RedState Endorses Tom Rooney (FL-16). Let's take back that seat.

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In 2006 with Mark Foley's unexpected resignation from Florida 16, the historically Republican district elected Democrat Tim Mahoney. It's time to take back the seat.

To take back Florida 16, the Republicans will need to elect someone who fits the district. It is a conservative district that stretches across the state. It is a very good fit for Tom Rooney, the conservative Republican running.

Tom Rooney is a native to the area. He and his wife both served the military in the Army JAG Corps. In 2002, Tom went to teach law at West Point before heading home to serve as an Assistant Attorney General. Tom Rooney is active in the community, serving on the Children's Services Council of Palm Beach Board of Directors, while maintaining his law practice. He, his wife, and their three sons live in Tequesta, Florida.

More importantly for us at RedState, Tom Rooney is a small government, pro-life conservative. He doesn't just want to cut taxes, he wants to cut spending. We trust Tom to remain consistently conservative when he gets to Washington, D.C.

Men like Tom Rooney are needed to take back the GOP. While we've looked at his opponents, we are convinced that Tom is the best fit for the district and is least likely to go off the conservative reservation.

RedState has also started a new vetting process. To make sure we've got a good understanding of a candidate's positions, I sent Mr. Rooney a questionnaire asking him to outline his positions on various issues -- worded to make sure he'd have to give us more than a yes or no. I think you'll agree when you review them that he is worth supporting. See the questionnaire here.

It's been some time since we've asked you to open your wallet for a candidate. We need candidates like Tom Rooney to make up ground in the Congress. Tom Rooney has the best shot at beating Congressman Mahoney, but he has to get out of his primary. So give what you can today.

And remember, the more we're willing to put our money where our mouth is, the more we'll grow in influence. For that reason, it is important for online conservative activists to give.

If you have one, add Tom Rooney to your Slatecard. If you don't have one, get a Slatecard.

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RedState Endorses Tom Rooney (FL-16). Let's take back that seat. 23 Comments (0 topical, 23 editorial, 0 hidden) Post a comment »

....than Woody Jenkins.

“.....women and minorities hardest hit”

I disagree on this by dld1717

I disagree on this nomination the strongest candidate is State Rep Gayle Harrell who has proven electability and has had the most fundraising success.

I was kind of disappointed to see this endorsement. I really think Gayle Harrell is the best candidate for the district and to defeat Mahoney. But I think after Harrell wins the primary, we will all be able to rally around her.

We did look at Gayle Harrell. We found her to be less consistently conservative and more prone to support tax increases and government spending.

Likewise, she has raised less money than Tom Rooney. Mr. Rooney has raised $666,827.00 and Ms. Harrell has raised $517,455.84.

Mr. Rooney has loaned himself $25,000.00 and Ms. Harrell has loaned herself $30,000.00.

On the specifics, we question Ms. Harrell's commitment to the culture of life, we question her shift on immigration policy, we question her support of H.B. 1513 (2004), which would have harmed private property rights, and we had several other concerns.

Fight On!

I'm a supporter of Gayle Harrell here because she's NEVER, in her long career in the state house, supported a tax increase... EVER. To the contrary, she's supported every tax cut that's come her way.

If you can prove otherwise, PLEASE state your evidence. She's well respected in the community and she has a record that inspires confidence among conservatives.

She's been pro-life for over a decade (unlike Mitt Romney) and a supporter of border security and fighting illegal immigration since before 1992.

Please share your sources.

http://www.ktracy.com

This is insane by cd16conservative

Erick Erickson and RedState owe the readers of their website an explanation.

Erick states these platitudes while not presenting any facts.

Erick says that Gayle is "prone to government spending and tax increases" when in fact she has never supported a tax increase in eight years in the legislature.
She's voted to cut taxes by over 28 billion and was a leader in passing meaningful property tax reform.
She would cosponsor the fair tax, would support a flat tax, and supports making the Bush tax cuts permanents and reducing or ending earmarks.

Erick questions Gayle's commitment to the pro-life cause completely ignoring the fact that she has voted on the side of life in EVERY vote rated by the Christian Coalition.
This includes politically difficult votes, such as voting to save the life of Terri Schiavo, to oppose embryonic stem cell research, and to promote ultrasounds.
Gayle supports a human life amendment to the constitution, supports the Mexico City Policy, and opposes Roe V. Wade.

Erick questions Gayle's commitment to the anti-illegal immigration cause, falsely suggesting she had some type of conversion. The fact is, Gayle has been talking about illegal immigration since she first ran for office in 1992.
In 2001 she joined a group of legislators and walked off the floor to protest illegal immigration.
She also stopped welfare benefits for illegal aliens and promoted the Florida Safe Borders Act this session.
That could be why all the "secure the borders" folks in FL are supporting her.

Erick sends Tom Rooney a "questionnaire" without sending the same questionnaire to the other two candidates in the race.
He says he has other concerns, but did he make the effort to talk with the Harrell folks.

These are the reasons that Speaker Newt Gingrich has endorsed Gayle.

These are the reasons that two former Chairmen of our party have said she's the only one that can win.

The fact is, Gayle Harrell is leading Tom Rooney by nearly 100k when you look at money raised in CD 16.
Gayle Harrell was the only candidate with the grassroots strength to collect petitions to get on the ballot (Rooney tried and failed).
It would seem Erick owes his loyal readers answers to this information.
While it would be nice to have the support of Red State, Gayle Harrell is doing just fine with the folks that matter.

Erick, I am disappointed in your take. Gayle has supported tax cuts consistantly and I know this first hand as she has actually put money back into my hands in her House District.

On the money issue, it is easy to raise money when you have your wealthy family funding your campaign, and your Obama supporting family can gin up big checks.

If Tom is so strong, why didn't he qualify by petition, but Gayle did?

It's not all about money Erick, it is about the candidate. She is consistent on life and and private property rights. Rooney has done nothing for life, taxes, immigration, etc.

Speaking of rich daddys by kevintracy

Take a look at how much Daddy Rooney paid to get a picture of his son with Senator McCain... and then read how he made it look like a McCain endorsement.

http://ktracy.com/?p=1296

(hint: it cost at least $25,000)

Real Facts by cuerpoyalma

Your source for what Rooney alledgedly paid for a picture with McCain is from an unabashedly pro-Harell blog, whereas the RedState endorsement is decidedly objective.
Here's an easily verifiable fact: Google Gayle Harrell and Planned Parethood and notice how she had no problem being a speaker at one of their events. So much for her non-Romney like pro-life stance.
Do some of the posters here not understand the rules defining electorial contributions? It doesn't matter if your daddy owns Fort Knox, contriburions are limited to $2300. You can, however, make a personal loan to your own campaign. Harrell and Rooney both did this, Harrell to the tune of $5000 more than Rooney. So, who is more dependent on ther personal net worth?

That unashamedly pro-Harrell blog is based in Indiana and is run by two veterans. It's explained clearly that the fundraiser was for the Florida Republican Party, and there is NO limit to what one can contribute to the state party.

The party is allowed to then earmark funds raised at these events for presidential politics in Florida.

In otherwords, the ad would work like this.

"Barack Obama is an unexperienced jerk-face, but McCain is a veteran who served his country bravely and was tortured by communists in Vietnam, vote for McCain in November. This ad was paid for by the Florida Republican Party."

The funds from this fundraiser were earmarked for McCain.

And regardless, the price tag on the event was $12,500. Since both Rooney and Daddy Rooney attended the event, it was at least $25,000.

Please! Your blog is nothing more than a personal homage to it's creator.By all means, post more pictures of yourself in provocative poses. They make you look deep. In the meantime, check this letter to TC Palm, a local news source for the Treasure Coast, by someone who understands the facts about Gayle Harrell, and how she has no problem changing her past liberal positions to enhance her electability in a largely Consevative district:

"Geoff Oldfather’s March 23 column on Rep. Gayle Harrell’s HB 821, which would prohibit tax-funded support of day labor centers for illegal aliens, omits any mention of a key motivator. Now that Harrell, R-Port St. Lucie, is in the struggle of her political life with two conservative challengers for the GOP nomination in the 16th Congressional District, she finally decides to get tough on illegal immigration.

For six years Harrell was a proud cheerleader for amnesty-friendly former Gov. Jeb Bush, his brother, the president, and U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla. During last winter’s contest for the presidential nomination, she remained silent while three proven, solid, secure-borders and anti-amnesty GOP candidates could not get traction.

Harrell’s born-again conservatism is a far cry from her past liberal record, which included her 2001 Gateway to Learning Bill (which the teachers unions wanted but Gov. Bush vetoed that would have harassed home-schoolers), and her 2002 HB115 that would have revoked the law designed to improve medical readiness in our military that sets aside three spaces annually for military academy graduates.

Harrell’s prize was 2004’s HB1513, which would have permitted eminent-domain seizures of private property for private development — a whole year before the Supreme Court’s liberal majority decided the Kelo decision.

Rep. Harrell also is running as a solid, 100 percent Christian-Coalition-of-Florida, traditional-values candidate. Does this mean Harrell has repudiated her past abortion rights position and, specifically, her 2002 pro-abortion committee vote that killed the Infant Born Alive Protection Act?

Harrell can show her sincerity by opposing matching and supplemental funding for those children’s services councils that have used property tax dollars to fund programs by Planned Parenthood, the nation’s premier abortion lobby and provider." 

Joseph M. Ascrizzi

Palm City

Provacative poses? Trust me, you don't want to see me in provacative poses. Mine is a personal blog, thus it has my name in the title and web address. It doesn't take a genius to figure that out, though what we're dealing with here may be the exact opposite.

Just out of curiosity, what is Rooney's record on family values?

He doesn't have one.

What about taxes?

He doesn't have one.

Take a look at his website's issues section.

He BARELY has one. There's a bigger issues section on HomestarRunner.com than on Rooney's site. And there's a reason for that. He's not running a campaign, he's running a malicious attack campaign that would make even Mitt Romney blush with shame.

http://www.ktracy.com

We stand by our endorsement.

Fight On!

I understand the campaign finance laws, it is just funny that Rooney hasn't raised much money in the district, it all comes from his family friends. His daddy is wealthy, and that is great, more power to him, but let's not overlook the fact that Tom Rooney's campaign contributions come from outside CD 16.

Not to mention, their fortune in the Palm Beach area comes from their gambling & dog track operations. Let's not kid ourselves. Tom Rooney is not in touch with this area.

For all the reasons Erikson is opposed to Harrell, he should have been an unyielding pain in the rear for Mitt Romney. The difference is that Mitt Romney became a conservative in an election year. Gayle Harrell has been a conservative longer than I have!

So I used to be pro-environment, anti-drilling, pro-welfare, pro-big government, pro-illegal immigration, anti-gun. That was 8 years ago.

Am I a closet Democrat who's being an oppertunist just because I was born into a Democratic family? If not, then Gayle is a legitimate conservative... a legitimate conservative able to raise money in her own congressional district, unlike Mr. Rooney, who is getting all his money from party elitists who want his daddy's money for their own establishment purposes.

Besides, you seem to be supporting John McCain... if anything, you seem to like liberal candidates.

http://www.ktracy.com

As late as a February '07 by cuerpoyalma

As late as a February '07 interview with Politico.com, Gayle Harrell proclaimed herself pro-choice. That ain't ancient history. And I am supporting McCain. Not because he's a liberal, because he's a winner. Who were you supporting in the GOP primary again? Oh, that's right. Boo-hoo. Perhaps it's time to back a winner. I may not have achieved your lofty level of intelligence, but I don't willingly choose to remain ignorant of Gayle Harrell "conservative" record either.

Backing winners by kevintracy

Oh well, my guy in the primary lost. I can deal with that. But I'm not about to just blindly jump on McCain's broken bandwagon of blind, deaf, and half-witted Republican red-headed step children because "McCain's a winner." That's what cowards without principle do.

I'm not sure if I'm supporting Obama or Barr in November, but one thing is for certain - neither men will do nearly as much damage to the conservative movement or the Republican Party as John McCain has already done. I'm working my heart out for GOP congressional candidates - to stop the bleeding from numerous wounds created by McCain and men like him.

Look, Harrell is being attacked by Planned Parenthood, so she can't be all that pro-life. Their attacks prove two things to me. First, that Harrel and Planned Parenthood don't see eye to eye on abortion. Second, that Planned Parenthood and liberals like them see Harrell as the biggest threat in FL-16. Eliminate her in the primary and keep the seat blue.

These asinine power-games you and members of the establishment in DC are playing by endorsing Rooney are going to backfire (again) if you're successful.

Why did Redstate send a questionnaire to only one of the three Republicans running for the nomination in FL-16? And did anyone ever bother to ask Harrell or her campaign about her statements you're so opposed to?

http://www.ktracy.com

ATTN: kevintracy by Neil Stevens

Did you really mean to call all John McCain supporters who disagree with him on key positions "cowards without principle?"

Regardless, I believe you just did. Apologize with your next post, because like a poor guest, you just insulted your hosts and you owe us all an apology.

This is a Republican site, and people like you who are pro-Barr or pro-Babykiller Obama, life's not fair for you.

HTML Help for Red Staters
"If we want to take this party back, and I think we can someday, let’s get to work." – Barry Goldwater

Listen folks we need primaries like this to be clean we cannot afford to have a damaged Republican nominee. I believe Gayle is strongest candidate and has proven to the test of getting elected.


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