Can anyone explain Katherine Harris?

[techweenie]

Watching her campaign self-destruct has been amusing.

First she says she's putting her personal fortune into her campaign after the RNC refuses to have anything to do with her. Then she quietly does not.

She ignores her staff's recommendation not to submit a late and poorly-written $10 million defense appropriation requestl from a guy who gave her campaign $32,000.

Then she fires her entire campaign staff. Then she fires the entire (new) campaign staff.

Then she takes money out of her campaign fund to remodel her home.

The stories are almost beyond belief.

[nostatic]

gotta love wikipedia. Sounds like she'd be a hit with a few of the OT regulars though...

2006 Senate Race

Main article: Florida United States Senate election, 2006
[edit]
Overview
On June 7, 2005, Harris announced her candidacy for the United States Senate as a Republican, challenging incumbent Democrat Bill Nelson. Harris' fund raising has lagged behind Nelson's and her campaign has been troubled by controversy over campaign contributions by Mitchell Wade. As of May of 2006, she was far behind in all the polls.
Despite Harris' support of many Republican causes and her previous statewide victories, some party leaders such as Governor Jeb Bush and Karl Rove expressed doubts about her statewide appeal. National Republicans have openly criticized her campaign and have tried to convince other GOP candidates to challenge Harris in the primary [31]. As the May 12 deadline for the primary approached, many leaders including Gov. Bush publicly courted the Speaker of Florida's state house of representatives Allan Bense, but on May 11 he declined. [32]
[edit]
Campaign Troubles
In late February 2006, in the midst of revelations surrounding Mitchell Wade's illegal contributions, Harris' campaign finance director and campaign treasurer both resigned. [33].
On March 15, 2006 edition of Fox News Channel's Hannity & Colmes political debate show, Harris pledged to spend ten million of her own dollars on the campaign, which she has said is all of her inheritance. She has also stated her run is dedicated to the memory of her father. She has accused Nelson (the current Senator) of posing as a moderate while being "beholden to the far-left political side" [34], and has said she wants to bring integrity and ethics back to government.
Harris was a headlined speaker at the Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church (Dr. James Kennedy, pastor) "Reclaiming America for Christ" conference held in Ft. Lauderdale March 17-18, 2006. The conference web site invited gatherees to attend in order to "reclaim this nation for Christ." [35] As part of her speech, Harris urged conferees to "Win back America for God." [36] The stated mission of ReclaimAmerica.org is to "To inform, equip, motivate, and support Christians; enabling them to defend and implement the Biblical principles on which our country was founded."[37]
On April 1, 2006 her top campaign advisor, pollster and campaign manager all resigned with a half dozen other staffers. Republican pollster and consultant David Johnson said, "I've never seen staffers go like this. It's just imploding." [38] However, other observers note that Harris has been abandoned by the party establishment and its consultants before and always managed to adjust and win races for state senate, secretary of state and Congress. [citation needed]
In early April, 2006, Harris told the Tampa Tribune that some of her ex-campaign staffers and the national Republican party were deliberately sabotaging her campaign, "putting knives in her back" and had warned her that if she did not back out of the campaign she would get an "April surprise".[39] Former campaign staffer Ed Rollins said "They were all good professionals...There was no backstabbing. It's insulting that she would even say that. If she wants to know what went wrong with the campaign, maybe she needs to take a good look in the mirror." Rollins, however, has frequently quarelled with other clients and Harris' famously serendipitous approach to campaigning undoubtedly clashed with his imperious style. [40]
On June 8, 2006, Harris' fourth chief of staff, Fred Asbell, left in order to pursue a "business opportunity". Asbell said he'd "greatly enjoyed" his time with the campaign and he would remain in a consultant position. [41]
On July 13, 2006, Harris' campaign manager Glenn Hodas, spokesman Chris Ingram, field director Pat Thomas, and two other key staffers, resigned from her campaign.[42] Hodas noted Harris' "tantrums" and "increasingly erratic behavior" as his reasons for leaving. [28] An anonymous campaign worker quoted in the press described Harris as "very difficult to work with. The more that we put her out there, the more she shot herself in the foot."[43]

[techweenie]

Pretty balanced, but missing some of the biggies.

When the Repubs suggested Joe Scarborough as an alternative, she called the big contributors and all but accused Scarborough of involvement in the death of a former intern of his.

[techweenie]

Speaking of Harris polls...

Funny, none of the neo-conned are stepping up to defend the woman who was so key in 2000.

------------------

In Florida, Harris Plummets in Latest Poll

In the last three months, Rep. Katherine Harris (R-FL) "has lost almost half of the Republicans who planned to vote for her," according to a new Mason-Dixon poll "that suggests the congresswoman has little chance of unseating Sen. Bill Nelson."

If the election were held today, Nelson would beat Harris by a stunning margin, 57% to 29% with just 14% undecided.

Said pollster Brad Coker: "This candidacy was an uphill battle to begin with. But it can't even climb now. It just loses ground."

A new Strategic Vision (R) poll has Nelson demolishing Harris, 60% to 22%.

[fastpat]

Originally posted by techweenie
Watching her campaign self-destruct has been amusing.

First she says she's putting her personal fortune into her campaign after the RNC refuses to have anything to do with her. Then she quietly does not.

She ignores her staff's recommendation not to submit a late and poorly-written $10 million defense appropriation requestl from a guy who gave her campaign $32,000.

Then she fires her entire campaign staff. Then she fires the entire (new) campaign staff.

Then she takes money out of her campaign fund to remodel her home.

The stories are almost beyond belief.

The Bush'ists only support leftist Republicans like the RINO Arlen Specter, while I've not followed Harris' time in congress at all, and wouldn't vote for her under any conceivable circumstances (for reasons that you should know by now), she has been treated worse than shabbily by the Bush'ists. They supported her opposition during the primary, when he lost to her, they packed up their bags (of money) and went else where. The Bush'ists actually asked her not to run so their leftist guy could run without opposition.

Bush is a liberal, there isn't a drop of genuine conservative blood running in his veins.

[Tobra]

Just because she played a key role in the right person getting to sit in the big chair in the Oval office does not mean sheis not very peripheral to the party and is not a giant douche.

The head of the DNC is a total nutjob jerk-off, and he is the "leader" of "your" party, well not slopats party, he is on his own so he can't really party much

Besides, wouldn't you say there are more important things to discuss?

[techweenie]

Originally posted by Tobra
Just because she played a key role in the right person getting to sit in the big chair in the Oval office does not mean sheis not very peripheral to the party and is not a giant douche.

The head of the DNC is a total nutjob jerk-off, and he is the "leader" of "your" party, well not slopats party, he is on his own so he can't really party much

Besides, wouldn't you say there are more important things to discuss?

And now, what would that be? Paris Hilton?

[tobster1911]

Originally posted by fastpat
...and wouldn't vote for her under any conceivable circumstances (for reasons that you should know by now)

Oh Oh I know this one.... Is it because you don't live in Florida?

Funny, other than that, Pat actually seems to like her..............

[techweenie]

Harris story of the day:

She wants Howard Dean to apologize to her.

Howard Dean said "...she is not Stalin."