The Arizona illegal immigration law is having reverberations elsewhere, and is now affecting the race for the gubernatorial nomination of the Republican Party in Florida! 🙁
Republican Senate nominee Marco Rubio, himself a Cuban American, has denounced the legislation, as has former Governor Jeb Bush (whose wife is Mexican American), and Independent Governor Charlie Crist, who is running for the Senate. Democratic gubernatorial front runner Alex Sink and Democratic Senatorial front runner Kendrick Meek have also come out against it!
But now Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum, who had no significant opposition until a few weeks ago, when wealthy entrepreneur Rick Scott started a television barrage against McCollum after announcing his last minute entry into the race, has come out in support of the Arizona law, due obviously to the fact that Scott had earlier endorsed the legislation!
Imagine this: The Republicans can certainly be seen as having the advantage in the Governorship race, based on Florida becoming more Republican steadily since the 1990s. Does this state with so many Hispanic and Latino residents, a large percentage of them illegal, really want to go down the same road as Arizona? And do we really want a possible future Governor who pushed for the payment to George Rekers of substantial payments to argue against gay adoption, in the only state that does not allow that, realizing that Rekers has now become involved in a gay sex scandal that was big news a few days ago? 🙁
Is Bill McCollum the man we want to represent Florida, to become the chief executive of the fourth largest state? Are we not entitled to a more open minded, tolerant chief executive?
Under the circumstances, let us hope that this man, who has a despicable record in public office, and has been defeated numerous times in seeking the governorship or senatorial nomination, be once again defeated by a multimillionaire, who has unlimited pockets of money to spend! Then, hopefully, this upstart, who thinks he can “buy” the job of Governor, can be shown as a man without experience who does not deserve the highest executive office in the state, and that it belongs with the state’s Chief Financial Officer, Alex Sink, a woman of principle and convictions!