What now?

Well, today we celebrate.  We have earned it.  First, via Instapundit Alex Sink has conceded!  I am almost sorry that I took the day off from work.  The looks on a few of my co-worker's faces must have been delicious when Sink pulled the plug earlier today.  Why yes, I am gloating. 

All and all it was a great night for my state.  We swept the governorship and cabinet as well taking large majorities in both state senate and house.  And what about our Marco!  When I first started talking to people about Marco running for the Senate polite people stifled a smile and everyone else laughed in my face.  Over and over again I was told that there was no way that Marco Rubio could beat Charlie Crist.  Congratulations, Senator Rubio!  Now in the words of my new governor, "Let's get to work."

There is one race that I am profoundly disheartened about.  Mike Prendergast will not be my representative in Congress.  We had a clear choice here between the ninth most liberal member of the House and a true conservative who has dedicated his life to the service of our country.  What we didn't have was a "machine".  Even at that, Mike won forty percent of the vote.  He did it by listening to the voters and presenting them with workable solutions to the problems facing us.  He ran a good and honorable campaign.  I am proud of Mike and proud to support him.  He can count on my support whatever the future brings.

No doubt that Marco is the man of the hour.  Enjoy his acceptance speech.  If you don't tear up at least a couple of times you are heartless.  A special thank you to all my friends at Not One Red Cent who rallied around Marco from the beginning and to my sisters at Potluck who each and everyone are a great source of pride and inspiration to me.  To Pres. Obama, well, Michelle Malkin said it best, "Take your olive branch and shove it, Democrats."




Oh, yeah, I almost forgot-goodbye, Nancy Pelosi!  Don't let the door hit you on the ass on your way out.

Cheaters never prosper

Now might be a good time to mention that Alex Sink is a former boss of mine.  It was a brief, dark, low point in my career that I prefer no to dwell on.  You can read that as "no love lost."  In any case, I'm not terribly surprised that she would cheat or for that matter that she would get caught.  The general feeling among my former BOA co-workers and I is that Ms. Sink rose to the level of her incompetence at BOA.  Ed Morrissey finds her unpardonable:

The first rule of Political Debate Club, at least in Florida’s gubernatorial race? No messages from staff. Second rule of Political Debate Club? Don’t get caught on camera breaking the first rule. It’s one thing to cheat during a debate, but Alex Sink commits the really unpardonable sin of being incompetent at it:

Considering that the Florida Pension Fund lost 24.5 billion dollars under Sink's watch, I would say that incompetence is her strong suit.

Rallying with Rick Scott to take back Florida

Today has been a good day!  I arrived at the Rick Scott rally at about 12:45 this afternoon.  While waiting for Scott to take the stage I had the absolute pleasure of meeting Mike Prendergast, candidate for the US House here in Florida's 11th district. I have video of Mike here and here. 

People will tell you that Kathy Castor has a lock on the 11th district.  Nonsense.  Castor has been wrong on every issue and as a result, our unemployment in the 11th is hovering around 12 percent. 


I took some videos while at the event.  Forgive the shakiness-it was hot and crowded and I was hoping against hope that I wasn't going to embarrass myself by passing out in front of everyone. 

First up, Pam Bondi, our candidate for Florida Attorney General.  Pam is a home town girl and a home town favorite.  Pam has been endorsed by Sarah Palin.  Look to Bondi to be a standout voice for Conservatism for years to come.

Of course the man that everyone had come to see is Rick Scott, the next governor of Florida and he did not disappoint.  Scott is articulate, experienced and really, one heck of a decent guy.  Florida is facing a myriad of challenges thanks to the Obama agenda and Charlie Crist's following that agenda all the way down the path to record deficits and unemployment.  Scott is definitely the man to turn it all around.

Let's Get to Work!

The votes are in and congratulations go to Rick Scott, Marco Rubio, Pam Bondi, and Mike Prendergast.  I would be totally remiss if I didn't give a shout out to Stacy and Smitty at The Other McCain, whose primary coverage was phenomenal as usual. 

I have been a Rubio supporter since before he announced as a candidate for the US Senate and I am more than ready to get this show on the road.  Here is Rubio's first commercial of the season:



Next up is Mike Prendergast.  The House race here in Florida's 11th district is important.  We can either send Kathy Castor back to the House where she will continue to vote with total disregard to the wishes and best interests of her countrymen or we can send Col. Mike Prendergrast, a true conservative who has dedicated his entire adult life to the service of this country:

Colonel Prendergast is a native of Tampa and a graduate of Clearwater Central Catholic High School. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1978 and earned a commission through Officer Candidate School. With more than 31 years of service, he retired in 2009 as U.S. Central Command's Provost Marshal, a military position similar to a civilian Commissioner of Public Safety and International Chief of Police. Colonel Prendergast served with distinction in various important command and staff assignments throughout the United States and abroad, to include combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, peacekeeping operations in Bosnia and Kosovo, and humanitarian missions in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Cameroon, and Zaire. Prendergast also served as a Senior Policy Advisor for Defense, Intelligence, and Foreign Affairs as an American Political Science Association Congressional Fellow in the office of U.S. Senator Bob Graham.

Prendergast has earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with Special Honors and a dual major in Political Science and Sociology from Jacksonville State University; a Bachelor of Science degree with a concentration in Psychology from the University of New York; a Bachelor of Social Science degree from Campbell University; a Master of Arts degree with a major in International Relations and a Certificate in African Studies from the University of Florida; a Master of Public Administration degree with a concentration in Public Management from Troy State University; and a Master of Strategic Studies degree from the U.S. Army War College with a major in Public Diplomacy and a concentration in Campaign and Strategic Crisis Planning.

This Part One of an interview with Prendergast.  Note that Prendergast unequivocally states that the oath of office demands loyalty to the Constitution, not to any particular political party.  I'll have Part Two tomorrow night.