Is Jamie Bennett's campaign over?

 Hoping he can rebound from the biggest crisis of his eight-year political career, Jamie Bennett on Monday vowed to stay in the mayor's race despite calls for him to pull out and the possibility of state elections and ethics probes.

"The Bennett signs went up this weekend," said Bennett, who has served on City Council since 2001. "We're going to keep fighting for this. I still consider myself the best candidate."

Story here.  Troxler's take here.

"Given that Schorsch has a previous history of being a liar and dirtbag, I don't believe any of it," said Jack Tunstill, a leading advocate for Albert Whitted Airport, one of Bennett's most notable constituencies. "Jamie's proceeding on. And Schorsch is a snake in the grass."

"Peter's background obviously speaks for itself," said state Rep. Rick Kriseman. "I understand wanting to give someone a second chance, but I don't know if you would want to put someone in that position. I wouldn't."

Council member Karl Nurse said he left a Creative Loafing story about Schorsch's personal blog on Bennett's desk. On the newsprint, Nurse wrote, "run, Forest, run."

"It was obviously bad judgment to hire Peter," said Nurse.

Adam Smith, Times Political Editor

Comments

[shuturyap]

Jamie will have to answer alot of questions before anyone will trust his judgement again. Can it be done in 3+ months? I don't know.

[*hic*]

The train wreck picture!!! OMG. Thank you for the laugh.

[Andy Griffith]

He looks like Floyd the Barber to me!!!

[better act fast]

The fat lady is warming up her vocal chords

[facebook page gone?]

has jamie's facebook page been deleted? I no longer see it in search.

[Peter]

Didn't POWW, under the leadership of Hal Freedman, hire Mr. Schorsch in support of their petition drive? Did this lead to Bennet's support for one of POWW's objectives? Just what is Hal Freedman's connection to all of this and how does it effect POWW's future?

[St. Pete Voter]

Bennett is disgusting. If you believe he didn't know what his campaign mgr was doing, I have some good swamp land to sell to you. He knew. Everyone knows he knew what was going on. He can't win on his own merit, he has to resort to dirty and illegal politics. He needs to be gone from City Council too. Bennett is a joke.

[Peter Schorsch]

Thank you for reposting the worst part of the article Adam. Ive never seen that done on the Bay Buzz before.

Im sure you good folks will correct me on this, but Bennett's campaign was chugging along fine until Friday, when he, under the advice of his wife and those who have managed to lose every race they have been connected to, tried to throw me under the bus for something I had no responsibility for.

Because he still hasn't taken action for the tickets. He was still passing them out that Friday.

On Thursday, Jamie had just "won" the debate at Clutch Hitters. I wrote his intro, his answers to several of the questions and gave him his graphs to pass out.

Bennett's campaign was better than expected and worse than expected because of me. Without me, he would have raised 11K and would be working on his 250th signature, with no online presence. Kriseman, Welch, King, Eppley had all gone other places long before I was involved.

Jamie fired me after I quit because I called the Times the c-word, because someone left him a note at city council, because I was the story, not his campaign.

He'll go on, finish fifth or sixth -- exactly where he would have finished had Barry never introduced him to me.

[.]

I think Bennett would have finished in Top 3 with or without you guys.

[Kip]

There's one of Bennett's big signs posted illegally on CSX right of way next to the 22nd Ave N Lowes Hardware store.

If he can't find legal, honest places for his signs, he shouldn't post them. It makes the more than casual observer realize that he's lacking support from owners of visible properties.

[george]

Bennett was never in the race. He would have only taken votes away from one of the other old white guys in the race to help Kathleen or Deveron.

Now you can stick a fork in it--he's done.

[Remember Liz McCallum]

That's right Peter, you're so smart. Nothing ever your fault. Like when you said Heller had no chance. Something about the three legs of the Democratic party lined up against him. Keeping thinking you're a genius. You'll be the only one.

[Crystal Ball]

Yes. It's over.

[dejavu]

Buy a Ford, Drive a Ford but for God's sake don't elect a Ford. Does no one remember how whacked this woman was just a few years ago? Elect anyone else......

[The Watcher]

Resign from City Council Mr. Bennett. It is the honorably thing to do. Don't listen to your wife but instead listen to your constituents the voters who mistakenly put you in office the first time. That is If you have any left. The Ethics Committee should really be involved in checking out your improprieties.. Your piers (current councilmembers and past) called it best... Listen to them..

[Fiscal responsibility]

Ford tough, Ford has a better idea. Go, Kathleen, go!

[shuturyap]

Or peers.

[Marco]

I thought Jamie wanted to keep the peer?

tadump..tish!

[bill]

Make room for Alex

[Tim]

I think the Fat lady already started singing

[Pinellas Point resident]

Youre darn right Bennett's campaign is done. And it wasn't for the tickets, it's for him not being bright enough to come up with his own policy ideas. Did he say one thing that Schorsch didn't write for him. Or when he did, did he just sound like an idiot, like when he said retard.

[Bill]

I think Norm should run for Mayor