An indicted Republican legislative leader is not enough.

Shady expenditures are not enough.

Failing to deliver the state to the party's presidential candidate is not enough.

Congressional losses and eroding, if still large, majorities in the statehouse, are not enough.

Taking sides in contested primaries is not enough.

Leading purity purges to rid the party ranks of Ron Paulogists, Tea Partiers and personal enemies (or the personal enemies of low-on-the-totem-pole staffers) is not enough.

Missing budget and failing in the money race — now that'll get you in the soup with Republican Party of Florida heavyweights.

Dem AG primary

"Gelber gets Buddy McKay backing, Aronberg gets sheriffs".

Ausley for CFO?

"Veteran Democratic lawmaker Loranne Ausley of Tallahassee says she is seriously considering dropping her bid for the Florida Senate and running instead for chief financial officer." "Ausley may ditch Senate bid, run for CFO instead".

How many more?

"Fla. panther killed crossing Interstate 75 in Broward".

11.5 percent

"State jobless rate hits 11.5 percent". See also "Jobless rate in Florida hits 11.5% in November; 1.06 million out of work", "Florida's unemployment rate 11.5 percent" and "More than 1 million Floridians out of work, jobless rate still rising".

Crist kow tows to wingnuts

As if Florida wasn't already a wholly owned subsidiary of the AIF, "Crist is floating the idea of eliminating the state's corporate income tax to attract new businesses to Florida and shore up his conservative credentials." "Crist proposes cutting corporate-income tax".

Rothstein and Crist

"Gov. Charlie Crist says he saw no reason to investigate a South Florida lawyer charged with operating a $1 billion Ponzi scheme or refuse his political contributions."

A South Florida Sun Sentinel analysis of campaign contributions shows Rothstein, his legal associates and their families have donated at least $2.8 million to largely Republican political causes since 2006.

Never mind

"For years, James Bain insisted he was home watching TV with his twin sister when a 9-year-old boy was kidnapped and raped."

The victim had picked him out of a lineup, and his repeated pleas for DNA testing were rejected until the Innocence Project of Florida got involved in his case earlier this year.

On Thursday, he was finally set free. He made his first-ever cell phone call, to tell his elderly mother he was out of prison after 35 years behind bars for a crime he did not commit.

Corruption

The Palm Beach Post editorial board: "Corruption takes many forms".

Adults prevail

"Brazil could get its long-awaited U.S. ambassador as Florida Sen. George LeMieux drops his 'hold.'" "Sen. George LeMieux ends stall on Brazil ambassador".

Thank you, Mr. Obama

"Crist: SunRail means 'jobs, jobs, jobs' will roll in".

Daily Rothstein

The Miami Herald editorial board: "Fort Lauderdale Police Chief Frank Adderley was hardly the only person fooled by accused Ponzi schemer Scott Rothstein. But the chief's personal friendship with the disgraced lawyer has embarrassed the city and raised questions that can only be answered satisfactorily by an independent investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement."

One question is why the chief showed up at a traffic accident involving Rothstein's friend Moe Sohail. A photograph shows Chief Adderley standing close to Rothstein at the accident scene. Why would the chief of police show up at a routine traffic accident?

Another issue is why the City Commission last April made a controversial decision allowing top city police supervisors, undercover officers and the police spokesman to guard Rothstein's home around the clock while off duty.

More Rothstein

"Everything from disgraced lawyer Scott Rothstein's offices will be auctioned next month in a public bankruptcy proceeding designed to raise money for his victims." "Herald: Scott Rothstein's office items to be auctioned".

"'fair and square'"

"State Rep. Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda and her television-newsman husband Thursday said renewal of a $3.7 million Florida Lottery contract with his company was 'fair and square.'" "Vasilinda: Deal 'fair and square'".

Here come the campaign contributions

"Five law firms land plum state pension fund work".

Race to the bottom

"Florida's largest teachers union Thursday called efforts to win federal grant money by overhauling teacher pay plans 'fatally flawed' and urged local unions not to take part in the state's bid to win as much as $700 million."

The Florida Education Association's announcement could make it more difficult for Florida to win Race to the Top money because a lack of union support could weaken the state's application in the eyes of the judges. ...

Andy Ford, president of the state association, explained the union's views in an "open letter" to Education Commissioner Eric Smith, published Thursday as an advertisement in the Tallahassee Democrat.

In the letter, Ford wrote that the federal Race to the Top grant program was meant to "reshape the public school landscape, but it won't happen here, based on what I see in your proposal."

Ford said it was "agonizing" to recommend local unions not sign on to the plans, which could net even small districts millions of dollars. "While the proposal appears to include some 'bold innovations' and substantive reforms, the proposed implementation is fatally flawed," he wrote.

The letter did not address merit pay specifically, though that is an area where the union has raised objections before. Instead, it focused on what it viewed as the department's heavy-handed approach, calling it "prescriptive" and "top-down" and an effort to "impose reforms unilaterally."

The foundation run by former Gov. Jeb Bush, who pushed unsuccessfully for other merit pay plans, called the association's stance "union politics at the expense of students and teachers."

The Foundation for Florida's Future said, "It is baffling that anyone would oppose their proposal to use $700 million in federal funds to identify and reward great teachers."

"Brown-bag it"

The Tampa Tribune editors: "Here's some advice for the Tampa Bay Workforce Alliance brass: Brown-bag it."

The agency, charged with finding work for the unemployed, exercised miserable judgment in spending more than $20,000, at least some of which was taxpayers' money, on catered meals and restaurants in the last 13 months.

"'Wafflegate'"

"Crist signs rail bill in Tallahassee, Tampa" Meantime, "'Wafflegate' casts shadow on rail bill signing".

More from Joel Engelhardt: "It's easy to get excited about "Wafflegate," the Tallahassee scandal involving e-mails disguised as tasty breakfast foods. After all, Alex Sink, the state's chief financial officer and a Democratic candidate for governor next year, is so stirred up that she wants Gov. Crist to fire the secretary of transportation. Even though the fire is in his own kitchen, Gov. Crist has ordered up a review by the state's inspector general. Boiling hot Tea Party activists are demanding a grand jury investigation." "The meaty rail scandal".

"Straining at the leash"

Bill Cotterell: "The Florida Commission on Ethics is ... straining at the leash a little, growling and pawing the ground, panting at the prospect of being given permission to take a bite out of political crime next year." "Ethics Commission could use more bite".

Idle threat

"State Farm drops plan to withdraw from Florida".

The Saint Petersburg Times editorial board: "State Farm bluffed, the insurance commissioner caved and Florida is still better off. The deal announced this week granting State Farm a 14.8 percent rate increase and permission to drop about 125,000 policies will be painful to many homeowners, but it is a reasonable trade-off to keep the state's largest private insurer here. While it doesn't solve the property insurance mess, it buys some time to work on broader answers. " "From bad to less bad".

But Crist never mentioned that he signed a budget this year that includes more than $2-billion in new taxes and fees. In fact, several times Crist made claims about his record that have been widely debunked or undercut by reality ...

In a new line of attack, Crist also made an only slightly veiled reference to Rubio's personal finances. The last time the Miami Republican filed a campaign disclosure form, it showed the father of four had more than $900,000 in debt from mortgages and student loans and had a net worth of under $10,000.

SunRail

"SunRail was banished to a side track in May when the state Senate voted down the Central Florida commuter train. ... Now, it's full steam ahead, thanks to lawmakers' approval last week in a special legislative session." "SunRail's approved -- but there's a lot left to do".

Whoopee!

"Not every politician gets a day like the one that state Sen. Mike Fasano had Monday. He stood side-by-side with Gov. Charlie Crist and other elected officials, in front of a brand-new, $7.5-million building called the Mike Fasano Regional Hurricane Shelter." "Fasano hurricane shelter dedicated".

"Cute"?

"To Florida Department of Transportation administrators, it was just a cute attempt to keep things light in the frantic days before a special legislative session — but it has blown up in their faces." "'Wafflegate': SunRail critics say email subject lines were an attempt to dodge public-records requests". See also "Grand jury sought on DOT 'Wafflegate'".

The gender thing

"Despite having a higher percentage of women than the nation as a whole, Florida has never elected a female governor."

Not one woman has even been nominated by a major party for the state's highest office.

But that ceiling is on the verge of being shattered.

Alex Sink, the state's chief financial officer, is all but certain to be the Democratic nominee for governor in 2010. And State Sen. Paula Dockery is waging a spirited [read: bound to lose] fight with state Attorney General Bill McCollum for the Republican nomination.

Zell Corporation goes after Grayson

The Orlando Sentinel (a/k/a the Zell Corporation) takes another swipe at Alan Grayson: "Few members of Congress are as relentless at self-promotion as U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson."

Since January, the Orlando Democrat has flooded inboxes and mailboxes in his four-county Central Florida district with glowing accounts of his first year in Congress, even quoting the mayor of Belle Isle praising him for being a "key part" of what makes the city "so great."

But Grayson's re-election campaign isn't paying for the outreach. Taxpayers are — to the tune of $82,000 through Sept. 30. The expense, called franking, is intended to help lawmakers keep in touch with constituents and covers mailed letters and postcards, although e-mail has grown in popularity.

Overall, Grayson's spending on franked communications is the largest reported by the eight members of the Central Florida congressional delegation this year. And in the July-to-September quarter, according to congressional spending records put online for the first time, he ranked eighth in the 435-member U.S. House.

"'As usual, it's top-heavy'"

"With a revenue shortfall projected at more than $2 billion, legislators are certain to make further job cuts in the 2010 session, but the DMS figures showed an already-lean work force."

The state ranked last in the nation in personnel cost per resident, at $38, and was tied with Illinois for 50th in its ratio of actual employees to state population, at 118 per 10,000 residents. Florida was second to Illinois in authorized job positions to population with 103 per 10,000.

"The report confirms, yet again, that we have the hardest working and dedicated state employees in the country," said state Rep. Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda, D-Tallahassee, whose district includes the largest segment of state emlpoyees. "If we continue to cut state employees or their salaries, we will slash the quality of life for all of us and negatively impact our ability to attract new business."

Jeanette Wynn, state president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, said the report showed too many managers. There were 20,289 employees in Senior Management and the mid-management Selected Exempt class last June 30, a reduction of 604 from a year ago -- with 89,187 Career Service workers, down by 2,379 from last year.

"As usual, it's top-heavy, with 20,000 management employees supervising about 90,000 Career Service employees," said Wynn, a retired Florida State Hospital worker. "If the Legislature needs to make cuts, they ought to cut from the top -- reduce all that management, not the workers."

"More reasons to reject ..."

Scott Maddox: "There are some very good reasons for Floridians to consider drilling for oil off our coast, but there are probably more reasons to reject such an idea." "Drilling won't give us what proponents promise".

Why the "One Florida" hoopla?

The Miami Herald editorial board:

Statewide, the percent of Hispanic and Asian students increased almost to parity with the percent of the overall minority population.

Hispanics, for instance, are 21 percent of Florida's population, and in 2008 they made up 18 percent of university students at the 11 schools -- up from 13.8 percent in 1998.

But the percent for African-American students has stagnated. Blacks are 16 percent of the state's population. In 1998, African Americans were 14 percent of college students. In 2008, they constituted 13.6 percent.

"Dirty little secret"

The Saint Petersburg Times editorial board: "School principals and administrators in Pinellas and Hillsborough counties — and throughout Florida — boast about the rising number of high school students enrolled in college-level Advanced Placement classes. Here's their dirty little secret: The passing rates on the AP exam are often pathetic. It is a scandalous situation that fails students, misleads parents and wastes public money." "AP scores reveal cracks in facade".

"State wastes money and lives by wrongful imprisonment "

The Daytona Beach News Journal editors: "When James Bain entered prison, he was a slight 19-year-old; now his beard and hair are shot with gray. Over 35 years, Florida spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to keep him in prison. Many Floridians would say it was worth it -- Bain was convicted of a hideous crime, the abduction and rape of a 9-old-boy."

There's just one problem. Bain didn't do it. After 35 years -- 11 of which Bain spent pleading for DNA tests on the remaining evidence in the case -- genetic tests proved he was not the one who broke into the boy's Lake Wales home, dragged him to a nearby field and raped him.

Bain's attorneys and his 77-year-old mother hope he is free by Christmas. He could be eligible for $1.75 million in compensation from the state. That money can never repay him for the life he might have lived, the career and family he might have had -- but it gives him the possibility of a life outside prison bars.

The case illustrates how much money the state loses when it puts an innocent person in prison. If the compensation called for in state law is approved, Florida will have spent close to $3 million in 2008 dollars for locking up this innocent man. In the meantime, the person guilty of the rape (and there is no doubt that the victim was assaulted) has gone free, potentially to commit other crimes.

In 2008, the state Legislature passed a law setting up so-called automatic compensation for people imprisoned after being wrongly convicted of crimes, including $50,000 for each year spent behind bars and 120 hours of tuition at a state college or university. As innocence cases go, Bain's would seem to be a slam-dunk.

But a review of the 12 cases of exoneration in Florida shows that the process is far from automatic. ...

Florida's compensation law has two other fatal flaws, says Seth Miller, director of the Florida Innocence Project. It requires exonerees to prove "actual innocence" -- a higher standard than prosecutors are required to prove to send someone to prison. And it has a "clean hands" provision that denies compensation to anyone who's had a prior felony conviction, no matter how distant or unrelated it is.

The current statute fails to bring justice to people who lost years of their lives to the state's mistakes. Fixing the compensation law should be a moral imperative for lawmakers.

"Water sharing dispute"

"The governors of Alabama, Georgia and Florida are meeting for the first time in two years to discuss a water sharing dispute that has been going on for two decades." "Alabama, Georgia, Florida governors talk water".

Gambling

The Sun-Sentinel editorial board: "Lawmakers are right that it's not the time to call a special legislative session to address gambling issues. But dealing with gambling, as Tallahassee must this coming spring, is long overdue." "No special session on gambling.".

At the federal trough

"Federal grant may give Florida schools up to $700 million".

Entrepreneurs in action

"Busts in 3 states over Medicare fraud".

So forget that novel — because .

We start with U.S. Rep. Bill Posey.

While most of Washington is engulfed in talks about health-care and spending, the Brevard County Republican is still making news for cozying up with the fringe crowd that believes Barack Obama is an illegal immigrant.

The latest has the Brevard County Republican actually asking the "birthers" for campaign donations — and receiving an endorsement from the publisher of the birthers' Bible: the World Net Daily.

Now, for those of you unfamiliar with this Web site (also known as the 99 percent of America who mingle with mainstream Americans, are willing to consider facts and don't fear sunlight), the World Net Daily is obsessed with its belief that Obama was never legally elected. Headlines on this "news" site range from "Just who delivered baby Barack Obama?" and "Birth certificate fraud: It's been done before" to "Michelle contradicts Obama nativity story" and "Eye-popper: Is Nancy Pelosi in on eligibility cover-up?"

Normally, we could just ignore all this and allow these folks to wallow in their sub-culture. After all, their claims have been refuted by everything from public records to court rulings. And most mainstream Republicans won't have anything to do with them.

But it's harder to ignore the birthers when one of our own congressmen is not only courting them and their money, but filing the legislation they crave.

The best they can do?

Adam Smith:

Key party leaders and activists are racking up votes to rescind Greer's chairmanship in January in a secret-ballot vote. What started as an effort to force Greer to go quietly now looks likely to erupt in an ugly public battle when Republican party officials gather in Orlando during the Jan. 9 weekend.

The names most often mentioned as successors are former House Speaker Allan Bense and current Majority Leader Adam Hasner.

Crist gloms on ...

... to those federal dollars. "Crist to sign rail bill in Tampa, 3 other cities".

"Legislation that could jack property-insurance rates sky-high"

The Daytona Beach News Journal editorial board: "Once again, Florida lawmakers are waving the banner of consumer choice while pushing legislation that could jack property-insurance rates sky-high." "Bill returns that snubs consumers to favor insurers".

Convergys marches on

Bill Cotterell: "Computers and Convergys march on".

Bad bill?

The Saint Petersburg Times editors: "To hear lawmakers tell it, the rail bill sent to Gov. Charlie Crist last week was the best thing for Florida since the interstate highway system. But the legislation comes nowhere close to providing the money Florida will need to build a viable statewide passenger rail system." "Rail bill shortsighted". The Sun-Sentinel editorial board: "Florida moves into the "rail era."".

Stop the presses! "credible" RPOFer women!

Beth Reinhard: "Not so long ago, the Republican Party of Florida was fielding an all-white, all-male slate of statewide candidates in 2010."

But three credible female contenders have recently emerged: state Sen. Paula Dockery of Lakeland is taking on Attorney General Bill McCollum for governor and former state Rep. Holly Benson of Pensacola and Hillsborough County prosecutor Pam Bondi are challenging Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp to be attorney general.

The GOP can't exactly take credit for grooming these strong women since they are running against the party's establishment candidates. In contrast, Chief Financial Officer Adelaide "Alex'' Sink, the Democratic front-runner for governor, has got the party machine working overtime.

Coded e-mails

"Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink is outraged over high-ranking transportation officials’ use of code words in e-mails, possibly to avoid being captured by public records requests." "Sink: ‘breakfasting’ DOT officials should resign". See also "DOT Secretary says pancakes got her attention".

Sea cows

"Navy expresses concern about proposed manatee protections".

One Florida

"Despite marches and sit-ins over Florida's plan to end race-based admissions at universities, diversity hasn't suffered, a Herald/Times review found. " "10 years after its implementation, One Florida defies its critics".

"Mushy but necessary"

Fred Grimm: "'Honest Services Fraud' law mushy but necessary".

"Florida's toothless ethics rules"

The Miami Herald editors: "Florida's toothless ethics rules give ethically challenged public officials too much wiggle room to slither away untouched to conduct more monkey business as usual. Of course, taxpayers pay for it all." "Give ethics laws fangs to attack abuses". See also "Florida Commission on Ethics seeks more authority".

Daily Rothstein

"Rothstein's desperate actions suggest he sensed the end". See also "Much of Scott Rothstein's Ponzi funds tied up in collection of businesses".

"Complicated"

Mark Lane: "Florida judges facing up to Facebook -- it's complicated". The Saint Petersburg Times editorial board: "Judges, lawyers can't be 'friends'".

Say anything

"Gov. Charlie Crist was out to cement his credentials as a conservative Republican on Sunday night, telling a GOP audience here that he is a budget-cutting conservative who believes deeply in gun owner rights." "Crist tells Republicans he is 'tried and true'".

Entrepreneurs in action

"Developers face felony charges for bribery".

"Predictable opposition to redistricting reform is emerging"

The Orlando Sentinel editorial board: "Entrenched Florida politicians and their special interest allies in Tallahassee and Washington, D.C., are getting nervous about a pair of proposals that could weaken their grip on power."

In a statement opposing the amendments, Associated Industries of Florida, a powerful business lobby in the state, declared "there are no problems with the current redistricting process." None, if you happen to be an incumbent or a party boss, or any of the special interests invested in their keeping power.

'Ya reckon?

Aaron Deslatte: "Is Florida retirement system overrun by politics?".

"Negative tactics"

"FPL has turned to negative tactics in an effort to win a record electric rate increase, company sources say. " "FPL plays hardball in campaign for rate hike".

At the trough

"Former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio landed a job at Florida International University after leaving the Legislature but says he didn't play favorites with the school."

The following year, as term limits forced Rubio to exit the Legislature and contemplate his next political move, FIU offered him a $69,000, part-time job that was not publicly advertised.

Critics questioned Rubio's soft landing as FIU trustees grappled with a $32 million budget shortfall that led to tuition hikes and the loss of 23 degree programs and 200 jobs.

Then came uncomfortable comparisons to another Republican House speaker -- Ray Sansom -- who steered $35 million to a Panhandle college then took a job there.

Rubio weathered the criticism and by many accounts is a popular, engaging political science professor. But as his campaign against Gov. Charlie Crist for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination in 2010 gains ground on a message of fiscal conservatism, his job at FIU is under scrutiny.