Politics

The Stakes are Raised in Battle Between John Mica and Sandy Adams

By: Kevin Derby | Posted: July 11, 2012 3:55 AM

Around the State

U.S. Rep. John Mica and U.S. Rep. Sandy Adams

The stakes are being raised in a competitive Republican primary battle between two incumbents, a congressman and a congresswoman, battling it out for a U.S. House seat in Central Florida.

On Tuesday, freshman U.S. Rep. Sandy Adams, who is facing a primary on Aug. 14 against fellow Florida Republican U.S. Rep. John Mica, played up her stances on immigration on Tuesday when Sheriff Joe Arpaio, the Arizona law enforcement official who has won national attention on immigration and investigating President Barack Obama’s birth certificate, endorsed her.

In his endorsement, Arpaio pointed to Adams’ record in law enforcement and in Tallahassee.

“As a former deputy sheriff, Sandy Adams knows what it takes to keep our citizens safe,” said Arpaio. “From introducing E-Verify in the Florida House of Representatives to her strong stance on illegal immigration in Congress, Sandy has always been at the forefront of keeping our borders safe."

Arpaio also said that Adams had compiled a solid record in her one term in Washington.

“After our nation lost a border patrol agent as a result of Operation Fast and Furious, Sandy helped lead the charge to hold Attorney General Eric Holder and this administration accountable,” Arpaio said. “I strongly back Sandy in her re-election, and I urge Central Floridians to do the same.”

Adams used the opportunity to pledge to crack down against illegal immigration.

“I am honored to receive the support of Sheriff Joe Arpaio,” said Adams. “As a former law enforcement officer myself, I have a great amount of respect for the sheriff and his work to protect our nation’s borders. With an A+ record from Numbers USA, I believe we must stand strong against illegal immigration. I look forward to working with Sheriff Arpaio on ways to protect our borders and crack down on illegal immigration.”

But Mica, a veteran of Congress who was first elected to his post in 1992, is up and running with television and radio ads. For the moment, Mica’s ads are firing away against President Barack Obama instead of taking aim at Adams.

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Mica’s team launched an ad earlier this week that slammed Obama and ignored Adams. In the ad, the announcer says that Mica will vote to repeal the federal health-care law that Obama signed back in 2010.

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

Tags: Barack Obama, Congress, Eric Holder, Fast and Furious, GOP, Health-Care, Immigration, Joe Arpaio, John Mica, News, Republicans, Sandy Adams, Politics

Comments (11)

Nate

10:16PM JUL 11TH 2012

Well, I live in the District. What I hear and agree with is that Mica is liked but he has served his time. He is also viewed as being too chummy with Democrats. He is now forcing the state of Florida to accept a wasteful SUNRAIL Train that we do not want. Also, he helped to create the behemoth called TSA. Sorry Mica, but you lost my vote and many other Republicans with this!

Frank

10:37PM JUL 11TH 2012

Now, I won't have the opportunity to vote FOR or AGAINST either candidate as they're not running in my district.

However, Sandy Adams declared “I am honored to receive the support of Sheriff Joe Arpaio".

Strange that she feels honored by someone who's:

- illegal law enforcement methods are the frequent subject of unconstitutional findings by multiple courts.

- illegal racial profiling was pronounced to be the worst pattern of racial profiling in U.S. history.

- under a major grand jury investigation for criminal abuse-of-power allegations.

- immigration racial profiling are 4 1/2 years into a civil rights class action suit for multiple instances of illegal detainment of hispanics who were here legally, including even a tourist with a valid visa inhand and a permit from the Department of Homeland Security.

- been found guilty of violating Arizona's election laws.

- was found by a Maricopa County Office of Management and Budget investigation, completed in April 2011, to have misspent almost $100 million over the previous 5 years, including a trip to Alaska where deputies stayed at a fishing resort, and trips to Disneyland.

- was found by Judge John Leonardo to have "misused the power of his office to target members of the (Board of Supervisors) for criminal investigation." The resulting outrage led the Arizona Supreme Court to the disbarment of County Attorney Andrew Thomas and the castigation of Sheriff Joe Arpaio for the unethical, politically motivated investigations.

Yes, strange that she would feel honored by someone like that.

Adams - the new sheriff in town

8:36AM JUL 11TH 2012

Mica and his team are on defense, because the writing is on the proverbial wall. As sure as Lugar and Specter were shown the exit in their primaries, Mica will lose to Adams. In a poll by a local TV station, Adams polled 76% to Mica's 24%. Mica is counting on name recognition and uninformed voters to turn out at the polls for him, but fails to recognize the electorate is more informed than ever before in history and the grass root movement in particular, is very capable of assuring a win for Adams. It's time for the old bull to go, and be happy with his twenty year tenure on the public dole. He is representative of the problems in DC, while Adams is representative of solutions oriented lawmakers accountable to their constituents, not special interest. The choice is a clear one - support Adams, and get a lawmaker opposed to legislative earmarks and pork barrel spending, or support Mica and get a former Citizens Against Government Waste "Porker of the Month".

Disenchanted

9:50AM JUL 11TH 2012

Mica will still be able to collect his guaranteed lifetime pension of $139,200 along with his Social Security and new salary as a "consultant" for K Street. He will have Congressional health care for life at no cost.

The benefit to us by giving him the boot? The K Street lobbyists will have to find another Transportation Congress member to buy.

Andrew Nappi

6:42AM JUL 11TH 2012

Seriously, what's the difference between these two? Adams rode the Tea Party craze wave in 2010 to D.C. Once there, she voted to continue the Patriot Act, voted for the military arrest and indefinite detention of US citizens in the US under NDAA 2012, voted for internet control with CISPA, voted to infringe the right of assembly and protest with HR347. Mr. Mica has also voted for these same Bill of Rights weakening anti civil liberties usurpations by the federal government.
For LIBERTY, there is no difference in either of these two party over principle opponents of the constitution.

Frank

10:35AM JUL 11TH 2012

Why should you care - you've promised me that you can just nullify everything that the feds pass, so these really shouldn't be a problem, correct?

Unless, of course, that nullification is just a wishful myth on your part as the Supreme Court has repeatedly stated.

Can't get your priorities, universal hatreds or facts straight, can you?

We know better

8:24AM JUL 11TH 2012

@ Andrew - unless you sat in on committee meetings where information relative to National security you cannot assess the reasons for affirmative votes on such law. I don't necessarily defend these laws, but at least am smart enough to know both candidates had information you or I will never have. I suppose there will always be folks that will criticize these votes much like those who criticize jury's that return controversial verdicts - the problem with that is, that unless you actually sat on that jury, you just do not have the same information to form a judgement as they did.

Andrew Nappi

11:54AM JUL 11TH 2012

I disagree. There is NEVER an excuse to weaken the Bill of Rights. Once you accept your argument, you open the door for more and more abuse. Using your position, we could accept a "living" constitution since we were not at the convention or the ratification debates. But we know what they said about rights and protections from this new entity they were creating, and those things are still true. Don't be manipulated by fear or that these people know what is better for your freedom than you do.
As for Frank, the troll, I don't argue downwards.

Frank

9:16PM JUL 11TH 2012

Ah, see you have now proven that you can't help yourself from breaking previous promises about not commenting (or engaging in dialogue about the facts).

Of course you don't want to debate about the legality of federal law nullification, because I have multiple Supreme Court decisions on the issue over more than 150 years and you have ZERO.

I'm right, you're wrong, and the Supreme Court backs me up.

As I've said many times previously, where's YOUR Supreme Court decision that says nullification is legal and a state can unilaterally overturn any federal law. Don't have one, do you, and you just hate it that you can't further lie your way out of that.

Except, for course, to revert to your childish name-calling.

Disenchanted

10:03AM JUL 11TH 2012

There is no excuse for voting for the President of the United States being given the authority to imprison any US citizen without so much as charges. This puts our citizens on the same level as the former Soviet Union citizens. This is the exact opposite of our Constitution.

Our country's level of freedoms for the people has fallen to the point that we are far from being the freest, but are merely AVERAGE. The Scandinavian countries along with former USSR satellites of Estonia, Ukraine, Belarus enjoy the MOST freedoms that we once had but have given back to our government. The Ukrainians were even informed enough to have their former Prime Minister imprisoned - which our government critters are fighting for her release.

Frank

10:24AM JUL 11TH 2012

Yes, unlimited freedom (isn't that and "Liberty" the new far right mantras) - I have just the country for you - Somolia. No rules, total freedom to do whatever you want, if you can survive.