Mack smacks LeMieux over backing of Obama jobs bill

Posted May 14, 2012 by William March

Updated May 14, 2012 at 04:18 PM

Rep. Connie Mack IV has released a “TV-ready web ad” criticizing his opponent in the GOP Senate primary, former Sen. George LeMieux, as one of two Republican senators who backed an Obama administration jobs bill in 2010.

The ad includes video of President Barack Obama publicly thanking LeMieux by name at a bill-signing ceremony, and calls LeMieux, “Once a liberal, always a liberal.”

The ad doesn’t mention this, but to political insiders, it will be reminiscent of the famous man-hug between Obama and Gov. Charlie Crist, LeMieux’s long-time political patron, over Crist’s backing of Obama’s 2008 economic stimulus package.

There was no hug involved with the Small Business Jobs Bill, but when Obama signed it in September 2010, he named and thanked LeMieux and George Voinovich of Ohio as two Republicans who broke ranks in the Senate and allowed the bill to pass. LeMieux was in the Senate through a temporary appointment by Crist, but later repudiated his former patron.

In his signing message, Obama said the bill would “cut taxes and provide loans for millions of small business owners across America.”

He said the bill was bipartisan, but had been stalled by Senate GOP leadership.

“Thankfully, two Republican senators, Sen. George Voinovich and Sen. George LeMieux, have refused to support this blockade any longer. ... and because of their decision, this small business jobs bill will finally pass. I want to thank them for their efforts, because they understand that we just don’t have time any more to play games.”

The bill provided tax incentives for community banks to lend to small businesses, enhanced Small Business Administration lending programs, and provided tax breaks for small businesses and their investors.

LeMieux campaign spokeswoman Anna Nix said LeMieux backed the bill because it “cut taxes, helped small businesses get loans from community banks, and did not raise the debt or deficit. Republicans helped draft the legislation and George knew it would help Florida businesses.”

Mack voted against the bill as it passed the House on a near-party line vote with only three Republicans among the 241 votes in favor.

Here’s the ad.

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LeMieux allies echo his call for Mack travel records

Posted May 14, 2012 by William March

Updated May 14, 2012 at 02:09 PM

Seven state legislators, most allied with Republican Senate candidate George LeMieux, have echoed LeMieux’s call for his primary opponent, Rep. Connie Mack IV, to release travel records showing how much time he spends in Florida and how much he spends in California, the home of his wife, Rep. Mary Bono.

LeMieux contends there is evidence, though no proof, that Mack spends time with Bono in California or in their ski resort condo in Colorado, and comparatively little time in his district home in Fort Myers. Mack rejects the criticism—aides have said he and his wife are together in Washington during the work week, but usually both go to their district homes on weekends.

Today, LeMieux released a letter from Sens. Paula Dockery of Lakeland, Stephen Wise of Jacksonville and Dennis Baxley of Ocala, and Reps. Rachel Burgin of Riverview, Larry Metz of Yalaha, Jimmie T. Smith of Lecanto and Ritch Workman of Melbourne, repeating the call for the travel records. Several of those six have previously endorsed LeMieux in the race. All but Workman have endorsed LeMieux in the primary.

They told Mack Democratic incumbent Sen. Bill Nelson, who will face the winner of the GOP primary in November, is likely to exploit “the questions surrounding the amount of time you spend in Florida. ... That is why, for the good of the Republican Party, we ask you to please release your travel vouchers and official calendar for 2010 and 2011 and put this issue to rest.”

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Nelson lawyers demand stations pull Chamber ad

Posted May 14, 2012 by William March

Updated May 14, 2012 at 05:26 PM

In a letter to television stations across Florida, attorney for Florida Sen. Bill Nelson have said television stations should stop airing an ad by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce attacking Nelson, saying its contentions about the Affordable Care Act, which Nelson backed, are false.

The ad says Medicare beneficiaries “will see $500 billion in Medicare cuts to fund Obamacare.” Nelson’s letter, from a Miami law firm, cites an analysis by Factcheck.org,  a non-partisan political fact-checking service affiliated with the Annenberg Public Policy Center, saying that’s false. It also cites an analysis by Politifact.

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Local GOP picnic to include Senate candidates

Posted May 14, 2012 by William March

Updated May 14, 2012 at 12:37 PM

The three leading Republican U.S. Senate candidates, George LeMieux, Connie Mack IV and Mike McCalister, will appear at a Hillsborough County Republican Party picnic in Plant City Saturday.

The 11 a.m.-3 p.m. event, for a $2 fee, will include free barbecue and other state and local GOP candidates. Attendees are asked to RSVP here.

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Obama attack on Bain Capital includes Fl events

Posted May 14, 2012 by William March

Updated May 14, 2012 at 12:29 PM

President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign will hold Florida events in connection with its criticism of Mitt Romney’s record at Bain Capital while Romney is doing a fundraising tour of Florida this week.

The Obama for America campaign came out of the box this morning with a news conference call, a new ad, web site and and web video saying while at Bain Capital, Romney made millions in profits by destroying American companies and jobs.

The criticism focuses on GST Steel, a company Bain took over in 1993. According to news accounts, Bain invested $8 million of its own money, and took out $12 million in returns on its investment plus $4.5 million in management and consulting fees.

But Bain also increased the company’s debt by $500 million, forcing it into bankruptcy in 2001. About 750 workers lost their jobs, and were left with no health coverage and reduced pensions. The federal government had to put $44 million from its pension guarantee fund into the company’s underfunded pension plan.

The Romney campaign notes that Romney left Bain in 1999 to run the 2000 Olympics, before the bankruptcy. But that was after Bain had installed the new management and taken on much of the debt, Obama campaign spokesmen said in the conference call. Romney forces acknowledge that some of the dozens of companies Bain took over during Romney’s tenure as CEO were unsuccessful, but says many succeeded, made profits and provided jobs.

The Obama campaign in Florida will focus on a Florida medical technologies firm taken over by Bain, Dade International, where the campaign contends a story similar to GST unfolded.

Former Dade employees will hold an event outside the firm’s closed Miami facility Tuesday; the Obama campaign said other events will take place in the Tampa Bay area and Orlando.

Romney plans fundraising events in Tampa and Miami Tuesday and Jacksonville and Boca Raton Thursday.

Obama’s two-minute ad on GST Steel apparently isn’t yet scheduled to run in Florida. The six-minute video is on a web site, romneyeconomics.com.

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