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Tuesday, July 20, 2004 |
| Official finance reports for the major Senate candidates are starting to hit the FEC website. The reports for Republican canidates Johnnie Byrd and Doug Gallagher are the first ones up. As some anticipated, Johnnie Byrd's cash stream has started to dry up after the Legislative session ended. He took in approximately $250,000 between April 1 and June 30 (compared to $735,000 in the previous quarter). His cash on hand decreased from nearly $1,600,000 to $980,000. Doug Gallagher spent a bit over one million dollars in the previous quarter. He contributed $1,300,000 to himself and took in $36,985 from individuals (in the previous quarter he lent his campaign $1,267,250 and received $194,785 from individuals). His cash on hand as of June 30 was $1.6 million, up from 1.3 million on March 31. More news and maybe some commentary and analysis as more reports become available. Florida Senate Campaign, Politics comment []5:50:38 PM  trackback []
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| Mel Martinez also received an endorsement from the National Right to Life Committee. (Press Release, Tampa Tribune story). The Martinez press release (which I received in my e-mail and will link to when it's posted on his website), was quick to point out (second sentence of the release, to be specific) that Bill McCollum and Doug Gallagher did not receive endorsements, but nowhere does it mention that Johnnie Byrd was endorsed as well. While Gallagher and McCollum are both against abortion, they both support stem cell research. This apparently cost them the NRLC endorsement. From the Tampa Tribune story: Tobias (NRLC's political director) acknowledged her group's past support for McCollum, a former congressman from Longwood, and his ``pro-life voting record.'' However, she said, ``he surprised us by saying he thinks it's OK to use human embryos for research in experiments that will kill them. We don't believe you should destroy human life in order to maybe save someone else.'' McCollum recently followed the lead of former Florida Sen. Connie Mack, former first lady Nancy Reagan and others by advocating expanded stem cell research. That could include using embryos, produced as part of infertility treatments, that otherwise would be discarded. Spokeswoman Shannon Gravitte said McCollum does not consider that to be taking human life and ``does not support any research that would involve the taking of human life.'' ``In his 20 years in Congress,'' she said, ``Bill was seen as a pro-life, pro-family conservative, and his record in that regard speaks for itself.'' Today Peter Deutsch, along with Representatives Corrine Brown and Alcee Hastings will hold a press conference to call for a law to allow a single member of Congress to challenge election results (without support from any other member). (Miami Herald story (reg required)) In one of the opening scenes of Fahrenheit 9/11, one black member of Congress after another desperately tries to block certification of the 2000 presidential election. Lacking a single supporter in the U.S. Senate, they fail. Congressman Peter Deutsch of Hollywood initiated the protest, but
filmmaker Michael Moore did not include his image in the documentary
bashing President Bush. ... Deutsch's bill could interest the liberal
wing of the party that typically dominates primary elections. Last
week, Penelas made a similarly left-wing pitch, calling for the
withdrawal of troops from Iraq.
The Palm Beach Post has an article about the self-financed campaign of Karen Saull. Florida Senate Campaign, Politics comment []12:27:37 PM trackback []
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| Today, the proposed Medical Liability Claimant's Compensation Amendment became the first of the initiatives to completely qualify for the November ballot as it attained 492,840 valid signatures. Florida Referendums 2004, Politics comment []12:01:11 AM trackback []
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Last update: 8/2/2004; 8:03:05 AM .
