Luke jumps fence to Robaina

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Ladra is not a big Star Wars fan, but doesn’t Luke Skywalker betray the force in one of those movies to join Darth Vader in his evil plans?

Well, looks like it happened again.

Former rapper and mayoral candidate Luther Campbell, known as Luke Skywalker in the rap world, backed out of an endorsement for former county commissioner Carlos Gimenez to back former Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina in the race for the mayor’s seat vacated by the recall.

The much-coveted nod from Campbell, who garnered 11 percent of the vote on May 24, is seen by both campaigns as a prize and a way to gain some of that crucial black vote in the June 28 runoff. Marcelo Llorente, who placed third with close to 15 percent of the vote, has already endorsed Gimenez.

Uncle Luke, shame on you. You were supposed to back Gimenez on Wednesday and cancelled at the last minute, saying you were still on the fence. Now, apparently some promises that Robaina made about redevelopment in Overtown made you jump that fence? To support the same guy who you said three times last month had financed the campaigns of two other candidates in order to dilute the black vote? Wow. You are not the man I thought you were. Ladra is seeing a lot of that two-faced, double-talking lately.

“It is disappointing that Mr. Campbell would change course following our conversations and his indications earlier this week,” Gimenez said in a statement. “Mr. Campbell and I had a frank discussion and agreed we were on the same page as to creating jobs and making community redevelopment agencies accountable to the communities they serve.

“However, I was not willing to do certain things that Mr. Campbell was asking,” the statement said. “As I have stated before, I will not compromise my principles in order to win an election. It is clear that my opponent – who has demonstrated he will say and do anything to become Mayor of Miami-Dade County – made Mr. Campbell an offer he couldn’t refuse.”

What was it that Robaina said he would do that Gimenez would not, Luke? The voters deserve to know the details.