Adam Putnam, the third ranking Republican in Congress, has a battle on his hands in District 12 with a strong campaign being waged against him by Doug Tudor, a retired Navy Master Chief.

Despite the fact that the local newspaper endorsed Putnam today, citizens are angry at Adam Putnam for his voting record and this R+5 race isn't as close as some might think, considering that there are 20,000 more registered Democrats than Republicans in the District, and Barack Obama is bringing out the Democratic vote this year.


At the Republican National Convention, Adam Putnam, who initially endorsed Fred Thompson for President and supposedly said at the time that McCain is unstable, was on the job as the third ranking Republican in Congress, towing the line in support of recently announced Sarah Palin as the Vice Presidential nominee for the Republican ticket.

"The media doesn't understand life membership in the NRA; they don't understand getting up at 3 a.m. to hunt a moose; they don't understand eating a mooseburger; they don't understand being married to a guy who likes to snowmobile for fun," Rep. Adam Putnam, a Florida Republican, explained in a Politico interview on Monday. "I am not surprised that they don't get it. But Americans get it. A mooseburger means she is like one of us."

McCain lashes out at press over Palin

Lakeland's The Ledger in Putnam's district reported Putnam's cheerleading for Sarah Palin.

"(In the current) environment that we're in, people are tired of incumbents; they're tired of the same old, same old," said U.S. Rep. Adam Putnam, a Republican from Bartow. "You have a straight-shooting hockey mom who takes on her own party ... who has larger-than-life qualities. I mean, a woman who gets up at 3 a.m. to moose hunt?

"She has shaken up the whole coverage of this race. We were kind of settling in a routine months before the convention. This broke the mold. He's got everyone talking about this campaign again," said Putnam.

Asked about her limited experience as the governor of Alaska for less than two years, Putnam said, "The top of the Democratic ticket, (Barack Obama), four years ago was just entering the United States Senate basically for the sole purpose of running for president."

Florida Republicans: Palin Will Carry Banner

This morning I am absolutely livid at the same newspaper that on Sunday endorsed Barack Obama for President for its endorsement of Adam Putnam for reelection in Florida's District 12.

Putnam has a serious opponent in Doug Tudor, 46, a Riverview Democrat and Navy veteran who retired in February at the rank of master chief petty officer.

Tudor's last assignment involved a eight-year stint at U.S. Central Command in Tampa where he worked closely with Gen. Tommy Franks, Gen. John Abizaid, and Adm. Bill Fallon. Tudor said he has been to both Iraq and Afghanistan more than 30 times as part of that job.

Suffice it to say that Tudor is as well-versed - probably even better backgrounded - as Putnam when it comes to the affairs in that part of the world. Tudor believes the United States should have invaded Afghanistan, but was "dead wrong" to go into Iraq.

U.S. Representative, Dist. 12: Adam H. Putnam

Despite Tudor's outstanding qualifications, and recognizing constiuents' dissatisfaction with Putnam's voting record, the paper still chose to endorse Adam Putnam.

But the final vote casting is more about voting on individual issues. Putnam has far more experience in elected office in working deals and compromises, particularly having to do with the specifics of Polk County. While Tudor is superior in the military area, he could be better prepared in other areas. Instead, he says he would learn more once in Washington. Candidates for Congress should be prepared now.

Finally, with the Republicans out of power in Congress, and likely to be even more so after Nov. 4, there is the hope that Putnam will become less apt to toe the party line than in the past two years.

Putnam's experience and knowledge, coupled with eight years of seniority, give him a slight advantage in this race. The Ledger recommends Adam H. Putnam, Representative in Congress, District 12.

U.S. Representative, Dist. 12: Adam H. Putnam

Are they kidding me? The only concrete reason given for endorsing Putnam was his experience and connections as a career politician. I would counter that experience is exactly why we should not vote for Adam Putnam, and should vote for Doug Tudor as our representative in Congress!

When the financial crisis first erupted, and members of Congress were working through the weekend on Capitol Hill to find a solution, where was Adam Putnam, a member of the House Financial Services Committee? He was hosting a $2,500 per person fund raiser for his Red PAC in Nanctucket, Massachusetts. Here's the Invitation to the Event. In my mind, that's an example of Putnam putting his Party before his constituents.

When Nancy Pelosi became Speaker of the House. What did Putnam do? He lead the charge to spread a false story.

Today's Tampa Tribue [sic] is carrying a profile of one of the key drivers of this tale: Florida GOP Rep. Adam Putnam. As chairman of the House Republican conference committee, Putnam plays a key role in pushing the GOP's message in the media, and he aggressively pushed the plane story from the start. But now he's cheerfully admitted to the Tribune that not only did he have no idea whether the plane story was true, he didn't particularly care, either.

(snip)

I'm not sure it gets any clearer than that. Putnam had no idea whether the story was true or not. Yet based on an anonymously sourced Washington Times story (and allegedly based on CNN, though what exactly CNN had added to the story at that point is unclear), he happily attacked Pelosi for "arrogance" and "extravagance." More important, he is still "unapologetic" about the fact that the story turned out to be false, because, well, it's not his job to care about such things. It's his job to "drive" the GOP's "message."

Look, of course Putnam is going to lie ...

GOP Rep. Who Pushed Pelosi Plane Story Admits He Didn't Know -- Or Care -- If It Was True, February 20, 2007

Putnam didn't care that he was spreading the lie. He was towing the Party line and that was all that mattered.

Given Putnam's past performance, when Barack Obama becomes president, does The Ledger Editorial Board really expect us to believe that Adam Putnam will change his behavior and start trying to work with the new administration? I don't think so. Quite the opposite. As a member of the Republican leadership in the House, Adam Putnam will be the obstructionist in chief to anything President Obama tries to accomplish. Putnam's role in the House doesn't just impact FL-12, it impacts all working families throughout the nation. Residents of District 12, have a duty to the nation to send Doug Tudor to Washington to represent them; not Adam Putnam who has already demonstrated that he is willing to lie, and doesn't even care that he is lying, to tow his Party's line. Adam Putnam is part of the problem. He will not be part of any solutions the Obama Administration will implement.

The Ledger says "Putnam's experience and knowledge, coupled with eight years of seniority, give him a slight advantage in this race." I disagree. I think Doug Tudor's experience of team building during his 20-year career in the US Navy, is exactly the kind of experience we need to send to Washington.

Even as a member of the minority party in Congress, Putnam's position is not secure. There was an article just yesterday pointing that out:

And then there's Rep. Adam Putnam, the 34-year-old Floridian who holds the number-three post in House Republican leadership. Aides speculate he wants to keep the job, with Boehner's backing. But some also wonder if he'll get blamed for Republicans lacking a clear agenda. There's also hard feelings over how he handled the Wall Street bailout.

Boehner, Blunt and Putnam may all be at risk if Election Day turns into a Republican nightmare. But at this point, it's a bit of a mystery what will happen.

Election blowout may cost House Republican leaders

This is an endorsement District 12 voters need to disregard and instead study the Biography of Doug Tudor for themselves to learn what a great representative for the people of District 12 he will make. We need a representative who knows the true meaning of duty and honor; not somebody who is unapologetic about lying to advance his Party's political will.

Finally, by The Ledger's own reporting, Adam Putnam has other aspirations.

Putnam began his run for the Florida Legislature at 21. He was 26 when elected to the House of Representatives in 2000. He is cautious in his political planning and doesn't take outrageous chances with his career.

The more likely possibility, and that would happen only if Republicans lose a bevy more congressional seats to the Democrats this fall, is that he would focus on state office.

Being third in command of a smaller group of House members might not be worth it when looking at an open road to the governor's mansion.

Putnam would win Florida commissioner of agriculture in a walk when Republican Charles Bronson can't run again in 2010 because of term limits.

One four-year term as commissioner building a statewide base and working with Gov. Charlie Crist, and he would be ready to run in 2014 for governor, an office, as local legend has it, that he told his grandfather when he was 11 that he intended to hold.

Debate's Timing Spoke Volumes, September 28, 2008

We all know that Republicans are going to lose more numbers in the House on Tuesday. This was not the first time The Ledger reported this. The same information was reported before, back in 2005 when the Republicans were still in the majority in the House.

But it may not be as important on what he serves as it is with whom he serves.

Putnam has become close friends with and a close working colleague of Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, according to local friends as well as observers in Washington, who spoke not for attribution.

(snip)

Many political observers have said Putnam would likely return to run for state commissioner of agriculture, whenever Charles Bronson retires -- the first step for Putnam toward a try for the governor's mansion.

But his swift rise in Congress may now have placed him beyond a mere state Cabinet post, and a run for governor could be much farther in the future than originally thought.

U.S. Rep. Adam Putnam May Postpone His Run for Governor, November 7, 2005

Hastert is gone, and the Democrats are in the majority. Putnam is now a member of the minority party. According to this article, he won't be sticking around for long.

If Putnam's intention to run for Florida Commissioner of Agriculture in 2010 is true, then if he is reelected to Congress in 2008, he would immediately be busy planning his run for Commissioner. That would take away time from his representation of his constituents in District 12. It would be better to send Doug Tudor to Congress now than in 2010. Given his past experience in the Navy, I believe Doug Tudor will be a rising star and a valuable asset to District 12 in a Congress where the Democrats hold the majority.

I have seen a trend in this election on the part of many Republican politicians. I just saw Rep. Adam Putnam's television ad and nowhere in the ad does it mention that he is a Republican.

Is he ashamed to admit that he is a Republican rubber stamp for George W. Bush?

He has had eight years to work on our energy problems. Now he claims he has some fabulous plan for energy independence.

Sorry, Adam, but you had your chance and you chose to follow the worst president ever with tax cuts for the rich. Come on, Adam, man up and admit you are a Republican.

COLBY BLACK
Frostproof

Disappearing GOP

The people of District 12 deserve better representation than that of a career politician who is only using the position he asks us to reelect him to as a stepping stone to future personal political aspirations.

:::

Once again, I'm asking that if you are able, please support Doug Tudor's campaign. If you don't live here in Central Florida, you might be wondering, "why should I support a campaign that is not in my district?" The answer is simple. As a member of the Republican leadership in the House, Adam Putnam will be the obstructionist in chief to anything President Obama is trying to accomplish. Putnam's role in the House doesn't just impact FL-12, it impacts all working families throughout the nation. The result of the FL-12 race has an effect on all of us!

If you are able, Please Contribute to Doug Tudor for Congress. Any amount is greatly appreciated. Every dollar puts Doug closer to victory in his race against Adam Putnam.

Those that think that Adam Putnam's seat in Congress is safe this election year, and are not paying attention to this R+5 district, with 20,000 more registered Democrats than Republicans, haven't been speaking to the people who actually live in this District.

Thank you to everybody here who has been support of Doug Tudor's campaign, and my efforts to draw attention to it.

Cross-posted at DailyKos.