2010 Florida Senate debates: on Government Reform


Kendrick Meek: Sought earmarks for blighted area which benefited a donor

Greene highlighted Meek's connection to a Miami developer facing criminal charges who had paid Meek's mother, former US Rep. Carrie Meek, $90,000 as a consultant & gave her a Cadillac Escalade. Meek sought federal earmarks for the developer's inner-city project, and said his efforts were about reviving a blighted neighborhood and had nothing to do with his mother.

"Do you intend, if you're a US Senator, to continue to have your family members get cars, money, other kinds of benefits and then go ask for earmarks for the people providing these benefits?" Greene asked Meek. Meek unsuccessfully sought $4 million in federal money for the project and said he didn't know the developer had hired his mother.

Greene called on Meek to follow the lead of embattled NY Rep. Charlie Rangel: "If nothing's wrong, why wouldn't you ask for a House Ethics Commission to clear your name," Greene asked. Responded Meek: "If they felt anything was wrong I would have been before the ethics committee long ago."

Source: 2010 Florida Dem. Primary Debate, Miami Herald & P.B.Post Aug 10, 2010

Kendrick Meek: Drafted 70 bills in Congress; some got merged into law

Greene taunted Meek for drafting 70 bills in his eight years in Congress with none of them passing, concluding that Meek had a scant record as a congressman.

Meek offered a detailed parliamentary response about how bills merge in the committee process, saying many of his legislative ideas were incorporated into committee bills that didn't bear his name.

Source: 2010 Florida Dem. Primary Debate, Miami Herald & S.S.News Aug 10, 2010

  • The above quotations are from 2010 Florida Senate debates.
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Candidates and political leaders on Government Reform:

Retired Senate as of Jan. 2015:
GA:Chambliss(R)
IA:Harkin(D)
MI:Levin(D)
MT:Baucus(D)
NE:Johanns(R)
OK:Coburn(R)
SD:Johnson(D)
WV:Rockefeller(D)

Resigned from 113th House:
AL-1:Jo Bonner(R)
FL-19:Trey Radel(R)
LA-5:Rod Alexander(R)
MA-5:Ed Markey(D)
MO-9:Jo Ann Emerson(R)
NC-12:Melvin Watt(D)
SC-1:Tim Scott(R) 		Retired House to run for Senate or Governor:
AR-4:Tom Cotton(R)
GA-1:Jack Kingston(R)
GA-10:Paul Broun(R)
GA-11:Phil Gingrey(R)
HI-1:Colleen Hanabusa(D)
IA-1:Bruce Braley(D)
LA-6:Bill Cassidy(R)
ME-2:Mike Michaud(D)
MI-14:Gary Peters(D)
MT-0:Steve Daines(R)
OK-5:James Lankford(R)
PA-13:Allyson Schwartz(D)
TX-36:Steve Stockman(R)
WV-2:Shelley Capito(R) 		Retired House as of Jan. 2015:
AL-6:Spencer Bachus(R)
AR-2:Tim Griffin(R)
CA-11:George Miller(D)
CA-25:Howard McKeon(R)
CA-33:Henry Waxman(D)
CA-45:John Campbell(R)
IA-3:Tom Latham(R)
MN-6:Michele Bachmann(R)
NC-6:Howard Coble(R)
NC-7:Mike McIntyre(D)
NJ-3:Jon Runyan(R)
NY-4:Carolyn McCarthy(D)
NY-21:Bill Owens(D)
PA-6:Jim Gerlach(R)
UT-4:Jim Matheson(D)
VA-8:Jim Moran(D)
VA-10:Frank Wolf(R)
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Page last updated: Dec 02, 2018