Ceasar Fiddles While Party Burns
BY BUDDY NEVINS
While Broward Democratic boss Mitch Ceasar cavorted in Denver at the National Convention, Tuesday’s primary spelled trouble for him.
Many readily identifiable opponents to Ceasar were elected as Democratic committee persons. It is the committee folks who will elect the boss of the local party after the November election.
Despite Tuesday’s results, the cards are stacked in Ceasar’s favor. He and his handpicked board appoint many of the members of the committee, insuring he has a base of supporters in the party organization.
Still, some very vocal foes of Ceasar were elected Tuesday and they will make his life more difficult.
Whether they can toss him out remains to be seen.
There were some interesting committee election results Tuesday:
*Plantation Democratic leader Bill Kling kept his seat.
*Lawyer Lawrence Zietz, who runs his practice out of the same Plantation office as Ceasar, was beaten.
*Former state Rep. Norman Ostrau won a seat as a Plantation committeeman.
*Lawyer Ron Gunzburger, a one-time political consultant and lawyer for Property Appraiser Lori Parrish, came in second to activist J. D. Camp.
*Lobbyist George Platt, a former county commissioner and former county Democratic boss, won a committee seat.
*Teachers’ union boss Pat Santeramo was beaten in his Dania Beach committeeman race.
*Marta Prado, wife of Bob Butterworth, won a committeewoman’s seat in Hollywood.
*Amy Rose, who lost a race to state Rep. Jim Waldman of Coconut Creek four years ago, lost her committee race.
*Frankie Thomas, a long-time black activist, lost her committee race.
*Former U. S. Rep. Peter Deutsch won a committee race in Hollywood.
*Lobbyist Tom Pennavaria lost a committee race.
*Former fire union boss Joe Benavides lost a committee race.
*Former U. S. Rep. Larry Smith lost a committee race.
*Kathy Rayson, a Pompano Beach parent activist and wife of former state Rep. John Rayson, won a committee seat.
August 28th, 2008 at 7:38 am
The Democratic Party needs to stop fighting within and all I can say for November is. “Any Damn Dem Will Do!!!!”
August 28th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
Buddy — If you are going to run a blog, you’ve got to find a way to finish moderating people’s posts before they are days old. I sent comments Wednesday morning that are just getting approved now.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. This ain’t the Sentinel. Blogging deadlines for publication are second-by-second.
FROM BUDDY:
Thanks for your advice. I’ll try to be more diligent.
August 29th, 2008 at 5:55 am
Only elected members of the DEC may vote in December. Appointments only ad voices in the room- not votes in the ballot box.
FROM BUDDY:
If true, that could make Ceasar’s position even more problematic.
August 30th, 2008 at 11:35 pm
Mr. Ceaser is on his way out. What has he done for the democrats in this county? Look at the results of his “leadership” in the Jewish community. Mitch Ceaser must go.