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Miami Herald:

Democrats raise $700K for state party at Hollywood dinner

Some 1,300 Democrats attended a dinner that raised more than $700,000 for the state party.
BY BETH REINHARD AND PATRICIA MAZZEI

With Florida in the throes of the wildest and most wide-open election in decades, Democrats girded against a Republican-friendly political climate and gathered Saturday for one of the state party’s most successful annual fundraising dinners.

About 1,300 officeholders and activists attended the dinner at the Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa in Hollywood, which raised more than $700,000. The 2010 election features a tight governor’s race, a topsy-turvy U.S. Senate contest and three statewide campaigns for Florida’s Cabinet.

“Folks in this room understand what’s at stake — one of the most important elections Florida has ever had,” said political consultant Steve Schale, who led President Obama’s winning campaign that registered a slew of new Democrats in the nation’s largest swing state. “We don’t have to bring out most of the [Obama] voters in 2010. Just some of them.”

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/07/17/1735649/democrats-raise-700k-for-state.html#ixzz0u2aIWcdz

Zingers from FL Dems’ Jefferson Jackson dinner
So many speakers, so little time to blog. Here are a few memorable one-liners from the parade of candidates who spoke at the Florida Democrats’ annual Jefferson Jackson dinner fundraiser Saturday night:

– From Senate candidate Kendrick Meek: “I’ll be the only one that hasn’t run as a Republican in the past.”

– From his opponent Jeff Greene: “We put a man on the moon 40 years ago and we’re just now inventing an electric car.” (The third Dem in that contest, Maurice Ferre, declared himself the “sleeper” candidate.)

– From congressional candidate Joe Garcia, who lambasted Arizona’s controversial immigration law: “I can assure you that I am an American citizen. I’ve got [Republican gubernatorial candidate] Rick Scott‘s hate mail to prove it.”

– From congressional candidate Luis Meurice, a longshoreman: “I will take [Republican congressional candidate] David Rivera to the woodshed. That’s the way we do it on the docks.”

– From attorney general hopeful Dan Gelber: “I was called [former Gov.]Jeb Bush‘s chief nemesis, and I am proud of that designation.”

– From his opponent, Dave Aronberg: “They have swift boated me but I’m still standing.”

– From Alex Sink, the state’s CFO who is running for governor: “Sometimes I sit at those Cabinet meetings and think to myself, ‘Who are you people? And what are you doing for Florida?’”

– And from Florida Democratic Party chairwoman Karen Thurman, after Sink had mic trouble during her speech: “Even before she’s governor they’re trying to silence her.”

Palm Beach Post:

Applause meter: Meek gets louder applause than Greene at Florida Dem dinner

by George Bennett | July 17th, 2010
HOLLYWOOD — The crowd at tonight’s Florida Democratic Party Jefferson-Jackson dinner gave noticeably louder applause to Senate candidate Kendrick Meek than to primary rival Jeff Greene when both spoke to the crowd of about 1,300. Continued

Sun-Sentinel:

Alex Sink enjoying Republican governor primary fight
Posted by Anthony Man on July 17, 2010 06:04 PM

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Alex Sink sees a lot to like in the Republican Party fight between Bill McCollum and Rick Scott.

Sink said she’s helped by the fight for the Republican gubernatorial nomination. Continued

Kendrick Meek, Jeff Greene tone down rhetoric at Democratic dinner
Posted by Anthony Man on July 17, 2010 09:10 PM

Democratic leaders spend lots of time Saturday talking up gubernatorial candidate Alex Sink, the big unknown is the U.S. Senate race.

The two main Democratic candidates – U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek of Miami and Palm Beach billionaire Jeff Greene – have been blistering each other on the campaign trail. Continued

Florida House Democratic leader says it’s too early to write off Democrats chances
Posted by Anthony Man on July 17, 2010 05:08 PM

The national mood isn’t a good one for Democrats as the midterm elections approach.

But Florida House Minority Leader Franklin Sands, D-Weston, said it’s way too early to assume the Democratic Party will have a terrible year.

“On a national level, it’s anybody’s guess. On a state level I think it’s anybody’s guess,” he said in the place where Democrats from across Florida are gathering Saturday afternoon – the lobby of the Westin Diplomat in Hollywood for the party’s big Jefferson-Jackson weekend. Continued

Mitch Ceasar smells success in the wind for Democrats
Posted by Anthony Man on July 17, 2010 05:50 PM

Maybe he was breathing too much of the signature white tea scent in the lobby-atrium of the Westin Diplomat in Hollywood, but Broward Democratic Chairman Mitch Ceasar smells nothing but success for his party this fall.

Ceasar is among the hundreds of Democrats gathered for the state Democratic Party’s Jefferson-Jackson weekend of politicking and fundraising.

The event comes at a time when President Barack Obama is unpopular. Polling shows Democratic gubernatorial candidate Alex Sink is shaky. And the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate is fraying political relationships and dividing party activists.

There’s a lot for Democrats not to celebrate Saturday. But there was a lot of celebrating – and positive spinning – anyway. Continued