By electing Patrick Murphy to the US Senate in November, Floridians would do a great favor to the nation: hopefully ending Republican control of the US Senate.
The stakes are very high for the biggest GOP campaign contributors in Florida: including Big Sugar's Fanjul billionaires and their like-minded investors in US politics, the Koch Brothers. What's in it for Big Sugar: continued support for the corporate welfare embedded in the Farm Bill for Big Sugar, what Grover Norquist calls "cronyism in its undiluted, inexcusable majesty", and, no change to the status quo that allows Florida's coastal communities to be drowned in pollution and toxics through their command of water infrastructure. What's in it for the Kochs: continued erosion of federal authority expressed by the regulator that most threatens their corporate profits: the US Environmental Protection Agency.
Although Rubio has been their pliant and subservient ally -- denying environmental regulations during his terms as state legislature and now in the US Senate -- his failed presidential run makes him a vulnerable incumbent in a a critical battle ground state for what is left of the GOP after Trump.
Florida is a battle ground state where the battle is defined as fight by powerful, aging oligarchs to re-color a incumbent who conservative voters had already "greyed out". Big Sugar and the Kochs need to prove they can re-animate a politician left for dead: Marco Rubio.
In the Rubio/ Murphy contest for US Senate, there is more than control of the US Senate at stake. It is a question of whether an avalanche of political money can continue to prevail even for an incumbent who failed to carry more than 15% of his own state in the presidential primary.
Rubio now meekly supports the candidate who mercilessly and savagely belittled him throughout the game-show Republican presidential primary.
Electing Patrick Murphy, a Democrat, would send the strongest message yet that the tide has turned. A GOP majority in the US Senate means continued protection for oligarchs from polluting industries willing to deform democracy to the shape of their grip. Marco Rubio can't escape his past. In November, Florida voters can escape both Rubio and send a clear message: free, free at last.
8 comments:
So, no Al Grayson? We're skipping the primary, or do you think he doesn't have a chance?
Anon #1 is right--there is a primary first and Grayson is the true progressive. Murphy is a convert to the democratic party; some would say even a DINO, but if he gets the nomination, sure vote for him over Marco Batista, I mean Rubio.
Grayson is a "Bernie" pick. You are doing the same thing that Wasserman-Schultz did to Bernie. Let's have our primary first. We are putting up with Clinton, so we need people in both houses that will push a progressive agenda. HRC loves fracking and GMO's and war, so we need people in government to remind her that we don't.
Patrick Murphy is just plain skanky.
I'll tale Al "Big Balls" Grayson. He might be a blowhard, but he's our blowhard. In fact, he's the only blowhard we've got. He can knock down Rubio, Manicured Murphy can not.
If Grayson does not win the primary. I am voting for neither of the above.
"We have to make sure that Donald wins this election.” That was Marco Rubio's message about Donald Trump at a candidate forum over the weekend. Yes, Rubio is saying that the Republican nominee, who he once said is "wholly unprepared to be president of the United States" will have his full support to win the election.
This is just the latest example of Rubio throwing his weight behind Trump, and arguably his most forceful endorsement to-date of a man he once characterized as "an erratic individual...who has spent a career sticking it to working people."
Oh, how times have changed. These days, Rubio's reportedly taking phone calls with Trump and his campaign chair, Paul Manafort, to "discuss Florida politics."
Rubio's openly tying himself to Donald Trump and the anti-immigrant fearmongering that's defined Trump's campaign -- quite the evolution from the erstwhile Gang of 8 advocate of comprehensive immigration reform.
And Rubio's even standing by Trump's latest transgression -- a disgraceful attack on a Gold Star family that did nothing but criticize Trump over his anti-Muslim hatemongering and policy proposals. We're in day four of Trump's attacks on the Khan family, and Rubio's only just responding, with a meek statement that refuses to rebuke Trump -- let alone mention him -- and only goes so far as to characterize the situation as "unfortunate."
With no record of his own to run on and a pattern of shoddy attendance, Marco Rubio's only hope for reelection is to tie himself to Donald Trump and his divisive, anti-immigrant platform. In the process, Rubio's throwing away any remaining credibility he has with the Florida voters that elected him.
Grayson. Despite the hyped negative P.R. Grayson has been great in the House
and will the the same in the Senate. Don't let this blog or others discount Grayson.
Best informed and brightest person running. A dedicated progressive.
Perhaps Gimleteye is ruling out Grayson because of the years of domestic violence allegations against him. Even if you aren't worried about what that says about him as a person, you should worry about what that says about him as an opponent for Rubio. Unfortunately, Murphy is the only reasonable candidate. Shame the Democrats couldn't come up with someone better when Rubio wasn't even running.
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