Posted on 02/20/2002 4:35:24 AM PST by summer
Roberts of Palm Beach presidential recount to run for Congress
Wednesday, February 20, 2002
By AMANDA RIDDLE, Associated Press
WEST PALM BEACH — Democrat Carol Roberts, an outspoken member of Palm Beach County's canvassing board during the disputed 2000 presidential recount, announced Tuesday that she is running for Congress.
Roberts, a county commissioner and former West Palm Beach mayor, seeks to challenge longtime incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Clay Shaw Jr.
Republicans accused her of being too partisan during the recount. State GOP Party Chairman Al Cardenas said Tuesday that Roberts is the "perfect" opponent because she will energize Republicans.
Roberts said her role on the three-member board that manually examined ballots would help her.
"Certainly it's not going to hurt me that people respect what I did for democracy," Roberts said.
She offered, on live television, to go to jail after a court order halted the recount that she wanted to continue in the county, home of the infamous presidential "butterfly ballot." She was assigned a sheriff's bodyguard after receiving threats.
Luis Rosero, a spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said Roberts' nearly 30 years of experience in local government make her a contender to unseat Shaw, of Fort Lauderdale.
He won re-election by fewer than 600 votes in 2000, when he was challenged by former state Rep. Elaine Bloom. But he could benefit from a legislative redistricting proposal that would shore up his Republican base in the 22nd district, which includes parts of Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties.
"This is one of our top races," Rosero said. "We know for a fact that Clay Shaw is vulnerable. The last election is a clear indicator of how Florida has shifted. It's a 50-50 state."
But Cardenas said Shaw's experience and conservatism will again appeal to voters.
"Why would anyone want to trade him in for an unproven, liberal freshman?" he said.
Roberts, 65, was the first woman to serve on the West Palm Beach City Commission before being elected to the County Commission in 1986.
She said she would fight to protect Social Security and Medicare and pass a patients' bill of rights. Roberts also said she would push for prescription drug benefits for seniors, an issue Shaw ran on but failed to follow through, she charged.
"Claw Shaw has not responded to the people," she said.
Shaw did not immediately return a call placed to his Washington office.
What do you think, summer? what are her chances? You're closer to that area than I am.
I think she means socialists.
What do you think, summer? what are her chances? You're closer to that area than I am.
I live in a nearby district (the 21st, Lincoln Diaz-Balart). Shaw's current distirct is one of the most liberal in the state. It begins in the North Miami Beach/Aventura area, snakes along the Broward coast to take in most of Fort Lauderdale and continues up the coast to Juno Beach, just north of Palm Beach proper. It covers three counties and has more Democrats than Republicans. Clay has therefore been liberal on many issues (Gun Control, gay rights, health care & other bennies for seniors, etc.). He has almost been defeated in the past two election cycles and would have lost in 2000 had it not been for absentee ballots. He was recently redistricted, however, and this should help him although there are still enough Democrats to put Roberts into office.
I disagree. Gerrymandering is one of the wonderful aspects of being the political party in power at the local level. It has helped us in Michigan, Florida and Pennsylvania, among other states. It is a problem in the south for the GOP, as many fools continue to vote Dem locally thinking that the Jackass party is that of Robert E. Lee.
Thanks to gerrymendering, we will have 4-5 Republican reps in Southeast Florida, the most heavily Dem region of the state.
Roberts was the most embarrassing display in the entire 2000 Election.
Better put a Pat Buchanan oval in a strategic location on that ballot.
Literally and figuratively. But a Hillary nonetheless.
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