Tampa, FL – Democratic Progressive Caucus of Florida (DPCF) President Susan Smith released the following statement today in response to President Barack Obama’s endorsement of former Republican Patrick Murphy in Florida’s U.S. Senate race:
“As someone who worked hard to help President Obama win Florida in 2008 and 2012, I am profoundly saddened and disappointed by his apparent lack of trust in Florida Democrats to choose our own U.S. Senate nominee. In fact, poll after poll has shown that Florida Democrats tend to prefer Alan Grayson over former Republican Patrick Murphy.
“As much as it breaks my heart to see President Obama attempt to put his thumb on the scale for Patrick Murphy, it’s even more worrisome that the president seems to have done so with bad information. Patrick Murphy has said he wants to look at cuts to Social Security, and he supported the so-called Bowles-Simpson plan that would have cut benefits for the vast majority of Social Security recipients.
“Patrick Murphy was a Republican until he decided to run for office in 2011, and before he decided to run for Senate, he voted like one. It’s one thing if the President is willing to look past Murphy’s support for the Republican’s Benghazi witch hunt and the Keystone XL pipeline, but it is another thing entirely to make an endorsement based on bad information. I hope the President will read up on Murphy’s real record and reconsider his decision to throw the weight of the White House behind someone who will do Wall Street’s bidding.”
The Democratic Progressive Caucus of Florida is a chartered caucus of the Florida Democratic Party.
