As the federal shutdown continues, Republicans and Democrats in the Florida congressional delegation are starting to draw fire as both sides look ahead to the 2014 elections.
This week, The Hill reported that the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) is turning up on the heat on two Florida Democrats -- freshmen U.S. Rep. Joe Garcia and U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy. Believing the two Democrats are vulnerable in 2014, the NRCC is running radio ads against them, bashing them as part of a broken system in Washington and for helping create the shutdown.
Garcia is also drawing heavy fire from Republicans at the state and national levels for saying extremist elements, this Taliban has led to the federal shutdown. While Republicans insist that Garcia was comparing congressional colleagues to the terrorist group, Garcia has maintained he was calling out extremism and not specific individuals.
The NRCC quickly took aim at Garcia for his comment. Congressman Joe Garcias lack of judgment is astounding, said Katie Prill, a spokeswoman for the NRCC, earlier this week. The fact that he would call his own colleagues the Taliban while we are in the midst of a crisis shows that not only is Garcia classless, but that he has no intention of working with his colleagues to end this shutdown.
In the meantime, the Democrat super-PAC House Majority announced on Thursday it would launch ads bashing U.S. Rep. Steve Southerland, R-Fla., over the federal shutdown.
The House Majority PAC will be hitting Southerland online and has launched a website attacking the Republican incumbent.Starting on Friday, the House Majority PAC will be running a television ad in the Tallahassee market bashing Southerland, including replaying a complaint he made about his congressional salary not being sufficient.
Shutting down the federal government is just a political game for Steve Southerland that puts jobs, retirement security and our economy at risk, said Andy Stone, a spokesman for the House Majority PAC, on Thursday. Of course, what else should Floridians expect from Southerland since he still gets paid during this GOP shutdown, even though he once said his $174,000-a-year taxpayer-funded salary is not so much.
Southerland is one of 10 Republican incumbents being targeted by the House Majority PAC in the 2014 election cycle.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter at @KevinDerbySSN.
