A wild scene unfolded on Thursday after the top Democrat in the Florida Senate, Jason Pizzo, announced he was leaving the Democratic Party in a fiery floor speech. Telling his now-former colleagues that “our constituents are craving practical leaders, not political hacks,” Pizzo said he had “FedExed” his voter registration form, changing it to “no party affiliation.”
Here’s a bit of what he had to say.
PIZZO: There’ll be a caucus meeting where I hope that the members of the Democratic Caucus will elect a new leader. For today, I FedExed my voter registration form to change my party affiliation to no affiliation. Joe Scott should receive that by 8 AM tomorrow morning in Broward County, and here’s why. Our constitutions are craving practical leaders, not political hacks. We are entrusted to be guided by our conscience, and while I suppose it’s easier in theory than it is in application, even my worst detractors have no valid claim that I can be bullied, that I can be bought, or even borrowed for a special interest.
I am my father’s son even in his death. I am my mother’s son while she is still alive. I will not miss another one of her birthdays, and I will return to what I was when I became a young man. Independent. Independent in thought, in my passion, in my conscious, not consultants.