Mike Tyson, political kingmaker?
Not in Florida, he’s not.
The former heavyweight champion’s name was tossed around during a bitter Democratic Senate primary battle between Kendrick Meek, an African American from a political family, and billionaire businessman Jeff Greene.
Tyson was the best man at Greene’s wedding. Other celebrity pals of the publicity hungry Greene include Paris Hilton and the Hollywood hooker booker, Heidi Fleiss.
Tyson’s buddy took it on the chin Tuesday as Meek romped to victory and now faces rising Republican hotshot Marco Rubio and popular Charlie Crist, the longtime governor of the Sunshine State who is running for the Senate seat as an independent.
Tyson’s former brother in law is former Maryland lieutenant governor Michael Steele who is now the controversial head of the Republic National Committee.
The NBC TV station in Miami reports this in the wake of Meek’s victory:
Meek was outspent by an estimated 5-to-1 ratio and at one point fell behind in the polls after Greene entered the race on the last possible day and began flooding the state with television ads.
The race was often nasty, with Greene calling Meek corrupt and Meek saying Greene bet against Floridians when he made investments that earned him hundreds of millions of dollars when the housing market collapsed.
“Mr. Greene wasn’t a pushover,” Meek said. “He was running more commercials than Geico, Burger King and McDonald’s put together. He came hard and he was a businessman that had some success in life, but I feel Floridians know that the people of good will spoke tonight and they will speak again in November.
During the campaign, it was reported that Tyson used drugs during a wild bash on Greene’s 145 foot yacht.
Tyson denied the allegations.
