Speaker-to-be Sansom defends GOP getaway

House Speaker-to-be Ray Sansom said at an orientation for new members Wednesday that Florida faces "some of the most challenging times in Florida's history, maybe the most challenging time," according to a report by the News Service of Florida. The news agency reported that Sansom was a bit testy when asked about the timing of a planned Republican retreat at the elegant WaterColor resort near Destin in such tough economic times.

Sansom, R-Destin, noted that the retreat is funded by the Republican Party, not with tax money, and that it's needed. “It's important for our members to get together and talk about what's important for the next two years,” he said, according to the News Service. House Democrats plan their own retreat this month, at the headquarters of a teachers union, the Florida Education Association, near the Capitol.

Sansom also had direct advice for the 35 House newcomers. "Tallahassee is not your home," he said, according to the News Service of Florida. "It is a place you come and do business for people in the state of Florida ... Don't get disconnected from your district. Don't get disconnected from the people that sent you here."

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Comments

Samson is Ok.

But really ...

How do you rate Gov. Crist's performance?

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/elections/sfl-1112cristperformance.poll,0,1336469,post.poll

And who pays the Republican Party...Lobbyist!

Rules to live by:
1. Don't support anyone for Speaker until you have served at least one year.
2. Don't go to Clyde's after dark.
3. Sponsor, write and pass at least one bill per Session without the help of a lobbyist.
4. Lead don't follow.
5. Don't worry about the next office you want...do a good job in your current position and other opportunities will arise.

"Tallahassee is not your home"

Can we list the members who think it is?

There are a few I see on the weekends at social events and I wonder why are you here, shouldn't you be in your district?

Dare you to list members!

"The news agency reported that Sansom was a bit testy when asked about the timing of a planned Republican retreat at the elegant WaterColor resort near Destin in such tough economic times."

Get used to that. This guy is going to rule with an iron fist and hates being questioned. He pulls off the aw shucks routine pretty well, but that's not the real deal.

Memo to the House Republicans:

You got lucky in the last election cycle. A few more $400,000 vacations taken at the same time Florida has lost more jobs than any other state and you won't be so lucky next time. This is your wake-up call. This type of extravagance represents everything that is wrong with our party right now. It is well known that the House members have warmed up to the idea of free family vacations and now see this as an entitlement. Chartered private planes are routine. WAKE UP!!! You can't pretend to be fiscal conservatives while you're living on the dole. STOP NOW!!! Buy your own meals. Use the telephone or a car, not a private plane. Keep this up and you will be in the rocking chair brigade with John McCain, dreaming about what might have been had you only acted like real Republicans.

[Cleveland]

While a retreat is appropriate, a retreat at a high end resort in this political and economic climate is a very bad idea. The GOP should be meeting in Lee County or Miami to get a better sense of the depth of the housing crisis and insurance crisis. Or, the could meet in Orange County and try to address how we can compete for the votes of culturally conservative, non-Cuban Hispanics.

This is the House's let-them-eat-cake moment. Disgusting. And stupid.

But, I guess no more stupid than the 'fundraiser' in New York where the House members zooted around in limos, took their families to Broadway, and neglected to actually attend the fundraiser that legally justified all the free perks.

8:24 many of the same Lobbysis who made Barack Obama the politician who received more lobby money from Freddie Mac than anyone else except for Sen. Christopher Dodd. Ever!

9:19, if you have a point to make, you might want to avoid channeling Borat while you're near the keyboard.

lets get real, the republican house members are focusing on solutions and will rise to the challenge, the new class of freshman have some very smart people moving fast on the issues that affect floridians, you can expact change, some very bold changes from florida republicans, you can take that to the bank!

so lets talk about money, does anyone seem to think that Obama bought the white house with $600 million? The democrats have their own problems just ask Chris Dodd about the words " mortgage fraud" and see how he responds, give me a break Sanson is a dedicated public servant who has character and integrity, I would guess you will see some real leadership from this speaker

You can take that to the bank! And then withdraw $400,000 for a weekend at the beach!

[no duh!]

The Dems are going to have their required seance and take a blood oath to the union hacks.

Sansom is a S.I.L.F. What a stone cold fox!

[Republicans destroyed our economy.]

Congressional Democrats approval rating high, Republicans, not! So much for the "blame it on the DEM Congress" myth!

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/11/one.party.poll/index.html

[terminator]

"don't get disconnected"?
I think a lot of these guys already did along time ago!

9:40 - The one element in limited supply in any campaign is time. Prostitutes charge for their time. Highest dollar gets the time. Dems had highest dollar so they got the highest media coverage. That's what got them into the whitehouse. Now that that client is "done", the media has more "time" for republicans.

I wish their brains would get connected and come up with IDEAS for getting Florida out of its fiscal catastrophe. And, no, letting Florida's public sector swirl around the drain for another year is not an IDEA. It is cowardice and the opposite of leadership.

11:36 Same old GOP/Rove strategy. Wishful thinking. Repeat it often enough and maybe it will come true. You are preaching to a different crowd now. Better change your tune.

Keep it up with all the social and sexual conservatism crap, and voters will continue to abandon that bunch of prudes.
We want secularists who can govern, not sunday-school teachers and schoolmarms pushing fairy tales.

Speak for yourself, 12:02...

So the Democrats have a retreat meeting in Tallahassee for $20K while the Republicans go to Watercolors for $400,000. I see where these are equal. Who is paying for this? The lobbyists for the groups who own the House. Take that to the bank, 9:37 a.m.

Dear 8:45 a.m.,

The list will include every House Republican and their spouses and families. Most of the party staff and a whole bunch of lobbyists who paid for the junket will also be there. This is your list.

Dear 1:14,

Right list for watercolor, wrong list for response to 8:45.

There's no Speaker more handsome than Ray Sansom! Stone cold fox!

In my book, this expensive trip is illegal -- ethically and morally -- and should be legally -- except for that Republican Legislature.

The Democrats "retreat" is right down the street from the Capital building. Now that is low cost.

And the Democrats can perform more elective functions in Tallahasse than at WaterColor.

However WaterColor is a cool place.