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American Party Focuses On Illegal Immigrants
By Bill Rufty
bill.rufty@theledger.com

The newly-formed American Party of Florida has taken up its first fight: illegal immigrants and what it says is the lack of enforcement of laws governing immigrants.

In a press release Thursday, former Avon Park mayor and now founder and state chairman of the new party, Tom Macklin, took issue with the release of five undocumented workers found in the back of a Freightliner box truck following a traffic stop in Highlands County, Feb. 19.

"I am disappointed, perplexed, enraged and disgusted all at the same time," Macklin said in an e-mailed release. "They supposedly were released because they hadn't committed a crime. But in a post-Sept. 11 environment, undocumented individuals need to be detained, fingerprinted, and if possible, have their identities verified."

The American Party is treating the incident as a matter of protecting the country against terrorism. Keep in mind that Macklin, while mayor last year, proposed a city ordinance that would have placed strict fines on businesses that employed undocumented workers. It failed by a single vote when it went to the Avon Park City Commission.

Party officials hope to expand the American Party of Florida throughout the state and probably first in next-door Polk County. Given the frustrations over immigration issues and the party's stand against illegal immigrants, they could have a powerful recruiting tool if Florida and especially the federal government don't come up with some type of resolution to the immigration issue.

WOOD IN EARLY; HE HAS TO BE

Winter Haven developer and lawyer John Wood may be a first time candidate, but he obviously has learned quickly.

With an out-of-the-gate endorsement by state Rep. Baxter Troutman, R-Winter Haven, Wood will make his formal announcement to run for Florida House District 65 in 2008 at a reception hosted by Troutman at 11:30 a.m. today at Cypresswood Golf & Country Club, 1099 Club House Road, Winter Haven. He opened his campaign account with the state Division of Elections in Tallahassee almost two weeks ago.

It is a bold and politically wise move to begin receptions and campaigning 17 months before the party primary. The effort, of course, is to create momentum that will scare away other candidates. That's why most incumbents open a campaign for the next election almost as soon as they are sworn in for the current term.

Rep. Seth McKeel, R-Lakeland, did it successfully in his first run for the Legislature in 2006. Announcing more than a year early, he had no opposition in the Republican primary. He was so far advanced in his campaign and funding that even when a Democratic opponent more or less stumbled into the race at the last possible minute, McKeel won easily.

But District 65 is not as close knit as McKeel's District 63. True, McKeel has parts of Hillsborough County, but the biggest bulk of votes is concentrated in South Lakeland, Mulberry and Bartow.

The District 65 seat, currently occupied by Rep. Marty Bowen, R-Haines City, is spread among diverse cities in east county and portions of Winter Haven.

Bowen, the majority leader in the House, will be term-limited and cannot not run again in 2008.

But, as one official put it: Folks in Haines City have gotten kind of used to having a legislator from northeast Polk for the last six years. So, Wood's early leap into the race is a political necessity.