Run, Jeb, Run!
U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris doesn't pose a real challenge to Democrat Bill Nelson in the race for U.S. Senate. Florida Republicans deserve a better candidate, and Gov. Bush is their only hope.
By TIM NICKENS
Published March 5, 2006
Jeb Bush for U.S. Senate.
If the Republicans cared as much about beating Bill Nelson as they do about holding on to the Governor's Mansion, Bush would run. He could even wait until after the legislative session to start his campaign. He could round up $10-million in 10 phone calls or less. Slap another exclamation point on those red bumper stickers and take off.
Jeb!!
Sure, this is fantasy. Take the governor's word for it that he has no interest in the Senate race. But the truth is other Republicans have no interest in it either or they would find a way to make this happen. U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris is a terribly flawed candidate, her campaign is a mess and she is not a credible challenger to Nelson.
Nelson is not a bad senator. He has grown into the job, and he's always been a moderate who can appeal to voters throughout the state. He has advocated for the space industry, kept after FEMA and opposed President Bush's poorly conceived prescription drug program. He has shown considerable backbone in fighting the Republican efforts to plant oil rigs off Florida's coast. And he has worked well with freshman Republican Sen. Mel Martinez, just as Republican Connie Mack and Democrat Bob Graham overcame their philosophical differences to work together on behalf of the state when they were Florida's senators.
That doesn't mean Nelson shouldn't be tested in the election. Harris is no test. She has not generated any enthusiasm within her own party. Democrats can't stand her, she hasn't raised nearly as much money as expected and she can't keep campaign staffers. Now she has demonstrated she didn't learn anything from the illegal Riscorp campaign contributions she accepted in her state Senate campaign in the '90s. She is embroiled in a similar controversy over illegal contributions to her U.S. Senate campaign by a defense contractor she tried to help. Her vague press releases only demonstrate she is as clueless about how she is viewed by voters now as she was during her sad performance as secretary of state during the 2000 election recount.
But Harris is stubborn, and she figures Republicans owe her. They talked her out of running in 2004 when Martinez won, and she has refused to budge this time. So Republicans in Washington such as Sens. Elizabeth Dole and Trent Lott are resigned that she is the candidate and managed to say a few kind words about her last week. That doesn't mean Florida Republicans should be stuck with her.
It's too late for state House Speaker Allan Bense of Panama City or U.S. Rep. Mark Foley of West Palm Beach, who would have been credible Republican Senate candidates. They don't have statewide name recognition or the ability to raise enough money fast.
Bush is the answer.
The man loves being governor, and he's certainly better suited to the executive branch than the legislative branch. He has his own vision, and he's not wild about hearing opposing views or compromising. But he's already having withdrawal pains, which is why he's re-established the Foundation for Florida's Future to stay connected to public policy. The Senate may be frustrating, but how frustrating is it going to be to leave Tallahassee, return to South Florida and sit on corporate boards while a new governor takes charge?
"I'm not sure that I can ever have a job like this," he told Florida Trend, our sister publication, "so I may have to just recast the whole thought process because if I compare it to this, it will pale."
What's so bad about the U.S. Senate? It's an exclusive club of 100, the private dining room is really nice and you can work as hard as you want. There's a lot of big egos, so Bush would fit in well. The Senate's slow pace would be exasperating for a governor who loves to brainstorm and make decisions. But it was frustrating for Graham, who moved directly from the Governor's Mansion to Washington nearly 20 years ago. Graham adjusted and so could Bush.
If nothing else, Bush could help his brother get back in touch with the real world. He could offer some realistic assessments of how to fix the Medicare prescription drug program and No Child Left Behind. He could offer some insights on immigration and continue the work to restore the Everglades. His brother's dismal performance makes it unlikely the country will send another Bush to the White House any time soon, so the Senate is the best it is going to get.
It is a bit mean to suggest Bush run for Senate, because Nelson has been big-footed before at the last minute. In 1990, Nelson had been running for governor for months when Lawton Chiles suddenly jumped into the race in April and clobbered him in the Democratic primary. But he is capable of defending his Senate record, and Republicans deserve a better candidate than Harris.
Bush is their only hope.
Tim Nickens' e-mail address is nickens@sptimes.com