An allegedly foul-mouthed Florida State football fan arrested after the Boston College game has lost her job with a Florida senator.

Amanda Schweitzer, 25, of Winter Park, Fla., resigned from the office of U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Florida), the senator's spokesman announced yesterday.

Schweitzer allegedly screamed obscenities at police and reportedly lied about who she worked for after refusing to leave the stadium after BC's 28-17 loss to FSU on Sept. 17.

Schweitzer is accused of telling police her boss, U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Florida) would take care of the cops. She got arrested anyway in BC's Shea Field, according to a police report.

Tom Gallagher's campaign has seized on Charlie Crist's support from some trial lawyers to question Crist's conservative credentials. But it appears Gallagher is happy to embrace some trial lawyers himself.

Florida Democrats' quixotic quest to force lawmakers to override Gov. Jeb Bush's veto failed miserably, but they say the loss only highlights the lapdog mentality of House Republicans afraid to challenge the governor.

This year, Bush vetoed SB 1146, despite its bipartisan passage of 116-2 in the House and 39-0 in the Senate.

The bill established stricter oversight of contracts that outsource government functions and created a board to oversee the process.

There have been a number of harsh criticisms of Bush's passionate outsourcing, including flubbed efforts at privatized personnel management and oversight of the FCAT.

Nearly the entire Florida congressional delegation Thursday denounced a last-minute addition to an energy bill moving through Congress that would allow natural gas drilling within nine miles of the state's beaches.

But that unity may not last.

It's called the Women's Right to Know Act, an abortion law that conservatives bragged about -- and liberals sued over -- after it was passed in 1997 by the first Republican-controlled Legislature since Reconstruction.

Now, eight years and a couple of court defeats later, the law seeking to inform women about abortion risks landed Thursday before the Florida Supreme Court, where justices appointed by Democrats and Republicans alike struggled with the same question:

What's the big deal?

The law requires abortion doctors to tell ''reasonable patients'' three seemingly simple things: 1) risks from the procedure, 2) the gestational age of the fetus 3) the medical risks of actually bearing the child.

When the state takes the lives of the young, frail and elderly into its hands, someone should be watching to be sure nobody is dropped. Florida's leaders recognized the importance of oversight 30 years ago, when they created a system of local advocacy boards and a statewide council to monitor services to vulnerable children, seniors and Floridians with disabilities. ...

Lately, the state council's work has been stymied by state agency stonewalling. Backed by an opinion from Gov. Jeb Bush's office, the Education, Juvenile Justice and Health departments limited the council's ability to review records by insisting on a written release from each person receiving help. That allows the council to investigate individual complaints, but undermines any attempt to take a big-picture view of an agency's function. The Department of Children and Families, the state's lead social-service agency, lost a court case in 2004 over its reluctance to provide relevant records.

Florida's Republican Party received almost $4 million in campaign contributions from telecommunications companies over the past six years, even as the GOP-led Legislature approved the largest phone rate increase in state history.

King's score of 50 was near the bottom of all 26 GOP senators and tied with Democrat Larcenia Bullard of Miami. King was one of the so-called Republican Nine who opposed legislation to connect Terri Schiavo's feeding tube, and he supported several gambling bills the coalition opposed. (The lowest-rated GOP senators on the Christian Coalition scorecard were Dennis Jones of Seminole, Mike Bennett of Bradenton and Evelyn Lynn of Ormond Beach -- all with 46s).

The average Senate score was a 64 compared to a 74 in the House, which tells you something about how the religious conservative agenda is doing in the Senate these days. Saunders scored a 54 and Lee scored an 86. Only two senators scored a perfect 100: Republicans Dan Webster of Winter Garden and Steve Wise of Jacksonville. Other notables on the coalition scorecard include Sen. Rod Smith, D-Alachua, who's running for governor, 36, and attorney general candidate Sen. Walter (Skip) Campbell, D-Coral Springs, 38.

A lower court should not have rejected a lawsuit from voters who wanted their partly filled-out voter registration forms approved for the 2004 presidential election, federal appeals judges ruled Wednesday.

The three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta cleared the way for lawyers representing three voters and AFL-CIO unions to again challenge Florida's voter registration forms.

A lawsuit was filed in October 2004 against Secretary of State Glenda Hood and election supervisors in Duval, Orange, Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties. It claimed that missing information that disqualified the forms was unnecessary.

The suit was thrown out by U.S. District Judge Lawrence King, who ruled that those suing had no legal standing. But the 11th Circuit panel said there was legal standing, and a new complaint could be filed in light of recently passed Florida election laws.

Ignoring Florida's long-standing opposition to offshore drilling, a key U.S. House panel approved legislation Wednesday that could open both the Gulf and Atlantic coasts to oil and natural-gas exploration and production.

Jeb Bush on Wednesday criticized parts of a fast-moving Republican effort to lift a ban on oil and gas exploration off the Florida coast, lending his clout to an issue that is splintering the state's congressional delegation.

"In Florida, avoid disputes. Use special caution in arguing with motorists on Florida roads."

Nearly 350,000 people in Florida held concealed weapons permits as of Aug. 31.

- Guess who came in with a more liberal record than Sens. Hillary Clinton and Charles Schumer of New York?

- I am supporting U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris because of Nelson's voting record, and because she works tirelessly for conservative principles, unafraid to roll up her sleeves and get dirty -- even literally. Recently, I was to meet with her at the Arcadia Rodeo, and was surprised to learn that she was participating in the event, barrel racing at full gallop. What's more, she's handy with a rifle.

- Harris will win the Senate seat, catapulting countless liberals into a slack-jawed and incredulous state of mind.

- The vitriolic thunderclap from the left will rain down on Harris, precipitating a mighty unintended consequence: victory for the celeb.

As Ronald Reagan used to say, there they go again. U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris and other Republicans targeting U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson in the 2006 elections are already resorting to the old, tired tactic of calling him a liberal. But in Nelson's case, the rhetoric doesn't match the reality. Harris can compare Nelson to Ted Kennedy all she wants, but the truth is that he has developed a bipartisan governing style and a moderate legislative record that more closely resembles that of Bob Graham and Lawton Chiles. ...

Katherine Harris has every right to challenge Nelson's bid for re-election. But she doesn't have the right to insult voters by subjecting them to the same old inaccurate name-calling that seems to dominate every campaign.

Citizens for Science and Ethics, in its proposed constitutional amendment, declares: "No revenue of the state shall be spent on experimentation that involves the destruction of a live human embryo."

Founder Susan Cutaia, a Boca mortgage broker, said private groups, not taxpayers, should pay for the research. She cited moral concerns.

"We're all referring to it as human embryo, so therefore it is a segment of the human population," Cutaia said.

"Granted, [an embryo] is minuscule. But it's still human life. As human life, are we in a moral position to say this segment of humanity should be harvested so I can live a better life?"

Citizens for Science and Ethics will rely heavily on religious groups in its signature campaign, Cutaia said.

Dan McLaughlin, spokesman for Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., said the bill may seem to give control over a buffer zone but is actually full of loopholes that could be used to allow drilling up to 25 miles from shore.

"This is basically marching forward with an agenda to hand over to the oil companies the Gulf of Mexico," McLaughlin said, "and they're doing it under cover of hurricanes."

Buried in what might eventually total $200 billion in federal spending for Hurricane Katrina is $488 million for what would be the nation's largest school voucher program.

Both Gov. Bush and his education commissioner, John Winn, said they had not been in contact with the White House or the federal education officials regarding the Katrina vouchers. But Bush said he thought they were a good idea and again defended the use of vouchers in Florida.

"They work great," he said.

In a series of articles, The Palm Beach Post has showed how the lack of oversight in Bush's programs has allowed home school "consultants" to receive vouchers, how an Ocala correspondence school operator with a checkered business past had set himself up as a voucher distributor and how a school founded by an accused terrorist received vouchers.

An investigation based on the articles by Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher led to arrests in both the Ocala case as well as a Christian school in Bartow. His audit of the programs also found that there were virtually no financial or academic yardsticks to measure the programs' effectiveness.

Here is how other area members of the Legislature ranked with the Christian Coalition in 2005:

Rep. Nancy Detert, R-Venice, 91 percent
Rep. Michael Grant, R-Port Charlotte, 93 percent
Rep. Frank Peterman, D-St. Petersburg, 46 percent
Rep. Ron Reagan, R-Bradenton, 93 percent
Sen. Lisa Carlton, R-Osprey, 85 percent

Five years after Gov. Jeb Bush halted affirmative action in Florida's universities, the number of incoming black freshmen has fallen, and the Board of Governors is telling schools to find new ways to recruit more.

But the issue may go beyond whether Bush's One Florida plan is working and could affect one of the state's most popular, expensive and politically defended programs — Bright Futures Scholarships.

The Special Operations Command hid $20-million from Congress three years ago at the request of the Pentagon, Sen. Bill Nelson confirmed Tuesday as he demanded an investigation by the Senate Armed Services Committee.

The Florida Democrat, who has monitored the case as a member of the committee, said the Pentagon, "with SOCom's complicity, created a slush fund from which to draw funds for purposes and in amounts that they intended to hide from the Congress and the people."

In his run for governor, state CFO Tom Gallagher said he would oppose abortion and same-sex marriage and promote family values.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Gallagher proposed Monday to lead a fight for a mandatory 24-hour waiting period for women seeking an abortion.

The governor heaped praise on Tom Gallagher Monday after the chief financial officer rolled out a "pro-family" agenda that included waiting periods for abortions for minors, increased funding for adoptions and mandatory filters on public-library computers to block access to pornography.

The only issue was whether any of the commissioners were going to trip and sprain an ankle as they rushed to [give Sprint an extra $30-million].

Michael Twomey, who represents customers and is a frequent pain in the PSC's neck, tried to speak.

the PSC rejected the recommendation of its own staff, which said that Sprint should be entitled to collect only $9-million at most, and by a 3-1 vote approved the full $30-million. ... [All] because of a wicked law passed by a wicked state Legislature in 1995, there has been no legal limit on telephone profits.

If a PSC member ever treated a utility that way, the governor would probably declare a state of emergency.

Gov. Jeb Bush's staff is reviewing a contract proposal for anti-abortion counseling services after the deadline for bid submission passed and no bids were filed, Bush's spokeswoman said Monday. ...

Bush's spokeswoman, Deanna Ripkin, said Monday that his staff will review the request for proposals and consider "other options," including a no-bid award.

The original proposal requires that a successful bidder "adhere to a strict policy of not promoting, referring or counseling for abortion."

called each other 70 times on district cell phones. The question arose: Were these public officials in violation of the Sunshine Law during any of the 40 calls that were of some length?

"Well, duh," is a very dated expression these days. Yet it is almost impossible to believe that during the 11 months these calls were placed back and forth, the two women never once spoke about matters "on which foreseeable future action may be taken."

Speaking at a leadership forum for students and state workers in Tallahassee, [Would be SCOTUS nominee and Bushfamily reetainer, AG Alberto] Gonzales called the late Chief Justice William Rehnquist "a hero" and vowed his office would win an appeal of a recent federal court decision declaring "under God" in the pledge of allegiance unconstitutional.

Warning that Florida streets have the potential to morph into the OK Corral, gun-control advocates are preparing to launch an international campaign through newspapers and the Internet to tell travelers about a new state law that allows people to use deadly force in self-defense.

"It's a particular risk faced by travelers coming to Florida for a vacation because they have no idea it's going to be the law of the land," said Peter Hamm, communications director of the Washington, D.C.-based Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. "If they get into a road-rage argument, the other person may feel he has the right to use deadly force."

In a flier the group plans to pass out at Miami International Airport and possibly Orlando International Airport, tourists will be admonished to take precautions that include: "Do not argue unnecessarily with local people."

This Saturday, it will become legal to use force on an attacker without first trying to escape the confrontation. The new law seals the existing right of residents to protect their homes by shooting intruders -- known as the "castle doctrine" -- but now also extends that right to public places if people feel threatened with death or bodily harm.

Some members also are upset with the abrupt appointment in July of a new executive director for the council [the Statewide Advocacy Council was created 30 years ago by lawmakers to investigate complaints made against agencies charged with the welfare of abused and abandoned children, and the elderly, disabled and mentally challenged], Sherri McVay.

McVay is a health care lawyer who worked for Gov. Jeb Bush's father and brother, George W.

She replaced William Marvin, who headed the council for 13 years.

"I do have some political involvement," McVay said, but added she was chosen to lead the council because of her strong leadership and administrative skills.

Nelson's "more liberal than Hillary Clinton"!!!

Although he leads Harris in most early polls, large percentages of the respondents have no clear opinion of Nelson.

If history in other states is an indicator, Catholic and evangelical churches backing the amendment [to ban gay marriage] will mobilize parishioners to vote. Generally supportive of Republican candidates, the increase in voters due to the gay marriage amendment could affect close elections for seats ranging from the governor's office to the U.S. Senate to local legislative races.

there is no similar ballot measure next year that might energize Democratic voters, [Bernie Campbell, a Democratic political consultant based in Tampa] and others say they have an even better weapon: The presence on the ballot of Katherine Harris, the Republican who Democrats still scorn for her role as secretary of state during the disputed 2000 presidential election.

"I think the (gay marriage amendment) will stimulate voters next year," said Rick Wilson, a Republican political consultant, "but Katherine Harris is worth a couple of gay marriage amendments for the Democrats."

the image of elected officials getting rubdowns [all Republicans and lobbyists and all of them women at the elegant Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables] while their constituents scrambled for bottled water and batteries could be a little tough to defend at the height of hurricane season.

Some of the criticism of the chancellor search involves the makeup of the seven-member search committee, which includes only members of the Board of Governors. All are appointees of Gov. Jeb Bush. All are business people, except for Dr. Martha Pelaez, a Florida International University psychology professor.

"Florida is behind the times in using a personal crony system," said Tom Auxter, president of the United Faculty of Florida.

By contrast, the 14-member committee searching for New York's next chancellor includes three university presidents, the student assembly president, three faculty members and the vice president of Nanoscale Science and Engineering at the University at Albany.

As Florida's population booms and impact fees collected to pay the costs of growth fill local coffers, state lawmakers want to know if legislation is needed to regulate how those fees are calculated and applied.

Home builders say yes, while local officials are leery of any intervention by the state.

Republican state senator from Melbourne is writing a book as part of a unique contract arrangement with Brevard Community College, where Haridopolos is an assistant professor. In exchange for a lighter class load -- and a salary of more than $38,000 a year -- Haridopolos will pen a "textbook-quality" tome for the school that draws on his time in Tallahassee. ...

Haridopolos has already submitted a draft of the first third of the book. Among the words of wisdom he has for aspiring politicians:

Send out mail. Lots of it. "The fact is many people walk directly from their mailbox to the trash can. You will make it there too, but let's hope they at least remember your name!"

Think about that skeleton in your closet. "It will come out and [so] try to figure out if it is something that you can live with and the public will tolerate. By this I mean an arrest record, not marriage issues or even drugs. Those only come up in the larger races or ones that are clearly obvious."

Prepare to grovel. "I sometimes joke with my students that asking for money is like asking a girl out you like from school and if she somehow reluctantly says OK, you then follow up with 'Can you pay for the date too?' "

Of course, whether the work is "textbook quality" may depend on whom you ask.

There are plenty of instances where it's not hard to divine Haridopolos' ideology. Like the time Haridopolos, one of the most conservative members of the Senate, warns prospective candidates to know where they stand on issues because "we all saw . . . during the 2004 presidential election [Democratic nominee] John Kerry's flip-flops."

Even though Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties are considered Crist country, Gallagher will hold a fundraiser, sponsored by some of the biggest local GOP names, on Thursday night in Tampa at the Bayshore Boulevard home of Lynn Casper [Among them are former Gov. Bob Martinez, state Sen. J.D. Alexander of Lake Wales, publisher Dick Mandt, GOP finance stalwarts Robert and Nancy Watkins, architect brothers Albert and Carlos Alfonso, businessman/civic activist John Sykes and developer Dick Beard.]. ...

Gallagher got a boost that surprised even some supporters this month when a Quinnipiac University poll showed him leading Crist 39 percent to 36 percent -- still less than the 4.7-percentage point error margin.