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The Buzz: Florida politics

Farkas' zing of foe could nick a friend

By TIMES STAFF WRITERS
Published April 16, 2006

The most competitive and widely watched state Senate race in Florida this year is the race to succeed St. Petersburg Republican Jim Sebesta. Democratic state Rep. Charlie Justice will face either Republican state Rep. Kim Berfield of Clearwater or Republican state Rep. Frank Farkas of St. Petersburg, who are in the midst of a tough primary.

Farkas, however, may find himself in an awkward position as he proclaims his strong support for Charlie Crist's gubernatorial campaign and fends off Berfield. One of Farkas' main criticisms of Berfield is that someone like her, without a family, business experience, or her own home, has a harder time understanding issues critical to voters. That happens to be one of the main points Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Gallagheruses against Crist.

"Raising a family, having a business, owning real estate, a house, seeing all the things other people have to deal with from an experience standpoint I think puts me at (an advantage)," Farkas said in a taped Political Connections interview airing today on Bay News 9.

Is Farkas questioning Crist's qualifications too?

"Absolutely not," Farkas said later, noting that Crist was once married and has served as education commissioner and attorney general, among other things. "Charlie Crist has got life experiences that make him the most qualified for governor. Running for governor statewide is a little different situation. I'm concerned about the people of District 16."

In the wide-ranging interview, Farkas said state leaders are funding schools adequately; how we wants to limit property tax increases on commercial and rental property; and how, if he could do it over again, he would not have taken a controversial fundraising trip to Canada paid for by a gambling company wanting his support in the Legislature.

"We just play within the rules we have for fundraising within the party. There was no quid pro quo," Farkas said.

The interview airs at 11 a.m. on Bay News 9. Starting Monday it can be seen on Channel 340 (Tampa Bay on Demand).

LAWYERS, CRIST AND GALLAGHER: Excerpts from a Gallagher gubernatorial fundraising letter we came across this week: "My opponent, Charlie Crist, recently told a crowd of trial lawyer supporters that he is "not a very partisan guy.' At that same meeting he heaped praise on liberals like Janet Reno, Bob Butterworth and even the Florida Supreme Court! My friend, these are NOT the instincts of a conservative Republican. This left-leaning tendency has not gone unnoticed in Democrat circles. In fact, some of the biggest Democrat fundraisers in the state who raised millions of dollars for Bill Clinton, John Kerry, Ted Kennedy and John Edwards are now raising money for their chosen candidate - Charlie Crist."

One of those big Democratic fundraisers, Orlando trial lawyer John Morgan, who has raised money for Crist and Democrat Rod Smith this cycle, recounted how the Gallagher he's known for ages was a thoroughly moderate Republican: "Tom Gallagher, who I have had fundraisers for in my home and have raised him a lot of money, has decided at the very last minute to totally reinvent himself (as a conservative). . . . Is he really going to be what he says he is now?"

LOPSIDED FUNDRAISING CONTEST: Katherine Harrison Saturday reported raising slightly over $1-million in the first quarter of 2006, bringing her total raised to date to $3.38-million. The Republican also put $3-million of her own money into her campaign - a down payment on the $10-million she has vowed to spend - so finished the quarter with $3.74-million on hand.

Democratic incumbent Sen. Bill Nelson has said he raised about $3-million in the first quarter of 2006 and had $10.3-million on hand.

Meanwhile, on the TVT-Ch. 13's Your Turn with Kathy Fountain last week, Harris stood by her view that newspapers doctored photos during the 2000 election to make her look bad.

Harris: "I haven't worn blue eye shadow since seventh grade, and some of those photographs had me in blue eye shadow."

Fountain: "But you don't really think the newspapers doctored your photos?

Harris: "I just question why there was blue eye shadow. But it doesn't matter. Why are we talking about this? Kathy, that's so silly. Because people care about the issues. If the media wants to talk about appearances that's different, but I'm not going to talk about it. That's demeaning to women. . . . They don't talk about men's balding or their weight, or their diminutive size."

ALL IN THE FAMILY: The list of budding Florida political dynasties already includes such names as Bush, Castor, Bilirakis, Meek, Diaz-Balart. Add another: Thurman.

Macky Thurman, the 28-year-old son of state Democratic chairwoman and former U.S. Rep. Karen Thurman of Dunnellon, has filed to challenge Republican state Rep. Larry Cretul in House District 22. Cretul won the district, which includes parts of Alachua, Marion and Levy counties, against Perry McGriff by 35 votes in 2002.

"You could almost call it genetic," said the younger Thurman, a teacher. "I was looking around and didn't like the way things were going. I wanted to make a difference."

GOP DOMINATES: The Florida GOP raised more than $7.29-million in the first three months of the year - about three times the $2.46-million taken in by the state Democratic Party. But Florida Democrats are half-full folks - they crowed that it's their best first quarter since at least 1994.

SO LONG, BUDDY: Buddy Nevins, chronicler of Broward County politics for more than two decades at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, paid a high price for his highly public decision to join the Republican Party. His Saturday column, a must-read for Broward's movers and shakers, is history, and he's off the political beat permanently.

Two months ago, Nevins gave a speech to a Republican club in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea in which he said he had switched his party affiliation in part so he could vote for Crist in the Sept. 5 primary. The story never made the Sun-Sentinel. New Times broke it and presciently reported on Feb. 23 that Nevins' actions "should end his career as a political reporter."

Apparently Sun-Sentinel editor Earl Maucker agreed. "By declaring his support for a candidate, (Nevins) irreparably damaged his credibility as a political reporter. And he damaged the credibility of this newspaper," the editor wrote in a column last week.

BUCKS FOR BAYH: Democratic Indiana Sen. and likely 2008 presidential candidate Evan Bayh is scheduled to be in Tampa April 21 for a $500-per-person fundraiser at the Tampa Club. Democratic consultant Bob Buckhorn is hosting and in his invitation touts Bayh's record of winning big in a red state like Indiana.

"If nothing else, the presidential elections of 2000 and 2004 have shown us that merely increasing the turnout of our base Democratic vote is not enough," Buckhorn writes in his invitation. "With three conservative voters for every two liberals, the sheer arithmetic truth is that in a polarized electorate effectively mobilized by both major parties, Democratic candidates must capture upwards of 60 percent of the moderate vote. A candidate that cannot win south of the Mason-Dixon and west of the Mississippi is only destined to repeat the heartbreaking losses of the recent presidential elections."

MO MONEY: Bill McCollum, the Republican front-runner for attorney general, reports raising $309,000, more than anyone else, in the first three months of the year, but with $395,000 in his account he still trails in money.

The other Republicans running include state Rep. Joe Negron of Stuart, the House budget chief who raised $204,620 and has about $1.21-million in the bank; state Rep. Everett Rice of Treasure Island, who raised $14,986 and has about $141,725 on hand; and state Sen. Burt Saunders , who raised $108,830 and has about $216,878 on hand. The lone Democrat, state Sen. Walter "Skip" Campbell, raised $258,439 and has nearly $395,000 on hand.

Adam C. Smith and Steve Bousquet contributed to this week's Buzz. For more political news check out www.sptimes.com/blogs/buzz/

[Last modified April 16, 2006, 00:42:15]