A 60-Day Senate Republican Primary

Governer Crist’s final State of the State address was more than just his last annual address to the State legislature; it was the first speech of a 60-day U.S. Senate campaign.  Sixty days that will determine the Republican nominee.

For the next two months, Crist has something Marco Rubio doesn’t have – a bully pulpit in Tallahassee.  And in his State of the State, he started to use it.

Almost twenty points down in some polls, Crist must do everything right to map a course to the general election.  And this speech made it clear he now sees his path does not include tea parties.

"Our practical solutions will serve only to inflame extremists… conviction must be tempered with practicality and pragmatism.”

That’s not tea party talk.

“We must accept being in the arena means enduring hecklers in the cheap seats where conviction abounds."

Not much question who he’s talking about here.

And so Crist’s 60-day campaign to make this Senate contest a real horserace began last night ,and whether or not he gains ground will depend on how he navigates his last legislative session as Governor.  Unlike prior sessions, Governor Crist will be active this go around. His Senate chances very much dependent on his performance as Governor and in his finding his voice “for the people” once again.

The ultimate insider, Crist has a chance to retake some of the outsider mantle that has fueled Rubio’s campaign by aligning himself as that “practical and pragmatic” voice against the legislature.

And against Rubio.

60 days for Crist to focus his message and control the dialogue.

60 days for Crist to make the Republican Senate contest about “problem-solving” and not ideology.

60 days for Crist to isolate the state’s tea partiers and find a broader coalition of Republican support.

Will it work?

We’ll know in 60 days.

Posted by Bernie Campbell on Wednesday, March 3, 2010
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If It's Broke...Fix It

We saw this past week why the U.S. Senate is broken.

The question Florida’s voters need to be asking is who among our US Senate candidates is going to fix it.

As Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) singlehandedly held up the federal government by putting a blanket hold on 70 federal appointments, we heard nothing from any of our Senate candidates.

Where was the outrage?

While they all talk about the need for fiscal discipline and bipartisanship, why has none of them publicly called out Shelby for his misuse of Senate procedure?

Shelby was holding up the federal government so he could “bring attention” to a pair of pork projects he wanted in Alabama.

Well, he got his wish. We’re paying attention.

But our attention is now not just focused on the outrageous steps he was willing to take to ensure pork for Alabama, we’re also looking at the fact that the Senate is broken and it needs to be fixed.

With the current use of the filibuster, it now takes 60 votes to get anything done in the Senate.  For all practical purposes that means nothing is going to get done.

And as voters continue to express their dissatisfaction that Washington doesn’t do anything, the primary question for our U.S. Senate candidates is what are they going to do to fix the job they want to hold.

Most observers of Washington agree that without alterations in how the Senate operates, it will continue to flounder in inertia. The change our country needs, the change our country voted for, will be held hostage and stagnate.

This is one of the biggest issues facing the Senate candidates yet none of them is talking about it.   What good is it to talk about issues if the Senate itself is broken, operating under arcane procedures that obstruct any meaningful action?

How serious can candidates be about getting something done in Washington if they aren’t serous about fixing the way business is done in Washington?

The fact that none of Florida’s U.S. Senate candidates have publicly condemned Shelby’s stunt makes you wonder if they believe this use of the Senatorial hold was appropriate.  That should raise questions in the minds of all Florida voters.

We need to hear from them

Is this how they believe the Senate should operate?   

And what exactly do they plan to do to fix this broken institution?

Posted by Bernie Campbell on Tuesday, February 9, 2010
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Can We Get Serious About Education?

We’ve all heard Tallahassee legislators at campaign time.

“We need world-class schools. We need our schools to prepare our children for the competitive global marketplace.”

That’s called rhetoric.

A recent Education Week report card on Florida schools concluded that only 37 percent of Florida 10th-graders were reading on grade level (the same percentage as in 2001).  And this same report gave our schools an “F” in college readiness and another “F” in state spending on education.

Can this be what our legislators meant by preparing our children for the global marketplace and making sure our children have world-class schools?

And while our legislators might find it satisfactory that 6 in 10 tenth graders aren’t reading at grade level, might view it as an indication of a “world-class education,” clearly there are others who don’t.

In a lawsuit recently filed against the leadership of the state legislature, a coalition of citizen and parent groups have asked the courts to determine whether the legislature is doing its constitutionally mandated job of providing a high quality education to our children.

“F” in college readiness.

“F” in state spending on education.

I think we know the answer to that question.

And now, incredibly, at the same time that this question has been asked, what does the legislature do?  It suggests we should back away from the final implementation of the class size amendment.

Concerned with how to balance the state’s budget deficit, the Republican leadership in Tallahassee has decided to balance the state budget on the backs of students.    Perhaps their reasoning is that if we already have 6 in 10 tenth graders who can’t read at grade level, what difference does it make if that grows to 7 in 10 or 8 in 10.

And at a time Florida is experiencing record unemployment, you’d think Tallahassee would look to invest in our schools rather than rob them.  You would think they would want to ensure that in the future our students might have the skills they need to find jobs, so that our state will have the talented labor pool necessary to attract high wage, cutting edge industry.

Well, that’s what you’d think.

The Republicans in the state legislature have a different plan:  how about we decide not to fully implement the class size amendment, making it harder for our schools and our teachers?   Because if a majority of our children can’t read at grade level anyway, what’s a few more?

That’s quite a plan.

No wonder there’s currently a lawsuit asking if our state is providing a high quality education.

Posted by Bernie Campbell on Wednesday, February 3, 2010
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To Be Senator, Crist Must First Be Governor

Fire the pollster and send the media consultant on vacation.  To become Florida’s Republican US Senate nominee, Charlie Crist is going to have to focus less on the job he wants and more on the job he has.

Crist once called serving as Florida’s governor the “greatest job I’ve ever had.”  Ironically, in order for him to leave that job behind and move on to the next one, voters are going to have to believe again that this is a job he loves and still wants to do.

Because right now, many Florida voters aren’t so sure.

It’s a tricky thing, spending tens of millions of dollars to get the greatest job ever, only to decide half way in that you really want a different one, which will also cost tens of millions dollars to get.

To most people, it just starts to look like nothing more than a game of high-priced musical chairs.   

The key to moving on or moving up is to resist treating the Governor’s Mansion as a stepping-stone.   If Charlie Crist wants to become Florida’s next Senator, the only way he can get there is by staying focused on where he is instead of where he wants to go.  He’s going to have to govern, not campaign.  He must earn his next job by performing the one he has.

At this point in the Republican primary, Marco Rubio is looking to be hired.   But Governor Crist is looking to be promoted. And that makes Rubio’s task an easier one.

As Governor, Crist’s performance and results can be measured, evaluated and debated. Results are what will get him promoted or not.   

And with a state unemployment rate nearing 12 percent, the highest level in thirty-five years; more than 20% of the state with no health care coverage and the new year starting with a $3 billion dollar deficit…the Governor’s got work to do.  

But instead of being a disadvantage, Florida’s sorry state of affairs could be an opportunity.   Crist has a chance to show who he is and what he wants to do.  As Governor, his actions have to make his case for why he should be the next Senator.

His actions are going to have to speak louder than Rubio’s words.

Posted by Bernie Campbell on Monday, January 25, 2010
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If It Hasn't Worked in More Than Forty Years...

Conservative hardliners continue to want a complete embargo with Cuba.   And not just an economic embargo, but a contact embargo:

Limited, if any travel.

Limited, if any remittances.

And why?

Because forty years of a failed policy is not enough.  I can hear the mantra now: “If it’s broke, why fix it?”

This right wing line in the sand is all about domestic politics, not about how best to bring change to Cuba.

Unless the last forty years is the way to do that.  And it’s not.

So why not a new direction?

So far, no one is talking about lifting the economic embargo, only about expanding travel and contact. 

And isn’t that a good thing?  Isn’t exposing people to freedom the best way to spread freedom?

In any other situation, if something had failed for more than forty years, it would have been changed by now.

It’s time we change U.S. policy toward Cuba.

Posted by Bernie Campbell on Tuesday, April 14, 2009
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Why Make It Harder?

To attract new jobs to Florida, to ensure our kids a shot at a prosperous future, to help lift Florida out of this recession – we need more college graduates.   There’s not much disagreement on that point.

So, what does the Legislature say to that?  Let’s make it harder to go to college.

Yes, that’s the answer.

As our young people struggle to find their place in the fast-moving, highly competitive international economy, an economy already dominated by a need for engineers and students comfortable with science and technology, the Florida Legislature is considering throwing up roadblocks to our children’s future rather than building bridges.

At a time the state should be finding ways to make college and higher learning more accessible and more affordable, the Legislature is instead looking at ways to make it less accessible and less affordable.

The current House proposal that would allow schools to increase tuition by up to 15% a year would be potentially devastating.

It would close doors, not open them.

It would silence our children’s dreams, not help fulfill them.

These legislators have been to college.  They know how life changing it can be. They know the impact of having a college degree.

So why would they choose to make it harder?

And at a time when everything else has also gotten harder?

Posted by Bernie Campbell on Monday, March 23, 2009
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Ultrasound? Not So Sound

When State Representative Rachel Burgin, co-sponsor of a bill to require abortion clinics to perform ultrasounds on women seeking an abortion in the first trimester, says….

“It’s a woman’s right to understand all the ramifications of what is taking place to her….”

What she’s really saying is…

“Women making the decision to proceed with an abortion don't fully understand what they are doing.”

And so in Miss Burgin’s world, big government must do for women what she assumes they have not and cannot do for themselves:  make a fully informed decision.

If this ultrasound proposal were actually about helping a woman faced with the decision of when or if to have a family, it would no doubt be a surprise to Miss Burgin that women making this decision do actually appreciate the magnitude of what they are considering.

Miss Burgin clearly thinks women do not, and so she must step in.

Interestingly, the legislation exempts victims of rape, incest, domestic violence or human trafficking from the ultrasound requirement.  Apparently only women in circumstances less compelling to Miss Burgin need more information to help them “understand the ramifications.”

But in the end, this is not about helping women with their decision, because if it were there are so many other ways that real help could be provided.

What this is really about is about is constructing one more hurdle to a woman securing a safe, legal abortion.

It’s about making it more difficult.

And the last thing a woman needs when facing this decision is for anyone, especially the government, to make that decision more difficult.

Posted by Bernie Campbell on Thursday, March 19, 2009
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It's Called Leadership

Yes, you can raise taxes and still get reelected.

There we’ve said it.

It’s what every state legislator is most worried about.  They’re not asking “Is the Legislature doing what is in the best interests of the state?”  They’re asking, “What do I have to do to get reelected?”

It’s what happens when you ride around on your high horse too long.  You lose sight of what’s happening on the ground.

So here’s a political lesson for the faint-hearted in Tallahassee – a lesson in leadership.

In 2001, when then Virginia Democratic Governor Mark Warner took office, he said he would not raise taxes.

But then, conditions on the ground changed, and like any good leader, instead of sticking to the planned course and taking the state off a cliff, he took the state on a new course, the right course.

And he turned the state around.

With the help of a group of Republican State Senators, Governor Warner put together a plan that raised taxes (including the cigarette tax) and brought an additional $1.4 billion into the state coffers.

This additional revenue put that state on the road to recovery, saved the state’s AAA bond rating and led to Virginia’s single largest investment in K-12 education in history.

And so what happened to Mark Warner?

Well, from what you’ve heard from our state legislators who run and hide at the mere mention of taxes, what Warner did in Virginia must have ended his career.  Certainly no one would ever vote again for someone who once raised taxes, especially in a conservative stronghold like Virginia.

Well, meet U.S. Senator Mark Warner (D-Virginia).

Virginians did get a chance to vote again for Warner, and they did so overwhelmingly. 

There is something to be said for leadership after all.

Posted by Bernie Campbell on Wednesday, March 18, 2009
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Why Not Ask Us?

If you folks in the Legislature are having such a difficult time figuring out how to close this budget chasm; if you really can’t tell a good idea from a bad one…

Then may I suggest you ask us, the people who gave you your jobs?  The people for whom you supposedly work?  At least that’s what we hear during campaigns:  “I want to go to Tallahassee to represent my constituents, my people.”

If that’s still the case, here’s a little advice from the people:

We don’t want to see funding for our schools cut even further.

We don’t want to see state employee salaries cut. Times are tough enough already without making it harder for these families, especially when there are other options.

And what are those options?

We, the people you work for, don’t understand the resistance to increasing the cigarette tax.  In fact, Quinnipiac University’s January statewide poll showed that 72% of Florida voters support a full dollar increase.   Why is it that so many of you in the Legislature care more about Big Tobacco than our children and families? Maybe sometime you can explain that.

And we, the people, don’t share the dogmatic objections to approving the Seminole Gaming Compact.   For us the logic is simple – gaming is already happening and the state can either get a share or not. What exactly is the logic to not taking our share in a time of economic crisis?

Sorting out the good ideas from the bad ones isn’t really that difficult, at least outside of Tallahassee.

So whenever you need help, just ask us.   We don’t seem to have the same difficulty figuring out the difference.

Posted by Bernie Campbell on Tuesday, March 17, 2009
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McCollum Can't Stop Being a Candidate

It didn’t take long for Attorney General Bill McCollum to start running for another office.  At least that’s what it looks like he’s doing.

Have you seen his office’s “crime awareness” television spots?

They’re better described as “McCollum awareness” spots.

The television spot has McCollum speaking directly to camera, which any ad executive can tell you is far from the most effective way to promote crime awareness.  But as for McCollum awareness -- well, there’s no better way.

The Attorney General says that’s not the case, and we’d be more willing to give him the benefit of the doubt if the television ads hadn’t been prepared by the same media firm that also did McCollum’s campaign commercials in 2006.

And that’s what these commercials are as well:  campaign commercials.

McCollum just can’t stop being the candidate.

But before he gets ahead of himself and declares himself for another office, McCollum’s already given his opponents their first issue.  McCollum made sure the $1.4 million “crime awareness” ad campaign was a no-bid contract so he could give it to his friends.

Seems the Attorney General found a loophole so the contract did not have to be competitively bid.

Now that’s how you want to start your next campaign:  giving no bid contracts to your friends while the state struggles to keep its head above water.

Welcome to the politics-as-usual candidate – Bill McCollum.

Maybe if you’re nice to him, you can get a $1.4 million dollar contract to make him look good too.

Posted by Bernie Campbell on Monday, March 16, 2009
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