Former Republican Party Presidential nominee Mitt Romney will likely be photographed later today 
sipping cafe cubano in front of scores of rolling TV cameras and news people to prove that (1) he loves us Latins after all, even though we pretty much cost him the 2012 election and (2) Miami-Dade School Board Carlos Curbelo is the best candidate out of five on the GOP primary to send against Democrat U.S. Rep. Joe Garcia in November’s general election.
Is anybody buying either?
This is perhaps Romney’s first attempt since 2012 to reach out to Florida Hispanics and it comes just as his potential rematch is discussed on a national level? What a happy coincidence, everybody!
Read related story: Did Carlos Curbelo pay for Mitt Romney endorsement?
Romney may be a real “get,” as described by Alex Leary of the Tampa Bay Times, but he only chose Curbelo because he is already the darling of the GOPestablishment (read: clique). What else could Mitt do in one of the most watched, most flippable Congressional races in the country and after Curbelo got the nods from Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, former Gov. Jeb Bush, the Diaz-Balart brothers, former and current Congressmen Lincoln and Mario, who Curbelo worked for — and then tried to sneak a school naming for them just last year (residents said no way) — and Greg Walden, national chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee.
After all, if Romney has any hopes of ever trying for the White House, he’s going to need them.
That may be what Cutler Bay Mayor Ed MacDougall has repeatedly referred to as Curbelo’s IOUs.
“I never sought any endorsements because I’m going to be there to represent the people of the district, not other elected officials or politicians,” MacDougall told Ladra. “It concerns me that Curbelo has so many 
IOUs with people who never considered, apparently, talking to me or any of the other candidates.”
Former County Commissioner Joe Martinez confirmed that he had never been interviewed or even called by any of those people. He told Ladra that the echoed empty endorsements — which Curbelo seems to need to parade out time and time again — are a desperate attempt to look relevant.
“When you need all these people to do TV and radio ads and to come and speak out on your behalf to get votes, people like Mitt Romney and whoever else you have trotted out, it is because you are lacking in judgement, experience and any substance of your own,” Martinez said.
“What kind of Congressman can you be? He won’t be an individual.”
There’s one glaring endorsement missing and that would be Sen. Marco Rubio‘s. The senator’s old friendship with ex- Tally roommate, former Congressman David Rivera, who is also running on the crowded ballot to get his seat back, might be one reason why he’s stayed away. Another reason might be that 
he still holds a grudge since Curbelo supported Charlie Crist‘s bid for Senator against Rubio.
Several mailers, ads and robocalls have already centered on la traicion to Marco Rubio, and a MacDougall campaign insider told Ladra that voters would be reminded again this week in their mailboxes and in a 60-second spot aired hourly on Radio Mambi starting at 10 a.m. today.
The ad quotes Curbelo from an old Miami Herald story, saying the senator had “a cunning and convenient conservatism that is inconsistent with his record.” It then says that Curbelo is the one with a liberal record.
Curbelo is not only under increasing attack from his opponents in the Aug. 26 primary. The Democrats are also going to try to cash in on the Mitt Romney Monday Spectacular photo op.
Democratic activists were asked to meet at Congressman Garcia’s office Monday afternoon to tailgate to Vicky’s Bakery in West Kendall, where Mitt and Carlitos are going to break pastelitos and toast small businesses in a stereotypical and highly-scripted PR moment that should be an insult to the intelligence of every voter in the district, not just every Hispanic voter.
Read related story: Mitt Romney event for Carlos Curbelo at tax evaders’ home
Ladra suspects there will be fewer (read: zero) cameras or news people at the fundraiser for Curbelo starring Romney that starts shortly after the bakery photo op at the Grove Isle home of Fausto and Remedios Diaz Oliver, two admitted and convicted tax cheats.
It is beyond my comprehension what made Curbelo, a 33-year-old lobbyist whose only claim to fame was being a hangers on of the Diaz-Balart brothers, the best GOP primary choice for the party establishment.
Do they still think Curbelo can win against Garcia, whose campaign will jump on the tax cheats thing and the fact that Curbelo hasn’t had to disclose where he gets his six-figure salary from since he put his company in the name of his wife four years ago, before he ran for school board the first time.
Ladra wonders where are all these big name endorsers going to hide if (read: when) Curbelo loses next Tuesday?
Dems, opponents push back on the Mitt and Carlos show added by Ladra on
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Cookie, Starbucks guy is irrelevant. And I said something nice about Joe. XoXo, Anna
Can Joe Garcia be defeated? Of course, he won last election by coincidence. He himself knows that. Can anyone beat him? Any of the candidates except Curbelo. Listen to the Voters. Many Republican voters are saying that if Curbelo is elected they will vote for Garcia. Now, that is sad.
Aside from anything anyone has to say about Curbelo, the only thing that comes to mind is his lack of experience in politics. To name a few: he had a good chance to expose himself as the best candidate and what did he do.
1. At the interview with Lourdes D’Kendall it ended up as a boxing match, including being disrespectful with her.
2. At the Putney interview he should have been prepared to answer about his company being in his wife’s name. He had to have known he was going to be asked about it.
3. Also at the Putney interview he claimed Ladra was trying to get money from him for positive news. Is he out of his mind? No, just lack of experience.
4. On the first day of school what did he do? Go around town with Mitt Romney instead of visiting schools.
Curbelito, not only do you have a lot to learn, but get better advisors they are screwing you. You should have acted differently with the media and you should have brought Romney last week, before school started.
Palangana, there’s a saying when you don’t have anything nice to say don’t say anything. It doesn’t always works that way but your comment is just little phrases. You have no clue what you are saying. Who put you up to this? I guess Palomares he is the only one you don’t name. Just in case you are not aware of, Ladra had an article that Palomares claimed he was endorsed by Tomas Regalado and Mayor Hernandez among others and those were lies. Next time include him on your comment.
Curbelo is slated to appear at Killian for a College Prep Town Hall Meeting this week…yeah right Carlito, I’m sure those are your intentions you little postalita.
Martinez disrespects the voters by naming senior centers after his mother. Macdougal is crass. Curbelo is a postalita. Is this really the best our community can do? This is going to be a layup for Joe.
Curbelo and his IOU’s are simply a reflection of scummy, slimy half-cocked politics. This little snot-nose brat parades out his GOP supporters like a kid with new toys.
They are all classless, including Curbelo, for the manner in which they have disrespected Mac and Martinez.
At this point, voters should vote for anyone but Curbelo. He is the worst choice for FL26.
The Federal Election Commission Website indicated that Carlos Curbelo gave $2400 to Charlie Crist, but never wound up donating anything to Marco Rubio.
I guess Curbelo never realized the error of his ways.
I just had occasion to watch on line the WPLG show South Florida today. Michael Putney and Glenna Millberg hosted the five candidates for the Republican primary for the District 26 Congressional Race. Because it is only a 15 minute segment none of the candidates got to speak in detail.
The part of the interview/debate that was the most notable—in my opinion—was when MacDougall asked Curbelo to explain how he earned his income of $250,000 through the company he founded but which is now in his wife’s name. Interestingly, when you go back to the top of the show and he is being introduced as a lobbyist and the owner of the company and a member of the school board he is shaking his head yes throughout the introduction. Freudian? No doubt.
How dumb does he think the next generation of computer savvy, information minded, in the moment, voters can be? I can’t be the only one who thinks there would just be a continuation and another manifestation of the sleaze factor should this guy get elected.
Time to break the pattern and listen to the next generation who are doing their talking through MacDougall. Few if any voters coming of age in recent years have faith in what has become the lock and status quo on the so called “latin” seats. Time to move on from the business as usual format to a person, at least from what I can discern, has the interest of the people at the center of his campaign.
Do we all agree that Rubio is wise for not endorsing this guy (who he probably secretly hates)?
Thank you for exposing Curbelo for what he is, especially things such as the elementary school renaming he tried to sneak by last year. This weasel didn’t even have the balls to tell the community members that attended the meeting at the school that he was behind the effort.
I truly hope Martinez of Mac… pull this off
Do not poke Ladra through the fence with a stick. Or claim that her reporting is for sale. Do not. She has bared her teeth and is telling even more truth about Carlos Curbelo. (BTW, do you think on the oft-chance he gets out of the primary that he’s going to put away his shorts and put on big boy pants?) And another thing. Did he do his television ad with his family to show us that he was able to get at least one woman to sleep with him?
It is only the illusion of the Republican Party that Curbelo could beat Garcia. I don’t think so, when so many people are saying that if Curbelo wins the primary they would vote for Garcia. I think voting for Garcia is a mistake but people are fed up with the Party trying to choose the candidates for them. In this particular case with so many other more qualified candidates.