Jeb Bush speech to FL GOP banned to reporters; 4 forcibly ejected

[seafan]

By ADAM C. SMITH, Times Political Editor
Published January 22, 2006

LAKE BUENA VISTA - The Florida Republican Party on Saturday called security to eject reporters listening to Gov. Jeb Bush tout his party's accomplishments in Tallahassee.
The unusual scene - five hotel security staffers and a sheriff's deputy escorting reporters away from where they could hear the governor - occurred in the middle of a speech in which Bush exhorted party activists to spread the word of Republican successes in Florida.

snip

State Republican chairwoman Carole Jean Jordan declined to comment, and the party's executive director explained that party leaders merely wanted to keep their party functions private.
"We wanted to be able to have a private meeting where folks were not worried about being on the record," said executive director Andy Palmer.

The party barred reporters from the ballroom where Bush addressed a luncheon crowd of several hundred, and party staffers then summoned security when they saw reporters listening to the governor through an open door on the side of the room.

"I wanted to give you a little bit of a sense of what's happened over the past seven years, and even prior to that with Republican leadership because we don't read about it much in the paper," the governor said at the start of his remarks. "If you don't toot your own horn, no one else will."

http://www.sptimes.com/2006/01/22/State/Bush_touts_his_record.shtml

Behind closed doors, Bush tells GOP activists to build on success

By BRENDAN FARRINGTON
January 21, 2006

In a message the Republican Party of Florida tried to keep from leaving the room, Bush said the state has the lowest crime rate in history, the lowest unemployment rate in decades, rising student test scores, an economic environment that's helped businesses grow and tougher laws against sexual predators.

All that has been achieved through Republicans coming together, he said.

But the party banned reporters from the speech, and when some listened to it through the walls of a room next to the Walt Disney Resort ballroom where he gave his remarks, hotel security and a sheriff's deputy ordered them to leave and threatened to remove them from the property. The Associated Press was not among the group.

The speech was the final event of the Republican Party of Florida's quarterly meeting. All speeches and meetings organized by the party were closed to the media. Separate events organized by gubernatorial candidates Charlie Crist and Tom Gallagher and Senate candidate Katherine Harris were open to the media.

http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060121/APN/601210827

Gov. Bush rallies GOP for '06 vote

By Bill Cotterell
January 22, 2006


If the 2006 Legislature accepts his budget plans, Bush said, his administration will have provided "over $20 billion in cumulative tax relief for businesses and families" over eight years. He said 1.1 million jobs have been created in the past seven years, worker's compensation insurance rates have fallen 25 percent and the state's credit rating has risen to triple-A.

"This really annoys the liberal editorial boards and the liberal elite of the state - the small, remaining liberal elite," Bush said. "They think the best way to solve a problem is more government."

snip

In Tallahassee, Democratic National Committeeman Jon Ausman said "cronyism and education failure" will also be part of the Bush legacy.
"Local tax dollars are now paying close to 50 percent of education costs at the county level," Ausman said. "That comes from county property taxes, one of the most regressive taxes."
He also said "all of the outsourcing and privatization contracts have been scandalous" in state government under Bush.

snip

Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Florida, echoed Bush's claim that Democrats have opposed Republican policies without offering alternatives.

"The opposition party is basically just there to see how they can obstruct . . . and just to find a way that they can blame President Bush for anything that goes wrong or happens anywhere in the world," Martinez said. "I find it to be, frankly, a visionless party, a party that has no direction."

http://www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060122/NEWS01/601220323/1010

[jsamuel]

1. love that line, but it is easily refuted

Democrats can't impliment their vision when Republicans control everything. Vote for Democrats and they will show you vision.

[mandyky]

2. What about the "Sunshine Law"?

I thought things in Florida were supposed to be transparent...

[ellenfl]

10. that's government, not party meetings. eom

[mandyky]

15. Well, the governor is part of the gov't, no?

Wherever he goes, except for personal stuff should be open house.

[ellenfl]

16. doesn't work that way. he's not doing

the people's business at a party meeting. shoot, he's never doing the people's business!

ellen fl

[DrDebug]

3. It's time for Glasnost

[DanCa]

4. Now if the reporters were armed and considering the shoot first law

Couldn't they have shot the people who forcibly ejected them?

[seafan]

5. "I need to get off the stage a little bit and let others take the lead."

That's our Jeb, the micromanager. And how long do we think THAT will last?


http://www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060122/NEWS01/601220323/1010

[Zenlitened]

6. It takes a special kind of stupid to be a republican, doesn't it?

A sick ability to be completely unaware of how one's own words contradict themselves:

"We're not getting any coverage in the press, boo hoo. :cry: Hey you reporters, get out of here and stop trying to hear what we're saying!"

...The party barred reporters from the ballroom... then summoned security...

"I wanted to give you a little bit of a sense of what's happened... because we don't read about it much in the paper," the governor said... "If you don't toot your own horn, no one else will."

These people are demented fucking FREAKS, they really are. :hide:

[NYC]

7. He kicked out the reporters, but complained:

..."I wanted to give you a little bit of a sense of what's happened over the past seven years, and even prior to that with Republican leadership because we don't read about it much in the paper," the governor said at the start of his remarks. "If you don't toot your own horn, no one else will."

I guess that's what happens when you hold secret meetings.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

8. best way to solve a problem is more government."

As opposed to giving traditionally held government tasks and responsibilities to private contractors (nobids) who will not only help rape the taxpayer, but they will give til it hurts to the admin giving out the contracts and responsibilities. It's harder for a government organization with the sunshine law to be crooked and corrupt, much easier for the private sector to pull it off... less government is not necessarily smaller government, cheaper government nor more honest government. Jeb isn't governor of Florida for nuthin... trust me, I've seen this first hand.

http://www.extralove.com/ash_jeb_waterscandel.html
>>Water district investigates deal with Jeb Bush's former partner

Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. - The South Florida Water Management District has begun an investigation of a contract it awarded to a company run by a former business partner of Gov. Jeb Bush.

The district is trying to determine whether its staff improperly gave a $1.9 million deal for water pumps to MWI Corp. of Deerfield Beach, said district spokesman Randy Smith. A report is expected to be released within a week, Smith added.<<

>>Last month, the U.S. Department of Justice sued MWI over the alleged misuse of part of a $74.3 million U.S. loan to sell water pumps to Nigeria.

Bush, who was not accused of wrongdoing, had traveled to Nigeria in 1989 to promote MWI products as a representative of a Bush-El, a company he owned jointly with MWI president David Eller.

The South Florida investigation is into a contract that MWI won on Sept. 25, 2000, for 15 pumps that were needed to extract water from Lake Okeechobee during the third year of a drought, Smith said.<<

[seafan]

14. This is only one of many shady deals Jeb's been involved in, in FL:

This old article below is an EXCELLENT compilation of Jeb's business history in FL, since he came here in 1980. I highly recommend it for background info. It's from the St. Pete Times, probably the best paper in FL, IMHO.


snip

September 20, 1998

After Bush left his state job (as Florida's commerce secretary in 1987-88), he and Eller formed Bush-El Corp. in 1988 to market M&W's irrigation and flood control pumps. Bush went to Nigeria, where he pledged his father would increase aid to developing countries, according to Nigerian press reports.

One lingerig question about the pump sales in Nigeria: Did Bush use his political connections to line up U.S. backed loans needed to finance Nigeria's pump purchases? The sales depended on $74-million in loans from the federally backed Export-Import Bank of the United States. Eller declined to be interviewed, but in a written statement said Bush coordinated private financing, which fell through. But he contends Bush didn't have anything to do with getting the U.S.-backed loans. Nigeria has yet to repay most of the loans. If they fail to repay them, U.S. taxpayers foot the bill.

Bush said his commissions from Bush-El came from work in countries that didn't use U.S.-backed loans. But Bush-El has been sued by Robert Purcell, a former vice president of M&W, who alleges he was cheated out of $1-million because profits were diverted to the Bush-Eller partnership.

Eller's written statement called Bush "a highly effective business leader." Eller characterizes Purcell as a disgruntled former employee representing a competitor. Eller has filed a countersuit against Purcell.

Bush praised Eller as a "person of integrity," but added that the adverse publicity from their partnership has been difficult.

"I made money. That's the only benefit I can see," Bush said. "Otherwise, it's been unmitigated grief."

Bush invested no money in Bush-El. His total proceeds: $648,250. Eller and his family also gave the state GOP $25,280 in August and chipped in $5,250 to the Bush campaign.

snip

http://www.sptimes.com/State/92098/Make_The_Money_and_Ru.html

[tsuki]

9. No health care. A lost environment. Developers spoiling the

land and water. Faith based prisons. Crooked elections. Seniors in trouble. And a complete dumbing down of our school system. Other than that, we're doing fine.

[Initech]

11. I'm not defending Jeb, but it does kind of make sense.

I mean, you wouldnt want reporters crashing a private business function, would you? :sarcasm:

[Mythsaje]

12. It's about time

the reporters consider going in "under cover."

"What, me? Nah, I'm a campaign contributor.

A lobbyist. Yeah, that's the ticket."

Maybe we the people should just consider the possibility of hiring professionals to infiltrate their reindeer games rather than relying on the corrupt or inept to do it for us.

[phoebe]

13. just like Abramoff's membership of CNP with no media allowed

http://www.seekgod.ca/cnpupdate.htm

snip

On August 28, 2004 the New York Times ran an article titled "Club of the Most Powerful Gathers in Strictest Privacy" by DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK. It was a report about the CNP's most recent meeting at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. Reportedly the purpose was for what a participant called "a pep rally" to re-elect President Bush.

Speakers at the 2004 event included Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California and former Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani of New York. The NY Times article again confirmed many of the details that have been compiled in the Council for National Policy section on this site.

The reporter also quoted the CNP rules, which they obtained, and which stated in part:

"The media should not know when or where we meet or who takes part in our programs, before of after a meeting,"


read it and see..this has been going on for quite some time.

Please remember that corporations have also been doing this for years - people like Oprah get exclusive invites to corporate meetings that the press and people like us are not privy to..

[FreedomAngel82]

18. Thanks

I'm checking it out now.

[FreedomAngel82]

20. I think I remember seeing this before

Someone once I remember made a post here on DU that linked all the "religious right" people like Dobson, Falwell etc. to the GOP and I believe this is how they did so. No wonder they have such a powerful play in the republican party. Look at who all they're connected to. This makes sense on why John McCain met with Falwell last October (as reported by crooksandliars.com )

[FreedomAngel82]

17. So why the secret?

What about other republicans in the state who would like to have heard the speeches and stuff? And what's THEIR plans? More of the same?

[kevinbgoode]

19. Really...and isn't...wasn't....Mel part of the culture of corruption?

Seems to me he had a little note written by an aide that was passed around the Senate last year. . .now what was that all about?

Closed-door politics. . .closed door town meetings. . .closed door government. A Republican legacy.

[FreedomAngel82]

21. Yes

The Schavio thing. He let it leak and told how it'd be a great thing to use for political purposes. He of course blamed it on a staffer.