FLORIDA TEA PARTY (TEA) APPOINTS JOHN HALLMAN STATE FIELD DIRECTOR

John Hallman, former State Director for FreedomWorks and taxpayer advocate joins Tea Party effort.

(Orlando) State TEA Party Chairman Fred O'Neal announced today that taxpayer advocate and lifelong Republican activist, John Hallman, has joined the fledgling party as state field director. "John Hallman is an exciting addition to any campaign team and we're thrilled to have him working for the TEA Party full-time," stated Chairman O'Neal.

Hallman has a unique and impressive resume. Hallman currently serves as President of the Florida Taxpayers Union, a non-profit, non-partisan grassroots organization representing Florida taxpayers in Tallahassee.

Hallman has also served in the following positions:

• Florida State Director for Dick Armey's Organization FreedomWorks 2003-2006
• Deputy State Director for Newt Gingrich's American Solutions Day Project 2007
• South Florida Field Director for Fred Thompson for President 2007
• Deputy State Director for Florida Stop Lawsuit Abuse 2007
• President for Florida Taxpayers Union
• Lobbyist for Cut Property Taxes Now and Florida Taxpayers Union
• Florida State Treasurer for National Federation of Republican Assemblies 2004-2006
• Florida Field Director for Republican Liberty Caucus- 2005

Within the Republican Party Hallman has served in the following positions:

• 2000: Palm Beach County Volunteer Coordinator for George W. Bush
• 2002: Palm Beach County Volunteer Coordinator for Jeb Bush for Governor
• 2004: Palm Beach County Volunteer Coordinator for President Bush
• 2002-2003: Precinct Committeeman for Broward County Republican Executive Committee
• 2003-2006: District Committeeman for Palm Beach County Republican Executive Committee
• 2004-2006: Board of Directors for Boca Raton Republican Club
• 2004-2006: State Board of Directors for National Federation of Republican Assemblies/Florida
• 2005-2006: Board of Directors for Palm Beach County Republican Party

Hallman helped establish the Florida division of FreedomWorks, the pro-free market group chaired by Dick Armey and served as Deputy Florida Director for Newt Gingrich's organization American Solutions. John has organized both state and national lobbying efforts, particularly in support of Personal Retirement Accounts and fundamental tax reform; and in 2005 John spearheaded the Florida FreedomWorks "Own Your Future Tour", promoting Social Security Reform throughout the state and debating anti-reform leaders from such groups as Move0n.org and AARP.

Recently, John organized grassroots campaigns in support of property tax reform, private property rights, and government spending limitations in the Florida Legislature. John Hallman is an active, longtime voice in all levels of Florida politics and has taught activists schools and is a frequent guest on radio and TV talk shows. John also serves as an adjunct scholar with the James Madison Institute and has written numerous articles promoting the cause of individual freedom.

Hallman, Co-Chair of the Greater Sumter County Tea Party, will coordinate candidate activities with the twenty-one TEA party candidates as well as serve as the TEA party representative to local tea party and 912 organizations, many of whom are not affiliated with the Florida Tea Party.

Hallman activities and photos.

FreedomWorks's Hallman Attends Florida Property Rights Bill Signing

John Hallman and Gov. Jeb Bush.

Jun 13, 2006
On Wednesday May 31, FreedomWorks state director John Hallman was invited to attend Governor Jeb Bush’s bill signing on important eminent domain legislation protection in recognition of FreedomWorks efforts to help pass this bill. At the signing, Mr. Hallman spoke with the Governor’s policy director about Florida’s no-fault insurance plan. She assured him of the Governor’s plan to veto this and thanked FreedomWorks efforts at helping push this veto forward.

Florida FreedomWorks Meets with Mel Martinez

Oct 28, 2004
Florida State Director John Hallman met with US Senate candidate Mel Martinez. John Hallman discussed the FreedomWorks Candidate Survey and Mel Martinez confirmed his support for the Freedom Agenda. John Hallman commented " I was pleased that Mel Martinez continues to support the FreedomWorks Freedom Agenda and campaigns on the important issues of Tax Reform, Social Security Reform, Tort Reform and School Choice."

Florida State Director John Hallman had the honor of being asked to be on stage with Vice-President Dick Cheney at a Bush Rally in West Palm Beach. John Hallman commented, " It was exciting to be on Stage with Dick Cheney as he spoke about the Bush economic agenda of Tax Reform, Social Security Reform, Tort Reform and School Choice, the Vice-President said the President is committed to these issues and how important they are to real economic growth and creating an Ownership Society."

FreedomWorks John Hallman Presents on Social Security to Crowd of 100

Travels to the North Carolina Federation of Republican Women's state convention in Greensboro.

GREENSBORO, NC - On April 23rd, Florida Director John Hallman gave a PowerPoint presentation on Social Security Reform to the North Carolina Federation of Republican Women's state convention in Greensboro, North Carolina. Over 100 people were in attendance. Allen Page, the North Carolina Director asked John to give his presentation because of John's experience from traveling around Florida over the last year and speaking to 50 different audiences about Social Security Reform. John's PowerPoint is a comprehensive presentation, and has been used for workshop style education for those who support PRA's and want to learn how to be an effective advocate.

John covered all the basics of how Social Security works today, how it has been changed over the years since Social Security's inception. John then presented the four areas where the most objections to PRA's are coming from: 1. Is there really a crisis? 2.What about the Trust Fund? 3. Isn't the stock market risky? 4.We can't afford the transition costs. After the presentation, many in the audience commented that they thought they knew the issue pretty well, but after hearing John's presentation, they felt they had learned much more and would feel more comfortable now talking to others about PRA's. John Hallman commented "there are still many misconceptions about Social Security Reform, and we have to continue to educate people with the facts if we are to have a chance to pass reform."

FLORIDA ON THE LINE: POLITICAL PUNDITS

www.publicbroadcasting.net/wfsu/.jukebox?action=viewPodcast&podcastId=11844

TEA Party Billboard at I-4 & 441

TEA Party's Peg Dunmire Whips Rep. Alan Grayson in Chamber Vote

TEA Party candidate Peg Dunmire swamped U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson, 72 percent to 28 percent, in the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce's straw ballot.

Dunmire and Grayson, D-Orlando, were the only two candidates on the congressional straw ballot, and Dunmire was the lone candidate present from the crowded 8th Congressional District field. Seven Republicans are vying in the Aug. 24 primary to face Dunmire and Grayson in the general election.

Some 300 votes were cast at Tuesday night's event, said chamber spokeswoman Erika Spence, who reported that the straw polling was conducted by Orange County Supervisor of Elections Bill Cowles and his staff.

FLORIDA ON THE LINE: POLITICAL PUNDITS

www.publicbroadcasting.net/wfsu/.jukebox?action=viewPodcast&podcastId=11844

Florida Tea Party Challenges Dems, GOP on Government, Taxes

New third party plans on 12-20 candidates for the Legislature and 3 for U.S. House

A new third party with a familiar name calling for scaling back the size and cost of government has emerged in Florida hoping to take advantage of voter discontent. The Florida Tea Party is fielding three congressional candidates across Florida in the 2010 election cycle and hopes to have as many as 20 candidates running for seats in the Legislature.

Frederic O’Neal, an attorney based in Orlando who was active with Ax the Tax, an anti-tax organization in Central Florida, serves as the chairman of the fledgling third party and said Friday that the state needs a fiscally conservative party.

“At the state level, it’s hard to call the Democrats the ‘tax and spend’ party since the Republicans have been worse,” said O'Neill.

O’Neal said that he had been in discussions with anti-tax activists as early as 2006 and thought about launching a T.E.A. (“taxed enough already”) Party at that time. He said with the emergence of the national tea party phenomenon, the time was ripe to try again.

O’Neal said the Florida Tea Party was different than the myriad of third parties pushing for smaller government and lower taxes.

“We’re focused on just the size and scope of government and taxes,” said O’Neal. “We’re not a conservative party in the sense of social issues.” He added that this makes the Florida Tea Party different than the religious conservative Constitution Party or America’s Independent Party, which was founded by Dr. Alan Keyes.

O’Neal pointed to his party’s principles and said that Florida Tea Party candidates could develop their own positions on social issues and foreign policy as long as they backed the party’s stance on smaller government and lower taxes.

The Florida Tea Party is already running three congressional candidates. Polk County Commissioner Randy Wilkinson is running for the seat that U.S. Rep. Adam Putnam is vacating to run for state agriculture and consumer services commissioner. Peg Dunmire, an IT consultant from Orlando, is running against U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson. Roly Arrojo, a businessman, is running for the seat that U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart is vacating to run for a neighboring congressional seat. Ron Taylor is running on the Tea Party line for Broward County Commission.

O’Neal said that the Florida Tea Party was vetting 40 people who were considering running for the Legislature and that he expected between 12 and 20 candidates running for the Senate or the House.

While third party candidates have not generally done well in Florida’s political history -- with the exception of Sidney Catts being elected governor in 1916 on the Prohibition Party line -- this year has seen prominent politicians, including Gov. Charlie Crist and Bud Chiles, run as independents against the Republicans and Democrats.

Despite this history, O’Neal was confident the party would have an impact. “Right now the mood of the electorate is to throw the bums out and go for the alternative,” he said.

Florida Tea Party: Grayson Poll Shows TEA Party “more popular than GOP” in CD8

Opposition polling shows the TEA Party “more popular than GOP candidates” in the CD8 race. Peg Dunmire is moving into position for a strong race against Grayson.

A new poll conducted last week has Congressman Alan Grayson continuing to hold a commanding lead in the Republican primary in Florida’s 8th Congressional District.

Grayson is, of course, a Democrat. Yet Grayson is far and away the leading choice for Congress among registered Republicans in FL-8. In fact, he has as much support among Republicans as his top three Republican opponents combined.

In the poll, Grayson won the support of 26.5% of registered Republicans, virtually the same figure as three months ago. None of Grayson’s seven Republican opponents scored higher than 11.2%. 41.8% of registered Republicans remain undecided.

Congressman Grayson is working to reach out to all voters in the District – regardless of political party – and, it’s clear our efforts are working. If you want to help us get the word out and support Rep. Grayson’s re-election campaign, sign up to volunteer now!

According to our poll, Republicans are giving Grayson high marks for his Constitution initiative. Almost half of all Republicans said that they were more likely to vote for Grayson because he passed a resolution urging high schools to teach the Constitution, and he had distributed tens of thousands of copies of the Constitution throughout the district.

The poll also showed that the Tea Party is more popular with Republicans than any of the Republican candidates. According to our poll, when asked which party they were most likely to support in this election, 16.3% of registered Republicans chose the Tea Party. Peg Dunmire is the Florida Tea Party candidate for Congress.

Congressman Grayson was pleased with the results, telling the press, “People like a Congressman with guts. And they want results. We increased federal competitive grants in this district by 98% in our first year. That extra $100 million benefits Republicans, Independents and Democrats equally. People of every political persuasion want to see action to help solve their problems, and that’s what they’re seeing from us.”

Keep Alan Grayson working for us in Congress. Volunteer now with our campaign.

Thanks so much for your time.

Susannah Randolph, Campaign Manager
Alan Grayson for Congress

www.independentpoliticalreport.com/

Peg Dunmire on Youtube

Hillsborough transit tax campaigns likely to gear up soon

Lobbying taxpayers to approve a 1-cent sales tax for a new metro transit authority 40 years ago, then-Atlanta Mayor Sam Massell flew over a clogged expressway in a helicopter and shouted through a bullhorn: "You want to get out of this mess? Vote yes."

"And this being the Bible Belt, they thought God was telling them what to do," Massell said in a Georgia Public Broadcasting interview in 2007 about his successful efforts to transform a bus system into the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority.

It's still too early to know whether anyone will be as creative as Massell in campaigning for or against a 1-cent sales tax surcharge to help fund light rail in Hillsborough County's Nov. 2 referendum.

Campaign efforts by advocacy and anti-tax groups, public officials and the business community, however, are expected to surge this summer, shaped by plenty of money and well-worn talking points honed in dozens of similar tax referendums nationwide.

Nationwide since 2000, slightly more than 70 percent of tax measures to fund transportation have passed, according to a survey by the private Center for Transportation Excellence, a Washington-based transit advocate. Despite the recession and the onset of a high profile tax resistance movement, eight transit referendums passed and three failed in 2009.

This year, voters in 30 areas from Walla Walla to Wimauma will choose whether to raise their taxes to fund transportation measures.

So far, the outcomes nationwide are three measures passed and three failed to increase taxes for public transit.

St. Louis drew attention in April, when voters by 63 percent to 37 percent approved a half-cent sales tax increase to restore lost bus service and avoid trimming light rail schedules. A similar measure failed in 1997 and 2008.

Hillsborough County, however, likely will provide the nation's biggest transportation story of the year.

In January, the Obama Administration selected the Tampa-Orlando route for the nation's first high speed rail line.

In November, Hillsborough County residents will decide on the sales tax surcharge that would help fund the area's first light rail system, along with bus and road improvements added to the referendum to broaden its appeal.

If voters approve the sales tax increase to 8 cents on the dollar 6 cents of which by law goes to the state and that decision could lay the groundwork for a half-dozen nearby counties to pursue similar plans to support an integrated regional transit plan.

"Two things make Tampa different from anywhere else," said Alan Wulkan, managing partner of InfraConsult LLC of Scottsdale, Az., who was hired nine months ago by the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority for $99,800.

"First, a huge public education effort is needed in Hillsborough County with the high speed rail, TBARTA, HART and county transportation task force initiative. The public is rightfully confused and all of what is happening piecemeal must be clarified.

"Also, Hillsborough's vote will count very heavily on how surrounding counties like Pasco and Pinellas proceed with transportation tax referendums. Frankly, the success of high speed rail is at stake. It's not only the Tampa region, but transportation for the entire Central Florida corridor is at stake."

Public confusion generally begins with people who indicate they do not understand the differences between the Tampa-Orlando high speed rail line and the proposed light rail system whose first phases could link North Tampa, downtown and West Shore.

Complicating matters are myriad transportation planning groups, economic development agencies and advocacy groups, all with their own acronyms.

Among them: HART, which runs the county bus system and would control light rail; TBARTA, the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority whose representatives from seven counties are trying to ensure coordinated regional transportation plans; several MPOs, county-based Metropolitan Planning Organizations that set funding priorities, and FDOT, the state's transportation department with a handful of Tallahassee officials spearheading Florida's high-speed rail initiative.

In addition, two advocacy groups are already weighing in: "Ax the Tax," an Orlando-based group (www.axthetax.org) that opposes rail initiatives nationwide, and "Moving Hillsborough Forward," a Tampa coalition backed by the majority of the area's business and economic development groups, are honing referendum strategies that have begun to surface.

"We have successfully led six anti-rail battles in Florida since 1997," said Doug Guetzloe, Ax the Tax chairman and a native of Tampa. "They use the same playbook each time. It's basically an attempt to fund a mandate of which there is no known end price."

Guetzloe's strategy will be to discuss rail costs while rallying support from local and state tea party groups.

"We support buses and most people do," Guetzloe said. "Fixed rail is a 190-year-old technology with a new millennium pricing."

What about light rail investments and ridership and economic development success that Charlotte, Salt Lake City and Portland have reported, along with other cities even more traditionally tied to the auto including Phoenix, Dallas and Houston?

"P.T. Barnum said a fool is born every minute," Guetzloe responded.

Guetzloe expects to raise between $50,000 and $75,000 for the Ax The Rail Tax initiative and expects pro-rail groups to spend between $750,000 and $1 million. Moving Hillsborough Forward will release a financial report at the end of June.

That group is backed by the Tampa Bay Partnership regional economic development group, the Tampa Bay Builders Association, the Greater Tampa Association of Realtors, the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce, The Westshore Alliance and the Tampa Downtown Partnership, among others.

Business leaders worry that urban rail transit systems in Charlotte, Denver and elsewhere provide a competitive edge in corporate expansion, relocation and ultimately have an impact on the local area's average wage, which, at $36,094, was about $10,500 behind Dallas and $9,500 behind Atlanta, a Partnership report indicated last year.

"Corporate relocation specialists need to be confidant their employees will have options of how to get to work and to recreation," said David Singer, a Holland & Knight attorney in Tampa who heads Moving Hillsborough Forward.

"Looking at what will happen to this region if the tax doesn't pass is somewhat alarming. We will have no choice if we don't have mobility options but to build more roads."

The campaign in the next few months will reach out across the county to community groups, neighborhood groups and other grassroots contacts to educate individuals and discuss specifics, Singer said. A television campaign won't be launched until later in the summer.

HART commissioned a telephone survey of 600 county residents in July and August 2009 by Ilium Associates Inc. of Bellevue, Wash., which found 33 percent would "definitely" vote for a 1-cent tax increase, and 34 percent would "probably" vote for it. Fifteen percent "definitely" opposed such a measure, and 10 percent would "probably" vote against the measure.

Even advocates like HART consultant Wulkan concede it's going to be a tough vote.

Joe Chillura, a prominent Tampa architect who served on the city council and various county planning organizations, has spoken to many people who say they will not support the transportation tax surcharge.

Chillura proposed the half-cent Community Investment Tax that county voters supported by 53 percent to 47 percent in 1996 to pay for building Raymond James Stadium along with funds for schools, fire and police departments, sidewalks and other infrastructure.

"The question I have is whether the public is ready to embrace any kind of tax in an economic depression," Chillura said. "I've always supported mass transit, but the climate now is one of skepticism.

"But if people know how the money will be spent, it could provide a psychological boost to the light rail issue."

Peg Dunmire on HispanicsSpeakout.tv 2010 Aired Show

http://www.hispanicsspeakout.tv/

Survey: Four in 10 Tea Party members are Democrats or independents

Four in 10 Tea Party members are either Democrats or Independents, according to a new national survey.

The findings provide one of the most detailed portraits to date of the grassroots movement that started last year.

The national breakdown of the Tea Party composition is 57 percent Republican, 28 percent Independent and 13 percent Democratic, according to three national polls by the Winston Group, a Republican-leaning firm that conducted the surveys on behalf of an education advocacy group. Two-thirds of the group call themselves conservative, 26 are moderate and 8 percent say they are liberal.

The Winston Group conducted three national telephone surveys of 1,000 registered voters between December and February. Of those polled, 17 percent – more than 500 people -- said they were “part of the Tea Party movement.”

“It’s a good sample size,” said David Winston, the polling firm’s director. “It will certainly give us an initial base to follow where these folks are.”

The group is united around two issues – the economy/jobs and reducing the deficit. They believe that cutting spending is the key to job creation and favor tax cuts as the best way to stimulate the economy. That said 61 percent of Tea Party members believe infrastructure spending creates jobs. Moreover, given the choice Tea Party members favor 63-32 reducing unemployment to 5 percent over balancing the budget.

It isn’t a “purely homogeneous” group, said Winston.

The group has a favorable view of Republicans generally but that drops from 71 to 57 percent if they’re asked about Congressional Republicans. Congressional Democrats are viewed very unfavorably by 75 percent of Tea Party members – a uniquely strong antipathy. An overwhelming 95 percent said “Democrats are taxing, spending, and borrowing too much.”

The group also vehemently dislikes President Barack Obama – even more so than those who called themselves Republicans in the survey. Over 80 percent of Tea Party members disapprove of the job he’s doing as president, whereas 77 percent of Republican respondents said they disapprove of Obama. The Tea Party members are also strongly opposed to the Democrats’ healthcare plan, with 82 percent saying they oppose it -- only 48 percent of respondents overall were opposed.

Tea Party members are more likely to be male, slightly older and middle income. Almost half the members of the group reported getting their news about national issues from Fox News, 10 percent of respondents said that talk radio is one of their top two sources, which is seven-points higher than the average voter.

Tea Party Movement Knows No Party Allegiance

San Francisco Examiner, Herald Times Reporter, Today's News-Herald, Urbana Daily Citizen, Kokomo Tribune, Holland Sentinel, Journal-News, Middletown Journal, Crookston Daily Times

The first National Tea Party Convention was held last weekend in Nashville, Tenn. The Tea Party movement resulted from grassroots rallies energized because of expansions of federal power during the last years of President George W. Bush’s administration and the beginning of Barack Obama’s presidency.

Consistent with the movement’s early concerns, the convention’s speakers pledged adherence to individual liberty, limited government, fiscal discipline and other worthy constitutional principles. And they expressed disappointment that neither the Republican nor Democratic parties share the Tea Party activists’ attachment to these ideas.

The Tea Party organizers claim to seek a 21st-century revival of the spirit that motivated Bostonians to dump British tea into Boston Harbor in December 1773. If we look at history, there are parallels, but also there are differences.

To appreciate the Boston Tea Party, one must understand something about the British Constitution. Because it was unwritten, the British Constitution necessarily relied more on custom or precedent than the modern U.S. Constitution.

When subjects feared that Parliament or the king were inserting a dangerous innovation into the constitutional order, they were compelled to create a “record” with protests. If they failed to do so, a subsequent king or parliament could build on the precedent.

The Boston Tea Party is a prime example of the importance of precedent. Though the Tea Act of 1773 reduced the price of tea, the colonists felt compelled to take action to prevent Parliament from setting a revenue precedent. Under commercial rules, a ship entering a colonial harbor was not permitted to leave without offloading its cargo. If the tea was offloaded, a tax would be paid. If it was not offloaded within 20 days, the cargo would be seized by customs officials who would retain a portion of the merchandise to satisfy the tax.

The Boston Tea Party occurred on the 19th day that the ships bearing tea had been in the harbor. The colonists destroyed the tea so it could not be seized by customs officials and the duty technically “paid” to create a precedent.

With this understanding of precedent, new light is shed on the Boston Tea Party and its modern counterpart. Like Boston patriots, the Tea Party movement is working to halt the creation of dangerous precedents. Tea Party activists comprehend the “ratchet effect”—that is, once government expands its power and new bureaucracies are in place, it’s difficult to undo them.

Nonetheless, a fair criticism is that the Nashville convention attendees are, pardon the pun, late to the party. Long before Bush signed the bailout in 2008, his administration favored one-size-fits-all federal solutions and increased federal power.

The Tea Party was correct to take aim at the bailout legislation, but one wonders where the Tea Party leadership was when Bush created harmful precedents by pushing for a new Medicare prescription drug benefit and the No Child Left Behind Act.

For the American patriots of the 1760s and 1770s, it did not matter whether King George III’s government was headed by a Tory such as George Grenville or a Whig such as William Pitt. The colonists consistently fought efforts by the British central government to expand its power.

The modern Tea Party now appears to understand what Samuel Adams and John Hancock took for granted: Government power often tramples fundamental rights no matter who is in power—Whigs or Tories, Republicans or Democrats.

Accordingly, what we should take from the Tea Party’s recent convention is that principles of individual liberty and limited government must remain inviolable no matter what party is in the White House. Otherwise, dangerous precedents will be set that are difficult to undo.

(Poli-Tea) Florida: Tea Party and Whig Party Challenge Democrat-Republican Rule in the Sunshine State

Given this week’s tax day tea party protests, it is worth reiterating that any movement intent on fostering constitutional representative government is doomed to failure if it works within the confines established by the Democratic-Republican two-party state and ruling political class. Like untold numbers of anti-war activists during the Bush administration, many in the tea party movement have, unfortunately, been duped by the propagandists of lesser-evilism in the corporate media and the major parties. However, others nonetheless recognize that Democratic-Republican Party government is a threat to representative constitutional government, the principles of republicanism and the imperatives of democracy. As Jack Kenny writes for the New American, the two-party system is a “big government con-game.” Recognition of this simple fact informs the efforts of two new third party opposition movements in the state of Florida.

The Ledger profiles Doug Guetzloe, a consultant and strategist for the new Tea Party of Florida, which has recruited its first candidate, Peg Dunmire, to challenge Democrat Alan Grayson in the state’s 8th Congressional District. From the Ledger:

The Tea Party, which recently opened an office in downtown Orlando, just recruited its first congressional candidate. Peg Dunmire is challening U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson, D-Orlando, in the state’s 8th Congressional District, which includes parts of Orange, Lake and Osceola counties, the theme parks and Lake Buena Vista, and the community of Celebration. Dunmire is running on a platform of scaling back on the reach of the federal government and eliminating the budget deficit – a platform that Guetzloe thinks could send her to Washington.

“If you look at the district, it’s 41 percent registered Democrats and 38 percent registered Republicans,” Guetzloe said. “You’ve got a significant amount of non-party voters.” . . .

Between the Democrats being on the defensive about the soaring budget deficit and high jobless rate, and the GOP still trying to explain why spending rose so quickly under their own watch, Guetzloe says a third party has a better chance today than at any time since 1860 . . .

The Florida Whig Party hopes to capitalize on this situation as well, which is running six candidates for congressional and county offices. Craig Porter, who is running for Congress in Florida’s 25th CD recently became the first Whig to qualify for federal office in over 150 years. From the party’s press release:

Craig Porter filed on Monday as the first Whig to qualify for federal office since the 1850s. Mr. Porter, 49, is a contractor, lifetime resident of Miami, is married and the father of three children. With over 25 years of business management and ownership experience, community involvement, and a man who has the core values of “We the People” where principles come before a political party, the Florida Whig Party Executive Board welcomes the leadership and fortitude that Craig Porter brings to the Florida Whig Party, the State of Florida, and the 25th Congressional District.

There is no lack of third party and independent alternatives to the stooges of the Democratic and Republican Parties in the Sunshine State this year. Politics1 lists over 40 third party and independent candidates for governor, Senate and Congress in Florida this year, including Libertarians, Greens, Socialists and numerous independents.

Rothstein/McCollum/South Florida Tea Party Connection Exposed in Defamation Lawsuit against GOP Consultants.

Guetzloe Lawsuit Establishes Link between Indicted GOP Moneyman for McCollum and Greer and their attacks on Florida Tea Party and Paula Dockery.

(Orlando) Consultant and radio talk show host Doug Guetzloe has filed a lawsuit that alleges a direct connection between indicted GOP money man and alleged Ponzi-scheme guru SCOTT ROTHSTEIN and GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Bill McCollum and several GOP campaign consultants that have been engaging in a relentless campaign of character assassination and defamation against Guetzloe and State Senator Paula Dockery.

The suit was filed today in Orange/Osceola District Court (Case No. 2010-CA-010855-O) against GOP consultants Michael Caputo (NY & Miami); Tim McClellan (Palm Beach); Everett Wilkinson (Ft. Lauderdale) and Cheryl Matchett (Orlando).

The lawsuit also shows the connections between the South Florida Tea Party; its officers and Rothstein as well as the connections between Caputo and Roger Stone – both are self-described as "dirty tricksters" in national media. Wilkinson of the South Florida Tea Party is involved in a bogus Federal lawsuit against Guetzloe; his attorney Fred O’Neal and Nick Egoroff over the tea party name. Interestingly the two lead attorney’s for the bogus Federal lawsuit are former Rothstein law partners, Frank Herrera and Gus Sardina, who to date have refused to reveal who exactly is paying for the federal lawsuit filed by Caputo; Wilkinson; McClellan and Matchett.

The Rothstein associates have also been involved in ongoing attacks on Senator Paula Dockery, incorrectly describing Dockery as a "liberal; a RINO (Republican in Name Only: a socialist; pro-abortion; dishonest" as well as many other descriptions.

"Rothstein was one of McCollum’s biggest financial supporters and the defendants who have all disparaged Senator Dockery in numerous news releases and blogs and their attorney’s are all Rothstein associates… there is no ‘coincidence’ in politics," stated Guetzloe.

The lawsuit also includes an email from a former RPOF employee who exposed the involvement of GOP party employees; McCollum; Rothstein and Wilkinson as early as December of 2009.

"Florida has very broad discovery rules and we intend to depose all the defendants as well as McCollum and his campaign to discover the financial source of these potentially illegal attacks," Guetzloe concluded.

Guetzloe, 54, has a long history of political involvement going back 40 years including serving as founder and chairman of a highly successful statewide grassroots political committee named Ax the Tax (www.AxTheTax.org); host of a popular Orlando-based radio show for 13 years called The Guetzloe Report (www.Guetzloe.com) and a very successful marketing and public relations company that offers political consulting for the past 26 years – Advantage Consultants (www.AdvantageConsultants.org). Guetzloe has also served as an unpaid consultant to the newly registered TEA PARTY political party (www.FloridaTeaParty.US). The TEA PARTY has qualified three nominees for the United States Congress in Florida’s 8th; 12th and 25th Congressional Districts.

Tea Party Matches NRA in Number of Americans Who Support Their Views

Just one of many reasons why the TEA PARTY political party has been so successful to date.

It's official. The Tea Party movement is a substantial player on the political scene. According to a recent poll commissioned by The O'Leary Report and conducted by Zogby International, 34 percent of voters (45 million Americans) say the Tea Party endorsement is important to their vote this year, and 31 percent (41 million voters) say the same about the National Rifle Association. The Poll was conducted March 2-30 of 10,128 likely voters and has a margin-of-error of one percent.

Breaking down these numbers further, 16 percent of voters are fully committed to the Tea Party message and 18 percent support the message, but with some reservation.

Again, these numbers are strikingly similar to those of the NRA, whose membership has been extremely effective in exacting results at election time. Nearly 13 percent of all voters are completely committed to the NRA message, and 18 percent say they are committed most of the time.

It's important to stress that these 45 million Tea Party supporters are strictly registered voters, and that the movement can add even more to its power and influence by registering like-minded voters between now and November.

With power and influence of this magnitude come tough decisions. The decision confronting the Tea Party is whether to become a third party, a la Ross Perot, or become a powerful political force, much like the NRA, which has been able to wield significant influence on both sides of the aisle.

Though the Tea Party movement doesn't have NRA's sophisticated infrastructure, it can certainly borrow from NRA's techniques. For example, the Tea Party could conduct massive voter registration and get-out-the-vote drives, and possibly create an issues questionnaire for all political candidates to answer prior to Election Day.

To be sure, the Tea Party can be just as effective in Democratic circles as in Republican, as the Zogby poll shows it isn't just red-meat conservatives who gravitate toward the Tea Party movement. Among the nearly 38 million self-described Independent voters in America, 32 percent will be listening for the voice of the Tea Party before they cast their vote this year. Nearly 64 percent of the 31 million Republican voters will follow the Tea Party, and 11 percent of the roughly 52 million Democratic voters will do the same.

Moreover, in congressional districts deemed competitive by the Cook Political Report, which consists of roughly 34 million voters, 35 percent of them will be listening for the Tea Party endorsement this year. (Districts listed below.)

The Tea Party's influence holds up well in key geographic regions as well.

Fully one-third (33 percent) of voters in the Pacific region (20 million voters in CA, AK, HI, OR, NV, WA) will be influenced by Tea Party endorsements. In the pivotal Midwest region (27 million voters in OH, MI, MN, WI, IN, IL) 31 percent of voters plan to listen to the Tea Party.

In the Southwest region (9 million voters in AZ, CO, NM, OK, UT) 32 percent of voters consider the Tea Party endorsement important to them, as do 34 percent of voters in the Mid-Atlantic region (27 million voters in DE, MD, VA, WV, NJ, NY, PA, and D.C.). In the South region (34 million voters in GA, KY, NC, SC, TN, AL, AR, LA, MS, FL, and TX) 36 percent of voters will look to the Tea Party this year, as will 35 percent of voters in the Central and North Plains region (8 million voters in ID, MT, WY, SD, IA, KS, MO, NE, ND).

On the issues, the Tea Partiers are very definitive and unwavering in the positions they take. For example, 90 percent of the Tea Party movement strongly disapproves of cap-and-trade global warming legislation, and 84 percent strongly disapprove.

On taxes, 61 percent of Tea Party activists support state legislation to stop retroactive tax bills from being passed.

Nearly 75 percent agree that there should be an appeals process for individuals who have been placed on the federal no-fly list, in light of legislation making its way through congress that would prohibit persons on the list from purchasing a firearm. A 64 percent majority of Tea Partiers thing that only the FBI should be able to add names to the no-fly list, given the number of instances where people have been wrongly placed on the list.

Only 8 percent of Tea Party members think that the jobs bill being promoted by the Obama administration will help small businesses, and just 19 percent think the bill will help big and state businesses. However, 82 percent think the White House's jobs bill will help federal employees.

Roughly 89 percent of Tea Partiers believe that the Second Amendment applies to all levels of government – federal, state and local.

And what should be of utmost concern to incumbent congressmen up for re-election this year: 94 percent of the Tea Party movement agree that "the federal government has become so large and powerful that it poses an immediate threat to the rights and freedoms of ordinary citizens" – and 82 percent strongly agree.

Democrats in Congress are afraid of the Tea Parties, alright. Though it's not for reasons of public safety, as their paranoid ramblings would have us all believe. It's because they know that these poll numbers are correct. Their diatribes about civil unrest are calculated tactics designed to delegitimize a movement that has significant ability to give legitimacy to its chosen candidates this November.

Copyright 2010 The O'Leary Report

TheLedger.com - Randy Wilkinson

It's been interesting to watch the fallout of County Commissioner Randy Wilkinson's announcement that he is running for Congress, District 12, under the Florida Tea Party. The pro-bailout, country club establishment Republicans who anointed big-insurance lawyer Dennis Ross are in a tizzy - and rightfully so. They are scared that District 12 voters will actually get a fair chance to decide whether they want a handpicked party pawn or a principled outsider. There are really only two choices. Both the establishment Republican and Democrat represent the tired, old status quo: special interests, group think and arrogance in Washington. But America has made it clear that the pro-bailout, two-party machine will lose big time in 2010.

The Republican Party and Democratic Party are really just two wings of the same bird of prey. And they're seeking to devour middle class Americans through bailouts, unnecessary wars, and deficit spending.

Randy Wilkinson is a solid alternative. While others were waiting for fat-cat "Republican" leaders to anoint them for their turn in Congress, Randy was fighting for tea party values - before they were cool. He took on the local Republican establishment in fighting for lower property taxes, spending cuts, and ethics reform. (Curiously, Ross has received the endorsement of every commissioner who voted for the property-tax hike.) Randy refuses to be a pawn in their political machine, and they hate him for it.

The nation will be watching this race. It's about insiders vs. the outsider. Status quo vs. change. Randy has a solid record and a proven election winning streak, four times over in Polk County. District 12 can make history by rejecting the corrupt two-party machine and electing the first tea party congressman in America: Randy Wilkinson.

TheLedger.com - Randy Wilkinson

It's been interesting to watch the fallout of County Commissioner Randy Wilkinson's announcement that he is running for Congress, District 12, under the Florida Tea Party. The pro-bailout, country club establishment Republicans who anointed big-insurance lawyer Dennis Ross are in a tizzy - and rightfully so. They are scared that District 12 voters will actually get a fair chance to decide whether they want a handpicked party pawn or a principled outsider. There are really only two choices. Both the establishment Republican and Democrat represent the tired, old status quo: special interests, group think and arrogance in Washington. But America has made it clear that the pro-bailout, two-party machine will lose big time in 2010.

The Republican Party and Democratic Party are really just two wings of the same bird of prey. And they're seeking to devour middle class Americans through bailouts, unnecessary wars, and deficit spending.

Randy Wilkinson is a solid alternative. While others were waiting for fat-cat "Republican" leaders to anoint them for their turn in Congress, Randy was fighting for tea party values - before they were cool. He took on the local Republican establishment in fighting for lower property taxes, spending cuts, and ethics reform. (Curiously, Ross has received the endorsement of every commissioner who voted for the property-tax hike.) Randy refuses to be a pawn in their political machine, and they hate him for it.

The nation will be watching this race. It's about insiders vs. the outsider. Status quo vs. change. Randy has a solid record and a proven election winning streak, four times over in Polk County. District 12 can make history by rejecting the corrupt two-party machine and electing the first tea party congressman in America: Randy Wilkinson.

Fighting the system with TEA

"The establishment has never liked me."

Strong words – especially from a three-term county commissioner and current congressional hopeful.

But Randy Wilkinson says he stands by his words – and by his new political friends at the TEA (Taxed Enough Already) Party.

"I was just fed up," Wilkinson said of his new allegiance to the upstart TEA Party, a group the politico joined earlier this month as he abandoned his ties to the GOP.

"I saw the Democrat and Republican parties as two wings of the same bird of prey," he added. "They both get their funding from Wall Street and the AIGs of the world ...The house always wins: It’s rigged."

Wilkinson’s jump into the political sack with the growing TEA party contingent earned a swift kick out the door by local Republican leaders who tossed the candidate from the Polk County Republican Executive Committee. Wilkinson’s registration as a TEA Party candidate in his bid to replace retiring U.S. Congressman Adam Putnam (leaving to run for Florida’s Commissioner of Agriculture job) was an apparent violation of his written "loyalty oath" to the Republican Executive Committee. The oaths, not required for members of the more generalized "Republican" party in Polk County, are written, signed documents where members pledge allegiance to the party. Local Democrats have a similar pledge system.

Wilkinson, who organized a TEA Party rally in downtown Bartow last year, says he has had a growing fascination with the anti-taxation message of his new party.

"Well that was quite an experience for me in that for the first time I realized the power of a movement. Grassroots. From the ground up. People’s movement," he said.

Wilkinson says he was introduced to the party through a friend from the Eagle Lake community who was heavily involved in Polk’s 9-12 tea group. "I didn’t even know what a 9-12 group was," he recalled. (9-12 groups were formed after 9-11.)

"They are just hardworking people," Wilkinson said. "A couple weeks passed and we were having our regular meeting. It was my third, and they were getting ready for a TEA Party in Lakeland. This guy that was leading this 9-12 group in his private home, he suggested having a TEA Party after work so people who work could attend. That was on Good Friday, and four days later we had the TEA Party in Bartow."

"There were 400 people there," Wilkinson said, "and I knew something’s up."

"That’s how I got up. It is a very positive thing. I thought about getting involved, and I thought about running with no party like Charlie Crist did, but I hate to be a copycat," he recalled.

Wilkinson’s decision to take a leap into the tea cup came as he was finalizing paperwork for the congressional race.

He was reading his son’s Bible, 1. Cor. 13 to be exact, when he got a call from a 9-12 member asking "Why don’t you run for us?"

"I work more by inspiration," Wilkinson said. "It was a split second. It was inspiration ... I didn’t have my arm twisted."

Wilkinson’s decision to switch parties made national news.

"I didn’t know but I am the first elected official running for office as a TEA Party candidate," Wilkinson said. "It made some news."

The candidate says he hopes to keep his focus on helping people and lowering taxes through his work with the new party.

"It’s a people-oriented movement that wants fewer taxes," he said. "I have a platform and I will be putting that forward ... It’s not the same ‘same old’."

Response to his decision to turn TEA has been "very good," said Wilkinson who also has seen some criticism for the move seen by some as an attempt to dodge the primary – criticism with which the candidate doesn’t seem to entirely disagree.

"I do significantly better in the general election," Wilkinson said. "I won by about 400 votes about four years ago."

Wilkinson says his history of poor showings in election primaries has been hampered by his own party.

"They usually put someone up against me. I don’t usually do so well in the primary, but I do well in the general," he said. "I get a lot of Democrat votes, and I expect to do even better now," he added.

"I want people to suspend their disbelief and when the pollsters call tell them who they really want to win. Vote your conscience and vote your heart ... Listen to all the arguments. Elections are not a horse race. It’s about debates and about substance. It annoys me about other politicians campaigning just for money. They should be campaigning for what they stand for."

With no public platform as yet, Wilkinson has given some clues to potential hot-button issues – outside taxation – including the economy and immigration reform.

"Our country needs to be more like the Magic Kingdom," he said. "Our borders need to be more like the secured gates of Disney World. We are having our freedom threatened. We shouldn’t be asked where are our papers. At Disney they don’t."

Randy Headlines Tea Party Rally

Polk County Commissioner Randy Wilkinson, who after his change of party for the 12th Congressional District race is the only elected official registered as a Florida Tea Party member, is one of the main speakers at tonight’s Tea Party Town Hall Social at a Perkins Restaurant in Orlando.

As the new party’s only elected official — although he was elected at the polls as a Republican — Wilkinson has become the darling of the party and in demand, not only within the congressional district in which he is running, but everywhere he can drum up support and votes for the Florida Tea Party.

The gathering was purposefully scheduled for the Perkins Restaurant at 8965 Conroy Windermere Road, Orlando. That was where Democratic Congressman Alan Grayson confronted Tea Party members over what he said were falsehoods smearing his record.

The Florida Tea Party, already being sued by members of the tea party movement for incorporating and in their words "high jacking" the name, has three congressional candidates on the ballot in Florida including Wilkinson, who is running in the 12th Congressional District, which comprises about two-thirds of Polk County.

The Florida Tea Party is the first in the nation to obtain political party status. Fred O’Neal, chairman of the Florida Tea Party, claims there are 15 other states where tea parties are in the process of establishing themselves as political parties.

Nothing could scare the Republican Party leaders more. They have warned that siphoning off conservative voters from the Republican Party to tea party movements that become actual political parties could mean victory for the Democratic Party in closely contested races.

To date, the Florida Tea Party has collected nearly $120,000 in donations to help its candidates, O’Neal claims.

Wilkinson jumps to Tea Party for U.S. Congress bid

Longtime GOP member says he's 'fed up the Republicans and Democrats'

Polk County Commissioner Randy Wilkinson announces during a July 2, 2009, news conference at Fort Blount Park in Bartow that he will run for Congress Thursday, July 2, 2009

BARTOW - Polk County Commissioner Randy Wilkinson announced Friday that he has cut his political ties with the Republican Party and has aligned himself with the new Florida Tea Party in his run for U.S. Congress.

Wilkinson has served on the Polk County School Board and the County Commission as a Republican, and when he originally announced his candidacy for Congress in 2009, he did it under the banner of the GOP.

But he said that changed Thursday when he switched party affiliation.

"I'm fed up with the Republicans and the Democrats because we have a casino government in which the house always wins," Wilkinson said. "And the economy is always the one that gets pillaged."

Wilkinson said he's tired of the "games being played by both parties." He described all the politicians representing those parties are being "posers."

The Florida Tea Party's slogan is "Restoring American to its Founding Principles." According to its website, www.FloridaTeaParty.us, the party was established to:

"Support candidates who provide integrity, courage and honesty to the political process."

"Promote a lower tax burden on the citizens of the Republic."

"Promote smaller and more efficient government at all levels."

Wilkinson said he intends to capture the U.S. House seat that District 12 Congressman Adam Putnam is giving up and "clean house" along with other new members of Congress.

"(Former President Ronald) Reagan won me over as a Republican, but I haven't been happy since then," Wilkinson said. "Now it's everyone for themselves and the middle class is getting squeezed."

In addition to Wilkinson, candidates for the District 12 seat in Congress are Republicans John Lindsey Jr. and Dennis Ross and Democrats Lori Edwards and Doug Tudor.

Randy Wilkinson Becomes First Elected Tea Party Official, Will Run For Congress As Third Party Candidate

The Tea Party movement can now boast its first elected official.

Randy Wilkinson, the Polk County Commissioner running for Florida's 12th Congressional District, decided to switch parties last week after the official Florida Tea Party gave him its blessing. Wilkinson plans to run in November as a third party Tea Party candidate.

As the Daily Caller points out:

"There are other self-identified Tea Party candidates across the country running as Republicans or independents, but Wilkinson appears to be the first elected official running on a Tea Party ticket affiliation." Wilkinson faces powerful major-party challengers, however, and having raised only about $27,000 as of the end of March, according to The Hill, he certainly faces an uphill battle.

Under the Tea Party mantle, Wilkinson said he plans to run to the right of both candidates. Wilkinson spoke with The Hill about his opponents:

"I'd say both of those candidates are pretty well moderate," Wilkinson told The Hill. "Dennis is to the left of Putnam. Putnam was a little to the left of (former Rep. Charles) Canady (R-Fla.). We keep moving towards a mushy middle."

According to Fred O'Neal, founder of the Florida Tea Party who spoke with the Daily Caller, this newly formed official third party is also dispatching conservative candidates to challenge Democratic Rep. Alan Grayson in Florida's 8th Congressional District and in 25th congressional district in Miami.

But O'Neal clarified to the Daily Caller that the party would limit their challenges to seats without incumbent Republicans, and instead try to mount independently conservative campaigns on open seats.

"We're not trying to knock off conservative, Republicans," O'Neal told the Caller. "That's not our agenda."