"Florida faces another potential meltdown at the polls"

The Daytona Beach News-Journal editorial board: "With a national election less than three weeks away, Florida faces another potential meltdown at the polls -- this time, over more than 100,000 registered voters who might not be eligible to cast their ballots due to prior felony convictions." "Florida should break down barriers to voting".

More: "Florida turns into tossup after financial meltdown" and "Shades of 2000? Florida again too close to call".




How conveeeeninet ...

Steve Bousquet:

Hispanics and blacks account for more than half of the people in Florida whose voter registration forms were rejected in recent weeks under the state's controversial new voter verification law.

Democrats were four times as likely to be tripped up by the law as Republicans, and more than half of the people affected are 30 years old or younger.

"New voter registration law snares mostly minorities".

"Stories of rejected voter registrations have focused on fraudulent applications submitted by liberal grass-roots organizations -- and even one filed by " Mickey Mouse" in Central Florida. But in Orange County, who are the most likely to be kept off the rolls? College students. Newly released records obtained by the Orlando Sentinel show that areas around the University of Central Florida and Rollins College are where the most voter registrations were rejected." "Lessons in voter rejection".




'Ya reckon?

The Orlando Sentinel editorial board: "Automatic voting rights for ex-felons would help fix state's mess".




Poor John

"While acknowledging that time is short and he is down in the polls, John McCain found a surge of support Friday from a largely Hispanic audience who loudly cheered his vow to win Florida in his battle to win the presidency." See also "Cheering supporters rally for McCain in Miami", "McCain comes to Miami to shore up his base" and "Cheering partisans hear from McCain in Miami".

More: "GOP's best stumps in South Florida" and "Cheering supporters rally for McCain at FIU".




This just in, from the "Jeb!" - girl

Remember Myriam Marquez, the author of what may be the most embarrassing passage in Florida political "journalism"? To wit:"'Jeb!''s "vision is universal and timeless...clear and electrifying as the day's cobalt-blue sky." Well, the poor thing is back in action at the Miami Herald:

If Little Havana is the heart and soul of the Cuban exile experience, then Florida International University captures the journey -- from exile to U.S. citizen to college-educated voter.

And there, in the thick of Cuban-American, middle-class enclaves in West Miami-Dade, John McCain will make his pitch Friday to get out the reliably Republican Cuban vote. Expect him to talk tough on U.S. policy toward Cuba and, if he wants to energize the exile base, raise nefarious concerns about Democrat Barack Obama's campaign for ``change.''

For many older exiles who arrived here in the 1960s and '70s, promising change carries dark overtones of Fidel Castro's double-talk to dictatorship.

"Opinion | McCain should court all Latinos, not just Cubans".




RPOFers drooling over this one

"Jurisdiction undecided in possible ACORN voter-fraud investigation".




Never mind

The Palm Beach Post editorial Board: "It is rare that a newspaper rescinds an endorsement, but in the race for District 16, The Post no longer can support U.S. Rep. Tim Mahoney, D-Palm Beach Gardens, and recommends that he withdraw and that voters choose Tom Rooney." "Mahoney should withdraw; voters should pick Rooney".

See also "Mahoney's ads still running despite cloud over campaign", "Rep. Mahoney Admits To Affairs, Says He Won't Resign", "State GOP chair calls for Mahoney's resignation" and "Mahoney: I had 'multiple affairs'".




Obama-Hill show

Update: "Obama, Clinton coming to Amway Arena on Monday".

"Democratic Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton will hold their first public appearance together in Florida on Monday in Orlando, sources said. Details are being worked out, but the two will also hold individual events as early voting kicks off in Florida." "Obama, Clinton to rally together in Orlando Monday". See also "Obama extends his campaign into Florida Panhandle".




'Glades

"Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama pledges to fulfill Washington's broken promises to shoulder half of the $10.9 billion cost of restoring the Everglades, his campaign announced this afternoon." "Obama pledges to fulfill feds' unmet promises for Everglades".




The Corridor

"The state's most critical battleground is the Tampa Bay area, a swing-voter mecca where Barack Obama has relentlessly focused attention and where recent polls consistently show McCain lagging." "GOP frets over fight for Tampa Bay".




Whoopee!

"Florida puts one of its executive airplanes on sale".




"An irregular financial heartbeat"

The Tallahassee Democrat editorial board: "Local and state governments are desperately trying to keep an irregular financial heartbeat from flat-lining — streamlining and reorganizing their own operations while creating incentives they hope will promote private-sector activity." "Our Opinion: Economic defib".




"In church pews ..."

"In church pews and at pep rallies, pastors and activists are organizing their followers to pass or defeat the amendment that would make Florida the 28th state to add a legal definition of marriage to the state constitution." "Looking at Amendment 2: Would 'righteous' measure bar rights?". More: "Ad campaign says Amendment 2 does not endanger civil rights".




"Keller, Feeney"

"Two Republican congressmen from Central Florida have a combined $1.7 million to spend in the final weeks of their re-election campaigns, according to federal records. And they might need every penny against big-spending challengers." "Keller, Feeney have combined $1.7M left on hand".




"Space votes"

"New presidential ad: McCain, Obama battle for space votes".




Gambling

"Gamblers at Tampa's Seminole Hard Rock Casino won't be playing blackjack anytime soon." "Legal issues delay blackjack at casino in Tampa".




Suspended

"Crist has suspended the chairman of the St. Johns County Commission, who has been indicted by a federal grand jury on two bribery charges." "Governor suspends indicted commission chairman".




Whatever

"FSU student Republican, Democratic leaders square off in a town-hall debate".




The "N" word

"A lawyer is demanding Gov. Charlie Crist strip the certification from a Panhandle teacher who was allowed to keep his job despite using a racial slur in class about Barack Obama."

The Jackson County School Board voted 3-2 Thursday night to uphold suspending Greg Howard for two weeks and transfer him to an adult education school, but rejected angry cries for his termination.

The penalty, which also included Howard losing his football coaching job, had previously been recommended by school superintendent Danny Sims.

You remember the "slur":

On Sept. 26, Howard, 43, wrote the word CHANGE — the mantra of Obama's presidential campaign — on a dry-erase board at Marianna Middle School then, according to reports, added his own definition: Come Help A (N-word) Get Elected.

"Lawyer wants Crist to pull certification of teacher over racial slur".




"The famous face from Palm Beach County"

"Candidates for office took on the skyrocketing number of home foreclosures, the global economic crisis and Palm Beach County's recent election meltdown in a forum tonight. The timekeeper for the event, held at the Harriet Himmel Theater in CityPlace, was the famous face from Palm Beach County's ill-fated 2000 Presidential election: former Supervisor of Elections Theresa LePore." "Candidates address everything from elections to economy at forum".




No match

"With hundreds of voters caught by a new state law cracking down on registration missteps, Broward County elections officials are stepping up efforts to fix the errors before next month's elections. About 800 residents who registered after Sept. 8 have run afoul of the controversial "no match, no vote" law. Elections Supervisor Brenda Snipes vowed Tuesday to make a second and third effort to ensure those individuals can vote on Election Day without difficulty." "Broward County to contact residents with voter registration discrepancies".