Cana Friend of Bill Clinton be a Friend of Bill McCollum? Sure, if your name is Dick Morris.
Morris, the Fox News pundit and former Clinton strategist, headlined a Boca Raton fund-raiser for McCollum Wednesday night.
The event drew "nearly 100 people," said McCollum spokeswoman Kristy Campbell. That would peg the evening's gate somewhere between $10,000 and $30,000, with ticket prices ranging between $100 and $300 a head ($300 bought entry into a VIP reception and "photo op" with Morris).
Morris touted the supposed exclusivity of the fund-raiser, saying, I do not normally make endorsements in primary contests, but I urge everyone to support McCollum in the Florida governor's race of 2010.
In fact, Morris has been criss-crossing the country endorsing candidates in GOP primaries.
Morris endorsed U.S. Senate hopefuls in GOP primaries -- Carly Fiorina in California and Rand Paul in Kentucky. Morris also endorsed U.S. House candidates Robert Lowry in Florida's 20th Congressional District, as well as Glenn Gallas (unsuccessfully) in Arkansas, and Stephen Broden in Texas.
Morris' critics call him a serial flip-flopper, who began his political career as a Republican strategist, then jumped ship to help Bill Clinton get elected in 1992.
After resigning from the Clinton team in 1996, amid reports of his salacious "toe-sucking" affair with a prostitute, Morris headed back to the Republican camp.
On his way out of the White House, Morris bragged that he helped Clinton "come back from being buried in a landslide."
Since then, Morris has worked as a "conservative" commentator who takes liberal swipes at Democrats.
Whether Morris' support helps the struggling McCollum campaign is anyone's guess. But any claim that Morris has to fiscal conservatism was heavily discounted by his run-ins with the tax man.
In 2003, the IRS hit Morris with a $1.5 million lien for back taxes. In 2007, he was listed among Connecticuts top 100 tax delinquents for failing to pay $452,367 in state taxes.
Morris said he reached an agreement with Connecticut, and his name was off the state's scofflaw list as of Nov. 1, 2008.
"Following a difficult period in my life, I fell into arrears. But since then, I have paid almost $3 million in state and federal taxes," Morris was quoted as saying.
Without a tinge of irony, Morris on Wednesday blasted McCollum's gubernatorial primary rival, Rick Scott.
"Rick Scott made millions in highly questionable billings under the Medicaid and Medicare program. His financial dealings have come under great scrutiny. But he is using his gains to fund a campaign of smear against McCollum," Morris said.
Morris' own currency as a political player won't pay dividends for McCollum, predicted Scott spokeswoman Jennifer Baker.
"Now (McCollum) is raising money with the political insider and architect of the Clinton rehabilitation and re-election to fund his vicious attack machine? What's next, a fund-raiser with George Rekers and Barney Frank?"
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Contact Kenric Ward at kward@sunshinestatenews.com or at (772) 801-5341.
