Seminole Democrat Endorses Paul Partyka Over Suzanne Kosmas FL-24

If Paul Partyka was in Congress instead of Suzanne Kosmas, we would have had one more critical vote for health care reform.

The bill that passed the House was not perfect...nor could it be. There are things that I hated about it, such as the Stupak amendment. However, as a Democrat, I never would have allowed opponents to kill the bill and defeat not only our best, but our only chance at reform. If that had happened, healthcare reform would have died. Again. And this time, it would have been permanent. With a Democratic supermajority in the House and Senate, and a Democratic president in the White House, if we couldn't get reform passed now...we never would have.

But had Suzanne Kosmas gotten her way, the very same person who rode into office on the coattails of Barack Obama campaigning on healthcare reform, the bill would have been defeated.

That means millions more would be denied insurance because of a pre-existing condition. Millions more would be without any type of health insurance for their families because of job loss or rescission. And millions more would die.

I asked Paul Partyka what he would have done. He told me that he believes in Heathcare Reform and would have voted to move the bill to the Senate "to continue the process and not slow it down". On the other hand, the Democrats that worked hard to elect Kosmas watched in amazement at her betrayal of our signature issue by joining Republicans in voting to defeat reform.

I wrote to Kosmas and she emailed me back to tell me the bill doesn't do "enough" to rein in costs (so...best to do nothing??) and that her decision was based on conscience. Absolute Malarkey.

According to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, this is what the bill would do for Florida 24 residents:

• Improve employer-based coverage for 463,000 residents.
• Provide credits to help pay for coverage for up to 176,000 households.
• Improve Medicare for 122,000 beneficiaries, including closing the prescription drug donut hole for 11,700 seniors.
• Allow 21,000 small businesses to obtain affordable health care coverage and provide tax credits to help reduce health insurance costs for up to 19,800 small businesses.
• Provide coverage for 92,000 uninsured residents.
• Protect up to 1,400 families from bankruptcy due to unaffordable health care costs.
• Reduce the cost of uncompensated care for hospitals and health care providers by $12 million.

What does she present to say it costs too much? NOTHING. However, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office says the Democratic bill with a strong public option SAVES tons of money.

Again, we need a better Democrat. Not a Creigh Deeds Democrat.

We need Paul Partyka.

It isn't just that he is a real Democrat that will fight for healthcare reform. He has an amazing American success story involving a tough immigrant upbringing with a displaced family to achieving the American Dream through hard work and education. I knew Paul Partyka as mayor when I lived in Winter Springs. Winter Springs is a very conservative city in the most conservative county in Florida, yet Partyka served two terms here as mayor, and then served as an official with the Seminole Democrats. He is currently the president of the Oviedo-Winter Springs Regional Chamber of Commerce. He is also currently a managing partner at a commericial real estate firm.

More importantly, he is a Democrat with true Democratic principles. Most importantly, he is a Democrat who can win.

Suzanne Kosmas cannot. The Obama Democrats who worked tirelessly to put her in office will not be there for her in 2010. The independents will not vote for someone who doesn't stand for something. And the GOP she tried to appease with her vote? They will go for the real conservative in the race, thank you very much.

This is what primaries are for. I handily endorse Paul P. Partyka for Congressional District 24, and urge my fellow Democrats to do the same.

Suzanne Kosmas-D, FL-24, Just Lost Her Seat

Suzanne replaced Tom Feeney, the most corrupt, GOP Abramoff scandal-ridden politician in the House: and we were all so excited.

But yesterday, Suzanne said this was a "conscience" decision and that she voted NO because it wouldn't help rein in the costs of helath care. Yes, Suzanne, doing nothing and allowing insurance companies to have free reign is much better.

What irritates me the most is that this woman campaigned on health care reform. I guess she just wanted to ride the Obama's coattails.

Screw you.

The GOP is very happy about this...of course, Suzanne, they aren't going to vote for you. They will have their OWN conservative to run, thank you very much.

Independents overwhelmingly favor this bill with the public option...not sure why they would go for you next year either.

So that leaves the Democrats. YOUR BASE. The people who would actually campaign, donate money, work the phones, and VOTE. And you just pissed them off.

Here was my message to her:

Subject: Your disappointing vote on healthcare reform

Message Text: Mz. Kosmas, Why in God's name are you supporting the GOP effort to block desperately needed Healthcare Reform? We will never have this large a Dem majority and will never again get this chance. Let me be clear...if Democrats fail to deliver on reform that was promised, WE WILL STAY HOME next election. Appealing to conservatives is foolish..they will NOT vote for you! Independents want the public option, and won't reward you for doing nothing. THAT leaves your base. People like me who work for the Seminole Democrats, knock on doors, raise money, and work tirelessly to elect solid Democrats. What is the point if you are going to align with the GOP to shoot down signature legislation?!? If this bill comes back after conference, please rethink your decision, or you will have many loyal Dems like me rethinking ours.

Contact Kosmas with your own message: https://forms.house.gov/kosmas/webforms/contact.html

Well Done Kosmas.

After years of being represented by the G-awful Tom Feeney, the most corrupt representative in Congress, Suzanne Kosmas is rehabilitating the district. From the Orlando Sentinel:

First-term Democrat Suzanne Kosmas of New Smyrna Beach has launched a new bid to double the one-year waiting period [retired Congresspeople "must wait after leaving their seats to lobby their ex-colleagues"]. Her commendable effort deserves enthusiastic support from both parties, which still have plenty to prove when it comes to their sincerity about ethics reform.

For those Seminole residents who are unsure what to make of this, it's called ethics. And we haven't seen this from our representative for a long, long time.

Tom Feeney Lost...To Clint Curtis!

Tom Feeney won only 41% of the vote this election from a district that he hand-drew. Two years ago, Clint Curtis--a man who was derided by Feeney and even the liberal Orlando Weekly as "crazy"--won 42% of the vote. In other words, one percent more than Tom Feeney.

Congratulations to Suzanne Kosmas AND Clint Curtis.

New Poll Showing Feeney Getting Spanked

I have said it before and I'll say it again. If Tom Feeney hadn't been allowed to draw his own district picking his own voters, this race would be a landslide against Feeney. The Orlando Sentinel, which loves to endorse Republicans, endorsed Suzanne Kosmas for FL-24. HOW could they not? There are no accomplishments Feeney can point to, and he has been voted the most corrupt politician in Congress four years in a row by a nonpartisan group. It seems now that gerrymandering alone won't save Mr. Feeney:


Greenberg Quinlan Rosner poll:

Kosmas (D) 58
Feeney (R) 35

Suzanne Kosmas loves to point out that for all the disdain of government Mr. Feeney has, he has spent his adult life in public office. Kosmas is a successful self-employed business owner who also had a very successful career in the state legislature. All the negative ads against Kosmas seem to be failing--this Seminole district knows the score.

To help Suzanne send Feeney packing, go to www.KosmasforCongress.com

PRIMARY DAY! Vote and ensure you are registered!

No shenanigans in Florida this time. Go and vote today--if anything, it will let you know that you are ready to vote in the General Election this November.

If you are in Feeney's specially-carved district, PLEASE vote for Suzanne Kosmas. the Daytona Beach paper endorsed her recently and expressed why Feeney is so wrong:

Recent votes show how extreme and out of step Feeney is with his more moderately conservative district. He voted against a bill strengthening prohibitions against pay discrimination (it passed the House, 247-178). He voted against the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act that strengthens federal regulations of tobacco products (it passed, 326-102, with 96 Republicans in favor). He opposed a bill strengthening and expanding President Bush's 2003 AIDS initiative with accountability provisions (it passed, 303-115, with 75 Republicans in favor). He opposed the 2008 Foreclosure Prevention Act (it passed, 272-152, with 45 Republicans in favor). And he opposed a highway bill strengthening infrastructure inspection standards (it passed, 367-55, with 137 Republicans in favor).

All that just in the second half of July. Feeney's six years in Congress follow the same pattern. He's not just anti-government. He's anti governance. Set aside charges of corruption that have dogged Feeney (Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington ranks him among the 22 most corrupt members of Congress) and the pride he takes in his abrasive partisanship. Just on his votes and his poor record of constituent services, the case to replace this incumbent builds itself.

Vote for Suzanne and let's get Seminole County back on a winning team!

Feeney: Let Me Squandor or U Hate Our Troops!!

Here in Seminole County, Florida, we are honored to be represented by a man ranked by a nonpartisan watchdog group as the most corrupt Congressman for a third straight year.

Besides being Jack Abramoff's bitch, Feeney is also an avid champion of our fighting men and women in Iraq. No, he doesn't want to the troops to come home. And he has a habit of voting against body armor and essential equipment for our troops.

But he is nonetheless a champion. Why? Because he is outraged that a city 2,000 miles away from us voted to close their recruiter's station. Feeney was so angry, in fact, that he spend thousands of TAXPAYER dollars to tell us how angry he is and of his solution: withhold federal money, including funds for the lunch program in their public schools. (Suck on THAT Berkeley!)

One local reporter questioned if the mailor was a good use of public funds. Feeney's response was unbelievable:

From Sunday's Orlando Sentinel:

Reporter Scott Maxwell: But there are hundreds of ways to support our troops--giving them adequate equipment for battle, providing them with the services they need after the war, honoring them at ceremonies...keeping them alive. This doesn't seem like any of those things. This seems like a way to spend public money to troll for votes in a very targeted manner.

Feeney: There is nothing more important to patriotic Americans.

Maxwell: So if I think your mailer wasn't a good use of public money, I'm not a patriot?

Feeney: You apparently don't have the same respect for the people who are fighting and dying for this country.

I guess you can count me among those self-hating veterans, because I don't think it was a good use of public money either. I don't think the concept of cutting federal funding to punish a few Berkeley legislators is a smart idea either--nor a particularly good use of Feeney's time. It has no chance of passage, and I don't know if Feeney is aware of this, but we have a few issues here in Central Florida--for example, like thousands of people losing their homes!

Suzanne Kosmas, a popular former state representative, is challenging Tom Feeney this November. Despite Feeney being able to draw his own damn district, Kosmas is his first ever real opponent who is getting national Dem backing. Maybe, just maybe, the most corrupt politician in Congress might lose this election.

But I guess that wouldn't be very patriotic of us, would it?

Please help Suzanne Kosmas by clicking HERE.