With President Barack Obama in Florida on Monday to help Democratic candidates in the Sunshine State, U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek, the Democratic nominee in the U.S. Senate election, went all outto link himself to the White House.
Lagging behind Republican front-runner Marco Rubio and Gov. Charlie Crist who is running with no party affiliation, Meek has been the subject of whispers that he would pull the plug on his campaign and back Crist. Meek vehemently denied those rumors on Thursday night and pivoted the focus of his campaign from attacking the governor to targeting Rubio who has a double-digit lead in the polls.
On Monday, the Meek camp released a radio spot from the president.
Kendrick's been a powerful voice for Floridians: standing up to special interests, to hold Wall Street accountable; fighting the insurance industry to make sure health care isn't denied to our children because of a pre-existing condition; working to eliminate subsidies to banks so young people can afford a college education; and Kendrick strongly opposes extending tax breaks for the wealthy and has worked tirelessly to expand the middle class and support small businesses, says the president in the radio ad. So please join me in supporting Kendrick Meek for Senate. Because if we work together, he will win.
Meek also called on Vice President Joe Biden who issued a fund-raising appeal for the candidate.
President Obama said it best: You choose D to drive forward and R to drive backward, wrote Biden. In 22 days, America will choose a path. We will either continue forward, growing our economy and getting it out of the ditch the GOP drove it into, or we'll take the road back to Bush-era policies that punished the middle class, gave tax breaks to billionaires and brought our economy to its knees. The stakes are as high right now as they were two years ago when a grass-roots force of millions chose to start America on that path forward.
Kendrick Meek is ready to move America forward, continued Biden, who added that he thought Meek could beat Rubio and Crist.
The thing I love about Kendrick is he has walked the walk, wrote Biden. This is a guy with more gumption and grit than anyone I've ever worked with. He's not only devoted his life to public service and helping middle class families, but put his life on the line as a state trooper. Supporting Kendrick Meek was the easiest call that the president and I have ever made. In fact, the president is even with Kendrick today in Florida. It's clear Kendrick Meek is the only person to take Florida forward.
The Rubio camp responded, looking to tie Meek to the increasingly unpopular president.
For nearly two years, Kendrick Meek has been a reliable rubber-stamp for the Obama agenda of higher taxes, wasteful spending, more debt and job-killing regulations, said Alex Burgos, a spokesman for Rubio. When President Obama needed a yes vote in the United States Congress for his anti-jobs proposals, Kendrick Meek was always there. So its not surprising that the White House would cut an ad for its favorite congressman. However, Floridians dont need a rubber-stamp in Congress but an alternative like Marco Rubio who is the only candidate who will fight to change the direction Washington is taking our country.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
