How do we get rid of Cliff Stearns?

[Rationality]

There's enough Gainesville-area DUers so I thought I should go ahead and bring this up.

If anyone remembers, we used to have Karen Thurman over our spot, but after the Republican-led state Legislatures recarved the districts, Thurman lost us and her district moved south so that the Green Swamp Republicans from Polk could install Ginny Browne-Waite, and meanwhile, with too little time for David Bruderly to organize a real challenge, we were stuck with Cliff, who is arguably the most conservative representative in Congress this side of Tom Delay.

While I was at the poll during the Gainesville Mayoral runoff (I voted for Harnahan, BTW), I saw Bruderly getting signatures to get another shot at it...here's his old website.

www.bruderly.com/contact.html


Anyone in this district (Gainesville, Ocala, Leesburg, westside of Jacksonville, a few spots between) know of any efforts or are interested in organizing?

[dryan]

1. suggest he get a job with Fox like Joe Scarborough!

Karen Thurman was a great congresswoman -- and I don't even live in that district. She was a victim of Tom Feeney. Apparently, Thurman was chair of the redistricting committee in 1990 that caused poor Tom to be redistricted out of his legislative seat in Belle Isle and he had to move to Seminole County and run for the seat that Marvin Couch had. For those of you that don't remember Marvin was a painter who was elected to the Legislature from Seminole County. Apparently the job was too much for him and he had to visit "ladies of the evening" on South Orange Blossom Trail. He was in the midst of a session when he was arrested. He later resigned and Tom was elected to his seat -- but that's another story. Tom never got over what happened in1990 and he redistricted Thurman.

[DavidFL]

2. Does anyone happen to know who's running against Brown-Waite?

I'm in her district and it's apparent she's just holding the seat to rubberstamp whatever Bush and the neo-cons are trying to push through Congress. Under normal circumstances, she would be easy to pick off because she really hasn't done zip in 2 years, but then this is west central Florida.

[Rationality]

3. Browne Waite has done something... ((holding laughter..)) BWHAHA

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/hearing/fl05_brown-waite/column6.html

This week in Congress, I introduced a piece of legislation, HR 1258—The American Heroes Repatriation Act of 2003, that would allow the families of servicemen buried in France and Belgium to have their loved ones’ remains returned to the United States.

My bill gives a choice to the families of those Americans who fought and died defending the freedom so many people in foreign nations enjoy today. It allows these families to request, if they so choose, that their loved ones’ remains be laid to rest in a country that respects and honors their sacrifice to the world.

--SNIP--

The remains of our brave servicemen should be buried in patriotic soil, not in a country that has turned its back on the United States and on the memory of Americans who fought and died there. The recent actions of the French Government have caused me to wonder if they have forgotten what the thousands of white crosses at Normandy represent.

--SNIP--

_____________

A real patriot she is (/sarcasm).

[clyrc]

4. I worked with David Bruderly last election

he is so intelligent and he would be so good in Stearn's place. I was happy to hear he is running again, and I will certainly be contributing to his campaign when I get back to Florida.