Swamp Politics: Combative Florida Races Highlight Primaries

August 24, 2010 -- Florida has long been fertile ground for interesting political stories, but even by its standards, today's primary provides a showcase worth noting.

The state presents a real conundrum for Democrats, who might benefit most if the person they'd least like to see in office wins their primary. And this election has served up some hard lessons for rich, self-financing candidates, who have dumped millions into their campaigns but still trail in the polls.

Most of the salacious story lines stem from Jeff Greene, the billionaire seeking the Democratic spot in the open race for Senate.

Greene brings a big personality into the race along with his close personal friendship with the former boxer Mike Tyson--the best man at Greene's wedding and a former roommate in Heidi Fleiss, notorious as the Hollywood Madame. Then there's his yacht called the "Summerwind," where there may or may not have been scandalous parties in far-flung and exotic locations.

Greene burned brightly as a candidate for a short while, but has since fallen behind Rep. Kendrick Meek, the Democratic Congressman who now leads in primary polls.

Meek has the backing of the Democratic establishment in the state and nation, and if he wins the primary will get their vocal backing in the general election too.

Meek has accused Greene, the real estate mogul, of benefiting off the backs of people losing their houses. Greene has said he wants to take a look at rolling back the embargo and travel restrictions toward Cuba.

Greene has said a vote against Meek is a vote against Washington.

Watch Kendrick Meek discuss the race here.

But from a tactical standpoint, a Meek victory would draw Democratic voters from Gov. Charlie Crist, who left the Republican party this year when it became clear that his moderate record and public backing of President Obama's economic policies made him unpalatable to Florida Republicans.