A different kind of race in the 5th District

The presidential election is attracting the most attention in Florida right now. But in the 5th Congressional District, voters are learning about a different ballot contest, well before its traditional campaign season begins.

It's a race for Ginny Brown-Waite's seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in an area that hasn't seen a good race in years. This new challenger, Jim King, is different -- he's running as a Republican and the campaign is already underway. It's the first time Brown-Waite has faced competition for the GOP nod.

King's a long shot but his tack -- running to the right of the sometimes-moderate Brown-Waite -- introduces an intriguing strategy that could upset the balance of power in a solidly conservative district.

Read the story here.

Comments

Karen Thurman can beat Brown-Waite in 2008, that is the only Democrat who can beat Brown-Waite.

you really think Karen will put down the chardonnay, giving up a major lobbying contract to run. ummm No

Running to the right of ginny= segregation in schools,jailed and tortured Gays,Power to torture US citizens by local police ,immediate invasion of Iran,a draft,Illimination of the 4th amendment wiretapping all american citizens,Endless war,no environmental regulation,media ownership of all TV RADIO and News by Fox,No health insurance for anyone but Corporate CEOS.Sounds a little Orwellian,,close to reality.Mr Puffey

[Jamie Smith]

As a retiree and veteran with 24 years of active duty service I believe Mr. King is 100% correct that Congress should remain in Session until we have some resolution to the war they voted for.
Looking at Waite's pork spending record over the last few year it is past time to elect a real conservative.
Congress is AWOL while both of my brothers and son are on their second extended tours.
It is time we ensure victory and bring our families home.
I, for one, am excited to see a non-career political type I can vote for.

6:45 - take your meds. And don't keep forgetting to take them.

Somebody better tell King that the day of the right-wing wacko is done.

8:28 - "non career political type?"

If I do the math right, this king character has been running almost non stop for the past 16 years for one office or another, and under the banner of four different political parties! how is that "non career political?"

The bigger question is whether or not King has any actual core political beliefs, or is he willing to bend whenever the political winds shift to match up with the views of the Party whose platform he is runnign on that week?

[An Independent]

Just what we need. someone running to the right of someone who brought Tom Delay in to certify her credentials as a mindless ideologue.

"The Iraq war won't be won or lost in Baghdad, but in Washington D.C." was Waite's most revealing statement--she's plenty dumb and partisan enough to satisfy District Five rightwingnutters.

Wait, I thought John Russell actually won????

[Susan S]

Jamie Smith,
What would that victory look like? Since the mission isn't defined, sadly, there is no such thing as victory. The military already did its job several years ago. No one is sure why we're even in Iraq anymore.

Let's bring them home now.

And thank you for your and your family's service.

What a shame that King is a right wing wacko, we really need to get rid of the phoney Brown Waite but can't vote for a extremeist.

[Jamie Smith]

Susan,
I believe the mission is well defined and would agree this war has been handled badly from day 1. However, to allow this Congress to cut and run at this point would be a major step in destroying America. Brown Waite is one of those who seems to believe in the cut and run policy and for that reason I can not support her in any way. One major factor in this global war is there must be fear and respect for our great nation or they will keep attacking until we are destroyed. It is sad how soon most have forgotten 9-11. I just wonder how many more times we have to be attacked before we learn?
You want a speedy resolution to this war allow our troops to have the same rules of engagement that they have and you will see victory in very short order. I bet if this Congress was in session at the end of WWII there is no way we would have ended the war with the bomb but rather would have wasted another couple hundread thousand lives for no reason whatsoever.

The only person who thought John Russell won was Crazy Clint Curtis!

[Susan S]

Jamie,
I couldn't disagree more. Our enemy was not supposed to be the Iraqi people. We created that with our invasion. How do you gain "fear and respect" when you invade someone and tear their country apart? It's a foolish situation and there's no good to come from our staying there unless we want to keep enough soldiers in Iraq to referee for eternity. I'm not willing for my tax dollars (recent estimates of $20,000 per American family of four so far) to be wasted like that; and I cannot stand the thought of losing more lives to the mess.

It was foolish to invade, but it's more foolish to remain there and sacrifice more people for Bush's folly.

[Jamie Smith]

Susan,
I can tell you first hand we are not fighting the people of Iraq. Were it so we would have been home a long time ago. I spent some 11 months in Afghanistan and just over a year in Iraq and if you believe this war is against Iraq you are spending too much time reading the St. Pete Times and watching CNN. Were it not for an injury there - yes I believe enough in the mission I would return tomorrow to protect my family here at home and for that matter your family as well. I do, however, wonder what the American people will do for those of us who served? Sadly the American people will forget us all except to feel better on Veterans Day.

[Susan S]

Jamie,
Again, thank you for your service, but we are fighting in Iraq now because our president decided to take his eye off the ball. From our own military leaders, we know that a tiny percentage of the fighters in Iraq call themselves "al Qaeda," and they are only loosely affiliated with those who attacked us on 9/11.

Osama himself could not have dreamed that we would so screw things up so badly. Unfortunately, we will have to pay dearly for decades for what Bush has done.

[Jamie Smith]

At least we agree we are not fighting the people of Iraq. And exactly how many attacked us on 9-11? How about this?
Allow our troops to do what they are trained to do.
Get Congress out of this war and focus on our National Security, our borders and making America energy independent so we do not continue sending all our money to nations that hate us and want to see us destroyed?
Perhaps if there was any leadership in any of the past 3 or 4 Congresses we would not be facing the issues we now face.
I believe the deficit was created by the tax and spend Republicans over the past few years but our national security has never been an issue faced by either Party.

[Susan S]

Jamie,
According to our Constitution, we can't get Congress out of this war. They declare it and they fund it. But it's a little difficult for them to be responsible for our national security when they are lied to and kept in the dark about intelligence matters. Their biggest fault, in my mind, is that they have failed in their oversight responsibilities. They have not demanded accountability from the institutions of government in the past few years. And we as citizens have also failed in not holding Congress accountable. We have gotten lazy and disconnected (I blame the money in politics for that). Until the American voters get more involved and start paying attention, we will get the government we deserve.

[Jamie Smith]

Susan,
I meant get Congress out of the rules of engagement side only.
I agree 100% with everything else in your last post. My last question to you would be if Congress spends so little time in session how can they be expected to do the oversight? It must be so easy for the various departments to white lie when Congress is AWOL over 2/3rds of the time. We seem to believe all the other Members of Congress are the bad ones and ours is the one exception. Until that changes you are right we will continue to get the government we deserve.

There are more American contractors in Iraq than troops..Great for business..dont tell anyone

[Susan S]

Jamie,
Congress is working more under the Dems so that should help. The problem is that with the system we have, they have to spend all of their time raising money for the next campaign instead of legislating.

Thoughtful comments Jamie and Susan S., although Susan S. becomes more disciplined in her comments when she is challenged by someone who knows what he is writing about. 6:45, you are just odd and mindless. Go back to watching cartoons.

[November 20, 2007]

Have you read about anybody getting bit in the ankle in Washington DC? If not, then it must be that Russell is still local.

Why can't the Democrats cook up a credible opponent to Waite?

Oh, I forgot. All the "credible" Democrats are ducking to avoid the fall-out from the party canceling every single Democrats vote in the primary. "Come out and vote. We won't count it, but show your love for us anyhow--and don't forget us in November!"

It is hard to be a credible alternative when you are an idiot or complicit with idiots.

Why would the Democrats run anyone - that have Waite.

Anybody is better then the very fake Brown Waite.

Our biggest problem is that we have begun to fight wars like the French.

When they finally lost Algeria, and Indochina, there was a massive chasm between the French military and government. The generals fully felt that Paris had micromanaged them to the point of defeat and surrender, all for no more than political gain at home..

We've already faced one catastrophe like that in the alst century - are we willing to let it happen again?

Dave Werder filed to run as a Democrat. He's not much of a politician, but he's a hell of a good stand-up comic.

Anything is better than Ginny Brown-Shirte. Except Karen Thurmoron.

I found the web site for King. For me it is enough that he is pro-Life unlike Ginny Brown. I also strongly support his view on the Fair Tax.

WOW..is this a thread for susan and jamie? and who are they? i thought this was about the dem chair vacating the state party to run? ohhh i see, it is her protecters making sure the conversation stays where they put it, away from the topic!
soon as the primary money is funneled to the mitt romney camp, she'll step out to run and in her seat will continue the bush agenda. mitt=bush
why do you think it is so quiet?

[Susan S]

2:14pm,
Yes, Jamie and I got together to keep the rest of you from posting. You see, we Smiths are all-powerful. When we are typing, no one else has access to the internet, not here or anywhere else in the world.
(As usual some of you bozos will take that literally. It's called "sarcasm.")

Wow, did Susan S really just try and call others on this blog bozos?

Now that is funny.

[An Independent]

The Dems can't come up with a credible candidate even though the ground Waite stand on is "stay course in Iraq" and "borrowing by the trillions" is the same as tax cutting.

Pitiful.

With the kind of record Waite has, it would seem unlikely that she'd be retained in office but we don't think we belong.

The Dems would do well to continue supporting Waite. She has voted a number of times for cut & run with the Dems.