Giuliani's lead erodes; Huckabee gaining ground
By ADAM C. SMITH, Times Political Editor
Published December 23, 2007
Rudy Giuliani returns this week for a three-day Florida campaign swing, including the Tampa Bay area on Wednesday. The visit is perhaps not a moment too soon, with his Florida lead melting away in recent polls.
Florida's Jan. 29 primary, which is supposed to be Giuliani's must-win firewall, increasingly looks wide open as the race begins tightening as election day approaches.
The average of recent Florida polls compiled by RealClearPolitics.com shows Giuliani backed by 25 percent of Florida Republicans, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee with 23 percent, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney with 19 percent, Arizona Sen. John McCain with 11 percent, former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson with 9 percent, and Texas Rep. Ron Paul with 3 percent.
Not all the recent polls are equally credible, however. The Quinnipiac University poll released last week found Giuliani with 28 percent support, Huckabee with 21 percent and Romney with 20 percent. Among Democrats, Hillary Clinton was leading Barack Obama by 22 percentage points.
"The mayor's base of support in Florida has remained consistent throughout the campaign, and he continues to be the candidate best positioned to win Florida's primary," said Giuliani campaign spokesman Elliot Bundy.
On Wednesday, Giuliani is scheduled to hold a "roundtable discussion" in Largo and meet with the St. Petersburg Times and Tampa Tribune editorial boards. Then he'll head to Broward, Miami-Dade and Orange counties. Huckabee will be in Miami on Wednesday and Orlando on Thursday.
Always about timing'
Given the terrible budget crunch looming for Florida leaders and the continuing cry for meaningful property tax relief, the timing could be ripe in 2008 for a major overhaul of Florida's tax system. So says state Rep. Kevin Ambler, R-Lutz, in a Political Connections interview airing today on Bay News 9.
The tax initiative on the ballot Jan. 29 is just a first step, and further relief will "require a creative look at how we raise revenue," such as sales tax exemptions and taxes on Internet transactions. "Politics are a product of the times we live in, and politics is always about timing," Ambler said in the interview that airs at 11 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Sunday. "We are really going to be confronting a very serious trough in our economy. ... I don't think anything's off the table when people are going to be looking at very, very potent cuts that are going to cause a lot of folks to perchance lose their jobs."
The 101st idea: Just give the books away
For months, a stack of Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio's 100 Innovative Ideasbooks sat in the gift shop at the state Capitol, free for the taking. "I couldn't give them away," clerk Gilda Morris said. So Morris tapped the buyers' psyche. She put up a big sign that read "free" and placed the books in a more prominent spot. Within 24 hours, they were gone. We wonder if Gov. Crist put a few under his tree.
Matrimonial ambitions?
More fodder on the Charlie Crist vice presidential front comes courtesy of veteran GOP strategist Roger Stone's blog: "Bachelors don't get selected for Vice President. While Crist denies any Vice President ambitions (as a good politician should), should the Governor marry in the next six months, it would be clear that he is a hopeful candidate.
"Ronald Reagan ran for President at the 1968 Republican National Convention after only two years as governor and no previous governmental experience. Crist surely has more experience in government today than Reagan had in 1968. If Crist shows substantial progress on issues in the first six months of next year the fact that he is in his first term will not matter."
And now a word from the lawyers
Worried about budget cuts, state attorneys have launched a Web site, www.fundfloridajustice.com, to keep the pressure on the Legislature to maintain adequate funding. The site, paid for by the attorneys themselves, includes a link to contact lawmakers and law-and-order images to reinforce their point. "Every dollar taken away from Florida's State Attorneys compromises public safety," the Web site states. "Arresting criminals alone doesn't stop crime - putting them behind bars does."
What do 100,000 want? Impeachment!
More than 100,000 people have signed up so far on Delray Beach U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler's online petition site, www.wexlerwantshearings.com, promoting impeachment hearings for Vice President Dick Cheney.
Adam C. Smith and Alex Leary contributed to this week's Buzz.