FLORIDA POLITICS
Since 2002, daily Florida political news and commentary

 

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Welcome To Florida Politics

Thanks for visiting. On a semi-daily basis we scan Florida's major daily newspapers for significant Florida political news and punditry. We also review the editorial pages and political columnists/pundits for Florida political commentary. The papers we review include: the Miami Herald, Sun-Sentinel, Palm Beach Post, Naples News, Sarasota Herald Tribune, St Pete Times, Tampa Tribune, Orlando Sentinel, the Daytona Beach News-Journal, Tallahassee Democrat, and, occasionally, the Florida Times Union; we also review the political news blogs associated with these newspapers.

For each story, column, article or editorial we deem significant, we post at least the headline and link to the piece; the linked headline always appears in quotes. We quote the headline for two reasons: first, to allow researchers looking for the cited piece to find it (if the link has expired) by searching for the original title/headline via a commercial research service. Second, quotation of the original headline permits readers to appreciate the spin from the original piece, as opposed to our spin.

Not that we don't provide spin; we do, and plenty of it. Our perspective appears in post headlines, the subtitles within the post (in bold), and the excerpts from the linked stories we select to quote; we also occasionally provide other links and commentary about certain stories. While our bias should be immediately apparent to any reader, we nevertheless attempt to link to every article, column or editorial about Florida politics in every major online Florida newspaper.

 

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The Blog for Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Hill's way or the highway?

    It seems the party regulars are leaning Hill's way:
    Facing tight deadlines for a do-over election, Florida Democrats are rushing to deliver to the national party as soon as Thursday a plan to vote again -- by mail -- in the presidential primary.
    "Florida primary vote re-do plan going forward".

    The Congressional delegation has different ideas: "Florida's Democratic congressional delegation issued a joint statement Tuesday night opposing any revote in the state's presidential primary, throwing what appeared to be a major roadblock in front of the state party's efforts for a mail-in revote." "Mail-In Vote Plan Hits Hurdle". See also "Florida's congressmen against a vote by mail".

    More: "Florida's congressional Democrats may be split between Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, but they agree on one thing -- they don't want a 'do-over' of the Jan. 29 presidential primary."
    State party officials have been working since last week on a way to satisfy the Democratic National Committee and get Florida's 211-vote delegation to the party's nominating convention seated next summer. The DNC stripped Florida and Michigan of their votes for jumping ahead of the Feb. 5 deadline allowed by party rules for those states' primaries. ...

    After a meeting in Washington with Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., and the state's congressional Democrats, the Floridians issued a unanimous statement that said:

    "Our House delegation is opposed to a mail-in campaign or any re-do of any kind."

    Nelson supports the mail-in idea. Another thing that all sides agree on is that it would be politically disastrous for Florida -- a state with 27 electoral votes -- not to be represented at all in the Democratic National Convention.
    "Geller: State Dems favor mail-in 'mulligan'". "Full details of Obama's position" and "Full details of Clinton's position". More: "Clinton insists Michigan, Florida votes should be counted".

    See also "Vote plan has tight deadline", "Clinton would support do-over in Florida", "Democrats still pondering what to do about delegates", "Florida Dems Weigh Mail-In Plan" and "Nelson sticks to mail-in vote, issues challenge for better ideas".

    The St. Petersburg Times editorial board: "The only rational decision now is to sit tight in Florida while Obama and Clinton continue to fight it out. Eventually, the Democrats will have to come up with a way to seat the Florida delegates at the national convention in Denver this summer. Either there will be a presumptive nominee who can ensure Floridians are seated, or calmer heads will see that the Florida delegates are seated and divided evenly between the candidates so they can participate without altering the balance. Florida has a hard time conducting regular elections even with months of preparation. Attempting a ballot-by-mail election on the fly would be great fodder for late-night talk show hosts, but it is not a satisfactory solution to a mess that could have been easily cleaned up months ago." "No new primary". The Palm Beach Post editorial board: "Mail-in wouldn't work; split the state's delegates".


    Sue the bastards

    "Crist urged Florida auditors Tuesday to investigate whether the state should sue private security firms for selling weak investments that have jeopardized nearly $2 billion in local government tax collections. Crist said he was frustrated that state officials have not determined the merits of a lawsuit over the sales, mostly mortgage-backed securities that have since been downgraded." "Crist urges probe of security firms".


    "A gloomy Legislature"

    "State government will eliminate about a half billion dollars in planned spending this fiscal year under a bill passed by a gloomy Legislature on Wednesday and sent to Gov. Charlie Crist. The governor is expected to sign the cost-cutting plan, and although he has veto power over individual line items, he has said he isn't likely to use it." "Legislature sends smaller current year budget to governor".


    Perhaps the dunce will get a radio show

    The Sun-Sentinel editorial board: "Earth to Naugle: your bile-spewing rants against one particular group in your city ... were only humiliating and insulting." "Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle gone in one year and counting".


    "We need to be pessimistic."

    Jebbie's legacy:

    On the eve of a House vote to cut more than a half-billion dollars out of Florida's recession-ravaged budget, state economic forecasters Tuesday lowered their estimate of general revenue collections by nearly $3 billion for the next 15 months.

    "We are way far away from being out of the woods, or even knowing where the edge of the woods is," House economist Don Langston said during a daylong meeting of the Revenue Estimating Conference. "We need to be pessimistic."
    "Florida House economist: 'Be pessimistic'". See also "Prediction for Florida economy: Pain", "Florida tax revenue drop persists" and "More bad news: State budget hole gets even deeper".

    Whose brilliant idea was it to make "billions" in state tax cuts that "have benefited mainly the wealthy and businesses through corporate tax loopholes and abolition of taxes paid mostly by the wealthy - estate and intangibles taxes." Ought we not be having a conversation about which political party is responsible for the financial disaster we now find ourselves in?


    Budget blues

    "Voting along strictly partisan lines, the Florida House this morning approved shrinking this year's budget by more than half a billion dollars. Democrats objected that the $512 million in cuts would hurt education, health care and public safety." "House cuts $512 million from state budget".


    The best they could do?

    "Supporters of an 'academic freedom' bill permitting students and teachers to challenge evolution teachings in Florida's new science standards brought actor-activist Ben Stein to the Capitol Wednesday for a private screening of his new film before an audience of state lawmakers."

    Stein, a conservative commentator on CBS best known for his role in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," scheduled meetings with House Speaker Marco Rubio, R-West Miami, and other legislators to endorse bills by Rep. Alan Hays, R-Umatilla, and Sen. Ronda Storms, R-Brandon.
    "Latest from Stein: 'It's about freedom of speech'". How sad that the wingnuts couldn't find a better spokesman than a dope who ... ahem ... demonstrates that some people evolve more slowly than the rest of us.

    Then again, he "played an economics professor" on TV. "Ben Stein urges Florida lawmakers to allow teachers to question evolution".


    A fine idea at the time

    "The number of homeowners insured by state-run Citizens Property Insurance Corp. is expected to grow despite efforts to turn over policies to the private market. And though its surpluses are expected to increase, Citizens could see a loss six times as great if a major storm hits the state, Citizens Chief Financial Officer Sharon Binnun said Tuesday." "Citizens' Insured Risk Swells".


    Insurance

    "Crist's proposal to provide health insurance for the state's 3.8 million uninsured has prompted at least one other plan this session, but neither lawmakers nor health care advocates are convinced that either will work."

    In February, Crist unveiled a plan that would have private insurance companies work with the state to provide basic, low-cost coverage plans to residents at about $150 a month.

    At the time, the idea was met with interest from businesses but raised questions from insurance carriers who worried that there would be little incentive to vie for business under the plan.
    "Health Plans Under Scrutiny".


    AWOL

    "The chairwoman of a U.S. House subcommittee Tuesday criticized the governors of Alabama, Florida and Georgia for not testifying at a congressional hearing on the Southeastern drought." "Governors decline to testify at congressional hearing on drought".


    The FCAT bureaucracy

    The Daytona Beach News Journal editorial board: "It's testing week in Florida schools. Contrary to what the state or your child's school may have you believe, revealing the contents of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test does not endanger national security. It may even help it, considering that better-educated students strengthen national security. The FCAT bureaucracy disagrees." "To boost scores: FCAT transparency".


    "Shortcomings, shortsightedness and revenue shortfalls"

    The Tallahassee Democrat editorial board: "Our state is in fiscal distress because of an array of shortcomings, shortsightedness and revenue shortfalls. But nursing homes are caught in a double bind: They are required by laws that emerged out of the wisdom of previous legislative sessions to provide certain levels of minimum care per patient." "Handle with care".


    On to important business

    "Full Senate takes up bill on droopy drawers". See also "Florida Senate panel waters down fines in red-light-running bill" and "Florida legislators consider bill to ban school bullying".


    And Mel says he's also "the new darling of the homosexual extremists"

    "He is Florida's ultimate conservative, a small-framed, earnest family man who campaigned on fighting terrorism, pedophiles and child pornographers." "Attorney general refocuses job".


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