State senator counters Jeb's endorsement

By Bill Cotterell
Florida Capital Bureau political editor
Originally posted on August 28, 2006

TALLAHASSEE -- When state Sen. Nancy Argenziano said Gov. Jeb Bush "prefers dictatorship to democracy" Monday and practices a "flexible Republicanism" that caves in to special interests, she was just getting warmed up.

The Dunnellon Republican's broadside salvos came in defense of fellow Sen. Alex Villalobos, R-Miami, who faces an extremely tough re-election challenge in next week's primary from Miami-Dade School Board member Frank Bolanos.

Bush sent a fund-raising letter to GOP voters for Bolanos, praising his commitment to education and ability to "stand up to the liberal special interests," and the Bolanos campaign forwarded it to Argenziano.

Her response was blunt even by Argenziano standards, a politician famous for sending a bale of cow manure to a lobbyist and who once defended a legislative pay raise because "I don't want to be a bag lady." She told a potential colleague in the GOP caucus he is "either an idiot or an abysmal hypocrite."

"I am appalled by the governor's disingenuous letter, an unusually public gubernatorial tantrum occasioned because he couldn't intimidate a member of the Senate," wrote Argenziano, whose district extends into Leon County.

Villalobos was stripped of the Senate majority leader's job late in this spring's session for not supporting Bush in his efforts to relax the class-size constitutional amendment and restore tuition vouchers for students. Argenziano joined the handful of Republicans voting with the Democrats to block the governor, saying she could not "drink the Kool Aid" and follow party orthodoxy on those issues.

In his fund-raising letter, Bush said Bolanos supported "Republican principles," while Villalobos "has abandoned our party's principles and lost his way."

Argenziano bounced the letter back to Bolanos, saying the governor has it precisely backward.

"You are grossly in error in presuming to send me this garbage, especially through my legislative e-mail," she started. She called it "hypocritical and bizarre" for Bush to speak of influence by special interests.

"The governor has a history reflecting accommodation of special interests as evidenced by his agencies' contracts," she said, "and his flexible Republicanism is at odds with both America and actual Republican principles. In his heart of hearts, the governor prefers dictatorship to Democracy."

As head of the Senate Governmental Oversight and Productivity Committee, Argenziano has investigated several privatization deals of the Bush administration. She forwarded a copy of her e-mail to the Tallahassee Democrat.

"I am disappointed in her comments," Bush said.

Florida Republican Party chairman Carole Jean Jordan issued a statement acknowledging Argenziano's "strong feelings." But she added, "her comments today regarding Gov. Jeb Bush crossed many lines."

Jordan said "personal attacks on the sitting governor of Florida, questioning his character, are far beyond the bounds of responsible dialogue."

But Argenziano said her friend is no liberal, citing his support of crime legislation she sponsored.

"Sen. Villalobos has always been for less government and less taxes," she wrote to Bolanos, "so cut the bull."

Argenziano referred to Bolanos as "the light-weight, Kool Aid-drinking toady poseur. . . . Just what we need to make good public policy: Another blind follower."

She said wealthy special interests, including insurance companies, have pumped $1 million into television advertisements attacking Villalobos in the Miami area.

"And you have the nerve to send a letter like this, talking about standing up to the special interests," she said. "You are either an idiot or an abysmal hypocrite."

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