Senator "wasn't thinking properly"

"A senator who switched his vote last week from Alex Villalobos to Jeff Atwater for Senate president in 2008 said Tuesday he 'wasn't thinking properly' when he did it because he was on painkillers. Sen. Steve Wise, R-Jacksonville, said an Atwater supporter called him at home last week and told Wise he needed to sign a pledge card for the North Palm Beach senator to show his support. Wise said he was led to believe that he was the last Republican senator to sign on with Atwater, but he learned later it was actually a stalemate, with neither candidate holding a clear majority." "Senator admits to signing pledges to back both president hopefuls".




Dean in Town

"Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean on Tuesday said the United States should reach out to Latin America with programs that encourage trade and reduce poverty. Dean spoke to a crowd of about 300 students and supporters at Florida International University in Miami." "Dean says U.S. needs to reach out to Latin America".




Whatever

"Governor wants tougher curricula for middle, high schools". "Give kids a challenge, Bush says".




Scripps

"Despite millions of dollars already spent on construction on the edge of the Everglades, commissioners voted Tuesday to move the planned Scripps Research Institute to northern Palm Beach County." "Palm Beach commission selects Jupiter for Scripps". See also "United front on Scripps clears way for success".




Is Anyone Surprised?

"Bush said Tuesday he opposes a measure that would require the state's largest companies to provide a certain amount of health coverage for their workers. ... Bush didn't elaborate on his opposition to the measure, but defended giving tax breaks to companies to move to Florida if they offer jobs that pay more than most." "Bush against bill to make big companies provide health coverage". See also "AFL-CIO, Democrats propose benefits law".




"Jeb!" Takes Fight To "Anonymous Liberals"

"The group pushing a redistricting initiative responds to Gov. Bush's assertion it's funded by anonymous liberals." "Common Cause lists big donors".

Looks like Jebbie came up empty:

if Bush was hoping to find a labor union or famous liberal stalwart like George Soros bankrolling Common Cause, this list didn't produce it. The biggest individual donor? The late George J. Finney, a retired librarian with the U.S. Information Agency, who last year willed Common Cause more than $181,000.

Gotta watch out for the secret agendas of those retired librarians.

In any event,

Bush, who repeatedly called on Common Cause to disclose its donors during the past week, told reporters he applauded Tuesday's release, but he mocked the contributions as "secret squirrel" money collected at "secret squirrel meetings."

Bush is engaging in "the height of hypocrisy" in opposing the Florida redistricting plan, Goldin-Dubois said, considering that he helped raise money for a similar effort in California backed by Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

In Bush's 1998 campaign for governor, he refused repeated requests to disclose how much money people contributed to his Foundation for Florida's Future. At the time, officials said donors were promised privacy regarding their exact contributions.

"Common Cause Releases List Of Largest Donors"




"Jeb!" Folds

"The governor said he probably will recommend 'a more moderate increase' a day after student leaders held a news conference on the steps of the Old Capitol to protest his $46.7 million per year proposal." "Bush to reduce tuition hike plan".




Utah, Mississippi and Florida

Is Florida really in the same philospohical league as Utah and Mississippi? Apparently so:

State lawmakers remain reluctant to extend even limited adoption rights to gay people, forcing an advocate for the change to table her effort Tuesday.

State Sen. Nan Rich, D-Weston, told a packed hearing room that she did not have the votes for passage of a bill that would allow gay foster parents to adopt the children in their care. But Rich said her fellow advocates should celebrate the "baby step" of even getting the issue aired in the conservative Capitol.

Rich's bill would have provided an exception to a state law passed in 1977 that bans adoptions by homosexuals.

Florida is the only state with such an outright ban, although Utah and Mississippi have enacted laws requiring adoptive parents to be married.

"Same-Sex Adoption Measure Put On Hold". See also "Bill to let gays adopt kids hits dead end fast".




"FCAT-centric"

"As if Florida's public school system isn't already FCAT-centric, the governor and education commissioner are proposing to reward teachers solely for who plays the test game better." "Plan without merit".




Trolling for Dollars

"Hillary Clinton will spend three days trolling Florida for political donations, including $100-per-person and $1,000-per person events in Tampa Feb. 25." "Jeb And Hillary".




Cognitive Dissonance

"State Rep. Randy Johnson has been raising objections about what he called the insidious influence of political soft money, but that hasn't stopped his campaign from accepting tens of thousands of dollars from such sources." "This Soft Money Foe Says He's Keeping His".




To Replace Davis

In Congressional District 11, CQ reports that "the race increasingly looks like a two-candidate contest between county commissioner Kathy Castor and state Senate Minority Leader Lesley 'Les' Miller." "CQ On Dist. 11".




"Small Government"?

"Protection for employees at work"

Ironically, this bill comes before a Legislature dominated by lawmakers who speak of small government as the ideal. Yet dictating parking-lot policy for employers smacks of Big Brother. Sponsored by Rep. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, the bill (H 129 and S 206) threatens businesses with a third-degree felony -- punishable by a five-year prison term and $5,000 fine -- for forbidding guns in locked cars parked in a workplace lot.

Implicitly, the bill acknowledges the potential violence that it would invite. One provision would give firms immunity from any civil liability that results from a firearm locked in a car on private property. Still, immunity will offer little comfort to the manager who could be faced with a disgruntled and armed employee.

Hey, don't forget the employee who could be faced with a disgruntled manager.




Good Question

"parents might want to ask their state representative or senator why the state has so much money and their local school district can't make ends meet." "[S]chool cuts".




"Red"

Mr. Putnam:

The young man President Bush calls "Red," for his crimson hair, could be governor someday, people are saying. Or U.S. senator. Or, perhaps more likely now, House majority leader - only four big steps up from the job he got by election Feb. 2 as Republican Policy Committee chairman.

"It's extraordinary. It's without precedent," says Daryl Paulson, a University of South Florida specialist in the rise of Republicans from the Sunshine State. "For someone who's been in Congress for only six years and is only 31 years old to be promoted like this, he's clearly somebody to watch."

Putnam is a classic case. He comes from Polk County, a part of Florida that voted consistently Democratic for decades and supplied some of the party's legends - governors and senators such as Spessard Holland and Lawton Chiles.

"His Face Bespeaks Youth; His Voice, Savvy".




Boot Camps

"The NAACP and the Legislature's black caucus demanded the immediate closing of the remaining juvenile boot camp facilities operated by the state and said Gov. Jeb Bush should launch an independent investigation into the death of a Panama City eighth grader last month at one of the facilities." "Black caucus, NAACP want boots camps closed".