Political junkie

Magazine with an adult outlook likes Sanchez

Nightmoves, which describes itself as Central Florida's premier adult entertainment magazine, features the smiling faces of models named Tiger, Desire and Maxi. And on page 50, it showcases another grinning face:

Frank Sanchez's.

The candidate for mayor appears in the adult magazine along with an endorsement calling Sanchez the best qualified for City Hall.

"Frank Sanchez is the man," the endorsement says.

Nightmoves publisher Paul Allen said he met Sanchez and was impressed with his qualifications. He also liked Sanchez's stance on adult businesses.

Sanchez has said the city spends too much money fighting strip clubs. He has called a city lawsuit against the Voyeur Dorm Web cast, which lets viewers peers into the daily lives of college women, a waste of money.

Allen said he asked Sanchez's campaign for his photograph and campaign logo, and told them he planned to run an endorsement in his magazine. Allen said the endorsement in Nightmoves would reach thousands of voters.

"People read it religiously," he said.

One of its readers thought so much of the endorsement, they anonymously dropped off a copy at the Times.

Sanchez acknowledged meeting Allen, and said his campaign gave him material for an endorsement. But he thought it would appear in a motorcycle magazine.

Until Tuesday, Sanchez said he had never heard of Nightmoves.

"It's not an endorsement I sought, and it's not one I would want," Sanchez said. "This is one of the more bizarre things that has happened."

A BUC IN HIS CORNER: Sanchez was happier with the endorsement in his latest television ad from Tampa Bay Buccaneer Ronde Barber.

"I'm no politician, but I do know what it takes to be a winner," Barber says from the field at Raymond James Stadium. "Frank Sanchez is my choice for mayor."

Unfortunately, Barber, who lives in Westchase, can't vote for Tampa mayor.

The ad also quotes from a Tampa Tribune editorial that praises Sanchez as "highly intelligent." (The editorial also concludes that former election supervisor Pam Iorio would make a better mayor, but Sanchez doesn't mention that.)

And the ad cites praise from U.S. Sen. Bob Graham, who calls Sanchez "a man of honor and integrity."

Graham spokesman Paul Anderson said the senator did not know that his name was being used in the ad. Graham has not formally endorsed Sanchez, but he did attend a fundraiser for him in Washington in January, Anderson said.

MEETING A FAMOUS SON: Sanchez had to leave a forum at the Hood Temple AME Zion Church in College Hill early Monday night to make it to a campaign event at Stump's Supper Club. Thurgood Marshall Jr., the son of the former Supreme Court Justice, had flown in from Washington to speak for him.

As Sanchez left the church on N 26th Street, a city solid waste employee, Timothy Green, stopped him and gave him a hug. Sanchez shook his hand, chatted, then left.

At Stump's, lawyers, investment bankers and Sanchez's campaign staff mingled with Marshall, a Washington lawyer who worked in the Clinton White House with Sanchez.

Suddenly, the garbage man appeared.

Green had driven from College Hill to meet Marshall. He was wearing sandals and an old jean jacket he bought at Kmart.

Marshall, whose law firm represents such clients as the Major League Baseball Players Association, listened to Green as he gushed.

"Thank you for all you are doing," he said.

Marshall was 6 when his famous father became a federal judge. He did not witness his father's epic struggle to end segregation.

But Green did not care.

"It's as great as meeting the president," Green said. "It's like meeting Martin Luther King III. It's that great."

A VICTORY FOR IORIO: The candidates spoke recently before the local chapter of Associated General Contractors of Greater Florida, and apparently Iorio did the best. The group endorsed her Tuesday.

-- Got a tip? David Karp can be reached at 226-3376 or karp@sptimes.com. Times staff writer Bill Adair contributed to this report.

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