Democratic Clubs Move Against Democrats Who Backed Lamberti, Other Republicans
BY BUDDY NEVINS
There is a move to punish Democratic city officials who backed Republicans in the November elections.
The Broward County Council of Democratic Club Presidents which represent the 40 Democratic Party clubs in the county is publicly denouncing the offenders.
Most of the officials openly supported Sheriff Al Lamberti, a Republican.
The resolution to be voted on by the club presidents states the following “elected leaders are being publicly rebuked “for their lack of principle, lack of leadership and complete absence of loyalty to the Democratic Party and the fundamentals by which it exists.
“These elected officials should be held up for scorn and ridicule by all Broward Democrats so that they shall never again betray the trust bestowed upon them by Broward Democrats.
The officials named are:
Coconut Creek Mayor Rebecca Tooley
Coral Springs Mayor Scott Brook
Davie Council member Bryan Caletka
Dania Beach Vice Mayor Ann Castro
Hallandale Commissioner Keith London
Margate Mayor Pam Donovan
Margate City Commissioner Joseph Varsallone
Margate Vice Mayor Arthur Bross
Margate Commissioner Frank Talerico
North Lauderdale Vice Mayor John Cangemi
North Lauderdale Commissioner Gary Frankel
Oakland Park Commissioner Larry Gierer
Oakland Park Commissioner Suzanne Boisvenue
Former Parkland Mayor Sal Pagliara
Plantation Council member Diane Veltri Bendekovic
Weston Mayor Eric Hersh
School Board member Stephanie Kraft
February 18th, 2009 at 5:45 am
So let me get this straight.
Real Democrats who backed a phony Democrat are heroes while those who backed a real Republican over a Republican in Democrat clothing are reviled?
Well then count me in, too.
I never backed Scott Israel. But once I discovered Israel was a Republican who changed just to run, I openly backed Lamberti.
Never thought I’d be in sync with Sam Fields on anything, but such is life.
The Council needs to find something to do that has some real meaning in the county.
February 18th, 2009 at 6:58 am
Ahh! The new bipartisanship at work!
February 18th, 2009 at 7:16 am
Marty…are you still operating under the delusion that you are a bona fide Democrat?
The rest of us figured out your real loyalties years ago.
Isn’t there a need for your services in the small appliances department at Brandsmart this morning? I thought I heard them calling your name over the loudspeaker a few minutes ago.
February 18th, 2009 at 8:37 am
Shameful – It was preferable for them to support Scott Israel?? What hypocrites!
By the way, Lamberti is the only Republican I’ve ever voted for and I’m not ashamed of it!
February 18th, 2009 at 10:36 am
Let’s get real here. People are entitled to change parties and they can do it for any reason they want. None is more or less legitimate than another. There is absolutely nothing wrong with changing party to run for office so long as you then live by the general philosophies of the party you choose. Here are two contrasting examples: Reagan was a Democrat who became a Republican but nobody can doubt that he was a true conservative. Good for him, he at least was honorable about it. Naugle became a Democrat — does anyboby really believe that he wasn’t a Republican all along? That, I call duplicitous.
In the case of Scott Israel, he switched parties. Fine. Who gives a rats behind why he changed, that’s his call. The point is he changed, and EVERY party works hard to get converts. It’s stupid to bash people on that basis. Scott Israel lost, fine. But look at the platform he ran on. He sounded like a Democrat to me. Now, if he had gotten elected and didn’t come through, that’s one thing. But if he got elected and did follow through as a Democrat, then that’s honest. We will never know, but he did get off to the right start with his platform and the fact is he convinced almost all of the Democrats that he would do the right thing if elected.
Here’s the more relevant point. Lamberti ran as a Republican saying party didn’t matter. That’s a good message. Forget for the moment that his campaign made Scott’s affiliation a great issue in the race, and so did Scott. How is Lamberti leading and spending his money? Who is he hiring, Republicans and Democrats or just one over the other? What law firms does he use and which way do they bend? Who gets better treatment, what policies does he support in a town that clearly has a Democratic majority? In a few years, Democrats may not be so happy with him. I wish him the best but what I see so far is clearly a Republican Sheriff who is not for Democrats. I’m not impressed. Enough with the BS.
February 18th, 2009 at 1:43 pm
Dear @ Marty,
The “rest of us?” If that includes your fan club and the people who actually like you (not the ones that say they do) I guess you can hold a meeting in an old style phone booth.
My “loyalties” as you refer to them are to the freedom of speech. For everybody.
Unfortunately, that includes the likes of you.
Let me guess. You were one of the four intolerant fascist morons who sat on their hands at the School Board meeting where 20 out of 24 talked about freedom of speech.
Everybody else cheered for freedom but you and your fascist friends.
If you want, I can get a copy of the tape for you so people can watch real Americans make a mockery of “progressive” anything goes Democrats.
January 1961 – JFK says “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”
January 2009 – Roll over, sit quietly and we’ll give you a check.
JFK is spinning so fast in his grave he’s generating enough power to light Atlanta.
Now that was a REAL Democrat.
February 18th, 2009 at 4:30 pm
And the name of their party is what??? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
February 18th, 2009 at 4:53 pm
Hey Ruby it looks like @marty’s critique of you cut too close to the bone.
February 18th, 2009 at 9:12 pm
Hey, what’s the big deal? Lamberti got the vote and he’s doing a great job. Let’s compare him to the nut job “Jenne” who really made the Democrats look like crazy… So glad he’s gone and we’re in good hands now. Thanks Buddy for the heads up!!!
February 19th, 2009 at 5:19 am
Marty — where are you? They just announced over the loudspeaker that some kid dropped a slushee in the computer section of Brandsmart and they need a cleanup quick.
Hurry and get your @$$ in gear or they’ll fire your butt and then you’ll have nothing to do with your time besides blog.
February 19th, 2009 at 5:43 am
My fellow Dems are angry because the Lamberti exposed them as extremely ineffectual. They don’t actually DO anything. In their defense they aren’t , from the top down, built to actually get anything accomplished. So when the it comes down to it nothing about the election was influenced by the “Party”. They are just funerals waiting to happen.
February 19th, 2009 at 9:45 am
I am glad I am posted on the worst democrat of the year. I have been in office for nearly 20 years and on the board of the Margate democratic club just as long and I have never had a phone call from the DEC, been offered any help in any of my campaigns, but yet I have volunteered in the democratic presidential and state elections.
I really believe the best person for any elected position deserves my vote and help…not because he has an R or D after his/her name.
The club presidents are the ones who look like fools and should be hung out for ridicule because they are making a squawk over the Sheriff’s race, when both were registered Republicans one just thought he would have a better shot in heavy democratic Broward County to win. I should be ashamed for backing the best person for the job…not on your life. Ask the club presidents, the last time they need a police officer…were they asked first if they were democrats or republicans.
Ask the presidents if they want my democratic card back….I will be happy to send it to them…FREE OF CHARGE!
February 19th, 2009 at 11:29 am
This doesn’t work for Democrats. They usually vote for the BEST person running. Albiet that often times hurts the party, but to blindly vote for someone just because they are a Democrat, just isn’t the way we do things.Democrats THINK, unlike their opponents. The Democratic club presidents are just trying to do things like Republicans. But now let’s not cross that line please!
February 20th, 2009 at 3:06 am
Scott Israel was nothing but a low-life turncoat who thought the Democratic party would stand by and elect him because of the “D” next to his name in a world of Barack Obama. The voters were not that stupid. It was professionalism over politics that won the race for Lamberti.
While I enjoy my Venti Hazlenut Low-Fat Latte this morning, I wonder if Scott remembers the good ole days along the beach and the Galeria Mall. I also am left wondering about the shoplifting case at the Galleria and how he was able to keep Jim Farrell under wraps.
I hear Scott is back in government management. He is in charge of a contingent of Wackenhut CPO’s at the Metro Justice Building in downtown Miami. Good Luck, Scott.
February 20th, 2009 at 5:49 am
The problem is that the Republican could not have won without major Democratic support. So those in the Democratic party who are trying to punish Democratic Officials are doing nothing more than biting the hand that feeds them.
They are sending a signal to all Democrats that they are not welcome in the party unless they support them no matter what. That is one of the reasons you are seeing more independents.
Everytime the Broward Democratic Party has tried something like this it did nothing more than split the party and clubs, creating resentment. It has never been constructive. Better, the party should learn from what happened and put up better candidates.
The general public will react negatively to the situation, and those Democrats that endorse Republicans probably will care less. Besides they may gain strength by showing that they are truly non-partisans and independents. Not just rubber stamping.
Curiously, in over 20 years I have been involved as an elected official, I don’t remember once the Democratic Party really helping in my race. Though some high up in local Demo Clubs without cause have unsuccessfully worked to defeat me. So where is the development of the party for the future?
February 22nd, 2009 at 1:09 pm
Good Dems, like myself, chose to reject Scott Israel because of his terrible public record – 10 citizens complaints for use of excessive force, unnecessary force, false arrest, theft, and profanity. The fact he was a registered Republican didn’t mean much to me. A Democrat who tramples on human rights in the same way Israel has should be locked up.
December 3rd, 2013 at 11:08 pm
The beauty of local government is… it is non partisan, meaning no party affiliation. I represented the community as a whole. Democrats, Republicans,Independents,even members of the Tea Party. What don’t they understand. Also I am a registered Democrat. I never took an oath to the Democratic Party. The only oath I swore to was representing the residents of
Oakland Park,which I did and did it well.