Democratic challenger aiming for Ros-Lehtinen upset

[AlphaCentauri]

Source: Miami Herald

A little-known Colombian- American businesswoman faces an uphill climb as she poses the first serious challenge to a 19-year Congressional incumbent.


Annette Taddeo was managing her translation business and raising her 9-month-old daughter in April of last year when she got an improbable phone call -- one that would lure her into congressional politics.

A Democratic political consultant was drafting a poll. Would Taddeo consider running against popular, longtime incumbent Republican Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen?

The 41-year-old Taddeo, a first-time candidate, had always pictured herself taking a stab at public office -- a high-profile post, not a local community council -- so to her, the proposition made sense.

''I'm a woman, a Hispanic and a Jew,'' she told a group of Miami Beach seniors, to much laughter, while campaigning over the summer. ``I bring a lot to the table.''



Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics/florida/story/723799.html

[AzDar]

1. That would be awesome... Ros-Lehtinen is an insufferable Bush-bot.

Go Annette!:thumbsup:

[kskiska]

5. Oh, yes. Please!

[Billy Burnett]

2. Annette Taddeo is one of the Dems that Debbie Wasserman Schultz refuses to support.

Debbie Wasserman Schultz (DINO, Fl.) doesn't want to campaign against her good friend Ileana Ros Lehtinen (Repug, Fl.), nor support Ms Taddeo (D, Fl.).

[AlphaCentauri]

3. Wasserman doesn't seem to be a progressive, it's more like a Lieberman democrat

flip flop

[AlphaCentauri]

7. I just found this article about those demopublicans

DC Democrats Campaigning Against Progressive Dem Annette Taddeo

Here's something to note.


Anxious Miami Beach officials huddled Tuesday with Florida Department of Transportation representatives, summoned by Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), who met with the group, along with representatives of Reps. Lincoln and Mario Diaz-Balart and Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

So that's three Republicans and a top Democratic leader meeting, and that Democratic leader has pretty much endorsed these three Republicans. Odd, but on local issues, there's a logic to it we can accept. When you combine it with a whisper campaign against Ros-Lehtinen's opponent, though, this begins to really smell.

So let's look closer at a subtle campaign against Ros-Lehtinen's progressive Democratic opponent, Annette Taddeo. This campaign is designed to get two memes out there, that Taddeo can't win and that Ros-Lehtinen is 'moderate'. The first meme is designed to lock out institutional support from Taddeo, the second to help Ros-Lehtinen portray herself as moderate to voters. The notable thing about this campaign against a progressive Democrat is that it's coming from Democrats in the local establishment and parts of the DC establishment. The rumors of Ros-Lehtinen's strength are allowing groups like EMILY's List to not come in to the race, citing viability questions. To his credit Chris Van Hollen at the DCCC has reserved airtime in FL-18, so there is recognition she can pull this off. And I will have stats soon on EMILY's List support of candidates of color to show why the group should come in for Taddeo.

But anyway, here are five clear quotes that illustrate how the meme spreads. Take the following quote in the New York Times magazine.


They point out that the third Cuban-American member of the House delegation, Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, has constituent services second to none and is far more flexible on social questions than the Diaz-Balarts.(Her district now includes the heavily gay Florida Keys, and she has garnered considerable support there as well.) This, they say, rather than her views about Cuba, is what makes her own re-election such a virtual certainty.

Here's Fernand Amandi, executive at Democratic polling firm Bendixen and Associates.


In an off year for the GOP, it's a testament to the constituent work Ros-Lehtinen has done,'' Amandi said.`She's done a ton of outreach and it's paid off.''

http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/92565/dc_democrats_campaigning_against_progressive_dem_annette_taddeo/

[Billy Burnett]

8. Thanks for digging this up and posting it.

:hi:

[UTUSN]

4. Yes!1 K&R #4 n/t

[heliarc]

6. Oh. My. God.

I would look like a total crazy person if that happened... I'd be like Christmas Morning when I was 5 years old!

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen is such a horrible horrible cow... This would truly make my year.

[elleng]

9. Wish I could send some $.

Glad my Rep van Hollen may help.

deb w-s has stars in her eyes, I think.

[KaryninMiami]

10. And Annette is amazing and could use some help by the way-

Ileana is not going to be easy to beat- she is firmly imbedded in Dade county. I'm hoping her close ties to Bush will help people better understand how important it is that we support Annette who is really very special and will do a fabulous job. I am not in her district (I have Debbie Wasserman Shultz unfortunately who up till very recently, has been acting pretty badly) but I've been to fundraisers and am a huge supporter of Annette's.

[Judi Lynn]

11. On another of the unholy three right-winger's campaign: Candidates clash over taxes, Cuba

Candidates clash over taxes, Cuba
Cuba, taxes and both candidates' records were hot topics at a debate between Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart and challenger Raul Martinez.
BY LESLEY CLARK AND ALFONSO CHARDY
[e-mail]

Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart and his Democratic challenger, Raul Martinez, heatedly clashed over who has the better temperament for serving in Congress during a debate -- broadcast Wednesday night -- that was likely to be the last televised exchange between the two.

Pressed on statements he has made that he couldn't work with fellow Miami Rep. Ileana RosLehtinen if he is elected, Martinez demurred.

''It's going to be difficult,'' he acknowledged, after saying, ``I would be able to work with the majority of the people in Congress.''

Martinez blames RosLehtinen's husband, former Miami U.S. Attorney Dexter Lehtinen, for Martinez's federal corruption indictment in 1990. But he suggested that Diaz-Balart is the one who can't get along, charging that the Republican incumbent speaks poorly of others when he is on Spanish-language radio.

''You call them names, you say that they're communists,'' Martinez said, in the most spirited televised exchange yet between the two rivals. The debate was held and recorded Monday.

More:
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami-dade/story/728085.html



Lincoln Diaz-Balart pretending to give a pep talk
to _{George W. Bush,} for an absurd photo opportunity.
His brother, Mario, is directly behind him.



Mario, on the left.



Lincoln, Ileana, Mario all get sworn in together.