Fundraiser's timing rankles McBride

For a guy struggling to avoid getting walked over by Janet Reno in the Democratic primary, Bill McBride has been mighty gentle in his criticisms.

Still, he acknowledged recently a couple of things she did that ticked him off: First was agreeing to only one Democratic debate, which he called "out of character" for Reno, bad for the Democratic party and "obviously political." Second was her scheduling an Elton John fundraiser in South Florida for Sept. 18 -- eight days after the primary. "Arrogant," McBride called it.

In fact, McBride and his wife, Alex Sink, received an invitation to the event. Sink, the former Florida chief for Bank of America, said they wouldn't be attending, but questioned what Reno would do about the show and money raised if Reno loses the primary.

"It's a bridge we'd have to cross if we came to it," said Reno campaign spokeswoman Nicole Harburger, adding that she still hopes McBride and Sink come to the event. "They can sit at the head table."

The Reno camp isn't sounding too worried about the momentum that the McBride campaign says it has, based on internal polls. But her campaign is not taking McBride for granted either. Reno recently completed some internal polling of her own. Now, after having downplayed the need for primary TV spots, her campaign is expected to air its first ads as early as today. A modest run of "three pack" ads (barely mentioning two other candidates) will air in the Tampa Bay, Tallahassee and Miami markets. Just as the state party ran ads for McBride, it is helping Reno pay for the spot.

The latest fundraising reports through Aug. 16 showed McBride with $1.7-million available to spend, and Reno with $140,000. But her numbers are less bleak than that. On Aug. 19, she deposited $750,000 in matching money from the state. All told, Reno had raised $1.5-million by Aug. 16, compared with $2.7-million for McBride, and $5.9-million for Republican Gov. Jeb Bush. The latest report for Democrat Daryl Jones was not available Friday, but as of Aug. 2, he had raised about $223,000.

Meanwhile, McBride so far is winning on the endorsement front, having picked up recommendations from the St. Petersburg Times, Tampa Tribune, Orlando Sentinel and Bradenton Herald.

Bush, an activist conservative, would seem a likely favorite of National Review magazine. But September's issue looked elsewhere in naming "the best governor in America." Their pick? Republican Gov. Bill Owens of Colorado.

Republicans recently sent someone dressed as a duck to a McBride news conference in Tallahassee. The duck itself was silent, though it wielded a placard: "Hey McBride! Stop Ducking how to pay for the class size amendment!!!" McBride approached the bird. "Is that you in there, Jeb? I've been looking for you," he said.

-- Times political editor Adam C. Smith was on spin patrol. Send tips to spinpatrol@sptimes.com

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright