House Republicans rally around their embattled speaker

© St. Petersburg Times
published February 19, 2003

TALLAHASSEE -- House Republicans are rallying around Speaker Johnnie Byrd, whose increased spending on public relations has prompted widespread criticism.

A House Republican caucus Monday night turned into a cheerleading session for Byrd, featuring denunciations of the Florida news media.

Majority Leader Marco Rubio led the cheering after noting that newspaper editorial pages around the state have repeatedly attacked Republicans in the Legislature even as Florida voters "return us to the House each time."

Rubio urged lawmakers to remember the people they represent and avoid letting "the pundits and editorial boards try to bully us into abandoning our principles."

The meeting was apparently an attempt to quell talk of a rift among Republican leaders, who have been privately critical of Byrd's tendency to make decisions without consulting others.

Byrd has been harshly criticized by newspaper editorials and columnists for spending more than $614,000 on a 13-member communications staff at a time of budget cuts. He also was assailed for a plan to spend tax money on prerecorded telephone calls to constituents. Byrd dropped that idea last week but continued to say the House needs to communicate directly with Floridians to avoid the "filter" of the news media.

Rubio, of West Miami, predicted that the next two years, though challenging, might be "among Florida's greatest."

"Over the past few weeks he has been the subject of unfair things while defending the principles we all stand up for," Rubio said. "Mr. Speaker, over the last few weeks you've been an example of leadership that we would all be well-served to copy. You have stood up for our beliefs and been a lightning rod for this caucus. We are behind you as you are behind us. Mr. Speaker, I think this caucus is very very proud of you."

Members stood and cheered.

Byrd began a 30-minute speech by recalling his earliest days in the House, when he spent nights with his wife at a Motel 6 and shared a cold drink with truck drivers instead of joining his colleagues at fancy dinners. That was 1996.

By 1998, Byrd had become a committee chairman and was working to become speaker.

Byrd called 2000 "a banner year" for the Legislature because the arrival of term limits meant veteran members were replaced by a new group of "energetic and articulate and driven" lawmakers.

"You are them," he added.

Byrd promised more power to individual members under new rules that require amendments to be filed two days before a vote.

"My goal in life is for each and every one of you to say something, do something and be something," Byrd said.

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