Danny McAuliffe
Republican Attorney General hopeful Frank White is declining an invitation to sit before the Tampa Bay Times editorial board.
In a letter addressed to Tampa Bay Times editor of editorials Tim Nickens, White makes it clear that he believes the opinion branch of the newspaper is one-sided and unfair to conservatives.
“While I appreciate your invitation to sit before the Times Editorial Board to have my conservative views mocked and ridiculed, I respectfully decline,” the letter reads. “Just as I would not seek an endorsement from Emily’s List or the ACLU, I do not wish to receive yours.”
White, a state Representative from Pensacola, cites a Times editorial from February in which the paper accuses Republican state lawmakers of valuing guns over children’s lives. The piece was a response to the state House’s refusal to consider an assault weapons ban in the wake of the Feb. 14 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that left 17 dead.
“Voters in November should hold accountable legislators who value assault rifles more than children,” reads the editorial.
“I have three sons whom I love dearly. It is BECAUSE of them that the Second Amendment is such a non-negotiable for me,” writes White. “This is not a binary choice, and that you refuse to see that is a tremendous demonstration of the liberal intolerance for those who resist giving into that type of attack.”
Continues White, “On so many of the biggest issues facing our state, the editorial page of the Tampa Bay Times and I simply disagree.” He gives as examples editorials titled “The folly of defunding Planned Parenthood,” “How Florida and the Trump administration are tampering with your health care,” and “Tell the Legislature’s Immoral Minority to expand Medicaid in Florida.”
Although White criticizes the editorial team, he draws a contrast between them and the Times’ news operation.
“While I have an incredible amount of respect for hardworking journalists who produce well-researched and accurate news, I am not inclined to seek the support of their colleagues on the other side of the newsroom,” reads the first part of the letter.
Ultimately, he frames his decision to skip an interview with the editorial board as avoiding a waste of time.
“You are fundamentally biased against the values I hold, so hanging out in your office for an afternoon seems like a waste of valuable time I can spend talking to voters,” reads the letter.
White is facing off against former Hillsborough Circuit Court Judge Ashley Moody for the Republican nod in the statewide Attorney General race.
