Rewarding A Political Stunt

Recall Kevin, the disabled blind child, who lives with 14 other severely disabled children at a group home in South Florida. Kevin has severe cerebral palsy, daily seizures, and is feed via a tube. Unfortunately, Kevin's body cannot control his temperature, and he therefore requires thermal blankets, at a cost of $10 each, and a total cost of about $360 a year. See generally "Disabled boy seeks blankets from state".

The Florida Agency for Persons with Disabilities [APD] refused Kevin's request to pay for the blankets, and waged an expensive legal battle against Kevin. The court fight was conducted by the Florida Attorney General's office.

When media coverage exposed the travesty, the APD was embarassed into dropping the legal fight and coughing up the 400 bucks a year. See "Donors and state warm up to boy's need for blankets" and "Disabled child gets the blankets he needs".

Ironically, one of the "donors" - in an obvious political stunt - was Attorney General Chain Gang Charlie Crist. Crist, whose office spent thousands of public dollars fighting Kevin, cut a check for $360 to pay for Kevin's blankets for a year.

Today, the St. Pete Times editorial board rewards this stunt by the very man who fought Kevin's request. As the Palm Beach Post wrote yesterday, "as the state's attorney general, Charlie Crist fought a 12-year-old disabled boy's request that the Florida Agency for Persons with Disabilities pay $360 a year for the child's special thermal blankets."

Here's Charlie's undeserved reward: "Crist's compassion". It seems no political stunt goes unrewarded.

CD 13 Update

- "State election officials declared Republican Vern Buchanan the winner of the 13th District seat being vacated by Rep. Katherine Harris, who made an unsuccessful run for the U.S. Senate." Nevertheless, the fight continues on several fronts:

- Cogressional Contest - Jennings "is expected to file a notice of contest with the House by a Dec. 20 deadline. ... The House, which will pass from Republican to Democratic control in the new Congress, has the final say on its own membership but traditionally waits until state courts have acted before resolving contested elections, Coffey said. Options in the interim include keeping the seat vacant or conditionally seating one of the candidates. The House plans to swear in Buchanan along with other members on Jan. 4, according to House Administration committee spokeswoman Salley Collins. He could be unseated later.".

- Florida Judicial Proceedings - "Circuit Judge William Gary split the difference in a dispute over how soon to hold a hearing on whether a touch-screen voting machine manufacturer must disclose software information to the losing candidate, Democrat Christine Jennings. Gary set it for Dec. 19. He has not yet decided on a trial date. ... Jennings wants Gary to order a new election on grounds that iVotronic voting machines used in Sarasota County malfunctioned, depriving her of a victory. ... [ES&S argued it] needed more time to analyze tests of the Sarasota machines to back up its arguments that disclosing the source codes is unnecessary because the iVotronics were not to blame for the huge undervote."

"This election is being hijacked by special interest groups from around the country and high priced lawyers," Buchanan said.

Steel Yourselves

Jebbie "sat down with news organizations on Friday and gave extended interviews on his two terms as governor. But while he spoke at length about the past, Bush said he's still not sure about what's next for him after Governor-elect Charlie Crist takes over." "Bush still unsure about his next step". And check out this gem: "'Well when I was bred, my Dad wasn't a politician. When I came out of my momma's womb, my dad was a business person and a community leader.'" "As tenure winds down, Bush spells out wishes".

Get ready, the sycophantic retrospectives about how wonderful "Jeb!" has been over the last eight years will be appearing in your local newspapers soon. (We musn't upset Jebbie by being too critical, because he certainly will run for prez one day, and we wouldn't want to lose our access to him.)

Let DC Fix It

"Crist urged the Florida congressional delegation Friday to press for a national commission, similar to the Iraq study commission, to consider hurricane and disaster insurance remedies." "Crist Brings Insurance Proposal To Capitol Hill" See also "Crist meets Congress, Jack Frost".

Charlie also ran into Jim Davis at the meeting: "Crist and Davis meet again".

Spanking Judges

"A recent report by the Florida Senate promoted a host of possible fixes to the crisis of mental health treatment beds, but avoided the one thing advocates say is most needed: money."

When Florida judges recently threatened state officials who ignored court orders to treat mentally ill jail inmates as required by law, the Florida Senate leaped into action.

They spanked the judges.

In a recently released report, the Senate suggested Florida judges may actually be worsening the plight of inmates with mental illness by ordering the Department of Children & Families to transfer the inmates immediately into state psychiatric hospitals for treatment.

DCF chief Hadi ordered her staff to ignore the judges' orders.

That landed the secretary in very hot water.

Paper Ballots

It seems the debate is not limited to whether touch screen machines should have a "paper trail", but also includes whether we should return to actual paper ballots. "Paper ballots may be coming".

Meek Lands Nice Gig

"Rep. Kendrick Meek has landed a spot on the influential Democratic Steering Committee, which appoints Democratic House members to committees." "Meek lands key committee post".

Poor Things

"In the streets of Tallahassee, there has been great weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. Lobbyists of all persuasions are vocally unhappy about new reporting requirements and gift bans. Behind the scenes, many lawmakers are quietly upset as well." "Lobbyists free to speak".

Raw Political Courage

This is comforting: "Crist told The Associated Press he will be as deliberative as his predecessor." "Crist expected to continue Bush pace in executions". See also "Crist to uphold death penalty".

"The Undoing of the Florida Coastline"?

"'Today will prove to be the undoing of the Florida coastline as we know it,' said Richard Charter, a drilling expert who tracks the issue for a coalition of environmental groups."

"All but four Florida House members -- Reps. Jim Davis, D-Tampa, Robert Wexler, D-Boca Raton, Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, D-Weston, and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Miami -- voted for the package."

-Good little lapdog, does his job - "'It offers historic protections for Florida's Gulf coast," said Rep. Adam Putnam, a Bartow Republican in the House leadership."

- And Then There's Feeney - "'We got taken to the cleaners,' said Rep. Tom Feeney, R-Oviedo, who said he voted for the package because of the sales tax deduction."

- A Bit Of Theater - "'I wasn't crazy about it,' said Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite, R-Brooksville, who held her nose to vote".

Republicans, Running Government Like A Business

"A stinging new audit has rebuked a state agency head appointed by Gov. Jeb Bush for using state-owned airplanes instead of flying cheaper on commercial airlines." "Audit questions Bush appointee's air travel". See also "Audit criticizes state official's travel spending".

Foley Fallout

"Foley report: GOP leaders' inaction endangered pages". See also "Foley panel chides House", "Foley panel: Leaders lax, within rules" and "Foley Report Critical of House Leaders".

The full whitewash "report" is here.

Republicans Fail To Deliver

Central Florida Republicans in DC fail to deliver yet again: "A bill that would bring a veteran's hospital to Orlando now is very much in danger of failing. Senate sources said a lawmaker in the upper chamber has put a last-minute hold on the bill." "UPDATE -- Vet hospital bill". See also "Veterans hospital stalls in Senate" and the earlier piece, "U.S. House: Orlando should get vet hospital".

Central Florida kisses GOP hind end every two years; can you say, among others: Feeney, Keller, Stearns, Mica, and the big fish himself, Senator and incoming RNC Chair Mel Martinez. In return central Florida gets, well ... have you been to Orlando lately?

So now the Dems are in charge.

Did She Really Say It?

"A video of Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Miami is causing a stir on the Internet with comments about Castro, but she says it was doctored."

Facing the camera with a statue of a giant gold eagle on her desk, Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen talks casually about how proud she is to represent Cuban "freedom fighters" living in exile in Miami and on the island.

Then the Miami Republican -- recently tapped to become the top Republican on the House International Relations Committee -- says, "I welcome the opportunity of having anyone assassinate Fidel Castro and any leader who is oppressing the people."

The 28-second snippet appears on the website for a new British documentary, 638 Ways to Kill Castro, and is making a stir in the blogosphere, where some viewers have questioned Ros-Lehtinen's suitability for the House committee post.

There's one problem: Ros-Lehtinen, who has never hid her loathing for Castro, says the clip was spliced together.

Watch the video closely, she says. She says her lips aren't saying what the audio says she is. At one point in the clip, a sharp-eyed viewer can see what appears to be a skip in the filming.

Time For A Change

The Orlando Sentineleditorial Board:

The venom spewed by many exiles against Mr. Castro is understandable, given the tragic backdrop of suffering and repression. Economic isolation might have served a purpose many years ago, when no one knew how long Mr. Castro would be able to hold power in Cuba.

The effectiveness of that approach has long expired. The political will of hard-liners is weakening since the Democrats took control of the U.S. House and Senate. A re-examination of U.S.-Cuba policy is likely, which means that the status-quo bloc will lean heavily on President Bush to use his veto power to protect the U.S. embargo.

But the status quo had its chance and failed.

It's time to change strategy, and embrace the prospects of a relationship not framed in contentious rhetoric and economic isolation. The venom spewed by many exiles against Mr. Castro is understandable, given the tragic backdrop of suffering and repression. Economic isolation might have served a purpose many years ago, when no one knew how long Mr. Castro would be able to hold power in Cuba.

The effectiveness of that approach has long expired. The political will of hard-liners is weakening since the Democrats took control of the U.S. House and Senate. A re-examination of U.S.-Cuba policy is likely, which means that the status-quo bloc will lean heavily on President Bush to use his veto power to protect the U.S. embargo.

But the status quo had its chance and failed.

It's time to change strategy, and embrace the prospects of a relationship not framed in contentious rhetoric and economic isolation.

“Yes, a squish on border security is now the RNC chair. Has the GOP learned anything?” was the opinion of rightist commentator Michelle Malkin. “More thumbs down from the conservative base, not that anyone cares about them anymore,” she said, linking to criticism on conservative blogs including Red State and Hot Air.

English First, an organization devoted to promotion of English as the nation’s official language, has posted a "Stop Martinez" web site.

Florida Republicans Own The Insurance Problem

So "Citizens delays rate hike".

In the meantime, the Palm Beach Post points out the big time RPOF hypocrisy on this issue: "Listening to Republicans, Floridians might think that Democrats had been responsible for this year's lousy insurance bill."

For days, GOP legislators had asked the board of Citizens Property Insurance Corp. not to do what the GOP-led Legislature in May ordered the board to do: raise rates to cover a one-in-70-year storm, and avoid having to assess non-Citizens customers for any deficits. Following that law would mean an increase that takes effect March 1, following one set to take effect Jan. 1. ...

The insurance bill passed the House 77-39, with only seven Republicans voting against it. The bill passed the Senate 22-16, with only three Republicans voting against it. No Democrat in either chamber voted for it.

But in the past six months, Floridians have felt the impact of the GOP's inaction, and they have let legislators know.

Only the Democrats, though, have proposed an approach that would revamp what has become a failed system. ...

In May, the Democrats could not get a fair hearing on the bill. ...

On Thursday, the Citizens board did delay a vote on the March 1 increase. The move, though, is just a reprieve. For Floridians to get relief, Sen. Atwater and the Republicans must undo what they did in May.

RPOF Wingers Back Romney

"Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney’s political action committee has announced that three major backers of outgoing Florida Gov. Jeb Bush—former House Speaker Allan Bense, former state Republican Party Chairman Al Cardenas and outgoing Lt. Gov. Toni Jennings—have joined the PAC’s Florida steering committee. That means they can be expected to be backers when Romney undertakes his presidential campaign. Bush so far hasn’t taken sides openly in the presidential race. But Romney has been thought to have Bush’s tacit backing, in part because Romney’s PAC has also hired two of Bush’s top poltiical operatives—Sally Bradshaw, Bush’s former campaign manager and governor’s office chief of staff, and fundraiser Ann Herberger." "Bush Allies—Cardenas, Bense, Jennings—Line Up With Romney".

"Expect intense jockeying between Romney, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, and other Republican contenders for endorsements from Bush, as well as Gov.-elect Charlie Crist." "The distance between Massachusetts and Florida is shrinking". See also "State officials join Romney campaign", "3 Join Romney's GOP Presidential Bid Team" and "Romney's rolling in Florida" ("How much longer is Jeb Bush going to insist he's neutral in the race"?)

"Crist's leaning in the presidential race remains suspect, since the governor-elect also campaigned with Arizona Sen. John McCain and ex-New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, another pair of possible White House wanna-be's." "Mass Appeal".

CD 13 Update

"Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean called for another election in the race to replace Rep. Katherine Harris, saying the declared Republican winner should not be sworn in until election questions are sorted out." "Dean calls for revote in Sarasota" See also "Dean says votes weren't counted in House race", "Jennings gets Dean's help in bid for revote" and "Dean wants new Buchanan-Jennings election". Kos has this on Dean weighing in: "FL-13: Fireworks ahead".

In response, the RPOF sends out one of its superstars: "Feeney criticizes Dean".

"Selfless", "Outstanding" Jebbie

Jonah Goldberg has a sense of humor:

Here's the matchup we're all looking for in '08: Gore-Clinton vs. Bush-Dole. Obviously, I'm talking about Al Gore as the Democratic presidential nominee with Hillary Clinton as his running mate, battling it out with Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and vice presidential candidate Liddy Dole.

Florida's Jeb Bush -- an outstanding governor -- has decided to spare his country, his party and himself another Bush on the ticket. Such selflessness is not the Clinton way. It's too soon to tell what that means for her country, her party or her.

Wasserman Schultz a Whip

"House Majority Whip-elect Rep. James Clyburn has picked Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Weston as part of his whip team for the upcoming Democratic-led Congress. As a whip, Wasserman Schultz will be responsible for bolstering support for party strategy and ensuring that members are present for votes." "Whipping up support". See also "Wasserman Schultz named chief deputy whip".

Rubio and Kahn

As reported yesterday ("Rubio Looking To Impeach Judge Kahn?"), "the speaker of the Florida House has opened an investigation into a judge accused of showing favoritism to former Sen. W.D. Childers in a bribery case." Rubio "said Thursday it was premature to speculate. I't's really just a fact-finding endeavor,' he said." "Speaker examining appellate judge's actions". See also "Is Rubio seeking judge's impeachment?"

The "People's Governor"

"Charlie Crist, who cast himself as the "people's governor" while campaigning, wants some of Florida's most powerful interests to help bankroll the first major event of his administration." "Crist seeks big donations for party". See also "Crist taps contributors again to get inaugural ball rolling".

Special Session Approaches

"Florida lawmakers know what they should do to repair the state's troubled property insurance industry. And the insurance company executives know it, too -- which is why they might be getting nervous as a planned January special session approaches." "Insurance, again".

Drilling

"An 8.3 million-acre swath of the Gulf of Mexico off Florida's coast would be open to oil and gas drilling as part of a deal worked out by lawmakers Thursday after years of fierce debate. ... Florida lawmakers won a buffer of 125 miles or more for the state's coastline until 2022." At least some enviromentalists aren't happy:

Richard Charter, head of the environmental group National OCS Coalition, called it a "train robbery in the late of night on the way out of town" and the largest new drilling in a formerly protected area in decades. ...

Mark Ferrulo, head of the anti-drilling group Environment Florida, said the state would have been better off without the bill because Democrats next year are more likely to bar more energy exploration. "Why snatch defeat from the jaws of victory?"

But Gov. Jeb Bush and much of the Republican delegation began negotiating to allow drilling in exchange for the buffer after energy prices spiked last year and pressure mounted for new domestic sources of natural gas and oil.

The Florida delegation's vote was expected to break down mostly along party lines, with most of the state's Democrats opposing it and most Republicans favoring it.

Republican Mel Martinez and Democrat Bill Nelson worked together in the Senate to stop broader bills that would have brought drilling closer to Florida's shores.

Martinez, an architect of the compromise, said it offers far more assurances than doing nothing. Without legislation, the Bush administration would open 2 million acres off Florida to drilling next year. And without the bill, a future administration could drill just 25 miles off Florida's coast near Pensacola.

Some House Democrats planned a motion to send the drilling portion to committee with an eye toward fixing certain offshore leases that date to the late 1990s and have escaped paying the usual royalties.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist acknowledged the bill "could face obstacles to passage in the Senate." That would not be surprising for a bill involving sensitive trade issues and large sums to prevent cuts to doctors' fees under Medicare, not to mention offshore drilling.

The bill, however, contains something for various interests. It would temporarily revive an expired deduction for state and local sales taxes, benefiting taxpayers in states such as Florida that do not have income taxes, which can be deducted on federal tax returns.

Environmental groups and drilling foes in Congress planned a last stand but privately braced for a loss. They had expected the issue to die after the Nov. 7 elections handed both chambers of Congress to Democrats, but the result instead broke a monthslong stalemate between the House and Senate.

Grubbibg For Jobs

"Nancy Detert, a former House member from Venice, is applying for a job in the office of tourism and economic development and Mark Flanagan, a former representative from Bradenton, has applied for a post in the Department of Business and Professional Regulation." "Detert, Flanagan seek Crist jobs".

Charlie: The Coldest Attorney General

The Palm Beach Post notes that "as the state's attorney general, Charlie Crist fought a 12-year-old disabled boy's request that the Florida Agency for Persons with Disabilities [APD] pay $360 a year for the child's special thermal blankets." "The coldest state agency".

The Post calls the APD the "coldest state agency"; we think it only fair that Chain Gang Charlie, who "fought a 12-year-old disabled boy's request" for blankets share the moniker as the "The Coldest Attorney General".

She'll Be There

"She won't dance to the state's tune".

Crist Flip Flops

"The inauguration website run by Governor-elect Charlie Crist will start disclosing donors to the 527 committee set up to pay for inauguration events on a weekly basis, a spokeswoman for Crist said Thursday. This is a turnaround from a week ago when initially a spokeswoman for Crist said the names of donors to the inauguration would be reported within 90 days of the series of events. Crist is turning to lobbyists to help pay for the series of events that culminate in an inaugural ball on Jan. 2, the day that Crist will be sworn in." "Crist will disclose inaugural donors weekly". See also "Crist will disclose inaugural money". For background see "Crist Names His Price" ("Lobbyists, businesses and Republican donors are being asked to give as much as $500,000 to pay for Crist's celebration") and "Why Is Charlie Concealing the Contributors?"

I missed this the other day, Tom Blackburn: "This is not Boolean algebra or Kantian metaphysics, folks. It's simple. If you want to know whether voters are skipping a race, ask them. A line saying "None of these candidates" would have let 18,000 voters in Sarasota County tell election officials, candidates and the whole world that they were not voting in the race for Congress, if indeed they were choosing not to vote. It's their right. Instead, for lack of that line on the screen, election officials, party officials, touch-screen vendors and ordinary citizens are hypothesizing about whether they did it." "Why didn't they vote? Why not ask?".

Whatever

"Mr. Crist goes to Washington".

Another RPOF Failure

"Three years after the Legislature capped medical-malpractice payouts, insurance-company payouts have decreased dramatically, but not their rates." "Regulators grant hearing on malpractice-insurance rates".

Paper Trail

The Miami Herald editorial board: "After a two-day conference near Washington, D.C., this week, a federal panel that develops election guidelines concluded that states that use electronic-voting machines should have some means of independently verifying election results. In other words, the panel recommends a paper trail for electronic-voting machines. This is good, sensible advice for the 15 counties in Florida, including Miami-Dade and Broward, that use electronic-voting machines."

f a paper trail were available in Sarasota County, for example, it would be clear who actually won the race there last month to replace former Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris in the U.S. House. Instead, the race between Republican Vern Buchanan and Democrat Christine Jennings is being disputed -- and it stands as an anomaly in which 18,000 undervotes were recorded.

Mr. Buchanan was declared the winner by a mere 368 votes; Ms. Jennings is contesting the outcome in court. Election officials are at a loss to say why the undervote in Sarasota County was as much as six times the undervote in surrounding counties. Worse, Florida Secretary of State Sue Cobb, whose office oversees state elections, has been reluctant to probe deeply. ''I'm not sure there's even a problem,'' Ms. Cobb's spokesperson, Jenny Nash, said to reporters Wednesday.

Last week, a test of four voting machines used in the race found no discrepancies. But that finding merely highlights the problems of electronic-voting machines. Moreover, it could be Exhibit A in the Technical Guidelines Development Committee's suggestion for a paper trail of ballots.

Reviewing the data stored in electronic-voting machines merely confirms that the data are in the machine. A paper trail, although not perfect, would give election officials another means for verifying the machine's count, or of determining what choices voters made. In most races, the margin of victory is large, and no review is necessary. However, in close contests, such as in Sarasota, the stakes can be high and the results inconclusive.

More DCF Trouble

"Florida's Department of Children & Families cannot continue to violate emergency orders by delaying the admission of mentally ill inmates into state treatment facilities, an appeals court ruled. ... 'he way we're reading the ruling, DCF has to comply with Florida law and get the people moved no later than 15 days, period, end of story,' said Carlos Martinez, chief assistant public defender in Miami-Dade." "Court: State must treat mentally ill inmates immediately".

Ethical "Jeb!"

The Sun-Sentinel editorial board:

If every official were as ethical as Gov. Jeb Bush, there might be no need for such a law. Bush, even with no such requirement, placed his investments in a blind trust before he took office and has kept them there during his entire eight years as governor.

Imagine That

"Lawyers for indigents deserve to be paid".

Second Place

"Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, whose hope of chairing the House International Relations Committee collapsed with the Republican loss of the House, has won a significant consolation prize. The Miami Republican announced Thursday she has been elected the committee's ranking member, the top Republican on the panel." "Consolation prize".

"Rep. John Mica of Winter Park will be the top Republican on the transportation committee in the next Congress after the House GOP leadership on Thursday confirmed the party’s list of committee leaders." "Mica takes top transportation spot". See also "It doesn't ring as sweet as Chairman, but...".

More than any single issue, [values voters] seek to redress a coarsening of the culture and a loss of civility. They want a family-friendly society that is compassionate to the needy and holds people accountable for their conduct.

But while many of them view citizenship as an expression of their faith, it is by no means the most important thing in their lives. For most, politics takes a back seat to raising their children, helping the poor, serving in the church and assisting neighbors in need.

Kevin's case was denied by an employee of Maximus Inc., a private firm hired to keep costs down at the agency. While no one wants the APD to waste public money, its deal with Maximus has it wrong: The more money Maximus saves the agency, the more money Maximus makes. The incentive should include positive interventions, preventive care and healthy outcomes.

The Maximus employee never saw Kevin and didn't speak to his doctors because such a safeguard isn't required. APD denials can be appealed to hearing officers paid by the state. Kevin's only chance came in a courtroom. Still, the process is tilted against those it should be helping. The Kevins of Florida shouldn't have to go wanting for a blanket.

With for-profit hospices in Florida now able to selectively admit patients sooner and with longer life expectancies, and hospitals and other groups tapping into traditional hospice markets, not-for-profit hospices that treat anyone, regardless of ability to pay, find it challenging to meet their budgets. Dependent on Medicaid, Medicare, insurance and, to a large extent, donations, many of those not-for-profit hospices provide services, including grief counseling and respite to caregivers, to entire communities.

While [for-profit] Hospice officials attempt to justify providing funeral and cremation services as a natural next step from a business perspective, consumer groups and hospice advocates point out the inherent ethical conflicts. Beyond provoking an instinctive groan of distaste among many who have benefited from hospice's care of a loved one, the change also could violate state and federal laws that prohibit funeral homes from soliciting business from the dying and their families.

Legislature opened the door to such exploitation of Floridians. Last spring, legislators allowed for-profit hospices to operate in the state. After out-of-state, for-profit companies hired two lobbyists with close ties to Gov. Bush and his administration, the Legislature approved a bill sponsored by Sen. Jeff Atwater, R-North Palm Beach, that threatens to emphasize profits over patients. Gov. Bush signed the bill into law over the summer.

CD 13: Call For A New Election Grow

In a guest article in Roll Call yesterday, Richard L. Hasen, the William H. Hannon Distinguished Professor of Law at Loyola Law School and the author of "The Supreme Court and Election Law" (2003), argues that, if the judicial process does not result in a new election in CD 13, Congress should order a new election.

He writes that this "time, it appears that poor ballot design or machine malfunctions with electronic voting machines caused thousands of voters to skip the race for Florida's 13th Congressional district, leading to a 369-vote victory by the Republican candidate over the Democratic one. Once again the matter is in court, and once again the courts are not likely to give a remedy. ... why should voters be victims of the design incompetence of election administrators? The fair thing to do — even if it is not legally compelled — is to hold a new election where everyone in the district gets to vote." Professor Hasen points out:

The Constitution provides that "Each House shall be the Judge of the Elections, Returns and Qualifications of its own Members ... ." The House has resolved disputed elections before. For two reasons, the House should declare the seat vacant, triggering a special election. ...

[S]ome argue that it would be bad precedent to let the House make this decision on extralegal grounds. But just like the House makes a political judgment as to what constitutes grounds for impeachment, it can make decisions about new elections on a political basis as well. A Democratic House’s decision to grant a revote in these circumstances is a lot less likely to contribute to partisanship in Congress than was the Republican House’s decision to impeach then-President Bill Clinton.

Florida To Become "A Sea Of Pavement"?

"Imagine a sea of pavement instead of grass spreading contiguously from Fort Myers to West Palm Beach. A landscape of endless urban jungle cramming 9 million new people into subdivisions clustered from Tampa through Daytona Beach."

Development gobbling up open land at a rate that more than doubles the suburban and exurban landscape.

It's a picture of Florida 50 years into the future, when a provocative new report indicates the state will be home to nearly 36 million people.

Insurance Crisis "Chasm"

Citizens to discuss 56% rate hike today. In the meantime, "Democrats called on lawmakers to create a sweeping state agency to overhaul the insurance industry while some Republicans suggested they instead end government regulation altogether, as members of the Florida House on Wednesday offered potential fixes to the state's insurance crisis."Chasm about Citizens remains". See also "Next Speaker Not Seeing Insurance Relief" ("No current political plan offers dramatic relief from soaring property insurance rates, the new speaker of the Florida House said yesterday."),"State House finds wide divide over fixing rates", "Storm insurance conference wraps without clear path" and "Cheap Insurance May be Gone Forever".

Leadership: "Alex Sink, who is set to be Florida's next chief financial officer and member of the Cabinet, didn't waste any time spending a little of her political capital on an issue near and dear to the hearts of coastal dwellers and property owners in general. ... She urged, no, warned Florida lawmakers attending a three-day conference on the property insurance crisis that they must repeal their recent authorization of 56-percent rate increases in coastal-windstorm insurance premiums." "Sinking in".

The Miami Herald editorial board argues that the Legislature needs to "Give homeowners relief from windstorm hikes".

And who knows what this means: "Charlie Crist's campaign promises, previously panned by state insurance executives, have a new shine now that he's about to become governor." "Insurance officials warm to Crist's ideas".

Rubio Hops on Bandwagon

"House Speaker Marco Rubio on Wednesday joined a growing chorus of politicians who say the state's largest home insurer, Citizens Property Insurance Corp., should back off of a proposed rate increase for now." "Politicians to Citizens Property: don't push for hike now".

Friends of Charlie

Some of Charlie's inner circle (aka transition team leaders): "powerhouse lobbyist and worker's comp attorney Mary Ann Stiles, Adolfo Henriques, chairman and CEO of Florida East Coast Industries, Jorge Arrizurieta, former chairman of the FTAA, former State Senate President John McKay, Catherine Crist Kennedy, lobbyist Gene McGee, Rep. Jennifer Carroll, Seminole County Supervisor of Elections Michael Ertel, former Broward County Commissioner and Senate President Jim Scott, former State Sen. Jim Sebesta, Allison DeFoor, former Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Ruben King-Shaw Jr. and big time fundraiser Dr. Alan Mendelsohn." "Crist transition team leaders selected". For more detail you can Download crist_transition_team.doc. See also "Big Pinellas presence on Crist's team" and "Crist Names Central Floridians to Review Groups".

The Rich Are Different

"For a half mil, engraved cufflinks".

Heads Will Roll

"The exodus of agency heads leaving Gov. Jeb Bush - and making it clear they won't be working for Governor-elect Charlie Crist - has accelerated in recent days.The exodus of agency heads leaving Gov. Jeb Bush - and making it clear they won't be working for Governor-elect Charlie Crist - has accelerated in recent days." "Which agency head will survive?"

A Daytona Beach - Seminole County Thing

"The manager of Lollipops Gentleman's Club on Grandview Avenue [in Daytona Beach] is accused of illegally funneling money to two City Commission candidates through third-party sources, authorities said Wednesday." "Lollipops manager faces election-contribution charges". See also "Strip-club manager arrested" (One of the individuals implicated by the allegations is Bob Lewis, deputy court clerk in Seminole, "a former political consultant who has been active in Seminole County Republican politics for years, running countywide and city races. He denied any wrongdoing.")

Shaw Party

"Members of Florida's congressional delegation got together Tuesday night to bid a fond farewell to Fort Lauderdale Republican Rep. Clay Shaw, leaving Congress after 26 years in office." "Kudos to Shaw".

In Short, He Lied

From Congressional Quarterly Politics.com

Todd W. Long, a lawyer and conservative radio host, filed a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission to seek the GOP nomination in 2008.

That was supposed to be the effective year of the term-limit pledge Keller took when he first ran for the House in 2000; he then promised to serve no more than eight years in the House.

But just two weeks after this year’s win over Democratic marketing consultant Charlie Stuart, by 53 percent to 46 percent, Keller effectively renounced the term limit pledge, announcing that he would seek a fifth term in 2008.

Long is determined to take on the incumbent — and to make an issue of his broken promise.

Castor, Meek Grab Plums

"Incoming U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced two Floridians would join the Democratic Steering Committee (which is responsible for developing policy and recommending members for appointments and committee assignments). Rep. Kendrick Meek of Miami was selected, and new member, Kathy Castor of Tampa, will serve as the freshman member." "Castor, Meek on steering committee".

Why Is Charlie Concealing the Contributors?

"Governor-elect Charlie Crist has launched a website to promote the series of events he's holding as part of his inauguration on Jan. 2. What you will not find on this website, however, is the names of those who are donating the money to help pay for the events. ... Crist's staff says that the inaugural committee is covered by a different law that does not require them to announce donations until 90 days after the event _ which will be after the Jan. 16 special session dedicated to insurance." "Still no donor disclosure from Crist".

See also "Tickets start at $100 to party with new governor Jan. 2" and "Crist Seeks Donations To Pay Inauguration Tab".

Byrd

"Two titans will square off tonight over the leadership of the Johnnie B. Byrd Sr. Alzheimer's Institute, a fight that will determine whether the center becomes a political playpen for its benefactor or a national force in the search for a cure." "Byrd Alzheimer's Center Faces Defining Moment In Young Life". See also "Byrd Institute Could Wind Up In The Johnnie".

Primer

Political Safari gives us a Presidential "Primary Primer".

Rubio Looking To Impeach Judge Kahn?

"House Speaker Marco Rubio has asked for an investigative file into appeals court Judge Charles Kahn, a rare request that could lead to impeachment proceedings. Rubio's Dec. 4 letter to the Judicial Qualifications Commission, the independent body set up in the constitution to handle discipline of judges, seeks all the material the JQC has on an investigation of First District Court of Appeal Judge Kahn."

This summer, Judge Michael Allen wrote that Kahn should have recused himself from the appeal of former Senate president and Escambia County Commissioner W.D. Childers' bribery conviction that the court upheld. ...

Kahn worked for a dozen years at Fred Levin's Pensacola firm before his appointment to the bench. ...

Kahn was among the four judges who dissented from 10 judges who upheld Childers' conviction. That came after a three-judge panel, that included Kahn, was set to overturn the conviction before the entire court voted to hear the case.

Polling Site Fight

"A Delray Beach man who cast his vote in a Catholic Church amid crosses, prayers and an anti-abortion banner is suing county Supervisor of Elections Arthur Anderson, claiming the use of the church as a polling place was unconstitutional, according to a lawsuit filed in federal court Friday." "Lawsuit disputes church poll site".

Head Start

"Lawmakers are already filing bills to be heard in the 2007 legislative session that begins in March." "House, Senate members getting head start on bills".

"Jeb!" Watch

Scott Maxwell notes that "two of Bush's political operatives have already aligned themselves with Romney's campaign. Yes, the country seems to be suffering from Bush fatigue. But some GOP insiders hope that fatigue is Bush-specific, seeing as how Jeb has seen approval numbers nearly twice what his big brother has earned." "Jeb for VP?" For some other recent yacking on this see "WSJ on Jebbie; Possible VP Slot".

Suburban Poverty

"As Americans flee the cities for the suburbs, many can't leave poverty behind."

The suburban poor outnumbered their inner-city counterparts for the first time last year, with more than 12 million suburban residents living in poverty, according to a [Brookings Institution] study of the nation's 100 largest metropolitan areas released today.

The study ranked Lakeland No. 10 in a list of the suburban areas with the highest poverty rates.

Osceola Voting Rights Case

"The plan adopted Wednesday [by the County Commission to be submitted to the Judge for approval] has district lines that do not require two commissioners to face each other in an upcoming election." "Federal judge will decide merits of Osceola vote plan". The Orlando Sentinel editorial board supports this option that "establishes single-member districts, including a largely Hispanic one, without pitting incumbents against one another." "A win-win for Osceola".

Lobbyists, businesses and Republican donors are being asked to give as much as $500,000 to pay for Crist's celebration on Jan. 2.

Crist insisted that even a $500,000 donor to the inauguration will receive nothing else in return.

"You might have a nice seat," he said, "but no extra consideration."

The Florida Commission on Ethics told Crist's group last month that lobbyist donations to the inaugural committee do not violate the year-old lobbyist gift ban to state elected officials because neither Crist nor Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp will be "directly receiving any expenditure" from a lobbyist.

Rubio Loves Spending "The People's Money"

"A $550,000 revamp of the Florida House ordered by House Speaker Marco Rubio includes a members-only dining room, a first for the Capitol building." "House speaker spending $550,000 on remodel to get officials working".

What's the matter with Duval County?

"The chairwoman of the Duval County Democratic Party resigned Tuesday to throw her support behind Republican mayoral candidate Mike Weinstein, who still hasn't decided if he's staying in the race. Weinstein said he appreciates Linda Whipple's support, and he'll take it into consideration when he decides in the next couple of weeks if he'll continue his campaign." "Democrat supports Weinstein".

Charlie Reaches Out?

The GOP apologists at the Florida Times Union tell us how "Charlie Crist is reaching out to old friends and trying hard to make new ones. Some of the relationships have been successful; others are marked with caution." "Governor-elect reaching out to make new legislative allies".

Early Voting

Derek Newton's post yesterday, "Voting No on Early Florida Vote", is discussed here: "Vote Early, Vote Awful?".

"Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack said he’d “live with” an earlier date for the Florida presidential primary, but added that he wants to maintain the premier position of his home state’s caucuses and New Hampshire’s primary. Vilsack is seeking the 2008 Democratic nomination. Florida political leaders hope to move up the state’s mid-March primary date to have more influence on the nominee selection process." "Vilsack On Early Fl. Primary: I’ll 'Live With' It"

Citizens Increase Going Down

"Momentum is gaining for the repeal of a law requiring Citizens Property Insurance Corp. to raise its windstorm rates significantly again on March 1." "Planned Citizens increase may die". See also "Special session doesn't deter insurance hike request" and "Lawmakers ask Citizens to hold off on rate hike for home insurance" ("State Sen. Jeff Atwater, R-North Palm Beach, on Tuesday asked Citizens' board chairman Bruce Douglas to delay a vote Thursday on the premium increase until after a special legislative session on property insurance.")

"Add Democratic Chief Financial Officer-elect Alex Sink to the list of people calling on Florida lawmakers to pull back on the big rate increases they ordered last spring for Citizens Property Insurance Corp., the government-run insurance company for people who live in places private insurers won't cover." "Sink calls for Citizens rate pullback". See also "New CFO sinks her teeth into insurance" and "Sink wants rate increase repealed".

"Congressman elect Vern Buchanan, R-Longboat Key, put out a press release this morning declaring his opposition to any expansion of oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. When the new Congress starts up in January, Buchanan will represents the 13th District. His statement came just hours after incoming Reps Kathy Castor, D-Tampa, and Tim Mahoney, D-Palm Beach Gardens, put out a similar statement together in which they too oppose the legislation in the House that would open 8.3 million acres in the eastern Gulf of Mexico for oil and gas drilling." "New members weigh in on drilling".

GOP Flip-Flop on Insurance

Let's not forget that the current debate on Citizens rates evinces a massive Republican flip-flop on the issue. "Gov.-elect Charlie Crist and a key state senator signaled Tuesday that they'll push during a special January legislative session to stave off a 56 percent rate hike anticipated March 1 for homeowners who buy windstorm coverage from Citizens Property Insurance. ... Crist's and Atwater's comments mark a dramatic sea change from the policy position of Gov. Jeb Bush, who leaves office Jan. 2, and recently departed legislative leaders. Bush and previous legislative leaders who recently left office had continued to support the May legislation that requires Citizens to move to a more market-based method for setting rates." "Crist says he'll fight Citizens rate hike".

Crist-Jebbie Appointments Fight Brewing

Yesterday we read that Charlie was looking into pulling a midnight appointment by Jebbie of a political ally ("Term Limits For You ... But Not Me" (scroll down) and "Term-limit activist may be on education board 9 years"). On the general issue of Jebbie's last minute appointments we read today that notwithstanding

comments to the contrary made by Charlie Crist's representatives, the incoming GOP governor appears to be considering whether to withdraw the names of some appointees for government positions made by Gov. Jeb Bush in his final weeks in office.

Last month, a Crist spokesperson said Bush's appointments to some boards were "fine." But Crist just said at a press conference that he'll decide whether to substitute his own appointments for Senate confirmation after he is sworn in.

"Once January the Second occurs, and we have a new governor officially, those are ones that could be pulled back as you know. I've had discussions with prior governors, a lot of them, and apparently that's a tradition that does happen from time to time. And we'll evaluate that after we take our hand off the Bible," Crist said.

Growth Report

"Florida's population is expected to double by 2060, according to a report being issued today in Tallahassee. The report by 1000 Friends of Florida will be released during a 9:30 a.m. news conference at the Florida Press Center." "Growth report to be released today".

Joint Appointment

"Outgoing Gov. Jeb Bush and his successor, Charlie Crist, jointly agreed Tuesday to make Gerald Bailey commissioner of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, boosting him from the interim role he's held since May." "Top Cop". See also "Interim FDLE chief to stay in position", "Crist decides to keep interim FDLE head", "Cabinet stays with interim to lead state's law enforcement agency" and "Interim FDLE Chief Made Permanent".

Vern's Got Plans

Clay Shaw "said he has sold his Capitol Hill townhouse to Vern Buchanan, the winner (so far) in the disputed District 13 election." "A buyer for Clay Shaw's house". In the meantime, "Jennings keeping busy in capital".

Drilling on Hold

"House Republicans abruptly scrapped plans Tuesday to vote on a controversial measure to expand oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico."

A spokesman for House Majority Leader John Boehner offered no details on the decision, but said the House will "revisit" the issue later this week. The Republican-led Congress is to shut the door on the 109th Congress this week and many Republicans had hoped to deliver even a slimmed-down oil drilling bill before leaving.

But passing the legislation today would have required a 2/3 vote of those present and environmentalists hailed the scrapping of the bill as proof that leadership didn't have the votes.

From The "Values" Crowd

You really need to read this to believe it: "Disabled boy seeks blankets from state".

CD 13 "Audit"

"Two variations in the final test of touch-screen voting machines used in a contested congressional race were due to human error, state officials said Tuesday. ... The Division of Elections audit will continue with reviews of voting machine software and videos of the testing and an analysis of Election Day records." "State: Vote machine test variations human error".

"Lightweight" U.S. Response on Cuba

"Fidel Castro's brother Raúl, who is now in charge of the Cuban government, has offered an olive branch of sorts. This past weekend he publicly reiterated his willingness to discuss long-standing differences with the United States."

Regardless of motives, the White House ought to seize the opportunity. Unfortunately, the knee-jerk U.S. response was to ridicule Raúl Castro.

A State Department spokesman labeled him as "Fidel light." It's the U.S. response, however, that is lightweight.

DCA

"Karen Marcus, [Palm Beach] county's longest-serving commissioner, has been approached by a Republican leader about the possibility of serving as head of the state's Department of Community Affairs."

Marcus, a Republican, said Tuesday she received a call from a supporter of Gov.-elect Charlie Crist asking whether she had any interest in the post.

Fiscal Conservative AWOL

"There's been a notable absence so far for most of House Speaker Marco Rubio's three-day conference on insurance: [media darling] Marco Rubio." "Where's Marco?".

Perhaps he's personally handing out paychecks: "Florida House payroll soaring" ("The new speaker of the Florida House, a self-described fiscal conservative, now employs the highest-paid spokesman in state government, adding to a growing list of staffers drawing six-figure paychecks.")

Party Switcher

"Facing a 2008 reelection bid in an increasingly Democrat-dominated district, Republican Palm Beach County Commissioner Warren Newell isn't completely slamming the door on the possibility of switching parties." "Newell isn' truling out party switch".

Gov. Jeb Bush and the Legislature have some explaining to do about why they haven't appropriated enough money for beds and treatment. ...

Bush's response has been disappointing and puzzling. Instead of chastising Hadi and the Legislature and accepting some of the responsibility, the governor criticized [Judge] Farnell.

Does he believe state agencies should be able to fearlessly ignore the law?

Business As Usual For RPOF

"Florida Republicans apparently were ready for business. So they headed to the posh WaterColor Resort in Santa Rosa Beach last week and started doing just that -- with special interests and lobbyists underwriting it all."

You can almost picture them sitting around the pool, trying to figure out why the GOP lost the public's confidence (along with so many races) in last month's national elections, scratching their heads and then heading back to their special-interest-subsidized suites.

Yes, it's business as usual in Florida. Politicians in other parts of the country may have heard the public's clarion cries about politicians' cozy relationships with lobbyists. But not here.

Now, nothing about this team-building retreat appears to be technically improper. And theoretically, the lobbyists weren't paying directly for the $250-a-night hotel rooms and motivational speakers. Instead, the Republican Party of Florida collects money from donors and then foots the bill.

But which companies gave money? And how much did they spend? Well, the party's not saying. A GOP spokesman refused to provide details -- details, mind you, about private interests footing the bills for these public officials.

CD 13 Update

Here's the latest, in an excellent, lengthy Herald-Tribune article: "Sarasota County's party faithful were the most reliable voters on election day, rarely skipping any of the high-profile races." However,

A Herald-Tribune analysis of every ballot cast shows these loyal party voters -- on both sides of the aisle -- were largely responsible for the massive undervote in Sarasota's House District 13 race. Nearly 60 percent of the 18,000 undervotes in that race came from people who otherwise did their best to ensure their party's candidate won.

The bizarre trend has convinced a growing number of election experts that the most important factor in the undervote was bad ballot design -- something state auditors aren't considering as they continue this week to examine voter machines for malfunctions.

The source code analysis has not started yet, but it is already generating controversy in the contested Congressional District 13 race, in which Republican Vern Buchanan was certified the winner by 369 votes.

The state Division of Elections' top choice for heading the review is Florida State University associate computer science professor Alec Yasinsac, an outspoken Republican who has advocated paperless voting machines in the past.

Democrats and voting rights activists charge that Yasinsac is too partisan to conduct an objective investigation.

voters made their choice, and without a verified paper trail to prove otherwise, Jennings came up short. Now it's time to stop.

panel drafting voting guidelines for the U.S. Election Assistance Commission voted 6-6 not to adopt a proposal that would have required electronic machines used by millions of voters to produce a paper record or other independent means of checking election results. Eight votes were needed to pass it.

The failed resolution, proposed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology computer scientist and panel member Ronald Rivest, closely mirrored a report released last week that warned that paperless electronic voting machines are vulnerable to errors and fraud, and cannot be made secure.

Limbo

"As Congress wraps up its work this week, nearly two dozen Florida projects worth more than $1 billion are likely to be put on hold until next year." "Florida projects will likely remain in limbo".

Record Insurance Profits

"The property insurance industry in hurricane-battered Florida will make a record $3 billion in profits in 2006, according to a report released Monday." "Legislators question record 2006 profits of insurers in state".

Brownback

"Republican Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback announced an exploratory committee for a presidential run today, and the committee includes at least one member with a strong Florida connection—Domino’s Pizza founder Tom Monaghan." "Brownback Committee Has Florida Link".

Opie All Growed?

Via The Buzz, U.S. News and World Report profiles Adam Putnam "Opie's All Grown Up Now".

Just Go Away

"Father Bush reminisces at Capitol". See also "Gov. Bush's dad gets teary-eyed", "Ex-president sobs in tribute to governor son", "Advice from 41", "Elder Bush sheds a tear for son" and "Father lauds Jeb Bush as top-notch leader as governorship nears end".

Another "Jeb!" Legacy

"When Lucy Hadi agreed to take over Florida's troubled Department of Children and Families, she said she knew what she was getting into. But she couldn't change the Legislature's tight-fistedness when budgeting money for necessary services to Florida's most vulnerable citizens. And she couldn't persuade Gov. Jeb Bush to stop experimenting with privatization schemes that made it hard to monitor the state's already tattered safety nets. When Lucy Hadi agreed to take over Florida's troubled Department of Children and Families, she said she knew what she was getting into. But she couldn't change the Legislature's tight-fistedness when budgeting money for necessary services to Florida's most vulnerable citizens. And she couldn't persuade Gov. Jeb Bush to stop experimenting with privatization schemes that made it hard to monitor the state's already tattered safety nets." "A familiar story". See also "Don't repeat DCF's pattern of mistakes" and "DCF's Lucy Hadi steps down".

A Matter Of Priorities

"'The way we're building, we're going to push the panthers out,' said biologist Larry Richardson of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 'My big concern is the panther will become a zoo relic.' Florida panthers, which can weigh up to 155 pounds, are one of several subspecies of cougar in the United States. Thousands once ranged throughout the Southeast. But by the 1950s, the panther had been hunted to near-extinction, and its numbers dwindled to about 30 by the mid-'90s." "Suburbs threaten panthers".

Those Tight Fisted Rebublicans

"While state lawmakers labored Monday over how to help Floridians still coping with insurance expenses resulting from the hurricanes of 2004 and 2005, they also started running a tab expected to cost the state $10,500." "Legislative conference will cost state $10,500".

Welcome

"The American Civil Liberties Union plans to pump money into its Montana affiliate and four others, including Florida, to strengthen the ACLU's presence "in places where there is no one else to turn to," the executive director said Monday." "ACLU plans expansion in four states".

Offshore Drilling

The Orlando Sentinel observes that the offshore drilling issue is no simple issue: "After holding out for a broader offshore drilling expansion, House leaders are now planning to put the Senate compromise up for a vote as soon as today. Some opponents are urging Florida members to reject it, betting that the incoming Democratic leaders in Congress will not expand offshore drilling at all. That's a bad bet." "Don't gamble on drilling". Nevertheless, "Klein, Mahoney urge House to reject gulf-drilling bill" ("Democratic Reps. Alcee Hastings of Miramar and Robert Wexler of Delray Beach have joined Democratic Rep. Jim Davis in also urging the bill's rejection.")

"Pro-drilling lawmakers were busy Monday corralling votes for offshore energy legislation that reaches the House floor today." "Gulf drilling is expected to win passage". See also "Drilling bill predicted to pass" ("Republicans say they have enough votes to pass bill that would allow oil, gas drilling in Gulf")

Travel To Cuba

"Twenty mostly Cuban exile organizations called on the U.S. government Monday to relax travel restrictions for Cuban-Americans who want to visit family on the island nation and to permit Americans to send humanitarian aid to the communist country." "Groups urge U.S. to relax travel restrictions to Cuba".

A Couple of Ideas

Sun-Sentinel columnist Michael Mayo:

The latest election went relatively smoothly in South Florida, but a close U.S. House race in Sarasota shows that we need two fixes for our flawed electronic touch-screen machines.

First, add a "none of the above" option to every race on electronic ballots.

Second, ditch the touch-screen machines entirely.

"Insurance Divide"

"Members of the Florida House opened a three-day "Conference on Property Insurance" today, and already a divide is emerging that transcends party lines.Members of the Florida House opened a three-day "Conference on Property Insurance" today, and already a divide is emerging that transcends party lines." "Insurance Divide Crosses Party Lines". See also "State House brainstorms insurance".

Term Limits For You ... But Not Me

"The father of Florida's eight-year term limits for lawmakers and Cabinet members could serve 912 years on the Board of Education, despite a separate law that limits board terms to 'eight years of consecutive service.'" Winter Park financier Phil Handy "was chairman of Citizens for Limited Political Terms, a group that successfully pushed the 'Eight is Enough' ballot initiative limiting terms of state legislators and Cabinet members. At the time, he frequently railed against "career politicians" who insisted on retaining power for long periods.".

is one of two members originally appointed to the board by Gov. Jeb Bush in July, 2001, and recently reappointed to terms that would end Dec. 31, 2010.

Bush's office said the appointments are legal because the name of the board changed from the "Florida Board of Education" under a 2001 law, to the "State Board of Education" under a rewrite of the education code in 2002.

"So we are complying with the statute that says eight consecutive years," Bush spokeswoman Alia Faraj said Monday.