Florida CFO Wants the State to Buy Toxic Assets

That's right--Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink declared today that she would consider having Florida buy toxic assets. That means you, the taxpayers, buying up bad, risky assets that no one else wants.

The RPOF just issued the following release:

Banks Don’t Want ‘Em, Investors Don’t Want ‘Em, But Alex Sink Does!

Tallahassee—As if Florida families don’t have enough to worry about, the Associated Press reports today that the state’s Chief Financial Officer Official wants to buy toxic assets for investment purposes.

“There is a reason they’re called ‘toxic,’” noted RPOF Chairman Jim Greer. “The federal government doesn’t want them and private investors don’t want them. Why should the people of Florida?”

“Alex Sink may be willing to make a deal with devil to in an attempt to enhance Florida’s investment portfolio, but taxpayers will not support this incredibly risky move with their dollars. As a former bank executive, Alex Sink should know the perilous potential outcome of even considering purchasing toxic assets, which could damage the entire state’s credit and hurt taxpayers.”

Man of Steele--StateOfSunshine.com

The blog below was published this morning on State Of Sunshine, a blog dedicated to Florida politics.

Man of Steele

by RPOF Chairman Jim Greer

Change is in the air, and it’s not just a Democrat sound bite anymore. The Republican National Committee has taken an enormous stride towards our Party’s collective future in electing former Maryland Lt. Governor Michael Steele as the GOP’s new Chairman.

As the first major state party Chairman to endorse Michael Steele, I took several factors into consideration before deciding to support Steele’s candidacy: his ability to communicate a clear message, his understanding of technology and how the GOP can more effectively utilize it, and his experience running a large organization. It would be disingenuous to say that Steele’s heritage was not a factor in my decision-making: I am a firm believer in maintaining credibility behind one’s message. The historic election of our Party’s first African American Chairman goes a long way towards our argument that the GOP does indeed care about minority voters and will indeed reach out to these voters with our message of lower taxes on families and businesses, less government red tape, and more personal freedom.

Three days after his election, a FOX News reporter asked Chairman Steele how tough it would be to re-build the party. He replied, “I started off as a black Roman Catholic conservative in Washington, D.C., so it’s all up from here.”

Steele isn’t in denial, and that’s a good thing. He understands that President Obama’s enormous popularity and power over federal legislation, coupled with the GOP’s dwindling numbers in Congress, makes it even more difficult for the GOP to take a principled stance on policy issues, to be the loyal opposition against a President who is still very much in the honeymoon phase.

Chairman Steele also understands that it wasn’t just Democrats who voted for change. He knows that the Party needs a fresh, smart new voice with the political experience to back it up. That’s why he has already hit the ground running, making an extensive round of appearances on national news shows and introducing himself to Republicans across the nation.

While Steele thrives on camera, he’s also a proficient executive on the day-to-day operational front, the behind-the-scenes work that comes with running any major enterprise…especially one of the size and scope of the RNC. But first, we have to ensure that the money is in the bank to implement the new policies and strategies Chairman Steele has promoted.

Chairman Steele will need to tap a new generation of younger, plugged-in fundraisers while continuing to raise resources the traditional way. He will use his technology expertise to implement new fundraising initiatives that provide more buy-in from low-dollar activists via the internet. The RNC will be more ground-up and less centralized, and one of the first ways to do that is to connect with the netroots and conservative bloggers and provide the mechanism for low-dollar, viral fundraising pitches.

We can talk all we want to about social networking, messaging, and strategy, but we can’t do it without the money. For example, to put the infrastructure in place for iPhone apps and text messaging, we have to have money. To recruit good candidates and register more Republican voters in new and innovative ways, we have to have money. To get our message out more effectively by every means possible, we have to have money.

Fortunately, Chairman Steele has experience running several large organizations, from a state party to a political action committee. He’s moved fundraising online and is a self-described “techno-geek.” Perhaps most importantly, he has successfully surrounded himself time and again with teams of professional operatives who get the game and passionately seek results.

I am proud to be a part of that team and to serve as one of Chairman Steele’s earliest supporters and now a co-chair of his transition team. I am incredibly excited about working with Chairman Steele and breathing new life into the RNC. I am humbled by the opportunity to re-commit myself and the Republican Party of Florida to the conservative principles set forth by Abraham Lincoln and championed by today’s Republicans, under the leadership of our new RNC Chairman.

Dissection of Steele's Victory

Brad Todd has an insightful look into RNC Chairman Michael Steele's victory, published in PoliticsMagazine.com Highlights below.

...The core of Steele’s winning coalition were the RNC’s newer members—people like Preibus and mostly-unknown state party chairs like Jim Greer of Florida and Bob Tiernan of Oregon.

Half of Steele’s 21-person “whip team” on the committee rose to their current Party leadership roles after the disastrous election of 2006. They’re the brave ones who swam toward the sinking ship.

...As a conservative Catholic, Steele hit expected right-wing high-notes, but he also talked about school choice for urban children and long-term solutions to poverty. Steele carries three Blackberries and is prone to flurries of past-midnight emails, and he made a convincing case that he would bring the GOP’s campaign technology into the digital age.

...In short, Steele built a leadership team—and a winning campaign—with tactics, ideas, and coalitions rarely before used in the GOP. Steele promised to shake things up at party headquarters—and to the old guard’s surprise, the new RNC was in a mood to shake...

Conversation with new Hillsborough REC Chair

This interview appeared in today's Tampa Trib.

New GOP Chairman: Loss 'Won't Happen Again'
By WILLIAM MARCH

TAMPA - Debbie Cox-Roush, new chairman of the Hillsborough County Republican Party, ran for the post because she wasn't happy the county voted for Barack Obama, and vows local Republicans won't let that happen again.

Before Obama's win, Hillsborough went Democratic for president only twice in 40 years, for Jimmy Carter in 1976 and Bill Clinton in 1996.

In an interview last week, Roush rejected the idea that Obama's success indicates any trend or Democratic tide. Republicans, she said, didn't do their grass-roots organizing as well as in 2004.

Her slogan, she said, will be, "There's no past in politics."

Roush is taking over a local party organization that has surged in membership and activity for about five years, partly with an influx of conservative Republicans from eastern Hillsborough County.

...Will the local party's dynamic growth continue, or has it made all the gains it can?

"Actually it is continuing. Since taking over as chairman of the party, we have had hundreds of calls from new persons in Hillsborough County wanting to get involved, wanting to take action, wanting to become part of our grass-roots. As of our January meeting, we inducted 72 new executive committee members."

When inductions of new members are completed, she said, the total will be 427.

..."I want people to be part of our party because they're Republicans. ... It doesn't matter the color of their skin, their race, their gender, their sexual orientation. As long as we all have the same values, that's what's important to the Republican Party."

Read the entire interview here.

Annual Meeting News Highlights

Photo Courtesy of Bill Cotterell

Here's how Florida's illustrious political reporters covered the RPOF's Annual Meeting and Chairman Greer's re-election over the weekend. Highlights are below, but we'd be remiss not to note that each reported on the challenges facing the RPOF, including the importance of voter registration, especially among African Americans and Hispanics, and the need to better utilize technology.

The St. Pete Times' Adam Smith got it right, saying "Florida Republicans overwhelmingly re-elected Jim Greer to another term as state party chairman Saturday, in an election that served partly as a referendum on the GOP leadership's focus on moderation and inclusion."

Tallahassee's own Bill Cotterell, who covers both the RPOF's and FDP's inner workings with gusto, notes, "The party's annual meeting drew an unusually heavy turnout of big names — not just for Greer, but for the 2010 U.S. Senate race, as Sen. Mel Martinez of Orlando is retiring and ex-Gov. Jeb Bush has said he will not run for the seat. Despite the loss of two U.S. House seats, one state legislative post and the state's 27 presidential electoral votes, the mood was upbeat as a succession of GOP leaders said party prospects in Florida are far better than in most other states that President-elect Barack Obama carried on Nov. 4. 'Jimmy, I love ya, you're a great man,' Crist said at a reception before the big meeting. 'This is a celebration.'"

The AP's Brendan Farrington reports, "Greer said he will create a 'registration action team' to immediately begin registering voters rather than waiting for the 2010election."

The Miami Herald's Beth Reinhard, who conducted one of the Chairman's first interviews when he was elected at the annual meeting two years ago, notes, "...the party fared better in Florida than in other states in 2008, losing only one seat in Congress and another in the Legislature. Gov. Charlie Crist remains popular, despite the tanking economy," and gets an exclusive quote from The Maestro.

The Herald-Trib's Jeremy Wallace sums up the clear start of the U.S. Senate campaign: "Though GOP quarterly meetings are rarely scintillating events, the buzz from the looming U.S. Senate seat had everyone talking for the two days in Orlando."

"...Apparently Greer’s version of The Kings last No. 1 hit went over alright. On Saturday when the party faithful gathered to vote on a new chairman, Greer won 169 votes to 52 votes for Eric D. Miller, a Martin County Republican."

Elvis and the U.S. Senate

The Miami Herald's Beth Reinhard reports from the Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando, where the RPOF is holding its annual meeting, about possible Republican U.S. Senate candidates.

Suspicious minds want to know: Who's running for the U.S. Senate?

Jim Greer, the musically inclined chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, did not break from tradition tonight. He yanked off his tie, hiked up his collar, and launched into Elvis Presley's "Suspicious Minds" at a party reception at the Rosen Shingle Creek hotel in Orlando.

Tomorrow the state party will hold its election, but there's little doubt about whether Greer will win another term. The suspense is over who will run for the U.S. Senate seat to be vacated in 2010 by Mel Martinez, now that former Gov. Jeb Bush has said he's not interested.

All the would-be candidates worked the room tonight: Attorney General Bill McCollum, former House Speaker Marco Rubio, and U.S. Reps. Vern Buchanan and Connie Mack. Rubio appears to be the most likely candidate in the bunch, and a fundraiser for former U.S. Rep. Ric Keller waited patiently to introduce herself.

If there's a frontrunner, it would be McCollum, since he has already run statewide. But he would have to give up his Cabinet post for an office that has eluded him twice before.

"I thought Jeb was going to run, and I was wrong,'' McCollum said. "I haven't done the examination I need to do yet ... Being attorney general is a great job, and that's part of the equation.''

Photo courtesy of Beth Reinhard, Miami Herald

CNN: More on Chairman Greer's Endorsement of Michael Steele for RNC Chair

Candidates for RNC chair wrap up hectic week in Washington

WASHINGTON (CNN) – The campaign to determine who will lead the Republican party into the era of Obama took a series of unexpected turns Wednesday, beginning with the removal of non-party members from a highly-anticipated “special meeting” of the Republican National Committee.

...Inside the Capitol Hill meeting — a first-of-its-kind event, intended to give RNC members a chance to speak directly with the numerous candidates seeking the party’s top-post — Republicans quizzed the candidates on issues ranging from Second Amendment rights to the role of new technology, according to people in the room.

...The open-and-closed-door meeting was followed by another surprising development: Florida Republican Party chairman Jim Greer, once thought to be considering his own bid for RNC chair, arranged a press conference to throw his support behind former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele.

In announcing his endorsement, Greer commended Steele’s skills as a consensus builder and a communicator who understands not only “conservative values and principles,” but also the kitchen table issues that affect middle class Americans.

That awareness, Greer said, will help Republicans win elections in his own swing state of Florida....

Read more here

BREAKING: CHAIRMAN GREER ENDORSES MICHAEL STEELE FOR RNC CHAIR

Major Florida Republican weighs in on GOP’s future

From CNN Political Editor Mark Preston

WASHINGTON (CNN) –- Florida Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer will announce his support Wednesday for Michael Steele to be the next chairman of the Republican National Committee, a spokeswoman tells CNN.

Greer’s backing is a significant boost for Steele, a former Maryland lieutenant governor, who is competing with five other candidates to lead the national party. Greer considered running for RNC chair before deciding to stay on as the head of the state Republican Party. Florida Republicans will hold their annual meeting this weekend in Orlando.

Greer will make the announcement at an RNC candidate meeting being held in the nation’s capital, Republican Party of Florida spokeswoman Erin Vansickle said.

Interview with Chris Faulkner, GOPGrunt.com

Check out Part 2 of GOPGrunt.com's series, "Lessons from the 2008 Trenches" with consultant Chris Faulkner:

Faulkner: Tell me about Florida?

RPOF's Erin VanSickle: Due to its sheer size, the State of Florida necessitates more than retail politicking—it requires any statewide campaign to have a methodical and energized ground game...

Faulkner: What does Obama’s victory in Florida over the McCain campaign say about the political ground game in Florida?

VanSickle: It shows that this was a perfect Democrat year. The Obama campaign simply had more resources--they out-spent McCain 7-1 in Florida, an extreme TV state where TV advertising is critical to success.

I would note, however, that because of the Republican team in Florida, McCain came within 21/2 points of winning Florida—which says a lot about the folks who worked tirelessly across Florida on behalf of the Republican ticket....

Check out the rest of the interview here.

Crist's New Republican Leadership Style Evident in RPOF's Saltsman Response

Politico's Ben Smith examines Governor Crist's New Republican leaderhip style and the RPOF's response to the recent developments in the RNC Chairman's race:

Charlie Crist has, in the wake of the election, cast himself as a leader of the modernizing, more diverse Republican Party, and seems to be weighing in indirectly, via a statement from his state party chairman, Jim Greer, on the Saltsman flap:

As the GOP Chairman in one of our nation’s most ethnically and culturally diverse states, I am especially disappointed by the inappropriate words and actions we’ve seen over the past few days. I am proud of those party leaders who have stood up in firm opposition to this type of behavior.

In Florida we have worked hard to reach out to ALL citizens to promote the Republican Party’s principles and values while ensuring that our commitment to African Americans, Hispanics, and other minority communities is sincere and credible. Actions such as the distribution of this CD, regardless of intent, only serves to promote divisiveness and distracts us from our common goal of building our party.

Today, the GOP has an unprecedented opportunity to embrace change and inclusion, and we are either going to welcome this opportunity fully or watch it slip through our fingers. We can only achieve success if Republican leaders reject racial or any other acts that divide us and instead embrace what unites us as a nation.

ICYMI: CNN Political Ticker

From the CNN Political Ticker: "Most of Saltsman's Republican rivals slam Obama parody"

NOTE: 'Republican Party of Florida Chairman Jim Greer – who has reportedly been weighing a run for the party’s top spot, but has not officially announced a bid — released a Monday morning statement praising candidates who have weighed in against the 'racially-insulting song.'

'As the GOP Chairman in one of our nation’s most ethnically and culturally diverse states, I am especially disappointed by the inappropriate words and actions we’ve seen over the past few days,' he said. 'I am proud of those party leaders who have stood up in firm opposition to this type of behavior.'

'Actions such as the distribution of this CD, regardless of intent, only serves to promote divisiveness and distracts us from our common goal of building our party.'

Most of Saltsman's Republican rivals slam Obama parody
From CNN Associate Political Editor Rebecca Sinderbrand

(CNN) – Republican Party reaction remains divided over the decision of a candidate for party chairman to distribute a CD that featured the parody tune “Barack the Magic Negro,” with the majority of Chip Saltsman’s political rivals criticizing the move.

Republican National Committee Chairman Mike Duncan – battling to keep his job as head of the party – was the first prominent member of the GOP to criticize Saltsman for sending committee members the song.

"The 2008 election was a wake-up call for Republicans to reach out and bring more people into our party," RNC Chairman Mike Duncan said in a Saturday statement.

"I am shocked and appalled that anyone would think this is appropriate, as it clearly does not move us in the right direction."

Michigan party chairman Saul Anuzis also questioned Saltsman’s judgment. "In my opinion, this isn't funny and its in bad taste," he said in a statement. "Just as important, anything that paints the GOP as being motivated in our criticism of President-elect Obama by anything other than a difference in philosophy does a disservice to our party."

Republican Party of Florida Chairman Jim Greer – who has reportedly been weighing a run for the party’s top spot, but has not officially announced a bid — released a Monday morning statement praising candidates who have weighed in against the "racially-insulting song."

“As the GOP Chairman in one of our nation’s most ethnically and culturally diverse states, I am especially disappointed by the inappropriate words and actions we’ve seen over the past few days," he said. "I am proud of those party leaders who have stood up in firm opposition to this type of behavior."

"Actions such as the distribution of this CD, regardless of intent, only serves to promote divisiveness and distracts us from our common goal of building our party."

Saltsman sent RNC members the parody CD "We Hate the USA" for Christmas, which includes the controversial tune. He defended his decision Friday, telling CNN the song was clearly intended as a joke.

Read more here.

WaPo Politics blog: "Are Republicans on the March?"

WaPo's Chris Cillizza has an interesting take on Republican victories in Georgia and Louisiana over the past few days. These victories echo GOP's performance in Florida, where the Obama coattails were short and FL Democrats failed to defeat a single Republican incumbent in the Legislature, even in the best possible political environment.

Notes Cillizza, "In the wake of an election cycle dominated by bad news for Republicans, the last five days have been a welcome relief.

Georgia Sen. Saxby Chambliss cruised to a runoff victory last Tuesday, and House Republicans held Louisiana's 4th district and pulled off a massive upset win over Rep. Bill Jefferson in Louisiana's 2nd district on Saturday.

Those three developments have led some Republicans to insist that what happened on Nov. 4 was almost entirely due to President-elect Barack Obama's unique electoral appeal and that when the soon-to-be-president is not on the ballot -- the 2010 midterm elections -- his party will not fare nearly as well.

"Voters vented on Nov. 4th and the momentum that swept Obama and many other Democrats to victory has now stalled a bit," said Republican pollster Neil Newhouse, a partner in the firm Public Opinion Strategies. "It seems it might have been 'easy' to get the Democratic base excited about Nov. 4th -- the historic opportunity to elect Obama and send a message of rejection to Bush's eight-year tenure -- but it's a bit more difficult re-energizing those voters now, with seemingly less at stake."

...

"While I don't think these victories mean that the GOP has miraculously fixed everything that is currently broken, I do think that they a really positive data points," said Alex Vogel, a prominent Republican strategist. "Just like the Democrats took advance comfort from the special elections they won leading up to the 2008 elections, we should certainly view these overtime wins as a sign that the sun is rising again."

Democrats blew it in Florida

We couldn't have put it better ourselves! Adam Smith of the St. Pete Times explains the Florida Democrats' failure to capitalize on the Obama wave.

Democrats blew it in Florida?

The biggest surprise in Tuesday's results may be how poorly -- other than Barack Obama (all hail Steve Schale!) -- Florida Democrats performed despite the Obama juggernaut helping turn out votes.

They netted one Congressional seat and showed that Democrats can compete well in heavily Cuban-American districts. But despite the anti-GOP climate, they did not pick off a single incumbent Republican in the Legislature and ultimately may net just one state House seat. Two words: Pa Thetic.

And gloomy Republicans today can find plenty of reasons for solace: On Constitutional amendments, Floridians voted strongly to cut taxes, ban gay marriage and oppose tax increases for community colleges.

There's no real evidence of a Democratic tide in Florida.

Greer says Madison, Jefferson and the Gang Would Applaud Crist

The Herald Tribune's Joe Follick blogs:

Republican Party of Florida chairman Jim Greer had a short interview on MSNBC this afternoon where he defended Gov. Charlie Crist’s 180-degree switcheroo to expand early voting hours.

Greer was asked about an anonymous quote in Politico from a Florida Republican who said the move will cost McCain the election by expanding the ability of Democrats to vote.

“I don’t believe that. We shouldn’t be partisan when it comes to giving voters the opportunity to participate in the process. I know there are some that believe the governor’s actions yesterday to extend voting was not good for the Republican Party. I don’t buy that. I don’t think we’re going to see a greater number of voters coming to the polls,” Greer said, adding that the number of voters will stay the same even if the lines get shorter.

“I think Gov. Crist’s actions yesterday would make our founding fathers quite proud,” he said.

RPOF Quarterly Meeting

Travis Clinger, Chairman of the Florida Federation of Teenage Republicans, gives an update from the RPOF Quarterly Meeting.

Reviews Are In--John McCain Wins the Last Debate

John McCain won tonight's debate by vowing to fight for "Joe the Plumber" everyday he is President.

John McCain was a spokesperson for millions of Americans who do not want their taxes raised and their health care socialized.

John McCain won with strong, clear straight talk about setting a new direction for our country and fighting for working families.

On issue after issue, Barack Obama showed that his words do not match his record. Whether it was his tax plan, his spending plans or his record, Barack Obama was full of half-truths.

John McCain outlined his specific, bold plan for creating jobs, helping those near retirement, keeping people in their homes, curbing spending by a hatchet and scalpel, lowering health care costs and achieving energy independence.

Read RPOF Communications Director Erin VanSickle's debate response for the Palm Beach Post here.

ACORN in Florida

Local Voter Fraud Claims Rise
From Tampa Tribune

When DeeAnn Athan received a new voter registration card at her downtown law office a few weeks ago, she figured it must be a mistake.

The card had her age and middle initial wrong and a different Social Security and driver’s license number. The only things correct were her gender and party affiliation.

After making a few calls, Athan discovered she had two voter registrations on the books at the Hillsborough County elections office. One had her place of residence listed as her West Shore Boulevard home; the other her Kennedy Boulevard office. …
Hillsborough County Elections Supervisor Buddy Johnson said the discrepancy is likely a case of voter registration fraud by a third party group that pays people to register voters. …

Hillsborough elections officials have come across numerous other questionable voter registration applications in the run-up to the Nov. 4 general election, which has seen hundreds of thousands of new voters added to election rolls across the state. …
With the general election only weeks away, scores of fraudulent voter registrations are being investigated across the country, most of them submitted by third party groups.

One group, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, which has registered some 1.3 million voters nationwide, is facing allegations of fraud from elections officials in Wisconsin, North Carolina, New Mexico, Michigan, Ohio and Missouri. …

View The Entire Article

More on the Democrats' Bogus Press Conference

Today Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart’s campaign issued the following fact sheet in response to Raul Martinez’s frivolous accusations yesterday – a pathetic act of desperation as voters consistently reject his record of corruption.

THE FACTS

• In trying to rescue Raul Martinez’s sinking campaign, the Florida Democratic Party held a bogus press conference yesterday making baseless implications about Congressman Diaz-Balart. The political hack that made the statement refused to take any questions from the members of media that were present.

• The Miami Herald has already reported that the allegations are uncorroborated (October 9th, page 2A).

• Nowhere in the audio and video presented by the Democratic Party does Puerto Rican Senator Jorge de Castro Font mention a suitcase or $50,000 as maliciously suggested by operatives.

• The Fonalledas Family mentioned by Senator Jorge de Castro Font has contributed a total of $400 to Congressman Diaz-Balart’s campaign.

• Unlike his opponent, Congressman Diaz-Balart does not have a history of corruption and unethical behavior. He has always served with integrity and respect.

• Unlike his opponent Congressman Diaz-Balart has never used public office for personal financial enrichment. A simple review of Raul Martinez’s personal financial disclosure forms indicates that he has become extremely wealthy through public office.

• Unlike his opponent Congressman Diaz-Balart has never illegally lobbied other public officials as Raul Martinez recently did in the City of Miami to benefit one of his companies (The Miami Herald, September 11, 2008).

• The circus and distractions that others have attempted to create in order to deflect attention from Raul Martinez’s history of corruption and disgraceful behavior will not influence the outcome of this election.

Debate: Biden's 14 Lies

"Joe Biden graduated from his trademark verbal gaffe to outright lie in tonight’s debate. Each time Senator Biden was on his heels, he looked directly into the camera and lied -- more than a dozen times by our count. He lied about John McCain's record, his own record, and Barak Obama's dangerous policies. Governor Palin showed the American people tonight why a McCain-Palin Administration will bring real reform, leadership, and straight talk to Washington.” --Tucker Bounds, spokesman McCain-Palin 2008

JOE BIDEN’S 14 LIES TONIGHT

1. TAX VOTE: Biden said McCain voted “the exact same way” as Obama to increase taxes on Americans earning just $42,000, but McCain DID NOT VOTE THAT WAY.

2. AHMEDINIJAD MEETING: Joe Biden lied when he said that Barack Obama never said that he would sit down unconditionally with Mahmoud Ahmedinijad of Iran. Barack Obama did say specifically, and Joe Biden attacked him for it.


3. OFFSHORE OIL DRILLING: Biden said, “Drill we must.” But Biden has opposed offshore drilling and even compared offshore drilling to “raping” the Outer Continental Shelf.”

4. TROOP FUNDING: Joe Biden lied when he indicated that John McCain and Barack Obama voted the same way against funding the troops in the field. John McCain opposed a bill that included a timeline, that the President of the United States had already said he would veto regardless of it’s passage.

5. OPPOSING CLEAN COAL: Biden says he’s always been for clean coal, but he just told a voter that he is against clean coal and any new coal plants in America and has a record of voting against clean coal and coal in the U.S. Senate.

6. ALERNATIVE ENERGY VOTES: According to FactCheck.org, Biden is exaggerating and overstating John McCain’s record voting for alternative energy when he says he voted against it 23 times.

7. HEALTH INSURANCE: Biden falsely said McCain will raise taxes on people's health insurance coverage -- they get a tax credit to offset any tax hike. Independent fact checkers have confirmed this attack is false

8. OIL TAXES: Biden falsely said Palin supported a windfall profits tax in Alaska -- she reformed the state tax and revenue system, it's not a windfall profits tax.

9. AFGHANISTAN / GEN. MCKIERNAN COMMENTS: Biden said that top military commander in Iraq said the principles of the surge could not be applied to Afghanistan, but the commander of NATO's International Security Assistance Force Gen. David D. McKiernan said that there were principles of the surge strategy, including working with tribes, that could be applied in Afghanistan.

10. REGULATION: Biden falsely said McCain weakened regulation -- he actually called for more regulation on Fannie and Freddie.

11. IRAQ: When Joe Biden lied when he said that John McCain was “dead wrong on Iraq”, because Joe Biden shared the same vote to authorize the war and differed on the surge strategy where they John McCain has been proven right.

12. TAX INCREASES: Biden said Americans earning less than $250,000 wouldn’t see higher taxes, but the Obama-Biden tax plan would raise taxes on individuals making $200,000 or more.

13. BAILOUT: Biden said the economic rescue legislation matches the four principles that Obama laid out, but in reality it doesn’t meet two of the four principles that Obama outlined on Sept. 19, which were that it include an emergency economic stimulus package, and that it be part of “part of a globally coordinated effort with our partners in the G-20.”

14. REAGAN TAX RATES: Biden is wrong in saying that under Obama, Americans won't pay any more in taxes then they did under Reagan.

Greer to Thurman: Help Ensure Election Integrity

In a letter delivered this morning, RPOF Chairman Jim Greer asks FDP Chairman Karen Thurman to help ensure that every legal, legitimate vote counts in the upcoming election and expresses concern that Democrat poll watchers may attempt to inappropriately "assist" Florida voters. The text of the letter is as follows:

Dear Chairman Thurman:

As the election approaches, I want to personally request the opportunity to work with you to ensure that Florida’s voters are given the opportunity to cast their ballots free of any harassment or intimidation and to make sure that every legal, legitimate vote counts.

As you may recall, in 2004 a circuit judge in Seminole County entered an injunction against the Florida Democrat Party and the Democrat National Committee enjoining them from harassing Republican poll watchers. This order was prompted by threatening letters and phone calls to Florida residents who had registered to serve as poll watchers on Election Day. This injunction is still in effect.

I have recently read reports that Florida Democrat lawyers intend to serve as poll watchers in order to “assist” voters at the polls during the general election. I am concerned about these reports, given Florida law regarding poll watcher conduct. In particular, it should be noted that Florida law regarding poll watchers strictly prohibits poll watchers from “interact[ing] with voters.” Fl. Stat. § 101.131. Thus, it would be inappropriate for your poll watchers to provide “assistance” to voters at the polls.

As Circuit Judge Nancy F. Alley warned in 2004, “The election process should be allowed to proceed without any interference, intimidation, or other threats that may have a chilling effect on the free exercise of voters to cast their legal ballots.”

I would welcome the opportunity to meet with you, either privately or publically, to discuss ways that we can help ensure that Florida’s Supervisors of Elections and their staffs uphold Florida’s election laws to protect Florida voters.

Sincerely,

James A. Greer
Chairman