Anybody else remember what the EMILY's List people told Nan Rich when she asked for their support running for governor of Florida against Charlie Crist?
They told the former state senator to go out and prove she was electable by first raising more money.
Well, guess what?
EMILY's List is quite OK with Taddeo, who is still trying to work her campaign out of a big pile of red ink.
By the end of June, Taddeo had less than $170,000 in the bank and more than $405,000 of campaign debt. The Republican incumbent, U.S. Rep. Carlos Curbelo, had almost $993,500 on hand.
“Taddeo should be embarrassed that out of all of the DCCC recruits, she pulled in one of the lowest fundraising hauls in the entire country," Chris Pack, an NRCC spokesman, said last month. "Maybe she should hang out in her mansion for a few days and regroup.”
So much for the reputation of Crist's lieutenant governor selection as a "fierce fundraiser."
Taddeo's campaign is tanking. Yet hypocritical, politics-as-usual EMILY's List is HELPING her raise cash, in begging letters to Democrats calling her "a fighter for women and families."
That's what they said, she's "a fighter for women and families."
Rich isn't talking. But imagine how the duplicity of EMILY's List must be stabbing her like a knife. Nobody fought harder or more effectively for women and families inside and outside the Florida Legislature than Nan Rich.
Who got not one penny, not one word of support from EMILY's List.
The new congressional maps likely will add Democrats to the district, smoothing Taddeo's path. One would think. Trouble is -- and this is my guess -- she's now worried about Democrat Joe Garcia, who lost the seat to Curbelo but -- weighing Taddeo's electability or lack of it -- is making noises about wanting to reclaim it in 2016.
I'm thinking multimillionaire Taddeo has more problems on her hands than trying to prove to the electorate that she really is "just middle class." I'm thinking she hopes EMILY's List can rescue her campaign's sinking ship.
Reach Nancy Smith at nsmith@sunshinestatenews.com or at 228-282-2423. Twitter:@NancyLBSmith
