Has anyone here met Bill Mitchell? (Dem candidate, Cong. District 9 -- East Hillsborough County.)

I'm thinking of volunteering for his campaign. That or Lee Nelson's. (Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections, one of two Dem candidates, and the better-qualified one.)

Mitchell says all the right things on his site, and he's certainly better qualified than the current (Republican) representative, but I've never met the man. Is he honest and sincere, or is he just mouthing the words?

I'd like to know more about him.

TIA.

Hi Seawolf,

Not only have I met Bill but I am currently an intern with his campaign. Bill is truely a fantastic candidate, he is honest and means every word that is printed on his website. Not only does he have practical experience and knowledge of all the issues he sincerely cares about the people within our district. He is continuously reaching out to veterans, students, the elderly, small business owners and the average working families to learn about what their individual needs are. He regularly visits the Veterans Hospitals in our district to hear the stories and meet the heroes that come from our district. Bill has a great foundation behind him, with five dedicated interns, his son, an amazing campaign manager and the many volunteers that pledge their support. It is an honor to work for such a great candidate and I am personally very excited to be working with Bill and helping him gain office. I really think that Bill has what it takes to unseat the incumbent and if you would like to speak with me personally about what it is like to work for Bill I would be more than happy to give you my number or the campaign number so you can speak with one of the other interns.

Heard him speak at our USF College Dems meeting. No one thought he was particularly qualified to run for the position. Whenever we would ask pointed questions, it always came back to taxes even if it had nothing to do with the question (he supported the Economic Stimulus check on the basis of "it will boost the economy psychologically if nothing else". I do not recommend really working for him. Jill, I mean no offense to you. He's just not my cup-o-tea.

I appreciate your feedback and everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion; however, it would be unusual for Bill to focus on taxes to the exclusion of other issues about which he is very passionate. Bill is so passionate about so many other issues that he is more likely to talk about taking care of our veterans physically and mentally, watching out for small business owners and making sure that everyone has health care that he focuses largely on these issues and that rarely leaves time for discussing taxes.

As for the issue of being the least qualified, that is inaccurate. Bill actually has the most experience out of all the candidates, including the incumbent Gus Bilirakis. For instance, he is a Vietnam vet and was in the navy during the nuclear era and knows through personal experience how to fight a tough and smart war. He also is an attorney and has worked on pension retirement plans and litigated against insurance companies for over twenty years. While working as an FTC attorney he was one of the leading lawyers to litigate against big oil. As the founder of the Mitchell Law Group he knows first hand the problems that small business owners face. And finally as a graduate student of economics he has knowledge and experience in the issues that we face in our economy today.

Bluevoter4life, I invite you to check out the website (billmitchellforcongress.com), attend some of the events that Bill speaks at, and also view the DFA website (www.democracyforamerica.com/campaigns/2593-bill-mitchell-for-u-s-congress-fl-9) so that you may get a better understanding of who he is and what he stands for. Bill is extremely focused this election year and the support around him is increasing exponentially as the time progresses. As a Democrat I really think that you should give Bill a second chance to win you over because he truly radiates the core values of the Democratic Party.