Meek blasts Crist to conservative LBA
From the Miami Herald
BY VYTENIS DIDZIULIS
Kendrick Meek, the South Florida congressman seeking a seat in the U.S. Senate, blasted Republican Gov. Charlie Crist’s record in a speech Friday before the predominantly Cuban American and Republican Latin Builders Association.
Meek criticized the governor—his likely rival in the 2010 U.S. Senate campaign—on everything from the state’s ballooning foreclosure crisis to public sector layoffs.
``I’m glad I’m not the governor because if I was the governor I would have to explain why this community and this state is in such bad shape,’’ Meek told a packed hall at the downtown J.W. Marriott Hotel Miami.
The governor was supposed to address the association but canceled because of a scheduling conflict with a Florida Association of Realtors meeting in Orlando, his press spokeswoman, Erin Isaac, said. She said the group had initially offered Crist several dates to choose from, and that he will speak to them at a later time.
``When this date didn’t work out, we canceled with the assumption that we could always do one of the other dates,’’ Isaac said. ``It’s an important group and the governor looks forward to addressing them.’‘
Meek was the second Democratic candidate for elected office to address the politically influential members since the state’s chief financial officer, Alex Sink, spoke there in June.
Unlike Sink, who avoided confrontational language, Meek went after the Republican governor head-on.
``Why are there more people in this state who are in default on their mortgage?’’ Meek asked more than 200 members in attendance. ``Because we didn’t have the kind of leadership to not allow some of these predators to take advantage of some of the people in our community.’‘
It’s unclear whether Meek’s 15-minute speech won any converts at the historically conservative organization—but when he was finished a majority of those in the crowd gave him a standing ovation.
Many Republican candidates have courted the mostly Cuban American LBA members on their way to Congress, the White House or the state Legislature. But Anthony Seijas, the association’s president, said opening the floor to Democrats may be a sign of how tough the economic situation has become.
``I think we have to be open to the fact that if things have not worked in the past we have to look at new ideas,’’ Seijas said. ``I think people are willing to look at voting Democratic even if they are registered Republicans.’‘
Even so, some of those who heard Meek were not ready to endorse him.
Some said they needed to hear strong support for using stimulus dollars to fund development projects and more specific policies aimed at fixing the real estate crisis and the healthcare system.
``If he were to say he was against the Marlins stadium and against funding building for other big projects, that would be a huge no-no,’’ said George Hart, director of sales for Doral-based Adonel Concrete.
Others said it would be almost impossible for them to switch political allegiances.
``There’s little Meek could say to have me vote for him,’’ said Carlos A. Martinez, vice-president of commercial lending at U.S. Century bank.
After Crist canceled, the association booked Meek. The congressman pounced on Crist’s absence by saying the governor took the Republican group for granted.
``The governor is not here because he knows that he can afford not to be here,’’ Meek said.
Meek’s speech came just hours before the Florida Association of Realtors convention in Orlando hosted some of the major candidates for statewide office in 2010. The lineup included Meek, who traveled to Orlando after the LBA appearance, as well as former House Speaker Marco Rubio, who is challenging Crist for the Republican nomination for the Senate.