How Do You Define "U-N-I-T-Y?"

Apparently for the Republicans in Florida, it depends on who you ask, and when you ask them.

In the real world, it’s defined this way:

unity |ˈyoōnətē|noun ( pl. -ties)

1 the state of being united or joined as a whole, esp. in a political context

Just a couple weeks ago, they were pretty clear on what the definition of a “real Republican,” was. But after the primary they made a “clarification” and perhaps changed their interpretation of “fraud” as well.

Within 24 hours, give or take, when Bill McCollum lost his bid for Governor in the primary the Republicans were falling all over themselves trying to save a sinking ship with Rick Scott and his deep pockets. Today, nearly everyone in the Florida GOP “establishment” has gone full blown Tea Bagger in pursuit Scott. They’re low on cash, desperate, and as I write they’re all over the state doing photo-ops and fundraisers. Looks like Jeb Bush doesn’t even wear the pants in the party anymore.

So if you ask the group now wearing the “We’re With Voldemort” t-shirts, they prefer to embrace this version of “unity”:

unity |ˈyoōnətē|noun ( pl. -ties)

• the state of forming a complete and pleasing whole, esp. in an artistic context : the repeated phrase gives the piece unity and cohesion.

They feel dogs will believe anything, especially with repeated promises of future meaty bones in reward for a vote come November. Unfortunately some of their own “unity” dogs won’t hunt.

For instance, Bill McCollum. So far he won’t endorse “He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named”, and “you can’t make him!” Still wearing his grudge on his sleeve, McCollum still had this on his website today:

The “countdown clock” then morphs into a picture of Jeb Bush that says “support my friend Bill McCollum.” (Psst..Bill, Jeb has a new BFF. Can you say “denial?”)

Meanwhile, another attempt at “Party Unity” in the race for U.S. Senate isn’t going so well for the GOP either. Republicans in Tallahassee are pointing fingers at Marco Rubio’s involvement in spending millions in funds from the State Workers Compensation Trust Fund for a lavish courthouse deemed the “Taj Mahal.” After all, nothing says “fiscal responsibility” like 60-inch flat screen TV’s in 18 judicial “suites” when other courthouses are in need of building repairs and law books, and have laid off more than 280 employees. To Rubio, things like the latter are merely wasteful spending that needs to be cut. What voter wouldn’t agree: selfish is the employee who won’t give up his job so that a judge won’t have to squint watching a 20-inch during recess?

Believe it or not, at least one Republican in Tallahassee has a problem with that:

Legislative approval of money for the $48 million project came after an intensive lobbying campaign by the 1st District’s chief judge, Paul Hawkes, and fellow Judge Brad Thomas, both former legislative staffers.

Now, a key legislator has raised new questions about how that happened. Sen. Charlie Dean, R-Inverness, was chairman of the House committee that oversaw court expenditures. Dean says he rejected a plea from Hawkes and Thomas to fund the courthouse after Dean toured the existing courthouse. He said he rejected it because the state was slashing budgets, and he said the courts had more important needs than the construction of a new courthouse for the appellate court.

Dean said Hawkes and Thomas indicated they would go around him to get the funding they needed.

“He (Hawkes) just looked at me and grinned and said, ‘I got friends,’ ” Dean said.

Dean said the two judges had help from Richard Corcoran, then chief of staff for House Speaker Marco Rubio, and from Hawkes’ son Jeremiah, who was general counsel for Rubio.

In final budget negotiations that year, Dean said the decision about money for the courthouse was bumped up to then-Appropriations Chairman Ray Sansom and Rubio. The final budget included $7.9 million to begin planning and construction.

“The next thing I knew, they were going to build a building,” Dean said. He said he didn’t know about the last-minute bond issue amendment until he read about it this month in the St. Petersburg Times.

Now voters can prepare themselves for the next wave of smokescreens and fear-mongering from the GOP as the Democratic candidate for Governor, Alex Sink orders an audit of said courthouse finances. But before you run from Republicans who yell “BOO!” or become distracted by whatever new “demon” appears on the horizon, stop and think about a couple of things first.

Would you rather have a job, be able to afford to educate your children and have health care? Or would you rather give all that up so that the top two percent of the wealthiest can continue getting those tax cuts, watch corporations swallow our elections, and look the other way as they install all those flat screens and appliances in the judges chambers?

Perhaps the GOP fears “unity” among voters this time around.

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