Dems release “Annette Taddeo 2.0” against Rivera

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Political Miami was abuzz Monday with news that local Dems had found their great hype hope to pit against U.S. Rep. David “9 Lives” Rivera, who Ladra has publicly called the Teflon Man and had considered, perhaps, the most unbeatable incumbent in our midst — until now.

Maybe.

Not because some unknown businesswoman (one headline used “random”) who looks, sounds and feels like the reincarnation of Annette Taddeo came out of nowhere. Not because Rivera — even in a new, watered-down district — has anything to fear from Bogotá-born Gloria “Who?” Romero-Roses. No. He’s vulnerable because because las malas lenguas say that even the Republicans are looking at possibly finding a cleaner candidate.

Rivera is seen as more vulnerable because he is dogged by interminable ethics investigations that have made him a sort of piranha in D.C.  The words “lame duck” came up a couple of times, even though this is his first federal term, because he has been seen as less effective than he could be. But not entirely, of course. Rivera still has some capital clout; his presence and endorsement is still sought by other GOPs, i.e. U.S. Rep. Connie Mack in his bid to unseat Sen. Bill Nelson. And he has done stuff, most notably bringing $20 million more to Everglades restoration than his BFF and one-tme Tallahassee housemate U.S. Senator Marco Rubio. He did have something to do with passing of the Free Trade Agreement with, coincidentally, Colombia (even though he likes to take nearly full credit for it).  And he had the cojones to actually float the idea of eliminating the arguably unfair and counter-productive Cuban Adjustment Act. He just hasn’t been as loud about it like he used to be.

Some of Rivera’s own friends and allies told Ladra Monday that there was some murmuring in the local GOP basement about finding a more publicly palatable candidate toput in the primary. The name most often floated is former State Rep. Marcelo Llorente (Rep., District 116), who came in third last year in the rushed recall-domino-effect county mayoral election and later endorsed Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez against former Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina.

Llorente, noticably absent from the free-for-all ballot this year, told Ladra on Monday that he had, indeed, been encouraged to run against Rivera. But that’s pretty much all he said as he reverted to his  patented safe soundbites. “I’m flattered that people think of me and want me to run, but I have not yet decided what to do,” he carefully added.

So, for now, that leaves those of us who watch campaigns like some people watch American Idol with a David vs. Goliath battle — except David is Goliath this time.

Romero-Roses, who with her husband owns real estate and consultng businesses and is tied to the ALF industry (giving the absentee ballot campaign, where Rivera rules, a whole new spin),  has been called Annette Taddeo 2.0 because she bears a lot of striking similarities to the Pinecrest Democrat who lost her first bid for public office against U.S. Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen in 2008 (58-41) and her second bid to Miami-Dade Commissoner Lynda Bell in 2010 (didn’t make the run-off.

She came out of nowhere. She is a businesswoman and mother who has never been elected. She is a Colombian-American running a slimshot race against a Cuban-American political powerhouse in a town donde los cubanos todavia mandan (whether we like it or not). They even kinda look alike. And it looks like they come from the same fold.

Ladra is going to go out on a limb and say this was not Romero-Roses’ idea. The announcement was made by the Democratic Party. She’s the Democrats’ third (that we know of) try since they can’t take another risk on Joe Garcia, who lost to Rivera (51-44) in 2010. Firsth, they repportedly struck out with former Miami-Dade Mayor Alex Penelas (who probably said “thank you very much but I am making money and do not need the scrutiny”) and State Rep. Luis Garcia (Dem., District 107), who says he backed out because he sensed the party was going to double-cross him but actually got a better deal (read: less campaign financing burden) when Norman Braman tapped him to run against Miami-Dade Commissioner Bruno Barreiro (more on that later). Garcia also said he’s going to drop the D and register without party affiliation over the Democrats treatment of his congressional campaign. Ladra thinks it may have to do more with District 5 demographics. And because Braman is Republican.

Rivera is not as vulnerable as they would have you think. More than two thirds of his current district 25 is in the new district 26, in which all the Republican candidates won last year over Democrats (even if with slim margins in some cases).

Teflon Man would not comment, as usual, about any potential challenges even though he is cordial with Ladra. Before anyone starts screaming foul, we have mutual friends and I’ve been to some of his campaign events (I also helped Taddeo in her commission bid in 2010 for a short while).  But in case anyone thinks I’m a big fan, just ask him. He calls me a “Democratic operative” and we are often arguing about one thing or another (like we are in this photo at a 2010 fundraiser thrown by a good friend of mine). His office issued a statement that said he was focused on his job, but hinted that someone in his camp is paying attention: “Once the redistricting process is over, and Democrats have finally settled on choosing a candidate, there will be more than enough time this Fall to deal with their false and negative campaign attacks.  Until then, Congressman Rivera will remain focused on the issues that matter to his constituents, particularly jobs and the economy.”

But Romero’s announcement on Romero’s candidacy came the same day Ladra got an invite to an event organized by Ruth’s List, a national organization that works to get more pro-choice women in elected office. “Ruth’sNo List Florida’s Paths to Leadership” next Tuesday is billed as “a conversation with” a bunch of elected Dem femmes, like El Portal Mayor Daisy Black, Miami Gardens Mayor Shirley Gibson, North Miami Councilwoman Marie Erlande Sterile, State Rep. Cynthia Stafford (Dem., District 109) and State Sen. “La Gwen” Margolis, who doesn’t thinks Cubans classify as a minority and who, Ladra hopes, gets a challenge to her seat even if the court doesn’t change her district boundaries, as they should.

“Share their experiences as elected officials, the paths that brought them to elected office, issues on their radar coming out of the 2012 Legislative Session in Tally, how demographic shifts and re-districting will impact Miami Dade, how you can run for office and more,” the invite says. But before you say it, and Ladra thought it, too — “just in time for Ms. Nobody” — I’ll have you know Rosales is not just attending. She’s hosting the event, along with several others that are more known comodities that include, most notably, Haitian-American activist Gepsie Mettelus, biking and Obama enthusiast (and former “special aide” to Miami Mayor Manny Diaz) Kathryn Reid Moore, Coral Gables artist Sharon Socol, who has contributed about $45,000 to Democratic campaigns since 2000 (including $10,000 to Obama, $1,000 to Bill Nelson and $250 to Debbie Wasserman Schultz in 2012 alone) and fellow ALF consultant Consuelo “Conchy” Bretos, who ran for county commission almost 20 years ago and lost, terribly, to Bruce Kaplan in an ugly race where she was called a communist and vilified by fellow Cuban-Americans.

Now, why didn’t the Dems tap into on of them.