Meek and Mild

While he is not getting much attention for his efforts, U.S.Rep. Kendrick Meek, the likely Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, released an op-ed calling the Obama administrations budget cuts to the space program unacceptable. While originally run earlier in the month, the column was carried again today.

Unlike some of his colleagues in the Florida House delegation, Meek does not call on the Obama administration to extend the space shuttle program. Nor has Meek joined with the two U.S. Senators from Florida in calling for a new generation of heavy-lift launch systems. Meek merely notes that the administrations cuts will mean fewer jobs in the Sunshine State.

Theres a pattern here. Despite his effort, Meek simply is not the player in the NASAbudget issue that a number of Floridas political leaders, including U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, U.S. Sen. George LeMieux, U.S. Rep.Bill Posey, U.S. Rep. Suzanne Kosmas, and Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp, are. While Meek sits on the House Ways and Means Committee, he has not been able to become a leading figure in the health care debate the way that his colleagues in the Florida House delegation U.S. Rep. Allen Grayson and U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz have. Despite an effective campaign so far, chasing off state Sen. Dan Gelber out of the race and clearing the decks for the Democratic Senate nomination, Meek has not gotten the attention that either Charlie Crist or Marco Rubio has. As he trails both Rubio and Crist by double digits in the polls, Meek is trying his best to get some attention directed to his campaign. But as his campaign continues to gather petitions and the Rubio-Crist battle continues to dominate headlines, he may have to find a new issue to get noticed.