Davis blasted for Tallahassee Havana crack

Posted on Wed, Feb. 22, 2006

POLITICS
Davis blasted for Tallahassee-Havana crack
Gubernatorial hopeful Rep. Jim Davis was criticized by Republicans after
he likened the political atmosphere in Tallahassee to that of Havana.
BY GARY FINEOUT
gfineout@MiamiHerald.com

TALLAHASSEE - For months U.S. Rep. Jim Davis, a Tampa Democrat running
for governor, has been pegged as a bit dry and dull while campaigning.
But he earned a new reputation Tuesday: rabble-rouser.

That's because Davis used a Democratic Party fundraiser to compare life
in Tallahassee to Havana, which Davis visited in 2003. He said a state
worker at the Tallahassee Regional Airport offered his support to Davis
in the 2006 election -- but only in secret because he was fearful of
retribution from the Republicans who control state government.

'I had a state worker put his arm around my shoulder, he looked around
the room to make sure nobody was looking at us and said, `Jim, I'm for
you,' '' said Davis. ``What kind of country is that? You know, I've had
the same conversation with other people -- in Havana. These are not our
values. I am not running for governor to put a Democrat in the
governor's mansion, I am running to restore democracy to our state.''

Davis was in Cuba to meet with dissidents, who told him at the time they
were being harassed by the government for trying to bring peaceful
change to Cuba.

It didn't take long for the GOP to blast Davis, the current Democratic
front-runner, calling it irresponsible for him to compare state
government to Cuba under Fidel Castro.

''Anyone who understands the true nature of Fidel Castro's brutality
would know better than to make the remarks Jim Davis made today,'' said
Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher, one of two Republicans seeking to
succeed Gov. Jeb Bush.

By nightfall, Davis was forced to issue a response, saying his comments
reflected his concerns about the level of ''intimidation'' in
Tallahassee but that he does not believe Bush or the Republicans are
comparable to Castro.

''I would never and have never compared any of our democratically
elected leaders to Fidel Castro,'' Davis said in a statement. ``But let
me be clear. There is a climate of intimidation in Tallahassee. That's
not good for democracy.''

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/state/13928961.htm