Contractor's deal was Harris priority, former staffers say

[cascadiance]

Looks like they might be closing in for the kill on Katherine Harris now! If her staffers were now saying MZM's $10 million appropriation "is important to me", something's rotten in the state of Denmark ('er Florida)!

Down * Down!

Ding, dong the * is dead!

http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/news/nation/14493882.htm

Posted on Wed, May. 03, 2006

Contractor's deal was Harris priority, former staffers say
BY JIM STRATTON
The Orlando Sentinel

ORLANDO, Fla. - Senior members of Rep. Katherine Harris' congressional staff say they initially rejected a defense contractor's $10 million appropriation request last year but reversed course after being instructed by Harris to approve it.

Harris insisted that Mitchell Wade's request for funding be given to a defense appropriations subcommittee, despite the request's being late and difficult to understand, according to two former staff members and Harris' former chief political strategist.

"She said, `It's important to me, so submit it,'" said an ex-staffer who is involved in the process. "She wanted it in."

Wade is the contractor at the center of a congressional bribery scandal that has landed a California lawmaker in prison.

In the weeks before Harris submitted Wade's appropriations request, Wade spent up to $2,800 entertaining Harris at one of Washington's most expensive restaurants.
...

[ShockediSay]

1. "$2,800 entertaining Harris" at some restaurant .... above the table

wonder what she got under the table

[yellowcanine]

12. Hopefully at least a little footsie.

[HuffleClaw]

2. oh good

she's screwed. i can't see the usual suspects jumping up to defend her.

[seafan]

3. May 12 is the deadline to declare candidacy. Jeb's gotta help Bense!

Watch this story ramp up like nobody's business before May 12.

[cascadiance]

4. KKKarl is already on the job it would appear!

According to this article, he's already urging Bense to run... Interesting this article mentions pretty much nothing about her legal troubles with MZM, etc. but is noting her campaign is in the toilet. It would appear from comments here that the Rethugs are less supportive of her staying in the race than Democrats! Hmm... I WONDER why? :)

http://washingtontimes.com/national/20060503-112342-8456r.htm

Harris faltering in bid for a Senate seat

By Donald Lambro
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
May 4, 2006

Rep. Katherine Harris' Senate campaign is running into deeper trouble as her approval ratings decline and Republican pressure builds on Florida House Speaker Allan Bense to challenge her in the Sept. 5 primary.
In the past few months, polls have showed Mrs. Harris, who rose to political fame as the secretary of state who oversaw Florida's disputed 2000 presidential-election recount, leading all comers for the Republican nomination to run against Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson. But a Republican Strategic Vision poll of 500 likely voters conducted April 21 to 23 showed Mrs. Harris polling at 38 percent, while a majority of Republicans either supported Mr. Bense (21 percent) or were undecided (41 percent).
"Harris continues to be in trouble and, based upon our polling, is extremely vulnerable to a primary challenge by" Mr. Bense, Strategic Vision reported last week. "This is the first time in our polling that her numbers in a potential primary have fallen below 40 percent."
A Quinnipiac University poll reported last week that Mr. Nelson was leading Mrs. Harris 56 percent to 27 percent.
That is why top Republicans from Florida Gov. Jeb Bush to White House political strategist Karl Rove have been working behind the scenes to persuade Mr. Bense to enter the primary contest, thinking he has a better chance of defeating Mr. Nelson in the heavily Republican state.
Mr. Rove is said to be privately urging Mr. Bense to run -- promising fundraising assistance and the party's full resources, according to senior party officials.
...

[DoYouEverWonder]

7. So if Harris hangs in there until after the 12th

does that mean they can't replace her on the Repug ticket?

Maybe we should only post nice things about her until then?

[mopinko]

14. no

thugs have forced candidates to withdraw in other races. they forced out the duly elected candidate for senate here in illinois in '04, and replaced him with alan keyes. there was a mention here the other day of another instance of this just recently.

[Journeyman]

5. Hang in there, Katie! Only 9 more days. . .

and the fools are stuck with you. Hang tough, girl! Spend money (that always helps -- maybe not you, but surely the vendors who can get in the door and get the check cashed before it all crashes and burns).

So don't let 'em daunt ya, Kate! Prove beyond a shadow of doubt you're an unscrupulous moron. Do it for the ghost of dear old Dad -- he'd want you to piss away that legacy he left ya.

Go Katie! Nine more days to immortality!

[Orsino]

11. They don't want her.

She might be petty enough to resign on the 13th, though.

[EFerrari]

6. If they don't back her, what's to prevent her from spilling

the beans on 2000? She does't seem stable enough to fear for her life.

[DoYouEverWonder]

8. What's preventing her from spilling the beans

is that she would wind up putting her own ass in jail since she was the SOS at the time.

[tanyev]

9. That's why you need to treat your staff better, Katherine.

Former staffers have a way of getting chatty.

[sabra]

10. kick

:kick:

[PATRICK]

13. Looks like they are sidearming her

because it is too touchy with all the knowledge and complicity she shares with Team Bush. So a disgruntled employee or two suggest to her she could get punished with a criminal investigation unless she backs off.

I guess so long as they don't hit her headon she will be polite enough to ignore the obvious like she ignores all the hints, threats and establishment spin. She'd have to go berserk for her to use her knowledge against the team, so these backstabs had better be lowkey. Ultimately she uses her reserve blackmail both ways and even in convicted has a get out of jail free card, she thinks.

Would love to see her go state's evidence out of spite or necessity.

[cascadiance]

15. Now hookergate's and MZMgate's in the restaurant reviews!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=1104419&mesg_id=1104419

[cascadiance]

16. And Harris is also heading towards losing her driver's license!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=1104584&mesg_id=1104584