In Ybor City, Castor Blasts
Cuba Rules
By Ted Byrd. tbyrd@tampatrib.com.
Published: Jul 18, 2004 in the Tampa
Bay Tribune, FL.
TAMPA - Betty Castor opened an 8,000-square-foot
headquarters in Ybor City on Saturday, using
the event to come out against President
Bush's new policy adding restrictions on
travel to Cuba.
Last week, she began airing a TV ad, a
biographical spot that served to introduce
her to voters.
One thing Castor is not doing is mentioning
either of her two major Democratic primary
opponents in the race to replace retiring
U.S. Sen. Bob Graham. Increasingly, she
appears confident of a primary win Aug.
31 and is gearing up to face a Republican
opponent in the fall.
"We're looking to the future, but
I'm not taking anything for granted,'' Castor
said after a brief stint going door-to-door
on Alva Street in Tampa Heights on Saturday.
With a general election season of only
two months this year, there will be no time
for the primary victors to waste.
"You've got to be building,'' said
Castor, a former state senator, state education
commissioner and president of the University
of South Florida.
The new headquarters, on Palm Avenue near
the sheriff's office, is only sparsely occupied.
Should Castor win, staff and volunteers
will balloon and extensive phone bank space
will be needed.
Her previous offices, on MacDill Avenue
south of Euclid Avenue, were overcrowded.
Standing near the entrance to her new office,
Castor welcomed a small group of supporters
Saturday and announced that she opposes
Bush's new restrictions on how often people
in the United States can visit relatives
in Cuba or how much money can be sent to
them.
"This is humanitarian. ... Why should
we be restricting them?'' Castor said.
She does not support lifting the trade
embargo with the country, but said the United
States should prepare for a Cuba without
Fidel Castro.
"We need to look to the future, but
we need to be reasonable now,'' Castor said.
She singled out two Republican Senate candidates
to criticize for supporting Bush's policy
change but made no mention of the Democratic
supporters, Miami-Dade Mayor Alex Penelas
and Pembroke Pines Rep. Peter Deutsch.
"My position differs 100 percent from
Bill McCollum and Mel Martinez,'' she told
a crowd of about 40 at the headquarters
opening.
Castor's TV spots showing in Gainesville,
Jacksonville and Tallahassee also ignore
her primary opponents.
"Long before I became a legislator
or a university president, I was a teacher,
I was a wife, I was a mother,'' she says
in the ad. "So family values come naturally
to me.''
She then touches briefly on three of her
favorite themes: improving the health care
system, improving schools and creating higher-paying
jobs.
"It's a good ad to appeal to women
and moderates,'' said Jennifer Duffy, Senate
editor for the Washington-based Cook Political
Report.
At the same time, it reminds people of
her deep resume.
The ad subtly calls attention to the fact
that she is a woman facing male candidates,
said Susan MacManus, a USF political science
professor. "Being a woman is an advantage
in a crowded field of men,'' she said.
Finally, Castor appears gracious in the
ad.
"In a way, she's taking a John Edwards
strategy of being upbeat and not attacking
other candidates,'' MacManus said. "That
can get you a long way with the attack-weary
electorate.''
Reporter William March contributed to
this report. Reporter Ted Byrd can be reached
at (813) 259-7679.
©2004,
Media General Inc. All rights reserved
|