Fla. Sen. Graham Carefully Considering Re-Election Bid

[Judi Lynn]

Fla. Sen. Graham Carefully Considering Re-Election Bid

POSTED: 12:18 a.m. EDT October 19, 2003

MIAMI -- Florida Sen. Bob Graham has been through the poetry of a presidential campaign. Now he must decide whether he wants six more years of prose - the day-to-day demands of staying in politics.

Graham has not yet announced whether he will seek re-election after folding his presidential campaign earlier this month. Repeatedly asked about his future this week, Graham borrowed a line from former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo after appearing in Washington with his son, Andrew, the former U.S. housing secretary.

The elder Cuomo once said: "You campaign in poetry. You govern in prose." For Graham, the words have taken on a special meaning. After the "poetry" of the campaign, Graham said he's "trying to decide whether to continue writing prose in the next six years." (snip)

(snip) Fellow Democrats are urging Graham to seek another term. Republicans hold a 51-48 majority in the current Senate, with one Democratic-leaning independent. Three Democrats have announced plans to retire - Sens. Zell Miller of Georgia, John Edwards of North Carolina and Ernest "Fritz" Hollings of South Carolina - complicating the party's chances of recapturing a majority. (snip/...)

http://www.local6.com/news/2564388/detail.html

[davhill]

1. I Supported Graham for President

I will only support him for re-election as senator only if I become convinced that there is no chance for the Democratic Party to regain the White House. I feel Graham has a valuable role to play in any new administration and I do not want Jeb Bush appointing my next senator.

[Frodo]

2. You should support him either way.

If he decides to run for his old seat tehre won't be a primary challenge (or if there is, we've lost that seat). If you DON'T support him you WILL end up with jebbie giving you a new Senator.

[mhr]

3. He Has Already Been Targeted Personally by Jeb

and the Republicans if he runs for reelection.

His calculation is simple. Do I have enough energy left in my body and soul to fight these bastards?

Probably not and the Republicans know this.

[The Backlash Cometh]

4. What he needs is an organized campaign.

Not an easy thing to pull in Florida, any more. His biggest problem is that there is a strong North-eastern influence in Florida. How do you tap into that without pulling the usual Republican racist themes?

Graham use to know how to unite this state. Jeb and his band of thieves don't care about unifying this state. And the people that vote for them don't care about that either. They come to this state already seeking the enclaves that will separate them from "undesirables." They gerrymander themselves by choice, so they can carry on their segregated communities that they had back home.

[Billy Burnett]

5. I've heard rumors of another Diaz Balart brother for this seat

Go to the last entry on the bottom of the page

Jose Diaz-Balart

http://www.hispaniconline.com/trends/2003/summer/movers/

[realFedUp]

6. He should stay in the Senate

He's a good seasoned representative for Florida.
They'd be lucky if he ran again.

[jiacinto]

7. It doesn't look like he is running

I don't want to sound pessimsitc, but it doesn't look like he is running.

[Frodo]

8. That's too many retirements.

Add Breaux as a possibility, and things are not looking good.

Is "I'm running for President" the easy way to retire in the Senate? Say you're running and then wait to get beaten in the money primary or early states then go home?

[okieinpain]

10. run conservative dems in those area's, the repugs run liberal

repugs, why can't we flip the script too.

[stickdog]

9. What does Sen. Graham know about Florida's new voting machines?

Why do I get the distinct feeling that the man knows he'd be playing against a stacked deck?