With less than a month to go until the special election, the attacks intensified on Friday as Democrats and Republicans battle for an open congressional seat in a swing district.
Republicans pounced on Friday over a comment made by former state CFO Alex Sink which will air Sunday on the Tampa Bay Times Political Connections. Sink is the Democratic candidate in a special election being held for an open congressional seat in Pinellas County. She faces Republican David Jolly and Libertarian Lucas Overby in the March 11 election.
Asked about a report from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) that fewer Americans would be in the workforce due to President Barack Obamas federal health-care law, Sink insisted the increase of part-time workers as full-time employees lost hours due to the law, offered more freedom and more choice and even called it an exciting prospect.
Jolly weighed in on Sinks remarks on Friday. Alex Sinks comment that it is an exciting prospect for Obamacare to cost our economy more than 2 million jobs is tone deaf and out-of-touch, Jolly said. First, she embraces this dysfunctional law that is hurting Pinellas families and seniors, and now she says that its impact, which is costing jobs, is an exciting prospect.
I would like Alex Sink to explain her comments to the hard-working people of Pinellas, who go to work every day to provide for their families, Jolly added. Obamacare costing our economy jobs is not exciting, Alex. It is detrimental to economic growth and hurts Pinellas families. This is further proof that Alex Sink will put Obama and Pelosis talking points and agenda ahead of what is best for Pinellas.
Katie Prill, a spokeswoman for the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), also quickly went on the attack.
Alex Sink is out-of-touch with Pinellas families if she thinks costing our economy over 2 million jobs is an exciting prospect. The last thing Pinellas County needs in Congress is a career politician who will stand with Nancy Pelosi to protect Obamacare while it hurts seniors, middle class families and costs us jobs, said Prill on Friday.
Other groups in Jollys corner, including the American Action Network, also highlighted Sinks comment.
But Sink supporters continued firing away at Jolly on Friday over Social Security. Democratic super-PAC House Majority PAC released a second TV ad on the subject on Friday. The new ad features the Snedeker family, two retirees from Largo, attacking Jolly for lobbying for a group that seeks private-sector solutions to Social Security. House Majority PAC doubled down on its attacks on Jolly, announcing the group is spending $750,000 to run its ads for two weeks.
As someone who lobbied for a right-wing group that backed a plan to privatize Social Security reducing benefits and eliminating the programs guarantee, according to the nonpartisan AARP its obvious David Jolly is out of touch with the needs of Pinellas County, said Andy Stone, a spokesman for House Majority PAC. Jollys plan to risk benefits on Wall Street would have real consequences. Thats something the Snedekers, who lost 40 percent of their savings when the stock market crashed, know all too well.
Earlier in the week, Jollys camp called a foul on House Majority PAC for citing the AARP in the first ad. House Majority PAC stressed to Sunshine State News on Friday that while AARP did not consult on the ad, the group did not question the veracity of the ads claims.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com,
