NewsMax.com
Monday, Aug. 30, 2004

NewsMax has little doubt who the best candidate is. His name is Mel Martinez.

The vote for Martinez carries important weight for the coming November presidential election, and the future of the Republican party.

For sure, NewsMax’s endorsement of former Housing Secretary Mel Martinez should not be construed to mean that other Republicans vying to replace Bob Graham are not qualified, or would not make good U.S. Senators.

Many are. But only one can most assuredly win the November election against the Democrat who will likely be Betty Castor, a very aggressive Janet Reno-style liberal.

By winning in November, Martinez will help insure George Bush’s victory in Florida. Once again, Florida's electoral votes may prove to be critical for George Bush.

Martinez also represents the future of the Republican Party, as he will appeal to immigrants and Latinos who want to share in the American dream.

He is far and away the most qualified candidate for the Senate. President Bush himself described Martinez as "The embodiment of the American Dream . . . "

As a member of his cabinet, President Bush saw first hand Martinez’s commitment to the American people.

Prior to joining the Bush administration, Martinez was the first popularly elected Republican to serve as Orange County Chairman – chief executive of one of Florida's largest counties and a key battleground in the upcoming elections.

Elected in 1998 with over 60% of the vote against a popular State Senator, he quickly earned a reputation as a bold leader, a tax-cutter, and a champion of law enforcement and education.

While Orange County Chairman, Martinez cut property taxes by tens of millions of dollars, increased funding for public safety and instituted what has since become known as the "Martinez Doctrine" - which included unprecedented steps to ensure that development would not continue to put pressure on already crowded schools.

At HUD, Secretary Martinez took over an embattled agency and quickly became known for cutting millions in unnecessary spending by eliminating fraud, waste and abuse; Martinez made sure taxpayers' money was being spent responsibly.

He became one of the Administration's most vocal supporters by promoting President Bush's economic growth plan that sparked the economy, and lets people keep more of what they earn.

In addition, Mel led President George W. Bush's Faith-based Initiatives by making HUD one of the first agencies to embrace it.

Martinez is committed to a freer, stronger America because he appreciates this country for what it has given to him. His story is truly an American one.

Martinez came to Florida from his native Cuba at age 15 as a part of "Operation Peter Pan," a humanitarian program led by the Catholic Church that helped over 14,000 Cuban children escape Communist Cuba.

Martinez lived with foster families for four years until he and his family were reunited in Orlando. When he arrived he came with only one suitcase, the clothes on his back and an enduring love of baseball.

When he was reunited in Orlando with his parents, his brother, Ralph, and his younger sister, Margarita, Mel had already lined up a job for his father who had been a veterinarian in Cuba. Mel had also saved $300.00 -- enough to buy the family a used car.

Young Martinez went to Florida State University in Tallahassee where he worked his way through school and earned his undergraduate and law degrees. Most importantly he met his wife, Kitty, at FSU.

Upon graduating from Law School Mel returned to Orlando - the community that adopted him years earlier - and went to work with a law firm.

Eager to give back to the community that had provided opportunities for him, Mel became involved in various youth, business and civic organizations.

He served on numerous Boards including: Chairman of the Orlando Housing Authority, Chairman of the Orlando Utilities Commission, Vice Chairman of Catholic Charities and many others.

Mel was an early Cuban American supporter of Ronald Reagan.

Ronald Reagan with Mel Martinez

During the 1996 election cycle he served as a statewide Co-Chair for Bob Dole's Presidential campaign. and was a Dole delegate to Presidency III in Orlando. He also served as Co-Chair of the Bush for President campaign in 2000.

Cuban Americans are among the president’s strongest supporters and number 400,000 in Florida. Approximately 80 percent of these voted for Bush in the 2000 election, according to Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., another Cuban American.

Cuban Americans in South Florida have "made Crawford, Texas, look like enemy territory" for the president, Joe Garcia, executive director of the Cuban American National Foundation (CANF), told The Hill newspaper. "The ability to get the Cuban American vote is central to winning Florida. There is an important interplay between the community and the White House.”

But before the 2000 election Cuban Americans were voting increasingly for Democrats.

Martinez no doubt will keep many of these voters in the Republican column, as well as reaching out to the state’s growing Hispanic population.

What The Polls Say

Polls reveal that Martinez is the only candidate who can beat the Democrat nominee and help President Bush win Florida.

We do not subscribe to the view that the Republican party should support only candidates who can win. But we do support strong conservatives who can win, and Martinez, in this race, is that man.

Independent polls show that former Congressman Bill McCollum, Martinez’ principal GOP primary opponent, will lose to the Democratic nominee in November.

McCollum ran in 2000 and lost handily. Arguably, his run almost cost Bush Florida and the presidency.

The respected Mason-Dixon poll, for example, shows that McCollum would lose the senate seat to a Democrat once again.

We like Bill McCollum. He is a solid Republican and had a terrific voting record in Congress.

But in two races he made position changes that frightened conservatives.

Soon after winning the 2000 primary for Senate, McCollum joined the likes of Barney Frank and Ted Kennedy in calling for sexual orientation to be included in favor of the Hate Crimes Bill. Many conservatives in Florida believe that McCollum’s pandering to the liberal establishment disaffected conservatives who would not vote for McCollum.

McCollum made another strategic error again this election by publicly opposing President Bush’s ban on embryonic stem cell research.

Obviously the position will undermine once again McCollum’s conservative support if he wins the primary and becomes the Republican candidate

Already, leading social conservatives have abandoned McCollum to endorse Martinez.

Last week, conservative leaders including Gary Bauer and Ken Connor, both former heads of the Family Research Council as well as top officials from politically influential groups like National Right to Life, Traditional Values Coalition, Focus on the Family, Liberty Council and Concerned Women for America said that Bill McCollum is an unacceptable choice for Christian conservatives based on his positions on key social issues.

Ken Connor, Former President of the Florida Right to Life and Family Research Council, said that McCollum told him he needed to compromise his positions in order to gain political support from liberal voters in south Florida.

Mat Staver of the Liberty Council also expressed disappointment in McCollum for his votes to fund the elitist National Endowment of the Arts when he was in Congress.

Martinez is the best candidate. He is the most qualified with a solid conservative record. He will become a shining example of the new inclusive Republican party. He will not only represent Florida well in the Senate but a symbol to all of us of the American dream.

NewsMax urges Florida Republicans to vote for Mel Martinez in Tuesday’s GOP primary.