St. Petersburg Times recommends Collins

The St. Petersburg Times choses LeRoy Collins over Rep. Katherine Harris and two lesser-known rivals for the Republican primary for U.S. Senate.

Editorial is here

Comments

[gatorted]

i think one could safely recommend a box of rocks -- make that TWO boxes -- over katie hair-do.
the question is, "do her mindless supporters care?"

[honestabe]

No, her mindless supporters don't care. time and time again i hear people say "i will vote for her b/c i know she will lose the general." that just isn't right...people should find a better alternative. don't just vote for her b/c you feel inclined. look at the other candidates!

[Jim Johnson]

At this point it really doesn't matter.

None of the Republicans have a shot at beating Nelson. Consider that whoever wins the primary will not have NRCC support because the national Republicans are in danger of losing Montana, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Rhode Island... and thus we could see a 50-50 split in the Senate after this year.

(I wrote abit about this on my blog).

http://stateofsunshine.blogspot.com/2006/08/us-senate-can-democrats-take-over.html

[neelyohara]

I'm glad a major paper is taking a stand against her. I'm for (almost)anybody but KH.

[Viable]

Ok, I am truly confused, Collins is more viable than McBride?! LeRoy Collins is a nice guy, but viable is not a word I would attach to him. I think these guys dont want McBride against Nelson, they know that would be trouble and they cant bring themselves to endorse Katy. But guys viability is not what you should hang your hat on. Show me any poll where Collins is closer to Harris or Nelson than McBride. Viability? Maybe believable is a word you should research a bit more.

Harris at the top of the ticket in the general election does matter to all of the down ticket candidates. Thus far, there isn't much on the ballot to motivate the dems. Harris will turn out their vote big time. When are the Republicans going to realize that Harris on the ticket means a disaster in November.

Collins presents the best chance against Nelson. He has experience and integrity. Harris has nothing but jail in her future. McBride is not even ready for the Junior Varsity team yet. He needs to go home and get some experience (and also explain his position on immigration). If everyone would rally behind Collins, he would stand a chance.

[Irish Whiskey]

11:21 How can the R's get her out? Short of kidnapping her and shipping her to Siberia, I don't see it happening

[Jim Johnson]

Irish...

In 2004 there was a rumor that President Bush was going to appoint her to an ambassadorship to keep her out of the 2004 race.

Just a rumor, mind you... but that could be one way to get her out of the race.

Of course, there is also the rumor mill: http://stateofsunshine.blogspot.com/2006/07/conspiracy-theory-running-around.html

[GulfportRep]

Who's the dork that is promoting his own blog on this blog?

[Irish Heather]

Holy Smoke!

That was an endorsement to end all endorsements. Ms. Harris is done and gone. Maybe that will give some Republicans down in St. Pete a reason to vote for Collins, but here in Tallahassee, we don't give a crap about the liberal St. Pete Times.

[GulfportRep]

Irish H, us Pinellas County voters may be older, but we have a pretty good grasp of what is going on with our elected officials, especially crooked self-serving politicians like Kooky Katherine.

[pirate]

Ouch Katie.

Leroy is a good man. He's served our country and seems to be a steadfast man.

Some may say that he can't be the Republican nominee b/c of his family's democrat background, I think they are wrong. I think it shows he can change his morals and stand up for what he believes it. It's not election year religion.

[Dr . Channard]

There is no way Collins will win the primary . He needs to get out and throw his support to McBride .
No matter what happens, we need to nominate anybody but KH .

[Bryan Stewart]

Not that I need the St. Petersburg Times to validate my support of Admiral Collins, but we'll take advantage of the support wherever it can be found.

In response to "Viable", let me offer this. For the briefest of moments during the campaign, the Republican nominee will have a chance to engage the whole state of Florida at the senate debate hosted by NBC's Tim Russert. When the moderator asks Senator Nelson and our nominee about Iraq, Iran and Hezbollah, who do you want to challenge Nelson and give a powerful articulation of the War against Islamofascism? A retired U.S. Navy admiral or a young immigration attorney? I respect McBride for running. One day in the future, I'm sure he will make a fine state or federal lawmaker. But that day is not now and he is not in the same league as Admiral Collins. Only the admiral has an honest chance of defeating Bill Nelson. Bill Nelson only fears two words, and neither of them are Harris or McBride.

[aj]

I also agree that Admiral Collins is the best candidate to take on Nelson. McBride is a nice guy, but what has he done? He married well. That's it! Admiral Collins has life experiences that he will bring to the U.S. Senate. The Senate is not the place to cut your teeth in politics or the world. Go Collins!

[honestabe]

I agree with Bryan Stewart! Harris will just dance around the question and tell people of her stories when she visited Iraq and tell heart warming stories of soldiers telling her to "not pull them out until they have completed their mission" and Collins can really get into the question of something like the WAR ON TERRORISM. He has experience and I think he is a much better candidate than 'wet behind the ears' mcbride.

[BigDog]

There won't be a debate. She will be indicted and forced to drop out of the race.

[formerKHstaffer]

Bryan Stewart/BigDog,
KH will never debate anyone because:
1) She is terrified;
2) She doesn't know any issue in-depth enough (despite getting a mail-order Ivy League degree, the same one she threw in our face everyday);
3) It will shut down her campaign for weeks to prep her (like a simple speech does);
4) It will shut down her congressional offices to prep her (like a simple speech does);
5) She doesn't have enough money left in her campaign account to pay for the seventeen consultants she will demand be hired and flown in to help prep her (which will be a task since all the good ones have already been hired and have quit);
6) Adam Goodman doesn't work for her anymore to get her TV-ready (smart smart boy that Adam Goodman);
7) David Host doesn't work for her anymore to write her remarks (smart smart boy that David Host);
8) She doesn't have enough campaign staff or supporters left to fill the debate venue that will clap for her (except for the racist old people).
9) She doesn't have enough campaign staff or supporters left to pass out lapel stickers (except for the racist old people).
10) The newspapers, including this liberal mullet-wrapper, cannot find any current or former staffers that will publicly endorse her for the U.S. Senate.

[Irish Heather]

You so should be on David Letterman formerKHstafffer!

But Ms. Harris must be able to be at least adequate in debating to make it this far in the world politics. She keeps winning.

[formerKHstaffer]

Are you friggin kidding me Irish? KH won despite herself. She won because she was surrounded by a strong campaign team led by Adam Goodman and her inner circle of hatchet-men (Dan Berger, Benjamin MacKay, Mark Reichelderfer, Trey Evers, Mac Stipanovich, and David Host). Even our senate campaign had the biggest political guns money can buy (Ed Rollins, Ed Goeas, and Jim Dornan, they are proven winners, and even they left).

Irish, what you must ask yourself is this: Why have we not heard from her campaign team. Unfortunately they appear smarter than us and stayed away from her and this race, unlike me and my former fellow KH staffer friends. KH verbally abused us, wore us down, and we left.

KH cannot and will not win with the light-weights she has running her campaign (this month). She is going to go down in flames and implode and become the nobody everyone wants her to be.

Poof.

[Fla Voter]

Can anyone please tell me what the story is on McBride and the protest rally. It hasnt been covered in the press. Is it true that he walked in a parage opposing immigration reform?

[GulfportRep]

Who cares. McBride isn't going to win a single endorsement accept from the trial lawyers association.

Katherine and her strange manic behavior has screwed up any chance of Republicans beating Billy Nelson.

[formerKHstaffer]

Our dearest KH:
Why in the world did you not have all, and I mean all, the editorial boards on your schedule for meetings this past summer?

Anita Kumar's article in today's St. Pete Times states you said it was because your staff recommended not to meet with editorial boards.

THAT IS A LIE, AND YOU KNOW IT.

We all told you from the beginning that we had to do them and you refused. You were scared because you didn't know the issues. You said your staff had done a terrible job in getting you ready for the issues.

Take responsibility for your past actions, current decisions, and future debacles. Stop blaming staff.

formerKHstaffer,
If all these people are so great and political winners, why are they such cowards and not helping Congresswoman Harris win? Are they scared to take on the good ol boy establishment in Washington, DC? Are they making too much money off her name to take the time?

Congresswoman Harris has helped all of them become who they are today. They all forgot who got them where they are.

[formerKHstaffer]

Nice email 7:05AM (aka: Katherine Harris, KH),
Your blog entry is exactly the delusional crazy thoughts you mistakingly have on a minute-by-minute basis that needs to be exposed to the voters of Florida.

All of the men I listed above were a success before meeting you. You became an elected official because of Adam Goodman and his team of political hacks. You became Secretary of State because of Adam and his team of political hatchet-men. You became a member of Congress because of Adam Goodman and his team of political friends. Your campaign staff is the reason you won and kept on winning. It had nothing to do with you. You were a political neophyte, and in most cases, you still are.

How dare you to call these men cowards after all they did for you and are responsible for your meteoric rise in politics. It was because of them, not you.

Stop blaming them (and other current and former staffers) for not helping you. Blame your self-righteous delusional manic kooky self.

[Irish Heather]

I just cannot believe how crazy Ms. Harris is.

She will get crushed, smashed, squashed, smooshed, and mashed by Mr. Nelson. I bet even if all those people came in now to help her, she would probably still lose. Ms. Harris is too far down in the polls and continues to scream and throw things in her campaign office. My girlfriend said one of the other campaign staffers actually recorded her screaming and cussing at a campaign colleague. We all beg you to PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE release the recording. I bet it is funny as h*** to listen to. Kooky Katherine is going to the Kan for being Krooked.

Irish, if that is true, it would be the most incredible thing to listen to and if released, likely the nail in her coffin, permanently. Voters will be so turned off if they actually see or hear a recording of KH belittling, cursing and screaming at her staff.

Please tell your friend to put the pressure on to get the recording released to the press.

[formerKHstaffer]

I will believe it when I hear it Irish.

Trust me when I, all us bloggers, all her former staffers, and every member of the media across the country and worldwide, say God we hope it's true.

Release the tape!

[BigDog]

No way. Not even Kooky Katherine is dumb enough to allow someone to record her, especially if she is on a rant or whatever it is she does.

[GulfportRep]

The digital tape recorders are so small and sound-sensitive, they can hide it in a pocket, and they are small as credit cards now.

[GOPers]

That would be so cool to hear her go crazy.

All you naysayers are wrong. Congresswoman Harris' new staff are very loyal to her and her effort in defeating liberal Bill Nelson and getting elected. Unlike all those other former staffers that spread false, malicious lies and leak confidential information, they will walk through fire for Congresswoman Harris.

As for a tape recording, I have bad news for all you crazy pro-Nelson liberals: THERE IS NO RECORDING.

[formerKHstaffer]

Katherine, Katherine, Katherine (aka, 1:36PM),
It is so nice to hear from you again. Just so we all understand: you are full of Bartow cow-poop.

Stop trying to spin the journalists that read this blog. Stop trying to lie your way out of your poor decision making. Stop trying to halt the bleeding. Stop trying to convince everyone that staff is loyal to you after you beat them down like a hill-billy's pitbull. Stop trying to bribe your staff to stay with promises of more money and a job on your senate staff.

[HCB]

What ever happened to the elect Harris web site? It hasn't been updated since May except for announcements of "endorsements" Same old, "check back later" and the same, tired, generic video. somebody is there - there was an endorsement noted on August 10. but nothing else

Who are these new and talented staff members? Anybody know?

[KH Forever]

Shame on all you liberal Nelson-loving doubters. Representative Harris has more integrity and loyalty in her little finger than all of you together have in all your bodies. With her new staff, which is far more professional and mature than the previous self-promoting malingerers that tried to ride the Harris train to glory, she will persevere and she will win, in the primary and in November.

She is a survivor and a winner, and she will do whatever it takes: fight any fight, win any debate, overcome any doubt, break down any wall, climb any mountain, ford any stream, ride any horse, wrassle any possum, wear any spandex, until the voters of Florida finally get what they want and deserve -- the greatest, proudest, extra-hot triple-latte Starbucksiest, siliconiest, most fabulous Senator of them all.

Your rendezvous with destiny is now, Florida! Don't fail your nation in its hour of need. Don't let Hillary "Piano-Legs" Clinton be the first thing on people's minds when they hear the phrase "woman Senator." Let it be someone who puts the capital W in Woman!

[hcb]

oh my God ....

3:45 - in the words of CV, that was PRICELESS!!!:) :)

[formerKHstaffer]

I believe we have a winner for the funniest blog entry to date. I am nominating "KH Forever."

I second the nomination!

[Irish Heather]

This is the most fun I have had on this blog since I started blogging here. Thank you my fellow bloggers for making this so much d*** fun. You people rock!

NEWS UPDATE:
Even though "1:36PM" (or as "formerKHstaffer" says: Katherine Harris/KH) reports there is not a recording, well, WRONG. There is a recording but the staffer in possession of it is scared to death to share it because their voice is also on it. And get this, my girlfriend also said Ms. Harris is going crazy to find out who has it. Flipping out. Demanding if it is true or not and making people "promise" they have not recorded her.

"Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus."
-headline from the New York Sun
September 21, 1897

[omg wow]

My friend really did have a recording of KH screaming at former campaign manager on her blackberry for two months. she erased it finally b/c she wanted to be rid of KH finally. the recording was of KH screaming and yelling and calling everyone stupid morons that were ruining her life. she was hysterically crying and it was all b/c she was not at an event at the very moment in time that she thought she should be there. there were about a dozen people that heard this tape and were mortified of the five minute rant session. i personally heard this tape. it isn't the first time KH has been caught yelling on tape. her cell phone calls people out of nowhere (palm treos SUCK)and you can hear her in the background going on and on about how much she hates her staff and how incompetent they are. all the while the staff can hear her saying this. but when she finally realizes she has done it she will call back and try to win the staffer back over with plenty of "you're the best" and "we are going to do this and we need you" type BS.

That is either Katherine blogging or one of her staffers that feels the need to stick up for her. She doesn't have loyal staff...I can say this b/c I know of another person quitting this very week that she has begged to stay. her biggest fundraisers are raising 15-40k meanwhile Nelson is raising that on the phones in a day. she has no staff left. the reason why her website isn't up to date is b/c Jenna quit and there isn't anyone to do it. Becky Donatelli is too busy being a professional and working on REAL races and updating REAL campaigns websites to deal with the KooK herself.

Katherine, you are a very sorry individual. I don't thank you for anything nor does anyone else that has known you in the past 10 years. We beg of you to drop out of this race and go to Europe with Anders where you belong. No one knows you there and no one truly cares to know you there. Maybe then your "ON and ON and Again and Again" will win a friend there...b/c it ain't working here!

Be GONE already!

[GulfportRep]

Irish,
It is now incumbent upon you to get that tape. Bloggers around the world (maybe a slight exaggeration) are looking to you to deliver the most interesting evidence of Katherine Harris's whackey legacy. You can do it! Go girl!

All hail Prince Anders! Please take your wife somewhere besides the United States!

Yeah I heard Jenna quit and that explains why the website is so lousy. I also heard Ken McKee quit. He was Harris' biggest cheerleader (and his wife works in Harris' congressional office). The blogger KH Forever is either Harris or her Kool-aide drinking, will never get another job with a GOP candidate, no credibility spokeswoman Jennifer Marks.

[John]

You know, while I suppose getting a clue late in the game is better than never at all, I think folks are going a bit too far to pat themselves on the back for abandoning KH.

How about some due-guilt for having given such an incompetent and harmful individual support in her prior political career. It's not as if these character and competency faults are new.

At some point GOP staffers and politicos need to stop and ask the question: if our party supported and promoted this individual in the past, what does this say about our failings and standards as a party?

I'm a dem myself, but I'll be the first to say that I've known plenty of talented, pragmatic, intelligent, and well-intentioned and principled GOP staffers, consultants, and campaigners But at some point there's needs to be some moral and personal accountability for the politicians you advance and backstop, and KH is just one of far too many incompetent idiots that have been given GOP blessing and backing.

Yes, there are incompetent idiots in the Democratic Party as well, but it doesn't compare to the scope I've seen fielded by the GOP lately, and worse yet and what's not mirrored so much in the dems, a bizarre anti-intellectual pseudo-populist culture that actually seems to embrace stupidity and egomania as positive traits in a principle/candidate.

C'mon folks. Ideological issues and motives aside, please take more accountability for the candidates you support. I appreciate that people have jumped ship on KH, but that should have happened before her political career ever left the ground, and the rationale should be something other than just:
"She's a pain to work for."
or
"She has no prayer of winning the election."

It should be for a reason you must have known long ago: this is an individual who is not fit for holding high public office.

[John]

You know, while I suppose getting a clue late in the game is better than never at all, I think folks are going a bit too far to pat themselves on the back for abandoning KH.

How about some due-guilt for having given such an incompetent and harmful individual support in her prior political career. It's not as if these character and competency faults are new.

At some point GOP staffers and politicos need to stop and ask the question: if our party supported and promoted this individual in the past, what does this say about our failings and standards as a party?

I'm a dem myself, but I'll be the first to say that I've known plenty of talented, pragmatic, intelligent, and well-intentioned and principled GOP staffers, consultants, and campaigners But at some point there's needs to be some moral and personal accountability for the politicians you advance and backstop, and KH is just one of far too many incompetent idiots that have been given GOP blessing and backing.

Yes, there are incompetent idiots in the Democratic Party as well, but it doesn't compare to the scope I've seen fielded by the GOP lately, and worse yet and what's not mirrored so much in the dems, a bizarre anti-intellectual pseudo-populist culture that actually seems to embrace stupidity and egomania as positive traits in a principle/candidate.

C'mon folks. Ideological issues and motives aside, please take more accountability for the candidates you support. I appreciate that people have jumped ship on KH, but that should have happened before her political career ever left the ground, and the rationale should be something other than just:
"She's a pain to work for."
or
"She has no prayer of winning the election."

It should be for a reason you must have known long ago: this is an individual who is not fit for holding high public office.

[formerKHstaffer]

John,
You make some good points. But the reality remains that sometimes you help get people elected in hopes they do wonderful things on behalf of the voters here in Florida. Sometimes we are wrong. KH is wrong for so many reasons.

[Irish Heather]

Knowing a person that works for Ms. Harris, I would never work for her. Kooky Katherine is Kruel.