Sep 29, 2008 6:55 pm US/Eastern
Garcia Blasts "Enron Joe" Attack Ad
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
Two of the hottest congressional races in the country this November will involve two South Florida representatives.
Incumbents Mario and Lincoln Diaz-Balart each face a democratic challenger in the fall.
CBS4 political reporter Michael Williams reports as the ads for the candidates play out on the radio and TV airwaves, one "attack" ad is being called "flat out wrong."
Democrat Joe Garcia is waging a campaign to take the 25th district seat away from Republican Mario Diaz-Balart. But he says ads being run by the Diaz-Balart camp are unfair.
"Who is Joe Garcia," asks the voice in the political ad, "Enron's convicted CEO said Joe Garcia was a short list of people he's be happy with,,,."
Political pot watchers say connecting anyone to the disgraced Enron Corp., a poster child for financial mismanagement, is usually a big hit. But the problem in this case is that Garcia, an independent for 7 years, never wound up on a federal oversight commission, nor did he unfairly press for the job.
"It's ridiculous," said Garcia, "Patently false and he knows it. If I was Enron Joe, why didn't I get appointed? This is a career politician who will do anything to stay in office."
Garcia says the attack ad doesn't stop there, however.
"Joe Garcia, the utility commissioner, who supported a huge rate hike," extols the ad.
"Mr. Garcia consistently supported deregulation and sided with special interests, instead of Florida consumers," said Diaz-Balart's campaign manager Carlos Curbelo. "He supported a rate hike on Florida families and that is wrong."
So is that accusation, according to Garcia's camp, it is flat out wrong. Garcia said it overlooks one very big fact about his time as Chairman of the Florida Public Service Commission.
"First of all, that rate hike was returned and I was responsible for the largest rate reduction in history," said Garcia, "One billion dollars."
That is record, said Garcia, one that he will proudly stand on in the heat of this year's political battle.
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