Why Katherine Harris is a great Republican.
Via The Note, yesterday, GOP congresswoman Katherine Harris (yes, that Katherine Harris) announced that she's going to run for Bill Nelson's Senate seat in 2006. Nelson is considered by many to hold the Democrats' most vulnerable seat in the class of 2006; the other Florida seat went Republican in 2004, when Mel Martinez beat out Betty Castor to replace the retiring Bob Graham. Harris reportedly expressed interest in running for Graham's seat but was discouraged by Karl Rove, not wanting to boost turnout among vengeful Democrats.
The Sun-Sentinel wrote of Harris:
In 2000, Harris was sued in several counties, stung by partisan barbs from Democratic activists on TV talk shows, denounced in rallies on the Capitol steps, hounded by reporters and photographers, and lampooned by editorial cartoonists nationwide. Since then, she has said that the media and Democratic critics have ignored her education and government experience, and unfairly depicted her as a wealthy dilettante.
Harris came to Washington in 2002 as a lightning rod who drew wary praise from Republicans and suspicion from Democrats who tended to see her as a partisan dragon lady or a lightweight with too much mascara. She has since softened her image and impressed fellow Republicans with an energetic style and a good grasp of policy. She has compiled a conservative voting record while focusing on bringing federal money to her district. (emphasis mine)
And that's why Harris is such a pitch-perfect Republican. Not only can she play the poor-maligned-rich-woman identity card with the best of them, but -- like her breathern in today's GOP -- she sees no contradiction at all between "a conservative voting record" (which, of course, includes tax cuts, tax cuts, tax cuts) and the encouragement of big heaping piles of "federal money" flowing on into the district.
And along with the star of Ohio's Blackwell for Governor campaign, she's also living proof that the road to power in today's GOP is paved with uncounted, or uncast, ballots.
The Sun-Sentinel wrote of Harris:
In 2000, Harris was sued in several counties, stung by partisan barbs from Democratic activists on TV talk shows, denounced in rallies on the Capitol steps, hounded by reporters and photographers, and lampooned by editorial cartoonists nationwide. Since then, she has said that the media and Democratic critics have ignored her education and government experience, and unfairly depicted her as a wealthy dilettante.
Harris came to Washington in 2002 as a lightning rod who drew wary praise from Republicans and suspicion from Democrats who tended to see her as a partisan dragon lady or a lightweight with too much mascara. She has since softened her image and impressed fellow Republicans with an energetic style and a good grasp of policy. She has compiled a conservative voting record while focusing on bringing federal money to her district. (emphasis mine)
And that's why Harris is such a pitch-perfect Republican. Not only can she play the poor-maligned-rich-woman identity card with the best of them, but -- like her breathern in today's GOP -- she sees no contradiction at all between "a conservative voting record" (which, of course, includes tax cuts, tax cuts, tax cuts) and the encouragement of big heaping piles of "federal money" flowing on into the district.
And along with the star of Ohio's Blackwell for Governor campaign, she's also living proof that the road to power in today's GOP is paved with uncounted, or uncast, ballots.
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