BLACK REPUBLICANS TO APPLAUD RICK SCOTT SELECTION OF JENNIFER CARROL, PLEDGE TO DEFEND HER AGAINST DEMOCRAT ATTACKS, STRESS IMPORTANCE OF BLACK REPUBLICAN VOTE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) September 23, 2010 -- Statement of Coalition of Black Republicans on Rick Scott Selection of Representative Jennifer Carroll , Disney's Boardwalk Inn, Orlando, Florida , “St. James A”, Disney’s Boardwalk Resort, 8:15 a.m. Saturday, September 11, 2010

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BLACK REPUBLICANS TO APPLAUD RICK SCOTT SELECTION OF JENNIFER CARROL, PLEDGE TO DEFEND HER AGAINST DEMOCRAT ATTACKS, STRESS IMPORTANCE OF BLACK REPUBLICAN VOTE

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http://www.coleassociate.com

As African and Caribbean American members of the Republican Party from throughout Florida, we come together this morning to express our very deep and sincere sense of pride and jubilation over Rick Scott's selection of our “Leader", Representative Jennifer Carroll, to be his choice for Lt. Governor. We commend him for going where no other Republican Gubernatorial candidate has gone before in making a bold statement on diversity and inclusion. He is to be congratulated for having the courage to go against the pundits, operatives, and media establishment whose conventional wisdom has been to discount her and Black Republicans as a force in Florida politics. This is A NEW DAY AND A NEW BEGINNING.

Representative Carroll embodies the American Dream. The expertise and strengths she brings to the Ticket will not only energize the Republican base, but especially the over 62,000 Black Republicans, 160,000 Independents and a significant number of our state's 1.2 million Black Democrats--all of whom will be a decisive factor in November. As we saw in the recent Primary, every vote counts and counties can be won or lost by as few as 200 or even 6 votes. In the media markets and counties we represent alone, there are over 35,000 Black Republicans and 104,000 Black Independents--that is nearly 140,000 voters in just nine of our 67 counties. As an astute and successful businessman, Rick Scott knew that every customer counted... Now, as a politician, his selection of Jennifer shows that he understands that every voter counts. We hope that all of our Republican candidates, for whatever office, have that same understanding and appreciation of these important voters. As Newt Gingrich told Broward Republicans last year, diversity is important, but it starts with "inclusion.”

We know that the journey to victory in November will not be easy for Jennifer and her family. After the initial excitement of her selection wanes, we know that the attacks on her as a Black Republican will come. Therefore, we want to serve notice today that we will vigorously defend her against these attacks from the Democratic Party's usual suspects--it's Black and white surrogates and attack dogs, individuals and groups alike, whom the Party will use as cover to distort her record and accomplishments to Florida's Black and Hispanic voters. Many of them have and will call her a "Token." We consider her a "Real Gem.” To those who will try to tarnish our Gem, we say, "Go ahead--make our day! The days when we sit idly by and let Democrats and their surrogates, and some quarters of the general media, denigrate us and call us names for offering new ideas and going against traditional and failed policies of the Democrat Party regarding issues impacting minorities are over. Florida's history is replete with examples of Blacks being beaten and lynched just because we wanted to exercise our basic constitutional rights of free speech and participation the political process. Jennifer has shown what can be done and all of those who have sacrificed before her would be proud of this day and her selection.

Our pride in Jennifer is not based on her race alone. In all due respect to those who have gone before her, there can be no doubt that Representative Carroll is probably the most qualified and experienced person ever to be selected to be Lieutenant Governor. We want all Floridians to know the accomplishments of this fantastic public servant. She is the first African American Republican woman to be part of a statewide ticket in Florida; a great role model for all women having been happily married for twenty years; and, she is the proud parent of three outstanding children, one of whom is now with the Miami Dolphins.

She brings a twenty year career in the United States Navy working her way up through the ranks to retire as a Lieutenant Commander--no small feat for a woman, especially one of color. During that time she received several honors including the Meritorious Service Medal, two Navy Commendation Medals; two Navy Achievement Medals and the National Defense Service Medal. She became the first Black Republican female elected to the Florida Legislature where she rose to positions of leadership including being appointed Deputy Majority Leader and Majority Whip. She is Chair of the House Economic Development Policy Committee, serves or served on Committees related to utilities, energy, transportation, community affairs, business regulation, finance and tax, working groups on affordable housing, was make her well versed on issues of deep concern to all Floridians., was former Executive Director of Florida's Council on Homelessness, former Executive Director of the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs and served on the Mayor's Commission on the Status of Women. She is the recipient of the Northeast Florida Realtors Association "Legislator of the Year" Award; twice the recipient of the Christian Coalitional of Florida, Faith, and Family Award; and, is a Lifetime Member of American Legion Post 0197; the NAACP and the NRA. Her achievements will resonate with African and Caribbean Americans, women, Independents, veterans--and sports fans--as well as with "Jane and Johnny some time voters" of all ethnic backgrounds.

During these times of heated debate on immigration, she, like so many in Florida's Caribbean and Hispanic communities, has lived it. Born in Trinidad, West Indies, she immigrated to the United States as a young girl. As such, she does not take citizenship and our nation’s freedoms for granted. As a small business owner, she believes in the Republican Party principles of less government, less taxes, reducing regulation, personal freedom, and personal responsibility.

What makes her so dear to our hearts is her commitment to the issues, concerns, and problems facing Florida’s African-Caribbean and Hispanic voters, particularly education and jobs. She is Honorary Chair of the Florida Assembly of Black Republicans and Chair of the African American Republican Leadership Council of the Republican Party of Florida She was instrumental in sponsoring the Council's state wide Scholarship Essay Writing Contest and Banquet last year for African-American students on the "Life and Times of James Weldon Johnson" ; bringing together Florida Black Media, and Black Clergy roundtable meetings with the Republican Party of Florida; and, sponsoring legislation to remedy the state's Zero Tolerance Law which has a disparate impact on minority students which led to a disproportionate referrals to the juvenile justice system. She is committed to rectifying the deplorable statistics on Black male graduation rates where Florida and several of its counties rank among the worst in the nation.

She will be a great partner for Rick Scott in implementing his “7-7-7” jobs program for all Floridians. This is especially important given the very high and disproportionate jobless rates among Blacks and Hispanics in Florida. With Rick Scott's understanding of health care issues, the importance of the private sector in creating jobs; and, Jennifer's knowledge and experience in economic development, small business, and concern for education, this is the Perfect Ticket.

Finally, as we gather today on the anniversary of the "9-11" terrorist attacks on our nation, we want to remind those “Blame America First" Democrats and media pundits that terrorism is color blind. In recalling that tragic day, we pause to remember our fellow Floridian Ceecee Lyles, a former Fort Myers police officer and one of the Flight Attendant who, along with the African-American Co-Pilot, LeRoy W. Homer, Jr., were among the first to be murdered by the terrorists on United Flight 93. The terrorists did not stop and say, they are Black so leave them alone. And, neither did their accomplices worry about murdering countless numbers of Blacks at the World Trade Center, and the Pentagon, the over 240 Africans in the bombing of our Embassies in Africa, about how many Blacks would be slaughtered when their suicide attack killed 17 and wounded 39 members of the Navy's USS Cole crew--members of Jennifer's Navy family.

Terrorist kill whites, Blacks, Christians, Jews, and Muslims. So let us not are apologists for those who slaughter and maim innocent men, women, and children and maim and kill our military in Iraq and Afghanistan. On this day, as we know Jennifer does as well as a veteran and American, honor, and give tribute to those who lost their lives in the cause for freedom.

More information can be found online at http://www.coleassociate.com

Black Republicans     cece cole     Clarence McKee     governor     Jennifer Carroll     Lt. Governor     Rick Scott     Rpublican