The Tallahassee Democrat editorial board: "Florida lawmakers are coming to town next week, the new ones and the older hands, who will be facing the downward spiraling effects and certainly they and Gov. Charlie Crist must do more than wring their hands until March."
"It may be a rough Thanksgiving".

Dumb and Dumberer, or is it vice versa?

Douglas C. Lyons, writes in the The South Florida Sun-Sentinel today that "the party's future may come down to a choice of conservatism embodied in two very different Florida governors. Jeb Bush vs. Charlie Crist."

On one hand, we have these creeps ...

... and their pals

Bush remains the quinessential party brand and a darling of the conservative base. He accomplished [sic] a lot, slashing taxes, implementing school vouchers and strengthening the chief executive's role to name a few. Of course it helps to have a pliant Republican majority in the Legislature, a big budget surplus and a brother who is president of the United States.

... Chain Gang Charlie's "veneer of moderation".

Crist doesn't have his predecessor's advantages. He has to rely on a veneer of moderation to reach across party lines. Still, Florida's current governor remains popular in pushing a wide range of initiatives from addressing global warming to making it easier for ex-felons to regain their civil rights.

Both men are accomplished politicians, bonafide conservatives and party stalwarts. Crist may be the better fit to meet today's challenges, but the heart and soul of the party faithful remains with Bush.

It's a quandry Republicans must resolve if they want to remain a viable alternative when Democrats take over in January.

The "values" crowd

"The state's public schools have laid off lunchroom workers and bus drivers, slashed administration, put maintenance on hold and soon will exhaust their reserve funds." "Fla. budget cuts exhausting school reserve funds".

Meanwhile, as "Budget cuts, brain drain, drown Florida universities", "The Florida State University Board of Trustees gave President T.K. Wetherell [a former state House Speaker] a glowing evaluation Friday, and renewed his current contract. ... Wetherell did not receive a raise. His salary will remain at $309,000. In addition he'll receive two bonuses totaling $285,000." "Board of Trustees praises Wetherell in evaluation, gives him bonuses totaling $285,000".

"That still leaves Republicans with a 76-44 House majority"

"The Republican challenger in Florida's only previously undecided legislative race has conceded." "Fla. GOP legislative candidate concedes".

Never mind

"After spending 27 years in prison, convicted killer Bill Dillon will get a new trial."

Dillon, 49, who has always maintained his innocence, is getting help from The Innocence Project of Florida, an organization that uses DNA evidence to try to overturn convictions.

The group has footed the bill for tests that showed Dillon's DNA was not on a bloody T-shirt that was used to convict him.

Charlie's Cheerleaders (a/k/a "the press")

Desperate to get on the big bus with the national media in 2012, Charlie's Cheerleaders in Florida's pipsqueak "political media corps" are desperate to carry his water. The latest is from Steve Bousquet: "Two years ago, Crist answered a hard-right challenge from Tom Gallagher by playing to the conservative base and calling himself 'a Jeb Bush Republican,' a label not altogether fitting."

And precisely why is considering Charlie a Jeb-clone is not "altogether fitting"? The best Bousquet could do:

Crist won a three-way race for governor with 52 percent of the vote, and for two years has glided toward the middle on issues like climate change and civil rights for released felons. At the same time, he tries to say and do just enough to avoid alienating the GOP base.

He has put two conservative white men on the state Supreme Court, and the libertarian Cato Institute awarded him an "A" for fiscal policies, one of only three governors rated so high. He firmly opposes raising taxes.

But Crist says he respects Barack Obama's Florida victory and Democratic gains in voter registration that nearly produced wins in Jacksonville and Sarasota, an idea unthinkable a few years ago.

"Shill, baby, shill!"

While Frank Cerabino is too kind to pin this on the empty suit occupying the Governor's office, this is yet another example of what passes for leadership in Florida these days:

"Once we sell off Alligator Alley, we can unload the fishing rights on Lake Okeechobee, start some logging in the Ocala National Forest, and place some ads on the skin of the Space Shuttle."

Yes, the new motto of Florida is "Everything Must Go."

Shill, baby, shill!

stuck on some quaint idea that because taxpayers paid to build the road, which wasn't even envisioned to be a toll road, they shouldn't now be the drivers who will get to pay the higher tolls to make the deal profitable for the foreign investors.

This type of thinking is so 2007. What's going on now is the "monetizing" of assets.

That's a highfalutin way of saying that we're looking to get quick cash in exchange for giving up something of long-term value. Sure, it's a bad deal in the long run. But it's got short-term appeal.

Aronberg's stuck on some quaint idea that because taxpayers paid to build the road, which wasn't even envisioned to be a toll road, they shouldn't now be the drivers who will get to pay the higher tolls to make the deal profitable for the foreign investors.

This type of thinking is so 2007. What's going on now is the "monetizing" of assets.

That's a highfalutin way of saying that we're looking to get quick cash in exchange for giving up something of long-term value. Sure, it's a bad deal in the long run. But it's got short-term appeal.

Crack addicts do these sorts of transactions all the time. So why not the state?

"They're even talking about privatizing the Lottery now," Aronberg said. "This is an example of term-limit politics. You have immediate gratification, and by the time the bills come due, you're out of office."

And when the tolls go up, you can't blame the politicians, because they aren't the ones raising them. Go dial up some European conglomerate, or wherever the benefactors of this deal might be.

The root of all evil

"The sponsor of a law forbidding investment of state funds in companies doing energy business with Iran wants Gov. Charlie Crist to look into financial arrangements of a European oil company building a fuel terminal at Port Canaveral. State Sen. Ted Deutch, D-Boca Raton, said the energy giant Vitol supplies about 60 percent of the gasoline imported by Iran. He said the company is building a $100 million fuel terminal at the Florida port." "Crist asked to scrutinize Vitol deal".

Another RPOFer privatization flop

"A seven-year privatization effort for prison food services is officially over as the state begins taking over meal preparation in some prisons" in Florida last week.

Since signing a contract with the state seven years ago, Aramark has received mixed reviews. There have been questions about food quality, quantity and potential health violations. At times, the company has been fined by the state for failure to meet the specifications of its contract.

The company now faces fines of more than $300,000 for violations.

Trinity, which serves the region of the state from Madison to Flagler counties, will ceas[d serving food Thursday]. Aramark will gradually withdraw from the rest of the state and will be out of the state's prison food business by mid-January.

Taking back food operations is "quite unprecedented for a department of corrections," Aramark spokeswoman Sarah Jarvis said.

Prison officials they can cut the food price by altering the menu and making other cost savings quickly, [Department of Corrections spokeswoman Gretl] Plessinger said. The department will realize 100 percent of the savings by changing the menu to cheaper items instead of splitting that with the vendors, she said.

The Palm Beach Post editorial board today [July 5, 2007]:

Gov. Bush is interested in accountability only when it does not to apply to him or to private companies being paid by state taxpayers.

And we know why, of course (coursesy of Paul Krugman):

Jeb Bush has already blazed the [spoils system] trail. Florida's governor has been an aggressive privatizer, and as The Miami Herald put it after a careful study of state records, "his bold experiment has been a success" at least for him and the Republican Party, records show. The policy has spawned a network of contractors who have given him, other Republican politicians and the Florida G.O.P. millions of dollars in campaign donations."

"Victors and Spoils". And here are some recent examples.

Last summer, the Florida Department of Children and Families secretary quit after an inspector general found that he and some of his executives had accepted favors and steered contracts to lobbyists and friends. In October, the State Technology Office canceled a $173 million contract with Bearing Point Inc. and Accenture, large donors to the Republican Party of Florida, amid a criminal investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and a critical review by the Legislature's auditor general.

Another private company, Convergys Corp., is being paid $350 million in a nine-year contract (that mysteriously grew from $262 million over seven years) to handle the state's personnel services. But the company has missed or delayed paychecks to workers, caused employees to be dropped from health insurance plans because Convergys did not pay increased premiums, erroneously deducted too much from paychecks for benefits and otherwise provided unacceptable service.

"Governor wants to spend without anyone watching".

"Obama's inaugural"

"West Palm Beach prepares to celebrate Obama's inaugural".

"Sore Loserman"

"Departing Hillsborough County commissioner Brian Blair said Thursday he intends to pursue legal action against his opponent in last week's election for spreading lies about him during the campaign."

Blair, a Republican, claims that Democrat Kevin Beckner falsely accused him in campaign fliers of giving himself a pay raise. He also took issue with Beckner suggesting that he funneled taxpayer dollars to a cleanup of his private lake and supports the Confederate flag.

Beckner beat Blair, who was seeking a second term, by a 10-point margin Nov. 4.

The other second amendment

"Fla. 3rd-grader shows up to school with gun".

I'm gitin' me a fast shooter 'un

"Gun sales are up across Central Florida ... after President-elect Barack Obama's open support of permanently banning assault weapons." "Gun sales up after Obama openly supports banning assault weapons".

But it surely ain't just the assault weapon talk from Obama. There's the whole thing about blacks taking over the White House; as Florida's "walking deliverance themes" put it,: purty soon we'll have black "people swinging from trees and scratching their armpits forever" herun Florida, and, worseun still, "BLACK OBAMA SUPPORTERS COMING FROM THE INNER CITY" to take over our white 'hoods (intentional pun) and stuff. After all,: "Gun sales rise predictably whenever there is a social or economic crisis".

But ... wait ... in Jacobs v. Seminole County, ...

... it was OK if all the Republican absentee ballot voters had their absentee ballots counted so long as there was no finding of "fraud, gross, negligence, or intentional wrongdoing in connection with any absentee ballots." Technical deficiencies weren't enough to prevent an otherwise valid ballot from being counted.

That was then.

"The Palm Beach County election canvassing board on Friday reluctantly agreed to throw out 372 absentee ballots because voters hadn't penned their signatures in the right place. The absentee ballots had been in limbo since last week's presidential race as the board searched for a way to let them count." "Ballots signed in wrong place, thrown out".

In the Top Three!

"In RealtyTrac's report, three states — Nevada, Arizona, Florida — had the nation's top foreclosure rates. " "Foreclosures speed up across South Florida".

Does this deserve an editorial?

Always happy to smear a public employee with a defined benefit retirement plan, we get this gem today from the The Palm Beach Post editorial Board:

Rothe was briefly suspended but then went back to work as a firefighter and paramedic. His service has been valuable. His actions were not malicious, and he was not solely responsible for Mr. O'Hara's death.

But the level of Rothe's irresponsibility is egregious, as is his repeat status as a DUI offender. The fact that he is in the life-saving business doesn't atone for the life lost in that boating accident. Rothe faces a maximum of five years when sentenced in January, and he should serve at least one.

Influence

"Wasserman Schultz, Wexler among 50 most influential Jewish Americans".

FPL follies

The Miami Herald editorial board: "FPL customers pay for others' mistakes".

Yet more from the "values" crowd

The St. Petersburg Times editorial board: "The VA has turned on a dime several times in the past year when faced with celebrated cases of indifference, poor judgment and neglect."

Officials at the James A. Haley VA Medical Center in Tampa reached out in October to James Carroll when the Air Force veteran, dying of leukemia, charged that Haley had refused to admit him because it lacked the space. "The good thing about the VA is that we were able to get it fixed," a spokesman said at the time. The move followed the VA's apology in August to Florida Sen. Bill Nelson for not providing a more complete picture about the death of a veteran and a reversal in September of the agency's ban on voter registration at veterans' facilities.

The Peter Principle in action

"State Sen. Mike Fasano, a New Port Richey Republican who has become one of Tampa Bay's most powerful lawmakers, on Thursday got a new job in the Senate: president pro tempore. That appointment makes him top chief to incoming president Jeff Atwater." "Fasano gets new job in Florida Senate".

Off topic

"The widely unknown story of the Bielski brothers, who saved more than 1,200 Jews from Nazis during World War II, is about to become a major motion picture starring Daniel Craig." "Three brothers defied terror".

Intolerant Democrats

The idiots at the Zell Corporation want you to know that Dems are intolerant..

Real intolerance

"'National Day of Protest' of gay-marriage bans includes Orlando, 85 other cities".

The RPOFers call this ...

... governmental interference with "freedom": "a bill designed to crack down on predatory towing companies." "State Looks At County Towing Legislation".

Perhaps the author of this piece ...

... "Back to democratic reality after Obamamania" ... will get to his point.

The Daytona Beach News-Journal editorial board shows its chops in a coupla good ones this morning: "Arbitrary sentencing" and "Threats under the high seas".

Not just Florida

"Obama Getting More Threats Than Other Presidents-Elect".

Sinking ship

"At Miami conference, GOP governors vow to right the ship". See also "SC Gov. Sanford named head of GOP governor group".

Florida's revenue shortfall is expected to continue to spiral downward, according to state economists. The public services that help define our quality of life and provide a basis for economic growth — public schools and universities — and the ones that measure our compassion and decency — health care for the needy — are at further risk.

Cuts in education spending are expected to be followed by more cuts, and education officials face having to close under-utilized neighborhood schools. Health-care advocates for the poor, too often forced to settle for crumbs, face having to settle for even fewer crumbs.

Yet, because of a failure of political leadership spanning many years and administrations, Florida lawmakers have avoided tackling meaningful revenue reform that would soften the blow in bad times without substantially restraining economic growth when times were good.

John McCain's loss, ironically, reopens the national political scene for Gov. Charlie Crist.

Many Crist supporters and allies were angry when he wasn't chosen as McCain's running mate. With McCain off the stage, they think Crist can be among the contenders for national leadership of the party.

What's a redneck to do?

The New York Times: "By voting so emphatically for Senator John McCain over Mr. Obama — supporting him in some areas in even greater numbers than they did President Bush — voters from Texas to South Carolina and Kentucky may have marginalized their region for some time to come, political experts say."

The region’s absence from Mr. Obama’s winning formula means it “is becoming distinctly less important," said Wayne Parent, a political scientist at Louisiana State University. "The South has moved from being the center of the political universe to being an outside player in presidential politics."

Along the Atlantic Coast, parts of the “suburban South,” notably Virginia and North Carolina, made history last week in breaking from their Confederate past and supporting Mr. Obama. Those states have experienced an influx of better educated and more prosperous voters in recent years, pointing them in a different political direction than states farther west, like Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi, and Appalachian sections of Kentucky and Tennessee.

Southern counties that voted more heavily Republican this year than in 2004 tended to be poorer, less educated and whiter, a statistical analysis by The New York Times shows. Mr. Obama won in only 44 counties in the Appalachian belt, a stretch of 410 counties that runs from New York to Mississippi. Many of those counties, rural and isolated, have been less exposed to the diversity, educational achievement and economic progress experienced by more prosperous areas.

Busansky

"Earlier this year, Elections Supervisor Buddy Johnson took over control of payroll, billing and other financial responsibilities from the clerk of the circuit court in a move that raised concerns about a lack of transparency in the elections office. But those functions are expected to return to the Hillsborough County Clerk's Office as part of a reshaping by supervisor-elect Phyllis Busansky, who defeated Johnson in last Tuesday's problem-plagued general election by a margin of nearly 18,000 votes." "New Elections Chief To Open Up Office's Finances".

He's a regular Calamity Jane

"Crist's Plane Makes Emergency Landing In Sarasota".

Please justify this statement

The libruls on the The Palm Beach Post editorial Board share this with us this morning:

[T]he Democrats during the 1980s catered to their far-left base and lost the swing voters

Americans chose as their next president an African-American named Barack Obama who campaigned on a near-universal health-care plan, allowing the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy to expire, and a move away from the belligerent foreign policy of the past eight years. Republicans, and some journalists, had spent months (falsely) saying Obama is the single most liberal member of the U.S. Senate -- and maybe even a socialist. The American people responded by electing him in a landslide.

This, naturally, is very good news for the Republicans, according to many pundits [and Florida newspaper company editorial boards]. It proves once again that America remains a "center-right" nation.

Right about now, you're probably scratching your head, wondering how the election of the "most liberal" member of the Senate, a man who campaigned on a promise of near-universal health care, could possibly be described as evidence of a conservative country.

"Sopchoppygate"

"Incumbent sheriff wins in Wakulla, ending Sopchoppygate".

Good luck

"With the 2008 election over, Hillsborough County Republicans are talking about greater inclusion of blacks, Hispanics and young people as they look toward their party's future." "Hillsborough County GOP chief stepping aside".

"I'm trying to find my way back"

"Even today, two years after Mark Foley's very public fall from grace, the former congressman can't explain why he sent lurid, sexually explicit computer messages to male teens who had worked as Capitol Hill pages. Sitting in his room at the Four Seasons Hotel in New York this week, the Florida Republican, wearing a yellow tie with blue elephants, finally broke his silence." "AP Interview: Foley breaks silence on sex scandal".

The lawsuit continues

"A bitter fight over moving up Florida's presidential primary lives on in federal court, even as President-elect Barack Obama shifts his transition into high gear. U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle agreed Monday to allow Democratic national committeeman Jon Ausman to continue his federal lawsuit against the state for what he claims is its unconstitutional meddling in the party primary process." "Ausman to pursue lawsuit against state over primaries".

Heaven help us

"Police in Florida say they arrested a Connecticut man after he tried to steal communion wafers during a church service." "Conn. man charged with stealing communion wafers".

Just sayin' ...

"Bidding to shed the South's distinction as the country's fattest [and ironically most Republican] region, health officials joined community advocates and policy experts in a three-day obesity summit that ended Tuesday with a call to slim ballooning bodies across the Bible Belt." "Southern states meet in summit to fight obesity".

"Charlie hasn't met a reporter he didn't like." And vice versa.

Myriam Marquez gives Charlie props, in this retching piece this morning: "Sarah Palin could learn a thing from Charlie Crist during the Republican Governors Association meeting in Miami this week."

It's not just good policy that makes good politics. It's also good press, and Crist is a master at public relations. Poor Palin became a victim of bad press, much of it generated by insiders in her own party and by her handlers' attempts to keep her away from reporters.

Charlie hasn't met a reporter he didn't like. Well, at least not one he will admit publicly he doesn't like. He's the consummate pol, whether he's preaching to the GOP choir or working on restoring the legacy of a black civil-rights hero or having a cafecito in Little Havana and chanting, "Viva Cuba libre.''

You don't hear Charlie saying small-town Florida is the real Florida. Or that Tampa or Miami are the real Florida. Instead, his style is 1960s hand-holding and kumbaya-singing -- with GOP promises of "Won't tax you, bro!''

Strange that a party relegated in the presidential race to a few states in the South and a smattering in the west -- where there may be more antelope than people -- insists it still represents the will of the majority. Ronald Reagan claimed a ''mandate'' in 1980 with only 50.7 percent of the vote.

A real laffer

The right-wing Center for a Free Cuba in The Miami Herald today is all about labor rights:

President-elect Obama earlier expressed his concerns about labor rights in Colombia and elsewhere. Surely he has the same concern for Cuban workers. Cubans assigned by the government to work in the tourist industry are paid about $20 a month. That's not enough to live on, yet Cubans have no right to form unions or to strike for higher wages.

Cost of living

"Florida Power & Light customers may not pay as much in 2009 for increased natural gas costs." "FP&L customers could see lower bills in 2009". In related news: "Gas Prices Dip Below $2 At Some Central Florida Outlets" and "Proposals To Raise Electric Bills Up For Votes Today".

Hmmm ...

"A University of Alabama at Birmingham study showed highway traffic deaths for older drivers in Florida dropped 17 percent after the state passed a law requiring vision tests for people age 80 and older. In Georgia and Alabama, where such tests are not required, the death rates remained unchanged." "UAB study links Fla. senior eye tests, road safety".

Put that together with those "ballooning bodies across the Bible Belt", and we got us sum' big trouble in Alabama and Georgia.

My turn to be preznit

Back at the ranch, "Florida revenue projections may worsen"

Sad day

One of the last independent voices in Florida traditional newspaper-world has lost his job: Daniel Ruth.

"The Tampa Tribune is shedding more of its newsroom staff, laying off 18 employees, including a longtime columnist and the editorial page editor."

Monday's cuts are part of a staff reduction across the Florida Communications Group, and the latest in an industry plagued by declining circulation and advertising revenues.

Some 80 positions were cut from around the company. Daniel Ruth, a popular metro columnist, and editorial page editor Rosemary Goudreau, were among those cut.

Betcha didn't know ...

... that Obama won because he campaign as a right wing nut. The Tampa Tribune editorial board: "How long it will take to revive the [right wing] brand depends in large part on whether Obama governs as he campaigned or whether he too forsakes the conservative themes that helped him win." "Conservatives Feel Forsaken By Party, Not Defeated".

This silly meme - Obama won because he ran as a conservative - is right outa the RNC playbook, and the The Tampa Tribune editorial board less than subtly publishes the talking points.

A fine idea at the time

"Florida and U.S. Sugar have scaled back a proposed $1.75 billion land deal meant to boost Everglades restoration, significantly lowering the price tag and allowing the company to keep its sugar mill, two sources familiar with a tentative agreement between the company and the state told The Associated Press on Monday." "Sources: Florida's Everglades land buy revised". See also "Sources: Florida's Everglades Land Buy Revised".

And did we forget to mention that the ... "Twist in Everglades deal sweeter for U.S. Sugar". More: "State, U.S. Sugar near land-only deal to cut price by $500 million".

Who decides primary date?

"The presidential election may be over, but a Democratic activist continued Monday to argue his case that Florida violated federal law when it moved up the primary date to Jan. 29. Jon Ausman of Tallahassee, a member of the Democratic National Committee, argued in federal court that by moving up the presidential primary, Florida interfered illegally with his party's procedures for electing delegates to its national convention." "Lawsuit Continues Over Florida Primary Date".

45 minutes ... then off to select china

"The state budget director said Monday economists might reduce Florida's already-shrunken revenue projections by up to $1 billion next week."

Office of Budget and Policy Director Jerry McDaniel ... met with Gov. Charlie Crist for about 45 minutes to go over options and said the governor appears uninterested in any tax increases.

"CARLOADS OF BLACK OBAMA SUPPORTERS COMING FROM THE INNER CITY"!!!

"David Storck will step down as chairman of the Hillsborough County Republican Party ... Storck was involved in a controversy recently over an e-mail he received from a campaign volunteer and forwarded to political associates, containing language some considered racist. Storck said that's not why he's stepping down."Storck To Cede Hillsborough County GOP Post".

Notice how William March - who managed to keep his job at the Trib - soft pedals the e-mail imbroglio, saying merely that it contained

language some considered racist.

This e-mail was sent to me from one of our Volunteers in the Temple Terrace office. If you think it can help us win this election please pass it on. This election is now in our hands everyone can make a difference.
Thanks
Dave

THE THREAT:

HERE IN TEMPLE TERRACE, FL OUR REPUBLICAN HQ IS ONE BLOCK AWAY FROM OUR LIBRARY, WHICH IS AN EARLY VOTING SITE.

I SEE CARLOADS OF BLACK OBAMA SUPPORTERS COMING FROM THE INNER CITY TO CAST THEIR VOTES FOR OBAMA. THIS IS THEIR CHANCE TO GET A BLACK PRESIDENT AND THEY SEEM TO CARE LITTLE THAT HE IS AT MINIMUM, SOCIALIST, AND PROBABLY MARXIST IN HIS CORE BELIEFS. AFTER ALL, HE IS BLACK -- NO EXPERIENCE OR ACCOMPLISHMENTS-- BUT HE IS BLACK.
I ALSO SEE YOUNG COLLEGE STUDENTS AND THEIR PROFESSORS FROM USF PARKING THEIR CARS WITH THE PROMINENT 'OBAMA' BUMPER STICKERS. THE STUDENTS ARE ENTHUSIASTIC TO BE VOTING IN A HISTORIC ELECTION WHERE THERE MAY BE THE FIRST BLACK PRESIDENT.

THE COLLEGE PROFESSORS, PARTICULARLY IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES, FOR THE MOST PART HAVE LITTLE OR NO EXPERIENCE IN THE WORK-A-DAY WORLD.

THEIR LIFE EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN MOSTLY ACADEMIC UNDER THE TUTELAGE OF LIBERAL COLLEGE PROFESSORS. FOR THEM, A LITTLE SOCIALISM AND ANTI-AMERICANISM IS A GOOD THING. AFTER ALL, IF TERRORISTS ATTACK US, WE MUST HAVE DONE SOMETHING TO PROVOKE THEM.

YOU AND I UNDERSTAND THE DANGERS THE POTENTIAL OBAMA PRESIDENCY PRESENTS TO OUR WAY OF LIFE. THE SUPPRESSION OF FREE SPEECH, INTRODUCING UNION INTIMIDATION IN THE WORKPLACE, INCREASED DANGERS TO OUR NATION BY TERRORISTS, CUTTING OUR DEFENSE BUDGET BY 25%, TURNING OUR TAX SYSTEM INTO A NATIONAL WELFARE SYSTEM AND ECONOMIC POLICIES THAT COULD DRIVE US INTO A DEPRESSION. ...

David A. Storck Chairman
Hillsborough County
Republican Party

Ripple effect

"Obama's victory ripples through Orlando-area churches".

How many times did Charlie fail the bar exam?

"Eighteen lawyers applied to fill a pending vacancy on the Florida Supreme Court; most had applied before. The applicants aim to replace veteran Justice Harry Lee Anstead, who was appointed by Gov. Lawton Chiles in 1994. Anstead, 71, will retire Jan. 5 to comply with the state's mandatory retirement age for justices. Anstead's resignation gives Gov. Charlie Crist his third appointment to the seven-member bench this year. Crist will get his fourth pick when Justice Charles Wells, another Chiles appointee, retires in March." "Florida Supreme Court applicants are familiar faces".

And so it goes ...

"Sure, the 2008 elections only finished last week, but in Tallahassee, it's not too early to start looking forward to 2010 -- or even 2012."

Potential legislative candidates have already opened campaign accounts that signal their interest in running for Senate and House seats during the next two elections.

Aaron Bean, a Fernandina Beach Republican who was forced out of his House seat this fall because of term limits, and Jacksonville City Councilman Art Graham have opened accounts in Senate District 8.

They want to replace Sen. Jim King, a Jacksonville Republican who will be term-limited in 2010. The district includes parts of Volusia and Flagler counties.

Meanwhile, incumbent Carey Baker, R-Eustis, and Rep. Alan Hays, R-Umatilla, have opened 2010 campaign accounts in Senate District 20, which includes parts of western Volusia County.

Three Republicans have opened accounts to try to replace Rep. Sandy Adams, an Orlando Republican who will face term limits in 2010 in House District 33, which includes parts of western Volusia. Those potential candidates are Paul Ackerman of Winter Springs, Jason Brodeur of Sanford and Andrew Jones of Oviedo.

"Internet voting"?

"U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson is trying to get federal funding for states and counties that replicate Okaloosa County's overseas military and absentee Internet voting program." "Fla. Sen. seeks to expand Internet voting".

I thought Hispanics won't vote for Black candidates

"President-elect Barack Obama, a senator from Illinois, scored big with Hispanic voters — capturing 66 percent of the vote. Among younger Hispanics, the number was 76 percent." "Obama won a huge majority of Hispanics, exit polls show".

"Reactionary ogre" wants to rewrite history

"Karl Rove's Florida Frankenstein", in an effort to recast himself prior to his next race with phoney chattering about bipartisanship and all that.

Perhaps Dubya will pardon him.

"Former Mich.-based airman's record won't be erased". He's no Marc Rich, but maybe Dubya will give the guy a break.

Fix Cuba

The Palm Beach Post editorial Board:

In 2004, when he was running for reelection and needed votes in Miami, President Bush decreed that Cubans in America can visit Cuba only once every three years, not annually. He also limited remittances - money sent home - to $300 every quarter. The restrictions have been an affront. President Bush tried to punish a dictatorship by dictating where Americans can travel and how they can spend their money. Beyond that, the restrictions - like the broader embargo in place for four decades - were self-defeating. Whenever Fidel Castro and, now, Raul Castro needed a bogeyman to blame for rotten economic times, the evil U.S. government and its vindictive embargo provided a scapegoat. And how does forbidding Americans to travel to Cuba help spread American ideas to Cuba?

Learn early, learn often

"Voters of tomorrow practice at precinct".

Overdue "housecleaning" in Hillsborough

"Housecleaning is under way at the office of Elections Supervisor Buddy Johnson, who lost his job last week to challenger Phyllis Busansky after numerous poll problems and a protracted vote count." "New Hillsborough elections chief shakes up staff".

Volusia and Flagler bucks

"Barack Obama beat John McCain on Election Night in Volusia and Flagler counties. But even before that, he was winning the battle for the wallets of Volusia and Flagler voters." "Obama wins area battle for the bucks".

Election audits

"Volusia County Supervisor of Elections Ann McFall announced Monday that the required post-election certification of the voting systems audit is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m., Friday in the first-floor conference room at the Department of Elections, Historic Courthouse, 125 W. New York Ave., DeLand." "Election audit begins Friday".

So even as Florida Democrats toasted Obama's historic victory, they were flogging themselves over a missed opportunity that may not come their way again — and rightfully so. They had a chance to make much-needed gains in the Legislature, and they didn't, and that has consequences for the party and the state.

Republicans control the Senate, 26-14, and the House, 76-44, with two Democratic House seats possibly headed for machine recounts.

Republican political advisors say Obama's campaign has strengthened Democrats and made Florida 'a different world.'

So while they paid proper attention to Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties, the Obama people focused especially on the swath from St. Petersburg to Disney World to Daytona Beach. Known as the I-4 Corridor for the interstate that is the region's spine, it is vote-rich and less predictable than the Democratic strongholds of South Florida and the Republican base in North Florida. Gov. Crist is from the Corridor. So are the state's two U.S. senators.

Usually, whoever controls the Corridor controls the election. Compare John Kerry and Sen. Obama. ...

Republicans hold 16 of Florida's 25 congressional seats. The GOP controls the state Senate 26-14 and the state House 77-43. Control of the Legislature will mean control of redistricting in three years. Barack Obama won his battle for Florida, but the Democratic Party hasn't shown that it can win the wider political war for Florida. If the party decides to fight harder for the state, assume that the fight will start in the I-4 Corridor.

Run, Charlie, Run!

William March points out that

John McCain's loss, ironically, reopens the national political scene for Gov. Charlie Crist.

Many Crist supporters and allies were angry when he wasn't chosen as McCain's running mate. With McCain off the stage, they think Crist can be among the contenders for national leadership of the party.

His Florida win, proving a Democrat can win here statewide, may embolden Democrats to challenge Republicans in such contests as the coming 2010 governor and U.S. Senate races.

Vets

"VETERANS DAY 2008: Tuesday, Nov. 11 Military veterans, retirees are marching to Florida".

RPOFer hack: it was just a black thing

Why does the The Tallahassee Democrat editorial board persist in going to the idiot well for quotes:

Nonsense, says Brian Ballard, a Tallahassee lobbyist and a fundraiser and strategist for McCain.

Ballard said the McCain forces were helpless against the force of history, he said. Black voters surged to the polls to elect the nation's first black president, he said.

"I think Duval had a huge African-American turnout," Ballard said. "There was no way to compete with the historic nature of the campaign."

Zombies remain "Unfazed"

"At least in presidential politics, Florida is purple again after looking reddish for the past decade - but that doesn't guarantee Florida Democrats any resurgence in state-level elections."

John McCain's loss, ironically, reopens the national political scene for Gov. Charlie Crist.

Many Crist supporters and allies were angry when he wasn't chosen as McCain's running mate. With McCain off the stage, they think Crist can be among the contenders for national leadership of the party.

Never mind

"Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink suggested Friday that the state's Republican leaders are in denial about the dire economy and they should call a special legislative session now to deal with the impact on the state budget." "Florida leaders in denial about budget problem, Sink says".

Perhaps the RPOF will amp up the racism thing or sumthin' ...

"GOP plots course for return".

The Gerrymandering thing

The St. Petersburg Times editorial board: "The election Tuesday once again demonstrated why our state needs a new system for drawing voting district lines. Floridians voted for Barack Obama over John McCain by about 200,000 votes. But you could barely tell that the state had shifted course politically by looking at the results of congressional and legislative races."

Only a handful of incumbents lost their seats, and it's not because the rest are all doing a great job. One key reason: Gerrymandering has gotten so sophisticated that the computer-generated boundaries of the legislative and congressional districts virtually ensure that incumbents stay in office unless there is a scandal.

Will Obama Kow Tow to Cuban extremists?

Andres Oppenheimer thinks so:

Obama will want to win a second term in 2012 and will seek not to antagonize some of the constituencies -- such as Florida's Hispanic community -- that helped him win Tuesday's election. Obama won a record 57 percent of the Hispanic vote in Florida, a major achievement in a state where no Democratic presidential candidate has won a majority of the Hispanic vote since the 1980s. Even among Miami's Cuban-American voters, who vote heavily Republican, Obama got a respectable 35 percent of the vote, according to a Bendixen & Associates poll of early voters. That's more than the 25 percent than Democratic candidate Kerry got in 2004, and than the 20 percent that Democrat Al Gore received in 2000.

One step forward ...

The St. Petersburg Times editorial board: "In the presidential election, Florida voters demonstrated how far the state has come toward embracing diversity. On two constitutional amendments, they signaled how far there is to go. " "On amendments, voters disappoint". More: "Amendment 3 passes without recount in Florida".

The sky is falling!

"Obama and Russian president Medvedev chat on phone".

"Move over 'Maestro,'"

"And now, for the post-election roll call of winners and losers:"

- Loser: Jim Greer. Florida's GOP chairman hurt his chances to go national by losing the state and frittering away party money on chartered planes. He also got written up for grandstanding, having promised at the convention to give $10,000 to Hurricane Gustav victims and then forgetting to cut the check.

- Winner: Steve Schale. Move over ''Maestro,'' the aptly nicknamed campaign manager for Gov. Charlie Crist, George LeMieux. The director of Obama's Florida campaign is now the hottest political consultant in town. As for LeMieux, he predicted McCain would win Florida (wrong) and that U.S. Rep . Mario Diaz-Balart of Miami would lose (wrong again).

What are the baby knuckle draggers (a/k/a YRs) to do?!?

"Election Yields New Hero For Youth".

Live from Tampa: "Some of the most racist, virulent, inane hate speech one could imagine"

Poor Dan Ruth, the racists who read [sic] his rag are all lathered up:

"You said it about McCain, but I'm going to say it about your guy, insert sleazy, declasse racial image here, if he wins this race," wrote R. Vanhoose, who will never be confused with Coretta Scott King. "We're all doomed!"

Thank you so much for that sensitive "We Shall Overcome" moment.

As you might well imagine, while Tuesday night's election of the nation's first black president marked an important historical advance in race relations in this country, others took - to put it gently - a somewhat contrarian view.

Teddy the Nazi, who is even crazier than Rudolf Hess parachuting into Scotland, slimed out of his box down by the river long enough to pass along a series of some of the most racist, virulent, inane hate speech one could imagine in the wake of the next president's election.

I can't print any of it, but think David Duke meets Andrew Dice Clay. ...

Solidier62 was annoyed with a recent column about a last-minute campaign visit to the University of Tampa by John McCain, which noted the candidate's police escort out-numbered his supporters.

"Obama's best view of the White House will come if he volunteers to bus tables at McCain's first state dinner," soldier62 wrote, which made me wonder if he was hanging out at the barber shop with R. Vanhoose.

'Ya think?

The Orlando Sentinel editorial board: "The governor's plan to restore Everglades isn't a done deal".

Rooney

"Rooney campaigned on a conservative platform of tax cuts, spending restraint, strong defense and offshore drilling. But if there was a ringing mandate from voters, it was to behave himself better than the last two representatives District 16 has sent to Washington." "Tenacity, hard work a Rooney trademark".

Early Voting done right

"Florida may be wary of a civics lesson from Las Vegas, but for early voting, Vegas is where the action is." "Next time, vote like Vegas".

One assumes the Dems will get right out in front on this in the next Session. Imagine, "Clark County, Nev., home to Las Vegas and 814,000 registered voters (fewer than Palm Beach County), offered early voting at 88 sites, including grocery stores, malls, libraries and community centers. Palm Beach County, limited by state law to election offices, city halls and libraries, had 11 early-voting sites."

"Stain removal"

The Tallahassee Democrat editorial board: "Crist and Secretary of State Kurt Browning might not be celebrating the outcomes of several elections — both are Republicans — but they have reason to be relieved and proud that voting throughout Florida was generally smooth." "Stain removal: Voting went well, but change still needed".

More librul media garbage

Who writes this garbage?

Tearing down free-trade agreements? Hiking taxes for small businesses? Imposing new federal oversight of banks and insurance companies? Charging more for hotel rooms because of higher unskilled labor costs?

Speculation is just heating up over how a Barack Obama presidency will impact area companies and the broader Florida economy.

Obama's sweep into the Oval Office coupled with a strengthened Democratic majority in Congress could usher in an era of heightened regulation. Some economists and local business leaders predict the new administration could put a chill on defense industry spending, crimp international trade and force hotels, restaurants and retailers to pay more for unskilled labor — all issues hitting core industries in Florida.

force hotels, restaurants and retailers to pay more for unskilled labor

Judges

"Minorities vastly underrepresented in Broward's highly politicized judiciary".

"Remember how ..."

"Remember how Obama was going to face a serious challenge winning Florida because he was weak with Jewish and Hispanic voters? Forget it. The Hispanic vote — 14 percent of the electorate — swung 27 points from 2004, with exit polls showing Obama beating McCain 57 percent to 42 percent among Florida Hispanics." "Poll, schmole".

Cop costs

"Now that the presidential election is over, here's another tally: what the candidates' visits cost taxpayers. With the Tampa Bay area being part of a key region in a closely contested large state, candidates and their surrogates came here often. At the same time, the economy is forcing local governments to reduce spending and eliminate positions. Even so, eight local police and rescue agencies spent at least $175,000 since April during campaign visits by Barack Obama, Joe Biden, John McCain and Sarah Palin." "Candidates' Visits To Tampa Bay Area Cost Taxpayers Big Bucks".

Perhaps the Hillsborough GOPers ought to chip in; after all, they stoked the fires of racism and hatred as best they could: see ""AFTER ALL, HE IS BLACK"; Updated".

If they're rat employees from South Carolina ... they must be OK

The Palm Beach Post editorial Board: "2006 vandalism at FPL nuclear plant raises concern about worker screenings".

Priority

"Voters Make Land Preservation Priority".

Florida's contributions to the science of polling

Dan Moffett

- The Mahoney Effect. Voter deplores philandering congressman then votes for him out of envy. Formerly called The Bubba Effect during the Clinton years.

- The Mark Foley Effect. Voter feels the congressional district is hopelessly doomed to elected officials with sex scandals and unseemly behavior, so it's always prudent to vote against the incumbent, just to be on the safe side. Also known as the Rooney Resurgence Effect, or as a verb, "to Rooney the vote."

- The Susan Bucher Effect. Voter takes pity on term-limited Florida legislator and votes to make her Palm Beach County elections supervisor as a way to reduce the state unemployment rolls. Also known as the Shelley Vana Effect, and formerly known as the Anne Gannon Effect.

"Empty newspaper racks"

Fred Grimm: "All those empty newspaper racks spoke to the history of the thing." "Beyond an old reporter's imagination".

Gambling

"Visitors to Florida might have a tough time telling whether it's an anything-goes playground or the tip of the Bible Belt." "Blackjack fight latest front in Fla. gambling saga".

Alleged journalism

When "journalists" write garbage like this ...

"Obama was as charismatic as Gore was dull, and as forceful as Kerry was tentative."

Finally

"The Palm Beach County canvassing board wrapped up its review of absentee and provisional ballots to meet the state's deadline today." "Palm Beach County canvassing board wraps up ballot reviews".

Dan mean to Buddy

"It's 1 Potato, 2 Potato For Spuddy, Er, Buddy".

Betcha didn't know ...

... that Obama was really a conservative. This brilliance from the The Tampa Tribune editorial board: "The candidate who won Tuesday, the Heritage Foundation notes, promised to cut taxes for 95 percent of workers, to expand the Army and Marines, to cut federal spending, all core conservative beliefs. The conservative think tank correctly concludes that someone who says the election marks the end of conservatism 'simply was not paying attention to the campaign.'" "Conservatives Feel Forsaken By Party, Not Defeated".