7/21/08

Welcome to the big leagues

Naked Politics broke this earlier today:

Democrats looking to grow their majority in the House have reserved $1.4 million worth of TV air time in the Miami market, looking to run ads this fall against Reps. Lincoln and Mario Diaz-Balart and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.

The ad buys come on the heels of word that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has reserved $1 million in the Orlando market for ads to take on Rep. Tom Feeney, R-Oviedo, and $1.5 million in the Palm Beach County area to bolster the case for Rep. Tim Mahoney, D-Palm Beach Gardens, a top GOP target.

Democrats believe they have their best shot in years at taking out the Diaz-Balarts and Ros-Lehtinen. No word yet on when the ads will run.

Between the big money Republican donors who support Raul Martinez and Joe Garcia, the increasing traction for Annette Taddeo, the local Republicans have to start worrying. Even the DCCC is sensing blood in the water now.

And local Union hot shot boss Fred Frost must be making them crap themselves. While unions in SoFla are pretty weak overall, they served as a watchdog at a local fundraiser between the the three Republicans. Unfortunately, they didn't ask for a PAC to host it or make a join committee. That violates the Florida statute.

But under FEC law, Frost says, such joint fundraising events "must either establish a new political committee...or select a participating political committee to act as the fundraising representative." He's asking that the money raised at the event be returned.

"The people of South Florida expect their members of Congress to uphold the highest ethical standards and unfortunately those standards have not been met....." Frost said.

Carlos Curbelo, a spokesman for the brothers' campaign, accused Frost -- whose group has endorsed Lincoln Diaz-Balart's challenger, Raul Martinez, of looking to muddy the waters. Curbelo called it a "frivilous complaint" and said the host of the fundraiser shouldn't have listed all the names together on the invite.

"We're obviously going to respond to the commission and say that he shouldn't have done that, but it's not a major issue," Curbelo said.

That's also from the Herald's blog.

I like that breaking the law isn't a major issue. Then again, those three have thought that they make the rules and can bend them at will in South Florida. Not anymore.

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