Despite a looming Republican primary on Jan. 14, the national GOP continues to turn up the heat on former state CFO Alex Sink, the Democratic candidate running in the special election for the congressional seat vacated by the death of U.S. Rep. Bill Young, R-Fla. But, on Monday, Sinks team vowed to stay on offense.
At a candidate forum on Friday night, Sink called the launch of President Barack Obamas federal health-care law a disaster and insisted the Obama administration has failed us. Despite those harsh words, Sink insisted Americans deserve the right to health insurance and affordable health care.
That wasnt enough for the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) which took aim at Sink on Saturday.
Alex Sinks refusal to address the real issues with Obamacare is appalling, insisted Katie Prill, a spokeswoman for the NRCC. The fact that 300,000 Floridians have lost their health care plans, are forced to pay more in premiums and deductibles, all while losing their doctors, is exactly what Obamacare was intended to do. Alex Sink needs to stop with the political spin and just tell Floridians the truth -- she supported the law when it was passed, she supports it now, and she won't stop supporting it if elected.
But Sinks team insisted on Monday they will try to keep off the ropes by launching attacks of their own.
On Monday, the Sink team sent out an email to supporters, noting two of the Republicans in the race -- former Young aide David Jolly and state Rep. Kathleen Peters, R-St. Petersburg -- are already running television ads as they battle in the Jan. 14 primary. Retired Marine Gen. Mark Bircher is also running for the Republican nomination.
The Sink team trashed Jolly and Peters for being backed by Washington insiders and typical special interest groups. As they ready to take on whichever Republican emerges in the primary, the Sink team insisted they will stay on the attack.
Weve got to stay on offense, the Sink campaign maintained. Weve got to make sure Pinellas voters know the real Alex Sink. If we dont, we could be stuck with a representative whod allow more government shutdowns and more billion-dollar hits to our economy. Thats simply not an option.
The Sink campaign also insisted their candidate would have a common-sense approach to Congress.
Sink, whoever wins the Republican primary and Libertarian candidate Lucas Overby will battle in the general election on March 11.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com.
