Buchanan still leading Jennings in FL 13 in spite of huge growing allegations against him.

[madfloridian]

Run time: 00:31 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4-flNXjZxc   Posted on YouTube: September 10, 2008 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: September 28, 2008 By DU Member: madfloridian Views on DU: 600

 
This is an ad by the campaign of Christine Jennings against the integrity-challenged Vern Buchanan in FL 13th district.

Here is the first ad about the upcoming lawsuits against him for some background.

At Daily Kos earlier I saw he is still ahead of her there. Not by as much, but he should not be at all.

Here is a pretty scathing St. Pete Times article on Vern and his problems.

Buchanan left Michigan just as American Speedy verged on a spectacular collapse.



House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, left, administers the oath to Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Sarasota., during a swearing-in ceremony. Buchanan’s victory was still being challenged at the time.

One of six kids in a blue-collar family, U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan put himself through college and grad school. While still in his 20s, he founded American Speedy Printing, a Michigan-based chain of franchised print shops. The company boasted 720 stores and $150-million in sales by the time Buchanan sold it in 1989, took an early retirement and moved to Florida.

At least that's how Buchanan, a Sarasota Republican, has often told it.

In reality, voluminous court records show, Buchanan left Michigan just as American Speedy verged on a spectacular collapse. Angry franchise owners accused him of mismanagement, deceit and outright fraud. Michigan's attorney general was threatening to shut down the company. In 1992, American Speedy landed in bankruptcy court, followed by dozens of store owners, some of whom lost their life savings. Buchanan, meanwhile, was building a spacious lakefront home in Tampa as questions arose over what had become of a $15.4-million loan from Merrill Lynch intended to help prop up the company.

"There was a pot full of money from Merrill Lynch to get things going,'' says Alvin Feingold, who bought a franchise in Tampa shortly before American Speedy went bankrupt. "The fact that Vern supposedly ran off with all that money didn't make anyone very happy.''

Buchanan says he had no obligation to repay the loan then, and he offers no apologies

Some background from the 2006 election in Katherine Harris's county. Jennings lost her lawsuit about the 18,000 who voted for everything but the congressperson.

In the 2006 election, 237,861 votes were cast, but for unknown reasons, 18,382 of the electronic ballots in Sarasota County recorded no vote for a congressional candidate. By the tally of the remaining votes, Jennings received 373 fewer votes than her opponent, Republican Vern Buchanan. Of the counted votes in Sarasota County, Jennings won 52.8%. If the missing votes had broken for Jennings by the same percentage as the counted votes in Sarasota County, the Democrat would have won the race by about 600 votes instead of losing by 368, according to a Herald-Tribune review.<1>

An audit of the machines found nothing wrong, and it is believed that some voters failed to vote for the Congressional Candidate because it was on the same page as the crowded Governor's race. Other voters who failed to vote in the Congressional race initially were able to catch the mistake on the review page of the ballot. Still others, who had voted, noticed their votes had not been recorded when they reviewed the votes at the end. There has been no explanation as to why some votes did not record after they were made.

Here is some more research on good old boy Vern Buchanan, who should not be leading at this point in the game. Just another of the Bush Republicans who think integrity does not matter in holding public office.

Charges mounting against FL Republican congressman...Vern Buchanan

SARASOTA | A lawsuit filed in Sarasota County on Friday levies new allegations against U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan and his Florida car dealerships, including sexual harassment, death threats and federal income tax evasion.

It is the eighth in a series of cases that former employees and one consumer have brought against the freshman Sarasota congressman since May. The new charges come from the highest-level former Buchanan employee yet to file suit - a former controller at Sarasota 500 LLC, the company registered with the state to operate Sarasota Ford.

The fact that he is still leading speaks poorly of our political climate here.

[FLAprogressive]

1. Vern Buchanan is a lying neocon used car salesman

But I think Jennings needs to move on. She couldn't win last time (although had the ballot screwup not taken place she would've), and is probably going to lose again this time. Her only two ads so far are negative, which makes her seem vindictive & a sore loser. Time to find a stronger candidate to take on Vern in 2010. Keith Fitzgerald, maybe?

[seasat]

2. I saw one of his "I'm not a crook ads" today.

He was running it during "This Week" this morning and we saw it in the St Pete market. He claims in the ad that the charges against him are all political attacks. I noticed that no where in his ad does he identify himself as a Repub. It struck me as curious so I rewound the ad and sure 'nuff he's not mentioning his party. He's also running on "Change". It almost sounds like he's trying to convince the public that he's an Democratic supporter of Obama.

I hope Jennings can beat that weasel this time. While she is running behind, there are a huge amount of undecided in that poll. A Democratic wave may push her over the top. Plus we don't have the electronic voting machines to deal with in our state.

[FLAprogressive]

3. Unfortunately the Jan Schneider factor and him being an incumbent....

....along with the district being so Republican, he stands a good chance of winning. :(

Time to field a better candidate in 2010.

[madfloridian]

4. Jennings need to work to attract those "Schneider factor" voters.

And Jan has been shoved around way too long...there should be no criticism of her for running now.

She got 45% of the vote her first time around and the Dems shoved her out and ran Jennings...the DCCC's decision.

[FLAprogressive]

5. Yeah, I like Jan better than Jennings because Jennings is a Blue Dog Faker...

..but let's face it Jennings is our best chance. However, I say wait until 2010 when Jennings realizes she can't win with her bad attitude and find a more competent candidate.