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Curry on hotel assignment: “Surprised, disappointed, aggravated”

Posted Apr 30, 2012 by William March

Updated Apr 30, 2012 at 02:51 PM

Florida Repbublican Party Chairman Lenny Curry says he’s “surprised, disappointed and aggravated” by the assignment of the Florida delegation to the 2012 Republican National Convention in Tampa to a hotel in Pinellas County.

The delegation will be staying at Innisbrook, a deluxe golf resort in Palm Harbor. But it’s a minimum 25-mile, 40-minute commute from the scene of the convention in downtown Tampa, and likely more depending on the route.

Florida Republicans have been expecting they’d get less-than-choice hotel accommodations because the state held its presidential primary Jan. 31, earlier than party rules allow.

But, Curry points out, other states also broke the schedule and got closer hotel accommodations. He didn’t want to name states, but one example is Michigan, staying at the Embassy Suites downtown.

Why? It’s presumptive nominee Mitt Romney’s second home state, the place he grew up, and also a potential swing state.

Florida is also a swing state, “if not the most important swing state in the election, and our grassroots activists are going to be penalized for something they have no input in,” Curry said, referring to the primary date, which was set by the state Legislature.

“I’m surprised, disappointed, aggravated, but the big picture here is to deliver the state for Mitt Romney and that’s our goal,” he said. “We’ll move on, we won’t be petty.”

Curry said he’s angry because the convention delegates are the grass-roots activists who will do the work of voter turnout during the campaign.

James Davis, a spokesman for the RNC’s Committee on Arrangements, which made the hotel assignments, denied that punishment for the too-early primary date was any part of the reason for the hotel assignment. But Curry responded, “There are hotels in Tampa proper that could have housed our delegation.”

Reader Comments

Por (itsallpoo) on May 01, 2012 (Suggest removal)

Wah wah wah wah wah, pack of babies, Innisbrook is a very expensive place to stay and I’m sure it was chosen for the ability to keep the mobs of media away from the delegates at least at certain times of day.  I’m sure that none of these people are paying their own bills so just shush if you ask me.  For a bunch of people used to getting around DC 40 minutes is a laugh.  Poor little rich babies…they get no sympathy from me.

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Por (jojelela) on May 01, 2012 (Suggest removal)

O.M.G., REALLY?  You have to COMMUTE from one of the nicest places in the state, and you’re “disappointed” and “aggravated?”  Imagine your child with cancer.  Imagine having to dive through dumpsters for half eaten pieces of chicken so your children can eat.  Imagine your wife being gang raped by soldiers because you are of a different tribe. Imagine your daughters being poisoned because you dared them to go to school.  God, you don’t want to be petty but you’re complaining about being at INNISBROOK?  You make me sick.  I’m an independent who was totally disgusted with BOTH parties’ nominations, but this seals it.  Democrats get my vote, even if I have to hold my nose and dose up on anti-vomit medication while I do it. *spit*

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Por (jojelela) on May 01, 2012 (Suggest removal)

Correction above - should say “Because you dared to send them to school.”

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