"Far more qualified candidates in FL were passed up in favor of Mel."
Who? Were they available in '06?
Daniel Webster and Johnnie Byrd for starters. Webster considered running but was told by the "powers that be" to get out of the way for Amnesty Mel. Byrd, the sitting speaker of the Florida House, did manage to get in at the last minute but was completely ellipsed by all the money that Amnesty Mel and Bill Collum had already spent getting their names.