Rep. Vern Buchanan visits Afghanistan, agrees more troops needed

Congressman Vern Buchanan, R-Sarasota, is the latest member of the Florida delegation to visit Afghanistan and he concluded, like others before him, that more troops are needed.

“The Taliban is a destabilizing force in Afghanistan with ties to al-Qaida,” said Buchanan, who spent four days there. “They are a threat to the United States. We need to provide additional combat troops in the region to enable the counterinsurgency strategy focusing both on al-Qaida and the Taliban to succeed.”

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Rep. Buchanan also among most corrupt members, group says

Not only is Rep. Vern Buchanan one of the richest members of Congress - he’s also one of the 15 most corrupt, according to Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.

For the second year running, CREW named the Sarasota Republican to its list because of allegations that employees of his auto dealerships were pressured to make campaign contributions and that corporate resources were improperly used for campaign purposes, as the St. Petersburg Times has recently reported.

Buchanan is the only Floridian to make the list, which includes Sen. John Ensign, R-Nevada, whose ethics issues stem from an affair with a campaign , and Sen. Roland Burris, D-Ill., appointed to fill President Barack Obama’s Senate seat under controversial circumstances.

"CREW is a partisan front group whose false and absurd complaint already has been discredited in the press,” said Sally Tibbetts, a Buchanan spokeswoman. “The congressman's policy is to fully comply with all FEC guidelines.
-- Susan Taylor Martin

Reps. Vern Buchanan, Alan Grayson among 50 richest members of Congress

U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Sarasota, is the seventh richest member of Congress, according to an annual analysis by Roll Call.

His approximate net worth: $50 million.

But like most other members in the exclusive club, Buchanan has been battered by a poor economy and hes reported a minimum net worth of $15.7 million less than in 2007. Ouch.

Rep. Alan Grayson, D-Orlando, comes in at No. 12, with a $31 million net worth. (more here)

Victim says evidence of illegal reimbursements for contributions stolen

On Aug. 1, the Pasco County Sheriff's Office responded to a home burglary. Among the stolen items: original records that purportedly showed illegal reimbursements for contributions to U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan of Sarasota.

The originals are still missing. But the homeowner, Terry Keith Howell, had copies. Now Howell has given a set to the St. Petersburg Times, saying they support his claim that his former partners in a trucking company paid him a total of $18,800 to donate to Buchanan and Florida's Republican Party.

Howell, a registered Democrat heavily in debt, says the men are "bullies'' who pressured him to say he willingly made the contributions.

Story here

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Vern Buchanan likes Crist for U.S. Senate

Endorsements of Charlie Crist are fast becoming pedestrian. Today we hear from U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Sarasota:

“It is an honor to support Governor Charlie Crist’s candidacy for the United States Senate. Governor Crist’s record of accomplishment of cutting property taxes, protecting second amendment rights and promoting family values with Florida achieving a record number of adoptions shows that Charlie Crist is a common sense conservative ready to fight for Florida as her next United States Senator. I am proud to stand by his side.”

Bankrupt man says he was pressured to contribute to Rep. Vern Buchanan

Swamped by debt from divorce and a struggling business, Terry Keith Howell of Pasco County had just emerged from one bankruptcy case in March 2008 and was about to file another.

Yet Howell, a registered Democrat who has never voted in Florida, made the maximum $8,800 in contributions that month to a Republican — U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan of Sarasota.

And last September, while in bankruptcy, Howell made the maximum $10,000 contribution to the Republican Party of Florida.

How could a man in financial straits afford such big contributions?

According to his deposition in a lawsuit, Howell was reimbursed by his partners in a short-lived trucking company. One of the partners was Timothy Mobley, a Tampa developer whose relatives and employees were the single largest group of contributors to Buchanan, a member of the House transportation committee. (story here)

Lawsuits cloud Rep. Buchanan's future

SARASOTA — Flush with cash and buoyed by a big re-election victory last fall, U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan seemed a prime Republican contender for U.S. senator or Florida governor. But on May 12, the millionaire Sarasota car dealer announced he would forgo a run for statewide office in favor of seeking a third House term.

"Representing Florida's 13th District in the U.S. House is an honor and a privilege," Buchanan said. "I look forward to the opportunity to continue serving the people.''

What Buchanan didn't say: Just three days earlier he had been in Orlando, giving a deposition in a lawsuit that accuses him of breaking his promise to reward a former employee who saved a real estate deal involving Buchanan's Sarasota Ford. It was a deal in which Buchanan and his company "made out like bandits,'' the seller says. (story here)

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Chrysler axes Vern Buchanan dealership

Chrysler is closing one of U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan's Florida auto dealerships - Venice Dodge.

Watch the dominoes tumble if Crist jumps

Enough about President Barack Obama's economic stimulus package. Gov. Charlie Crist is poised to deliver Florida a gigantic political stimulus package.

If the governor decides next month to run for the U.S. Senate rather than re-election, as is widely expected, get ready for the wildest election cycle Florida has seen in modern history: five races for open statewide offices. That, in turn, leads to a dizzying number of other offices opening up as politicians jump for newly opened opportunities for promotion.

"It would be the mother of all domino effects,'' said Republican strategist Brett Doster of Tallahassee.

Imagine Tampa Bay watching local favorites like Republican Charlie Crist run for U.S. Senate, Democrat Alex Sink run for governor, Republican St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker run for governor and Democratic Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio run for chief financial officer. It's not so far-fetched given the vast number of politicians waiting to see if Crist utters the word "Senate."

Full story - and list of potential contenders - is HERE

Buchanan raises $500k for gov race, er, re-election

The Vern Buchanan campaign says it will report raising $500,000 in the first quarter and have $523,000 on hand.

"Vern's message of lower taxes, less spending and changing Washington is resonating with the voters of the 13th District," said spokesman Joe Gruters. "People recognize that Vern is a businessman, not a career politician, who has created jobs, met payrolls and balanced budgets. And in this time of economic uncertainty, Vern's background and experience is exactly what's needed to help turn our state and country around."  

What could he do with that federal money? Well, he couldn't transfer to a state account, but he could transfer it to the state party, which can pay for a lot of campaign expenses.Or he could transfer it to some other committee to promote his candidacy.

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