TV war starts in Fla. gov's race; ad attacks Dem

By BRENDAN FARRINGTON

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.

The Republican Governors Association is airing the first television ad of the governor's race, attacking Democrat Alex Sink's career as a banker.

The 15-second ad is airing statewide and opens with a still photo of a smiling Sink, who serves as the state's chief financial officer.

Sink's photo moves to the side of the screen as four video boxes open showing a foreclosure sign, two of a couple in their home and a man in a business suit walking with what looks like his desk possessions in a box. As those images disappear, another image opens next to Sink. It shows a man's hands placing two stacks of bundled money on a black table followed by female hands slowly sliding them away.

As the images play, a male voiceover says, "As bank president, Alex Sink eliminated thousands of Florida jobs -- while taking over $8 million dollars in salary and bonuses. Alex Sink. Not one of us. One of them."

At the last words, the still image of Sink makes a wink, with a sparkle coming out of her eye.

Sink is the former president of Bank of America's Florida operations. The ad doesn't explain that the jobs were lost because of a merger with Jacksonville-based Barnett Bank. Sink oversaw the consolidation of the staff and operations, a process that typically means duplicate jobs being eliminated and the closure of branches where the previously competing banks had locations near each other.

The RGA said it spent several hundred thousand dollars on the ads and is showing it on broadcast and cable stations.

The Sink campaign responded by saying she spent decades supporting businesses and families during her banking career before retiring in 2000.

Her campaign manager, Paul Dunn, pointed a finger back at Bill McCollum, the leading Republican in the race to replace Gov. Charlie Crist. He said McCollum, who served in Congress 20 years, contributed to the deregulation of the banking industry that helped lead to today's economic problems, including legislation he co-sponsored that helped make bank mergers easier.

"With his decades in Congress and as a special interest lobbyist, career politician Bill McCollum is desperate to avoid being held accountable for his leading role in helping start today's economic crisis that has left over a million Floridians out of work, bankrupt, or forced out of their homes," Dunn said.

Republican Sen. Paula Dockery is also seeking the seat Crist is giving up to run for Senate.