Sources: Fund Raiser Cancelled Because of Democrats’ Feud
BY BUDDY NEVINS
Ruth’s List event planned for Hallandale Beach has fallen victim to the Democrats latest feud.
The reception for progressive women at Barbara Miller’s house next week has been called off because she is a leader of the group trying to topple Democratic Chairman Mitch Ceasar.
Some Democrats were angry when they found out about the event at Miller’s house in Browardbeat.com yesterday.
“Too many people were unhappy about the location…Too many people were upset, as I am told, about the perception that Ruth’s List was taking sides in the Miller-Ceasar pissing contest,” one Democrat told me.
Other Democrats confirmed the story.
Miller’s side had a different spin.
“Ruth’s List told me that too many people had conflicts, other fund raisers, things like that,” she said.
The Miller group latest move against Ceasar began earlier this year. The group includes the wily political consultant and some of her network of progressives, which is the name liberals use today.
Barbara Miller with Circuit Judge Geoffrey Cohen (left) at an outdoor campaign event
The group filed candidates to run in the August primary for committee positions. If enough of them win, Miller’s group will have the votes at the county’s December organization meeting to remove Ceasar.
The two sides are also embroiled in a law suit contesting the eligibility of 300 or so committee members Ceasar filed to back him in the party election.
Mitch Ceasar, party boss since 1996
Ceasar is not only party leader in Broward, the Florida county with the most Democrats. He has been the state party chairman, is a long-time member of the Democratic National Committee and is a frequent guest on national television.
“He’s been around much too long,” said one dissident Democrat.
This time around Miller effort against Ceasar is getting covert help from the state party, which can’t attack a county leader openly without appearing to divide Democrats.
Republicans must be laughing today! The feud cost Democrats a networking and fund raising opportunity.
The feud couldn’t come at a worse time for Democrats, who need a huge turnout in Broward to have any hope of carrying Florida.
Maybe Democrats should heed the word of someone wiser than me who said, “Every city or house divided against itself shall not stand.” Jesus said something similar in all the Gospels.
June 19th, 2012 at 2:37 pm
Democrats interfering with the efforts of fellow Democrats to get other Democrats elected.
That’s what goes on in Broward. It’s not about party or candidate or anybody else. It’s about the party elite using the entire system to meet their goals.
Disgraceful.
June 19th, 2012 at 3:16 pm
What leadership. Mr Caesar is only interested in getting himself re-elected. He has not submitted any plan to his management council on the up comming election and it ois almost July. We have not had any real leadership in Broward County in years.
June 19th, 2012 at 3:33 pm
The sad part is this. The War on Women is the lack of leadership in the Democratic Party. Caesar and backrub complaints and Seigal in PBC & sexual harrassment. The Democratic leadership is leftovers of Wexler’s buddies. Pretty sad.
June 19th, 2012 at 4:24 pm
Oh Horsecrap.
The best thing that can happen for Democrats is for as many Democrats to get involved locally as possible, whether they be in either camp. There is no divide just a wish from all Democrats that the party FUNCTION properly which it has not done for years under the current leadership.
We need to breathe new life into the stale machine and revive apathetic voters this year. Much of this feud will not effect the average voter. And having both organizations working to get out votes on top of O of A triples outreach efforts. The old party does not speak to the younger party and does not know how to communicate in this interweb era.
This is a win win situation for Dems.
June 19th, 2012 at 4:43 pm
If Barbra Millers idea of progressives includes political hacks like Eleanor Sobel who used over $600,000.00 of illegally obrtained campaign contributions to steal an election from great candidates like Judge Ken Gotlieb and Tim Ryan, she is no progressive to me (or anyone else I know). Miller claims to have distanced herself from Sobel, but as we can all see from the event, the separaton is in name only. She is touting the same tired faces to the same senior citizen condo comandos for the same reasons. I wonder if Mara, the (thankfully) deposed queen of Hollywood was planning on attending…
June 19th, 2012 at 4:52 pm
One addtional note, my appologies to Katie Edwards at being included in this henfest. She is a great new Democratic candidate who really represents the best of the new faces. She will be a terrific Legislator when elected and I wish her luck!
June 19th, 2012 at 5:46 pm
I hear Ceasar tried to bribe those who are opposing him as a precinct captain to drop out of the race. Typical of him.
Thank you Barbara!
June 19th, 2012 at 5:48 pm
Mitch Ceasar has been an embarrassment to both Broward and Florida Democrats for way too long. Best wishes to Ms. Miller or to anyone else who can help Mr. Ceasar to move his disreputable ass out of the way.
June 19th, 2012 at 5:54 pm
The 2 party system is a joke so is Caesar, Siegal and Smith.
Throw all the bums out!
June 19th, 2012 at 6:34 pm
As long as the state mandates that ballots have to have the voters name on it…Ceasar will never get out. He has killed the party in Broward with Dems leaving the DEC in droves to worry about local races. Time for Ceasar, Glasser Percy, and Evans to go but they care more for the title than for the party itself. Electing Democrats is not their priority. They only want to elect themselves.
June 19th, 2012 at 8:29 pm
As a life long Broward Dem 3 things in life are guaranteed
1) Death
2) Taxes
3) The Broward DEC and Florida Democrat Party will be inept
June 19th, 2012 at 10:29 pm
If Mitch loses in his precinct, then that would automatically take him out of ALL of his other positions.
Ms. Miller and her allies would thus be well advised to concentrate heavily on campaigning against Mitch Ceasar and for Mitch’s two strongest opponents for the post of N027 Male Precinct Captain.
There are two N027 Male Precinct Captain seats available, and four candidates have filed & qualified: Mitch Ceasar, Jared Hermanowski, Dan Finklestein and Eric Hammond.
If Mitch finishes either 3rd or 4th in the N027 Male Precinct Captain election, then that election result would have the effect of instantly ousting Mitch Ceasar. No more Broward Party Chair, no more Democratic National Committee membership, nothing whatsoever. All of Mitch’s Democratic Party posts will instantly become open seats that can only be filled by someone other than Mitch.
FROM BUDDY: Not instantly. My understanding is that the new committee folks take office after the November election.
June 20th, 2012 at 7:20 am
I see previously suspended attorney Nick Steffens has filed suit or is going to file suit against SOE for how the paperwork was clocked in for the DEC elections. Most likely Steffens is doing this pro bono so their is little chance of Nick again taking a client’s money and doing no work.
June 20th, 2012 at 9:14 am
As a longtime Coral Springs resident i can tell u Steffens and his campaign guru Stephanie have p—ed the wrong people. Acting arrogant is never good. One of Nick’s opponents has been bragging about a meeting with Judy Stern and some money guys. She knows how to beat pompiss little jerks. For the record I am supporting Abby Freedman
June 20th, 2012 at 3:35 pm
Stephanie Kraft is behind Nick Steffens. I don’t know how she has time messing in School Board and Democratic politics when she is preparing for her trial for being corrupt on the School Board.
June 20th, 2012 at 4:01 pm
I could not agree more Buddy! Broward voters need to leave party labels behind this year and vote for those who will bring back pride and respect to our county. I will be voting for and helping Robert Sutton for D3 county commissioner.
June 20th, 2012 at 4:12 pm
Nick Steffens is an abomination. I do not know if Kraft is supporting him I do know Miller and Stacy Ritter is. I have some wonderful texts saved on my phone to confirm this and the reasons why. I will be glad to share with you Buddy. I did sign an endorsement for Shelly as she appeared to be fairly uncompromisable. I would love to speak to Abby as she had not entered the race at that point and I believe she may well be the best choice.
June 20th, 2012 at 4:59 pm
Stephanie Kraft has nothing to do with Nick Steffens campaign. As his CM, I know for a fact that Nick and Stephanie Kraft have not even spoken for several years. Nick has always been very outspoken with regards to the corruption in Broward and the need to eradicate it.
June 20th, 2012 at 7:18 pm
Well wonder of all wonders, Jaemi and I actually agree on something–Nick Steffens would be an abomination on the School Board! And contrary to what Sean Philippi says, Nick and I have not “not spoken for several years,” I don’t believe we have EVER spoken, nor do I ever recall even meeting him.
I could not care less about current School Board or especially local Democratic politics. And I’m shocked that Jaemi would be supporting a Republican in the County Commission race when she was on the Board of the Coral Springs/Parkland Democratic club!
June 20th, 2012 at 8:07 pm
I know that Kraft sent out an invite to people on facebook for a Solomon event.
June 20th, 2012 at 8:20 pm
Mitch Ceasar must resign the chairmanship immediately for the good for the party. He is a disruptive force who lost the 2010 election in Florida. If Broward’s Democratic turnout was stronger, we wouldn’t have Gov. Rick Scott. Mitch Ceasar is responsible for the low turnout. He was lobbying out of town when he should have been GOTV. Mitch, leave!
June 20th, 2012 at 10:02 pm
Per Steffens’ CM “Nick has always been very outspoken with regards to the corruption in Broward and the need to eradicate it.”
Um, so why is he so proud of Stacy Ritter’s endorsement of him.
June 20th, 2012 at 10:14 pm
Multi-millionaire lobbyist Barbara Miller has told her supporters she will pay unlimited amounts to remove Ceasar. She has at least five she is paying including those posting here. She is paying for the lawsuit, too. Miller is a threat to Democratic principals.
June 20th, 2012 at 11:02 pm
a along while ago I did business with some of the better run large Section 8 complexes. The managers said there used to be buses and donuts on election day…they said it stopped…if that happened under this leader (and I’m not sure when it changed) he shouldnt be the dems leader
June 20th, 2012 at 11:03 pm
that’s “a long”
June 20th, 2012 at 11:49 pm
If “In The Know” is correct, then perhaps Ms. Miller wouldn’t mind paying for 1,027 reprints of each of the eight New Times articles on Mitch Ceasar listed here…
http://www.browardbeat.com/state-demo-party-slaps-down-local-leader/#comment-647956
along with the postage needed to mail a complete set of all eight reprints to each of the 1,027 registered Democrats in precinct N027, ASAP.
As far as I know, I’ve never even met Ms. Miller, and she certainly isn’t paying me… but I’m very glad to hear that the anti-Ceasar forces are fully loaded with campaign funds. Thanks, “In The Know”!
June 21st, 2012 at 12:03 am
in the know is judy stern, if you have ever had to suffer through one of her rants about Miller, it always starts with how the only way she can accomplish anything is buy buying it because she has no talen. i wonder when the dan lewis posts will be going up? Poor Judy, you just never understood that Miller on her worst day had more talent and far more educated than you. Stick with Mitch honey.
June 21st, 2012 at 9:31 am
Nick is very proud to have the endorsement of Comm. Stacy Ritter, and why shouldn’t he? Comm. Ritter has never been arrested, indicted, or convicted of any public malfeasance.
Additionally, anyone who doesn’t think that Comm. Ritter is doing a good job had the chance to put their money where their mouth was and run against her in a Democratic Primary, and no one did, which speaks volumes as actions speak louder than words!!!
One point of clarification, Stephanie Kraft and Nick Steffens did meet once back in 2006. They have no relationship and have not spoken to each other since 2006.
June 21st, 2012 at 9:41 am
I’ve said it before, and I will say it again. In my 20 years studying Florida politics, there is one immutable rule that never changes: The Republican Party is the stupidest organization in Florida, except for one: the Democratic Party.
June 21st, 2012 at 1:39 pm
Democrats exclude any woman who is not totally, 100 % pro-abortion, just like the Republicans exclude any woman who is not totally, 100 % anti-abortion. Two peas in a pod. No wonder independents are growing!
June 21st, 2012 at 4:38 pm
Fed-up and Kevin, you took the words right out of my mouth. 🙂
Just an NPA’s opinion.
June 21st, 2012 at 4:43 pm
Stephine Kraft is way to smart to back Nick the —- Stephens