As another potential Democratic candidate contemplates entering the race, Democrat Eric Lynn came out swinging in recent days at U.S. Rep. David Jolly, R-Fla., on trade and other economic issues -- even as they both opposed the Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) bill in Congress.
Lynn, a former official in President Barack Obama’s administration, opposed the White House on TPA but focused most of his fire at Jolly in an email sent out on Friday.
“At its heart, trade is really about American workers -- people my opponent, David Jolly, has a long record of undermining," Lynn wrote about Jolly, who was first elected to Congress early last year. “What Pinellas needs is not just jobs -- it's job security. The Florida values I grew up with in St. Pete taught me that. Unfortunately, David Jolly doesn't share those values. In Congress, he's voted against raising the minimum wage and against extending unemployment insurance at a time Florida families needed help the most.
“David Jolly has protected employers who violated fair labor laws, voted against union election rules, and favored giving government contracts to corporations that ship Florida jobs overseas,” Lynn added. “And as a D.C. lobbyist, David Jolly tried to weaken federal employees' pensions and rights to organize while supporting anti-union legislation. That doesn't sound to me like someone who shares the values of Florida's workers."
Promising to be a “champion in Congress for the hard-working families of Pinellas County,” Lynn vowed to “work just as hard to strengthen our state's economic security as I worked at the Pentagon to strengthen our country's national security” before ripping into TPA.
“Smart trade policies will continue to keep us competitive in the 21st century global economy -- but not if they come at the expense of working families, as this trade deal does,” Lynn noted. “I am opposed to this trade deal. In Congress I will oppose any proposed agreement that does not have enough protections for Floridians, training opportunities for the jobs of the future, and the highest possible labor standards. As my friends in labor know, I've always had their back. David Jolly has done the opposite: he's turned his back on the American worker as a D.C. lobbyist and a member of John Boehner's tea party Congress.”
But Jolly ended up voting against TPA and he took to Facebook on Monday to note why he opposed it.
“On Friday, due to two issues of great concern, I voted against the Trade Promotion Authority," Jolly wrote. “First, I am very concerned about what the president’s priorities may be if we create a multinational agreement, as well as those priorities’ impact on American workers and job creators. This mainly stems from my disagreement with the president’s view of government, how he envisions growing our economy and creating jobs. Secondly, in my opinion, I believe approval of the TPA was too quick and did not give my constituents, or the American people, time to completely digest the proposal or have a comprehensive discussion on the implications of entering into a new trading partnership and whether we, as a nation, are prepared for a significant trade partnership with Pacific nations.
“Increased trade, undoubtedly, can be a source of economic and job growth for all Americans,” Jolly added. “However, it must be implemented fairly and sensibly. And, while expanded trade will certainly be a part of America’s future, the TPA was not the correct answer.”
Jolly represents a swing district and scored a narrow win over former state CFO Alex Sink in a special election early last year. But Democrats dropped the ball after Sink said she would not challenge Jolly in the general election and, after a series of blunders, ended up with no candidate in November.
Another Democrat is also looking at entering the race. Former Tampa City Councilwoman Mary Mulhern is mulling moving into the district to run against Jolly, Saint PetersBlog reported at the end of last week.
Jolly has generated some buzz as a potential candidate to run for the U.S. Senate in 2016 and is promising a decision later this summer.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
