Graham leaps to the defense of Penelas

[Freddie Stubbs]

BY BETH REINHARD

[e-mail]


Supporters of Miami-Dade Mayor Alex Penelas roared to his defense Sunday after former Vice President Al Gore called him ''the single most treacherous and dishonest person I dealt with'' during the contested 2000 presidential campaign.

The most powerful comeback came from Florida's top Democrat, U.S. Sen. Bob Graham, whose seat Penelas is seeking.

''People in Florida who know Alex Penelas know he is a quality person and has been a Democrat under difficult circumstances,'' Graham said in a telephone interview with The Herald that was facilitated by the Penelas campaign. ``It is not easy in Miami-Dade County to be a vocal Democrat as a Cuban American.

''He's been very helpful to many Democrats, including Bob Graham, in the past, and I am proud to call him a friend and supporter,'' Graham said.

more: http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/8857276.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

[GBD4]

1. Castor to emerge from outside of this banter?

Graham
Penelas
Meek

VS

Deutsch
Hastings
Gore

two camps, a divided party? I agree with the principle that party establishment should not mess with primary races. while I agree with much of Gore's comments, now we have a very negative Senatorial campaign in arguably the most crucial open seat race in this election cycle.

[bullimiami]

2. gore is right

i live in miami and am no fan of penelas.
i dont understand why my rep (meek) feels the need to stand up for him (if the report is correct) but i dont agree with some other blunders he has made.

peneles is democrat in name but as a fairly typical miami cuban he leans pretty far to the right.

[Freddie Stubbs]

3. Any idea what Bob Graham's motivation is?

He seems to be pretty solid in defending Peneles.

[Mika]

4. Yep. The CANF

Graham panderers to the extremist right wing "exiles", and has made political hay from it.

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/JBFranklins/canf.htm

[Freddie Stubbs]

5. Graham's not running for reelection

So he deosn't need the support of CANF or the exile community anymore.

[Mika]

6. Correct, he doesn't need them. He supports them nonetheless.

He's built a reputation in Florida and Washington as an anti Castro crusader. He has family and many business interests in S Florida - he has a reputation to preserve in the community there. His support of the Penelas cabal (like the LBA for example) would definitely reap rewards for him and his family and businesses.

[Bombtrack]

7. You know, you fringe DUers never fail to show yourself to have

idiotic worldviews where people of certain heritages, usually Cuban or jewish, are all members of "cabals" who are dangerous and evil.

Yeah, yeah, I know, you aren't bigoted because you think some jews and cubans are good.

You keep wrapping up that tin foil and sane people will continue to marginalize you.

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Mika]

9. Graham's daughter is in Fla Dem politics, with eyes on a congressional run

Bob's daughter will need to grease the same squeaky wheels as her dad did in order to survive S Fla politics.


Bob Graham's daughter steps into political arena
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/breaking_news/8904577.htm

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - A fresh face with a familiar name could be one answer for Florida Democrats starved for new candidates capable of helping the party regain political clout.

U.S. Sen. Bob Graham's oldest daughter, Gwen, has taken a key role with the state Democratic Party in this presidential election year when her father's Senate seat is also up for grabs upon his retirement.

The 41-year-old mother of three is the state party's national campaign liaison with John Kerry's presidential campaign with added responsibilities of trying to keep her father's seat in Democratic hands.

And while Gwen Graham is helping others during this year's election cycle, she has her own political ambitions down the road - possibly a congressional run in 2006 from her family's South Florida base.

She acknowledges the huge asset of her name, but wants to carve out her own political identity. "It's important to me that people understand that I never assume that I can be or do anything just because I'm Bob Graham's daughter."

Name recognition, however, is an elixir in politics. And a big help in Florida.

[x_y_no]

10. gore is right

I agree. I'm in Miami too, and have never cared for Penelas' pandering, calculatedly political approach. Maybe that's what he needed to do to survive in politics down here, but nonetheless - I won't vote for him.

I've been undecided between Castor and Deutsch, but I'm leaning strongly to Castor.

[newyawker99]

11. Hi x_y_no!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[x_y_no]

12. Hi newyawker!

And thanks for the welcome.

I'm a long-time participant in political discussion boards - most recently on IWON and Network54 but going all the way back to Fidonet in the late '80s.

Although I've looked in on DU now and then, somehow I just never bothered to sign up before now. This election has me more charged up than any previous one, though, so I thought I'd take the plunge. :-)