(Jeb) Bush says Bense would make a great senator (Harris competition)

[sabra]

http://www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060426/CAPITOLNEWS06/604260371

Bush says Bense would make a great senator

House Speaker Allan Bense freely concedes he's still getting lobbied to enter Florida's U.S. Senate race. The man fanning the flames today was his party's leader, Gov. Jeb Bush.

“I think the speaker is committed to finishing the session strong, and then he'll have a chance to look at the race,” Bush said when asked by reporters about a potential Bense-Katherine Harris GOP primary.


“I know a lot of people are encouraging him to run,” Bush said. “He's a great leader and an extraordinary person, and he would be a great United States senator. But that's up to him he'll make up his mind.”

In response, Bense reiterated the same thing he's been saying for weeks - that he's flattered by the attention but focused on finishing his term as speaker and waiting until after the session ends May 5 to make up his mind.

[tsuki]

1. Barf Bense, just what Florida needs. nt

[Judi Lynn]

2. Poor Katherine Harris shouldn't have to take that from Jeb Bush,

after all she did for him and his brother. She needs to get satisfaction by telling everything she did for them in the 2000 election, starting with the voters' purge.

Go get 'em, Katherine!

[YDogg]

4. She could make millions on a tell-all book ...

... followed by a made for TV docudrama.

[SKKY]

20. I agree, but could she possibly incriminate herself in the process...

[AX10]

3. If Bense jumps in, what dynamics will change in this race?

[tsuki]

5. He will not. Bense is smart enough to know that it is a losing

proposition. Floridians are fed up. Of course, there is always Diebold.

[saltpoint]

8. Just a guess... but I think Nelson is still in good shape.

Bense would be beginning well behind in organization and while he could do it with the conservative trends in many parts of the state, Nelson's people are probably hard at work also, and they've been at it a while.

And it's not clear if Harris loses to Bense. I think she will, but it's not certain.

[AX10]

9. I assume the anti-gop sentiment would still help Nelson....

should Bense jump in?

[saltpoint]

13. That sounds right to me, AX10. I think Slobberin' Jeb is trying to

minimize the damage on the entire ballot.

If Harris drives away GOP voters, a lot of other GOP candidates will go under with her.

If he can shoe-horn Bense in there, the other races look less threatened.

Again, I'm only guessing.

Harris' campaign will make the history books on how not to do it.

[Warpy]

6. They're looking for any party member with a pulse

so they'll be spared the humiliation of Cruella going down in well deserved flames.

[bunkerbuster1]

25. Isn't Alan Keyes available?

[AlCzervik]

7. She must have something on Jeb, hopefully she'll leak it.

[teknomanzer]

10. Its more likely that they have something on her...

and she'll keep her trap shut.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

11. It's Mutually Assured Destruction.

They'll both keep their yaps shut.

[teknomanzer]

12. I imagine if she decided to say anything...

something tragic could occur at her next scheduled round of plastic surgery or her next trip in a small plane might take an unexpected stop.

[bunkerbuster1]

26. Whatever could Katherine have that could leak?

[rpannier]

14. But...but...but

harris' campaign has caught fire. She's running a campaign that will be remembered forever. Don't change now. This will be a campaign talked about for generations to come.

[Erika]

16. Yeah, on how neocons use and abuse their own n/t

[Erika]

15. Harris should spill

She gave the election to W and now the Bush's are knifing her in the back.

[tinfoilinfor2005]

17. Gee, the rug burns on her knees have barely heeled

following her contributions to jeb and family in the past six years, and this is how she is rewarded. Now if I were her, I would consider this as being scorned and humiliated and I would have to get very very angry. Now think, how can we rub salt in the wound? Maybe an email or two to Ms. Harris pointing out the dagger that has been plunged in her back????

[flordehinojos]

18. jeb bushstinky bush ... why on eart is he so anti-cruella-harris when she

opened the door for the bushit boy to sit in the oval office?

[salin]

21. Long standing bush family character trait: Demand absolute

loyalty - but give no loyalty in return.

I suspect before too long Harris will have a Daryl Issa moment (the wealthy cali congressman who funded the recall effort - assuming he would be the anointed one - who was quickly pushed out by GOP operatives and funders who wanted arnie... who broke down and cried at his press conference where he said he wouldn't run after all.)

[flordehinojos]

23. power and control freaks = bush family.

(this may be a bit out of topic here, but i think it gets to their character, to what they have created, what they are demanding, and what they want to achieve through their goons, minions, and ... "cretins in congress"...)

http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/article_743.shtml


a police state is what they are creating, all under the guise of "national security" and keeping us "safe" from "terrorists."

The latest nightmare is buried in the HR 5020, the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007, which the House of Representatives passed, 327-96, yesterday. Among its provisions are giving National Security Director John Negroponte authority to devise a plan for revoking the pensions of retired intelligence agency employees "who commit unauthorized disclosures of classified information." That takes care of any retired whistleblowers.

If that weren't bad enough, the Baltimore Sun is reporting "It also would permit security forces at the National Security Agency and the CIA to make warrantless arrests outside the gates of their top-secret campuses."

Plus, according to the Sun, "The measure also directs Congress to conduct a study of possible new sanctions against those who receive leaks of classified information, including journalists."

[Judi Lynn]

19. St. Petersbe\urg Times: Harris could get some competition

Harris could get some competition
By ADAM C. SMITH, Times Political Editor
Published April 26, 2006

Can any Republican beat a conservative icon like Katherine Harris?

Republican party activists are increasingly mulling that question as evidence builds that state House Speaker Allan Bense could soon jump into the U.S. Senate race. In the latest signal that Harris is losing her already tenuous support from party leaders, Gov. Jeb Bush on Wednesday touted Bense's candidacy.

"I know a lot of people are encouraging him to run. He's a great leader and an extraordinary person, and he would be a great United States senator but that's up to him," Bush told reporters when asked if Bense should jump in.

Bense, a wealthy Panama City businessman whom Bush and the White House had courted for the race last summer, acknowledges he is again thinking about it. But he repeatedly says he's focused on completing the legislative session scheduled to end May 5 - exactly one week before the deadline for qualifying for the ballot.

Polls consistently show Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson trouncing Harris by roughly 30 percentage points, and some activists worry she's so polarizing that she could hurt other Republicans on the ballot by depressing turnout.
(snip/...)

http://www.sptimes.com/2006/04/26/State/Harris_could_get_some.shtml

[soup]

22. Allan Who?

Below are the poll results based on telephone interviews with 1200 likely voters in Florida, aged 18+, and conducted March 24-26, 2006. The margin of sampling error is ±3 percentage points.

32. If the election for the Republican nomination for United States Senator in 2006 were held today, whom would you support? (Republicans only)
Katherine Harris 37%
Tommy Franks 30%
Mark Foley 5%
Allan Bense 4%
Tom Lee 4%
Ginny Brown-Waite 3%
Dave Weldon 3%
Daniel Webster 1%
Tom Rooney 1%
Undecided 12%

35. If the election for the Republican nomination for United States Senator in 2006 were held today, whom would you support? (Republicans only; Harris Excluded)
Tommy Franks 34%
Mark Foley 20%
Allan Bense 8%
Ginny Brown-Waite 5%
Dave Weldon 4%
Tom Lee 3%
Daniel Webster 2%
Tom Rooney 1%
Undecided 23%

44. If the election were held today for United States Senate, whom would you support, Bill Nelson, the Democrat or Allan Bense, the Republican?
Bill Nelson 48%
Allan Bense 35%
Undecided 17%

poor Kat
40. If the election were held today for United States Senate, whom would you support, Bill Nelson, the Democrat or Katherine Harris, the Republican?
Bill Nelson 56%
Katherine Harris 28%
Undecided 16%
http://www.strategicvision.biz/political/florida_poll_033006.htm

Weird results. Bense doesn't poll well at all - and is at a higher percentage head-to-head against Senator Nelson than Katherine Harris.

But, if All of the 17% Undecided (remember - this is FL) miraculously decide Bense is their man and touchscreens are the method - nah, don't even want to think about it...

[tanyev]

24. Poor Kathy. This must really be getting her down.

Fortunately, Spunk and Moxie are still perky!

[BigDDem]

27. Dont give up Kathy...

Spend, spend! You're turning the corner!

[Mountainman]

28. Katherine, If you can read this, The repukes don't want you. You could be

a hero to your country by telling all about the 2000 election and what you did to help Bush get selected. Save your money, come in from the cold.