TBO.com > News > News blog Reports
- Skidmore proposes statewide protections for transgender people as Tampa enacts rule locally
- Get your Bill McCollum autograph today! GOP reigns supreme on eBay (updated)
- Unemployment in Florida reaches 11.2 percent; debate over federal aid continues
- Rubio within 10 points of Crist? So says Daily Kos poll
- Sink’s CFO office chief to move to campaign
- AG race could be a contest of dog lovers
- Meek tries to pin down Crist on unemployment compensation aid
- Rubio backer collects $$ from Crist buddies
- GOP “emergency meeting” tomorrow; Okaloosa party votes against Greer
- Dockery snags endorsement from former GOP chairman Tom Slade
- Erin Isaac’s resignation letter
- Aronberg gets painters’ union endorsement
- AARP: Poll shows members support health care reform
- New “fair and balanced” Tally news service coming?
- Today’s number: 35, average age for high blood pressure in military
As expected, Florida Sen. Mel Martinez overwhelmingly won the post of national party chairman in an election today.
Martinez, President Bush’s choice for the post, won by voice vote of the committee, with perhaps five voices voting no.
In his speech afterward, he Martinez recounted his personal history as a Cuban refugee who came to Florida, initially without his family, as a teenager.
He called it “a story of the American dream,” and said, “I’m a Republican because I have lived the American dream.”
Martinez told the nearly all white members of the committee that he wants to “take that message to the broader Hispanic community, to the African-American community and to all communities that may never have believed that Republican ideals spoke to them.”
Martinez then got a loud standing ovation.
Prior to the vote, dissenters launched a procedural effort to block the creation of the position of general chairman. It was voted down overwhelmingly.
With Martinez in that post, day-to-day party business will be handled by another official.
Florida party Chairman Carole Jean Jordan said the election “signals a new era for Republicans across the nation, and especially here in Florida.”
Having supported Sen Martinez in the past. It is over. He voted for giving Illegal immigrants Social Security benefits when the boomers are worried if there will be enough for them. The ones that put money into the fund. He also supported a bill with Boxer of California to give amnesty to illegal immigrants already here. Sen Martinez refuses to answer my questions that I raise only to give me a BS answer that does not address the question. I want to throw his butt out. He should not be able to hold the Senate seat and he head of the NRC. Senator Martinez does not stand for Republican values. Only his own…...which are lacking.
Personally, I believe holding the position of both the Nat’l Party Chairman and being my district Senator will be just a bit to much on the Senator’s plate to do a good job in both area’s but we shall see. Congratulations to Sen. Martinez anyway although I can’t help to think that Pres. Bush supported him for the Chairmanship largely in part because of his Hispanic back ground and not because he was the only person best qualified for the job.
Good Luck Sen. Martinez, I do wish you well in the position.
Advertisement
Posted by Monty Otis, Venice, FL on 01/20 at 10:36 AM
Name one thing this guy has done as Senator for the past two years….