Deerfield Beach, FL Democrats ban state legislator for endorsing Charlie Crist

The Deerfield Beach Democratic Club has banned lifelong Democrat Maria Sachs, a member of the state Legislature, from any of its future events because she endorsed Gov. Charlie Crist’s no party affiliation ban for governor.
She currently a state representative and is about to become the new state senator for northern Broward and southwestern Palm Beach County. ..... And she’s supporting Crist instead of the Democratic Senate nominee, Congressman Kendrick Meek, prompting a strong reaction from the Deerfield club.

Bernie Parness, president of the club, wrote “with a heavy heart” to Sachs telling her she’s now unwelcome. The letter was signed by the club’s officers and board members.
“We have vowed to support the Democratic candidates without fail,” Parness wrote. “By supporting Charlie Crist you have spit in the face of every officer and board member."
“Be it resolved from this day forward we, as a club will no longer invite or allow you to speak or attend any function under our banner…. It’s your choice because you have left us none.”

Sachs said she stands by her Crist endorsement despite the problem it’s causing her with an important Democratic constituent group.

She said her goal is to prevent Republican Marco Rubio from getting elected to the U.S. Senate.
“This is paramount. This is our goal. Every Democrat has to find their own ways of standing up for our principles and stopping this surge of right-wing conservatism that’s sweeping our country.
“Every Democrat is trying to do something about it, and this is my motive and this is my goal. And this is the way I’m doing it. And every democrat can do it in the way that they feel is best for our party.”

Parness’ language was strong, but Sachs said she understands why.

“Many of the Democrats whom I represent are passionate about their principles and about their party, it doesn’t shock or surprise me. We all have to do whatever we see fit to stop this wave. So you know he and I may differ on the ways to do it, but we certainly don’t differ on the passion,” Sachs said. “I have a lot of respect for them. They’re just passionate about keeping our state as democratic as possible.”

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Bernie Parness, president of the (Deerfield Beach Democratic) club, wrote “with a heavy heart” to Sachs telling her she’s now unwelcome. The letter was signed by the club’s officers and board members.
“We have vowed to support the Democratic candidates without fail,” Parness wrote. “By supporting Charlie Crist you have spit in the face of every officer and board member."
“Be it resolved from this day forward we, as a club will no longer invite or allow you to speak or attend any function under our banner…. It’s your choice because you have left us none.”

U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek of Miami has picked up the endorsements of four newspapers in his race for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate. Not surprisingly, all four cited Meek’s record as a public official — four terms in Congres, and six years in the state Legislature — and worried about rival Jeff Greene’s lack of experience and expenditure of more than $6 million of his own money on an ad campaign that’s vaulted him into first place in recent polls.

In some cases, though, the endorsement amounts to damning with faint praise. Concludes the St. Petersburg Times: “Florida Democrats do not have a stellar candidate for an open seat in the U.S. Senate.”


links to the endorsements:

St. Petersburg Times

Sarasota Herald Tribune

Pensacola News Journal

Naples Daily News

A new Public Policy Polling survey released Tuesday found Rubio leading the field with 44%, Crist at 33% and Meek at 21%.

When the matchup is limited to Rubio and Crist, however, the two are knotted at 46% each.