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Martinez Says 'No' To Bush As Their Support Tanks

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By TRAVIS REED The Associated Press

Published: November 13, 2007

ORLANDO - U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez recently gave President Bush some bad news.

Not only was he quitting a Republican Party job that Bush lobbied him hard to take, he planned to help Democrats override Bush's veto of a multibillion dollar water bill with Everglades cleanup money.

It was a landmark for Bush and Martinez, whose political history is rich in mutual benefit. The first override of Bush's career, and one of the first times Martinez importantly told the president "no." And it came as his approval ratings tumbled toward those of Bush.

"Somebody said to me last week how that had to be hard. ... It wasn't hard. I understand why he had to hold his nose and veto it, because there's a lot of pork in that bill. But given that, I still believed it was good for Florida," he said.

The country's first Cuban-born senator owes much of his political success to Bush, and vice versa. Bush chose Martinez in 2001 to be secretary of Housing and Urban Development, a big leap from county politics. Martinez returned the favor in 2004, when his name on the ticket was credited with helping Bush win the state and its huge Hispanic swing.

As Republican National Committee chairman, Martinez was the party's face. Republicans hoped it would expand Hispanic outreach. He left last month, saying he wanted to focus on constituents. "I had a very specific job, which was delivering the RNC message, and that's what I did. But obviously it was another job that I didn't need, and I'm happy to have it behind me."

Martinez spoke Monday to the bipartisan Tiger Bay Club. Asked about his Everglades vote, he said Bush listened but didn't heed his advice. Members clapped. Martinez didn't follow Bush's advice, either.

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