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Bush rains on Harris' parade

Despite the governor's doubts about her campaign's future, Katherine Harris vows to fight on and defeat Sen. Bill Nelson.

By ANITA KUMAR and ALEX LEARY
Published May 9, 2006

But fellow Republican Gov. Jeb Bush upstaged her with his harshest comments to date on her struggling campaign to unseat Democrat Sen. Bill Nelson in November.

"I just don't believe she can win," Bush said of Harris. "Most of the polls I see show her down by 30. She's not had any, gained any traction."

The governor's extraordinary comments are another reminder that heavyweight Republicans are unhappy with the idea of having Harris at the top of the ticket in Florida and are no longer shy about saying so. Harris' veteran team of advisers resigned in recent months, saying they couldn't persuade her to drop out of the race.

Now, just four days before the qualifying period ends Friday, the race for one of Florida's seats in the U.S. Senate is far from settled.

A growing number of Republican insiders are encouraging Florida House Speaker Allan Bense to challenge Harris in the Republican primary.

"I believe the calls he has received and pledges of support have made it clear what he has going for him," said former state Republican chairman Al Cardenas.

Bush has been trying to persuade Bense to run for weeks even as he was presiding over the House during the legislative session that ended Friday.

"I've expressed my opinion about Speaker Bense and have a lot of respect for him," Bush said. "And he'll make up his own mind, and when he does I believe there will be lots of support for him, if he decides to run."

Bense did not immediately return messages seeking comment, but his wife, Tonie, said Monday from their Panama City home that he has not decided whether to run.

"I keep listening. I keep looking at his face," she said. "He's not off the phone, ever."

Harris dismissed Bush's comments as she has had to do many times before in recent months.

"With all due respect to the governor - because I think he's done an extraordinary job - we know we can win and we have a strategy to do so," she said. "Before he said it can be turned around."

She said she preferred not to run against Bense, but she would.

"He's a really nice man and I would hate to run against him because I really like him," she said. "But I'm ready for the challenge."

Harris, the former secretary of state during the bitter 2000 presidential recount, arrived at the state Division of Election building, where she was warmly greeted by workers, some by first name, and supporters.

"With all the bad publicity so far, many others would have thrown in the towel," Jefferson County Commissioner Jerry Sutphin said. "But Katherine's got spunk, and we need someone in Washington with a little spunk."

Nelson also qualified for Senate on Monday, the first day federal candidates could do so, by having supporter Mark Herron hand-deliver his papers. Nelson was in Washington, where the Senate was in session.

Harris' campaign has been plagued by problems from the start in staffing and fundraising. In recent months, she has been tied to a defense contractor who admitted bribing another member of Congress and giving her illegal campaign contributions.

Times staff writers Letitia Stein and Lucy Morgan contributed to this report which included information from the Associated Press. Anita Kumar can be reached at akumar@sptimes.com or 202-463-0576.

[Last modified May 9, 2006, 05:58:20]