• Submitted by: manso
• United States
• Politics and Government
• 08 / 11 / 2010

---

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Senate candidates often debate issues like Cuba and transportation, but not the way Rep. Kendrick Meek and billionaire Jeff Greene did Tuesday.

Meek chastised Greene for a trip to Cuba aboard his yacht, and Greene pointed out that Meek sought earmarks for a project proposed by a developer who gave Meek's mother, former Rep. Carrie Meek, a Cadillac Escalade.

The candidates' third debate before the Aug. 24 Democratic primary raised the contentiousness between the two men to a higher level.

"This is a culture of corruption and bribery in Washington which I'm going to fight," Greene said. "I've had it with this pay-for-play, get-along-to-go-along kind of attitude that Kendrick Meek is a central part of."

He also said Meek was an employee of Wackenhut Corrections Corp. as a state lawmaker and voted for a bill that helped the company.

"This is a perfect example why Mr. Greene is a bad man. What he has just said is untrue and ridiculous," Meek said. "I voted against privatization of prisons."

On issues, they weren't too far apart. Both oppose offshore drilling and favor protecting abortion rights. Meek wants to get
rid of all the tax cuts implemented under President George W. Bush and then provide a tax cut for the middle class. Greene wants to get rid of the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy and keep them for the middle class.

Both support the recent health care overhaul signed by President Barack Obama. Neither wants to raise the age to receive Social Security benefits or to privatize benefits, but both say they're open to listening to all other suggestions to keep the system viable.

But there were plenty of angry accusations and character attacks.

"Sir, your life is a question mark and every day we learn about your business dealings and how you treat your employees,"

Meek said. "You have more versions of why you went to Cuba than Baskin-Robbins has ice cream."

Greene initially said he wasn't on his yacht when it was docked in Cuba. Then he said he went there on a humanitarian mission visiting Jews in Cuba. He later said he was there because of a mechanical problem with his yacht, and while there visited synagogues. Some news organizations have quoted deck hands as saying there was partying on the trip and shopping for items like Cuban cigars.

When Greene was allowed to ask Meek a question, he said, "Do you intend as a United States senator to continue to have your family members get cars, money and other kinds of benefits and then request earmarks for people providing these benefits?"

"My mother is a person of integrity and honor," Meek said. "She was a local consultant on the project ... It's not like she got some sort of golden gift or something. She worked."

Meek also dismissed Greene's suggestion that Meek ask the House Ethics Committee to investigate him. Meek said the committee could have already done so if it felt he had done something wrong.

"Everything that you brought up really doesn't hold water when it comes down to the facts. The facts are that it has been over three years and no one has questioned me because they don't have a reason to question me," Meek said. "Mr. Greene, I have more integrity in my pinky than you have in your whole body."

Meek asked Greene why he did nothing to try to fend off the housing market collapse instead of profiting from it. Greene made hundreds of millions of dollars by predicting the real estate bubble burst and making investments that earned him money on foreclosed properties.

"Since you knew that this was happening why didn't you go to your two United States senators in California and tell them? Why didn't you go on national television as you went on national television to gloat about how much money you made off the failure of homes in Florida, Arizona and California," Meek said. "Floridians want to know if their United States senator is going to bet against them or for them."

Greene blamed Congress for failing to properly regulate the industry.

"I was not going to sit back and allow bad policy of guys like you in Congress who allowed these banks to run wild to destroy everything I worked for and the jobs I created and the mouths I was feeding," Greene said. "I went up against the biggest banks on Wall Street and you know what? I won."

By BRENDAN FARRINGTON
AP Political Writer

Source: www.miamiherald.com/