Get ready, get set, ok…let’s beat her!

Katherine Harris is now officially the nominee of her party in the U.S. Senate contest in Florida.

From the Associated Press:

As Florida secretary of state six years ago, Harris oversaw the recount that gave George W. Bush the White House. She became a rising star in the Republican Party, parlaying name recognition into two terms in Congress.

But state GOP leaders tried to talk Harris out of running for the Senate, citing fears she would lose to Nelson while spurring a large November turnout by Democrats, which would hurt the entire Republican ticket.

Harris’ campaign for the nomination was widely derided as spectacularly inept. Fundraising lagged, prompting her to pledge $10 million of her own money. Her makeup, clothes and personality were mocked on national TV. She was linked to a corrupt defense contractor. Staff members kept quitting in frustration.

Still, she won comfortably, thanks to weak opposition and a strong base of Republicans who loved her because of her role in the recount furor.

Some 2 1/2 hours after the polls closed, the 49-year-old congresswoman arrived at her Tampa campaign headquarters to chants of “We want Katherine.”

“Tonight I say to Bill Nelson: Come home, Bill. Enough is enough,” Harris said. She said the campaign “can’t rest for even a moment.”

Good luck, Ms. Harris. If you aren’t in jail by Election Day, you may even have a shot at 40% of the vote.

Rep. Katherine Harris (R-FL) is absolutely, unequivocally, unmistakably off her rocker. She’s saying crazy things again.

From the Associated Press:

U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris told a religious journal that separation of church and state is “a lie” and God and the
nation’s founding fathers did not intend the country be “a nation of secular laws.”

The Republican candidate for U.S. Senate also said that if Christians are not elected, politicians will “legislate sin,” including abortion and gay marriage.

Harris made the comments — which she clarified Saturday — in the Florida Baptist Witness, the weekly journal of the Florida Baptist State Convention, which interviewed political candidates and asked them about religion and their positions on issues.

Separation of church and state is “a lie we have been told,” Harris said in the interview, published Thursday, saying separating religion and politics is “wrong because God is the one who chooses our rulers.”

This woman wants to be a United States Senator? We (the royal we) should all chip in, rent a 15-passenger van from Hertz and take Sen. George Allen (R-VA) and Katherine Harris on a long drive around America. You know, meet some nice people, see the historic sites and hopefully learn something about real America and about real Americans. These two career politicians are divorced from reality.

We know you all love video. And we know you all love exposing racist GOPers. Today’s find is Tramm Hudson who is running for Katherine “Queen of the Crazy” Harris’s congressional seat.

Via Hotline.

From Political Wire:

In Florida’s U.S. Senate race, Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) continues to dominate Rep. Katherine Harris (R-FL), according to a new Strategic Vision (R) poll. Nelson currently beats Harris 56% to 26%.

Katherine Harris is a crook. Katherine Harris takes bribes from defense contractors. Katherine Harris is a cheater. Katherine Harris looks like Cruella Devil.

We didn’t have to hold our breath for long–Allan Bense announced today he will not run for the US Senate in Florida clearing the way for Katherine Harris’ nomination. This comes after weeks of intensifying speculation, fueled by positive chatter from the White House about Mr. Bense and Governor Jeb Bush’s recent prediction that Harris cannot win.

Follow Katherine’s lead and breathe a deep sigh of relief.

It looks increasingly likely that Florida House Speaker Allan Bense will challenge Katherine Harris for the GOP nomination to face Sen. Bill Nelson (D) this fall. He has until Friday to file.

Bense has a good reputation among Republicans and Democrats alike, but he faces an uphill battle should he decide to run. He isn’t well known outside of Tallahassee and Nelson has raised more money than any Senate Dem besides Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY). In addition, it looks like Harris has no plans to throw in the towel any time soon.

Nevertheless, a credible Republican starts with 45% in Florida and Bense wouldn’t be a drag on the ticket like Harris would.

Holding our breath until Friday’s deadline…

Gov. Jeb Bush (R-FL) is not excited about Rep. Katherine Harris (R-FL) or her candidacy to unseat Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL). Today, Rep. Harris filed her qualifying papers and she is now officially a candidate for the U.S. Senate. On Harris, Jebby says:

There’s not a complicated reason…It’s just that’s she’s not gained any traction, and it seems that, unfortunately through no fault of her own perhaps, the press coverage is all about the problems in her campaign…I just don’t think she can win.

Rep. Harris is not only going to lose the seat, she will embarrass the Florida GOP and hurt her chances of ever being bribed by another defense contractor with a $2,800 lavish dinner. However, today DoubleSpeak will officially endorse her continued candidacy. This will be an easy one, which means more money to spend taking out Radical Rick Santorum in Pennsylvania.

Last month, Katherine Harris pledged to use her $10 million inheritance to rejuvenate her struggling campaign. Predictably, that backfired. In the past couple weeks, her poll numbers have continued to lag, she has taken to comparing herself to biblical figures, several key staffers have jumped ship including GOP superstar Ed Rollins, one of her new staffers has admitted his involvement in an illegal campaign contribution scheme, and even Governor Jeb Bush has expressed concerns about her electability.

Ouch! Could it get any worse?

The answer is yes. This week, she deposited $3 million into her campaign account–only $7 million dollars short of her initial pledge–erasing any ounce of credibility she had left.

It’s certainly enjoyable watching Ms. Harris crash and burn. At the same time, we hope she hangs in there. Bill Nelson couldn’t have picked a better opponent in ‘06 if he tried.