BY ADAM C. SMITH, St. Petersburg Times
Republicans should have the wind at their backs this election season with President Barack Obama's poll numbers dropping and independents turning away from Democrats.
Republican Party of Florida chairman Jim Greer got a strong vote of confidence on Dec. 17, but the rebellion against him continued to fester, with a longtime party fundraiser calling for his resignation.
The 25-2 vote came at the party's quarterly executive board meeting in Tallahassee, considered friendly turf for Greer. He has spent months deflecting criticism of lavish spending, hardball political tactics and favoritism in statewide primaries for governor and U.S. Senate.
Republican National Committeeman Paul Senft called for the vote ``in the interest of party unity and for public clarification [that the board has] full confidence in our duly elected chairman, Jim Greer.'' The motion, quickly passed with no discussion, appeared to have been sprung on the board.
Republican Party of Florida chairman Jim Greer got a strong vote of confidence Thursday, but the rebellion against him continued to fester, with a longtime party fundraiser calling for his resignation.
The 25-2 vote came at the party's quarterly executive board meeting in Tallahassee, considered friendly turf for Greer. He has spent months deflecting criticism of lavish spending, hardball political tactics and favoritism in statewide primaries for governor and U.S. Senate.
Republican National Committeeman Paul Senft called for the vote "in the interest of party unity and for public clarification [that the board has] full confidence in our duly elected chairman, Jim Greer." The motion, quickly passed with no discussion, appeared to have been sprung on the board.
Jim Greer says he's staying put as the chairman of the Florida Republican Party. Quoting a World War II general faced with surrender, Greer said "nuts" to a public demand from longtime Republican Party fundraiser Al Hoffman for him to step down.
Greer pointed to a vote of confidence Thursday by the party's executive committee that he has the confidence of GOP leadership across the state. Two board members, however, voted against the motion.
A bitter battle is still heating up to oust state GOP Chairman Jim Greer, with leading Florida Republicans accusing him of serious financial mismanagement that could jeopardize Republican campaigns in 2010.
``Maybe Jim Greer would be more comfortable in Congress where deficits and excessive spending don't seem to matter, but that's not the Republican Party of Florida, '' said state Republican Party Vice Chairman Allen Cox of Gulf County, who said Greer has put the party nearly $4 million in the hole this year.
``In the seven years that I have been chairman of the budget committee we have never had annual expense levels as high as they are now, and they are more than double than under prior administrations -- special travel, staff and consultants.''
As letters calling for a special meeting to consider rescinding Greer's post circulated among Republican Party officers across the state, former state Republican Party Chairman Tom Slade joined the call to oust Greer. He acknowledged the move would be unprecedented.
``But we haven't had a chairman before flying on chartered jets when we have a $4 million deficit,'' Slade said. ``He seems like a very ambitious young fellow who has got an ego the size of Alaska and has interpreted the position of the state party chairman as a throne upon which he can spend any amount of money he wants to spend.''
Greer, 47, dismissed the charges of deficit spending as bunk and insisted he's going nowhere.
``I believe that I continue to enjoy a significant amount of support from the state committee, the House and Senate members and the governor,'' he said.
The uproar provides a rare window into the closely held finances of Florida's political parties.
While the parties file reports listing overall spending and money-raising, specifics aren't public. In practice, some of the money is expected to go for House and Senate campaigns, but not day-to-day party operations.
Prominent critics contend Greer's money-raising has been so weak and spending so heavy that his share of the budget is on track to be about $4 million in the red. It won't show up in the public reports though, because House and Senate Republicans raised enough to cover Greer's losses.
An internal Republican budget document obtained by the St. Petersburg Times indicates Greer was budgeted to raise $5.5 million from major donors through Nov. 30 to cover core functions of the party but raised just $1.3 million. Overall, it shows the section of the budget covering the party's core functions had $2.6 million in revenue and $6.1 million in expenses.
Greer acknowledged that Gov. Charlie Crist running for Senate rather than reelection has posed a challenge to party fundraising, but brushed off a question about his own effectiveness as a money-raiser.
``If the party has a good fundraising quarter, then Jim Greer has a good fundraising quarter,'' he said, insisting the overall party budget shows a surplus.
``He's smoking the wrong kind of cigarettes,'' responded developer Al Hoffman of Fort Myers, former finance chairman of the Republican National Committee. ``His definition of surplus has been custom-made to serve his purposes, and it's a total deception.''
Hoffman said Greer needs to leave not only to reassure major donors that have ceased giving to the party because they distrust Greer, but to save the party.
``In order for the Republican Party of Florida to remain strong, vibrant, and relevant, it has to go back to its ethical principles,'' he said, predicting Greer won't go without an ugly fight. ``Jim Greer is in a position he's never been in before -- a position of power, of influence and access to a substantial amount of money and I don't think he wants to let it go.''
Crist, who hand-picked the once-obscure Republican activist, stands firmly behind Greer. Gubernatorial candidate Bill McCollum is keeping his distance, noting that he helped organize a ``Victory 2010'' account to fund the statewide campaign, structured so Greer can't write a check without the co-signature of former state House Speaker Allan Bense.
source: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/florida/story/1385739.html
source: http://rt.com/Top_News/2009-12-11/stalin-letter-sothebys-auction.html# Subscribe to the Rightardia feed: feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/IGiu
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Jim Greer, Florida GOP chairman
Republicans should have the wind at their backs this election season with President Barack Obama's poll numbers dropping and independents turning away from Democrats.
But many Florida Republicans see a significant obstacle to success: the most controversial and polarizing Florida GOP chairman in decades. He has become a lightning rod for infighting, distraction and distrust, and Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill McCollum could be a casualty.
Republican Party of Florida chairman Jim Greer got a strong vote of confidence on Dec. 17, but the rebellion against him continued to fester, with a longtime party fundraiser calling for his resignation.
The 25-2 vote came at the party's quarterly executive board meeting in Tallahassee, considered friendly turf for Greer. He has spent months deflecting criticism of lavish spending, hardball political tactics and favoritism in statewide primaries for governor and U.S. Senate.
Republican National Committeeman Paul Senft called for the vote ``in the interest of party unity and for public clarification [that the board has] full confidence in our duly elected chairman, Jim Greer.'' The motion, quickly passed with no discussion, appeared to have been sprung on the board.
Republican Party of Florida chairman Jim Greer got a strong vote of confidence Thursday, but the rebellion against him continued to fester, with a longtime party fundraiser calling for his resignation.
The 25-2 vote came at the party's quarterly executive board meeting in Tallahassee, considered friendly turf for Greer. He has spent months deflecting criticism of lavish spending, hardball political tactics and favoritism in statewide primaries for governor and U.S. Senate.
Republican National Committeeman Paul Senft called for the vote "in the interest of party unity and for public clarification [that the board has] full confidence in our duly elected chairman, Jim Greer." The motion, quickly passed with no discussion, appeared to have been sprung on the board.
Jim Greer says he's staying put as the chairman of the Florida Republican Party. Quoting a World War II general faced with surrender, Greer said "nuts" to a public demand from longtime Republican Party fundraiser Al Hoffman for him to step down.
Greer pointed to a vote of confidence Thursday by the party's executive committee that he has the confidence of GOP leadership across the state. Two board members, however, voted against the motion.
A bitter battle is still heating up to oust state GOP Chairman Jim Greer, with leading Florida Republicans accusing him of serious financial mismanagement that could jeopardize Republican campaigns in 2010.
``Maybe Jim Greer would be more comfortable in Congress where deficits and excessive spending don't seem to matter, but that's not the Republican Party of Florida, '' said state Republican Party Vice Chairman Allen Cox of Gulf County, who said Greer has put the party nearly $4 million in the hole this year.
``In the seven years that I have been chairman of the budget committee we have never had annual expense levels as high as they are now, and they are more than double than under prior administrations -- special travel, staff and consultants.''
As letters calling for a special meeting to consider rescinding Greer's post circulated among Republican Party officers across the state, former state Republican Party Chairman Tom Slade joined the call to oust Greer. He acknowledged the move would be unprecedented.
``But we haven't had a chairman before flying on chartered jets when we have a $4 million deficit,'' Slade said. ``He seems like a very ambitious young fellow who has got an ego the size of Alaska and has interpreted the position of the state party chairman as a throne upon which he can spend any amount of money he wants to spend.''
Greer, 47, dismissed the charges of deficit spending as bunk and insisted he's going nowhere.
``I believe that I continue to enjoy a significant amount of support from the state committee, the House and Senate members and the governor,'' he said.
The uproar provides a rare window into the closely held finances of Florida's political parties.
While the parties file reports listing overall spending and money-raising, specifics aren't public. In practice, some of the money is expected to go for House and Senate campaigns, but not day-to-day party operations.
Prominent critics contend Greer's money-raising has been so weak and spending so heavy that his share of the budget is on track to be about $4 million in the red. It won't show up in the public reports though, because House and Senate Republicans raised enough to cover Greer's losses.
An internal Republican budget document obtained by the St. Petersburg Times indicates Greer was budgeted to raise $5.5 million from major donors through Nov. 30 to cover core functions of the party but raised just $1.3 million. Overall, it shows the section of the budget covering the party's core functions had $2.6 million in revenue and $6.1 million in expenses.
Greer acknowledged that Gov. Charlie Crist running for Senate rather than reelection has posed a challenge to party fundraising, but brushed off a question about his own effectiveness as a money-raiser.
``If the party has a good fundraising quarter, then Jim Greer has a good fundraising quarter,'' he said, insisting the overall party budget shows a surplus.
``He's smoking the wrong kind of cigarettes,'' responded developer Al Hoffman of Fort Myers, former finance chairman of the Republican National Committee. ``His definition of surplus has been custom-made to serve his purposes, and it's a total deception.''
Hoffman said Greer needs to leave not only to reassure major donors that have ceased giving to the party because they distrust Greer, but to save the party.
``In order for the Republican Party of Florida to remain strong, vibrant, and relevant, it has to go back to its ethical principles,'' he said, predicting Greer won't go without an ugly fight. ``Jim Greer is in a position he's never been in before -- a position of power, of influence and access to a substantial amount of money and I don't think he wants to let it go.''
Crist, who hand-picked the once-obscure Republican activist, stands firmly behind Greer. Gubernatorial candidate Bill McCollum is keeping his distance, noting that he helped organize a ``Victory 2010'' account to fund the statewide campaign, structured so Greer can't write a check without the co-signature of former state House Speaker Allan Bense.
source: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/florida/story/1385739.html
source: http://rt.com/Top_News/2009-12-11/stalin-letter-sothebys-auction.html# Subscribe to the Rightardia feed: feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/IGiu
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