FLORIDA POLITICS
Since 2002, daily Florida political news and commentary

 

UPDATE: Every morning we review and individually digest Florida political news articles, editorials and punditry. Our sister site, FLA Politics was selected by Campaigns & Elections as one of only ten state blogs in the nation
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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 Sunday, April 25, 2010

"It's going to be messy and occasionally vicious"

    Carl Hiaasen: "It's inevitable: Charlie Crist, independent candidate for the U.S. Senate."
    You've never seen such fuming, whining and grinding of capped teeth. And that's not from voters -- that's from Republican leaders, who are pitching a hissy fit.

    They want the governor to shut up and go away, but he's not playing ball. They want him to yield the stage to Marco Rubio, a robotic right-wing smoothie, but Charlie insists on hanging around for an encore.

    It's going to be messy, occasionally vicious and, for spectators, immensely entertaining.
    "Independent Crist will be fun to watch".


    Will he jump?

    Not exactly Lincoln-Douglas ... "Scott Maxwell, Mike Thomas debate: Should Gov. Charlie Crist run as an independent?".


    "History is not on his side"

    "If Gov. Charlie Crist announces this week that he will run for the U.S. Senate as an independent, as he's widely expected to do, he will be betting his political career on a venture through uncharted territory. Crist will be hoping his personal relationship with Florida voters outweighs the partisan and ideological waves sweeping the nation, and the fundraising might of both national parties." "If Crist gambles, all bets are off".


    "Crist in for rough, if fascinating, ride"

    Bill Cotterell: "What would be a high-stakes campaign no matter the contestants is poised to be a three-way circus if Gov. Charlie Crist bolts the Republican Party and runs as an independent." "US Senate race may be circus". See also "Crist still keeping folks guessing" and "Florida waits to see whether Crist will stay Republican or go independent" (Dan Balz says "Crist has become the star of his own personal soap opera.")


    "How did it come to this?"

    "While Gov. Charlie Crist enjoys 58 percent support for his recent veto of a controversial proposal to make it easier to fire teachers, his chances have dimmed of defeating former House Speaker Marco Rubio in a U.S. Senate Republican primary. If Crist tries to run as an independent candidate, he has to decide by Friday -- the last day of the Florida Legislature's session." "As Republican party's pariah, Crist still burnishes populist creds".

    "The rumblings of political troubles were plentiful for Charlie Crist, who is now fighting for political viability. He has to decide this week whether to drop out of the GOP Senate primary and run instead as an independent candidate." "Popular Crist ignored the signs of political trouble".


    "The center of attention"

    Randy Schultz: "Charlie Crist is what he's tried to be for the past 15 years - the center of attention. Only this time, it isn't how he planned it." "Charlie Crist, party of one".


    "Sticking it to Charlie by way of the kiddies"

    Myriam Marquez: "House and Senate conferees now want to use attendance numbers from October. Districts that have classes with too many students would have to pay the outrageous penalties or come up with the millions needed to meet the smaller class sizes." "Republicans using class size to wreak revenge on Crist".


    Lobbyists get theirs

    "A costly private prison in the Florida Panhandle will belatedly open this summer following a series of budget deals struck Saturday by key lawmakers, working to complete action on a new state budget." "Florida lawmakers vote to open private prison near Pensacola".

    "Ken Kopczynski, political affairs assistant for the Florida Police Benevolent Association, questioned whether it is ethical to turn incarceration of prisoners into a profit-making industry. With 4,000 beds or more available in the state's public prisons, Kopczynski said, there's no reason to open a private one." "Private prison gets OK to operate".


    The wrong wagon?

    "Florida's newest U.S. senator could see his political future fade along with Gov. Charlie Crist's if his longtime confidante chooses to campaign as an independent -- and he sticks by his side." "Sen. LeMieux's political future may be tied to Gov. Crist's".


    Budget stretch

    "House and Senate budget leaders are meeting again Sunday to try to resolve most of the remaining issues before a Tuesday deadline. Miss it and they cannot end this year's session on time Friday due to a required 72-hour waiting period." "Fla. budget negotiations in final stretch".

    See also "Legistature Still Has To-Do List" and "Privatize Medicaid? The Legislature's biggest decision left". Related: "House, Senate leaders still divided on state worker pay, Medicaid".


    "Profoundly disappointing"

    The Orlando Sentinel editors: "A week remains for legislators to salvage a few successes from what's shaping up to be a profoundly disappointing session in Tallahassee." "A disappointing session in Tallahassee".


    Another fine conservative

    "Rick Scott for Florida governor? Can Naples man overcome late start, Columbia/HCA fall?".


    Foreclosures

    Tampa Trib editors: "Speed up foreclosures, but treat owners fairly".


    Tuition fight

    "A group including former Gov. and ex-U.S. Sen. Bob Graham is continuing a lawsuit against the Florida Legislature challenging its authority to set tuition at state universities." "Graham group continuing Fla. university lawsuit".


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