Fireworks at congressional candidate forum in Miami-Dade

Many expected Republican Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart and his challenger, former Hialeah Mayor Raul Martinez, to provide the fireworks Monday night at the Kendall Federation of Homeowner Associations candidate forum. But while Martinez and Lincoln Diaz-Balart were polite and civil to each other, the real pyrotechnics erupted when the turn came to speak for Diaz-Balart's brother and congressional colleague, Mario, and his opponent, former Cuban American National Foundation executive director Joe Garcia. It all started when Mario Diaz-Balart jokingly alluded to his claim that Garcia does not live in the 25th Congressional district he hopes to represent -- an allegation Garcia denies.

"I want to thank my brother and colleague, Lincoln Diaz-Balart, for being here, his opponent, Mayor Martinez, my opponent, I particularly want to thank him, because he had to drive through four congressional districts to get here,'' Mario Diaz-Balart said, smiling.

Pandemonium ensued as Mario Diaz-Balart finished the sentence. The crowd, about evenly divided between Mario Diaz-Balart and Joe Garcia supporters, erupted in screams and cheers for their candidate trying to down out each other.

When Garcia rose to speak, he was visibly angry and immediately took on Mario Diaz-Balart's district comment.

"You know Mario made a joke,'' Garcia said, but, you know I was born and raised in this community and went to college in this community while he was busy dropping out of college in central Florida.''

Pandemonium again.

Mario Diaz-Balart's supporters booed loudly and for minutes chanted "Enron Joe, Enron Joe, Enron Joe'' making it impossible for Garcia to continue for several minutes. Mario Diaz-Balart did not respond to Garcia's allegation at the event but told The Miami Herald Tuesday that he dropped out because he had to go to work.
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  Toward the end of his speech, as Mario Diaz-Balart's supporters again took up their "Enron Joe'' chant, Garcia turned to Mario and said: "You know,

that line is a lie.''

The "Enron Joe'' line is a reference to Mario Diaz-Balart's accusations that Garcia, a former Florida Public Service Commission chairman, approached the infamous energy giant Enron for a job with the Bush administration. Garcia has denied the allegation.

    -- Alfonso Chardy

Comments

[KendallResident]

I'd be angry, too. The Diaz-Balart's are scumbags and liars, and the only joke has been their time in office.

[TominKendall]

Wait a sec...you meant to tell me this Balart guy never even went to college???

Are you kidding me?!?!?

And this is who we have writing our laws!!!

He has no excuse. The Balarts are a wealthy family.

[Not Today]

To make a slight correction, what Joe Garcia said regarding Mario Diaz-Balart's backhanded comment about not living in the district was that he has lived in our community his whole life. Let's not create false facts by saying Garcia denied he doesn't live in the district. It's not a requirement to live in the district, and Mario Diaz-Balart knows that, having himself not lived in the district for three years -- a term and a half!

@TominKendall: No, Mario Diaz-Balart left college to take a position running Xavier Suarez's race for Mayor of Miami and has been in politics ever since.