CD 26 candidate Annette Taddeo has one bizarre campaign going on.
After a year of stumping for the South Florida congressional seat, Charlie Crist's 2014 lieutenant governor choice just can't scare off even primary challengers. Weak donations from local rank-and-file Democrats ... probably because she fails to connect with CD 26 voters ... have opponents lining up like kids at an ice cream truck to run against her.
Only, opponents aren't welcome in the Democratic Party.
Taddeo has the full weight of the manipulative Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) behind her.
Mind you, this is nothing new. It's how the national Dems operate. It's a pattern with them. They work to control every seat in Washington. Trouble is, by August they might find they've propelled Taddeo's wobbly spaceship into a big black hole. And a district redrawn to make a Democratic victory easy-peasey actually could wind up a pushover for incumbent Republican Carlos Curbelo.
First, Minority Whip Steny Hoyer pressured Andrew Korge, who wanted to challenge Taddeo in the Democratic primary, to get out of the race. Was Korge inconvenient to the political goals of Washington Democrats? Who knows ... The bottom line is, Korge's exit was meant to deny Democratic voters in South Florida the opportunity to choose their own candidate, setting up an automatic nomination for Taddeo.
Then, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Hoyer and DCCC Chairman Ben Ray Lujan create a fundraising alliance for Taddeo. It has resulted in tens of thousands of donations toward her campaign. Certainly, based on totals from her grassroots efforts, she desperately needed the cash. But what did Korge get? Nada. Oh, except he did get a clear message to steer clear of this race.
Said GOP spokesperson Wadi Gaitan, “It's an outrageous that the Democrat Leadership in Washington has once again manipulated the primary process in South Florida’s congressional race. Their continuous urge and attempt to decide the election behind closed doors before Floridians get a chance to vote is unacceptable and offensive to our democratic process.”
There's more to the Korge story.
Korge initially jumped into the CD 26 race following the release of a secret recording of Washington Democrats propping up Taddeo. He has consistently taken aim at her ever since. He called Taddeo “not really inspirational” and lambasted her for running a poor campaign.
Now, in another secret recording made at a South Florida "meet and greet" last Friday, just before he withdrew, Korge makes it perfectly clear which remaining candidate will have his backing, saying former Congressman Joe Garcia has the best shot to win and that Taddeo “is toast.”
The YouTube video, from AmericaRisingPac's Facebook page, is shown on this page. See below. Here is the transcript: Korge -- “I think I would’ve beat -- the reality is me getting in, I think Joe has the best shot, and then I have the second best shot. Annette is toast. That’s my personal opinion. Joe’s the best.”
As a matter of fact, Garcia jumped into the race Wednesday. Watch how quickly he becomes Party Enemy No. 1. Check out this recording of Hoyer at another South Florida fundraiser. "I don't want him to run," Hoyer says of Garcia.
As Amelia Chassé, America Rising PAC press secretary, says, "This is more proof that heavy-handed attempts by Washington Democrats to anoint their preferred candidates are backfiring and inflaming the grassroots. With Democrats already facing a huge uphill battle in the House, these messy primaries continue to be a self-inflicted headache for Democrats across the map."
Some Republicans tell me, leave it alone, don't write about it. Let the Democrats hang themselves and we'll take the win. But, hey, I can no sooner resist Annette Taddeo than I can Charlie Crist, Debbie Wasserman Schultz or Susan Bucher.
Reach Nancy Smith at nsmith@sunshinestatenews.com or at 228-282-2423. Twitter: @NancyLBSmith
