Hillsborough GOP pushing "big tent" promise

It was about a year ago that former Hillsborough GOP head David Storck sent out a pre-presidential election e-mail decried as racist. When Deborah Cox-Roush was elected to take over for Storck, she pledged to reach out more to blacks, Hispanics and young people. It seems she's following through on that. At the party's last executive committee meeting, Ken Lawson, an African-American attorney, was elected treasurer of the party. Cox-Roush said she believes it's the first time the local party has had a black officer. "I was thrilled about that," she said.

Lawson, 44, downplayed the race issue in a recent interview, and said he's just glad to be involved in local party politics. He started becoming a regular at the meetings about eight months ago. He's heading up the party's newly created candidate development committee. But Lawson has some national credentials, too. Lawson, a former Marine and federal prosecutor, was appointed by then-President George W. Bush as assistant secretary of enforcement at the Department of Treasury. He names Brent Scowcroft, Condi Rice and Colin Powell as Republican role models. "I really admire them for their sense of political realism," he said.

Janet Zink, Times Staff Writer

Comments

[Team - St. Petersburg]

Mayor - Ford

Council - Corsetti - Settlegood - Kornell - Thompson - Danner

VOTE SMART.

[Ned]

Yeah, they've tried this big tent stuff before only to have the far far right wing of the party slam the flaps shut. Republicans need moderates to win but God forbid, moderates want to be part governence too.

[Goldwater Democrat]

Barry must be turning over in his grave. He was a TRUE Conserative - not these bullies posing as one.

These 9/12 teabaggers are an embarssment to the Republican Party.

[Team - St. Petersburg]

Brent, Condi and Colin support Kathleen Ford for Mayor.

[Congrats to the Hillsborough GOP]

Congratulations to Ken Lawson and Deborah Cox-Roush and the entire Hillsborough REC for one of the best RECs in Florida!

In addition to the regular monthly scheduled meetings, the Hillsborough REC held a Candidate Night, plus a Reagan Day Dinner, and three Summer Dinners, all huge successes.

Quite an impressive first year for the new Hillsborough REC Chair.

Perhaps the Pinellas REC can follow your lead.

[FORD FOR MAYOR]

Vote Tuesday

[LMFAO]

So your new treasurer of the local repiggie party was the assistant secretary of enforcement at the Department of Treasury???

Looks like he did a great job with all those banks, Fannie, and Freddie!

Oh, and all those tax havens, too!

Hysterically funny.... better keep an eye on the bank accounts there, repiggies!

[I am laughing so hard...]

It hurts - I am laughing so hard at this story.

A year of "community outreach" and the republicans of Hillsborough have 1, that's right 1 - as in between 0 and 2 - person of color on their executive committee.

Keep up the good work! By year 2200 you should have 2 and maybe one of those gays to boot. Just don't let them around your governor, congressmen or senators as they may have non-gay sex between two men.

Oh God... how pathetic...

Just 1.

[Powell Endorsed Obama]

Just remember there, Ken, Colin Powell endorsed Obama. Sure your not a victim of Stockholm Syndrome, Ken? Oh yeah, Powell has a sense of "political realism". So, you are saying that the republican party's candidate in 2008 didn't have logic based on reality? Hmmm... and they put you in charge of their check books?