Connections outside of Florida affect Floridians.

[The Backlash Cometh]

I'm sure you all know this already, but this is an opportunity to see it up close and personal. The "connection" is a big contributor to both parties from Missouri, but he's mostly considered a Dem. When you link up with the second article below, take a look at the links inside that article. The actual letters that were exchanged between him and the governor were published.

First article is from the St. Pete Times dated May 5, 1997 and reports background information explaining why a certain lawyer was disbarred. It's not the Florida ex-lawyer that causes pause for alarm, but the connection:

<snip>
Doll, 54, of New Port Richey exacted this promise: that Samaha would use brother-in-law Sam Hamra's connections to the Democratic Party to try to win presidential pardons for two federal prisoners, authorities said.
<snip>
The key to the plan was Samaha's well-connected brother-in-law, Sam Hamra.

Hamra, who lives in Springfield, Mo., owns 21 Wendy's restaurants and has long been a fund-raiser for Missouri Democrats. In the past 10 years, Hamra and members of his immediate family have donated $44,109 to Democratic causes.

After getting a call from Samaha, Hamra made the arrangements for former Senator George Mitchell's law firm in Washington, D.C., to assist him in representing Roberts and Ruder. The charge was $50,000 apiece
<snip>

http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/sptimes/access/17017885.htm...

And now look at this one dated last year, June 10, 2007 from the Columbia Tribune

Developer expected ‘loyalty’ from Blunt

Sam Hamra, a developer in southwest Missouri, believes a governor should help his friends win state approval of housing projects when all other competitive factors are equal.


"Over 40 years of being involved in politics, I’ve never asked a candidate or elected official to do something unlawful, improper or unethical on any matter that I have ever been involved in," Hamra said in an interview. "I just don’t do that."

<snip>

"All things being equal, the decision-makers would probably give some consideration to those who they would consider friendly contractors as opposed to those who may have opposed them in an election," Hamra said.

Hamra’s remarks help explain why housing developers pour hundreds of thousands of dollars in contributions into the campaign treasuries of statewide elected officials - Democrats and Republicans - who are also members of the Missouri Housing Development Commission.

http://www.columbiatribune.com/2007/Jun/20070610News011...

Kind of makes you think we're in over our heads, here in Florida, if we not only have to deal with our corruption problems, but everybody else's too.