Adam Hasner

Though Texas Gov. Rick Perry's announcement that he is running for the Republican presidential nomination dominated the headlines emerging from the RedState event in Charleston over the weekend, U.S. Senate candidate Adam Hasner delivered what was considered a strong change-the-tone-in-Washington address at the meeting as well.

Hasner, among the Republicans vying to face Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson in the general election, has done well in getting prominent conservatives at the national level -- including Erick Erickson, the founder of RedState -- behind his campaign and he is starting to pick up steam with right-of-center Floridians such as state Rep. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, and state Rep. Scott Plakon, R-Longwood.

In his speech in Charleston, Hasner took aim at politics in Washington and slammed the Obama administration.

"The experts and the establishment are once again telling us that we have to give more of our freedom, our money, and our decisions to people in Washington, D.C.,” said Hasner. “We hear all this talk about changing the debate in Congress and how the policies that we know are right aren't realistic. But our job isn't just to slow down Obamacare or simply manage the debt or just accept 9 percent unemployment. Our job is to provide a clear alternative to the policies in Washington, and offer real solutions to turn this country around."

Hasner took aim at the recent deal over raising the federal debt ceiling, calling it a “bad deal.”

“The downgrade -- and common sense -- proves it. The whole process was a dysfunctional mess. Only in Washington can people come up with this stuff,” said Hasner. "They tossed 'cut, cap and balance' aside -- and for what? A deal that adds $10 trillion more to our debt. A deal that cuts spending less in the next two years than government will borrow this month. A deal that opens the door for higher taxes and threatens our national security, all courtesy of a not-so-supercommittee."

Hasner issued a call to arms, calling for conservatives to get mobilized and active in 2012.

"We must send more people to Washington who will do what is right, not just what is popular or easy,” said Hasner. "We need conservatives who will stand up to Democrats -- and the Republicans who act like them. This is even more important now. Because after the message we sent last year, every politician in the country is trying to reinvent themselves as a conservative.”

Hasner made no bones that he thought one of his primary rivals, former U.S. Sen. George LeMieux, was one such politician masquerading as a conservative. 

"It's getting so silly that in Florida, Charlie Crist's former chief of staff -- the guy he called his 'maestro,' the same guy who just two years ago called himself a 'Charlie Crist Republican' and was attacking Marco Rubio -- is now running as a true blue conservative,” said Hasner. "Think about that. It's like Rahm Emmanuel trying to run away from Barack Obama. Now is not the time for reinventions. Now is the time for reinforcements. Republicans who will stand alongside Jim DeMint, Marco Rubio, Mike Lee and a new generation of limited-government leaders.”

Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.