Democrat Joe Garcia's "FedEx flub" was exposed as hypocrisy earlier this week. But shame on me for letting Annette Taddeo's blatant show of do-as-I-say-not-a-I-do go unnoticed.
Taddeo, darling of the Democratic Congressional Committee in CD 26, wants voters to support her because she doesn't take special-interest energy money and her primary rival Garcia and the Republican incumbent, Carlos Curbelo, do.
Her on-line plea for money includes this: "In Congress, I will fight for real action on climate change to ensure South Florida's future is as robust and promising as our past, and stand up to the Republicans who want to deny science and continue to give tax breaks to big oil and gas companies. ... Help #fight #climatechange! Join #TeamAnnette #FL26 #FL #Vote
Taddeo runs with the same theme in a tweet aiming to "out" Garcia and Curbelo for taking money from Florida Power & Light Co. Check it out:
You would deduce from this that Taddeo sure is anti-Big Energy, wouldn't you?
I mean, this must be a candidate worried about climate change, worried about electing politicians who want oil to last forever, no matter how bad it is for the planet. Don't you think?
But, no. Hypocrisy raises its ugly head again. And does it ever.
It isn't just that Charlie Crist ran for governor on fat chunks of energy money in 2014 -- and Taddeo, Charlie's running mate, knew it.
More important, as of December 2013, Taddeo listed among her investments nearly $100,000 in oil and other not-so-green energy interests.
You see her entire December 2013 financial disclosure -- the latest one available -- in an attachment below, but the excerpted energy items are listed here. Let's look:
Elizabeth Taddeo Trust
Energy
- Exxon Mobil Corp - $20,240
- Pepco Holding - $4,783
- Eagle Rock Energy (now merged with Vanguard Natural Resources) - $8,935
- Occidental Petroleum - $35,663.00
Total: $69,621
Taddeo Wealth Management Fund
- Exxon Mobil Corp - $25,300
Grand total: $94,921
Seems to me if you've got 100 grand invested in something -- anything -- you don't want it to fail. I know Taddeo is rich, but is she so rich she would bet on energy in Florida, then work to bring it down in Washington?
Annette Taddeo's investments make her a bigger beholden fan of Big Energy than either Garcia or Curbelo. They also make her sanctimony not to be believed. Period. Taddeo, another of our Florida political landscape's standout hypocrites.
Reach Nancy Smith at nsmith@sunshinestatenews.com or at 228-282-2423. Twitter: @NancyLBSmith
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