Republican state Rep. David Rivera skipped a debate today with his congressional rivals sponsored by the Downtown Bay Forum in Miami.
More than 100 people attended the debate, which featured Democrats Joe Garcia amd Luis Meurice and Republicans Marili Cancio and Paul Crespo. The group's president, Annette Eisenberg, said Rivera's campaign had said he would be there.
"I paid $20 bucks for a meal he didn't eat,'' she said. "I don't think that's very responsible."
Rivera could not be immediately reached.
"We urge David Rivera to more fully embrace his responsibility to the voters of South Florida and participate more openly in the local democratic process,'' said Garcia's campaign.
UPDATE: A spokeswoman for Rivera's campaign, Leslie Veiga, said: "Rep. Rivera informed the forum over a month ago that he was going to be out of town due to a prior engagement." She said he was "fundraising and doing other events."
Good lord, fire that spokeswoman. You never say you missed something to go to a fundraiser.
Posted by: Bet David got better than a $20 meal where he was | June 30, 2010 at 09:58 PM
So David Rivera would rather raise cash from special interest like Big Oil than answer questions from concerned voters?
Will this be a story in tomorrow's Herald? I'm thinking not.
Posted by: Civis americanus sum | June 30, 2010 at 10:00 PM
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/07/01/1709645/candidates-friendship-with-cuba.html
David has no enemy greater then himself... and his record.
Posted by: Rivera is really a Castro sympathizer or at least a hypocrite! | July 01, 2010 at 10:31 AM
You know before you start casting stones take a look at yourself and make sure your party's priorities are in order as well. Your own party lack's leadership as shown with the current oil spill in the Gulf. Further more if you have never been a spokesperson for a candidate or involved in any which way in a political campaign then you shouldn't criticize or ask that someone be fired. Show your credentials to the public and stop hiding behind an alias, because I bet yours don't match those of Mr. Rivera's spokeswoman.
Posted by: research.bumblebee | July 01, 2010 at 12:05 PM
That spokeswoman obviously has no experience and has no idea what she is doing. She needs training and the sooner the better.
Posted by: Living in Miami | July 01, 2010 at 12:13 PM
I have been involved in some way shape or form with political campaigns and can tell you that there is a complete difference between what is said and what the media unilaterally elects to write. If you may recall when Joe Carollo's famous scandal broke about his incident with his wife and the tea bag, by the time it reached the media it was a tea pot. The media seeks to make things bigger and worse than they seem and they select what they want to use to make the story more grandiose. I would also have you note that a visit to the Downtown Bay Forum website (http://www.downtownbayforum.com/about_downtownbay_forum.asp)reveals that they have panels discussing "Corruption in Government" which is by far more important than any of the other topics they discuss. Why didn't they make a spectacle of who went to that and what they said?
Posted by: research.bumblebee | July 01, 2010 at 01:30 PM
MONEY WILL ALWAYS TRUMP A DEBATE IN POLITICS.
WITH ENOUGH CASH RIVERA CAN ATTACK AND LIE ABOUT HIS OPPONENTS.
Posted by: True Blue | July 01, 2010 at 04:09 PM