Dockery keeps up her attacks ... on Republicans

Paula Dockery kept up her anti-establishment campaign this week by blasting her party's leaders' "slush funds."

Dockery, who is challenging Attorney General Bill McCollum for the Republican gubernatorial nomination, praised Gov. Charlie Crists veto of the Leadership Fund bill.

I congratulate Gov. Charlie Crist for standing up to legislative leaders and vetoing a bill that would have allowed them to create slush funds for influencing elections across the state," the senator from Lakeland said in a release.

"Had this reckless bill become law, legislative leaders would have been able to raise millions of dollars while the Legislature was in session. That means big-money special interests would have been able to pull out their wallets and exert their influence in the moments before a key vote.

"Tallahassee has enough sleazy dealings without passing legislation to create a whole new cottage industry of corruption."

Dockery, who has clashed repeatedly with GOP leaders on a variety of issues, added:

"You would think with federal criminal investigations looming over state political finances and expenditures, our Legislature would be passing tougher ethics bills and closing loopholes, not opening the door to more potential corruption. Vetoing this bill was the right thing to do.