Martinez to Endorse McCain?

Word from Florida is that Sen. Mel Martinez will finally be able to do what he's been wanting to do for a while: endorse Sen. John McCain.

A joint appearance is on tap for Monday in South Florida, according to two Florida Republican sources, although Martinez is under pressure from GOP fundraisers to hold off, and he may back out at the last moment..

Martinez, like McCain, was on the side of Pres. Bush during the immigration debate in Congress, and only in Florida -- after South Carolina -- would such an endorsement help McCain politically.

No comment from official McCain sources.

Comments

I'm from Maine. I don't know if an Olympia Snowe endorsement would help or hurt a candidate in the GOP caucus this year, and by the same token, I wonder if a Martinez endorsement would help or hurt McCain's total GOP vote-share in FL.

Is Martinez generally popular amongst party activists?

Posted by gyrd | January 18, 2008 9:47 PM

I can't imagine it helping, but I'm more invested and not a casual voter. I donated to Martinez and worked on the behalf of both. Disillusionment describes my feelings towards Martinez; I made a mistake in voting for him over Johnny Byrd, but Bush's backing of Martinez was important to me back then as it was to many.
Martinez would definitely be vulnerable in a re-election during the primary, but he's not as unpopular as Graham is in S.C.

Posted by Emily | January 18, 2008 10:05 PM

“Rigdon… made a new translation of the Bible, in which prophecies of the coming of Joseph Smith and the nature of The Book of Mormon are inserted in the 50th chapter of Genesis and the 20th chapter of Isaiah respectively…. the church was “persecuted”… on the 25th of March 1832 Smith and Rigdon were tarred and feathered at Hiram….In 1836 the Kirtland Safety Society Bank was organized (in accordance with a “revelation” to Smith)…. In March 1837 Rigdon and Smith, the secretary and treasurer, were charged with violating the state law against unchartered banks, and they were convicted in October…. In November the “bank” suspended payments and… Smith and Rigdon left the state for Missouri…. [After a] determined attempt to depose Smith… there was organized… a band… bound to secrecy under penalty of death, and formed to punish all who opposed the Church and its supreme head. Numerous crimes and outrages were attributed to them…. On the 4th of July 1838 Rigdon preached his “salt sermon” … urging his hearers to wage “a war of extermination” on those who disturbed them…. and necessitated the calling out of the state militia…. Smith and Rigdon with others were arrested and imprisoned on a charge of treason, murder, and felony… In 1842 Smith was charged with instigating and attempt… to assassinate ex-Governor L. W. Boggs of Missouri…. There seems to have been no secret about Smith’s cohabiting with other women…. he had a revelation expressly establishing and approving polygamy.” (The Encyclopedia Britannica, Thirteenth Edition, London, vol. 18, pp. 843-844, 1926)

http://popularapostasy.blogspot.com/2008/01/tar-and-feathers.html

Posted by C Smith | January 19, 2008 4:25 AM

Martinez is a big name in the Florida GOP. This will finish off Giuliani...

http://www.political-buzz.com/

Posted by matt | January 19, 2008 8:50 AM

Martinez bascking will ruin him. No way would I ever vote for Martinez either. I'm republican, somewhat conservative, and during the illegal immigrant fiasco, MARTINEZ WAS STRICTLY NOT AVAILABLE. Mailbox was always FULL

Bye Bye Senator

Posted by JR | January 19, 2008 11:39 AM

What else would you expect?
Both are for AMNESTY.
Both are for NO border Fence or ID.
Both are for instate tuition for everyone except U.S Citizens

Posted by wow | January 19, 2008 2:13 PM

Hello, Marc, commenters-

Any endorsements are welcome, if for no other reason but to create some free-media and give the impression of momentum... Marc has a good insight in that the endorsement might very well have hurt McCain in SC, so the timing is perfect...

Posted by ElectionNightHQ.com (McCain site) Publisher | January 19, 2008 4:59 PM

DEAR SENATOR MEL MARTINEZ--MY URGENT PLEA IS FOR YOUR ALL OUT OF DRILL NOW, DRILL HERE, DRILL EVERYWHERE AND DRILL IN ANWAR. SINCERELY GILBERT J. CARROLL

Posted by GILBERT CARROLL | July 14, 2008 3:04 PM

DEAR SENATOR MEL MARTINEZ--MY URGENT PLEA IS FOR YOUR ALL OUT OF DRILL NOW, DRILL HERE, DRILL EVERYWHERE AND DRILL IN ANWAR. SINCERELY GILBERT J. CARROLL

Posted by GILBERT CARROLL | July 14, 2008 3:04 PM

DEAR SENATOR MEL MARTINEZ--MY URGENT PLEA IS FOR YOUR ALL OUT OF DRILL NOW, DRILL HERE, DRILL EVERYWHERE AND DRILL IN ANWAR. SINCERELY GILBERT J. CARROLL

Posted by GILBERT CARROLL | July 14, 2008 3:04 PM