Hillary Comes To Florida

"Speaking to around 500 people who paid $100 each for tickets, the former first lady left few stones unturned in hitting Republican leaders for everything from the Hurricane Katrina response and Iraq policy to the proposal that a United Arab Emirates company take over significant operations at six U.S. ports." "Hillary Clinton rallies Florida Democrats". See also "Hillary Feels The Love" and "Clinton's Visit Lifts Democrats".

This love letter from the Tampa Trib editorial board: "Dear Hillary: Don't Run".




GOoPers In Action

"His career in the Legislature has this hallmark: He is shameless, literally. He never blushes no matter what he gets caught doing. This makes him the perfect instrument for anyone who needs to get something done." "On principle, Farkas likes to do favors for buddies".




"Yank their pants down in the light of day."

Kreegel update:

Infuriated by mysterious attacks in his 2004 primary race that sensationalized lawsuits and documents relating to paternity, malpractice and an alleged incident of criminal mischief, Kreegel has sued some of the best-connected figures in the Capitol.

"I'm sick of the behind-the-scenes crap," Kreegel said last week. "These people only survive in the cloak and dagger world. In the light of day, you can't get away with it."

Kreegel's lawsuit seeks punitive damages from what he claims are false allegations in a 2004 campaign flier of an arrest. But he said another goal of the suit is to target his attackers to "yank their pants down in the light of day."

Among the revelations in the lawsuit's depositions: The intent of the attacks had little to do with who represented the Charlotte County district. Instead, the attack was launched by lobbyists and funded through a short-lived political committee to influence an internal battle to become the Florida House speaker in 2009.

"Lawsuit exposes political attack".




Quid Pro Katherine

"But new information disclosed by the U.S. Justice Department on Friday shows Harris failed to mention one key detail back then -- that the company's president had asked her to put in a request for federal funding for his company." "Harris didn't tell all about donations". "Harris didn't tell all about donations".




6th Graders?

"Under Gov. Jeb Bush's proposed makeover for middle and high schools, students would begin tailoring their course selections to their future career as early as sixth grade." "Pick a major while you're still a minor".




Smith Declines To Politicize Execution

Seems that "that Gov. Jeb Bush could sign Rolling's death warrant in the midst of [Rod] Smith's campaign." Smith says he's not interested in politiciizing the execution by attending. "Rod Smith pulls the switch on photo opportunity".




Big

"Putnam gives Florida voice at U.S. House leadership table".




Jebbie's "Red tide"

Mismanagement at its worst:

Like a going-away present to taxpayers, Gov. Jeb Bush is looking to highlight his final year in office with a record $1.5 billion package of tax cuts. But a burden even bigger than these tax breaks is drawing scant attention from Bush and other political leaders.

With Florida's outstanding debt now totaling $22.5 billion -- more than double what it was 10 years ago -- taxpayers this year will have to cough up $1.6 billion just to cover debt payments.

That's real money. Steered elsewhere for a year, it could effectively eliminate the state's 14.5-cent-per-gallon gas tax, or slash the state's 6 percent sales tax by half a cent.

Bush talks a lot about the state's new triple-A bond rating. And the governor wants to slow down the rising tide of red ink by recommending the state pay $710 million cash instead of issuing more debt for environmental programs.

"Red tide".




"Outright Scam"

"From almost any public-minded perspective, President Bush's plan to sell off up to 300,000 acres in the national forest system and 500,000 acres within the Bureau of Land Management [including sales in the Ocala National Forest] is a mistake. From some vantage points, it looks like an outright scam." "Endangered lands".




Gallagher's Buddy?

"[I]n taped interview for Political Connections airing today [Florida Agriculture Commissioner Charles] Bronson carefully avoided criticizing Gallagher for voting on a pipeline project as member of the Cabinet without informing his colleagues that he owned stock in a company benefiting from the project." "Bronson's Buddy".




Not Her First Time

"A revelation last week that illegal campaign contributions had been made to Rep. Katherine Harris was not a first." "Harris received illegal funding in earlier case".




Decisions, Decisions

"A company owned by a United Arab Emirates investment firm is seeking to renew its license to provide services to ships docking at Port Everglades. County commissioners will decide Tuesday whether to renew the license for ISS Marine Service Inc., the steamship agent at Port Everglades for at least five years." "UAE-based company set to renew license at Port Everglades".




Kenny Boy

The Buzz observes thAT

[T]his ought to be a joyful time for Pruitt. But it's not, because he's hip-deep in controversy involving his extensive fund-raising network and his ties to the Florida Home Builders Association and West Palm Beach political consultant Randy Nielsen.

Apparently there were warnings about this newest GOoPer Kenny Boy: "Back to Ken Pruitt's Future".




Father of Sleepy Child In A Jam

"Always an inside player, Mayor Rich Crotty dealt himself into a real hole this time. We reported last week that Crotty voted to rezone land in West Orange for one of the area's biggest real estate brokers -- Daryl Carter of Maury L. Carter & Associates. This 2002 vote cleared the way for a $20 million sale, from which we can assume Carter profited handsomely. Two weeks later, Carter cut Crotty in on a Palm Beach land deal that more than doubled Crotty's investment in a year, netting him $112,000." "Crotty offers lame rationale for cozy deal".




"Panicked [GOP] lawmakers"

We like it when "[p]anicked lawmakers fear that Democrats now have an election-year opportunity", we like it a lot:

The deal also rankled Republicans because it fueled long-standing complaints that the Bush White House does not consult enough with Congress and takes GOP support for granted.

"Isn't there supposed to be some give and take?" said Rep. Mark Foley, R-Fort Pierce. "There's a disconnect (at the White House) about the value of Congress — until they need us for something they want."

Panicked lawmakers fear that Democrats now have an election-year opportunity to portray themselves as tougher in fighting terrorism than Bush and his allies.

"GOP backlash on ports covers broad spectrum".




Student Credit

Students deserve the credit, not Jebbie:

It is charitable to take the view that Gov. Bush agreed to adjust his "moderate" tuition increase because he listened to Florida's university students and realized that his proposal was excessive. That view will be correct if the governor makes the case to the Legislature for "a more moderate increase" than his initial 5 percent increase for resident undergraduates and 7.5 percent for out-of-state and graduate students.

For now, credit clearly goes to the Florida Student Association and others who rallied on the Old Capitol steps in Tallahassee against the increase. That boost would have come, they noted, on top of tuition increases that have totaled 26 percent over the past four years. Moreover, it was the sole increase proposed in Gov. Bush's $71 billion budget, at a time when the state is anticipating an extra $3.2 billion this year and next.

"Ease university tuition".