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The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 17, 2007

Giuliani, Clinton Maintain Leads In State Primary Polls
Rudy Giuliani and Hillary Rodham Clinton retained their commanding leads in the presidential primaries in Florida in a poll released Friday.
Fred Thompson lost substantial ground among Republicans in the Mason-Dixon Polling & Research survey.

The GOP numbers were: Giuliani, 36 percent; Mitt Romney, 15 percent; Thompson, 12 percent (down from 23 percent in September); John McCain, 10 percent; Mike Huckabee, 8 percent; Alan Keyes, 2 percent; others 1 percent or less; and undecided, 15 percent.

On the Democratic side, the results were Clinton, 42 percent; Barack Obama, 15 percent; John Edwards, 12 percent; Bill Richardson, 7 percent; Joe Biden, 3 percent; other candidates, 1 percent or less, and undecided, 19 percent.

In a Clinton-Obama matchup, the outcome was Clinton 54 percent, Obama 34 percent and undecided, 12 percent.

Romney Taps Brown-Waite As Security Adviser
Romney has named Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite of Brooksville, a fellow opponent of "sanctuary cities" for illegal immigrants, to his campaign's Homeland Security Policy Advisory Group.

The group will advise his GOP presidential campaign on issues related to border security, infrastructure security and transportation security. Brown-Waite is a member of the House Committee on Homeland Security.

She is sponsor of a bill that would deny some federal funding to localities that have what she describes as "sanctuary" policies for illegal immigrants.

Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, also proposed such a plan this summer.

Look Up 'Chutzpah' In Webster's ...

... and you might see a copy of the latest fundraising memo to Democrats from national party Chairman Howard Dean.

The memo pushes the party's "50 State Challenge," an attempt to recruit 5,000 donors nationwide spread evenly throughout the nation, including 299 in Florida. It's in support of the party's "50 State Strategy," basically a strategy saying Democrats can win anywhere, even in traditionally GOP-leaning areas including the South.

In a pitch to potential Florida donors, Dean cites what he calls "one key line" from an internal strategy memo: "If Democrats continue to show up everywhere, run on our values, and offer clear solutions on the critical issues, the clear lesson of 2007 is that Democrats are well-positioned to win anywhere in 2008."

But of course, Democratic presidential candidates aren't showing up everywhere. Specifically, they have pledged to boycott Florida because of the state's party-rules-breaking Jan. 29 presidential primary date.

So far, Dean reports, the party has 16 of the 299 Florida donors it's seeking.

Giuliani: I'll Restore Convention Delegation

Giuliani on Thursday became the second Republican presidential candidate to promise that if he becomes the presumptive nominee, he'll restore the Florida Republican National Convention delegation to its full size, overturning a national party penalty imposed because of the state's Jan. 29 primary date.

Romney made such a promise several weeks ago.

The national Republican Party has said it will cut in half the Florida delegation to the convention, thereby cutting in half the voting power of Florida Republican primary voters, because the primary date violates party rules saying primaries shouldn't be held before Feb. 5.

Giuliani held his news conference after a fundraiser sponsored by local GOP fundraisers including Al Austin and former Gov. Bob Martinez. Austin said the fundraiser brought in more than $150,000.

Keyword: March On Politics, for political reporter William March's blog.

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