.....and....
It's a two-way street....it doesn't freeze in Cuba in the winter. The fishing is probably terrific, too.
Unbelievable - RINO Senator Mel Martinez responds to the Citizenship question
Email from Senator Martinez | 12/1/2008 | Jeffo
Posted on 12/01/2008 12:52:16 PM PST by jeffo
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2141001/posts
Mel Martinez Will Not Run For A Second Term (RINO-florida)
Local News | 12.com/2/08
Posted on 12/02/2008 8:04:12 AM PST by SoFloFreeper
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2141462/posts
Very nice! I like Jeb Bush for it, but Rubio certainly sounds good too. We have to keep that seat!
Does anybody know if Jeb is interested?
Marco Rubio is an intriguing possiblilty. But I want to make sure that he’s not a carbon copy of Mel Martinez.
Allen Bense is OK. But if Congressman Allen Boyd runs, I would prefer that Bense run for Boyd’s House seat.
If Jeb Bush is still popular in FL, maybe. But I’d want him to commit to not running for President. We need to look outside the Bush clan for our future leaders.
That has to be one of the most empty headed things I've ever read, given what the letter was addressing. WTF? lol
He’s only an open borders guy if you arrive from Havana in an inner tube.
Jeb is still popular in Florida and I believe would win this seat
You are correct though in him needing NOT to run for POTUS. It is a shame though seeing as he may be the best of the Bushes, both a staunch conservative as well as competent, intelligent and able to bring solutions
Yeah, I think he’ll make a dandy Democrat in some other office somewhere.
He's not a "politician" as much as he is a real down-to-earth person....The kind of guy you'd like to have as your neighbor. That's a trait he shares with Sarah Palin.
I'm hoping that this new generation of Republicans will be dominated by real, down to earth people like them and rid of the "Rockefeller" elite snob Republicans that have nearly destroyed the party.
So many of us have to identify ourselves as conservatives and not necessarily Republicans because of the damage done by those elites.
Alan is a self-made success, and that is what I've always thought of as what makes this country great.....as opposed to the big names in politics (Kennedy for example) today.
He's conservative to the bone and running as a Republican (not always the same as conservative) and for whatever it's worth....he has my vote already.
I do not think Jebbie is a staunch conservative. What Bush is? Maybe Marvin? A bush is a shrub.
And you know he'll be running for President at some point - like in 2016 with Jindal as his VP.
I’m ok with an open borders policy towards Cubans. Anyone that wants to escape Castro and communism is fine by me. They are more often than not conservative, too, probably because they have seen leftism up front and personally.
You either live here in Florida or know Floridians well because you're exactly right. The job is his for the asking (or even hinting at it).
Even most of the Democrats in this state love Jeb.
A liberal female neighbor (who voted for Kerry) describes him as a "big, lovable Teddy bear" who has always come through for Florida in time of need. She may be referencing his 24/7 stints at the emergency center during hurricanes, etc....but the bonding is there.
He really seems to dislike politics and is in a comfortable position where he doesn't need to go back into that rat-race, but all he needs to do is nod....and he's in.
Even after you do arrive from Havana in an inner tube, and even after your mother dies getting you to freedom, there's always Zero's new White House Counsel, Greg Craig, ready to shanghai you back to Cuba... just like he has done before. Meet the new scumbags, same as the old scumbags.
This is really good news. I like Jeb even more than W. And I hope he does run for president in 2016. He would only be 63 years old and he has a Cuban wife which would help us win back the hispanic vote. He may be our only hope of getting the White House back in the near future.
Go Jeb go!
Jeb was an outstanding Governor and would be a good Senator. I don’t think Floridians care too much about the name Bush in this context. However one caveat: I think Jeb would be in the same mindset about immigration as his brother, seeing as he’s married to a Mexican woman. As Governor it wasn’t an issue but as Senator it would be.
Marco Rubio would also be a good choice. He’s been a good State Senator and would represent the staunchly conservative Cuban community better than Martinez.
What is is about the Senate that makes Republicans turn RINO?
Not Natural Born?
Jeb, the best of the Bush family, would be a good contender. This Allen Bense might be good as well. Don’t know much about him, but Jeb has a pretty good reputation as governor.
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