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The Buzz: Florida politics

McCollum says he favored Schiavo case intervention

By TIMES STAFF WRITERS
Published April 30, 2006

Attorney General Charlie Crist acknowledged recently that he disagreed with Gov. Jeb Bush's efforts to intervene in the Terri Schiavo case to try to keep the severely brain-damaged woman alive. So how does Bill McCollum, the front-runner for the Republican nomination to succeed Crist as attorney general, see it?

"Well, I can tell you I feel very strongly that he should have intervened," McCollum said, after some pressing, in a "Political Connections" interview airing today at 11 a.m. on Bay News 9. "I supported the actions Jeb Bush took, but I don't want to prejudge, just like a judge doesn't want to do that, what I would do as attorney general in in any given case."

In the Republican race for attorney general, that position puts former U.S. Rep. McCollum of Longwood on the same page on Schiavo as state Rep. Joe Negron of Stuart. The other two Republicans running to succeed Crist, Sen. Burt Saunders of Naples and Rep. Everett Rice of Treasure Island, disagreed with the legislative intervention.

The Democrat running for attorney general, state Sen. Walter "Skip" Campbell of Tamarac, supported intervening in the Schiavo case in 2003 but voted against it in 2005.

Sen. Mel Martinez beat McCollum in the 2004 Republican Senate primary, in which Crist took the unusual step of endorsing Martinez. Now that Crist is in a tough gubernatorial primary against Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher, however, McCollum won't return the favor.

"Either Tom Gallagher or Charlie Crist would make fine governors of this state," McCollum said. "It's probably in the best interests of my party and the state that as a future Cabinet officer to serve with the next governor, I not be involved in that, and I don't need to be."

The 20-year congressman said that as attorney general, fighting sexual predators and Internet pedophiles would be his top priority. The former Bill Clinton impeachment manager also said he had no second thoughts about that action.

"The president of the United States in that case broke the rule of law. He lied under oath. He committed perjury, which is a crime," McCollum said. " ... I think the problem with that case was the public was focused not on the lying under oath in a court of law but rather on the subject matter of the case itself."

Staring Monday, the McCollum interview can be seen on channel 340 (Tampa Bay On Demand).

TAMPA BAY CONVENTION? Tampa's bid for the 2008 Republican National Convention got a boost Friday when Orlando, the only competition within the Sunshine State, bowed out of the contest.

Orange County Mayor Richard Crotty wrote Republican National Committee chairman Ken Melhman that hosting the event would require closing the Orange County Convention Center for three to six months. That would displace other conventions, he wrote, at a cost of $200-million in economic impact to the area.

Orlando Republican officials offered support Friday for Tampa's bid, said Al Austin, the state party's finance chairman and a big Tampa office developer. And with no other Florida cities in the running, he said, the governor could help spearhead the Tampa effort. Bid packages for the convention are due May 22.

SORRY, CHARLIE: In Florida's gubernatorial race, the online politicking and anonymous attack ads are joining together. Someone has anonymously created a Web site, www.sorrycharlie.com bashing Crist as a closet liberal.

Using animation, the site notes that trial lawyers have contributed to Crist's campaign. It features cameos by the likes of Hillary Clinton, Ted Kennedy and Janet Reno. The site appears to be the work of a professional.

"By day, he dons Republican garb. By night, he's a liberal superstar," the narrator says.

Crist's rival for the Republican nomination, Gallagher, denounced the Web site, and campaign officials said they had no idea who was behind it.

RAHM AND PHYLLIS: President Bush may have won congressional District 9 with about 57 percent of the vote, but Washington Democrats think they have a real shot at picking off the seat held by outgoing Republican Rep. Mike Bilirakis.

Illinois Rep.Rahm Emmanuel has pegged former Hillsborough County Commissioner Phyllis Busansky as one of the top 22 Democratic challengers across the country and focused a special fundraising effort on her. Also on that list is Democratic state Sen. Ron Klein, who is trying to unseat Rep. Clay Shaw in South Florida.

Meanwhile, Congressional Quarterly has updated its list of top 20 congressional fundraisers for open seats, with state Rep. Gus Bilirakis, running for his father's District 9 seat, coming in fourth place with nearly $900,000 on hand.

Two Republican candidates to succeed Katherine Harris in District 13, Vern Buchanan and Tramm Hudson, came in eighth and 11th, respectively, while Democrat Christine Jennings in that race came in at 19th.

Democratic Hillsborough County Commissioner Kathy Castor, running to succeed Jim Davis in District 11, is the top female fundraiser among in the nation and ranked 13th among all House candidates.

BROWARD DO-OVER: Broward County Republicans are being summoned to a special meeting this week to redo their endorsement of Crist for governor following a rules violation over the first action in February.

After Broward's rank-and-file GOP endorsed Crist, supporters of rival Gallagher quickly lodged a complaint with the state Republican Party. The party politely told the Broward Republicans they broke a rule by endorsing Crist without first notifying Gallagher.

So the Broward party will do it all over again. With its former chairman, George LeMieux, having moved from Crist's chief of staff in the Attorney General's Office to the head of Crist's campaign, another pro-Crist endorsement appears to be a foregone conclusion.

The notice of the Thursday meeting at a Fort Lauderdale hotel lists a single agenda item: "To endorse Charlie Crist or Tom Gallagher for the Republican nomination for Governor of the state of Florida."

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

[Last modified April 30, 2006, 00:58:16]