The Bush-Cheney gang seems to believe that attacking John Edwards as a trial attorney will somehow hurt the Dem ticket’s chances this year. What BC04 probably didn’t consider is how the attacks might hurt their buddy in Florida.
In the Senate race to replace Bob Graham, the GOP’s top contenders are former Rep. Bill McCollum and former Bush HUD Secretary Mel Martinez. The White House clearly believes McCollum can’t win statewide (he lost badly the last time he ran for the U.S. Senate) and practically shoved Martinez into the race with Bush’s blessing.
It was therefore probably a little disappointing for Rove and Co. to see McCollum put Bush’s attacks to use for his own purposes. In fact, Martinez’s former career as a trial lawyer will likely become an important part of the Florida campaign.
The choice of John Edwards as Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry’s running mate Tuesday gave new life to U.S. Senate candidate Bill McCollum’s attacks on Republican primary opponent Mel Martinez.
McCollum’s campaign immediately sent out a news release calling Martinez the “John Edwards of Florida” along with a link to a video comparing their histories as trial lawyers.
Martinez, a former Orange County chairman who resigned as Housing and Urban Development secretary to run for Senate, served as president of the Florida Academy of Trial Lawyers in the late 1980s.
The video was first posted on McCollum’s Web site in February. Soon afterward the Republican Party of Florida asked Senate candidates to sign a pledge not to break Ronald Reagan’s 11th commandment – do not speak ill of other Republicans. The video calls Martinez and Edwards “two liberal trial lawyers. Both wrong. So wrong. So often.”
I’m looking forward to hearing Bush aides explain that Republican trial lawyers are great; only Democratic trial lawyers should be avoided.