By Bob Mahlburg
Tallahassee Bureau

April 5, 2002

TALLAHASSEE · Gov. Jeb Bush Thursday e-mailed warnings to 20,000 supporters, moved to legally trademark his political slogans, and publicly blasted a group run by a Republican that has suggested Janet Reno has gay tendencies and made it possible for terrorists to attack the United States.

Bush said he strongly repudiated the group calling itself "Americans For Bush," which has used mailings and an Internet Web site to raise money and attack the former attorney general, the likely Democratic challenger in Bush's re-election campaign.

"I've told them to stop," Bush, visibly irritated, said Thursday. "This is what's sick about politics."

Ben Ginsberg, a Bush campaign attorney, threatened to take legal action to stop the group.

State Rep. Gustavo Barreiro, a conservative Republican Miami businessman and the group's leader, vowed to continue the attacks on Reno.

"This organization will be critical of people running against him," Barreiro said. "He may not want to bring out all these issues, but independent campaigns will. I'll absorb the criticism."

Bush Thursday sent a letter to Barreiro urging him to stop. The Bush campaign also e-mailed it to 20,000 of Bush's supporters.

"I repudiate it in the strongest terms," Bush wrote Barreiro. "It is bad enough that your group has interjected such base rhetoric into this campaign at all, but to do it while claiming to be acting in my best interests is inexcusable."

Bob Poe, Florida's Democratic Party chairman, had earlier urged Bush to take a strong stand against the group.

Poe congratulated Bush on his response, saying "I would have to commend him for taking action."

Todd Harris, spokesman for Bush's campaign, said Bush also sent Barreiro a letter several weeks ago demanding he stop.

The e-mail sent to Bush supporters warns, "You may have recently received a solicitation letter from an organization calling itself `Americans for Jeb Bush.' Please be advised that this organization has absolutely no affiliation with Governor Bush nor with the Bush-Brogan 2002 Campaign. Governor Bush has strongly repudiated the mailings sent by this organization, and has called on them to cease and desist."

John Kennedy of the Tallahassee Bureau contributed to this report.

Bob Mahlburg can be reached at bmahlburg@orlandosentinel.com  or 850-222-5564.

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