admin @ Wed, 2006-03-08 09:00
WASHINGTON - With non-stop talk of Katherine Harris’ Senate campaign coming undone, U.S. Rep. Mark Foley may have some tough decisions to make in the coming weeks.
Foley spokesman, Jason Kello, said Tuesday that “the chemistry of the race would have to change dramatically” and Harris would have to step aside, for the Fort Pierce Republican to consider jumping in the race.
But entering the race may not be as far-fetched as it once seemed, political analysts say, as Harris’ campaign continues to unravel day by day.
The most recent indication, they say, occurred Monday when Vice President Dick Cheney crisscrossed Florida without ever mentioning Harris by name — even though the congresswoman was in the audience — on a trip meant to tout 2006 candidates.
The snub came days after Harris, R-Longboat Key, was forced to explain her ties to a California defense contractor who pleaded guilty last week to bribing former California congressman Randy “Duke” Cunningham with $1 million in gifts. That contractor, Mitchell Wade, also illegally contributed thousands of dollars to Harris’ campaign.
While Harris is a “controversial” figure”— dating back to the 2000 presidential election when she oversaw the ballot dispute that gave George W. Bush a victory — Foley is “ideal” for a general election candidate, said David Johnson, a Republican pollster with Strategic Vision LLC.
Foley is also a “prolific” fundraiser, political observers say, and is currently sitting on a sizable war chest — especially for someone who hasn’t even entered the Senate race.
“If Harris drops out, Foley would be a very logical candidate,” said Larry J. Sabato, the director of Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, who pointed out that Foley leads Harris in campaign funds by more than $1.5 million.
On top of that, Foley, known as personable and media-savvy, would be matched up against incumbent Democrat Nelson, “a man people don’t know much about,” Johnson said.
Rumors about Foley’s sex life have been around Florida politics for years, especially after a 2003 report in the Palm Beach edition of the alternative newspaper New Times branded him as gay. After the article appeared, Foley called a news conference to announce he would not discuss his private life with the media.
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