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Politics : Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: tejek who wrote (445948)	1/8/2009 11:02:46 AM
From: SARMAN	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1575737

Yup. When I say dangerous, I mean for Israel, not the US. Don't you know that Israel is a state of the US. Didn't you get the memo.

To: tejek who wrote (445948)	1/8/2009 11:13:31 AM
From: Road Walker	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1575737

Key Fla. Senate race a toss-up without Jeb Bush By BRENDAN FARRINGTON, Associated Press Writer Brendan Farrington, Associated Press Writer 36 mins ago TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – It's likely Jeb Bush could have tapped his reputation as governor and an extensive fundraising network to keep a key U.S. Senate seat — and possibly a filibuster-proof majority — out of Democratic hands in 2010. But the president's younger brother said he won't run for Republican Mel Martinez' Senate seat, and political experts say Florida's race is a toss-up. Neither party has come up with a name as big as Bush, the only Republican elected to two terms as the state's governor. It could prove a challenge for the once-dominant GOP in the wake of President-elect Barack Obama's victory in Florida, as Democrats widened their grassroots operation and stepped up their fundraising efforts. "It's going to be a big race, it's going to be an expensive race," said Jamie Miller, a Florida-based Republican political consultant who has worked on Senate and statewide campaigns. "The stakes are much higher." If Al Franken's recount victory in Minnesota holds, Democrats will have 59 seats, just one shy of being able to stop a Republican filibuster. With complete Senate control on the line, both parties will put a lot of resources into Florida. Bush, who won the 1998 and 2002 gubernatorial elections by more than 10 percentage points, announced this week he wouldn't run after previously saying he would consider it. Now, only two candidates known to be considering a Senate run have won a statewide race: Democratic Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink and Republican Attorney General Bill McCollum. Each would have the advantage of name recognition and a statewide support network in a primary. There also are several congressmen from both parties considering a run, as well as former legislative leaders. Until recently, Republicans dominated Florida politics. Between 2000 and 2004, Republicans won seven of eight statewide races, while building leads in the state Legislature and in Florida's representation in Congress. The state GOP raised more money and had a strong grassroots operation. But Democrats have done a better job registering new voters and turned out more early voters during November's presidential election, helping Obama carry Florida. Democrats have become less apprehensive about Florida since the party has split six statewide races with Republicans since 2006, said David Beattie, a Democratic strategist based in Fernandina Beach. "It's going to be a nationally watched race just because of the size of the state and the impact, and the fact that it's starting now," he said. "It's not going to be a boring time." The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has been wooing Sink, who was preparing to announce re-election plans for her CFO seat when Martinez said last month he wouldn't seek a second term. Since then she's been reconsidering, especially with the pressure from Washington. McCollum was planning to seek another term as attorney general, but immediately said he will think about the Senate seat. That's no surprise, considering he's lost two previous Senate races. Florida's diverse population includes nearly 4 million registered Republicans, 4.5 million Democrats and nearly 2 million unaffiliated voters. It can be tough for little-known candidates to spread their message across the vast territory from the western panhandle to the southern peninsula, which includes both sprawling urban centers and rural enclaves. Statewide TV ads can cost up to $1 million a week. Candidates who don't have statewide name recognition realize they have to start campaigning and fundraising soon. Miller estimates a winning campaign could cost as much as $35 million. "It's really going to be a challenge. The good news for all Republicans is the name Obama will not be on the ballot," said David Johnson, a Tallahassee-based Republican political strategist. He added that Gov. Charlie Crist's bid for re-election could also help drive Republicans to the polls. But Obama could might help sway more voters than Crist could, said Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Karen Thurman. "My guess is that there will be some strong, strong abilities for fundraising," she said. "We have a president who can click a button and raise $50 million."