Ladra told you it would backfire.
The ridiculous attack on Miami-Dade Commission candidate Daniella Levine Cava for her $50,000-a-year job running a 
multi-million non-profit social service agency has really gotten more nays and shakings of the heads than concern or applause. Ladra thinks it shows a certain desperation by Commission Vice Chair Lynda Bell, who can’t run on her record or come up with a decent attack.
Or her supporters, anyway. The video attack was paid for by her PAC, Good Government Now, which many suspect is an attempt to make it look like former Commissioner Katy Sorenson‘s Good Government Initiative at the University of Miami.
Now, the silly, non-substantive video — in which only the tiny print shows that the $500,000 “salary” was paid over 10 years — has spawned a counter video attack from former (suspended) attorney-turned-child book author-turned-video producing enthusiast Steve Cody.
Related story: New attack on Daniella Levine seems lame, may backfire
Cody had done a couple of web video ads against the Dolphins stadium scam last year. Both questioned whether or not (keyword: not) Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, who had $4.4 billion at the time (it has since increased to about $5.5 billion) needed our public dollars or his roof and upgrades.
And, frankly, Ladra missed Cody’s video voice. I’m glad he is back — and wish he would do more.
What about the budget process and the threatened police layofffs? What about the libraries and the Pet’s Trust vote being ignored? What about Mayor Carlos “Tainted Boy” Gimenez and the public giveaways in his friends and family plan?
Steve, old buddy, you got a ton of material to work with. What the heck were you waiting for?
“It’s in line with my feelings about bullying,” said Cody, whose first book about bullying was written with former Miami-Dade Commissioner Natacha Seijas Millan.
In the new video he posted late Sunday, Cody says that “it’s a lie” when the commissioner tries to make people think her Good Government Now is the Good Government Initiative. He also says “Here’s part of the PAC’s attack ad. See if you can spot the other lie,” and then highlights the fine print where the $500,000 are collected between 2002 and 2012.
He also challenges Bell to pay the county back for the $50,500 she got paid last year — as the highest paid county commissioner.
The disclaimer at the end says “Unpaid Independent Advertisement by Stephen Cody Not Approved By Any Candidate.”
Can we pray for this to become a trend?
The source of this ad, however, is going to be salt in the wound because Cody was once a Bell defender. He apparently represented her against a challenge to her election in 2010 by former Palmetto Bay Mayor Eugene Flinn, who had lost by 362 votes. Cody spent two days at the Miami-Dade Elections Department as Bell’s attorney, former State Rep. JC Planas, and seven volunteers reviewed absentee ballot envelopes before they gave up. But Cody publicly announced his support for Levine Cava last week. Which only means we will get to see more of his videos soon.
“There will be more to come and the race and the money that has poured into the campaign from all of the lobbyists and lawyers and those who profit from having a commissioner who, to paraphrase Sally Fields, likes them — she really likes them,” Cody said.
Ladra, for one, can’t wait.
Daniella Levine gets more support from Bell attack ad added by Ladra on
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