by Javier Manjarres
Now that CFO Jeff Atwater as official announced that he will not seek the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate, his announcement now clears the field for former U.S. Senator George LeMieux and Congressman Connie Mack continue their bitter Republican primary race.
In a recent BizPac interview with Michelle Kirk, LeMieux seized at the opportunity to throw a few more barbs at Congressman Mack. In the interview, LeMieux repeated his depiction of Connie Mack being a “career politician” and trying to run on his father Connie Mack III’s name.
The apple has fallen far from the tree.- George LeMieux about Connie Mack IV
When asked about his past relationship with former Florida Governor Charlie Crist, LeMieux shrugged off the question by say that he thinks “it’s less and less important.” LeMieux also stated that he campaigned for and with Senator Marco Rubio in 2010.
Yes, LeMieux did campaign for Senator Rubio, and even endorsed the Senator here on the Shark Tank, but the endorsement came only after Crist left the Republican party and ran as an Independent.
But what Senator LeMieux fails to understand is that the Republican base has not forgotten about the type of smear Republican primary campaign Crist ran against Rubio leading up to his leaving the GOP long before LeMieux endorsed Rubio over Crist.
During the campaign, Rubio himself was disgusted over how LeMieux worked against him in the U.S. Senate and around the state, this after Crist appointed him to Mel Martinez’s vacated seat. Then, while joining Rubio on one of his bus tours, Rubio was asked by a supporter if he (the supporter) should support LeMieux in the 2012 Senate race, and Rubio stated, “wait, there will be better candidates that may announce soon.”
There is no secret that Rubio, while ever so polite and cordial to LeMieux, still carries a certain degree of recentment towards LeMieux and Crist- Rubio knows the truth.
Remember, LeMieux had not officially announced his run for office, he was merely testing the waters and asking key activists around the state for their support. Couple his past Crist ties with the upcoming Jim Greer trial where Greer has already tried to throw LeMieux under the political bus, and you may very well be seeing the LeMieux’s campaign unravel.
But like we said before, LeMieux is a very strong candidate, and he is criss-crossing the state and retail politicking just as Rubio did in 2012.. LeMieux, if anything is resilient.
One point that LeMieux continualy makes about Mack is that he enjoys high name recognition largely in part because of his father, former U.S. Senator Connie Mack III.
Another good point LeMieux makes about Mack is that he did beat Mack in the two latest straw polls among grassroots activists. Up to this point, LeMieux has out-campaigned Mack by a mile. This was Mack’s race to lose, and he could still lose it if he refuses to work work for it and earn it.
It’s a fairly common complaint from many within the conservative base of the Republican Party that Mack seems very dismissive of activist groups and is simply running on his name alone.
Both men need to take a step back and re-assess their respective campaigns and decide on whether or not to forge a new path that will deliver them the Republican nomination and lead them to victory over Democratic Senator Bill Nelson.
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15 Responses to “LeMieux, Mack Face Large and Looming Obstacles”
LeMieux, just another Charlie Crist RINO. He need to call Charlie and find out how to get hired on by Morgan & Morgan. He’ll make a better ambulance chaser than Senator!
Give George Lemieux a break! He is NOT a RINO and is a good conservative.
He was Charlie Crist’s chief of staff who was appointed to fill a vacant US Senate seat, which he filled very well. Check his voting record.
When Crist left the GOP, George stayed with the GOP and supported the GOP candidate.
Barry, what’s a “bad” conservative as opposed to a “good” conservative?
PRECISELY! The “LARGE and LOOMING obstacles” is the fact that LeMieux and Mack ARE NOT conservatives and they carry heavy baggage.
MARIELENA STUART http://www.STUART2012.com is the only CONSERVATIVE candidate in this U.S.Senate race with integrity. Her grassroots campaign is taking Florida by storm with her inspiring speeches gaining supporters at every appearance.
Join MARIELENA as she storms across Florida helping to save America.
Jim….I agree. I’ve heard this woman speak a couple times and have done the research on her. This is one opportunity we don’t want to miss. My impression is that she is rock solid in her beliefs. There is not another candidate that even comes close her. I’m proud to stand with her for this Senate seat. We don’t need another candidate that we must hold our nose when voting. Lets get this lady elected!
Mike McCalister is the best qualified person for the job of US Senator. He has the most viable plans for turning our economy around. He has a Ph.D in business management. This is not a beauty pageant, it is about accomplishing and Col. McCalister gets things done, quickly and thoroughly. Best person by far to be our Senator and I am voting for him along with most of the tea party.
McCalister is finished. He’s out of money, out of hope and soon will be out of this U.S.Senate race. He has accomplished nothing! He’s against offshore oil drilling(page 8 of the book he wrote in 2010). He’s both pro-choice and pro-life(in the same sentence on page 7 of his book). He tried to learn how to be a conservative in this campaign, but it was too difficult for him. Check out the YouTube videos of him in action and then go vote for him, but he won’t be on the ballot so you won’t be able to.
Conservatives who want a candidate with integrity in this race have MARIELENA STUART http://www.STUART2012.com
Jim, You are nasty and you don’t know what you are talking about. If your candidate were qualified, then you wouldn’t have to videotape Colonel McCalister at every single event and have your candidate study him so she can improve her conservative positions and speaking skills. I know him very well and he is by far the most conservative and most qualified candidate. MariElena should stick to journalism.
I’m with McCalister too – he has accomplished alot in the military and he knows who he is and what exactly is at stake in the USA. Who needs offshore drilling? Plenty of oil in Alaska and the upper 40. The best thing about McCalister is that he knows the enemy and he is not bought by the establishment or any current administration.
Anybody but Nelson
And Mr. LeMieux has a voting record that anyone can check ………. as a conservative. He also has videos of him speaking from the floor of the senate, and he was not a Crist puppet while in the senate. He was his own man and did the state of Florida proud. I wrote to him a number of times when he was our senator, and he actually responded about what I wrote about instead of sending the usual one size fits all response (even if it has nothing to do with what you wrote about). I believe, he would be a good senator, and right now, I think he may be right and Mack is running on his father’s reputation instead of his own.
When is Sharkie interviewing Marielena Stuart or is this the MSM Web Site?
I’m voting for Connie Mack! Marco needs help in the Senate and I am very pleased with Connie’s voting record on the House bills and I’m sure Florida and our nation will have two great Senators from Florida.
Go Connie and Go Marco!!! Bye, bye Senator Nelson!!!!
I am sick and tired of hearing that Lemieux’s voting record was conservative. The man is no idiot & he knew he was being closely watched by the tea partiers and conservatives who had just dumped his boss and elected Rubio. But even with that, he still voted for the food safety bill, and only backed off supporting the dream act after people went nuts & organized email & phone campaigns. He also abandoned his party’s leadership and didn’t stand with them in their opposition to several liberal judges.
That’s what he did in a little more than one year in the senate. What sort of damage would he do in a full 6 year term?
And, please, someone enlighten me, how is telling vicious lies about Rubio in order to help Crist “conservative.” there are many, many news stories telling about the crap Lemieux was saying, especially in DC. He did everything he could to make Rubio toxic and end his young political career.
Is Mack perfect? No, but he did vote AGAINST the TARP bailouts, and that was in a safe republican seat. He could’ve been reelected easily. That should could for something.
I remember Lemieux’s voting record and he is not a conservative, plus, he turned down my grandson for an interview for the Naval Academy. We are all good republicans and conservative. Charlie Crist is anything but what he is trying to represent. He will say exactly what you want to hear.
By the way, my grandson made it with two other signatures and interviews, by Nelson and Bilirakis’s signatures. I appreciate Nelson doing what he did, being a democrat. Also, he made it on his grades and a letter from the Duke coach.
I’m for Connie Mack and will support him %100 percent. Also, we love Rubio and will support him at all times. I’ve seen a couple of polls showing Connie Mack leading Nelson. Connie and Rubio together would be great.