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Is President Burgin So Far-Fetched?

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By Daniel Ruth

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 21, 2008

This is always the best way to begin a political career: simply having someone hand you an elective office, which spares one the indignity of having to bother with all those icky-poo-poo details of a campaign such as shaking hands with total strangers, asking people for money, eating bad food, showing up.

A few days ago, young Rachel Burgin was a lass working in Washington, just like thousands of other young people yearning to have some sort of politically-juiced job.

Now Burgin, 26, for all practical purposes has to be considered the presumptive heir to the State House District 56 seat, which has been unexpectedly vacated by Rep. Trey Traviesa, who apparently decided making money in the private sector sure beat having to sit around Tallahassee for months at a time.

When Traviesa stepped aside, it fell to the Hillsborough Republican Executive Committee (fun crowd) to select a replacement.

Hustings Bridesmaid

Among those also seeking the inner sanctum's air kiss of approval were Bible thumper Terry Kemple, former Hillsborough school chief Earl Lennard, former state Rep. Sandra Murman, Mark Proctor, who has been a hustings bridesmaid more often than Harold Stassen, and a few others with less name recognition than Saddam Hussein's food taster.

Burgin was Traviesa's aide until landing some sort of vague White House job she declined to clarify. What is it about people who think bringing Dick Cheney his Sanka somehow qualifies for a "For Your Eyes Only" national security clearance?

Before working as Traviesa's apparatchik and sharpening Laura Bush's pencils, Burgin cut her political teeth as a minion-in-waiting for Hillsborough County Commissioner Brian Blair, which had to be a bit like learning the ropes on the proper application of cosmetics from Rudy Giuliani.

Coke Formula

You have to suspect that had this race been competitive, the Grand Council of Republican Wizards would have selected a candidate with more name recognition and/or proven voter appeal like Murman.

But Burgin's opponent at the moment is Lewis Laricchia, the Democrats' answer to "The Phantom of the Opera." The Coke formula is better known in District 56.

So the Star Chamber of Republican Muckety-Mucks could afford to be magnanimous in selecting a 12-year-old for Traviesa's seat. And why not? Adam Putnam served in the Florida Legislature as an embryo, before getting elected to the U.S. House of Representatives when he was 7 - or so it seemed, to the odd old fogey here and there.

It never hurts for a political party to develop bench strength for the future, which the Republicans have done here in serving up a political career on a platter to a relatively inexperienced but apparently bright young woman.

She would never admit this, because it's considered very bad form among professional pols, but given her new status, Burgin could be forgiven if in her private moments, she's tried out the sound of: "Senator Burgin," "Gov. Burgin," and yes even (very, very quietly) "President Burgin."

After all, she's been spending time in Washington lately, where Potomac fever is so easily contagious.

Keyword: Book of Ruth, to read and comment on Daniel Ruth's blog.

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