Turn South Florida Blue!

If it's an election year, you can bet that both parties will be fighting hard to swing the battleground state of Florida in their direction. This election year, its clear that Floridians are tired of President Bush's failed policies and want big change. The environment is ripe for a big Democratic year and we have the top-tier candidates who can turn Florida "blue."

While there are competitive races throughout the state, much of the attention will be focused on the newly competitive South Florida region. Located on the southern tip of the state, South Florida has long been a Republican stronghold. This year, we have an outstanding opportunity to change the political landscape by taking on South Florida's entrenched Republican trio - Republicans Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL-18), Lincoln Diaz-Balart (FL-21), and Mario Diaz-Balart (FL-25). In the past, these Bush rubberstamps have been able to skate past underfunded challengers to re-election victories.

Unfortunately for them, their out-of-touch voting records are catching up with them. Now, for the first time, all three Republican incumbents will be challenged by strong Democratic challengers fighting for change.

Democratic challengers Annette Taddeo (FL-18), Raul Martinez (FL-21), and Joe Garcia (FL-25) are forcing the South Florida Republicans to answer for their support of President Bush's disastrous agenda. Each is a tested candidate with strong ties to their local communities who will fight for change in Washington.

Our Democratic Leadership in the House of Representatives has taken notice of the promising opportunity we have in South Florida and the high caliber of our Democratic challengers. Last week, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, Majority Whip James Clyburn, Democratic Caucus Chair Rahm Emanuel, and DCCC Chair Chris Van Hollen wrote letters of support recognizing them for their great start to their campaigns. You can see one of the letters here [PDF].

They realize that if we band together to expose the records of Bush's South Florida rubberstamps and fight for change, we can bring South Florida the real representation in Congress it deserves.

The first quarter FEC filing deadline is fast approaching and our candidates need your support. Join the DCCC and our Democratic Leadership by supporting our South Florida candidates for change. You can pitch in at our DCCC South Florida ActBlue page to give them the momentum they need to turn Florida "blue" this November.

Comments

[rlynnt]

"...we have an outstanding opportunity to change the political landscape by taking on South Florida's entrenched Republican trio...all three Republican incumbents will be challenged by strong Democratic challengers..."

It's a missed opportunity for the two Democratic incumbents who are not actively supporting the strong Democratic challengers. Why should voters support these candidates when their own elected officials aren't supporting them, when the CHAIR of the Red To Blue program is not actively supporting them even when that is the very purpose of the program she is chairing?

Voters are grown-ups. They know that their elected officials help each other out at election time. I seriously doubt any of the Republican voters will hold it against them if they campaign for their own. If it bothers them, they probably didn't vote for the Democrats anyway, so it's no big loss. Really, there is no justification whatsoever for incumbent Democrats refusing to campaign for Democratic challengers. It's disloyal and makes it harder to change Red seats to Blue. And this is especially true for the program chair. These rogue Democrats need to get on track with what's in the best interest of the party. If Debbie Wasserman-Schulz cannot perform the most important of her duties, then she should be replaced. And every incumbent Democrat should be penalized in some way if they do not actively campaign for challengers in their region. Less dollars for campaigning sounds like a good start.

[finally]

NOT A PENNY until the likes of Wasserman Schultz do what they are supposed to do: as outreach-co-chair, either endorse and WORK, or step aside and leave the job to those willing and able to do so. This is really outrageous!

[freaktown]

"This year, we have an outstanding opportunity to change the political landscape by taking on South Florida's entrenched Republican trio"

Not if Debbie Wasserman-Schulz has her way.

[freaktown]

"This year, we have an outstanding opportunity to change the political landscape by taking on South Florida's entrenched Republican trio"

Not if Debbie Wasserman-Schulz has her way...

[AliDaKat]

I won't give the DCCC 1 cent as long as Debbie Wasserman Schulz is part of Red to Blue. My family are grassroots activists and we support our party by boots on the ground, all the cash we can afford and working to GOTV. My brother and his son gave hours and hours of their time to help Wasserman Schulz get elected and when I talked to him yesterday he told me he would not lift a finger to help her again. He's hoping he can work for someone in her next election cycle to get her out of the seat. I don't think you fully understand how people feel about what she's doing.

[Unlabled]

Brian,

To say that the Debbie Wasserman Schultz situation has become a problem is, I believe, an understatement. The fact that you do not address it in this article and rather go for a 'rah-rah' tone is disconcerting and a failure to confront what is becoming a bigger controversy. Your efforts to paint this as "much ado about nothing" have failed to convince activist democrats (a good percentage of whom donate to the DCCC) and further ignoring the issue to not going to make it go away.

The DCCC is a partisan outfit because they (like the DSCC and the DNC) are trying to get Democrats elected. If Ms. Wasserman-Schultz is unwillingly to support and fund raise for our great candidates in southern Florida than she should step down, plain and simple. She helped Ron Klein get elected in 2006, why is she afraid to do the same now?

This isn't a complicated problem, if she cannot or will not support Democratic candidates running for Congress, she is not fit to serve in leadership. No one is taking away from here legislative accomplishments, it is merely an acknowledgment that she is not in a position to lead.

I hope this situation is solved soon one way or another. There is nothing Democrats would like to see more than Ms. Wasserman Schultz step up and help these great candidates get elected in 2008. But if she is unwilling to help, the DCCC needs to find someone who will show strong leadership in rebuking Republicans and promoting Democratic challengers and their ideas in 2008.

Regards,

Robert Nelson

[RS77]

Whatever. You're blowing a bunch of hot air. If you want support in So Florida, the first thing you need to do is get your own party members on board. It is disgusting and outrageous that you let Wasserman Schultz and Meek abandon the Democratic challengers in their area. Wasserman Schultz has even praised the Republican. The DCCC is really screwed up here. Not one penny of support until you guys get a spine.

[aperezfl]

It's tough to turn Florida blue when some of its top pseudo-Democrats, namely Wasserman Schultz, refuse to back Democrats looking to take some of those Republican seats. I'd rather see more politicians like Charlie Crist, the Republican governor, than Schultz or Bill Nelson.

[marysandra]

I have never totally understood why South Florida isn't already blue..I get the old Cuban exile voters, but we are two and three generations beyond that now..South Florida is much more than just Miami, through Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach county you have a great many upscale, educated people. While they are from all parts of the country, and indeed, the world,.We have an enormous Jewish population, mostly Northeasterners, originally.Many come from highly educated backgrounds, which include broadminded thinking, and enormous acts of charity. Not to mention, they tend to be liberal,politically. I know they vote, because many are my friends and associates. They are just as interested in social justice and equality as our Cuban exiles. I am aware that Obama doesn't have much of a track record in talking about Israel, but he has often spoken of his support and committment to that country. We further have a large African American community. So Obama should be a shoo in down here, right? Then why doesn't it feel that way? I have long felt that So. Fla. is the tail wagging the dog of the rest of the state, but those good ol` boys up in Tallahassee continue to act like we are a third cousin,and not a very nice one, at that. When will we get legislators that represent us?