Politics

What would it take to deter Giuliani?

By ADAMC. SMITH, Times Political Editor
Published January 20, 2008

While the other Republican candidates have been battling in places like Iowa, Michigan and South Carolina, Rudy Giuliani has been all Florida, all the time. So if he fails to win on Jan. 29, should we assume it's all over for hizzoner?

"You never want to say that. No candidate wants to say that. It's very important to us, we've made that very clear to the people of Florida," Giuliani said in a Political Connections interview airing today on Bright House Networks' Bay News 9 at 11 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.

Buzz's translation? Yup, it's probably the end if he loses.

In the interview, Giuliani touted his support for promoting energy independence and renewable energy sources and brushed off the significance of his law firm lobbying against provisions promoting renewable energy in Congress.

"Law firms represent clients. They do not necessarily represent the political positions that people have," Giuliani said. "My political positions are mine, they're not necessarily the positions that lawyers take when they're representing clients."

And it's Rudy, but by just 1 point

Results of a Florida Chamber poll taken Jan. 15-16 (margin of error plus or minus 4.5 percent): GOP - Giuliani, 21 percent; John McCain, 20 percent; Mitt Romney, 20 percent; Mike Huckabee, 13 percent; Fred Thompson, 7 percent; Ron Paul, 6 percent. Dems - Hillary Clinton, 42 percent; Barack Obama, 34 percent; John Edwards, 9 percent.

"With no clear candidate emerging as the front-runner, the nation will certainly be looking to Florida in the coming week," said Marion Johnson, the chamber's vice president of political strategy. "It is now a sprint to the finish in Florida. Whoever can connect with Florida voters in the final days could easily win and use that momentum to go on and win Super Tuesday."

Even power brokers need a break

That kick-back minivacation in the Bahamas with Gov. Charlie Crist last weekend is still not something the governor's office or the Republican Party (which paid Crist's expenses) want to talk about. There are limits to all this transparency, you know.

The Buzz has learned that the event, which included two dinners and some fishing, was a sun-baked thank you to some of the biggest fundraisers for the pro-property tax amendment campaign.

Attendees, who paid their own way, included John Sebree of the Florida Association of Realtors; Randy Perkins of Ashbritt, a nationwide engineering and trash-removal firm; power company manager Richard Paul-Hus; Republican Party chairman Jim Greer; Sarasota chiropractor Gary Kompothecras; lawyer-lobbyist Brian Ballard; Slater Bayliss of the Tew Cardenas law firm; and Harry Sargeant, a Boca Raton business executive and FSU fraternity brother of Crist's. One who was there said it was "a nice weekend to not have to talk about taxes."

Maybe they can call it Amendment 1.35

A scene last week near West Miami: In a tiny office on Eighth Street, a band of volunteers struggled to keep up with the demand. The phone ran constantly. People dropped by and ask, where can we get some?

Petitions for the 1.35 percent tax cap plan, modeled after California's Proposition 13, are rolling in and emboldening supporters who think the proposal on the Jan. 29 ballot is weak in comparison. "It's like jumping from an eight-story building and someone gives you two aspirin," scoffed West Miami Mayor Cesar Carasa. "But this," he said, holding up a petition, "will make taxes drop like a rock."

It would take a miracle to get the 611,000 petitions (and they can't all come from Miami-Dade) by the end of the month. But the group is going to try. Volunteers will fan out across the state on primary day to gather more support.

Only one no vote, but proposal still fails

By a margin of one vote, the Tax and Budget Reform Commission Friday rejected a proposal to move up the start of the annual legislative session from early March to early February in 2010. The vote was 16-1, with eight members absent (it takes 17 votes or two-thirds for the panel to put a proposal to voters in November).

The idea was pushed by former Sen. Les Miller of Tampa, who said cities, counties and school boards need the extra time to build their budgets after the session ends (Miller's wife Gwen is a Tampa council member). Miller suggested the session be moved to January, but former Senate President John McKay proposed February as a compromise. Tallahassee lawyer-lobbyist Martha Barnett was the only commission member voting no.

Adam C. Smith, Steve Bousquet, and Alex Leary contributed to this week's Buzz.

[Last modified January 19, 2008, 22:40:24]