Monday, March 21, 2011

POLITICO/SEATTLE POST INTELLIGENCER: U.S. REP. JOHN MICA VISITED ITALY AND AFGHANISTAN WITH REP. NANCY PELOSI, et al. DURING RECESS

http://www.seattlepi.com/politico/437433_politico51652.html

Pelosi released from hospital in Rome

Monday, March 21, 2011
Last updated 8:35 a.m. PT

By
POLITICO

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was released from an Italian hospital after a brief stay Monday.

Pelosi's office did not have an immediate comment, but the AFP reported that she felt "unwell."

The Californian is leading a trip to Italy with Reps. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.), John Mica (R-Fla.) and Leonard Boswell (D-Iowa). They also visited Afghanistan, while the House is in recess.

The trip was to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Italian unification. Pelosi, 70, was invited by the president of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, according to her office. She had plans to get briefed on military actions in Africa and Asia, and meet with top Italian officials. While in Afghanistan, the delegation met with U.S. Ambassador Karl Eikenberry.

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer is a member of the Politico Network.

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Ironically, Rep. JOHN LUIGI MICA blasted his 2012 opponent and tried to tie her to Nancy Pelosi. See below:

Mica ignores District 7 opponent, invokes Pelosi
By Matt Dixon
Created 10/22/2010 - 12:18am
Beaven running 'Where's Mica?' e-mail campaign, challenging him to debate
Morris News Service

U.S. Rep. John Mica is employing a popular strategy to fend off a feisty opponent: Invoke national Democrats.

"My first vote [after re-election] will not be to continue Nancy Pelosi taxing and spending. That is the biggest difference," Mica said.

The Republican incumbent in the 7th Congressional District is running against Heather Beaven, a Palm Coast Democrat. Though a long shot, Beaven gained early momentum -- and cash -- by hammering Mica on his oil industry ties after the spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

She has also gone after Mica for spending time outside of the district and not debating her.

In September, Beaven, 40, sent out an e-mail that had Mica's face on a cartoon depiction of Waldo from the Where's Waldo book series. The picture was under a logo that included the phrase "Where's Mica?" and called him out for missing in-district events.

Mica, 67, said there was a good reason he missed the area events.

"Most of the candidate forums cited occurred while Congress was in session," he said.

On job creation, Beaven said she wants to create job incubators throughout the district modeled after the Jacksonville-based Beaver Street Enterprises.

"It's simple. If (a small business goes) through an incubator you are seven times more likely to succeed," she said.

Mica said his approach to lowering the unemployment rate in the district will be to oppose tax increases.

"I will help spur our economy by voting for lower taxes, less federal spending and by making government work better not grow bigger," he said.

If Republicans retake the House of Representatives, Mica would become chairman of its Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

"It is always beneficial to have a leader of any committee from your state. It is unique opportunity with Florida having dozens of projects," he said.

Mica has been the ranking GOP member on the committee since 2006.

Because so much of his campaign funding comes from representatives of the transportation industry, Mica's leadership spot on the committee has become a talking point for Beaven throughout the last few weeks of her campaign.

"When your ... campaign coffers are brimming with infrastructure and transportation (industry) money, how can you say you are not biased?" she asked.

Beaven says she wants to take on the practice of members of Congress receiving large sums of campaign funding from the industries they regulate.

At $578,027, the air transportation industry has given the largest amount to Mica over his career, with the $236,460 from the construction industry coming in third, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

Overall, Mica's campaign has $1 million in cash on hand to apply toward his re-election efforts.

Because Beaven has gotten a large chunk of campaign fundraising money from labor unions -- $17,750 of her total $205,886 -- Mica says her argument is full of holes.

"Her base represents one particular special interest, and quite a few liberal contributions," he said.

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