FL-25: Joe Garcia campaign points out that the opponent is waffling

What does Joe Garcia say? "What's happening in Arizona should never happen here in Florida" -- that's the way he put it in his campaign kickoff the other day.

Take a dive with BP's spill -- Yuk

Thanks to RepowerAmerica, Al Gore in action on the internet he invented, for tipping me to this new view of the gush.

DEC and OFA get new directors for 2010 elections

In six months when we’re chalking up now-unexpected victories in our difficult local electoral world, Monday May 24 may be a date we Miami-Dade Democrats look back at as a milestone in our rise to a successful political operation.

On this day two personnel shifts were presented to us. The Miami-Dade Democratic Party took on a new executive director, Ric Herrero, who appeared at a meeting of the party’s Steering Committee. And the new regional field director for Organizing For America, Marcelo Marco Ramirez, was introduced to an enthusiastic group of OFA activists as replacement for the highly esteemed Brad Schenck, who’s destined for something more national in scope (details later, we hope).

Your blogger had the pleasure of being at both events, even though they both started at 7 p.m. several miles apart in downtown Miami. Got to confess that when I burst into the OFA event at 8:15, people started yelling at Marcelo Ramirez that he’d have to start over again. It got a big laugh, so I imagine that I wasn’t the only one who’d arrived after the new field director started describing his mission.

R U ready? June 5 , less than two weeks away, is the day the OFA will start its nationally featured drive for the November midterm election: Contacting people who voted for the first time in 2008. Make them vote again this year, by hook or … No, only legal stuff is permitted. If you have not signed up to do something, now’s the time to drop in to MyBarackObama.com and pledge yourself to the fun of campaigning again, meeting fellow citizens on their doorsteps or on the phone, and talking politics with them. Saturday June 5 is when we launch again. Be there with OFA. You may already have received this invitation from David Plouffe.

The Miami-Dade Democratic Party is further energized by having the decade of political experience that Ric Herrero brings to the post of executive director, which had been unfilled for over a year.  The party aims to concentrate on gathering in as many Cuban Americans as possible, as well as working to register new voters and to sign people up to vote absentee – vote at home, where you can think about the issues and candidates at your leisure.

Here are a couple of photos (unequal quality, I’m afraid, as I shifted from the simple Flip to a flashy Nikon Coolpix model in the middle of this story) to show the players.

First is Marcelo Ramirez of OFA with some of his activists.

Now a snap of Ric Herrero during the most recent meeting of the Democratic Executive Committee.

And a bonus: as the Steering Committee was about to meet, Chairman Richard Lydecker’s new name partner in his Brickell law firm, former Miami Mayor Manny Diaz, dropped in to say hello to the committee. Your blogger jumped up with the new Nikon and said there should be a photo for the blog, and this is it.

FL-25: Joe Garcia kicks off campaign for US House

A good rally was held at Kendall Campus of Miami-Dade College.

FL-25: Joe Garcia video from Collier County meeting

Don't forget our chance to celebrate the Joe Garcia campaign on Tuesday. Be there with Joe at the Miami-Dade college Kendall Campus, Room K-412, Tuesday 11:30 a.m.

Very bad news for Bill McCollum, Good for Alex Sink

Voters really hate clear corruption in their politicians, and the next thing they hate is hypocrisy. This item about the hypocritical anti-gay crusader very nicely reaches up into the office of Attorney General Bill McCollum. Yay!


Let's pound on it for a while and call it a nail in the McCollum coffin. Alex Sink, are you listening?

FORGOT TO SAY:  Kudos to the Equality Florida blog for digging this up.

Kevin Burns announces shift to FL Senate race

This was at Wednesday meeting of Democracy For America-Miami.

MORE INFO:  At the short Miami Herald article on this development. This points out that there now is a primary between Burns and Gwen Margolis for state Senate District 35. This is my district, now held by Dan Gelber, who's running for attorney general.

Burns go for FL Senate, leaves US Senate race

I'm sending this from the chair in my ophthalmologist's office. More later.

Sent from my iPhone 3GS

Blogging at Miami-Dade-Dems.blogspot.com

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Kevin Burns for Senate" <media@mpapolitical.com>
Date: May 5, 2010 4:16:41 PM EDT
To: <miamibeachlarry@gmail.com>
Subject: Kevin Burns Major Announcement!
Reply-To: Kevin_Burns_for_Senate_hpndv_bodsaws@cp20.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PRESS RELEASE 05/05/2010	Press contact: Mario Piscatella 904-657-8116 media@mpapolitical.com
Kevin Burns to Announce for State Senate District 35 The former North Miami Mayor shifts focus to South Florida's needs and Tallahassee's Problems Miami, Florida - 05/05/2010 - Mayor Kevin Burns will announce later today that he will seek the Democratic nomination for State Senate District 35.  The seat was vacated when Senator Dan Gelber opted to run for Attorney General. On the switch, Kevin had this to say: "I chose public service to make a difference, locally, in my community, and I believe I have done that.  I'm making the switch to the State Senate race because I believe it is the way for me to continue to make a difference, here in my community, in Tallahassee and for all the people of Florida." About his role in Tallahassee: "This year's session the legislature made unprecedented assaults on civil rights, the environment, teachers, women and decency in general -- that is compounded by the loss of some of our strongest Democratic voices in House and Senate, Senators Aronberg and Gelber and Representative Randolph.  I am stepping forward to try to fill the void those men left in their wake.  I hope to earn the support of my district so I can go to Tallahassee and represent them, continuing to standing up against off shore drilling and fighting for our students, workers and the preservation of our beautiful state." On his US Senate Campaign: "I don't regret a single day of it, I got to travel all over this state, visiting more than fifty counties, meeting and listening to Floridians from all walks of life.  I learned a great deal about the people of this state and about myself.  I believe the experience will make me a better State Senator and a better person." Mayor Kevin Burns is a graduate of Miami Edison Senior High School and a native south Florida resident.  Born at St Francis Hospital on Miami Beach and raised with his six brothers and sisters in North Dade.  Kevin and his partner Rob are raising their daughter Autumn in North Miami. Twice elected as Mayor of North Miami, Kevin took on the entrenched political machine in the city and won decisive victories due to his dogged determination and focus on uniting the citizens to find solutions to the city's problems.  He inherited a city in disarray – revolving city managers and senior staff, constant turnover, and an outdated, small town outlook that was hindering North Miami from participating in the growth and success the rest of South Florida was enjoying.  In response, Kevin reorganized the structure of city government, brought in new senior staff, and increased accountability for department heads.  He created a Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) to spark development and economic success, repaired the city's crumbling facilities, and pushed green building codes to ensure environmental responsibility and save the city money.  And he developed a new emergency response process after Hurricanes Katrina and Wilma struck North Miami in 2005. Importantly, underscoring his focus on education, under Kevin's leadership the City of North Miami opened five new schools in a three-year period – an unprecedented $200 million construction project that ensured the city's students would enjoy exceptional school facilities to support their educational goals. Kevin will make his first public announcement of his candidacy at tonight's DFAM (Democracy for America of Miami Dade) meeting at The Sports Exchange in Coral Gables, there will be availability for media following the meeting. WEDNESDAY, MAY 5th  7:00 pm The Sports Exchange 45 Miracle Mile Coral Gables, FL 33134 www.sportsexchangemiami.com Please contact Sam Feldman at 305-632-0036 with any questions regarding the DFAM http://www.dfamiami.com meeting or email media@mpapolitical.com with any questions for the Burns Campaign. Later this evening, the new campaign website will be launched with our new logo at http://www.VoteKevinBurns.com. ###
Political Advertisement Paid for and Approved by Kevin Burns, Democrat,  for State Senator

You are subscribed to this mailing list as miamibeachlarry@gmail.com. Please click here to modify your message preferences or to unsubscribe from any future mailings. We will respect all unsubscribe requests.

---

Kevin Burns' US Senate race development

Y'all come to DFAM tonight to learn wassup.

Sent from my iPhone 3GS

Blogging at Miami-Dade-Dems.blogspot.com

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Kevin Burns for Senate" <media@mpapolitical.com>
Date: May 5, 2010 8:43:07 AM EDT
To: <miamibeachlarry@gmail.com>
Subject: Major Announcement!
Reply-To: Kevin_Burns_for_Senate_hpjdn_bodsaws@cp20.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PRESS RELEASE 05/05/2010	Press contact: Mario Piscatella 904-657-8116 media@mpapolitical.com
Kevin Burns to Make Major Announcement About his US Senate Campaign Tonight! Miami, Florida - 05/05/2010 - Mayor Kevin Burns will make a major announcement about his campaign at tonight's DFAM Meeting.  The 7:00 pm meeting will be in Coral Gables at The Sports Exchange on Miracle Mile and Democratic candidate for Congressional District 25 Joe Garcia will also be speaking. WEDNESDAY, MAY 5th  7:00 pm The Sports Exchange 45 Miracle Mile Coral Gables, FL 33134 www.sportsexchangemiami.com Please contact Sam Feldman at 305-632-0036 with any questions regarding the DFAM (Democracy for America of Miami-Dadehttp://www.dfamiami.com) meeting or email media@mpapolitical.com with any questions for the Burns Campaign. ###
Paid for and Authorized by Kevin Burns for US Senate

You are subscribed to this mailing list as miamibeachlarry@gmail.com. Please click here to modify your message preferences or to unsubscribe from any future mailings. We will respect all unsubscribe requests.

---

Time: Obama doing great in runup to 2010 midterms

This excellent summary of the Obama administration so far appears in Time magazine of last week. Not being a regular reader, I missed it. Thanks to following OFA-FL on Twitter, I was reminded and nudged to check it out. If you sometimes struggle in argument against the nay-sayers in our camp as well as in the opposition, it's good to commit some of this article's points to memory.

Let's see: Biden and Emmanuel are pluses, as well as the national security team, who get along and no scandals have emerged. Health care passed and will start to make a difference before the November elections. Obama is as good at personnel decisions in office as he was in the campaign. It will happen again later this year.

Feel better?

Another benefit from immigration: Cinco de Mayo

Best graphic at immigration demo in Miami

The lady said her sister made it. Wait, make that CREATED it!

Immigration demo downtown Miami

Boycott Arizona was a prominent chant.