Tallahassee Awash in Republican Corruption

For Immediate Release: April 8, 2008

TALLAHASSEE - Pride goes before a fall.

Charlie Crist, Marco Rubio, Jeff Atwater and Mike Haridopolos may do well to consider that proverb as they sit smugly in Tallahassee. Floridians are quickly learning the extent of the disdain Republican politicians have for the people.

Recent headlines have laid bare the culture of corruption permeating the Republican Party of Florida. Four of the party's most prominent leaders have made it abundantly clear just how willing they are to spin, deceive and cheat their way to personal prosperity while everyday Floridians trod through a Republican recession.

"Who are these corrupt Republicans serving other than their friends or themselves? Each an architect of the Republican recession we now trod through as a state, Crist, Rubio, Atwater and Haridopolos should remember that voters don't take kindly to blind hubris," Florida Democratic Party spokesman Mark Bubriski said. "With every passing day, they send a loud and clear message to Floridians: Republicans simply cannot be trusted."

CRIST

Empty Chair Charlie Crist governs as if he lived in a parallel universe where a springtime shower can wash all of Florida's problems away. Crist's gleeful obliviousness caused the St. Petersburg Times to wonder whether he's "increasingly detached from the realities facing Florida." [St. Petersburg Times, 4/6/08]

As a candidate for Governor, Crist skewered his opponent for missing votes in Congress. Yet, the same Crist has been under fire for poor job attendance - missing from work more than half the time in the first month and a half of 2008. Now doubts are growing about his ability to handle the state's economic crisis or even navigate the state budget.

"The 'People's Governor' has sold the press and the public on the notion that he's a can-do executive who can unite Florida. His daily flurry of news releases and staged appearances - some of them are even in Florida - create the impression that he's hard at work doing the people's business," wrote conservative Treasure Coast columnist Kenric Ward. "Don't confuse activity for accomplishment, however. If you follow the money, you'll see where Crist's true allegiances lie.

"Far from being a deep innovator, Crist appears to be an oh-so-conventional tool for the corporate interests who bankroll him," Ward added. "Crist also received $763,000 from the insurance industry. How's your house coverage?"

Budget Ax Threatens Crist Agenda
St. Petersburg Times, 4/8/08
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/state/article445603.ece

Sorry, Charlie. It's Not So Sunny.
St. Petersburg Times, 4/6/08
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/state/article445362.ece

All Things to All People? Crist Keeps on Spinning
Treasure Coast Newspapers, 3/4/08
http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2008/mar/04/kenric-ward-all-things-all-people-crist-keeps-spin/

Don't forget your day job, governor
St. Petersburg Times, 3/2/08
http://www.sptimes.com/2008/03/02/State/The_Buzz_on_Florida_p.shtml

Much more at www.EmptyChairCharlie.com...

RUBIO

Rubio, the once-darling Speaker of the House, has dropped his squeaky clean image like a bad habit as he runs for mayor of Miami-Dade. Last week's loan scandal and this week's gas scandal have made his holier-than-thou attitude plainly duplicitous. A Miami Herald expose yesterday revealed how Rubio secretly inserted language into the state budget to give a close confidant the ability to more easily bid for fuel contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars - a deceitful move denounced by his Republicans colleagues and transportation officials.

Rubio has thumbed his nose at critics, grasping desperately to the belief he can coerce the public into believing the sweetheart deal will somehow save the public money.

"Reading news reports in the state's newspapers doesn't exactly instill confidence in Tallahassee... Rubio slipped language into the budget bill that helps a political contributor and friend with a turnpike fuel contract worth millions of dollars," wrote Florida Times-Union columnist Ron Littlepage today. "This is the same Rubio who has a holier-than-thou attitude when it comes to telling local governments throughout Florida how they should conduct business."

Rubio defends added language
Miami Herald, 4/8/08
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/broward/story/486913.html

Dems: Rubio 'reeks of corruption'
St. Petersburg Times Blog, 4/7/08
http://blogs.tampabay.com/buzz/2008/04/dems-rubio-reek.html

Rubio's budget wording benefits ally
Miami Herald, 4/7/08
http://www.miamiherald.com/458/story/485704.html

Rubio's Fast $135,000
Palm Beach Post, 4/7/08
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/content/opinion/epaper/2008/04/07/m18a_rubio_edit_0407.html

Rubio Amends Disclosure Forms After Newspaper Investigation
Associated Press, 4/1/08
http://www.nbc6.net/news/15766474/detail.html

Rubio Home Equity Loan Questioned
Miami Herald, 3/29/08
http://www.miamiherald.com/top_stories/story/474645.html

Tax Flip Benefits Richer Families
Palm Beach Post, 3/30/08
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/search/content/state/epaper/2008/03/30/m1a_prop_tax_0330.html

ATWATER

Jeff Atwater, in line to become the next Senate President, is up for reelection in November and the campaign has sent him into full-on panic mode for the past year. Rumors abound that he's threatened lobbyists with retribution for helping Democrats. "Some lobbyists report being invited to meet with Atwater at RPOF headquarters in recent weeks, where they were reminded how much their clients gave in recent cycles," the St. Petersburg Times reported in August.

Atwater pressured other senators in a failed effort keep former Democratic Sen. Skip Campbell from opposing him. He's done a complete 180 degrees on the insurance industry - jumping out of bed with them to vocally criticize them (but holding on to more than $250,000 of their money...). He continues to rake in millions from special interests and still has not come clean about his ties to the Enrique Tomeu scandal, which has already sent some players to jail.

Dems blame Atwater for insurance woes
Palm Beach Post Blog, 4/1/08
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/palmbeach/
floridapolitics/entries/2008/04/01/dems_blame_atwater_for_insuran.html

Dems Attack Atwater
St. Petersburg Times Blog, 4/1/08
http://blogs.tampabay.com/buzz/2008/04/dems-attack-atw.html

Atwater's Retail Federation Bundling...
St. Petersburg Times Blog, 1/12/08
http://blogs.tampabay.com/buzz/2008/01/retail-federati.html

Enrique Tomeu/Palm Beach Aggregates Scandal
Palm Beach Post Archive
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/news/special_reports/masilotti/

Tomeu Scandal Cast of Characters (includes Atwater)
Palm Beach Post Archive
http://alt.coxnewsweb.com/palmbeachpost/multimedia/tomeu/Tomeu.html

Atwater's Campaign Riches
St. Petersburg Times Blog, 8/1/07
http://blogs.tampabay.com/buzz/2007/08/atwaters-campai.html

HARIDOPOLOS

When it comes to hypocrisy, no Florida politician personifies the term better than Senator Mike Haridopolos. He stands alone in his willingness to rip off the state while screaming about wasteful government spending. In line to be Senate president in two years, Haridopolos has bilked two of Florida's higher education institutions for hundreds of thousands of dollars despite both failing to produce work and lacking the appropriate credentials.

The Orlando Sentinel this week detailed how Haridopolos was paid $152,000 in public money by Brevard County Community College to write a book that hasn't been published (any may not even exist). Haridopolos, who has never written a book before, fleeced the public over four years to supposedly pen the six-chapter masterpiece

He also famously weaseled his way into scoring a job as lecturer at the University of Florida. The position pays the Senator a $75,000 salary, compensation inline with that of professors with doctorates. Haridopolos - who has neither - has refused to step down and even misled inquiries into his academic record.

On Haridopolos' book mess, Littlepage suggested: "A seventh chapter could have been added: How to milk public office for every dime you can." [Florida Times-Union, 4/1/08]

Brevard Community College's book deal with Sen. Mike Haridopolos draws criticism
Orlando Sentinel, 4/7/08
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/state/orl-bookdeal0708apr07,0,6074368.story

UF officials report Sen. Mike Haridopolos won't teach summer classes
Gainesville Sun, 3/31/08
http://www.gainesvillesun.com/article/20080401/COLUMNISTS/804010317/1021/news05

Haridopolos' position under fire
Gainesville Sun, 3/26/08
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20080326/NEWS/803260341/1002/NEWS

For state senator, a doctoral dustup
St. Petersburg Times, 3/2/08
http://www.sptimes.com/2008/03/02/State/The_Buzz_on_Florida_p.shtml

Haridopolos not enrolled since 2000, University of Arkansas says
TCPalm.com/Orlando Sentinel, 2/28/08
http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2008/feb/28/haridopolos-not-enrolled-2000-university-arkansas-/