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Stars To Speak At GOP Meeting

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By WILLIAM MARCH The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 20, 2007

TAMPA - Over the next two weekends, Democrats and Republicans in Florida will hold state conventions in Orlando to stoke their party activists for the upcoming presidential race.

But the two parties will have very different experiences.

At the Republican gathering this weekend, party stalwarts will hear speeches from Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, Mitt Romney and Fred Thompson, and have the chance to meet them at receptions and rallies.

On Sunday night, they can attend a live, nationally televised debate.

At the Democratic convention next weekend, there will be no major candidates - they're boycotting Florida. Even their spouses turned down personal invitations from Grace Nelson, wife of Sen. Bill Nelson.

Only two candidates are expected: Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio and Mike Gravel of Arkansas.

Besides them, the convention headliner will be a congressman with an important job but not much star power - House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland.

The stark contrast is one more bit of fallout from the turmoil over Florida's schedule-busting Jan. 29 presidential primary date.

The leading Democratic candidates have agreed to avoid campaigning in Florida, except for raising money, at the demand of Democratic parties in the four 'early states' - Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire and South Carolina.

Those states think Florida is poaching on their turf by holding a primary before Feb. 5, the limit established by the parties for states moving up their primary dates.

To at least some Democrats, this is a bummer.

'Some have decided they don't want to come because the candidates aren't coming,' party spokesman Mark Bubriski said. 'The people who come for the fanfare aren't coming.'

The party says it's expecting about 3,000 people. By contrast, party officials said 5,000 people assembled in 2003, the last pre-presidential state convention, to hear Wesley Clark, Howard Dean, Dick Gephardt, John Kerry, John Edwards and Kucinich.

Still, Bubriski said the boycott does not undercut the purpose of the gathering.

'In one way it helps us be more focused on the organizing and training,' he said. 'That's not to say we're not disappointed, but we get to get more work done.'

It also means the Democratic convention will focus more on local and state candidates and Democratic heroes of the 2006 election:

•Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink, who last year became the first Democrat to win a state governor or Cabinet race since 1998.

•Sen. Bill Nelson, the only other Democrat in a statewide elected office, who inflicted a lopsided defeat last year on Republican Rep. Katherine Harris.

•Ken Klein of Boca Raton and Tim Mahoney of Palm Beach Gardens, who reversed a long trend of Florida Democratic congressional losses last year by winning two Republican-held seats.

That local focus 'can't be a bad thing for Florida,' said longtime party stalwart Doug Head, a former Orange County party chairman. The boycott pledge plus sanctions imposed by the national Democratic Party over the Jan. 29 primary date have angered some Florida Democrats.

Nelson and Rep. Alcee Hastings of Miami have sued the national party over their threat to unseat the Florida national convention delegation. State Sen. Steve Geller has threatened to file a lawsuit over the boycott, accusing the four early states of a conspiracy.

Even though the candidates' spouses declined to attend the convention, Bill Clinton will skirt the pledge by headlining a fundraiser in Miami this weekend. Attendees will be charged as little as $25 for admission, and up to 3,000 are expected, making the event look a lot like a rally. The pledge allows fundraisers, but not rallies.

The Clinton campaign wouldn't talk about the event.

Republicans, however, will be overwhelmed with star power at their convention.

The top four presidential contenders paid $100,000 each for the privilege of speaking to the convention and using convention hall rooms for receptions and headquarters.

Sunday night's debate, moderated by Brit Hume of Fox News, will feature those four plus Duncan Hunter, Mike Huckabee, Ron Paul and Tom Tancredo. Sam Brownback, expected to be included in the debate, said Friday that he's dropping out of the race.

A panel of three Fox reporters will question the candidates as the debate is broadcast live.

Party officials are expecting 4,000 attendees and a press corps of 300.

Reporter William March can be reached at (813) 259-7761 or wmarch@tampatrib.com

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