GOP raises $2 million while embracing Scott candidacy

ORLANDO Some 800 Republicans poured $2 million into their party's coffers Friday, aimed largely at what state and national party leaders consider the most important contest on Florida's November ballot - the race for governor.

In fact, the GOP believes the race to be one of the most important in the country, serving as a possible key to the outcome of the 2012 presidential race as well as determining the balance of power in Congress thereafter.

Showing that concern, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, head of the national Republican Party's campaign committee for state governor races was chosen to give the keynote address at the Republican Victory Dinner on Friday evening at a Disney hotel.

"We can't wait until 2012 to start taking our country back," he told the crowd. "This is the election."

Barbour's committee, the Republican Governors Association, already has put $4 million into helping Republican Rick Scott defeat Democrat Alex Sink for governor, and more may be coming.

But Republicans are far from guaranteed a win. Sink has led narrowly or been tied with Scott in most recent polls, and Republicans are coming off a bitter, divisive primary between Scott and Bill McCollum, in which the party establishment backed McCollum.

In his speech, Scott sought to tie Sink to President Barack Obama - the chief thrust of his campaign so far.

"Our real opponents are liberals," he told the crowd. "But the ones that are most dangerous are the Obama liberals who try and hide from what they believe in. My opponent, Alex Sink, is clearly an Obama liberal trying to do that," he said.

Tickets to the dinner went for a minimum $100 per person, but high rollers were offered packages for up to $100,000 including VIP receptions with Barbour and top Republican elected state officials.

There was a sense of celebration and relief among attendees over what they hope is the end of the financial scandals that plagued the party last year and led to indictment of former chairman Jim Greer.

State Sen. John Thrasher, who took over from Greer, told the gathering, "The dark period of our party's history is over, and it is gone forever."

But perhaps not entirely. This morning, a committee of top party officials will hear the results of an audit of party finances stemming from the scandal, and decide whether to release it publicly.

Thrasher said he'll recommend release.

"It's mainly a reaffirmation of everything we've been saying - no smoking guns," he said.

If the executive committee favors releasing the audit, it probably will come out in about a week, said Katie Betta, party spokeswoman.

Republican leaders dismiss what may be Scott's greatest worry - the felony Medicare fraud charges and lawsuits lodged against his former hospital chain, Columbia/HCA, forcing the company to pay $1.7 billion in fines and settlements.

"Do I look nervous?" Barber snapped to reporters who asked whether he was worried about the issue.

Scott dismissed it when asked during an event in Tampa on Aug. 30 whether he was concerned Sink would raise the issue.

"Well, it didn't work for Bill McCollum," he said.

The fundraising dinner appeared to complete Scott's transition from self-proclaimed outsider to head of the state GOP.

"It is a pleasure to be here tonight with the people who make the Florida Republican Party strong and successful," said Scott, who previously bashed political parties as part of a broken system, and politicians as failures who duck responsibility.

In fact, things haven't always been so chummy between Barbour and Scott. During the primary, the two publicly exchanged harsh words.

Shortly before the Aug. 24 vote, Barbour rebuked Scott for running an ad linking McCollum to the party's financial scandals, and asking Scott to pull the ad.

Scott refused and accused Barbour and the party of favoring McCollum.

"I'm the outsider - these guys, they're all part of a group," he said. "These parties are controlled by special interests."

The RGA wasn't ecstatic at Scott's win in the primary, initially issuing a tepid statement saying the primary was "difficult to watch ... the primary is over, Rick Scott is the nominee, the general election has begun, and our party now looks forward."

But state party leaders moved quickly to get on board with Scott, as did Barbour, who pledged "the full resources of the RGA to his election."

Both parties consider the governor's race the most crucial on the ballot for their political futures - more than the high-profile Senate race - because of the influence of the governor on state politics.

Thrasher called it "by far" the most important office on the ballot.

Holding the governor's office helps build party machinery in the state for presidential elections, party insiders say.

In addition, in Florida, the governor has veto power over the state's redistricting plan for Congress members, and could influence the process that will draw districts for the 2012 election and thereafter.