When current Florida Democratic Party Chairman Rod Smith first won his State Senate seat in 2000, he had to defeat a sitting Republican House member Bob Casey of Gainesville. Smith came through a primary against Rep. Cynthia Chestnut while Casey had plenty of time to raise money and organize since he won the GOP nomination unopposed. This was a seat which at the time had never ELECTED a Republican even though the occupant the since deceased George G. Kirkpatrick had switched parties after his final election to the Senate as a Democrat. (As an aside, Senator Kirkpatrick once grabbed me by the tie after a committee meeting in 1998 and admonished himself for having trained me so badly…I had interned in his office for over a year while in college at UF and was strongly opposed to his school voucher legislation).
While the Democrats were embroiled in the primary, Allison Tant contributed to Bob Casey’s campaign. She did not contribute to Smith’s campaign. Smith defeated Casey in what was the only targeted seat that year won by a Democrat for State Senate. (2000 was a year with more open seats than any in memory due to the first implementation of term limits) In the previous two years, Casey had supported significant restrictions on a woman’s right to choose, several tort reform bills, the biggest of which was later declared unconstitutional, and Jeb Bush’s infamous A+ plan that passed statewide school vouchers and created the monster known as the FCAT.
Casey, in fairness was one of the best Republicans in the House on environmental issues which allowed him to hold a Democratic leaning seat for eight years. In fact, during the 1996 cycle when I was President of the UF College Democrats we had several student environmental activists who were strong liberals support Casey because of his advocacy on local environmental issues. Our candidate, Betsy Styron was strongly supported by most of us, but their were defections.
But Casey’s record otherwise was very conservative, particularity on social issues. At the time Tant was working for Holland & Knight and was a registered lobbyist. It is possible the contribution was due to her employment but is still bound to be troubling for many Democrats particularly those who have backed Chairman Smith both in his previous campaigns and as party chair.
entry below from DOS site:
Casey, Bob (REP)(STS) 07/25/2000 100.00 CHE TANT ALLISON 6035 BOYNTON HOMESTEAD
No shock. IT’S ABOUT TIME DWS FOUND A REAL DEMOCRAT TO SUPPORT. OH BUT SHE DOESN’T SUPPORT HALF THE DEMOCRATS WHO RUN IN HER AREA ANYWAY SO SHE SHOULD BE COMFORTABLE WITH THIS SORT OF THING.
Keep digging guys… you are guaranteed to find more whoppers.
Some advice. Check Ion Sancho’s office for local races. She’s been known to back those opposing D’s in many races.
Give Tant credit. If she had her way we wouldn’t have had the NRAs favorite Senator and the biggest deal cutter in the Senate. Also Screvin Watson would have made a lot less money.
Allison Tant is perfect as Chair of the Florida Democratic Party. This website should know that. The agenda of Florida Dems is to give seat after seat away to the GOP ensuring the business interests that back the FDP and use Democrats in Tallahassee as their lobbyists continue to control the state. Tant is perfect for this agenda. Tant will fulfill the wishes of her masters, those who lobby in front of a GOP legislature and have chosen peaceful even accommodation with Florida Republicans even if they throw rhetorical barbs at National Republicans.
Think this is limited to Florida Democrats based in Tallahassee? No try Florida Democrats based in urban, liberal Broward County:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/08/05/560360/-Debbie-Wasserman-Schultz-Still-Sandbagging-Taddeo
Some especially juicy nuggets:
But as three Miami Democrats look to unseat three of her South Florida Republican colleagues, Wasserman Schultz is staying on the sidelines. So is Rep. Kendrick Meek, a Miami Democrat and loyal ally to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
…
This time around, Wasserman Schultz and Meek say their relationships with the Republican incumbents, Reps. Lincoln Diaz-Balart and his brother Mario, and Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, leave them little choice but to sit out the three races.
Debbie Wasserman Schultz says, “I can’t say enough good things about Ileana Ros-Lehtinen; she has been my friend since I was first elected to office.”
Folks, this is the person that President Obama made chair of DNC and she is the one forcing Tant down our throats and threatening anyone who stands in her way because she is the best Democrat around. She is a total hypocrite and liar. Look it up. Ask people how many Democrats locally she supports? You guys always liken Tally Dems to Neville Chamberlin. You are right about them but miss others. Look closer to home guys.
Rod Smith made the deal that undercut the Trial Lawyers on medical malpractice. It was him. Yet some trial lawyers continued to support him.
Most supported Davis in 2006 for that very reason except those so tied to the elites in the party and Screvin Watson that they supported a sell out.
No shock. She should drop out. How many more contributions will we find?