It's A One-Man Show: Curtis is 'out pressing the flesh' while Michaud 'appears to have gone into hibernation'
Curtis calls it 'the oddest campaigning I ever saw'
By Winter Patriot on 8/7/2006, 9:11pm PT  

Guest blogged by Winter Patriot

The Orlando Sentinel has posted a good article by Robert Perez called Opponent, where art thou? asks Democrat in which Perez does a very good job covering the lead-up to the Democratic Primary in the 24th District, between Clint Curtis and Andy Michaud. The winner will earn the right to run for Congress --- against Tom Feeney!

Many election integrity advocates have been hoping for a Feeny-Curtis race, which would certainly focus more light on some very key issues. But Curtis has to get by Andy Michaud first. And as Perez describes it, Michaud's strategy at the moment is very difficult to grasp.

[L]ess than three weeks before early voting begins, it's Curtis who is out pressing the flesh, making stump speeches and pushing for donations.

Michaud, meanwhile, has been missing in action.

Curtis, a Titusville computer programmer, says his opponent in the Sept. 5 Democratic primary is ducking him.

"He doesn't show up at events where I'm at," Curtis said. "It's the oddest campaigning I ever saw."

The article covers Curtis' campaigning --- and Michaud's lack of same, summarizes each candidate's stand on major issues, and mentions a bit of the history involved here. About Curtis, it says:

The way Curtis sees it, the real battle is a personal one between himself and Feeney.

Curtis claims Feeney asked him and his former employer, Yang Enterprises, to create a software program in 2000 to rig elections.

The BRAD BLOG broke the Vote-Rigging Software story back in December of 2004 and has reported on many new developments since then. Click here for a good overview of the story.

The BRAD BLOG has also done quite a bit of reporting on Tom Feeney; you can find articles related to Florida's most ethically-challenged Congressman here.

In 2004, Curtis testified before a congressional hearing in Ohio about the alleged incident and submitted to a lie-detector test that, he said, proved he was being truthful.

Feeney has denied any such dealings with Curtis.

Feeney has also refused to take a lie-detector text. So who you gonna believe? Just asking!

Since then, Curtis quit his job at Yang, was fired from his subsequent job with the Florida Department of Transportation and was forced to declare bankruptcy in 2002, when the only job he could get was stocking shelves at a Dollar Store, he said.

According to Curtis, he was fired from his FDOT job because he blew the whistle on illegal billing practices at the FDOT. As previously reported here, his working relationships with his employers seem to have been very good.

Maintaining the integrity of elections is the key issue in Curtis' campaign, and that's why, he says, a showdown with Feeney is inevitable.

"Everyone knows that my facing Feeney in the general election will receive national attention," he said. "National news agencies and independent bloggers are poised for the epic battle of good versus evil."

Is Michaud ducking Curtis in order to let that "epic battle" take place? Or is he setting us up for a big surprise?

Stay tuned and find out. Primary Day is four weeks from tomorrow. And things are getting curiouser and curiouser...

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Article Categories: Florida, Tom Feeney, Clint Curtis