Karen Diebel: Family > Politics

Last year, I had the privilege of working on Karen Diebel's Congressional campaign when she ran in the Republican primary for the District 24 seat. Karen's a strong social and fiscal conservative and I was thrilled to see her explore running for one of the new Congressional districts in 2012.

Karen's campaign was off to a solid start. She'd earned the endorsement of the Concerned Women for America and others who had backed her candidacy last year, and was building up a base of contributions.

The campaign was getting close to the time where it would be ready to get kicked into high gear. The Florida Legislature was working on the redistricting maps so Karen would know where her district would be, fundraising was going well, and she had launched an updated KarenDiebel.com website with the latest information about the campaign.

Running for elected office is a serious commitment, and one that Karen takes seriously. I spoke with her on the phone last night, and Karen told me that when she looked at her three sons and thought about how precious this time was while they were still young (they're 15, 13, and 12), she realized that her heart just was not in running for office this year. 

Karen Diebel signs "No Climate Tax" Pledge

Congressional candidate Karen Diebel won praise last week from Americans for Prosperity's Florida Chapter after she joined more than 550 bipartisan lawmakers and candidates in signing the group's "No Climate Tax Pledge," agreeing to "oppose legislation relating to climate change that includes a net increase in government revenue."

AFP Florida Newsroom | AFP-FL Applauds US House Candidate Karen Diebel for Signing "No Climate Tax" Pledge

SW Orange County Republicans Club to host Karen Diebel

Congressional candidate and former Vice-Mayor of Winter Park Karen Diebel will be the guest of honor at the next meeting of the Southwest Orange County Republicans Club (SWOCR).

(FYI, I worked on Karen's congressional campaign last year and I'm proud to endorse her again for 2012.)

Link to Event Flyer 

Link to Facebook Event Page

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Reception starts at 6:15 pm

West Orange County Country Club

3300 West Orange Country Club Drive

Winter Garden, FL

This meeting and lots of other great events can be found on the calendar at the "Events" tab on the top right corner of this website.

Gotta Love Gingrich

There are two things that Newt Gingrich does extremely well: tell a good story, and give a direct answer to a question. I got to see him do both of those things on Wednesday evening in Lake Mary as the keynote speaker at the Seminole County Reagan Day Dinner, sponsored by the Ronald Reagan Republican Assemblies of Florida, Inc.

Before the dinner, Newt and Calista Gingrich took photos with everyone who was in attendance. State Representative Scott Plakon was nice enough to invite me and two other members of the Orange County Young Republicans to join his family at his table. Representative Plakon's very talented daughter Jeanne sang the national anthem and several other songs during the evening's program. (Check out this video of Jeanne singing at the 2009 Opening Session of the Florida House of Representatives.)

Gingrich's speech was mostly anecdotes about Ronald Reagan (ahem, it was a "Reagan Day Dinner," after all), some of Gingrich's own memories with the former President, but also many other great stories from throughout Reagan's life. Some highlights:

Karen Diebel launches new Congressional campaign

Former Winter Park City Commissioner and Verizon Business executive Karen Diebel has thrown her hat into the ring to run for the newly-designated Congressional District 26, which will be located in the Central Florida area due to population gains in the last Census.

I was proud to be a part of Karen's 2010 campaign team and look forward to seeing her continue her fight for conservative causes in this new election.

Winter Park Mayor Ken Bradley and I were quoted in a Winter Park/Maitland Observer article about Karen's campaign:

Winter Park/Maitland Observer | Diebel's Early Bid for Congress

Former Winter Park City Commissioner Karen Diebel is already in the running for a new congressional seat that has yet to be created…

Diebel’s plan is to fill whatever new seat is added in the Central Florida area. This will be her second run at Congress in two years after narrowly losing in a Republican primary to Sandy Adams, the eventual winner of Florida’s 24th District congressional seat in 2010.

“My reasons and motivation remain the same,” Diebel said. “I think we haven’t gotten the changes right going forward. I’d like to help with that.”

Winter Park Mayor Ken Bradley congratulated her on her candidacy and said he looks forward to seeing her campaign take shape.

“She’s a good listener, very cautious and concerned about financial situations and very mindful of making sure we don’t spend money needlessly,” Bradley said. “I’d love to have her in Congress representing us.” …

Regardless of the eventual shape of the district Diebel hopes to represent, Sarah Rumpf, a former campaign consultant for Diebel, said that she’s made an important move getting into the running first. “She’s done well to establish herself as the front-runner being out there first,” Rumpf said. “It’s not a guaranteed slam dunk that you win, but it’s a big advantage.”

Here's a short video recapping Karen's 2010 campaign and her plans for the 2012 election:


YouTube | karendiebel | Karen Diebel for Congress

Additionally, I'd like clarify two points that keep confusing some members of our local media:

First, contrary to the way some have reported it, District 26 does, in fact, exist. It is a real legal political entity. True, we do not know the precise borders yet, but we don't know the borders for any Congressional districts. Right now, I live in District 8, and Dan Webster is my Congressman. District 26 exists just as much as District 8 does. When the borders are finally drawn (and the litigation is over, sigh...), then we'll know what District 26 looks like, but calling it a "nonexistent" district is silly.

Second, Karen is running for an open seat. She is not challenging Sandy Adams, Dan Webster, or any other Republican incumbent. Period. Some have noted that, theoretically speaking, there is a possibility that the lines may be drawn in a way that would result in Adams or Webster getting placed in a different District than they are now. For example, Webster's home might end up in 26 instead of 8. In that case, if Webster does not move into the new boundaries for 8, he could then run for re-election from 26, and 8 would then become the "open" seat, so Karen would run for 8. In no case will Karen be challenging a current Republican Member of Congress. Anyone who is reporting that she is considering otherwise is lying or misinformed.

For more information about Karen Diebel:

Karen Diebel campaign website
Karen Diebel on Facebook
@KarenDiebel on Twitter

[Cross-posted at RedCounty]

Thoughts on the primary results (UPDATED)

I woke up this morning with some of the strongest conflicted feelings I can remember after an election.  Extremely happy about some races, accepting of the results in others, and heartbroken over a few.  Here's some of my thoughts... 

GOVERNOR - REPUBLICAN PRIMARY 

OMG we elected Voldemort.

Seriously though, readers of this site know I was supporting Bill McCollum.  Many of us in Central Florida have known McCollum for years.  He was never very flashy but I was impressed with his anti-gang task force and work fighting against consumer fraud and internet predators.  This race frustrated me immensely because Rick Scott's negative campaigning included so many exaggerations and, in my opinion, misrepresentations.  To claim that McCollum was implicit in the whole Jim Greer debacle was beyond misleading, considering that McCollum was one of the people pushing Greer out of the RPOF chairman's position, and even those recorded phone calls between Greer and Delmar Johnson showed Greer viewed McCollum as an adversary, not an ally.  

I also am hesitant about the idea that our elections are for sale.  There isn't a single person out there who believes Scott would have been taking a photo with confetti raining down on his shiny head if not for the $50 million he invested in his TV and direct mail blitzkrieg campaign.  Here's just a little something fun I made this afternoon as I was thinking about the race (click image for full-size view):

All uses of ebay and RPOF trademarks are for parody or satirical purposes.
It's just a joke, people.

Bottom line, Bill and Ingrid McCollum are good people who have done a lot for our state and the Republican Party, and I am honored to have been able to get to know them and to have voted for Bill McCollum this year.  I really believe he was a better candidate and would have had an easier time beating Alex Sink.

That being said, there is no way I am going to support Alex Sink, and I encourage all other Republicans to hop on the Scott bandwagon with me now.  Do it for these two reasons: the Governor's veto power can block many legislative efforts, and the influence over the redistricting process.  I was hesitant on Scott before because he has very little track record to know what to expect from him, but can only continue to hope that he will stick to his conservative campaign promises and be a good leader for our state and our party. 

ORANGE COUNTY COMMISSION - PRIMARY 

There will be a runoff in District 4, but Jennifer Thompson seems to have a substantial lead.  She has worked very hard in this race and has been knocking on doors and meeting with district residents for several years now.  She has shown she is willing to spend time to do the research and fully understand the issues, and I believe she will be an asset for the County Commission, and a great representative for the people of Orange County.  I congratulate her on the job well done so far and predict a solid victory in November. 

DISTRICT 33 - REPUBLICAN PRIMARY 

Very happy to see Jason Brodeur get the "W" last night.  Beyond just supporting a fellow Gator, I've known Jason for years through his work with the Young Republicans and have always found him to be a stand-up guy.  Say what you want about Seminole County politics, anyone who knows Jason knows what kind of person he is.  Hopefully he will prevail in November, and I look forward to seeing him in Tallahassee. 

SEMINOLE COUNTY COMMISSION - REPUBLICAN PRIMARY 

Very, very happy to see John Horan victorious last night.  Nothing personal against McLean, as I've said, I've only met the guy once and he seems friendly enough, but I've known Horan since 2002 and know him to be smart, ethical, honest, a dedicated conservative, and just all-around good guy.  

I know the campaign spent a lot of time and effort doing the grassroots work, and looks like it paid off - I heard that he won every precinct where the campaign walked.  I called last night to congratulate him and he was so happy and humbly appreciative of the community support.  This is a guy who really cares about Seminole County and I think he'll do a great job on the Commission. 

MORE COMMENTS COMING LATER...I know which races I've left out...don't worry...will update post soon... 

OK, here's an update... 

JUDICIAL RACES 

I was pleased to see Rand Wallis and Michael Rudisill re-elected to the bench.  In my opinion, if a judge hasn't done anything unethical, then that judge should be retained.  There is an unfortunate practice of running against judges to settle a grudge, prove a point, or, in one race a few years ago, to get revenge against the judge for unfavorable rulings.  A judge is not supposed to worry about being popular, but only about being fair, honest, fair, ethical, fair, unbiased, and did I mention, FAIR.  The role of the judge is to review the facts and evidence, apply the law consistently, and make a ruling based on that.

It is completely ridiculous that Judge Clayton Simmons even drew an opponent, much less was defeated yesterday.  He is so well-respected in the legal community and has done a wonderful job during his years on the bench. Simmons' son was campaigning at the same precinct in Oviedo with me yesterday and was working so hard for his dad, my heart is just breaking for their family.  I do not know Linda Schoonover, I've never met her, but she made some disparaging comments about Simmons on her website, quoting a Sentinel article to insinuate he had done something improper.  Not true...and so disappointing to see a judicial candidate engage in that kind of behavior.

Regarding the Group 5 County Court race, I am so proud of Amir Ladan and all our wonderful volunteers who gave countless hours walking neighborhoods, phone banking, and surviving Tuesday's downpour to campaign at the precincts.  I really loved working with Amir's family too, and feel honored that I got to be a part of their lives these past few months.  Amir's dad has such an inspirational story, and mom Zelda is just so awesome, I don't have words for it.  His wife, Trish, was such a dedicated supporter of her husband, and daughter Ashley is so darn sweet, and asked such neat questions about the elections process.  She asked me last night when we would know the results, and when I told her that her daddy had lost but could run again sometime, her response was "well, maybe not right away.  I like having him at home."  So cute.

Amir was a first time candidate battling against opponents with better name ID and the ability to self-finance their campaigns, but he worked very hard and ran a positive ethical campaign.  I am disappointed in one of the opponent's negative mail, and disgusted with some of the ugly attempts to spread false rumors by certain people.  I believe very strongly that Amir was the most qualified for the seat, and that he will go on to one day soon wear those black robes.

In general, I am left feeling extremely dissatisfied with judicial elections.  There are so many restrictions on what events the candidates can attend, what they can say, what they can do, that it just exacerbates the confusion and disinterest most people have for the judiciary.  It is extremely challenging for a judicial candidate to get their message to the voters, and it seems the only way to do it is to throw a big pile of money around.  Mike Thomas summed it up well in a blog post earlier discussing his predictions right before the polls closed:

Various judge races: Who knows? Who cares? You know, we shouldn’t elect judges. I think it is a very dangerous thing. I think if I had $100,000 I could become a judge.

Sigh...sad thing is, it's pretty true.  Drop $100K in a campaign account, and unless there are photos out there of you kicking a puppy or engaged in some sort of odd sexual fetish, you can probably get elected judge.   

CONGRESS DISTRICT 8 REPUBLICAN PRIMARY 

I voted for Kurt Kelly, but I have no problem with Dan Webster.  If he had gotten in the race earlier, I would have happily endorsed him out of the gate.  My hesitation was due to his hesitation in getting in the race.  Other candidates, notably Kelly and O'Donoghue, sacrificed a lot to get into the race because Webster had not jumped in: took a financial hit on their businesses, time away from their families, enduring the glare of the media spotlight, and Kelly gave up his State House seat, which was considered a safe bet for reelection.

Still, Dan Webster has an established conservative track record.  We know what we are getting with him, and I am confident that he would continue that same great record in Washington.  I am happy to officially endorse him today and will be voting for him in November without reservation.  I believe he will be a great replacement for our train wreck of a congressional representative, Alan Grayson.

 CONGRESS DISTRICT 24 REPUBLICAN PRIMARY 

I am just devastated and heartbroken about this race, and still shocked and horrified over the desperate and unethical way that Craig Miller ran his campaign.  The ridiculous and repetitive misrepresentations about Karen Diebel's record were one thing, but his last minute mailer full of lies and personal attacks from the vicious liberals Beth Dillaha and Margie Bridges was a new low.  I have never been so disappointed and disgusted in a [so-called] Republican candidate.  

All the information and feedback I'm getting is that the mailer did not help Miller at all, but did throw enough mud and confusion around that Sandy Adams was able to just stand by and reap the benefit of seeming above the fray.  I am somewhat gratified to see Miller come in third.  I do hope that the Adams campaign sends Miller a nice thank you note for knocking Karen out of Sandy's way.

Mark my words, today's simpering endorsement of Adams is the last we'll hear of Craig Miller.  We never heard a peep from him before this race, and I will faint and fall to the ground if he actually gets out there and works for Adams or any other Republican candidate, or does anything for the party other than maybe writing a check.

I am extremely proud of Karen Diebel and the wonderful team that worked on her campaign.  It was a privilege and an honor to work with these dedicated conservatives and downright fun people.  I've gained some treasured new friends through this campaign, and will always respect Karen for her strength in the face of adversity, her genuine kindness, her focus on her goals, her respect for other people.  I am honored to call her a friend.

Some have questioned Karen's delay in endorsing Sandy Adams.  Let's all calm down and not lose our minds over a few hours.  The sole and only reason for the delay was that the campaign was getting reports from the Orange SOE and I think the Brevard one too that there were some factors present that might trigger the statutorily required automatic recount.  No one was making any accusations of fraud or improper activity related to the election and there was never any discussion about filing suit or otherwise following in sore loser Al Gore's footsteps.  There was just simply an extremely close race and a desire to let the system work as it is supposed to.

Earlier today, the Diebel campaign issued the following press release, congratulating Sandy Adams and wishing her the best in the effort to take District 24 back from Kosmas:

For Immediate Release
August 25, 2010

Former Winter Park Vice-Mayor, businesswoman, and former candidate for US Congress District 24, Karen Diebel congratulates Sandy Adams on winning the Republican nomination for Congress.

“I will never stop championing the values I fought for in this campaign – border security, lower taxes, the right to life, and market-based solutions to our health care system. The first step in the battle is unseating liberal Suzanne Kosmas and restoring conservative representation to our district. Throughout the next couple of months, I will support Sandy in her efforts to take back this seat,” said Diebel.

Diebel, whose campaign came within one percentage point of victory, is very appreciative of all those who supported her throughout the past year.

“This campaign was a hard-fought effort and one that we can all be proud of. I want to thank my family, friends, staff, and volunteers for their love and support and dedicating countless hours to our effort. I also want to thank the many conservative leaders who stood strongly behind our campaign, especially Gov. Mike Huckabee, Bay Buchanan, Congressman Dick Schulze, Winter Park Mayor Ken Bradley, Mat Staver, and Concerned Women for America PAC,” Diebel concluded.

ORANGE COUNTY MAYOR 

Left this one for last because I really wanted to end on a happy note.  In case you missed it, here are the results in this race:

Teresa Jacobs - 42%

Bill Segal - 23%

Linda Stewart - 19%

Matthew Falconer  - 15%

...leaving Jacobs and Segal in the runoff for November.  Oh yeah, and Matt Falconer dead last.  I'm glad to see that the people of Orange County were smart enough to not fall for Falconer's outlandish ideas, personal attacks on his opponents, and constant lies.  

Contrast Falconer with Linda Stewart, who should be proud of herself for running a positive and ethical campaign where she was vastly outmatched financially.  I disagree with many of her political positions, but she is a nice person and her grassroots campaigning was impressive.

From the Sentinel:

The strong finish for Jacobs, a Republican, indicates voters accepted her as a reformer and fiscal conservative in the campaign.

She overcame the nearly $1 million raised and spent by Segal and outside business groups backing his campaign. Jacobs said her strong support showed that the "hearts and minds and votes" of Orange residents "cannot be bought."

"I don't think you can buy passion and commitment," said Jacobs, who spent $217,000 on her campaign.

The article also mentions some petty sour grapes from Falconer, who stated that he would not endorse Jacobs or Segal.  Apparently he's still believing that he was "the only conservative in the race!"

I spoke to Teresa's husband Bruce earlier today and they are both so thrilled and humbled by how many people voted for Teresa and have continued to support her during the campaign.  She is so happy and ready to continue the fight all the way to November.  Teresa and her daughter Lisa waved signs this morning at the corner of Curry Ford and 436:

Teresa's sign says "Thank You" (click to enlarge)

Bill Segal's campaign sent out an email earlier today, wasting no time in attacking Teresa, saying that voters had a choice between Segal or "a lobbyist who ran to the far-right to rally social conservatives to her cause."  C'mon, Bill, you're better than that.  You know darn well that's not accurate.  As I wrote last Friday:

Let's be clear.  Teresa Jacobs has never been a lobbyist.  She's also never been a Olympic synchronized swimmer or a ninja or a pomegranate whatever other silly things one could imagine.  

And I just simply have not seen any "running to the far-right to rally social conservatives."  The only time Teresa addressed any of those kind of issues was to speak out against Matthew Falconer's lies that she was a liberal and pro-abortion.  Teresa did not proselytize on the topic, merely pointed out that her personal beliefs are pro-life.  I think a dose of reality is needed here...abortion is simply not an issue that county commissions would be expected to address or have power or influence over.  There is no need to worry that she would turn the Orange County Commission into some sort of vehicle for social conservative crusades. 

Teresa Jacobs ran a great campaign and her large margin of victory shows she has great name ID and high popularity in our community.  I am looking forward to continuing to support her campaign and cheer her to victory in November.    
 

Why is Craig Miller quoting liberals to attack Karen Diebel?

Craig Miller seems to be running in the wrong primary.  He claims to be a Republican but doesn't seem to understand the lingo.  Voters will forgive a candidate for doing something silly in college, but Republicans have a hard time understanding someone who claims to be a conservative but less than five years ago was advocating against strict enforcement of our immigration laws and lobbying for pro-amnesty causes.  Even his superficial attempt at Facebook campaigning backfired on him.

I've listened to Miller speak at several events and looked over his campaign materials.  He seems to be able to spit out some sound bites, but I have yet to hear any specific details, any specific proposals for reform, any specific ideas period.  Even his TV ads just spit out proclamations that Miller is "pro-life!" "pro-Second Amendment!"  

"Yep, I'm a Republican, I swear!  Take my word for it, you can trust me, I promise!"

And that's when he bothers to show up.  There have been a number of community forums and debates where Miller has been mysteriously absent or canceled at the last minute.  

Now, in one of the nastiest and most despicable negative attacks I've ever seen, Miller has sent out an 11th-hour attack ad against Karen Diebel.  In it, Miller takes several news articles out of context, misrepresents their content and then quotes several liberals.

Longtime Winter Park resident Pete Weldon has written a very detailed critique of the Miller attack here:

Winter Park Perspective | Dishonorable

Karen Diebel, former Winter Park Vice Mayor and candidate for US House Seat in Florida District 24, believes in individual freedom, individual responsibility, smaller government, and financial restraint. I am a supporter.

Craig Miller, an opponent of Diebel’s in the Republican primary for the District 24 US House seat, along with former and current Winter Park city commission members Margie Bridges and Beth Dillaha, believe in character assassination and personal vendettas.

Miller mailed a letter to District 24 voters written by Bridges and Dillaha. The authors know this letter contains false and misleading claims about Diebel.

The fact is that Diebel voted repeatedly to lower the property tax rate and to reduce spending in Winter Park while building reserves during her service from 2007 to 2010. Bridges and Dillaha both voted to increase the 2009 property tax rate over Diebel’s objection (see page 9 here) and both voted to maintain the property tax rate for 2010, again over Diebel’s objection and desire to reduce the rate (see page 12 here). During Diebel’s tenure on the Winter Park commission and with her support the property tax rate was reduced by 14% and annual general fund spending declined by almost 6%.

Bridges and Dillaha knowingly misstate the facts about several events in claiming that Diebel is a spender and not a true conservative.

The former city manager had a sweetheart deal with a prior city commission that made it more and more expensive to terminate him the longer he stayed around, even though the city Charter requires that the city manager serve at the pleasure of the commission. Following his termination the former city manager sued Winter Park for even more money and Dillaha supported a settlement of $490,000 that is included in the total cost she now criticizes Diebel for (see page 2 here).

Bridges and Dillaha are anti-commuter rail activists who criticize anyone who supports this infrastructure investment and their claims about the existing Winter Park commuter rail agreement with Orange County are false. (Learn more here.)

The Bridges and Dillaha claim about buying out developers is the most outrageous hypocrisy. A settlement was paid as a direct result of the actions of Bridges, Dillaha and their political supporters for they were responsible for stopping the Carlisle project in Winter Park resulting in the developers suing the city. The settlement was paid to avoid a $25,000,000 liability for Winter Park taxpayers that was created by Bridges and Dillaha. You may also wish to know that Bridges voted for the settlement (see page 4 here).

• That Craig Miller would participate in character assassination says a lot about his qualifications for the US House seat from District 24.

• That Bridges and Dillaha would knowing mislead District 24 voters and refer to themselves as “honorable” five times in their letter is both a disgrace and an insult to the character and quality of the people of Winter Park.

• That Karen Diebel chooses to discuss the real issues and rejects mudslinging reinforces my support for her candidacy.

Regards, Pete Weldon

I agree wholeheartedly with Weldon's analysis.  Dillaha and Bridges are two of the biggest tax-and-spend liberals to ever serve on the Winter Park City Commission.  Their verdict on who is a "fiscal conservative" is as credible as asking a Red Sox fan for a character reference for a member Yankees' starting lineup.

Karen Diebel defeated Beth Dillaha in her first election to the Winter Park City Commission, and then Dillaha was elected to the commission during the next year's election.  During the entire time Diebel and Dillaha served together, every time Diebel voted to cut taxes or cut spending, Dillaha voted the other way.  

Dillaha fought bitterly against Diebel's work to pay down some of Winter Park's debt, a very fiscally responsible move, as the heavy debt load had led to the city's bond rating being downgraded.  After the city's debt was reduced, and the bond rating restored, this resulted in a lower interest rate for the remaining debt.  Diebel fought to return those funds to the taxpayers in the form of further tax cuts, while Dillaha viewed it as "free money" and sought to spend it on her pet projects.  Fortunately for the taxpaying citizens of Winter Park, Diebel won that battle too.  More on Beth Dillaha here.

Margie Bridges is no better than Dillaha on most of these issues, voting in line with Dillaha's tax and spend liberal ideology.  Here is Beth Dillaha in her own words, advocating for Amendment 4.

Let's also remember the very contentious Winter Park mayor's race in March 2009.  The liberals like Bridges and Dillaha were backing the then-mayor, a Democrat, David Strong.  Karen Diebel supported and openly endorsed Kenneth Bradley, a Republican (who I also supported).  The election was close and bitterly fought, but Bradley prevailed.  Now Diebel had another ally to vote for lower taxes with her.  Beth Dillaha owes her first election to David Strong's financial contribution and was a vocal opponent of Bradley, and Bridges has received David Strong's support as well.

The rest of Dillaha and Bridges' criticisms of Diebel can be easily dismissed as sour grapes, distortions, misrepresentations, or flat out lies.  The charge that Diebel had "poor attendance" is one of these lies.  Diebel had a perfect or nearly perfect (I'm sorry I  don't have time to read through all the meeting minutes right now) record of attendance at City Commission meetings.  Dillaha also has a habit of wasting taxpayer money and everyone's time by calling endless "workshop" meetings, which are really nothing more than her attempts to browbeat her fellow commissioners into voting with her, or to drum up community support for her latest big spending idea.  Diebel also had an excellent attendance record at all these workshops. 

So what the heck does the charge of "poor attendance" mean?  The only specific thing Dillaha has said on the subject relates to community events and association meetings, which city commissioners are commonly invited but not required to attend.  Well, not to overplay the whole "oh woe is me" card, but let's remember Karen Diebel has been raising her three sons by herself after her husband died, while holding down a fulltime job as an executive with Verizon.  After Dr. Diebel was killed in that accident, someone had to support her family.  I think we can forgive Karen Diebel for skipping a few garden club or society events, do you?

Regarding the rest of the salacious and malicious gossip on the mailer, the so-called quote from the Orlando Sentinel is actually a quote from Eric Jotkoff, who is the press secretary for the Florida Democratic Party.  Yeah, that's credible.  I refer you to my earlier example of asking Red Sox fans for opinions about the Yankees.  The RedState article is taken out of context again - Erick Erickson has already gone on record criticizing Miller's attacks on Diebel and stating that he does not believe this nonsense.  As for the Orlando Weekly, well, to call that rag "liberal" would be the understatement of the year.  The Orlando Weekly makes the New York Times opinion page look like Rush Limbaugh's newsletter.

Finally, regarding all the other false and nasty lies referenced in this mailer, that anonymous internet bloggers like to repeat, let me just say this: unlike all the little haters blogging at home (or as I suspect, from the campaign offices of DIebel's opponents), I actually know Karen Diebel.

I know Karen well.  I met her well over a year ago, when I heard she was running for Congress.  Impressed with her reputation on the Winter Park City Commission, I called her up and scheduled a lunch with her.  Within ten minutes, I remember thinking to myself that I was pretty sure I would end up supporting her.  By the end of the lunch, I was completely sold.   

Karen is very intelligent and extremely knowledgeable on technology and economic issues; I've teased her a few times about her "nerdy" side.  She is passionate about conservative causes and really means it when she pledges to be "not just a vote, but a voice" advocating for these issues.  She is kind and gracious to everyone, even people who are not supporting her.  I've seen her greet people wearing shirts with her opponent's name just as warmly as anyone else. 

I have spent a lot of time with Karen, especially after joining the campaign in the past month.  I have seen her first thing in the morning as we drove along with the rising sun for a 7:00 a.m. radio appearance in Titusville.  I have seen her late at night while the campaign team is discussing strategy.  I have gotten to know her parents, her brother, and her wonderful sons...I don't think it's fair to always blame the parents when a kid goes bad, but when you look at Karen's smart, well-mannered, friendly sons, you know she has really done well raising them.  I've gotten to know countless number of Karen's friends.  I have seen her speaking at large events, at numerous debates and candidate forums, at every kind of radio program from Christian radio, to the fast pace of local political talk radio, to several appearances on our local Hispanic radio programs.  You can tell a lot about a person from how they act around their friends and family, how they act when the cameras are off and the public isn't around, in their "down time." 

Let me say this again: I know Karen Diebel.  And  this is what I know about her: she is smart, is warm and genuine to everyone she meets, has a great sense of humor, has done a wonderful job raising her sons, has an excellent business background, and is the only candidate in this race with an established record of actually shrinking the size of government.  I would not be such an enthusiastic supporter of Karen Diebel if she were not a worthy person and the absolute best choice for District 24.  The junk out there on the internet is just that, junk.  If any of the people writing that stuff actually sat down and talked with Karen Diebel, they would not write such false and hateful things.

So, basically, Craig Miller has nothing but meaningless sound bites and a questionable pro-amnesty history, and then quotes a bunch of Democrats and liberals to attack Karen Diebel.  Makes you wonder, if he thinks all these liberals are great sources of information, maybe he is in the wrong party?  Miller wants to tear apart Karen Diebel's record of cutting taxes, cutting spending, and reducing the size of government, but what can he show us?  Two restaurant companies, Pizzeria Uno and Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, that were both in significantly worse shape when he left them then when he was hired.  Ruth's Chris even fired him as CEO after watching their stock tank due in no small part to Miller's fiscal irresponsibility. 

I remind my readers of another candidate who claimed to be a "good conservative" and "Republican," who offered great sound bites but had trouble with specifics:

UPDATE: NRCC Chairman Pete Sessions has strongly denounced Craig Miller's nasty attacks.  See the Politico article here:

Sessions: "Sick to my stomach" over Miller Attacks

“I am distressed and concerned anytime we have Republicans attack one another,” Sessions told POLITICO Monday, warning GOP campaigns from leveling attacks that were not grounded in facts. “It makes me sick to my stomach.”

...[Sessions] said he wanted to send a clear signal to GOP candidates across the country to play by the rules.

Sessions pointed out that the Miller mail item excerpted a quote from another Orlando Sentinel article...without acknowledging the statement came from a Florida Democratic Party spokesman. 

“When Republicans attack Republicans on a personal basis, they should do so with a clear understanding of the facts of the case and should not include a Democratic Party official attacking another Republican,” he said. “I’m asking anyone who runs an attack to back up and remember the arguments.”

Candidates working hard for your vote

Here are a few pictures I've gathered in this past week from some of my endorsed candidates working hard to get your vote.  Some are from my Blackberry camera, others are from the candidates' Facebook pages.  Thought I'd share...

Amir Ladan is all smiles as he arrives to meet voters at one of Seminole County's early voting locations.

Karen Diebel meeting voters at the Einstein Brothers Bagels in Winter Park.  One guy at the table already voted for her! 

 Becky Erwin has been working hard and her volunteers have put approximately 43 million signs at every polling location 

Bill McCollum, campaigning last Friday afternoon on the corner of Colonial and Bumby.  I told him I already voted for him and got this thumbs up.

Diebel-Huckabee Get out the Vote Rally

Here is some video from Karen Diebel's event with Governor Mike Huckabee earlier today.

YouTube | Diebel-Huckabee Get Out The Vote Rally

Photos from the Gov. Huckabee Get Out The Vote Rally for Karen Diebel today

It was wonderful to see Governor Huckabee today.  He is a fantastic speaker and a super-nice guy...if you ever have a chance to see him in person, I strongly encourage you to do so.

Today, Huckabee was in town for several of our Republican candidates, including Bill McCollum, and he stopped by the Get Out The Vote Rally for Karen Diebel that was held at the Life Orlando Church on Colonial Drive.  Here are some photos from the event (click on any of the images to enlarge):

Some of our volunteers getting set up to greet Governor Huckabee

Radio Host Ed Dean introducing Dan Peterson, who played some great music to kick off the event.

Welcoming Governor Huckabee on stage

Huckabee: "I consider it a privilege to be here with Karen Diebel today...I'm a Florida resident and if I lived in this district, I'd be voting for Karen Diebel!"

Karen thanking Governor Huckabee for his endorsement and support.

Karen Diebel and Governor Huckabee

Thanks to everyone who joined us today!  We had a wonderful time and I know Karen appreciates all the support.

UPDATE: I only had my Blackberry with me, so my pictures aren't the best.  Frank Torres took much better photos with his camera, and you can see them on his blog here.

Governor Huckabee to attend Get Out The Vote Rally for Karen Diebel

Come meet Governor Mike Huckabee tomorrow at a Get Out the Vote Rally for Karen Diebel!

Sunday, August 22, 2010

2:00 - 3:00 p.m.

Life Orlando

200 E. Colonial Drive

Orlando, FL 32801

(Link to Google Map)

Any questions, please contact
info@diebelforcongress.com or 321-972-8919.

Paid for by Diebel for Congress

Huckabee Responds to Desperate, Personal Attacks by Craig Miller

I'll have some more thoughts on this later, but Craig Miller has sunk to an unbelievable, absolutely despicable low this week, with a mailer he sent out quoting the liberal, anti-growth, controversial Winter Park City Commissioners Margie Bridges and Beth Dillaha engaging in false and nasty attacks against Karen Diebel.  Any Republican who quotes Beth Dillaha as an authority on anything needs to turn in their membership card, and probably needs to have their head examined.   

Here's one of the Huckabee calls he recorded last week for Karen Diebel, who he endorsed in June.  Despite the vicious lies and desperate efforts from Karen's opponents, Huckabee has continued to be a strong supporter of Karen's campaign.

YouTube | Gov. Mike Huckabee Responds to Desperate, Personal Attacks by Liberal Craig Miller

Craig Miller...yep, he's pro-amnesty.

There's flip-flopping on an issue, and then there's being a liar-liar-pants-on-fire.

 

At this rate, Craig Miller's campaign is going to have to hire someone to follow him around with a fire extinguisher aimed at his tuchus all day long.  

Miller has spent the past few claiming that he's really, really, tough on immigration, really, he promises, just please ignore all the lobbying work he did for the restaurant industry, oh and don't read that op-ed he wrote in 2006, and please forget how he joked about hiring illegal workers at an OCREC meeting just a few months ago, why don't you just look at his Facebook page and take his word for it?  Oh wait.  That didn't work either.

Now, even more information is popping up about Miller's long history of being pro-amnesty.  From Karen Diebel's campaign today:

La Raza President Praised Miller's Immigration Reform Efforts

 Says Issue a "Win-Win" for La Raza and Miller's Organization

 Craig Miller is pictured above with Janet Murguia, President of La Raza, one of the most radical pro-immigration groups in the country. The organization rejects the notion that "chicanos" should assimilate into the American melting pot. "La Raza" is Spanish or "The Race" and their motto is "For the race, everything. Outside the race, nothing." 

New questions arise about exactly how forthcoming Craig Miller has been about his position on illegal immigration.

For years, he was a DC insider lobbying against the Secure Fence Act, Border Protection, Anti-Terrorism & Illegal Immigration Control Act, and for a liberal guest worker program which granted amnesty. We also knew about his 2006 editorial, where he strongly defended his pro-amnesty record.

Now, as Miller wants us to believe he is a secure borders candidate, we find that he was openly working with one of the most radical groups in the country. Addressing the National Restaurant Association when Miller was Chairman, Janet Murguia, the President of La Raza, praised Miller for working with her on "immigration reform."

What will we find out about Miller next?

Much of this would have been put to rest had Miller announced at the beginning of his campaign a sincere change of heart on the immigration issue.

Instead, Miller waited until Karen Diebel was endorsed by Team America PAC and Congressman Tom Tancredo. The day after his record was revealed, Miller and his team scrambled and added the immigration issue to their website. Make no mistake - Miller's newly developed position is just pure politics from a long-time pro-amnesty insider.

Karen Diebel takes aim...

Congressional candidate (FL-24) Karen Diebel posted some pictures on her Twitter account (@KarenDiebel) this morning from a trip to the New Smyrna Conservation & Hunt Club, including one with a great humorous caption:

 Taking out clay pigeons now, getting ready to
take on Suzanne Kosmas in November!
#fl24 #nra http://tweetphoto.com/38906570

Don't say I didn't warn you...

I have had several people tell me that they enjoy reading the blog, love the snarky humor, but also said, "I hope I never end up on your bad side!"  Well, fear not.  Nixon had an extensive "enemies list," but it's really easy to stay off my "list," two simple rules:

Rule #1: Don't lie.  If you do say something that's not true, then admit it, say you're sorry, and correct the mistake. 

Rule #2: Don't be a jerk.  Criticizing political opponents based on their voting record, the feasibility of their campaign promises, and their statements and actions is legitimate, and a valid way to illustrate differences between candidates.  Misrepresenting an opponent's record so you can call them a "liberal" or issuing personal attacks, not cool.    

So there you go.  Two simple rules.  Follow them, and you can sleep well at night without worrying I'm going to "target" you.  

Craig Miller got my attention after he misrepresented Karen Diebel's record on taxes and spending, and attempted to distort his own record on immigration.  Matthew Falconer gets attacked frequently here because it seems like every word out of his mouth is either a false attack on someone or a misrepresentation about local government.  As for Doug Guetzloe...wow, where to even begin with him and his Fake Tea Party?  Here's one example: at the recent Central Florida Tiger Bay Club debate between the Orange County Mayoral candidates, one of the few issues upon which all four candidates agreed was that they all publicly denounced Guetzloe and denied that they were working with him or would work with him.        

About two months ago, I wrote a post about Seminole County Commissioner Mike McLean's purchase of about $9,000 of new furniture for his office right after running a campaign claiming he was a "fiscal conservative."  Shortly after the post went up, I got a call from McLean's campaign manager, worried that I was planning a series of "hit pieces" on McLean.  I said, no, I didn't have any major issue with McLean, I actually had never even met him.

I also explained that I had known John Horan since I had a summer internship with his law firm back in 2002, and knew him to be a dedicated Republican and all-around good guy.  I had written the article about the furniture issue because I just thought it was kind of funny and there was a news article that easily verified the facts and details for me.  Doing a detailed "hit piece" on a county commissioner regarding specific votes, statements at county commission meetings, and policy positions requires a lot of time and energy to properly research, and I lacked the time or interest to scour over McLean's record like that.

I have continued to get messages from McLean staffers and supporters, worried about my involvement in the race, trying to argue with me about the minutiae of Seminole County Commission budget issues and McLean's voting history.  I don't know how many more times I can say this without turning blue in the face, but I am not working for the Horan campaign.  I've knocked on some doors once or twice, but that's it. 

It never ceases to amaze me how a certain mythology has risen up regarding me, this blog, and my political activities.  People have accused me of working for candidates I've never even met.  If I was working on even half of the campaigns I've been accused of working for, I'd be a millionaire.  Remember, campaign finance reports are public record.  If I'm working for a candidate, you'll see it eventually.  My work shows up on the reports as either my name or "Caffeinated Campaigns" or "Caffeinated Campaigns & Consulting, LLC." 

Since writing that article, I have met McLean at a recent HobNob event, and he certainly seemed like a friendly and affable fellow, exactly as I have heard him described.  Unfortunately, this nice and friendly-seeming guy has also made some extremely questionable and disappointing decisions regarding his campaign messaging.

The McLean campaign sent out a mailer comparing John Horan with Barack Obama and attempting to paint Horan as an amnesty-loving liberal.  Scott Maxwell doesn't always get his stories straight, but I think he has this one pegged pretty well:

Just by looking at [the McLean mail piece], one obviously assumes Mr. Horan is some sort of liberal, amnesty-loving Democrat who wants to take his open-border, Obama-loving ways to Washington, D.C.

Except he’s not.

Horan is a Republican. And the office he’s seeking isn’t federal. It’s for Seminole County commissioner — one that has virtually nothing to do with immigration.

But who cares? Immigration is the scare tactic and wedge issue of the day. So Seminole County Commissioner Mike McLean (who’s apparently a little nervous about his ability to retain his seat) decided to opt for scare tactics … whether they are relevant or not.

I don’t know John Horan. But I know McLean. He’s an affable enough guy — but also one who has a series of enough bone-headed (and sometimes ethically questionable) moves from his past that he’s right to be nervous.

But I don’t think he’s right to play these silly scare games. County commissioners have about 1,000 things more relevant to their jobs than immigration.  

Want proof? How about the fact that McLean’s been on the board for four years and hasn’t done a single thing regarding immigration. (He said he once tried, but the county attorney said his effort his proposal was unnecessary.)

That means that, if voters in Seminole elect a guy who does absolutely nothing with regards to immigration, they will have selected a guy who’s done precisely what McLean has accomplished when it comes to immigration: nothing.

I asked McLean about his mailer, and he said: “I stand by it and feel it is important for voters in the upcoming Republican Primary to be informed on my opponents views on key Republican issues.”

It’d probably be more important for them to be informed of you and your opponents’ views on Seminole County issues.

...Perhaps McLean’s nervous about the embarrassing headlines he’s made during this past term — including the time he reimbursed himself with almost as much taxpayer money for local mileage as the entire rest of the county commission combined.

There was also the time when — fresh off campaigning as a fiscal conservative — he spent more than $8,000 in taxpayer money redecorating his office … including $1,200 for a high-back chair. (McLean said he felt an obligation to make the office look nice, because it really belongs to the taxpayers.)

And then there was the time McLean  used county records to get the addresses of county employees, so he could solicit them for his insurance business. (His excuse? Just “trying to make a living.”)

Maybe you can see better now why McLean wants to distract voters. The question is: Will they fall for it?

Mike McLean should be ashamed of himself.  This despicable mailer is nothing more than a pathetic attempt to distract from his own record.  The Orlando Sentinel was right to endorse John Horan: 

Mr. McLean's early tenure on the commission was marred by episodes of poor judgment. He ordered more than $8,800 worth of new furniture for his county office. He obtained a list of hundreds of county employees to solicit as customers for his insurance business. He billed the county almost as much for travel in his first year as the other four commissioners combined.

These episodes would be easier to overlook now if Mr. McLean were more contrite. Instead, he dismisses them as having occurred during "different times," when public money wasn't so tight — as if it's OK to gouge a healthy budget.

And Mr. McLean has chosen to go after Mr. Horan for a 2008 guest column in the Sentinel that called on Congress to secure the nation's borders and permit "a market-driven flow of legal immigrants needed for the American economy."

Pretty reasonable stuff. And yet, Mr. McLean's campaign has likened him to President Obama. This is silly, and it's irrelevant in a county commission race.

We endorse John Horan.

So there you go.  Don't lie, and don't be a jerk, and you won't have a problem with me.  If Mike McLean or his campaign has a response to this, please email me or post a comment.  I would hope that the response would come with an apology, but I won't hold my breath.