U.S. Rep. Jim Davis reported today that he actually outraised Attorney General Charlie Crist in hard money during the three days following the Sept. 5 primary. New fundraising reports due today and which covered the first week of September show that Davis raised nearly $124,000 to $112,075 for Crist.

But Crist maintains a nearly three-to-one money edge of money in the bank and there's more to come as backers of Crist have a goal of raising $30 million in contributions to the campaign, the Republican Party of Florida and other organizations between now and Election Day. A big step toward that goal will come next week when President George W. Bush and Gov. Jeb Bush host a $25,000 per person fundraiser at the Ritz-Carlton in Orlando.

Fun With Kottkamp

"Crist made a pick to assuage the right-wing/social conservative/ardent Bible-thumping Christian types who regard the bachelor candidate as Satan meets Oscar Wilde."

Apparently Kottkamp is much admired by religious groups and once handed out a patriotic painting to his legislative colleagues suggesting the red in the American flag represents the "cleansing blood of Christ for his newborn Christian country."

So much for whimsy.

Perhaps if Crist gets elected, he can put Kottkamp in charge of the weekly Tallahassee witch-burning.

(What do you think the odds are that Kottkamp's mustache disappears within 30 days? Fashion stump tip: Blond guys should not attempt facial hair. It looks too Snidely Whiplash preppy.) ...

Kottkamp will probably be spending more time in church than a cloistered nun, trying to convince Republican Christian social conservatives that Crist is not the Marquis de Sade of the Interstate 4 corridor.

Off-Shore Drilling

"After weeks of bickering on Capitol Hill about legislation to open up new areas to offshore drilling for oil and natural gas, the outlines of a deal between the House and Senate are finally taking shape." "Deal takes shape on offshore drilling".

Midnight Judges

"The Florida Supreme Court has ruled unanimously that Governor Jeb Bush cannot replace a retiring appellate judge prior to January 1st when the judge's term expires and a day before Bush also leaves office. Bush cannot seek re-election due to term limits. He had asked the justices whether he could appoint a replacement for 1st District Court of Appeal Judge Richard Ervin III before January 1st. A Bush spokeswoman said the governor's lawyers were reviewing the opinion and she could not immediately comment on whether he planned to make the appointment in the final hours of his term on January 2nd or leave it to his successor." "Bush cannot replace retiring judge". See also "Bush can't fill judge's seat yet".

Barnstorming

"The Democratic gubernatorial ticket of Jim Davis and running mate Daryl Jones continued their two-day barnstorming around Florida on Friday with a stop in Tallahassee, where they were joined on the steps of the Old Capitol by former governor and U.S. Sen. Bob Graham." "Davis/Jones, Day 2". It ain't all roses, though:

Nationally, many Democrats have all but written off the governor's race in Florida, and traditionally cash-strapped Florida Democrats face even bigger hurdles this year. The state teachers union, which poured millions into the 2002 governor's race, is investing little this year. Trial lawyers have long been a key source of Democratic money, but that's not certain this election.

Books Banned

"References to breasts and suicide prompted Hillsborough County school administrators to yank two books from a fourth-grade reading list." "Books To Be Removed From School Reading List".

That Is Why We Have 527s

"The Jim Davis-Daryl Jones ticket apparently isn’t going to make political hay over [Kottkamp's] support of 2001 legislation that was perceived by many to be pro-Confederate flag." "Davis Not Touching Flag Question".

Lack of Diversity

"Blacks make up about 16 percent of the state's population, yet the only black candidate ever elected statewide was a justice on the Florida Supreme Court, Joseph Hatchett, who ran in a racially charged election three decades ago." "Florida's diversity has yet to reach highest posts".

Silly

"Former Florida Republican Chairman Al Cardenas was gloating this week when he noted, 'it took us two days for us to get together but you know there's bad blood when the Democrats haven't gotten together yet.'" "Rod, Rod, where are you?"

Housing Crisis: Another "Jeb!" Legacy

"The U.S. Census Bureau defines affordable housing as spending no more than 30 percent of the annual household income on housing costs. The foundation says 700,000 Florida families are spending at least 50 percent of their income on housing." "Tampa summit focuses on state's affordable housing crisis".

"Trust the Voters"

"Former governor and U.S. senator Bob Graham and conservative businessman Charlie Hilton have often been at political extremes, but Friday they united to fight a proposal that would make it harder for citizens to amend the Florida constitution." "Opposites attract when it comes to initiatives". See also "Group opposes raising bar for ballot initiatives", "Voters should retain power on amendments, group says", "New group opposes curtailing amendments" and "A Ballot Battle Begins".

Just In Time For The Election

"Florida's Board of Governors has postponed a vote on whether to hike resident university tuition by 7 percent so it can get more student input on the increase and gather information on how the money would be spent." "Board of Governors puts tuition increase on hold".

"Disneyesque fantasy"

"The Bush administration proposed Friday that Cubans hold a referendum to decide if they want to live in a democracy or under a dictatorship, a plan one expert called a 'Disneyesque fantasy' that the Castro brothers would reject." "Bush proposes Cuban vote on democracy".

Touch-Screens

"The Florida Fair Elections Commission says it has reports of irregularities in polling places on election day."

County officials owe it to voters to investigate these claims.

That duty was underscored this week by a Princeton University report blasting the security of touch-screen voting machines. Voting advocates have long been concerned about touch-screen machines that lack a verifiable paper trail and have failed several external security tests. ...

The researchers in Princeton's Center for Information Technology and Policy managed to get their hands on a touch-screen machine manufactured by Diebold (the same company that supplies Volusia and Flagler counties with its machines.) After studying the Diebold Accuvote-TSx for a while, they came up with ways to quickly -- and invisibly -- change vote totals.

Using the memory cards, the Princeton researchers were able to change votes on a single Accuvote-TSx, permanently and undetectably, in less than a minute (which included time to pick a lock on the side of the machine.) In addition, they were able to load a vote-changing virus that could spread to other machines.

Sharing the Spotlight

"John Edwards, a likely contender for the White House in 2008, visits to bolster Jim Davis' run for the Governor's Mansion. Expect others." "Governor race shares presidential spotlight".

Does Charlie Have Buschco's "Congenital Defect" About Running Mates

With the criticism of Kottkamp as, we.ll ... an uninspired choice (see for example here and here), we must ask whether Crist has copied "Jeb!" down to Bushco's "congenital defect when it came to running mates".

Lance deHaven-Smith, a Florida State University political science professor, said that as in presidential campaigns, gubernatorial running mates tend to be remembered for hurting tickets more than helping them. ...

In Florida, Jeb Bush's 1994 selection of Tom Feeney, a free-speaking conservative firebrand who's now in Congress, was frequent campaign-trail fodder for Democrat Lawton Chiles, whose running mate was former U.S. Rep. Buddy MacKay. Bush publicly accused Chiles of having "a Feeney fetish" before narrowly losing election to the office he later won twice with a different running mate.

Coming six years after his father's surprising choice of Indiana Sen. Dan Quayle as his vice presidential running mate, Jeb Bush's 1994 choice raised early questions about his judgment, deHaven-Smith said.

"It seemed like the Bushes had some kind of congenital defect when it came to running mates," he recalled.

Secret Dockets

"Easy access to public information is vital in all aspects of a democracy, but may be no more important than in the courts. The decisions judges make in criminal and civil cases should be open to public scrutiny, if for no other reason than to be sure these public servants aren't bending the rules for their buddies." "What's to hide?".

Where Was "Jeb!"?

Our hurricane Governor missed the boat on the Okeechobee Dike issue, yet the Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board limits the blame to the Army Corps of Engineers. "Head out of sand?".

Who Will Seize The Tax Issue?

"Floridians are in a foul mood over rising property taxes, and soon they will elect a new governor."

An election framed around taxes often means trouble for Democrats in Florida.

If Republican Charlie Crist's mantra of "less taxes, less spending" ever were to find a rabid following, that time is now.

This is the year of canceled homeowner insurance policies and double-digit property tax hikes by county commissioners across the state.

But the antitax fervor might work to Democrat Jim Davis' advantage. He's the self-proclaimed outsider who wants to shake up the status quo, and he says the property tax mess was created by Republicans.

Charlie Crist's emphasis on civil rights in his campaign for governor could be hampered by running mate Jeff Kottkamp's support of a 2001 bill perceived by some as aimed at preserving Confederate flag displays.

The Crist campaign said Thursday that Kottkamp wouldn't be available for comment. Spokeswoman Erin Isaac said in a written statement, "Jeff Kottkamp is an advocate for civil rights and for veterans. His leadership on both issues is clear."

A "Bold and Potentially Historic" Selection

"While Crist played it safe as the Republican front-runner, Davis' decision was uncharacteristically bold and potentially historic."

But Jones also has to be prepared to respond to familiar attacks. President Clinton nominated him to become secretary of the Air Force in 1998, but a U.S. Senate committee shot Jones down on a tie vote along largely partisan lines. Critics raised questions about Jones' flying skills as a fighter pilot in the Air Force Reserves, his tactics as an Amway salesman and his involvement in a Miami-Dade bond deal. The criticisms were unsubstantiated or overblown, but Jones has to have quicker answers now than he did then.

One snappy suggestion: Invite Republicans to compare Jones' record in the Reserves to President Bush's military record.

Crist's selection of little-known state Rep. Jeff Kottkamp of Cape Coral was disappointing in its cautiousness. The trial lawyer won the Christian Coalition's 2004 "Faith and Family Award" and supported state intervention into the Terri Schiavo feeding tube controversy (which Crist has criticized).

In the calculus of the state elections map, the Republican doesn't need to win Miami-Dade or Democratic strongholds in Broward and Palm Beach counties. Following the road map of U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez and Gov. Jeb Bush, who parlayed their targeted minority outreach to Spanish speakers into GOP votes, Crist just needs to hold his own in South Florida and clean up along the West Coast and Panhandle, while winning the GOP-leaning Interstate-4 corridor.

Here, Jones could be an asset for Davis.

In his own 2002 run for governor, Jones won 12 percent of the Democratic vote, even though he had little money and faced better-known and better-funded primary opponents Janet Reno and Bill McBride. Jones even edged Reno in a few counties of the military-friendly Panhandle counties, in part because he was a former active-duty fighter pilot.

Though McBride went on to win the primary, his campaign became so fixated on the Panhandle and the I-4 corridor that he forsook South Florida's black voters until the final days of the campaign. By then, it was too late. McBride, who chose a white-male running mate instead of Jones, already had estranged himself from black voters when he declared himself the winner of the primary election against their favored candidate, Reno, before all the ballots had been counted. ...

Fearing that he would drive away white conservatives ... McBride shunned help from former President Clinton and Vice President Al Gore. Davis, who campaigned little in South Florida before the primary, is scheduled to appear in Miami today with John Edwards, the Democrats' 2004 vice-presidential candidate.

Former McBride spokesman Tony Welch, also African-American, said that in picking Jones, Davis is being more aggressive than McBride. "It's a fearless pick," Welch said. "It's historic for Florida."

Whatever

"President to visit, give GOP a lift". See also "President plans Orlando benefit" and "President to headline fundraiser for Crist".

Klein

"Running in a competitive district with a large Jewish population, Democratic congressional candidate Ron Klein said Thursday that America's ability to support Israel and fight terrorism has suffered because the U.S. is 'mired' in Iraq." "Klein asserts Iraq hampers Shaw, U.S.". See also "Congressional hopeful Klein appeals to Jewish voters to support him".

Citizens

"The board of Citizens Property Insurance Corp. has approved a 2.07 percent assessment for Florida homeowners to cover losses from the 2005 hurricane season. The charge amounts to $20.70 on every $1,000 in premiums." "Homeowners looking for ways to stretch premium payments".

Paper Trail

"Voters in this southwest Florida county will be able to decide in November whether to continue using computerized voting booths or go back to paper ballots, a circuit judge ruled. County attorneys argued a proposed ballot initiative asking voters to choose between the county’s current electronic voting and the old paper system was unconstitutional. " Paper or plastic: Sarasota voters will choose voting technology.

Wingnuts Rally Around Jebbie

"A report issued by a conservative think tank supports Gov. Jeb Bush's education policies, but critics challenge the group's findings."

It is the second time this week that a conservative think tank has praised Gov. Jeb Bush's education policies, but critics have challenged its findings. ...

Those results contradict another study by University of Chicago researchers on a test-based retention program for Chicago schools. ...

Florida Education Association spokesman said a coauthor of the report, Jay P. Green, is "one of the go-to guys for the governor" who frequently questions traditional public schools. Mark Pudlow said other studies agree with the Chicago findings and cited an Arizona State University review of the Manhattan Institute's Florida study that concluded it had "several major flaws."

"The So-called Bush Legacy"

All the bought and paid for self-serving, right wing studies can't change the facts:

Florida's falling SAT scores are more proof that Gov. Bush's education agenda has not pushed the state ahead where it matters most: in producing high school graduates who are ready to compete on a national and global level.

This year, average SAT scores for Florida students fell two points in reading and one point in math. Only South Carolina and Georgia had lower scores. ...

Gov. Bush and his education secretary, John Winn, argue that scores might be declining because, at their urging, more minority students are taking the SAT. That development has a positive aspect: More minorities are striving for admission to college. But shrugging that "minorities" are causing the lag sounds suspiciously like the "soft bigotry of low expectations" Gov. Bush is so quick to detect in any criticism of his policies that deny promotion or graduation to low-scoring students.

Gov. Bush has congratulated himself for FCAT gains in elementary schools and for the surprisingly high scores Florida students earn on the FCAT writing test. Hold the congratulations. This is the first year the SAT included a writing portion, and only Hawaii had lower writing scores than Florida.

Low 10th-grade scores already showed the cracks in Gov. Bush's self-contained, FCAT-based system. Declining SAT scores emphasize the problem. The SAT, like the FCAT, can be overemphasized. Maybe an eventual answer will be to give both less weight. But poor performance by too many Florida high school students is a real issue. Gov. Bush didn't have the answers. To get some, his successor will have to do more than just protect the so-called Bush legacy.

The LG Thing

"But what will they do?"

"Miami Herald only latest victim of media manipulation"

"Last Friday the Miami Herald announced it had fired three writers (one a free-lancer) for writing in a Spanish-language Herald publication while also getting paid by the federal government for propaganda work aimed at Cuba. One of the former staffers was found to have been paid almost $175,000 since 2001 for his work, while another had been paid $71,000 by the so-called U.S. Office of Cuba Broadcasting." "Propaganda as journalism".

Harris

"U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris announced Thursday that she's a co-sponsor of a renewed effort in the House to put up hundreds of miles of fencing along the U.S. border with Mexico."

Harris charges Nelson has "stymied recent efforts to bolster border security" by backing a Senate bill: the same Senate legislation favored by Harris's fellow Republicans, Sen. Mel Martinez and President Bush. That bill - which is likely dead for the year - calls for border security but would create a foreign guest-worker program and give millions of illegal immigrants an opportunity to gain U.S. citizenship.

Foley In "Free Fall"?

"Democrat Tim Mahoney wants voters to know that polls he paid for show him just 13 percentage points behind 12-year Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Mark Foley. 'This guy is in a free fall,' Mahoney said. 'He'd love to have George Bush's ratings right now.'" "Foley's numbers in 'free fall,' says Mahoney".

Moderate?

Who writes these headlines? "Crist picks moderate running mate"

Where's The Love?

"After a blistering primary campaign, Congressional hopeful Vern Buchanan promised Republican loyalists that he will work to bring the party faithful back together. But that may be harder to do than say. His closest challengers still have not publicly endorsed Buchanan." "Buchanan vows to bring party together".

Dem Dissension

"Richard Blank, chairman of the Polk County Democratic Executive Committee, and his wife, Carol Franklin, the state committeewoman for the county, have resigned their offices amid disagreement on how this year's campaigns should be conducted. ... Yet in the end, their departure mirrored the debate going on among many Democratic Party organizations this year -- wait for 2008 or go all out this year? And, in a repeat of past Polk Democratic Party changes, personalities and disparate factions got in the way as well. Blank and Franklin wanted to forgo the expense of large campaign headquarters for this year's election, to campaign differently and to save up for the presidential election of 2008, said Mark Hopkins, the Polk Democratic Party campaign chairman." "Local Democratic Party Leaders Resign".

No Robo Calls

"There's a fine line between campaigning and harassment. It's a fine tradition to knock on doors, wave at passing motorists and call friends and neighbors. But when you're unable to politely decline to receive the message, then campaigning becomes an annoyance and an intrusion." "CAMPAIGNING: Stop automated calls".

Another Cuban Senator

But this one isn't a Bushco pool boy:

Since January, Cubans here and in South Florida have boasted of having two U.S. senators with Cuban ties -- one a Republican, one a Democrat, both of them staunchly anti-Fidel Castro.

Republican Sen. Mel Martinez became the first-ever Cuban-American senator, elected out of Florida in 2004. New Jersey Democrat Bob Menendez -- the son of Cuban immigrants -- joined the Senate in January, appointed to the post.

But Menendez's effort to retain the seat is turning into an unexpectedly close and increasingly contentious contest.

GOP Dissension

"The president of the Lakeland Republican Club has criticized GOP candidate Betty Hill and some of her contributors for negative campaigning in her unsuccessful campaign to unseat County Commissioner Randy Wilkinson, and for then supporting Wilkinson's Democratic opponent." "Lakeland GOP Club Criticizes Hill".

Four More

"Republican Charlie Crist and Democrat Jim Davis are not the only candidates for governor."

Four others will join them on the Nov. 7 ballot: Max Linn of the Reform Party and three independents, all of whom were required to complete the field by choosing running mates by 5 p.m. Thursday.

Linn chose Tom Macklin, the Republican mayor of Avon Park, who gained national attention recently for trying to pass an ordinance that would fine employers who hire illegal immigrants (it failed by a single vote). The choice of Macklin signals that Linn, a wealthy term limits advocate from St. Petersburg, plans to make immigration a campaign issue.

"The Foundation for Jeb's Future"

"The Foundation for Jeb's Future - er, Florida's Future - is sitting on nearly $2-million, and the governor is mum on what it will go for. "

Now he's kicked into gear a sister political committee - the Foundation for Florida's Future Action Fund - that is structured under IRS rules to do more overtly political activities.

Its first donors? The Villages, a sprawling central Florida developer, kicked in $100,000, and New Yorker Robert W. Johnson IV of the Johnson & Johnson family gave $5,000.The Villages developer Gary Morse has been mighty kind to Republicans and especially Gov. Bush. He had already ponied up $550,000 for the Foundation.

Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Jim Davis today will name former Miami state Sen. Daryl Jones as his running mate during a Fort Lauderdale campaign stop, the first in a two-day statewide tour to introduce the new team to voters.

Jones was in the national spotlight in 1998, when President Clinton nominated him for secretary of the Air Force. He was rejected in a bitter Senate confirmation process.

Paper Trail

"A judge says Sarasota County voters have a right to decide Nov. 7 whether to switch from touch screen to paper ballots." "Proponents of paper voting trail win ruling". See also "Voters get final say on voting system" ("Circuit Judge Robert B. Bennett Jr. ruled Wednesday that a proposed ballot initiative demanding a countywide paper-ballot voting system is not unconstitutional as the county's attorneys had argued.")

Tom Feeney Redux

Chain Gang Charlie has chosen to "bond" a virtual unknown:

Republican Charlie Crist named a little-known legislator from southwest Florida as his running mate Wednesday, shunning more-provocative choices for someone with whom he said he shares a "great bond."

Charlie Crist has ended speculation about who will be his lieutenant governor by picking Dan Quayle.

Oops, I mean Jeff Kottkamp.

You can understand my mistake because like Dan, Jeff is an unknown from the lightweight division of Indiana. He is a Hoosier who moved here, went to college, was elected to the Legislature and proceeded to accomplish not a whole lot. ...

Jim Davis certainly must be relieved. His chances rest on strong support from minorities who make up the Democratic base. ...

2005-2006 Representative Kottkamp supported the interests of the Christian Coalition of Florida 100 percent in 2005-2006.

2005 Representative Kottkamp supported the interests of the Christian Coalition of Florida 100 percent in 2005.

2003-2004 On the votes that the Christian Coalition of Florida considered to be the most important in 2003-2004, Representative Kottkamp voted their preferred position 100 percent of the time.

2002 On the votes that the Christian Coalition of Florida considered to be the most important in 2002, Representative Kottkamp voted their preferred position 100 percent of the time. ...

2002 Based on information available in 2002, "Florida Right to Life chose to endorse Representative Kottkamp.

Tax Revolt

"From the Keys to the Panhandle, residents are in revolt over property tax relief." "Taxed beyond the breaking point".

The Apology

"It was a long time coming, but Jim Davis did the right thing when he personally apologized to Freddie Pitts and Wilbert Lee, two black men who were wrongly convicted of murder and spent 12 years in prison." "A welcome apology". See also "Davis' Puts Race Issue To Rest".

CD 9

"The Gus Bilirakis Congressional campaign is touting an 8/22-23 internal poll of 300 likely voters by the Tarrance Group showing that the Tarpon Springs state representative has a 28-point lead over Democrat Phyllis Busansky (54%-26%)." "Bilirakis' poll".

"But campaign polls can be suspect. Here’s the real clue about where the race is: Busansky blasted Bilirakis for ducking her Wednesday afternoon." "Debating debates".

PSC Appointments

"State Rep. Ken Littlefield won an appointment Wednesday to the Florida Public Service Commission from Gov. Jeb Bush, who also reappointed Commissioner Isilio Arriaga to the five-member utility-regulating panel. The appointments, each to four-year terms beginning Jan. 2, 2007, are subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate." "Bush appoints Littlefield, reappoints Arriaga to PSC".

Pathetic

"Former Gov. Wayne Mixson and former House Speaker James Harold Thompson, Democrats who supported Jeb and George W., endorsed Bill McCollum for attorney general today." "Democrats (sorta) for McCollum".

Mixon and Thomas write that they "are Democrats who are long standing members of our party."

Last Seen At Starbucks

"Sen. Bill Nelson's staff was quick to point out that Katherine Harris was MIA from the a U.S. House subcommittee hearing today on 'stabilizing insurance markets for coastal consumers.'" "Where's Katherine?"

Annoying

Will the trial lawyers play both sides of the fence, yet again?

Kottkamp is a personal-injury lawyer and partner with the Orlando-based firm Morgan & Morgan and has a net worth of $2.8 million, according to state disclosure reports filed in July.

Kottkamp was the only Republican member of the state House to vote no on business-backed lawsuit limits approved overwhelmingly last spring by the Legislature.

"Selfishly, I would rather for him to have stayed with me than to run for lieutenant governor," said John Morgan, the firm's lead partner and a major Democratic fundraiser who in the governor's race has sided with Crist. "He is a true public servant in every sense of the word."

Edwards to Join Davis in Miami

"Former and probably future presidential candidate John Edwards is to join Jim Davis and his now, not-yet-announced running mate for a Friday afternoon rally in Miami." "Edwards and the Davis-? ticket"

Refocus

"While stumping with congressional hopefuls, the ex-senator faults the White House's strategy in the war on terror." "Graham, candidates: Refocus terror fight".

Klein Within MOE

"Democrats released a poll Tuesday that says congressional challenger Ron Klein is within striking distance of Republican U.S. Rep. E. Clay Shaw with eight weeks left in their nationally watched race. The Aug. 20-24 poll of 400 likely voters in Palm Beach-Broward District 22 shows Shaw leading, 42 percent to 38 percent. The poll by Benenson Strategy Group has a 4.9 percent margin of error, according to a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee memo. The DCCC said it commissioned the poll as an independent expenditure without coordinating with Klein's campaign." "Democratic poll shows Klein closing gap with Shaw".

Insurance Crisis

"With sky-high insurance rates igniting election-year sparks back home, members of the Florida House delegation on Wednesday urged federal intervention." "Florida lawmakers urge insurance fix". See also "Shaw, insurors clash over reinsurance fund" and "House confronts insurance crisis".

While "Jeb!" Pummels Davis ...

"Insurance hikes pummel nonprofits".

Remind Me ...

why Jebbie's FDLE storm troopers had rising Dem star Buddy Dyer indicted?

The allegations were filed by a Broward County Democratic activist based on a series of articles in The Palm Beach Post that found:

- Pruitt began receiving $2,000 a month from Royal Palm Beach home builder Wally Sanger in 2003, the same year Pruitt started making payments on a discounted house Sanger built for him in Port St. Lucie.

- From 2001 to 2005, Pruitt collected $819,115 through three political committees, and during those same years paid $458,346 of that to three friends and allies: Bogdanoff; Fort Lauderdale lobbyist Carole Duncanson; and Public Concepts, the firm of West Palm Beach political consultant Randy Nielsen. In 2003, a partner of Nielsen, Richard Johnston, paid Pruitt $56,966 from a realty business based in the Public Concepts suite.

- Pruitt directed his legislative staff on Aug. 18, 2004, to field a state Division of Elections query regarding one of his political committees.

- Bogdanoff used state taxpayer money to rent a Fort Lauderdale building that she owns outside of her district, and which also was used as the address for her Enterprising Business Solutions consulting firm, for her

- "A female African American legislator from the Jacksonville area who’s also a Navy lieutentant commander"—obviously state Rep. Jennifer Carroll, R-Green Cove Springs, a retired Navy officer.

- "A congressman from the Panhandle with a reputation for expertise on national security issues"—Rep. Jeff Miller. R-Chumuckla.

- "A Hispanic woman from Miami-Dade County with a reputation for working for education reform and non-profit work"—sounds a lot like Helen Aguirre Ferre, chairwoman of the Miami Dade College board of trustees and host of a PBS public affairs talk show.

- "A male legislator from central Florida—or maybe it was the central Atlantic coast—with a reputation for innovative ideas." Partly because Gunzburger was unsure of the location, this one’s uncertain. Could be Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, or Mike Haridopolos, R-Melbourne, both subjects of speculation; or maybe a longer shot—Rep. Jeff Kottkamp of Cape Coral, maybe even state Sen. Mike Fasano of New Port Richey.

Davis Continues FCAT Theme Into General

"Davis Begins New Campaign": "During a brief speech, Davis hit on some of the campaign themes he intends to use against the Republican nominee, Attorney General Charlie Crist. Davis pledged to 'end the use of the FCAT as a political weapon against our children, our teachers and our schools.'". The rest is here.

"Davis' Mea Culpa"

"Davis apologizes to Pitts and Lee for 1990 vote". See also "Davis owns up to voting errors", "1990 vote was a 'mistake,' Davis says", "Davis apologizes for no-compensation vote", "Davis offers apology to wrongly convicted men", "Jim Davis makes apology for voting no to compensation for 2 wrongfully convicted", "Davis acknowledges mistake in 1990 vote to deny compensation for pardoned men", "Davis Tries To Put Pitts and Lee Behind Him", "Racial politics" and "Davis' Mea Culpa".

By the way, "Pitts voted for Davis, notwithstanding the mailers and black radio ads, while Lee voted for Rod Smith." "Money Well Spent?". It appears that neither voted for Chain Gang Charlie, who the RPOF is hilariously seeking to cast as a civil rights warrior.

"Jeb!" Era Ends, "Few Noticed"

"Florida Republicans saw the close of the Jeb Bush era in a small Cuban restaurant Thursday just an hour before lunch. Few noticed." "End Of The Bush Era".

Three Pack

"[T]he Crist campaign, which is nearing its spending limit, isn’t paying for the ad. The state Republican Party is. And the party has no limits on its expenditures or the size of the 'soft money' contributions it can accept and spend on 'party building' ads." "Crist's First Ad Isn't Crist's First Ad". See also "Crist Ads Go Up", "Crist’s New Ad" and "Republican Party takes to airwaves for Crist".

Secret Dockets

The Miami Herald Editorial Board: "Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Fred Lewis commendably has taken the initiative to stop state judges from hiding court cases from public view with the introduction of a set of proposed rule changes." "Restore transparency to state courts".

"Jeb!" Dishonors Governorship

Unable to exhibit any class, Jebbie finds himself in that place he is oh, so comfortable ... the gutter, serving as Charlie's hatchet man:

Crist cheerfully challenged Davis, whom he called "my friend," to two statewide debates and left the heavy lifting to Bush, who blistered the Tampa congressman as a mediocrity, the Salieri of the race to Crist's Mozart. "Name one thing that Jim Davis has done as a congressman," Bush all but sneered. "There's a pause because I don't remember the Davis bill. I don't remember a lot of policy being made under the auspices of Congressman Davis."

Davis' congressional record is thin, as is true with many Democrats in a Republican-controlled Congress. But Bush is conveniently forgetting how the Tampa congressman took an early and gutsy lead in the House against intervening in the Terri Schiavo case. Still, the governor and Republican leadership are already starting to define Davis before he can define himself. Crist did the same with Tom Gallagher, whom he easily defeated, and now has set his sights on Davis.

Davis' outlined his general election campaign strategy to me in a conversation two weeks before the primary. "Charlie Crist will say, We've got to stay the course with all of Jeb's policies, and I'll say, Staying the course means more skyrocketing insurance premiums, low graduation rates from Florida high schools, jeopardizing Everglades clean-up and so forth." Davis will present himself as the progressive agent of change and portray Crist as the stay-the-wrong-course conservative.

Poor Katherine

"U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris appeared on Tomas Garcia Fuste's show this morning on Tele Miami to bash Sen. Bill Nelson and tout her support for the Iraq war and her opposition to the income-tax system. 'We have the most onerous taxes in the world,' Harris said. Here's how it was translated into Spanish: 'We have the most honorable taxes in the world.'" "Harris tax plan lost in translation".

While "Jeb!" Fiddles

"Nationwide to hike property insurance by 105.8% in some parts of South Florida".

Violations

"A complaint filed by Richard Giorgio, a consultant to her opponent, Harvey Arnold, alleged that Skidmore falsely claimed the endorsements of other elected officials and left the word 'for' off campaign signs and pamphlets, implying that she was the incumbent." "Candidate faces fines over alleged campaign flubs".

Should Be Interesting

"Buchanan drops objection to opening secret court case". For background see today's "Congressional candidate's lawsuit sealed by judge".

Emily Hearts Christine

"Christine Jennings, a Democrat running an uphill race for the District 13 congressional seat Katherine Harris is leaving, just got the second major financial boost of her campaign, an endorsement from EMILY's List. That organization publicizes the names of pro-choice women candidates to its members, a nationwide cadre of politically active women—mostly—who contribute to the candidates the List recommends. In some cases, an EMILY's List nod can bring a candidate $500,000 or more." EMILY's List Goes For Jennings"..

Good Luck

"They're annoying, they're unpopular, and they may be history. Northeast Florida legislators are preparing a state law to ban automated political calls as part of Florida's Do Not Call program, possibly ending a longtime campaign tactic that has fallen into public disfavor. The legislation being prepared by Rep. Stan Jordan, R-Jacksonville, and Sen. Jim King, R-Jacksonville, would include 'robo-calls' with the other solicitation calls banned under Florida's Do Not Call list. Political calls had been exempt from the state's Do Not Call program." "Political calling targeted by 2 bills".

Now That Jebbie's Leaving

"Future governor's help asked for oceans".

Wingnuts Heart Jebbie

The right wing Hoover institution (funded by wingnut moneybags like the Scaife and Bradley foundations among others), you know ... the home of luminaries like Rush Limbaugh radio stand-in Thomas Sowell, Newt Gingrich, Ed Meese, and their ilk, think Jebbie is just wonderful:

Gov. Jeb Bush looked on approvingly in Orlando as experts from Stanford University's Hoover Institution released results Tuesday of their nine-month review of the educational policies he championed for Florida's public-school system.

The 11-member panel called Florida a "trendsetter" and "national leader in education reform," but it warned policymakers they still had a long way to go to create a stronger academic culture.

"Hopefully, the next governor will pick these up," Bush said. "I can guarantee the Legislature will." ...

Critics of Bush's school policies, from class-size supporters to the teachers union, characterized the report as an invalid effort that serves only to document Bush's efforts to be remembered as an "education governor" when he leaves office in January.

Spreading The Luv

"PBS & J, under investigation for violating campaign contribution laws, has been a prolific giver over the years to political candidates."

Individual contributions like those are the focus of the grand jury's reimbursement probe.

Recipients include President Bush, Florida senators Bill Nelson, a Democrat, and Mel Martinez, a Republican; and Broward U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

In some cases, executives' contributions added to giving by PBS & J itself or its political action committees. For example, the biggest federal recipient since 2003 is Democracy Believers, the joint leadership PAC of brothers Lincoln and Mario Diaz-Balart, Republican congressmen from Miami. DeLoach, Garcia, Licata and the PBS & J's federal PAC combined gave $20,000 in September 2004.

Those large contributions coincided with Mario Diaz-Balart's vote on a matter of interest to PBS & J.

The same month, Mario Diaz-Balart announced he'd helped pass a supplemental appropriation bill in the House of Representatives that, after its incorporation into another bill, ultimately provided millions to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for 2004 hurricane cleanup.

At the time, PBS & J's Washington lobbyist was registered to lobby on FEMA legislation.

PBS & J later was hired to oversee the joint federal-state cleanup project in Florida, according to information posted on the U.S. Department of Agriculture's website.

At the state level, through direct corporate contributions and its Citizens and Taxpayers state PAC, PBS & J has handed out nearly $340,000 during the last two election cycles, primarily to Republicans.

Big Guns

"On Wednesday, Sept. 13, Bob Graham will headline a fundraiser for Busansky at the home of Steve and Teresa Brandt in Temple Terrace. On thursday, Sept. 20, President Bush will appear at a fundraiser for Bilirakis at Raymond James Stadium." "Big Guns For Busansky, Bilirakis". See also "Will Pres. Bush spark a policy debate or flood of cash in District 9 race?"

"I am very flattered that the president of the United States is coming out to do a fundraiser for my opponent," said Busansky, Democratic candidate for District 9 of the U.S. House.

The Reform Party Factor

The other day we blogged about Reform Party candidate Max Linn ("Viable Reform Candidate Could Hurt Crist" (scroll down)):

He has pumped $1-million of his own cash into his campaign and spent hundreds of thousands on statewide TV ads during shows like The Today Show, Good Morning America and The Tonight Show With Jay Leno. He has the campaign managers of former presidential candidate Ross Perot and former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura. And he has recruited as his lieutenant governor Tom Macklin, the Avon Park mayor who proposed to make English the city's official language and to issue fines against landlords and businesses that help illegal immigrants. ...

Linn counts Sembler, President Bush's former ambassador to Italy, among his mentors and says the St. Petersburg developer persuaded him to open his own financial planning business.

It didn't take long for Democratic state House 52 candidate Liz McCallum to get on her feet after losing her primary by 6.8 percentage points. She's now working on Reform party gubernatorial candidate Max Linn's campaign, doing media consulting. "When we didn't win, the phones started ringing the next morning," McCallum said of the Linn campaign.

Asked if that means she's now working against Democrats, McCallum said, "I think Max will take more votes away from Charlie Crist than Jim Davis. ..."

500,000

"Now that the Democratic nomination for governor is settled, the big unions that refused to take sides during the primary are joining with Jim Davis for the general election. The Florida AFL-CIO, which represents over 500,000 workers, is the latest, announcing this afternoon that it is backing Davis. " "All Aboard".

Ugly Loser

"When Gov. Jeb Bush was asked Monday if he has any regrets about his failed attempt to oust Republican state Sen. Alex Villalobos from his Miami state senate seat, the governor offered this terse answer: 'No.'" "Jeb has no regrets in Villalobos race".

Recount Changes Result

"Orange County elections authorities Monday declared a new winner in a county judge's race after recounting the ballots by hand. In the Group 17 race, Maureen Bell edged out Jim Sears by 15 votes, according to the Orange County Supervisor of Elections Office. The tally: Bell, 37,783 votes; Sears, 37,768. Initial results Sept. 5 showed Sears winning by 62 votes." "New judge named in recount".

Weird GOoPer Hair

Scott Maxwell: "Radar magazine recently compiled a list of some of the most unusual hairstyles in Congress. And Central Florida was well-represented. In fact, the Interstate 4 corridor accounted for two of the three awards given to congressmen with particularly 'childlike hair.' Oviedo Republican Tom Feeney scored with his very curly (and strangely, frequently wet) coif. And Polk County Republican Adam Putnam scored with his Howdy-Doody 'do. Winter Park Republican John Mica also netted notice in the 'Dead Animal Hair" category -- though the mag credited him with having a perfectly parted style that conveys an image of being "successful, strong, traditional.'"

More Voting Problems

Volusia County:

In a report the state requires from elections supervisors, McFall indicates 11 memory cards on ballot-scanning machines failed. Five ballot scanning machines had to be replaced. There also were problems with phone lines in the Port Orange area attributed to a thunderstorm.

Live reporting of results was also marred by the county's first-time use of touch-screen voting machines alongside the optical scanners. Precincts showed up as 100 percent complete when results from one or the other machines -- though not necessarily both -- were in. McFall said she hopes to change the way the results are displayed on election night Nov. 7.

But Susan Pynchon, director of the elections coalition, told the board it should compare hard-copy records with electronic tallies before signing off.

Pynchon said her group observed, or received reports of, touch screen problems in at least nine precincts. She listed two where the vote count was higher by seven than the number of voters who signed up.

Tom's Gone

"Gallagher's farewell". See also "Gallagher's thanks".

W.D.

"A three-judge appellate panel had been set to reverse Childers' conviction 2-1, but the full court instead voted 10-4 to let the conviction stand. A followup opinion, also 10-4, rejected Childers' argument that the full-court hearing was improper." "High court won't hear Childers' appeal".

Sabato Weighs In

UVA political scientist Larry Sabato:

"It's really one of the few major governor races where a Republican is favored for November. But I don't think Charlie Crist is heavily favored. I think this is a reasonably competitive race, and if Jim Davis gets enough money he ought to be able to make a decent contest out of it.

While Democrats are making noise about Congressional districts 9 and 13, Sabato sees Clay Shaw in CD 22 as the only truly vulnerable Congressional Republican. CD 9: "I don't think (Gus) Bilirakis is vulnerable. I think a lot of people won't know he's succeeding his father." CD: 13: "Vern Buchanan is not the strongest Republican for Katherine Harris' successor but I would still give him the edge. Certainly Christine Jennings is a reasonably strong Democrat, but there has to be a strong Democratic trend before any democrat can win that district."

"Bottom of the political ladder"

"City council members may rank near the bottom of the political ladder, but the duties they oversee - from mowing the parks and stopping speeders to filling potholes and collecting the garbage - shape the feel of the neighborhoods we go home to every night." "Councils deserve quality members". Sounds like they need some quality control at the municipal level in North Port: "North Port residents upset by 'codeRED'" ("City Hall received about 40 complaints, many from people upset that the codeRED call was announced on Sept. 11 and concerned that the meeting announcement was not a true emergency.")

Running Government Like A Business

"The Department of Elder Affairs and former Secretary Terry White face a federal lawsuit and state civil-rights complaint brought by two women who say they lost their state jobs for protesting crude sexual advances White made to one of them." "Dept. of Elder Affairs facing lawsuit".

Shameless

"The Republican Party of Florida apparently thought Sept. 11 would be a good day to reach voters with an absentee ballot mailer. The piece features Jeb Bush, the Statue of Liberty and the American flag on the cover. Inside, Bush's message includes reminding voters how Florida persevered through 9/11 and hurricanes and made big strides in education, cutting taxes, and expanding the economy." "9/11 RPOF mailer".

Tax Revolt

We're beginning to see the effects of Jebonomics, shifting costs from the state to local government.

"Horror story after horror story about huge property-tax increases were recounted Monday by homeowners who warned that rising taxes would drive residents out of Sarasota County and wreak havoc on local businesses and rental property owners." "Citizens cry out for tax relief". See also "Higher taxes irk Port St. Lucie's new homeowners", "Tax rate pits mayor against commission" and "Hollywood residents cry foul" ("Homeowners upset taxes not going down").

"Democrats court Hispanics"

"Democrats are forming Hispanic caucuses in South Florida to bridge the quiet, clannish divisions among immigrant groups and coax more Latinos to the polls in November." "Democrats court Hispanics".

GOP Attack Ads Backfire

"The Mallard Group, which earned $800,000 this election cycle, had one of its worst elections in years. Randy Johnson, a Republican candidate for chief financial officer; circuit judge candidate Robert 'Bo' Michael; and six Republican state House and state Senate candidates lost their primaries. In a year marked by the negative tone of many political ads, Mallard's were particularly harsh, political observers say." "Political ad firm defends tactics".

Follow The Money

"A coalition of some of Florida's most powerful corporations has quietly raised almost $1.8 million in support of a November ballot measure that would make it harder for voters to amend the state constitution."

Led by developers, agribusinesses, utilities and others, the group is promoting an initiative that would require future constitutional amendments to be approved by 60 percent of voters. Only a simple majority is needed now. ...

"They don't like citizens having the ability to go around the Legislature, which they can control through their campaign contributions," said Ben Wilcox, the executive director of Common Cause Florida, which is organizing opposition to the 60-percent measure, along with groups such as the League of Women Voters and the AFL-CIO.

Privatization Follies

"Only eight months after launching one of Florida's largest privatization projects, a Tennessee-based company has backed out of a $792-million deal to provide health care to 14,000 inmates in South Florida's state prisons over 10 years." "Prison contractor wants out".

Public-Private Boondogles

"The Business Development Board of Palm Beach County is working under a one-year contract because the board compromised its public mission in its quest for The Scripps Research Institute. While the board seems now to understand that its public money isn't the sole preserve of private businesses, the board should not get the five-year contract it wants." "Progress, but questions".

Spectral sightings began after 15 counties - Sarasota, Pinellas, Hillsborough and Pasco included - purchased computerized, ATM-style voting machines following the adoption of new rules that unify how Florida's 67 counties conduct elections. Counties could pick from a handful of voting machines, some touch screen, some not. The touch screen machines tabulate votes electronically. So far, so good.

But some fear that votes cast on the machines could disappear into an electronic Never-Never-Land, and a paper trail is a safety net that offers assurances of outcome and a deterrent to hackers.

To officials in the counties that use the machines, however, a paper trail is an expensive, retrofitted security blanket providing comfort not justified by the costs.

The two sides spent eight hours in a Sarasota County courtroom last week. Paper trail advocates asked the judge to let voters decide if they want to pay for new voting equipment that uses voter-verified paper ballots. County officials questioned the constitutionality of the referendum question the advocates drafted.

Nelson in "Low Gear"

"Ahead in the polls and in fundraising, U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson opened his campaign in low gear." "Nelson avoids harsh words - for now".

"Bush's dishonorable education legacy"

An Elisa Cramer column we missed last Friday, takes on the silly claim that Jebbie has done anything to improve education:

Do you value public education?

If the answer is yes, if you believe that every child in Florida should be able to attend a high-quality public school, then Jim Davis should get your vote on Nov. 7.

Anyone who doubts that Charlie Crist would be worse for Florida's public schools than Jim Davis must not have been paying attention to the campaign leading up to the primary election - or the past eight years of Gov. Bush's leadership.

Consider any given standard - high school graduation, the achievement gap between minorities and whites and between girls and boys, classroom sizes, prekindergarten, corporate vouchers, the state's colleges and universities - and Gov. Bush's policies repeatedly have undermined public education. As education commissioner from 2001 to 2003, Mr. Crist was responsible for carrying out many of those counterproductive tactics. Where can the public - or out-of-state businesses and research institutions hoping to move to Florida - see progress in the academic policies Mr. Crist wants to continue?

Voters will prove whether they care about educating children or prefer, like Mr. Crist, to daily honor Gov. Bush's dishonorable education legacy.

Continuing "to trail the nation"

"After years of scoring better than their classmates across the state on the SAT, students in Palm Beach County scored below the state average and continued to trail the nation on the new version of the college entrance exam." "County SAT scores drop as minority gap narrows".

Privatization Follies

"Child support still difficult to collect in Florida, despite help from state, private firms".

Forever Changed

"Florida government changed forever a few minutes after the first plane struck the twin towers on the grim morning of Sept. 11, 2001." "9/11 led to 'new way of life' in Florida".

Nose To Party Grindstone No Guarantee

"Being heavily involved in organized party politics is no guarantee of future electoral success, several candidates found out the hard way last week." "Active partisans get taste of defeat".

"Problem-plagued primary"

"Election officials across the state say slower outcomes may be the new norm, though, as changing laws, new equipment and an ever-growing population complicate the process. It may take until 2008 for elections supervisors to adjust to the new law and technology before they can pump out election tallies like in the past, said Terry Vaughn, president of the Florida State Association of Supervisors of Elections." "PBC hoping for smoother count in Nov. after problem-plagued primary". See also "Primary mishaps shouldn't harm Anderson if fixed by November".

Stage Set

"Florida voters last Tuesday set the stage for the November election by choosing their respective standard-bearers for the upcoming general election." "Michael Peltier: Stage set for general election".

Separation

"The Flagler school district lacked that good judgment by uncritically opening its doors to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in August." "Religion should be kept out of school assemblies". See also "Secular mind-set of higher ed challenged".

Get Charlie off-script. He's good -- better than you -- at reciting his talking points. But when he gets off-script, he can blow it big-time. During an interview with The Palm Beach Post's editorial board last month, Charlie was going on and on about the FCAT when he revealed that he didn't know when the test was given or even what constituted a passing score. Make Charlie do that on live TV.

Speaking of the FCAT, whenever Charlie defends it, say the following: "Mr. Crist, I would think that, if anyone could understand the pitfalls of standardized testing, it would be someone who twice failed the Bar exam."

Don't let Charlie talk about his grandiose plans for public education without reminding people that he spent several years as the state's education commissioner. If he really wanted to improve this state's sad-sack schools, he certainly had an opportunity to do so.

You're not that exciting. You don't really excite white people. So you darn sure don't excite black ones, whose votes you need. Think about getting a strong black Democrat as your running mate. How about Daryl Jones? Everybody liked the handsome Air Force Academy graduate in 2002 . . . just not as much as they liked Bill McBride. (Boy, was that a mistake.)

Sugar Crist; Media Gives Crist A Pass

The media savaged Smith for his support by big sugar; Charlie was given a pass, even though sugar "companies also contributed at least $600,000 to groups that backed Attorney General Charlie Crist, who won the Republican nomination." Now that Crist is the only sugar backed candidate in the race, can we expect Florida's corporate media to give Charlie the same treatment? "Daniel Smith, associate professor of political science at the University of Florida, said the sugar companies' ... would be smart to avoid a repeat of such a heavy-handed approach in the general election, because Crist will likely raise much more money than Davis, and the association with 'Big Sugar' can hurt a candidate." "Despite primary loss, Big Sugar still a player in governor's race".

CD 8

"This election season, Republican Congressman Ric Keller faces the toughest fight of his political career since he was first elected in 2000."

Keller, 42, has more money -- about $1.3 million to Stuart's $200,000 -- which can be spent on advertising and staff. Keller has a congressional track record from three terms in office and significant committee positions, such as chairman of the Higher Education Subcommittee.

And he is sitting on a Republican majority in the district he represents -- U.S. House District 8 -- even if that majority is slim. ...

Stuart, a marketing consultant, has support of local unions and an endorsement from the state's most prominent Democrat, former Gov. and Sen. Bob Graham. He also has strong local ties. Stuart's brother Robert is an Orlando City Commissioner; his brother Jacob runs the Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce; and his brother George is a former state senator. ...

But The Cook Political Report, a respected nonpartisan think tank that handicaps races, lists the race as a likely Republican win.

Pretenders To Moderation

"After Charlie Crist's lopsided victory over Tom Gallagher in Tuesday's Republican primary, some Republicans fear - and others hope - that Crist will revamp the party that Jeb Bush steered hard to the right in the 1990s." "Crist May Tip GOP To Center". There may not be much to this, though:

State Sen. Dan Webster, an Orlando Republican and a conservative standard-bearer, said Tuesday's results show that voters didn't see much difference between the GOP candidates for governor.

He dismissed talk of a significant shift in voting patterns.

"I don't think 15 percent turnout can determine the direction of the party on either side," Webster said.

Young Wingers

It is no secret that "Young Republicans" are perhaps the most extreme of the many radical factions in the RPOF. For example, "In straw polls during the GOP primary, some 80 percent backed Tom Gallagher over Charlie Crist." Now they are throwing their weight behind Representative B. "YR's, But No One Else, Hear Harris Strategy Chat".

Speaking of Representative B

"U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris' former campaign manager in her candidacy for Senate has been interviewed by federal investigators as part of an inquiry into her relationship with a convicted defense contractor, a newspaper reported Saturday. Jim Dornan spoke to FBI and Defense Department investigators in Washington for about 90 minutes Thursday, the St. Petersburg Times reported." "Ex-worker for Harris questioned in inquiry". See also "Former Katherine Harris campaign manager interviewed by officials".

Electing Judges

"Critics say there are several problems with electing judges - and all those allegations are true. Elections mean money, and campaign contributions from lawyers, and possible conflicts of interest. They mean that candidates can be tempted to go too far, to say undignified or even unethical things to get elected. Voters sometimes choose on something as superficial as a name, or gender." "If voters got it 'wrong,' let Supreme Court fix it".

Viable Reform Candidate Could Hurt Crist

The media won's pay attention to a candidate with cash who might take some votes away from Crist:

Linn, a 46-year-old retired financial planner from St. Petersburg, is a Reform Party candidate and one of almost two dozen little-known gubernatorial hopefuls struggling to penetrate the political bubble around Democrats and Republicans.

He has pumped $1-million of his own cash into his campaign and spent hundreds of thousands on statewide TV ads during shows like The Today Show, Good Morning America and The Tonight Show With Jay Leno. He has the campaign managers of former presidential candidate Ross Perot and former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura. And he has recruited as his lieutenant governor Tom Macklin, the Avon Park mayor who proposed to make English the city's official language and to issue fines against landlords and businesses that help illegal immigrants. ...

Linn counts Sembler, President Bush's former ambassador to Italy, among his mentors and says the St. Petersburg developer persuaded him to open his own financial planning business. ...

At age 24, Linn was hired by A.G. Edwards & Sons Inc. as a financial planner. While at A.G. Edwards, Linn's secretary accused him of sexual harassment. The allegation came out during Linn's first attempt to seek political office - a 1990 Republican bid for a state Senate seat. Linn denied the accusation and the matter was eventually dropped. ...

Linn served on the first President George Bush's inauguration team, escorting Mel Sembler and Joe Zappala, former ambassador to Spain, to the event. He also donated to Crist's 1998 campaign for U.S. Senate and other to Republican candidates.

Villalobos

"The keys to Villalobos' success: the elderly and Hispanics. In the precincts he carried, 62 percent of voters were Hispanic and 25 percent were over the age of 64. In the precincts Bolaños carried, only 54 percent were Hispanic and just 18 percent of voters were over 64. Many voters were troubled by the third-party attack groups that littered mailboxes with ads depicting Villalobos as Hillary Clinton, as a hippie or with killer Ted Bundy. A number couldn't understand why Bush and other Tallahassee insiders were targeting their senator, a grandson of Lolo Villalobos, a popular mayor of the Havana suburb of Guanabacoa." "Elderly Hispanics boosted Villalobos".

And there could be long term ramifications for the fractured RPOF: "Bush's attempt to punish an apostate could turn into a big political miscalculation. Sen. Villalobos' allies resented the campaign against him. In November, the Senate must choose a president for 2007-08. That is supposed to be Ken Pruitt of Port St. Lucie. But he worked to boot Sen. Villalobos from the 2009-10 presidency in favor of Jeff Atwater of North Palm Beach." "Jeb's primary mistake".

Harris in The Corridor

"Results from the GOP primary election show that U.S. Senate candidate Katherine Harris has a difficult road ahead of her."

While the Longboat Key Republican won the four-way contest against the mostly unknown trio of challengers, she fell short of winning 50 percent of the Republican primary vote.

The numbers were even worse along the Interstate 4 corridor, a critical battleground that political analysts believe is vital for a candidate running for statewide office. In the most populated counties along that stretch, Harris struggled to gain even 40 percent of the vote.

Worse, the region has been a political stronghold for her November opponent, Sen. Bill Nelson, a Democrat.

Lt. Guv Speculation


- "Among the prospects often mentioned for Crist: state Rep. Jeff Kottkamp, R-Cape Coral; state Sen. Lisa Carlton, R-Osprey; and state Rep. Jennifer Carroll, R-Green Cove Springs, an African-American with a military background."

- "For Davis, who took a beating in the primary for voting in 1990 against compensating two black men wrongly convicted of murder, many Democrats think he needs to pick an African-American. State Rep. Chris Smith of Fort Lauderdale and former state Sen. Daryl Jones of Miami are frequently mentioned, as well as former Miami-Dade commissioner Jimmy Morales and Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle." "Who should run for lieutenant governor? Ask the Magic 8-Ball". See also "Running Mates".

The Scientology Thing

"Scientologists are relieved that Frank Farkas' efforts to use Kim Berfield's links to the church against her didn't work in their primary race." "Appeal to prejudice may have fallen flat".

What Unions Do

"More than 150 members of the South Florida AFL-CIO knocked on doors throughout Miami-Dade in an effort to turn out union members for the Nov. 7 election." "Union labors door-to-door to get out vote". See also "Union members walk around the state to support Davis, oppose amendment".

Warning Signs

"Ordinary voters had few complaints, but some political insiders say Palm Beach County Elections Supervisor Arthur Anderson should heed some warning signs after overseeing his first countywide election last week." "Primary mishaps shouldn't harm Anderson if fixed by November".

Earth to Sentinel Editorial Board

The "We Heart Jebbie" crowd at the Orlando Sentinel editorial board thinks the latest "blistering national report" on "Jeb!"'s legacy - education - is unfair: "the last criticism one can lay on the doorstep of Florida's universities is that they are too expensive. Indeed, many would argue they are too cheap." "A bargain".

"Too cheap"? The pampered and powdered editorial board have no idea what is happening out in the real world. Sure, compared to other states, tuition rates in Florida are cheap; but, folks in other states actually have jobs with decent wages and, heaven forbid, health insurance and pension benefits. So, they can afford the higher tuitions in other states. Instead of just regurgitating RPOF talking points, the editorial board should spend time reading the articles in their own newspaper (you have to read it all the way to the end); in the Sentinel's own story on the "blistering report" by "the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that promotes education beyond high school," the RPOF/Sentinel Editorial Board stance is rebutted:

But the report card on higher education indicates that Florida families on average must spend a quarter of their income to send a child to a community college or four-year public university.

Verdell Pugh Horne, a reading teacher at Seminole High School in Sanford and chairman of the trustees at Seminole Community College, said low incomes in Florida undercut the benefits of low tuition.

"Someone making $20,000 a year can hardly feed their family, let alone pay for college," Horne said.

South Florida Hispanics

"Democrats are forming Hispanic caucuses in South Florida to bridge the quiet, clannish divisions among immigrant groups and coax more Latinos to the polls in November. The last decade's surge in eligible voters with ties to countries as disparate as Venezuela and Peru has challenged the Cuban Republican vote, experts say. But Democrats trying to seize on the numbers and find a common Latino voice are often stumped." "Democrats working to attract Hispanics throughout South Florida".

Oil Drilling

Mike Thomas believes that "Oil drilling along our coast matter of time".

He's right, if Floridians (including Thomas) continue to vote for candidates that are wholly owned subsidiaries of the oil industry.

Tax Revolt

"Elected officials are getting an earful from Floridians whose property tax bills skyrocket while others enjoy artificially low rates. ... the Save Our Homes amendment, promoted as a way to protect elderly widows from being taxed out of their homes, has led to a massive redistribution of the tax burden." "Tax revolt is rising". See also "Tax truths".

Ready, Fire, Aim.

"After a dismal voter turnout in the primary election and a hard-fought governor’s primary that was closer than expected, Florida Democrats vow they’ll make a difference in November." "Democrats, GOP set sights on each other".

Slosberg

"With loss, Slosberg to retire".

(No Longer) Secret Deal Will Hurt Buchanan

"The settlement between Buchanan -- a multimillionaire who just won the Republican primary to succeed Katherine Harris -- and Buford, a wealthy Kansas developer, was supposed to remain secret. But now that some of the details have been revealed, questions are being raised about the way in which Buchanan avoided income taxes and the manner in which his penthouse was appraised." "Accountants, others question settlement between Buchanan, wealthy developer".

Recount

"Nick Thompson was declared the winner in the Republican primary for a Lee County House seat after a re-count Saturday gave him a 35-vote lead over County Commissioner John Albion. ... Thompson faces Democrat Pete Burkert in the November general election to replace Rep. Bruce Kyle, R-Fort Myers, who can't run due to term limits." "Thompson declared winner after re-count in Lee County primary".

Duking It Out

" Television viewers will get a double dose of political attacks in the coming days, as U.S. Rep. Clay Shaw and his challenger, state Sen. Ron Klein, duke it out." "Shaw-Klein race heating up".

CD 9 dKos Diary

Check out this dKos Diary (with plenty of links) on Busansky v. Bilirakis:

The campaign has already gotten weird, with allegations of others tampering with Busansky's yard-signs and Susan S's reports of attacks on Max Cleland when he campaigned for Busansky, and her report in the same diary that Bilirakis is being kind enough to hire Swiftboatties. Lovely.

But there is better news. The race shows up as #34 in Superribbie's August ranking of potentially vulnerable GOP House districts, in the top of the second tier. She's on the DCCC red-to-blue list. And her fundraising puts her in a place to be competitive.

Robocalls

"Chuck Mohlke, chairman of the Collier County Democratic Party and a partner in a firm that does telephone polls, says it is the economy of the robocall that makes it so attractive. That and the fact that the content can be tailored day by day and even hour by hour to reflect the message the candidate wants to convey at a given moment. Mohlke said a candidate has to judge whether robocalls will win or lose points. 'It is in the category of a calculated risk,' he said, adding that little research has been done to determine whether they are a net plus or minus." "Brent Batten: Impersonal 'robocalls' not the best way to win over voters".

Haitian "Growing Pains"

"The recent primary showed that, despite its perceived clout, South Florida's Haitian-American community has political growing pains." "Haitian-American candidates faced a double challenge".