Rove trying to dissuade Katherine Harris from running for the Senate

[Goldmund]

White House political strategist Karl Rove and the National Republican Senatorial Committee have been trying to talk Florida Rep. Katherine Harris out of running for the Senate next year, but have been unsuccessful thus far.

Mrs. Harris has had several private meetings with Mr. Rove and with NRSC officials, including Chairman Sen. Elizabeth Dole, North Carolina Republican, who have urged her to forgo the Republican Party's high-priority Senate race. Instead, they want her to run for a third House term, pointing to internal polling data that shows she cannot beat freshman Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson in 2006.

But the congresswoman, who won national attention as Florida's secretary of state during the bitter ballot recount in the 2000 presidential election, has argued in these meetings that she has proved the polls wrong throughout her political career. To prove it again this time, she has put together a cadre of heavyweight campaign advisers, including Ed Rollins who managed President Reagan's 1984 campaign.

"I know I can win this," she has told doubting party officials.
Mr. Nelson, who narrowly won his seat in 2000 with 51 percent of the vote, is one of the Democrats' most vulnerable incumbents, and Mrs. Dole and Mr. Rove, who has played a key role in the party's successful candidate recruitment, have made the senator one of their chief targets.

More: http://www.washtimes.com/national/20050721-120803-1762r.htm

[woodsprite]

1. I may be outta the loop here on Harris,

but what does this tactic buy for King George, President Cheney and VP Rove? I would think she's shown her loyalty and they'd be pushing her toward the alta..... I mean podium for her acceptance speech.

[ladjf]

2. What this country needs is just one of the insider Republicans

who knows enough to blow them out of the water and who loves America more than the Republican Party to go sane and spill all of the beans.
Once the "beans" are spilled and corroborated, the whistle blower would be in no danger. All of the "Wellstones" happen to people who are threats. A done deal is no longer stoppable. I doubt that Harris is on the verge of "going sane". But, she knows enough to do them in if she wised. They shouldn't be too careless with their handling of her. She has a large ego and just might be on the verge of sanity.

[napi21]

3. Other than fraud, I hope she does run!

Nelson is a bit too much of a whimp for me, but I don't live in Fl. Rove and the boys must know she would at least have a very hard time winning, and I'd LOVE to see her have to make a concession speech!!!!!

[applegrove]

4. Oh my gosh! A Repuke actually thinking for themself and

marring the brand! I think at this point nobody is considered more harsh to the brand than Rove himself.

You gotta wonder with the nefarious types and how they project all their feelings onto others..if this isn't Rove's psychology saying "someone has to go". And of course he wouldn't have enough self-knowledge to realize it was his own dam self.

[garybeck]

5. this is propoganda

they want us to think that she can beat the polls because of her history of doing so.

the fact is, she will beat the polls because Diebold counts the votes in Florida.

[oasis]

10. Axis of Evil:Diebold, Katherine Harris and Ken Blackwell. Democracy takes

a back seat with this trio.

[dogday]

6. What's Wrong Katherine? Are they giving you the big FU?

they need to soothe the feelings of Ms. Harris who is wanting her payback for Florida 2000. I mean he is already Paying Off John Roberts for the recount, why not to the woman who cheated to make it all possible?

I hope they don't support her and I hope she gets mad and boo-hoos
about it......

[woodsprite]

15. She was in their pocket for FL, so I figured the reward was support. n/t

[centristo]

7. you see?

Rove really is the smartest man in Politics. I refuse to believe that the people of Florida are dumb enough to vote her into the Senate. Er, I hope they're not that dumb...

[JPZenger]

8. Answer to Question Above

To answer a question raised above, Rove feels Harris has too high a set of negatives, but very high fundraising ability with the hard-core right. Therefore, if she announces she is running, it will scare off other GOP contenders who would have a better chance of beating Nelson.

[Racenut20]

9. If they can get the deck sorted again.....

Eliminate primary contests, unlike the dirty last Senate Primary.. Christ and Gallagher both outpoll Nelson, where Cruella loses to him, but both Christ and Gallagher are announced for Governor, along with the Lt. Gov in a 3way that would be a multimillion donneybrooke. For her part, Katherine has a BIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGGGGG Warechest of Bucks for the Senate race. Has been raising money for 2 years from all the good RWingers who appreciate her 2000 crap as Secretary of State. She is grandaughter of one of the Scions of Florida... Think Tropicanna orange juice. Tropicanna Field where the DRays lost bball games to the yankees,redsox & orioles.... And Last but certainly not least,think Ben Lee Hill Griffen Stadium, better known as the "Swamp" in Gainsville.... And Griffen being Cruellas granddaddy....

Interesting huh... Gallaghers brouther the one who spent 6 million in last years primary and never got double didgets... Big Bucks...

[okieinpain]

11. if she doesn't drop out, there will be some kind of sex tape released

before the repug primary.

[Gman]

12. Harris now has political radiation sickness

from getting too close to the radioactive Rove. Dole now has political radiation sickness. They all have radiation sickness.

[Goldmund]

14. That's a good way to put it

:thumbsup:

[MsTryska]

13. I hope she is the sole republican

running in Florida.