has been running a steady stream of TV ads, while the Davis campaign doesn't want to start airing ads until it's sure it has the money to keep airing them through the election. Sound familiar? Crist's primary rival Tom Gallagher last spring held off airing ads for weeks to marshall resources - only to see Crist's lead steadily increase in the polls and Gallagher's fundraising slow as a result.

"I'm assuming the Democratic National Committee has already conceded the race," said a chuckling Mark Guzzetta, a top Republican fundraiser mingling at the Ritz. "I haven't seen a Davis ad. He does not have the money, and he does not have a message."

An Opening for Davis

Sun-Sentinel editorial writer Douglas C. Lyons writes that Charlie Crist

has the burden of being the frontrunner and the status quo candidate. He's the "continuation conservative," the guy who will carry the torch of the Jeb Bush legacy.

He's the one that must run on the big business/less government mantra, the FCAT, the lack of oversight of taxpayers' dollars spent on outsourcing and privatization, and the billions that paid for tax cuts.

That's a tall order and one that offers Democratic hopeful Jim Davis a bit of an opening.

The Tampa congressman is free to run against a state government controlled by an uber-majority of Republicans. He doesn't have to defend Tallahassee's antics that led to the Terri Schiavo debacle or laws that now exempt owners of gun ranges from any state environmental regulations.

Ironically, it's the mild-mannered Democratic candidate for governor who can boast of a bold stroke. He was the guy who chose a well-qualified black lawmaker (Daryl Jones) as his running mate. Crist did not, and all he got for his troubles to date was a distracting controversy involving his cautious pick for lieutenant governor (state Rep. Jeff Kottkamp) and the Confederate flag. ...

Davis could still make a race of it, if he overcomes a big hurdle.

He must grab, and hold, the bright-ideas, bold-initiatives mantle and convince voters that his policies and programs are a better alternative than some of the far-right initiatives that have become business as usual in the state of Florida.

Herbert Hoover Would Approve

"The conservative Hoover Institution's endorsement of Gov. Jeb Bush's education reforms comes as little surprise, save for the swipe it took at how Florida rates its veteran teachers." "No Do-Or-Die Test For Teachers".

Nelson Dogged

"Nelson still dogged by '98 insurance decision".

Flip Flop

Will Representative B put her personal fortune into her campaign against Nelson? Well, "on the Sean Hannity radio show—one of her favorite venues—she hinted that she may longer consider it necessary." "Harris May Be Rethinking Spending On Her Campaign".

And then there's this: "Harris undecided about how to handle tainted donation".

Tenfold

"Republican Charlie Crist raised nearly $1.2-million in the first full week of the general election campaign, nearly 10 times as much as Jim Davis, his Democratic opponent." "Crist off to fast fundraising start". See also "Crist raises $1.2 million to Davis' $149,000", "The more cash candidates raise, the more you kick in", "He came. He spoke. He raised $2 million" and "The Rich Get Richer".

And isn't this nice: "Just two days after Crist, the Republican nominee for governor, named state lawmaker and Morgan & Morgan partner Jeff Kottkamp as his running mate, a political group supporting him pulled in $91,000 from lawyers and law firms -- virtually all of which are in the personal-injury business." "Strange Bedfellows". See also "Another $148K for Davis" and "Davis-Jones fund-raiser rakes in $".

Castor Coasting

"Brannock faces difficult race against Castor".

All in the Family

The RPOF hands out the goodies:

Florida's Republican Party named a pair of replacements for two departing lawmakers today -- including the new son-in-law of House Speaker Allan Bense.

The state GOP named Will Weatherford as its nominee to succeed Rep. Ken Littlefield, a Dade City Republican who earlier this month was appointed to the Public Service Commission. Weatherford served as Bense's legislative aide between 2004 and 2006 and this summer married into the speaker's family. He's also the brother of Florida State University quarterback Drew Weatherford.

The party also picked Cape Coral homebuilder Gary Aubuchon to replace Rep. Jeff Kottkamp, R-Cape Coral, who had to give up his seat when Republican gubernatorial nomine Charlie Crist named him his running mate. Aubuchon, it's worth noting, also happens to be building a new home for Kottkamp, according to The News-Press of Fort Myers.

Charter Scool Follies

"A state commission established to authorize more charter schools conducted its first meeting Friday as a legal challenge from Florida's school boards loomed. The 67 local boards previously had sole authority to grant charters for the publicly funded schools, which can be operated by private individuals, organizations, corporations or other government entities, though denials can be appealed to the State Board of Education. Florida School Boards Association Executive Director Wayne Blanton said his organization will contest a new law that created the Florida Schools for Excellence [sic] Commission." "Charter school panel meets".

Jebbie's Base

"Carlos Slim, world's third richest man, visits Capitol".

Odds and Ends

Bill March has some "Odds And Ends From The Bush Fundraiser".

Crist Chickens Out

"The AARP announced Thursday that a health care policy forum featuring Charlie Crist and Jim Davis at the University of Miami, planned since mid-July to be held Monday, Sept. 25, had been scrapped. The AARP didn’t say why, but David Wheeler of the National Health Policy Council, another sponsor, said via email the decision was made 'when it became clear to us that the Crist campaign had no interest in participating ... despite ten weeks of telling us the opposite.' ... The Crist camp wouldn’t comment, but Davis spokesman Josh Earnest was happy to suggest that Crist 'was reluctant to have his ideas on health care compared with Jim’s ideas on improving health care.'" "Crist Back Out Of Forum; Organizers Floored".

Gross

"A political action committee urging voters to approve a constitutional amendment that would make it harder to amend the state's constitution raised more than $250,000 from Sept. 1 to 15." "Amendment Limits PAC Continues to Rake in Cash".

Dozier and Charlie

"Republican gov. candidate Charlie Crist has finally cut ties with the man who said Jesus backed Crist's candidacy, the Muslim-bashing Rev. O'Neal Dozier who has also made inflammatory remarks against homosexuals." "Crist boots the Rev. Dozier".

Dozier never got the GOP knack of speaking freely only while at the country club.

How Much Dis "Jeb!" Spend?

It is hard to tell how much money did the Bushco surrogates spend on trying to defeat Villalobos? "Complicating any final calculation: money flowed back and forth between the Frank Bolanos campaign and multiple committees, such as the Partnership for Florida's Future, Citizens for Conservative Values, Florida's Mainstreet Merchants, Teachers United for Better Schools, Citizens for Housing & Urban Growth, or the Florida Justice Reform Group." "Final numbers in Villalobos race".

FCAT Fun

"Reform Party gov. candidate Max Linn, an independently wealthy former Republican, is putting his money and outsider status to work on the Web, criticizing Gov. Jeb Bush's high-stakes FCAT exam in a cartoon." "The gov race needs a cartoon".

Bush, after lauding his brother, Gov. Jeb Bush, Gus Bilirakis, First Lady Laura Bush, his mother, Barbara Bush, and Bilirakis' mother, noted that he was "proud to be here with Congresswoman Katherine Harris, running for the United States Senate."

Lee Flip-Flops

Tom Lee apparently has no idea what his Chief of Staff is doing.

Recall that on Wednesday Lee's office charged his opponent, Senator Skip Campbell, with campaigning on "Senate's dime". Ironically, the charges were made by a State employee (who presumably was on the "Senate's dime" at the time): "Jay Kassack, chief of staff for Senate President Tom Lee ... warned Campbell against using taxpayer-funded resources." Kassack actually insisted that Campbell "forward any future Campbell press releases through him." "Lee: Campbell campaigning on Senate's dime".

Yesterday, "Lee overrode his staff chief, Jay Kassack, saying he had been unaware of the order from his office the previous day." "". "Senate chief reverses decree to Campbell".

Are we supposed to believe that Kassack took on Campbell in this way without first consulting with his boss, Tom Lee?

Night of the Lemmings

"He came. He spoke. He raised $2 million". See also "President raises cash for Crist" and "President's Visit Pads GOP's War Chests".

Bush stunned the crowd: "President says Crist best man for Florida". See also "President: Crist 'right guy' for job".

Davis' response: "Davis: 'Crist on George Bush's Side'" See also "With W in Fla, Davis sees opportunity".

Meanwhile, "Demonstrators March Against Bush And Iraq War".

Disenfranchising Voters

"A Washington-based advocacy group on Wednesday criticized Florida's new system for verifying the identities of people registering to vote, suggesting it disenfranchises potential voters." "Washington group criticizes Florida's system for checking IDs of voters".

"The Doughnut-hole Skirmish."

"Breaking with a long-standing tradition among the Florida congressional delegation, Democratic Reps. Robert Wexler of Delray Beach and Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Pembroke Pines sharply attacked Rep. Clay Shaw Jr. of Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday over an article by Shaw published Sunday in the Opinion section of The Palm Beach Post."

Shaw's article was a rebuttal of an Opinion-section article by Wexler, published in The Post Aug. 13, which criticized President Bush and Republicans in Congress for devising a Medicare prescription drug benefit that has a gap in coverage for drug costs exceeding $2,250 up to $5,100 in out-of-pocket spending.

Critics of the drug law predict about 7 million Medicare beneficiaries will fall into that gap - often called the doughnut hole - but Medicare officials predict the number will be around 4 million this year.

Wexler blamed Shaw for breaking the tradition by referring to Wexler by name in the rebuttal article.

GOP Fundraising Jams

"The Florida Bar is investigating a complaint against the law firm that employs the Republican candidate for lieutenant governor." "Fundraiser host being investigated".

"Katherine Harris received $6,000 from the political action committee of U.S. Rep. Bob Ney, who has agreed to plead guilty to bribery charges." "Tainted cash puts Harris in new jam".

Cover Up?

"Despite public pronouncements that Broward County's biggest public health care system is in great financial shape, the hospitals and clinics are losing $209 million a year, chief executive Alan Levine said Thursday." "Tax dollars used to cover up huge losses at North Broward Hospital District, official says".

Nelson

"Sen. Bill Nelson is to visit New Orleans today with Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., to tour Hurricane Katrina ravaged areas and repeat a call for Senate action on property insurance rate hikes." "In the Big Easy".

Burning The Candle At Both Ends

"Crist's choice of Kottkamp is putting a crimp in the typical gush of money from trial lawyers to the Democratic nominee, Jim Davis, but it also is raising concerns among generous Republican loyalists."

The all-lawyer ticket, and Kottkamp's link to Morgan & Morgan, has traditional GOP backers, such as the medical, insurance and business lobbies, quietly trying to soothe members' concerns that Kottkamp is not their nemesis.

The Florida Medical Association acknowledged in an e-mail to members this week that it had received many calls about Kottkamp, but it urged them to ''stay focused'' and rally behind Crist.

Good Luck

"Insurance reform task force seeks to jump start Florida insurance industry".

Recall

"Activists seeking a recall vote against County Commissioner Natacha Seijas won a victory Thursday when a judge ruled that recall petition signatures that had been rejected by the county's clerk of courts must be counted." "Judge: Tally signatures in Seijas recall drive".

A GOP Thing

"GOP fights for the new poll tax".

Crist Ahead In "Facebook" Vote

"Early this week, Republican gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist had 54 percent of the Facebook vote while his Democratic opponent Jim Davis had 46 percent. Of course that can quickly change." "Facing the candidates". For background see "Students get political at Facebook".

Young Voters

"College students express optimism about voting" "Youngest voters get registered".

"Florida should curb mortgage scams"

"Sign here. And here. Initial here. Sign here. Warranty deed. Proration agreement. Truth in lending statement. To many homebuyers, these are just jumbles of words -- flimsy obstacles to rush past on the way to that proud moment when they hold the keys to their new home. They don't realize they could be walking into a trap." "Key to ruin".

Hillsborough's Nutty SOE A Political Issue

"County Commissioner Kathy Castor took aim at [SOE] Johnson's proposed budget during public hearings Thursday night, saying savings could go toward lowering the county's property tax rate. That would be a mistake, County Commissioner Ronda Storms said, saying it could threaten the early voting process in Hillsborough. In the end, Johnson's budget stayed intact." "Counting Ballots Comes At A Cost".

Pension Lobbying

"Two weeks after a state worker died after coming to the rescue of a colleague under attack at Florida State Hospital, institution employees demanded Thursday that they receive the same pension benefits prison guards do." "Florida State Hospital workers lobby for guard-like pensions".

Portability

"A county official who spearheaded a petition drive that gave homeowners a property tax break in 1992 announced plans Wednesday for another citizens initiative in 2008 to let taxpayers take that benefit with them if they move." "Amendment drive seeks to add 'portability' to tax break". See also "Tax proposal is a loser".

Bush Backfire?

"'They're helping me more than they know,' said Bilirakis' opponent, former Hillsborough County Commissioner Phyllis Busansky. 'We raised money when Dick Cheney was here, and we're going to raise anger -- real anger -- when George W. Bush comes.'" "President visits to help congressional bid".

No Deal?

"Joe Abruzzo nearly parlayed his feint against County Commissioner Mary McCarty into a seat in the Florida House of Representatives. The 26-year-old unknown jumped from a one-on-one challenge of Commissioner McCarty into the four-person District 86 race. He raised $50,000, loaned his campaign $86,000 and finished second in last week's primary, without so much as a speaking invitation from the Democratic Party, which shunned him after his last-minute switch. Mr. Abruzzo finished just 863 votes behind Delray Beach lawyer Maria Sachs because of the support Commissioner McCarty, a former county Republican chairman, threw his way after he freed her from the nagging concerns of a November campaign. Commissioner McCarty and Mr. Abruzzo both have denied that there was a deal. Their denials are hard to believe." "Why the GOP helped a Democrat".

FOP Endorsements

"The FOP has endorsed Republicans Charlie Crist for governor and Charles Bronson for state Agriculture Commissioner. But Democrats Skip Campbell and Alex Sink get the nod for attorney general and chief financial officer." "Two Democrats, Two Republicans Cop Endorsements".

Not Good

"Sen. Al Lawson of Tallahassee and Rep. Frank Peterman of St. Petersburg say they are still weighing whether to support Davis or the Republican nominee, Charlie Crist." "Waiting to be wooed".

CD 13 Slugfest

Jeremy Wallace has the scoop on CD 13.

"Need more proof that the battle for the 13th Congressional District is one of the best battles in the country?"

Check out the Cook Political Report (http://www.cookpolitical.com), which has downgraded Republican chances of holding onto the seat come November from “likely Republican” to “leaning Republican.”

Amy Walter, the D.C. newsletter’s senior editor, cites Buchanan’s "political baggage”"and his failure to capture more than 32 percent of the Republican primary vote on Sept. 5 as key reasons why the race is more competitive than once thought.

More from the "Education Governor"

"University construction put on hold".

Oops!

"While U.S. Senate candidate Katherine Harris was campaigning in Florida with President Bush Thursday she missed voting in Washington on three immigration bills designed to boost border enforcement." "Missed votes".

RGA Complaint

"Minor filed complaints Wednesday with the Florida Elections Commission against the state Republican Party, Crist and Romney. But Jeff Sadosky, a Florida GOP spokesman, shrugged off the complaints, saying the money is not earmarked and has a letter from Romney saying it is not not limited toward helping Crist." "Minor Complaints".

Class Size

"A whopping $2.88 billion request for school construction to meet Florida's class size requirements over the next four years is part of a $26.6 billion annual budget proposal unanimously endorsed Tuesday by the state Board of Education. But the board made no recommendation on how to pay for the proposal to add nearly 7,000 classrooms across the state." "Board seeks $2.8 billion for class-size construction".

Life

The wingnuts can't handle the Catholic perspective on "life":

This is not the first time the Florida Catholic Bishops begged to spare a murderer's life. In 2003, the Florida Catholic Conference asked Governor Jeb Bush to commute the death sentence of Paul Hill to life in prison without possibility of parole. This Hill was convicted of the 1994 shotgun murders of an abortionist and his driver. ...

If the Bishops are troubled that the death penalty exists and question fairness, where were their troubling concerns and comments over fairness before Terri was executed by starvation and dehydration?

Few would consider Crist an intellectual infatuated with details of governing. During the primary campaign, he told one newspaper he didn't know the date of the FCATs -- they're given in February or March -- despite being a former education commissioner.

He promised private school vouchers for everyone in the state, before his campaign manager quickly said that wasn't the case. He failed the Florida Bar twice before finally passing. And the state's most famous wonk -- Gov. Jeb Bush -- largely omits talk of policy when he touts Crist, instead praising his "hopeful optimism."

Democratic consultant Dave Beattie said the issue of competence is where Davis can make some points.

Harris Dissed

"GOP leaves Harris to fend for herself". Meanwhile, "Harris to speak in River City Thursday".

Mahoney "Crowing" About His Poll Numbers

According to his own polls,

Democratic congressional challenger Tim Mahoney's support has been virtually stagnant since Memorial Day. Though Mahoney has run TV ads since mid-August, his pollster says the share of voters who prefer him against Republican U.S. Rep. Mark Foley has only inched from 33 percent to 35 percent over the past three months.

But Mahoney was crowing about his polls last week.

While Mahoney has barely budged, his pollster says six-term incumbent Foley's support has dropped from 59 percent to 48 percent over the same three months. So a 26-point Foley lead in early June is now a 13-point advantage, according to polls of 400 "registered likely voters" by the Democratic firm Hamilton Beattie & Staff. The margin of error was 4.4 percent for the first poll and 4.9 percent for the latest.

Gallagher

"Tom Gallagher says because of his son, he stayed in the governor's race after trailing. What's next? He's not sure." "For him, quitting wasn't an option".

Republican Governors' Cash Cow

"The Republican Governors Association is giving Charlie Crist $1 million for his race against Democrat Jim Davis, the highest of any Republican nominee for governor in the nation, Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney said Sunday. Romney, head of the association and a likely 2008 presidential contender, called the race to succeed outgoing Repubican Gov. Jeb Bush "the highest priority for us." "Crist picks up $1 million from GOP governors". See also "GOP intends to keep reins", "GOP governors give $1 million to Crist", "Crist, GOP put an extra million in bank" and "Romney gives Florida GOP $1M to help Crist".

"Jeb!"'s One Florida a "Failure"

"Whether it's the growing lack of affordability or the failure of his One Florida Initiative, Gov. Bush is leaving lots of higher-education problems to his successor."

A year ago, after African-American freshman enrollment in the 11-member university system had fallen from 17.6 percent to 14.1 percent statewide over five years, Gov. Bush did a photo op with students at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, the state's only historically black college, and promised to do better. FAMU happens to be where massive protests greeted approval of his 2000 One Florida plan, which eliminated affirmative action as an admissions tool. The action, which the governor took to keep off the ballot a vote on affirmative action that could have hurt his brother, also applied to minorities in terms of state contracts.

Yet 14 percent is where, according to the state last week, the portion of black freshmen remains. Despite a 2.6 percent increase in total enrollment to 288,413 students this fall, the number of black freshmen grew by only 52 - to 5,423, a 1.6 percent gain and still not back to the 5,874 black freshmen who enrolled in 2002 or the 6,094 in 2003.

Ignoring the setback from the experiment that he had claimed would benefit those students, the "education governor" spoke last week of "the greater access to higher education to all our students." He whistled past the black freshman decrease to claim credit for the 4.8 percent overall minority enrollment increase, which mostly reflected the 7 percent growth in Hispanic students who are part of the fastest-growing population in a fast- growing state.

Oil Drilling

"Lawmakers still push for deal on oil drilling".

Re-Insurance

"The villain of spiraling insurance rates in Florida is now re-insurance. Lightly regulated, offshore companies that provide backup coverage to insurance companies themselves have more than doubled their rates in Florida. With no major hurricanes yet this year, they are reaping record profits." "All eyes turn to offshore insurers".

"Jeb!" Eager To Execute

"The eyes of the nation will turn to Florida this week as combatants in the longstanding debate over the death penalty watch to see who will blink in a showdown between Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and the U.S. Supreme Court." "All eyes on Florida for death penalty showdown".

You just know Charlie is angling for a ticket to the death chamber.

Sarasotans Not Embarassed

"It's no secret that Republicans are doing their best to distance themselves from President Bush and his sagging poll numbers."

Bush is sporting approval ratings below 40 percent in many polls and is doing even worse among independent voters. In a Fox News poll released this past week, only 25 percent of independents approve of the job the president has been doing.

But surprisingly, that isn't keeping some candidates, including Longboat Key Republican Vern Buchanan, from hitching themselves to Vice President Dick Cheney.

Electronic Voting

"Professor claims hacking success." "Elections".

Hurricane Exchange

"The model for a Florida hurricane exchange is one drafted by former state Sen. Locke Burt, a Jacksonville insurance executive. A discussion paper he sent Gov. Jeb Bush late last month outlines a $40 billion Florida Catastrophe Exchange run by the State Board of Administration." "Storm exchange getting interest".

I Am Shocked

"If there's any surprise in last week's announcement about Medicare premiums, it's not that next year's monthly increase for Part B coverage won't be as high as first estimated. Who would have guessed it? A 'savings' announced in the run-up to the November elections." "Medicare manipulation".

Rubio's "Battleground Seats"

"All legislative seats may be created equal, but some are more equal than others. Rep. Marco Rubio, the incoming House speaker from Miami, has labeled 16 'battleground seats' as the most 'highly competitive' in the state in the 2006 election cycle. Four of the 16 are open seats, meaning that even with an 85-seat majority in the 120-member House, Rubio is looking to expand the Republicans' reach." "Marco Rubio's A-List".

"Governor hopefuls take cue"

"In Volusia County and across Florida, a tax revolt is brewing just in time for election day." "Tempers rise with property taxes".

Clifton C. Curry Jr. of Brandon ... is not what you would expect of a political dirt peddler. He's a lawyer, a Little League coach, 2004 Bush-Cheney regional campaign chairman, chairman of the Judicial Nominating Commission.

They have known each other since their days at FSU, where Crist narrowly defeated Curry for homecoming king.

the story begins with a woman named Rebecca O'Dell Townsend. At 48, she's an amiable and respected appellate lawyer in St. Petersburg and frequent lecturer on constitutional law to conservative groups [like the Christian Coalition]. A past president of the Suncoast Women's Republican Club and founding member of the Downtown Women's Republican Club in Tampa, she was appointed by Gov. Bush to the Florida Film & Arts Advisory Council. The state Supreme Court put her on its Committee on Arts in the Courtroom.

In 1988, she was an active Young Republican and a staunch social conservative. Crist was an up-and-coming politico, who had lost in his first run for political office, a state Senate seat.

As Townsend tells it, she and Crist connected at a Feather Sound nightclub. After dancing, they went back to his St. Petersburg apartment early on Oct. 1, 1988.

Will Dems Seize The Tax Issue?

Is the local tax issue something the Dems - particularly Davis - can exploit the issue?

"The tax revolt of 2006 may be playing out in city halls and county courthouses, but Gov. Jeb Bush ought to be careful about pointing his finger. He and state lawmakers have made their own sizeable contribution to the skewed condition of Florida's property taxes."

signed a state budget in June that increased property taxes by 17.3 percent. The hike came through what education budget analysts call "required local effort," and school districts were mandated to keep their property tax rate exactly the same. No rollback.

The shell game with school taxes is a relatively new phenomenon, as lawmakers in recent years have quietly shifted the burden from the state to the counties. Bush has bragged about increasing school spending by $7.7-billion since becoming governor, but nearly half has come from property taxpayers. In the past five years alone, state-mandated property taxes jumped 68 percent.

Needs To Leave

Will someone please ask (the frequently embarassing) John Morgan to leave the party:

Though he's one of the biggest Democratic fundraisers in Florida, John Morgan says he, too, is backing Crist -- not Democratic nominee Jim Davis -- in the November election to succeed Republican Gov. Jeb Bush.

"I'm a Crist guy -- Democrats for Crist," said Morgan, who's best known for his "For the people" television commercials, radio ads and billboards.

Remember the Chain Gangs

As blithe "Voters gush over charming Charlie", an editorial today warns that folks "shouldn't make too much of this slight Republican shift to the center. ... just remember - Charlie Crist is a solid conservative even if he has some differences with the Bush brothers. We should be under no illusions about that." "After Bush, a breath".

ATU Legislative Conference

"Promising an emphasis on the state's mass transit system and scrutiny of privatization of government services, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jim Davis spoke to union members gathered Saturday morning for a legislative conference in Gainesville." "Davis addresses union during Gainesville stop".

"Nothing says I'm sorry like a big, fat check"

Gallagher financiers to kiss Crist's ring:

President Bush is expected to come through town this week to raise money for Charlie Crist and other Florida Republicans. And the most optimistic of Republicans are hoping he'll raise several million dollars in this single stop.

That sounds like a lot. But there are two reasons they may get there: guilt and fear.

So many of the big-money Republicans backed Tom Gallagher in the gubernatorial primary that they are looking to make nice with Crist.

"There'll be a whole lot of people making amends," said Lew Oliver, the head of Orange County's Republican Party:

And nothing says I'm sorry like a big, fat check.

Incompetence

"Florida just fumbled one of the biggest deals in biotech - without ever getting in the game."

t is a significant failure - a huge black eye - for the governor to have let this enormous catalyst for a targeted industry slip by with hardly a shot. ...

On three occasions, staffers in the governor's office said someone would get back with us, but no one ever did. A request to interview the governor's economic development chief also went wanting. ...

When spending millions to bring private biotech facilities to Florida, Bush promised the expenditures would benefit the entire state. The national biotech lab could have made that payday come sooner.

Instead, the governor's administration squandered an enormous opportunity.

Health Plans

"Which health plans made the grade in Florida?"

Harris Report

"If history is any indication, U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris can count on the Republican-friendly Northeast Florida to help her unseat U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson. But this isn't a typical campaign and that could make the fight for Northeast Florida votes particularly interesting." "No guaranteed win for Harris in this region".

The GOP shamefully continues to stab Harris in the back: See "With friends like this ...", "What's the GOP saying about Harris?" and "Mehlman Still Ambivalent On Harris". See also "RNC Chairman High on Upcoming Election".

Running Mates

"Choosing a running mate in Florida probably takes less real thought for a candidate than picking out the ideal necktie to wear on the televised debates." "Running mates".

Smith on Jones

"Jim Davis’s campaign sent out this reaction from Rod Smtih to Daryl Jones selection as the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor." "Rod Smith on Daryl Jones".

"Within 100 miles of Tampa Bay"

"Late last month, the U.S. Interior Department unveiled an aggressive five-year plan for offshore oil and natural gas drilling from Prudhoe Bay to within 100 miles of Tampa Bay. The draft anticipates drilling within millions of additional acres of lease-holdings in the Gulf of Mexico. It is the business of energy as usual for the oilmen running the federal administration." "Deep-sea drilling". See also "Gulf oil discovery adds pressure to offshore drilling debate".

Palm Beach County

"Palm Beach elections office reaches out to minority voters".

GOP Rewards M.D. Contributors

"the Florida Medical Association asked the Legislature to make it harder for out-of-state doctors to testify in malpractice trials against doctors practicing in Florida. Two doctors on the Board of Medicine are former presidents of the lobbying group, which represents about 50,000 physicians. This summer, the board, which does not include any doctors from Palm Beach, Martin or St. Lucie counties, lowered the fine from $10,000 to $1,000 for doctors who operate on the wrong person or the wrong body part. ... Rep. Gayle Harrell, R-Port St. Lucie, should ask those questions. She told The Post, 'The system is working.' The patients and families still awaiting resolution of 164 complaints filed in 2002 or earlier would disagree." "".

Pardon Me

"Davis seeks his own kind of a pardon".

Secret Dockets

"Despite what the Legislature might think, judges in Florida deserve some discretion when it comes to sentencing. They deserve no such discretion when it comes to making cases secret." "No more secret dockets".

Save Our Homes

"Save Florida from any more Save Our Homes".

"Jeb!" Justice

"The report criticized the state for: the number of innocent inmates sent to await execution; a racial disparity that shows those convicted of killing a white victim are far more likely to get a death sentence; the lack of oversight and funding for attorneys who handle Death Row appeals; and a death sentencing process that requires majority, not unanimous, jury agreement."

"Florida has released more people from Death Row than any other state, which suggests the system has serious problems," said Christopher Slobogin, a University of Florida law professor who was chairman of the eight-member group.

"It is small comfort that no one recently executed in Florida has been proven innocent, since some of them were not able to present all the proof they had and efforts at exoneration usually end once the person is dead."

Funding for the study came from the ABA and the European Union. Members of the team included a circuit judge, a state attorney, a former Florida Supreme Court justice and a former public defender, some of them death penalty supporters.

Dem Contest

"The Leon County Democratic Party is sponsoring a TV political ad contest that will be judged by Howard Dean, chairman of the Democratic National Committee; Karen Thurman, Florida Democratic Party chairwoman; and local leaders. The contest is called 'Leon Dems in 30 Seconds.'" "Howard Dean to judge local TV ad contest".

Crossing Their Fingers

"Republican officials said they think their prospects in the November elections are looking better." "GOP hopeful of keeping power in Congress".

Hillsborough County

"The arrests are just a small part of Wilkinson's outsized public profile. In much the same way that Ronda Storms has captured Hillsborough County's political imagination - among foes and supporters alike - Wilkinson has dominated county commission water cooler talk since his election in 1998. He has not dominated policy." "Arrest May Boost Polk's GOP Rebel".

GOP Nominates Con Man?

Now we know: GOP CD 13 standard bearer Vern Buchanan is an empty suit blow hard, if not an outright con man:

The details of one of the biggest development deals in Sarasota's history -- and the allegations of misconduct hurled among those involved in bringing it here -- have been kept secret since 2001, thanks to a rarely employed judicial order that sealed the squabble from public view.

After a month of courtroom jostling, Buchanan agreed last week to unseal the lawsuit. The 11-volume file includes financial statements and court records compiled to bolster claims by Buford and Daves that Buchanan wasn't the big-money businessman he had made himself out to be.

Though he initially said he couldn't remember who asked the judge to seal the case, the seal order shows it was Buchanan who was worried the details might tarnish his reputation as a titan of Sarasota's business community.

"The Biggest Loser"

"The biggest loser in Pinellas County's Sept. 5 primary didn't appear on the ballot. It was Ed Helm, chairman of the Pinellas Democratic Party"

Helm's handpicked slate of candidates lost big, and his tactics hurt the party. Rather than using his resources to back Democrats against Republicans in the general election, Helm sought to defeat his own party's strongest candidates in the primary. He recruited Norm Roche to challenge incumbent County Commissioner Calvin Harris (who drew no Republican opposition). He backed Charlie Gerdes in the District 53 state House race against St. Petersburg City Council member Rick Kriseman. He sided with Liz McCallum over Bill Heller in the state House 52 Democratic primary.

The result: Helm's candidates were crushed. Roche managed only 27 percent of the vote even though he was able to close the primary to all but Democratic voters by getting his brother to file as a write-in candidate. Gerdes did little better against Kriseman, who called Helm's support for a candidate "the kiss of death."

Helm's tactic of labeling his slate as the only "real Democrats" proved to be a fraud. McCallum showed how real a Democrat she was by signing on with Reform Party gubernatorial candidate Max Linn immediately after her primary defeat. Especially bizarre was her explanation that she and Linn "agree on most issues," yet Linn would "take more votes from (Republican) Charlie Crist than (Democrat) Jim Davis." Sounds as though McCallum is closer to being a real Republican.

Cash Flow

"Jim Davis raised more money than Republican Charlie Crist following the Sept. 5 primary, but Crist and the Republican Party are expected to raise millions in their quest to hold onto the governor's mansion." "Davis fattens campaign chest".

Oliphant

We read earlier this week that "Ethics panel clears Pruitt of complaints", even though, among other things, "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". Today we read that "Once again an administrative law judge has ruled that there is no legal basis for the state Elections Commission's attempt to fine Miriam Oliphant $10,000 in connection with the botched 2002 primary election in Broward County. ... The 2002 problems led to charges of neglect by the Elections Commission, which tried to fine her $55,000. After the judge ruled that was too harsh and recommended $2,000, the panel imposed a $10,000 fine, which seemed vindictive." "Elections".