NewsMax Broke It: Martinez to Run for U.S. Senate in Florida

As NewsMax.com first reported way back on Nov. 19, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Mel Martinez will indeed quit President Bush's Cabinet to run for the U.S. Senate in Florida, administration and other Republican officials said today.

Martinez will announce his decision to resign as early as next week with an eye toward the seat being vacated by three-term Democrat Bob Graham, the Associated Press quoted administration officials as saying. Two officials said the word could come at Bush's Cabinet meeting Thursday.

Martinez, the popular Cuban-born former chief executive of Orange County, is for now mired near the bottom of polls among Florida's U.S. Senate contenders, AP reported, but the White House has long wooed him to run and sees him as the strongest candidate.

"Alphonso Jackson, the top HUD deputy and a friend of the president, is a leading candidate to succeed Martinez," AP said.

"White House officials, at the behest of political adviser Karl Rove, pushed Martinez to run for the seat amid concerns among some Republicans that two other high-profile candidates, Florida House Speaker Johnnie Byrd and state Sen. Daniel Webster, would have trouble winning the open seat.

"The White House also fears that a Senate run by Rep. Katherine Harris, R-Fla., the symbol of the 2000 Florida recount, would end in defeat and also harm Bush's prospects in the critical electoral state."

Yes, we'd rather not have to go to any more of those Sore Loserman rallies and clash with those out-of-state union thugs shipped down by the Democrats, although we did have a good time at the anti-coup events in late 2000.

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