What did Katherine Harris do to change her status as the darling of the GO

[Toots]

In 2002 when she ran for her house seat she was the darling of the GOP. She was considered a Hero for her actions in the 2000 election in the State of Florida and allowing the US extreme court to place Bush* to office. Four years later she has become a Pariah in the GOP and I was wondering why. Did she not go along with every single bill they proposed? I know nothing at all about her except what I have read but I don't recall reading anything that would indicate why the GOP dropped her like a hot potato. Anyone have a clue?

[Ian David]

1. Maybe she's just too crazy, even for the GOP?

I mean, we're talking about a woman who spent tax payer money to spray Holy Water on citrus trees.

[cspanlovr]

2. The Slam, Bam, Thank You Ma'am Syndrome?

[IselaB]

3. I think it was the disasterous facelift.

[Warpy]

17. Or the monster tits

which a certain type of male (mostly Repug) think are in inverse proportion to a woman's brain.

[saltpoint]

4. It could be that she was perceived as a drag on the Florida ballot for

all GOP candidates.

(Seems harsh to single out just one horrifying GOP candidate in Florida, but that might be how Rove et al think.)

Nelson is heading for re-election and the White House evidently felt that shoving Harris out of the way, probably in exchange for some posh ambassadorship somwhere, would elevate their chances of knocking Nelson off.

[peekaloo]

5. The seat in Congress was her payoff. She got greedy and delusional.

She's baggage the GOP doesn't wish to tote around anymore (people tend to mutter things about stolen elections ya know).

imho.

[unblock]

6. she's no pariah, they still love her.

at a minimum, they feel they "owe" her for her role in throwing 2000 to shrub.

she's merely behind in the polls, that's all. if she was leading or even trailing by just a few points, they would be all over her.

[leesa]

7. She grabbed more than they offered her for her role in the theft. She got

her Congressional seat and a plum committee leadership role, which never goes to a freshman. She got greedy and wanted more. There's no way she is Senate material to them but I'll bet she threatened to talk and they had to begrudgingly go along. I'll bet she's vindictive as hell and they'll regret using her.

[Sal Minella]

13. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. I read that somewhere.

Seems to me she knows way too much to be safely (for them) cut loose like that.

[lpbk2713]

8. I was thinking they wanted to make a slot for Jebbie.

They would let him run for Florida senator as a stepping stone to keep his name in the public domain and then on to the White House in 08.

[Orangepeel]

11. if Jeb wanted to run for Senate, he would

he's probably the one person who could beat her in the republican primary.

[Orangepeel]

9. it's nothing she did, except insist on running for a seat she can't win

Her house seat was drawn for her, when our repub legislature redistricted after 2000. And, she only won that by a few points.

They know she can't win statewide and they are afraid that her presence on the ballot will energize democratic turnout and make them lose the governor and cabinet races.

[UTUSN]

10. She hung around after she wasn't needed anymore

She served her purpose in 2000. That was all. She was supposed to give a big "You're WELCOME," and go away. But no, she saw how easy it is for any phony to be a U.S. Representative and suspected it was just as easy to be MORE than that, and she let her needy greedy self get away from her. Buh-BYE!

[susu369]

12. There's more to the story of Harris being jilted, IMHO

Rove tried to dissuade her from running long ago.
Why?

:shrug:

[soup]

14. They're done with her.

They used her. She's got nothing left. The house seat in a heavily republican district was her payback. She's just not smart enough to realize that and sit down, shut up and go away.

The GOP knows what a polarizing figure she is. When she got greedy and wanted to run for the Senate in 2004, they went into full scramble mode to come up with someone/anyone else to run for retiring Bob Graham's Senate seat. The last thing they wanted to see was her name on the ballot in a presidential election cycle. Mel Martinez was quite happy with his position at HUD and said he wasn't running. Lo and behold, a week or two later (and who knows how much behind the scenes arm-twisting), and his White House endorsed hat was in the ring.

Two years later and she's back. Who knows, maybe they promised her her turn would come this time around just to shut her up in 2004. Or, maybe she's just assuming it's her turn.

She is poison - just hasn't accepted it. Which is fine with me. I'm just hoping she stays in.

[riona]

15. she didn't do as she was told

which was NOT to run for the senate.

[Warpy]

16. They thought a safe House seat should have been enough payment

for treason. Her continued ambition pissed them off.