Mr. President, we'll keep Jeb if you fix foster care

Karen Gievers, a lawyer who frequently represents the Democratic Party and has sued the state over its care of foster children, has suggested a way for President Bush to help his brother Jeb's re-election campaign: Fix Florida's foster care system.

In a letter to the White House, Gievers noted the president's promise "to do anything you can to help your brother stay in the governor's office."

The foster care system is in meltdown, Gievers said. Children are not safe from abuse or neglect in foster care, some children die in foster care and others are housed in motels and government offices while more than 1,200 are missing.

"Your brother and his hand-picked secretary seem intent on trying to cover up the crisis rather than to make the system work for the children and their families," Gievers wrote. "Can you, will you, help fix the Florida foster care system immediately?"

Imagination will have to suffice for the president's response.

"You are cordially invited to be whisked away with Rep. Stacy Ritter for a spa and shoe shopping extravaganza," reads the invitation that lobbyists received last week from the Coral Springs Democrat.

Those willing to cough up $500 for Ritter's campaign and $1,000 for the Chicks for Justice Political Action Committee can spend the afternoon of July 17 at the Bal Harbor Resort and Spa "purging the last remnants of the 2002 Legislative session by enjoying an afternoon of spa treatments."

The treatments will be followed by dinner in the Carpaccio at the Bal Harbor Shops and a night at the resort. The following day "The representative from Ferragamo" will lead participants in "an enlightening and enriching experience" at the Bal Harbor Shops in search of the perfect shoes.

The day will end with lunch and a recap of the morning shopping experience. The cost of the shoes is obviously not included in your campaign contribution.

The Chicks for Justice PAC was established by Ritter last year, has yet to report collecting any money and lists "government" as its purpose.

Florida Republicans are raising millions of dollars for candidates this year, and when they gathered in Orlando recently to raise even more, their chief fundraiser gave a stirring defense: You have nothing to be ashamed of.

"The newspapers are up in their ivory towers tonight, and they are going to look down and denounce the money we raised tonight," declared Al Hoffman, Tampa developer and finance chairman for the Republican Party of Florida. "Who is to judge how much is obscene? How much is too much? Compared to what?"

Hoffman then offered some comparisons: "There was $4-billion spent in the U.S. for pornographic movies, more than was spent on all the campaigns. I call that obscene. There was more money spent by people having a cup of coffee at Starbucks than was spent on the election. Candidates have to spend a lot of money to reach their audience.

"Don't be ashamed to invest in candidates whose philosphy you believe in. I say to the press, we are going to unabashedly raise money to support that vision. It's not obscene to express this central right to free speech."

Republican Sen. Debby Sanderson Fort Lauderdale was at odds with the Senate leadership all session, and she was the big loser in the redistricting fight. Now, Sanderson might not seek re-election.

"I'm looking at different options," Sanderson said from her North Carolina mountain home.

Sanderson's political base is in east Fort Lauderdale, but her new district reaches areas of Palm Beach County where she's not known. Now there's talk that Sanderson might run against her long-time nemesis, former Senate President Jim Scott, a lawyer who represented the Senate in redistricting and is also a Broward County commissioner.

So much for Republican family unity.

-- Lucy Morgan and Steve Bousquet were on spin patrol. Send tips, thoughts, suggestions to spinpatrol@sptimes.com.

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