GOP incumbent Clay Shaw, Jr. is in the fight of his life against Democratic challenger State Sen. Ron Klein. Social Security is a hot-button issue in this district, heavy in retirees, and Shaw's support for some sort of private accounts is Klein's hammer.
Now, Klein's camp is complaining that Shaw's latest TV ad is misleading, as Rachel Kapochunas reports for CQPolitics.com HERE:
Shaw's unusually strong record of electoral success on Democratic-leaning turf has long been predicated on the focus he has given to issues affecting older constituents, culminating in his chairmanship of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social Security from 1999 to 2005.
But he has taken a political risk by advocating the creation of personal accounts within the Social Security program, a proposal that was one of Bush's top priorities following his 2004 re-election but which never gained traction in the 109th Congress because of deep public skepticism about the idea.Shaw's ad aims to address this problem by displaying the slogan "no privatization" and other checklist words before Shaw reaffirms his individuality. "I represent the state of Florida, not a political party," he concludes.
Klein's campaign, though, was quick to take issue with Shaw's self-portrayal. "Shaw has a privatization plan. There's no way to get around it," Klein campaign manager Brian Smoot told CQPolitics.com Thursday. "To think that this is the issue he's choosing to distance himself from the president on pushes the boundaries of common sense and credibility."
Read the rest at the link above. This promises to be a bruising battle. Klein has raised nearly $3 million for the race, and Shaw has brought in even more.
UPDATE: I should note that Cook's Political Report rates this race a toss-up.
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