The biggest cut: A $160 million raid on the state Department of Transportation trust fund. The money was tied to K-12 spending in an effort to block Crist from making a veto or risk cutting education spending.

Crist did it anyway, all but daring the Republican-led Legislature or whomever else to sue him in order to cut money from road projects -- the only projects that conservatives across the board said represented true "stimulus'' in the stimulus package that they maligned before gobbling up all that extra federal cash.

"We should not have to chose between jobs for Floridians or funding for our children's education,'' Crist said in his veto statement.

A Republican-turned-nonpartisan governor, Crist has been sharply at odds with the Legislature, which is run by his former party. Friday's vetoes appear likely to increase tensions even more.

House Speaker Larry Cretul, R-Ocala, blasted Crist for "questionable vetoes" and said the House would pursue legal action against the governor. The dispute: whether the governor had the authority to veto the Legislature's decision to divert $160 million in roads money to public-schools funding. Crist's Friday veto decoupled the road money from schools, essentially ignoring the Legislature's directive.

"This apparent abuse of power is another example of the governor once again exceeding his legal authority," Cretul said in a statement, threatening legal action.

RPOFers, teabaggers, country clubbers and most newspaper editors in a dither

"Crist refused to slash interest earnings on state-worker pensions in the Deferred Retirement Option Program, saying lawmakers unfairly put the change in the budget." "Crist refuses to cut DROP for state workers".

"Faster than you can say multimillionaire"

"Pity Bill McCollum. Only weeks ago, he was skating effortlessly to the Republican gubernatorial nomination and comfortably leading Democrat Alex Sink in the polls. Then, faster than you can say multimillionaire, the attorney general's aura of inevitability was shattered by a political neophyte who started spending money like Florida has never seen." "In six weeks, Rick Scott pours nearly $11 million into Florida governor's race".

Plume! Baby Plume!

"University of South Florida researchers have discovered a huge plume of subsurface oil they say is heading from the Deepwater Horizon spill toward an underwater canyon whose currents would ferry it straight to Florida's West Coast. The plume - 22 miles long and more than 6 miles wide - is invisible, and can only be detected with special equipment and chemical tests." "Scientists: subsurface oil from Gulf gusher may be heading toward Fla. coast".

RPOFers lawyerin' up

"In recent weeks, prominent legislators have hired criminal defense lawyers, while high-ranking and low-ranking GOP staffers have been summoned to grand juries meeting across the state. Among them: Crist's former top money-raiser, Meredith O'Rourke; former state GOP executive director Jim Rimes; and indicted ex-House Speaker Ray Sansom's former fundraising aide, Melanie Phister, who at age 25 charged nearly $1.3 million on her state party credit card."

Check out this cast of characters - "Amid the most tumultuous and unpredictable election year Florida has seen in decades, the names of at least a dozen political figures have popped up in five major federal investigations probing the pay-to-play culture of corruption in Florida:"

• Alan Mendelsohn, 52, a Fort Lauderdale eye doctor and GOP campaign fundraiser, is indicted on federal fraud and influence-peddling charges.

• Scott Rothstein, 47, a Fort Lauderdale lawyer and campaign donor at the center of a $1.2 billion Ponzi scheme, pleaded guilty in January to multiple federal charges of racketeering, money laundering and fraud.

• Sansom, 47, charged with grand theft in state court for secretly putting $6 million in the budget, is being looked at by federal officials in North Florida for his use of a GOP credit card and his role in creating a $113 million private prison.

• Jim Greer, 47, former chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, is under investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and a statewide grand jury for a secret contract benefitting a corporation Greer created with then-RPOF executive director Delmar Johnson. Greer is also under investigation by federal officials scrutinizing his use of Republican Party credit cards.

• FBI and IRS agents are fanning out across Florida in an escalating investigation of the way party officials and legislators used American Express cards for private purchases.

Beaven goes after oil lapdog Mica

"The Gulf of Mexico oil spill may be ultimately disastrous for Florida beaches, but the oil-well blowout could be a boon for long-shot congressional candidate Heather Beaven, a Democrat taking on nine-term U.S. Rep. John Mica, R- Winter Park."

Since the spill, Beaven repeatedly has slammed Mica for his longstanding support of offshore oil rigs and said it was "outrageous" that a powerful legislator with ties to the oil industry could refer to the mess, as he did during a recent congressional hearing, as the "Obama oil spill."

"Unique stances"

"Senate candidates Charlie Crist, Kendrick Meek and Marco Rubio took unique stances on the current U.S. policy banning openly gay people from serving in the military." "Rivals spar over military gay ban".

Stewards of the earth?

"Wildlife officials have euthanized a 590-pound bear after it was found near a central Florida home. ... The bear was euthanized because it had been lounging on a sidewalk and prowling around the same neighborhood for a while." "".

"Become a movie star"

"Democratic congressional candidate Rudolph 'Rudy' Moise has come up with a novel strategy to stand out in a crowded field of nine campaign rivals: Become a movie star.

Moise is the executive producer -- he said he carried most of the cost of the film with $2.3 million of his own money -- and thus had the inside track to be able to co-star with the lovely Vivica A. Fox. It's scheduled to open only in Miami in September.

For an amateur, Moise takes on a role that would challenge Sir Anthony Hopkins. He plays Dr. Richard Lazard, the chief suspect when his wife disappears. According to the trailer, the good doctor suffers from "a severe, delusional, paranormal psychosis. In other words, he conjures up images in his mind and then lives them out in his own reality.''

Perfect training for a member of Congress.

"When a developer makes an offer ..."

The Palm Beach Post editorial board: "When a developer makes an offer that, if accepted, would violate the word of elected officials and the will of voters, the developer has to show that the offer would serve a greater public purpose. The idea is to present something that sounds so beneficial that those elected officials can't refuse, even if it breaks a promise sealed with the public's money." "Keep this promise to public: Voters paid to preserve farms, not subdivisions.".

"Feeling stepped on"

Jac Wilder VerSteeg: "Teachers feeling stepped on: Merit pay needs money for the merit.".

How left will Crist go?

"Gov. Charlie Crist (I-FL) was, until a month ago, a moderate Republican struggling to appeal to an ultra-conservative base. But now that Crist has unburdened himself from his former party affiliation and become an independent in his run for Senate, he's been moving decisively leftward. The question is, how left will he go?" "How Left Can Charlie Crist Go In His Bid For A Senate Seat?".

Tourism

The Sun Sentinel editorial board: "Tourism still key to South Florida economic engine".

McCollum worried about Scott, secretive political committee steps in

"A series of television ads running on stations throughout Florida suggest Attorney General Bill McCollum, the Republican frontrunner for governor, may be getting worried about a primary challenge from Rick Scott. The ads were bought by a secretive political committee that won't reveal its sources of funding, but that has ties to McCollum."

This from our Attorney General:

The McCollum campaign denies any connection to the group, called Alliance for America's Future.

But they were produced by political advertising consultant Chris Mottola, and the time was bought by McLaughlin and Associates - both are strategists who work for McCollum's campaign and have worked for him in past races.

In 2009, McCollum took criticism for giving Mottola a no-bid contract for $2.5 million in public money for series of public service ads on cybercrime and Internet predators. The ads prominently featured McCollum, and critics said they looked more like campaign ads than public service ads.

Through a spokesman, McCollum declined to say that the group should reveal its donors or pull its ads. He "believes every organization engaging on issues or in campaigns must follow the law," said spokeswoman Kristy Campbell.

Speaking of "shadowy groups"

"Shadowy groups that attack first and disclose their big-money donors after an election won't be able to be so secretive in Florida now that Gov. Charlie Crist signed a law Friday that broadens state regulation of campaign committees."

Under the new law, nearly every group that spends more than $5,000 to communicate a message about a state candidate must register with the state as an Electioneering Communication Organization, which would then have to detail its donors and expenses.

The regulations arrive just in time for the 2010 campaign season -- and for the political candidates of both parties who often live in fear of being targeted by groups that can raise and spend unlimited sums. Often, the groups disguise their acerbic intentions with mom-and-apple-pie names.

Why is this man laughing?

"Can the man who ran the company that committed the biggest Medicare fraud in history get elected governor in a state full of retirees?"

Rick Scott, a mega-millionaire from Naples, political newcomer and former head of the once-giant HCA hospital chain, intends to find out.

Since entering the race late,in April, Scott has poured some $8 million into television advertising that vaulted him from political unknown to a significant challenger in the Republican primary for governor.

He's threatening frontrunner Attorney General Bill McCollum, who has the backing of most of the GOP establishment but hasn't generated much excitement. The winner likely will face Democratic leader Alex Sink this fall.

Scott moved to Florida in 2003, buying an $11.5 million beachfront home in Naples.

Scott began his foray into politics last year, when he founded Conservatives for Patients' Rights, which spent about $10 million, including $5 million of his own, running ads opposing a public health care program in any national health care reform.

The organization used the same public relations firm that masterminded the widely condemned "Swiftboat Veterans for Truth" campaign attacking John Kerry in 2004, and its ads were similarly criticized as distorted or inaccurate by independent research organizations including Factcheck.org.

Scott denied the ads were inaccurate, and said the firm has also worked for his campaign.

In the early 1990s, the Clinton administration began a crackdown on Medicare and Medicaid fraud. It included whistleblower lawsuits filed against Scott's company, some dealing with Columbia hospitals before the merger.

By 2003, the company had pleaded guilty to various criminal charges that it purposely overbilled and cheated Medicare, Medicaid and Tricare, the military health care program. It paid $1.7 billion in fines and settlements, the largest such case in U.S. history.

Investigators said HCA hospitals shifted costs including salaries and administrative expenses from other areas onto Medicaid and Medicare treatments to inflate its billings; paid kickbacks to doctors for patient referrals; billed the government for costs including sports tickets, meals and country club dues, and billed for treatments and drugs that weren't covered.

Scott was forced out as CEO in 1997, but got a $10 million severance package. He was never charged with a crime or even interviewed in the investigation, and denies the chain committed any criminal acts that he was aware of.

$175 million "jobs" bill

"Crist on Friday signed into law a $175 million jobs bill the Senate backer of which said will help the state more quickly recover from the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. Included among a flurry of bills signed into law on the eve of the Memorial Day Weekend, Crist approved SB 1752, which among other provisions provides tax incentives for qualified businesses and tax breaks for other business related activities in an effort to jump start an economy that now sees unemployment at more than 12 percent." "Crist Signs 'Jobs For Florida' Bill".

Greene snags Farmer

"Miami financier Bob Farmer, who has served as campaign treasurer for Bill Clinton and John Kerry's presidential runs, announced he is endorsing Greene over primary rival U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek, also of Miami." "Financier Backs Millionaire U.S. Senate Candidate Jeff Greene".

Runnin' govment like a bidness

The Orlando Sentinel editorial board: "Florida legislators this year didn't pursue proposals to reform Medicaid, the federal-state health-care program for the poor and disabled. The cost of the program is nearing $19 billion a year, more than a quarter of the state budget, and it's rising fast. ... a recent state audit found that Medicaid may have wasted millions on overpayments in recent years based on inaccurate rates and unsubstantiated claims." "Medicaid mess".

RPOF fails and has beens

Rep. Mike Horner, R-Kissimmee is getting desperate, rolling out RPOF fails and has beens. Aaron Deslatte:

Earlier this month, rolled out a video of endorsements from prominent Florida politicos like Rep. Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, Sen. Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, and Attorney General McCollum, and we thought to ourselves:

What, no Jeb Bush?

Well, last week Horner called upon the GOP's big enchilada himself.

"I am proud to endorse Mike Horner," Bush said in a statement. "He is not afraid to be bold and innovative in finding solutions to Florida's greatest challenges."

What's bringing on the love? Thomas Chalifoux Jr.

The wealthy Osceola developer is running against Horner in the GOP primary for his House District 79 seat. Chalifoux vowed to make a comeback this year after a judge barred him from the 2008 GOP primary, ruling he had violated the state's resign-to-run law by missing the deadline for filing a letter resigning from his school board seat.

Scott's scam

"Tampa General Hospital figured prominently in the investigation of Rick Scott's HCA hospital chain in the 1990s because of the company's attempts to buy and privatize the then-public hospital." "Privatizing TGH was part of investigation into Scott's HCA chain".

Choice politics

"When he signs the state budget on Friday, Gov. Charlie Crist will be waiting for just one major piece of legislation from the 2010 session: a highly controversial abortion bill."

The measure, which would require pregnant women in Florida to view a sonogram of the fetus, sits in a file drawer in the desk of House Speaker Larry Cretul, R-Ocala, whose spokeswoman said there's no specific reason why it hasn't been sent to Crist.

Opponents speculate that House leaders are deliberately delaying to give bill supporters the most possible time to flood the governor's office with calls and e-mails.

Todd Reid, staff director of the House Republican caucus, said the House is holding the bill "to give pro-life folks time to get their act together and contact the governor.'' ...

Crist has repeatedly voiced strong reservations about the bill and he is expected to veto it.

By passing HB 1143, the same legislators who claim to oppose government forcing its will upon the citizens and government interfering in the doctor-patient relationship have approved legislation to do just that. During what passed for debate on the ultrasound amendment, Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fort Walton Beach, tried to dismiss any comparison by saying that abortion is "elective." Tell that to a woman whose life or health is threatened by a pregnancy.

HB 1143 is about politics, not health care. If there's no good policy reason for Gov. Crist to sign HB 1143, there's also no good political reason. Voters who most support HB 1143 favored Marco Rubio long before Gov. Crist quit the GOP. Having failed to get the endorsement of the AFL-CIO and having received only a partial endorsement from the Florida Teachers Association in his pitch for Democratic support, there's only upside for the governor in a veto. Indeed, he might also get support from Republicans who worry that their party is placing ideology so far above policy.

Grayson-haters run wild

Scott Maxwell: "The Republicans are stacked up seven-deep, trying to boot the outspoken Democrat Alan Grayson out of office." Maxwell went to listen to these geniuses the other day, and found some of it

compelling [thereby demonstrating to his readers that he is fair and balanced]. Some of it is nuttier than a Snickers bar. Very little of it is moderate.

•Kurt Kelly. ... loves name-calling. In the space of about 90 seconds, he called Grayson a "disgrace," an "embarrassment" and simply "a bad guy." (The crowd liked that.)

•Dan Webster. The former House speaker likes to reminisce about the good ol' days when Republicans ended the Democrats' reign of terror and turned Tallahassee into a Camelot of good government. The problem with that selling point is that, to believe it, you also have to believe Tallahassee actually is an example of good government and distinguished statesmanship. And that requires heavy doses of either distortion or medication. Webster's main attribute, as a 30-year veteran of the political scene, may also be his detriment. Career politicians aren't exactly en vogue nowadays.

•Dan Fanelli. If you think ethnic humor is funny — and that white people can't be terrorists — Dan's your man!

•Patricia Sullivan. If you're a Tea-Partyer at heart, then Sullivan may fill your cup.

•Ross Bieling. If you're convinced we have a Marxist in the White House, you and Bieling are kindred spirits.

•Bruce O'Donoghue didn't make Wednesday night's forum, sponsored by the Republican Jewish Coalition of Florida. But he is a businessman backed by Mel Martinez and Toni Jennings who has thrown a wrench in what might have otherwise been an establishment coronation for Webster. If you really dislike gay rights, O'Donoghue might be your guy. He has helped lead the Family Policy Council, the group that has worked hard to make sure gays don't get the same rights as straight folks.

•Todd Long ... Since losing two years ago, Todd has gotten himself a radio show and moved where many AM radio hosts go — even further to the right. Todd wants to abolish, well, most of the federal government.

Earmarks

The Orlando Sentinel editorial board: "They're kidding, right? With the federal government running trillion-dollar deficits, with red ink gushing in Washington, D.C. like oil into the Gulf of Mexico, the three U.S. House Democrats who represent Central Florida are asking for more than a half-billion dollars worth of pet projects." "Shameless spenders".

Meek consistent

"With the Gulf oil spill threatening Florida's pristine beaches and public support for offshore oil drilling waning, Democratic Senate candidate Kendrick Meek of Miami has accused his rivals of backing oil drilling at one time or another, and says he's the only candidate to consistently oppose expanded offshore exploration." "Meek consistent in oil drilling opposition".

Spill baby! Spill!

Paul Flemming: "We need to start treating this disaster like a war". See also "Booms along the Gulf can't block all of the oil", "Gulf Coast awaits word that oil flow has stopped", "'People think the Exxon Valdez is in the Keys': Captain Duck sues BP for lost business", "Current shift could spare Florida of oil" and "Industry vs. the regulators: Guess who wins".

Daily Rothstein

"A federal judge is set to begin sorting through more than 40 claims on real estate, bank accounts and other assets linked to admitted Ponzi scheme operator Scott Rothstein." "Scott Rothstein judge to hear financial claims against admitted Ponzi scheme operator".

"Papers please" on the way the Florida?

"The state House's top legislator on criminal justice issues says he wants to see legislation to mirror Arizona's controversial illegal immigration crackdown."

"I would absolutely, 100 percent, unequivocally support an Arizona law," said Rep. William Snyder, R-Stuart, a former police officer and chairman of the Criminal and Civil Justice Committee. The state has its own sovereignty and we have a right to participate in federal efforts to stop illegal immigration. I'm not at all opposed to introducing that bill it's something I'm considering." ...

Efforts to crack down on illegal immigration, such as a bill two years ago to deport some state prisoners here illegally, have have been bottled up in committees.

That might be changing. Upstart Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Scott, a Naples multimillionaire, has made illegal immigration a centerpiece of his campaign. In his latest TV ad, Scott pledges to bring the Arizona law to Florida and attacks his GOP primary opponent, frontrunner Attorney General Bill McCollum, for not wanting to do the same. (McCollum supports the Arizona law but says it's not needed in Florida). ...

Well more than half 58 percent of Floridians support the law, according to a poll earlier this month for several media outlets, including the Herald/Times.

Mack handles the heat

"No one would have expected a Republican from Fort Myers to jump into the battle over illegal immigration in Arizona. Yet there was U.S. Rep. Connie Mack blasting 'frontier justice' and comparing the state's new law to Nazi Germany."

"This is not the America I grew up in and believe in," he said on April 29. As the words hit the Drudge Report, criticism washed in from across the country. Mack was called weak, a Democrat.

"The easy thing," he said in an interview Wednesday, "would have been to do nothing. That's precisely why I think it's important for people who are elected to take a stand."

But for others in Florida, taking a stand has been a struggle.

The "three times rule"

Joel Engelhardt writes that "there's one vast revenue source that politicians won't tap. In fact, state legislators prefer to make it easier, not harder, to get away with this tax dodge."

Every big landowner knows about the agricultural tax exemption. Run a few cows on a piece of land and qualify for a 90 percent property tax break. Far fewer know about the "three times rule." It says that if a buyer pays more than three times the farm value of land, it creates a "presumption" that the land wasn't bought for "bona fide agricultural purposes." So the buyer doesn't automatically qualify for the agricultural tax exemption.

Charlie's DADT switch

"Crist's switch to supporting the repeal on the military's 'don't ask, don't tell' policy Thursday left the no-party Senate contender caught in a crossfire of criticism from his Democratic and Republican opponents." "Crist switches, supports repeal of 'don't ask, don't tell' policy on gays in military".

Forcing the wealthy attackers into the sunshine

The Saint Petersburg Times editorial board: "Florida voters will not have a fighting chance against an onslaught of attack ads this campaign season if shadowy third-party political groups that spend unlimited amounts of money can avoid disclosing before the election who is financing their attacks. Gov. Charlie Crist needs to sign into law HB 131, which would force the groups back into to the sunshine."

Under the bill, special interest groups seeking to influence state and local elections would have to file regular financial disclosure reports throughout the election season, just like political parties, candidates and other political committees. Under current law, the so-called 527 groups, named after a section of the federal tax code, are only required to file federal disclosures after an election. But transparency during a campaign is essential, particularly since many of these faceless groups have such innocuous names that no voter can determine their motivations.

Time to build a fence ... around Texas

Daniel Ruth: "Let's see if we have this straight. U.S. Sen. Joe McCarthy, who ruined untold innocent lives as a besotted red-baiting vigilante, was a peach of a fellow. Check. The words of the treasonous Jefferson Davis should be held in the same esteem as Abraham Lincoln's. Got it. And Thomas Jefferson, one of the fathers of the country in more ways than one, couldn't hold Ronald Reagan's teleprompter. 10-4."

No, you haven't entered some surreal parallel universe of 10-gallon Mad Hatters, just the tea-swilling, bloomer-wadded, Bible-thumping wonderland of the Texas public school system, which seems hell-bent on turning out illiterate students of history at a faster rate than the BP oil rig gusher. ...

To be sure, if the state of Texas desires to create a student body that is more delusional about their country's history than North Korea's Kim Jong Il, then the public who elected these ayatollahs of history pretty much get what they deserve.

However, with nearly 5 million students, textbook decisions made by the Texas board on ideological purity ultimately impact the textbook decisions of other states.

Or put another way, because Texas is opting to impose demagoguery over reality upon its students, it is possible Florida parents could well have little Timmy coming home from school and observing: "Mummy, did you know the Civil War was fought because those big meanies in the North wouldn't let the South sing Dixie?" ...

This doesn't even rise to the level of revisionist history. It's a smarmy insult to the citizens and students of Texas (and possibly the rest of the country) that suggests a gaggle of fundamentalist neoconservatives don't trust the public they serve to make discerning judgments based on historical facts written by responsible scholars.

That much was clear Wednesday at one of the first forums for candidates seeking the GOP nomination to run against Grayson, the Orlando Democrat, in Florida's 8th District: Ross Bieling of Sanford; Dan Fanelli of Windermere; state Rep. Kurt Kelly of Ocala; Winter Park attorney Todd Long; Patricia Sullivan of Eustis; and former state senator Dan Webster.

All pledged to vote to repeal health-care reforms recently passed by Congress. ...

•Bieling, who owns a company that manufactures medical devices, pushed the furthest to the right, more than once decrying the Obama administration's "Marxist principles."

•Fanelli, a retired Navy and airline pilot, focused on his military experience and cited his Internet campaign ads that use swarthy actors to suggest the government should focus on Middle Easterners when screening airline passengers.

•Kelly called for deep spending cuts, including eliminating a third of all federal departments.

•Long, who lost the Republican primary two years ago to then-incumbent Ric Keller, trumpeted fiscal conservatism.

•Sullivan, a stay-at-home mom and Tea Party activist, said she believes in fiscal responsibility, free markets, small government and national defense.

•Webster stressed the experience he gained during a long career in the Florida Legislature, noting that Republicans were in the minority when he was first elected, and he eventually became House Speaker.

GOPer revisionist history

Whenever a GOPer blathers about Republicans having "fought for civil rights bills", someone who has read a book needs to remind them of the "Hayes-Tilden Betrayal" (see "The Republican sell-out (and the Florida connection)") and/or the familiar Republican "Southern Strategy". Who can forget this classic or this infamous Karl Rove push poll smear in South Carolina: "Voters were asked, 'Would you be more or less likely to vote for John McCain...if you knew he had fathered an illegitimate black child?'".

We know the truth, Mr. Steele, and so should you.

Budget axe a comin'

"Friday is Gov. Charlie Crist's deadline for approving - or vetoing - thousands of spending proposals that lawmakers passed last month. Crist is expected to axe millions of dollars worth of individual spending items, having already criticized lawmakers for packing the $70.4 billion budget at the last minute with home-district projects." "Crist expected to axe spending".

"Republican foe of SB 6 dodges conservative challenger"

"While there was speculation that he would face trouble in his bid for a second term, it appears Republican Rep. Mike Weinstein will have an easier path to reelection than expected. There were signs that Weinstein was in trouble. He loaned his campaign $50,000 in the first quarter of 2010. He opposed Senate Bill 6, a measure pushed by the Republican leadership in the Legislature, and he faced a primary challenge from a serious contender. But the Orange Park maverick appears headed for a second term because none of his opponents have done well in fund-raising." "Despite Rough Spots, Mike Weinstein Poised to Win 2nd Florida House Term".

Whoopee! ... the best he can do?

Can you imagine anything more insipid than this silly RPOFer public relations stunt? "Gov. Crist reinstates sales tax holiday".

labor's litmus tests

Bill Cotterell: "Like many harried housewives, Lady Macbeth had a hard time getting her husband to do things around the house so, when she wanted him to kill the king, she just flat-out told the big angst-ridden lug, 'From this time, such I account thy love.'"

That's essentially what organized labor told Florida politicians last weekend in Jacksonville. Don't say you care about working families, the AFL-CIO seemed to say to candidates for statewide and legislative offices, if you're not against Senate Bill 6.

Or, if they're running for the U.S. Senate or House, the labor federation wants candidates to "screw your courage to the sticking point" (again, Mrs. Macbeth) and vote for something called the Employee Free Choice Act. That's a bill that makes it harder for companies to impede union organizing.

Diaz de la Portilla hit with restraining order

"Senate Majority Leader Alex Diaz de la Portilla has been ordered to stay away from his estranged wife and the Governors Club, a popular Tallahassee institution, under a temporary injunction issued last week by a Tallahassee circuit judge." "Fla. Senate majority leader hit with restraining order".

Cooperating with unions ... imagine that

The Tampa Tribune editorial board: "Crist and his team appear to have learned the right lesson from Florida's failure to secure a federal 'Race to the Top' grant earlier this year. When pursuing reform, collaboration and flexibility are far superior to top-down mandates." "Race to the Top - again". See also "Florida Hopes Second Time's a Charm in Race to the Top".

Spill, baby! Spill!

The Orlando Sentinel editorial board: "The Gulf is victim of cheaper, faster".

More: "Tests under way on suspected Florida tarballs", "Key West charter boat company sues BP", "Indirect losses associated with oil spill may be hard for Southwest Florida businesses to claim" and "Obama extends stop on deepwater wells".

From the right ...

Kevin Derby's "Political Bits and Pieces".

Wingnuttery

The Saint Petersburg Times editorial board: "If you want your child in public school to learn about the upside of McCarthyism and to think approvingly of Confederate generals, then Texas is your state."

The ultraconservative members on the Texas Board of Education have just finished putting their imprint on social studies standards for schoolchildren in the state. The result is a new emphasis on the roles of Christianity, conservative political activism and historical figures who opposed the civil rights movement. Texas has politicized social studies curriculum in a way that will handicap students as they move on to college and into the world, and other states should not make the same mistake. ...

At one point there was even a proposal to rename the U.S. slave trade the "Atlantic triangular trade," as a way to lessen the offense of slavery. You could almost hear the luggage being pulled out of closets as smart Texas social studies teachers started packing their bags.

These politicized changes to public education matter even to people outside Texas, because the second-largest state tends to have an outsized influence on the content of textbooks sold to the rest of the country. That's probably less true today, with the flexibility that comes with digital publishing. The Florida Department of Education says there will be no impact in the Sunshine State, which sets its own standards. But Texas schoolchildren will be fellow citizens in a mobile society where there is still a need for a reasonable understanding of American history grounded in facts rather than ideology. They should be educated in a curriculum that objective scholars have agreed upon, not indoctrinated by politicians with a political and religious agenda.

Enough with the "business leaders"

"Host of Florida Business Leaders Running for Office".

Save Our Homes Amendment

"The state Supreme Court again has rejected a challenge to the Florida Constitution's Save Our Homes Amendment." "Florida Supreme Court Rejects Property Tax Appeal".

Rubio supports DADT

"With President Barack Obama looking to repeal the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Defense Department policy prohibiting homosexuals from coming out of the closet during their military service, U.S. Senate candidates in Florida are weighing in on the issue." "Senate Candidates Weigh In On 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Repeal".

RPOFers "use trickery to bypass the democracy"

Howard Troxler asks if you "Want to know one of the sneaky things the Florida Legislature did this year?"

It put Amendment 7 on this November's ballot.

Amendment 7 is a piece of work. It is an attempt to trick the voters of Florida ...

... into wiping out Amendments 5 and 6, the previous two measures on the ballot —even if they pass. ...

Amendment 7, tries to use trickery to bypass the democracy. It tries to fool the voters into canceling out themselves. It should be thrown off the ballot.

I am shocked, shocked ...

U.S. Rep. Bill Posey, R-Rockledge, "a member of Florida’s congressional delegation and a conservative Florida think tank [the James Madison Institute] say the largest federal financial regulation reform act proposed since the Great Depression doesn’t fix the problems that created the current recession." "Posey: Financial Overhaul Bad for Nation, Businesses".

At the trough

"Capital Movers: Rick McAllister".

Ambassador Wexler?

"Former Rep. Robert Wexler (D-Fla.) is being courted to be Obama's ambassador to Israel, three Washington Middle East hands tell POLITICO." "Wexler for Israel?".

New law

"Palm Beach County priorities, child-related bills among the 60 Crist signs Wednesday".

A little late

"Crist's office has asked the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to investigate the collapse of a 20-year-old inmate while he exercised on his first day at a prison for youth offenders." "Gov. Crist asks FDLE to investigate 20-year-old's collapse at Gainesville-area prison".

Possible UF veto

"Charlie Crist says he may veto UF research center at Lake Nona".

John Mica — the most drill-happy congressman Florida has ever elected.

John Mica — the guy who told me a few years ago: "I voted to drill in the Everglades in the 1970s …and I'd do it again."

John Mica — the only member of Florida's congressional delegation unwilling to sign a letter in 2003 that called for drilling restrictions in the eastern gulf.

John Mica — whose brother runs the Florida Petroleum Council.

Yes, that John Mica.

In fact, the Winter Park Republican is not only looking to cast blame, he's pretty sure he's found the culprit: Barack Obama.

At a hearing last week, Mica presented his timeline for what he called "The Obama Oil Spill."

Not the British Petroleum Oil Spill, mind you. In fact, Mica went so far as to say: "I am not going to point fingers at BP, the private industry, when it is government's responsibility to set the standards, to do the inspections."

Apparently, big government wasn't big enough.

And why blame the company that actually ran the rig when you can blame the head of the opposing political party?

"A lifeline for Florida"

The Saint Petersburg Times editorial board: "The U.S. House could consider as early as today a jobs bill that would be a lifeline for Florida. Critics on Capitol Hill are threatening to undermine the measure because it would further swell the federal deficit. But Florida's Republican-led Legislature is already counting on the money, and the state's unemployed residents need the help."

The American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act is a monster of an enterprise, a political compilation of niche issues that has been under negotiation between the House and Senate for months. Among the provisions: money for teen jobs, small business loans and aid to farmers; restored Medicare reimbursement rates for doctors; and provisions to help struggling pension plans weather the recession.

The bill, costing $190 billion, is fueling a new round of rhetoric from deficit hawks because it only raises about $56 billion in revenue. The cash would come from higher taxes on wealthy investors and multinational corporations' overseas income.

But critics must not lose sight that two key provisions of the bill are extensions of the federal stimulus plan that has created jobs and eased economic pain that would otherwise be far worse.

Crist NPA move hurting Meek the most?

Eric Kleefeld at TPM "In the two months since Gov. Charlie Crist began building up to and ultimately did switch from Republican to independent, he appears to have overtaken Rep. Kendrick Meek as the de-facto Democratic candidate in the race against Republican Marco Rubio, according to the polls."

Instead of becoming the alternative to the two Republicans in the race, Meek seems to have suffered the most from Crist's entrance in the race as an independent. Crist's presence has siphoned off votes from Meek, poll show, and threatens to leave the Democrats' own presumptive nominee with too little oxygen. Meek's hopes of being the clear alternative to Rubio are fading.

When asked for comment about their decline in support, Meek campaign communications director Adam Sharon predicted that Crist's surge among Democratic-leaning voters would not last, declaring that "his conservative record cannot escape him."

The TPM Poll Average for the race current has Crist at 32.9%, Rubio 32.7%, and Meek 15.9%. Furthermore, the graph shows a clear trend in the last two months, of Meek's support falling and Crist's rising by a nearly identical amount.

Thrasher on the road

"Between a legislative session in a lean budget year, initiating a campaign to keep his state Senate seat, and -- oh, yeah -- Gov. Charlie Crist's defection from the party to run for the U.S. Senate as an independent, Thrasher has kept busy. " "State's new GOP leader notes key races in 2010".

Spill baby! Spill!

"Scientists take Everglades samples before potential oil spill hit", "South Florida gets break from oil spill threat", "Florida tries to reassure tourists of oil-free beaches", "March set to raise oil-spill awareness" and "Short term, oil spill means mini job boom in Gulf".

Sixty-eight per centers

At the time of this post, sixty-eight percent of the voters* in an Orlando Sentinel online poll claim to "miss" Dubya, responding affirmatively to one of the following two assertions:

Yes. I missed him the day Obama took office, and I haven't changed my mind. The country has gone straight downhill.

Yes. The history books will remember him a lot more fondly than the liberal press today, which blames Bush for everything.

Wasserman Schultz-haters

"U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D- Weston, is arguably South Florida's brightest political star — and facing an unprecedented field of challengers fighting to take her seat."

"Because of the tea party movement and the widespread anger at the Washington establishment, you're seeing a lot of new candidates coming in and hoping to take advantage of the widespread anger," said Lance deHaven-Smith, a political science professor at Florida State University.

That's especially true for Republicans Karen Harrington of Davie, Robert Lowry of Hollywood and Donna Milo of Miami — none of whom has held or even sought any kind of elected office before. In interviews and appearances at Republican events, they more often rail against President Barack Obama, the Democratic Congress and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi than Wasserman Schultz.

At one recent Republican club gathering, Lowry referred to Wasserman Schultz as "Debbie Pelosi."

The winner of the Aug. 24 Republican primary will be on the November ballot, along with no-party affiliation candidates Stanley Blumenthal of Sunrise and Robert Kunst of Miami Beach. Write-in candidate Clayton Schock of Sunrise, one of four Broward residents who are registered voters in the Whig Party, also qualified.

Nelson to oppose DADT

"Florida Sen. Bill Nelson will vote for repealing a 17-year-old law banning gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military, the senator's spokesman said Tuesday. Nelson was one of five senators who had been targeted by one of the nation's largest gay rights groups as a key vote on the issue." "Bill Nelson says he'll vote for repealing military ban on gays". Related: "UF professors helped research 'don't ask, don't tell' policy".

"Too little, too late"?

"Simmering frustration over the oil spill's potential damage to Florida tourism erupted Tuesday into blunt criticism of Gov. Charlie Crist, who defended the state's response and later trumpeted the arrival of $25 million from BP for TV ads aimed at calming tourists' fears." "Crist a target of frustration".

"An angry Panhandle lawmaker on Tuesday accused Gov. Charlie Crist of not doing enough to promote tourism in Northwest Florida to counter massive cancellations in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill." "Gaetz: Crist not doing enough to promote tourism in Northwest Fla.".

"The summer tourist season kicks off this week with the three-day Memorial Day weekend, but with hotels losing bookings and restaurants short of customers, the state's chief financial officer, Democrat Alex Sink, joined Republican state Sen. Don Gaetz of Niceville in a blistering critique of the state's response as too little, too late." "Critics say Crist falling short on oil spill". See also "Florida gets good news - its beaches still clean - and $25 million to tell the world" and "Oil spill politics heat up in Tallahassee".

"Rubio wants Americans to work longer and retire later"

"GOP candidate Marco Rubio wants Americans to work longer and retire later to places like Florida, a stand that has drawn criticism from his Senate rivals and unnerves some in the Sunshine State where one out of every seven residents gets a Social Security check." "Senate candidate Rubio favors raising retirement age".

Round two

"Crist enthralled Florida's teachers unions when he vetoed Senate Bill 6. Whether he impressed the Obama Administration remains to be seen. The Florida Department of Education this week is preparing the state's second run for Race to the Top funding. The federal initiative will award $700 million in grants to states that implement education reforms. Florida finished fourth in the initial phase of the competition; only the two top-ranked states -- Tennessee and Delaware -- received funding in that round. With second-round submissions due in Washington June 1, Florida school districts have been asked to support the state's new application. As of Tuesday afternoon, 59 of 67 districts had signed on. More were expected to join during school board meetings last night. Tuesday was the state's deadline for districts to act." "Florida Hopes Second Time's a Charm in Race to the Top".

Crist moves left

Kos: "Crist's move to the left paying dividends".

"A federal takeover"?

The Saint Petersburg Times editorial board: "As frustrated as Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink and other politicians are with BP's failure to cap the massive oil leak in the gulf, a federal takeover of the effort is not the answer. The federal government does not have the expertise, equipment or personnel to do the job — and BP cannot be let off the hook. Instead, federal, state and local officials should focus their efforts on ramping up environmental oversight of BP's cleanup and fast-tracking financial aid to Gulf Coast residents who have had their livelihoods disrupted by this disaster." "U.S. spill takeover not the answer".

Hubris

"For years, U.S. Rep. John Mica has taken pride in snagging federal dollars for hometown projects, once even vowing that there was 'no way in hell' that he would support a ban on the so-called "earmarks" that lawmakers slip into federal spending bills."

But with control of Congress in the balance this year, Mica has backtracked from that pledge and is joining with other House Republicans in forgoing all earmark requests — even though the Winter Park legislator still maintains that bringing home the bacon is a "constitutional right."

The best they can do?

Bruce O’Donoghue, one of the Seven Dwarves (with apologies to dwarves), in the Republican primary in Florida’s 8th Congressional District, has unveiled something called "The Grayson Files", which ought to appeal to the local RPOF/teabagger crowd, but largeely works as a greatest hits website for Grayson. "O’Donoghue compiles 'Grayson Files'".

The website trumpets the following (what many consider courageous) remarks by Grayson:

"The Republican health care plan is this: 'Don't get sick, and if you do get sick, die quickly."

Alan Grayson eventually "apologized" saying "I apologize to the dead and their families that we haven't voted sooner to end this holocaust in America."

"I am the only member of Congress who actually worked as an economist, and this lobbyist, this K-Street whore[*], is trying to teach me about economics!"

Howard Dean: "It is a real pleasure to stand up with [Alan Grayson]."

Congressman Dennis Kucinich: "He's someone who's needed in this Congress."

Michael Moore: "I have a great deal of respect for [Alan Grayson]...I'm supporting him for his re-election bid. I'm contributing what I can to his campaign...we need to keep him in Congress."

Code Pink

Obama Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel gave Grayson $2,000 (Friends of Rahm Emanuel)

Congressman Charlie Rangel

Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz: "My good friend Alan Grayson, who has blazed a trail since his election to Congress in 2008, the likes of which we've never seen.

Congressman Barney Frank gave Grayson $2400 (Barney Frank for Congress)

Congressman Xavier Becerra gave Grayson $4,000 (Becerra for Congress)

Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro gave Grayson $1,000 (Friends of Rosa DeLauro)

Vetoes ahead

The Orlando Sentinel editorial board: "Crist has been warning that he might take an ax to millions of dollars worth of projects in the $70.4 billion budget that legislators passed last month. Mr. Crist is facing a Friday deadline to act on the state spending plan for the year that begins July 1, which came in more than $1 billion over the budget he proposed to legislators." "Use veto pen with care".

Redistricting lawsuit

"Two members of Congress want a court to remove a citizen initiative on congressional redistricting from Florida's Nov. 2 ballot. U.S. Reps. Corrine Brown, D-Jacksonville, and Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Miami, announced Tuesday that they had filed the case in state Circuit Court in Tallahassee." "Congress Members Want Redistricting Initiative Removed From Florida Ballot".

Running government like a bidness

"Citizens Insurance hands out another no-bid contract".

Privatization follies

"Hillsborough Kids Inc., a state contractor that placed the boy, says it's not liable because it subcontracted with another agency which directly cared for the boy. HKI contends the state Department of Children & Families is ultimately responsible for overseeing its providers, according to court documents." "DCF, contractors point fingers in Tampa abuse case".

"Road to nowhere"

"Talking Heads co-founder David Byrne sues Gov. Charlie Crist over alleged song use".

But McCollum seemed to have a different perspective 12 years ago when he was a congressman and pushed legislation that, critics said, would have "gutted'' a federal whistleblower act and was designed to halt federal investigations of hospitals -- namely Columbia/HCA, which was run at one point by his new political rival, Rick Scott.

Sparked by whistleblower complaints, the investigation into Columbia/HCA ultimately forced the company to agree to a settlement with the federal government.

Before and after the settlement, McCollum was only quoted as defending hospitals under investigation. Months after McCollum filed the whistleblower legislation, he received $3,000 in congressional campaign contributions in a single day from Columbia/HCA executives, according published reports and the Center for Responsive Politics, a campaign finance watchdog group.

Today, as the state's attorney general, McCollum fashions himself as a Medicaid fraud fighter. And he's made Scott and Columbia/HCA into a poster child of fraud.

"Money talks"

The Saint Petersburg Times editorial board: "The Republican candidate for governor with years of legislative experience and scant support in the opinion polls dropped out of the race on Monday. The Republican candidate with no political experience who headed a corrupt hospital company is moving up in the polls and is the only serious primary challenger to the favorite, Attorney General Bill McCollum. The reason for both developments, of course, is money." "When money talks, voters lose".

"The scientific befuddlement is infuriating"

The Tampa Tribune editorial board: "The scientific befuddlement is infuriating, given the industry's pre-spill claims to have mastered techniques and equipment that made offshore drilling absolutely safe. After the rig exploded April 20, BP sounded no environmental alarm. Coastal communities were reassured that the well had not been in production. If BP suspected an undersea blowout, it didn't share its fears."

"Democrat Alex Sink urged President Obama Monday to have the federal government take over the effort to stop the Deepwater Horizon oil leak, while Gov. Charlie Crist, an independent who until recently was a Republican, stopped short of such a request during a conference call with the president."

"A band of alternative energy activists staged a rally on the steps of the Old State Capitol on Monday, urging Gov. Charlie Crist to follow through with a decision to call for a special session of the Legislature to consider a ban on oil drilling." "Alternative Energy Activists Rally in Tally for Oil Drill Ban".

See also "Sink urges fed takeover of leak response; Crist says he's leaning that way". See also "BP may cap well with dome if 'top kill' fails", "Oil tax increase would help pay to clean up spills", "Oil spill protesters rally at Capitol", "Plaintiff's lawyers set oil spill seminar", "BP continues to use toxic dispersant" and "BP had a key role in the Exxon Valdez disaster".

In the dark of night

The Tallahassee Democrat editorial board: "Back in 2003, the Legislature tamed soaring workers' compensation rates in Florida, providing businesses some relief and more predictability for workers who are injured or made ill by job-related accidents or toxic environments. The reforms required insurance companies drop their rates by 14 percent, limited attorney fees and made it more difficult for injured workers to obtain permanent total-disability benefits."

Though there may be more room for change, lawmakers this year buried a far-reaching policy change in provisions to the state budget that were slipped in just before midnight the day before the budget was approved and the session adjourned on April 30.

This so-called "proviso language" was adopted without committee hearings, public notice or any open back-and-forth discussion of issues whatsoever. This, despite repeated vows of House and Senate leaders to make the budget process "transparent" to not only the public but also to other lawmakers who might like knowing what they're voting on, details and all.

At Arizona's expense

"In view of Arizona's controversial immigration law, the folks at Zubi Advertising, one of the leading Hispanic advertising agencies in the nation, have come up with the 'Gringo' mask. They say their aim is not to offend, but to start a dialogue. " "New face of immigration? Miami company creates 'Gringo' masks".

Transportation bill

The Sun Sentinel editorial board: "Governor should sign transportation bill, including bike-lane language".

Love 4 sale

"Reports filed to the Legislature show AT&T nearly tripled its lobbying expenses in the year's first quarter. Sugar, tobacco, healthcare and gaming interests also spent substantially." "AT&T led pack in lobbying expenses".

Webster, the tea party's dream candidate

Daniel Webster, the man who would unseat Alan Grayson, has always been a right wing extremist; and his past is coming home to haunt him. see "Grayson opponent behind Florida ultrasound bill".

Florida Today's Matt Reed: "This bill doesn't just mandate a new procedure. It includes page after page of requirements meant to eliminate medical discretion and micromanage conversations between women and their doctors. It also includes new red tape for OB/GYN staffs, with no apparent purpose except to make trying moments harder. ... A sampling from the 137-page bill:"

# "Consent to a termination of pregnancy is voluntary and informed only if the physician who is to perform the procedure has, orally, in person, informed the woman of the . . . probable gestational age of the fetus, verified by an ultrasound."

# "However, this sub-sub-paragraph does not apply if at the time the woman schedules or arrives for her appointment . . . a copy of a restraining order, police report, medical record or other court order is presented that evidences that the woman is obtaining the abortion because (she) is a victim of rape, incest, domestic violence or human trafficking."

# "For each abortion clinic patient . . . rules shall require: A medical history including reported allergies to medications, antiseptic solutions, or latex; A physical examination including a bimanual examination estimating uterine size and palpation of the adnexa."

# "If the woman declines to view the ultrasound images, the woman shall complete a form . . . the form must indicate that the woman's decision was not based on any undue influence from any third party to discourage her from viewing."

# "The physician shall keep original prints of each ultrasound examination of a patient in the patient's medical history file."

TaxWatch "turkey" time

Proto teabaggers, "Florida TaxWatch issued its annual list of spending projects either not requested by Crist or state agencies or which had bypassed usual selection processes. Most, but not all, of the 41 turkeys are local projects." "Group: $61 million in 'turkeys' in Fla. budget". See also "Crist weighs veto of $60.6 million in projects TaxWatch calls budget turkeys", "" and "'Turkeys' land in Crist's lap".

Dockery

"Paula Dockery drops out". See also "Paula Dockery drops out of Florida governor's race".

Surveys by the Guttmacher Institute, a liberal-leaning think tank that "advances sexual and reproductive health worldwide through research, policy analysis and public education," reveal that several states have moved to make the ultrasound technology part of their abortion laws.

Eight states -- Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Utah and Wisconsin -- require verbal counseling or written materials to include information on accessing ultrasound services.

Eight states -- Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio and South Carolina -- require that a woman be provided with the opportunity to view an ultrasound image if her provider performs the procedure as part of the preparation for an abortion.

Three states -- North Dakota, South Dakota and Utah -- mandate that an abortion provider perform an ultrasound on each woman seeking an abortion,
and require the provider to offer the woman the opportunity to view the image.

House Bill 1143, which passed the Florida Legislature along largely partisan lines, brings the Sunshine State into alignment with these state policies on ultrasound services.

Former Sen. Daniel Webster, initial sponsor of the legislation, said he was pleased to see lawmakers act this year on the ultrasound provision.

"In 2008, the bill died in a tie vote on the Senate floor. This year, I am glad it has passed, and hope to see it signed into law," said Webster, a Republican who is currently campaigning for a seat in Congress.

Wingnuts take their tea and go home

"Conservatives and tea party activists tried to flex their muscle Monday night, but moderates easily retained control of the Broward Republican Party's top leadership spots. During a raucous gathering of Republican committeemen and committeewomen — which had a turnout far larger than usual — party members picked Cindy Guerra for the top job." "Tea party fails to capture Republican chairmanship in Broward County".

McCollum can't get his gay bashing straight

"Gay rights, an issue that stung Bill McCollum in his unsuccessful 2004 race for the U.S. Senate, has put him on the defensive again this year in his campaign for governor."

Back then, Mel Martinez bashed McCollum in a Republican primary as too sympathetic to gay rights and won.

Recently, as attorney general, McCollum has taken a harder line on gay issues - but now finds himself under fire for spending $120,000 in taxpayer money to hire a since-discredited expert witness to testify in favor of keeping Florida's ban on gay adoption. ...

But state documents show the state Department of Children & Families, which McCollum said was responsible for hiring Rekers, opposed it; and McCollum had boasted to Republicans after his 2006 election as attorney general that he would fight to uphold Florida's adoption ban, the only such blanket ban in the nation. ...

The Rekers story has made national headlines, and Democrats are having a field day with the situation, sending McCollum an "invoice" for taxpayers' money they say he wasted to serve his political needs. His chief Democratic opponent, Alex Sink, is also blasting him on the issue. ...

McCollum has occasionally clashed with religious right groups despite his long reputation as a conservative.

In Congress, he voted to extend federal hate crimes legislation to cover sexual orientation. He has met with gay rights groups during campaigns, and has also supported limited embryonic stem cell research.

In the bitterly contested 2004 Senate primary, Mel Martinez used those stances against him, excoriating McCollum as "anti-family" and accusing him of "pandering to the radical gay agenda."

Martinez won the primary and the Senate seat. ...

He was also a leader of the National Association for the Research and Therapy of Homosexuality, an organization that contends homosexuality is a mental disorder that can be cured. He has testified frequently before courts and legislators on gay rights issues.

Arizona law jams RPOFers

George Bennett: "Arizona's controversial crackdown on illegal immigration, in its original and amended forms, has become a touchy issue in Florida Republican politics."

Republican Senate candidate Marco Rubio and former Gov. Jeb Bush raised racial profiling concerns and spoke out against the law that Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed April 23. Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum, the GOP front-runner for governor this year, also voiced qualms.

But all three said their profiling concerns were satisfied when Arizona amended the law to more narrowly define when police could question people about their immigration status.

McCollum put out a May 13 statement saying he'd support a similar law in Florida "if the federal government fails to secure our borders and solve the problem of illegal immigration."

McCollum later said he doesn't believe the situation has reached the point where such a law would be necessary in Florida. That drew an attack ad Saturday from McCollum's multimillionaire GOP primary rival, Rick Scott.

"Rick Scott backs Arizona's law. He'll bring it to Florida," the new ad says.

No surprise (for Sink)

"AFL-CIO endorses Meek, Sink".

Broward Dems like their Crist

"Crist is popular among many Broward Democrats — something that could give his no party affiliation U.S. Senate candidacy a big boost in November." "Crist makes inroads with Broward Democratic Party".

Spill! Baby Spill!

"Gulf recovered from last big oil spill, but is this one different?", "Gulf oil spill has 'perfect precedence' in 1979 disaster" and "BP's ability questioned as Gulf oil chokes marshes".

Bill Maxwell: " Most of us Florida-born folks always have taken tar balls for granted, just as we have taken for granted extreme heat, humidity, rainstorms, hurricanes, mosquitoes, no-see-ums and sandspurs." "Growing up with ocean,tar balls".

"The Legislature's new proposal for stabilizing the property insurance"

The Tallahassee Democrat editorial board: "Hurricane season is coming up, and though the Legislature's new proposal for stabilizing the property insurance market in Florida is meager — doing little or nothing to invite more capital into the state to pay for claims — it's better than nothing. Its safeguards for consumers and its provision to address fraud are both worthwhile, and we urge Gov. Charlie Crist to allow SB 2044 to become law."

The legislation does very little to welcome or keep the stable, well-run insurance giants whose capital the state will desperately need if the "big one" comes ashore this season, but it is a start and the governor should allow it to become law of the state.

Sink courts state workers

Bill Cotterell: "Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink has an interesting and comprehensive plan for running state government if we decide to put her in charge of the whole thing in November."

It's comprehensive, in that she deals with everything from having top executives sign performance contracts to "smarter use of office supplies."

It's interesting, in that she speaks respectfully of state employees. A Democrat running for governor has to do that — promise to make war on waste and inefficiency, while showing due deference to the people who keep state government going every day.

"Where have I seen that handsome bald guy before?"

"Rick Scott, neophyte politician and surprise candidate for Florida governor, opens one of his now ubiquitous TV commercials with this: 'So I bet you're wondering, where have I seen that handsome bald guy before?'"

Those who followed President Barack Obama's efforts to overhaul health care may know him already. Scott, who made a fortune in the for-profit hospital industry, stepped forward last year as a highly visible conservative critic of the Democrats' health care plan. Using $5 million of his own money, he formed a group to carry the flag against it, appeared in commercials, ranted on national TV news shows and, critics say, helped whip the tea party crowd into an anti-Obama frenzy. ...

Scott is counting on support from plugged-in conservative voters like Billie Tucker, who founded a Jacksonville tea party that drew 7,000 people to a raucous rally last month.

Rockledge, the new Motor City?

"Rockledge-based Avera Motors now has a staff of only 15 - mostly engineers and designers who use to work in Michigan. But if things go as planned, the company could employ more than 1,000 workers on the next five years. Avera is developing a diesel-hybrid powertrain and has announced a plan to develop a hybrid four-passenger sports car." "New Florida automaker has high hopes to grow".

"Like opium dens of old"

The Saint Petersburg Times editorial board: "Florida's latest tourist trend is nothing to boast about."

Like opium dens of old, pain management clinics lure locals and travelers from across state lines seeking an altered state. Pinellas and Hillsborough counties have banned any more pain management clinics from opening, and state regulations expected to take effect later this year should also curb clinics' business. But a dark shadow will remain over the Sunshine State until it's clear that new regulations are slowing the flow of illegal prescription drugs.

Giving RPOFers what they want

"New Rick Scott TV spot blasts McCollum on immigration, pledges to bring Arizona law to Florida".

Teacher endorsement

"Florida's biggest teacher union backs Meek — and Crist" and "Florida teachers union supports Crist, Meek".

The full AFL-CIO endorsement will be announced later today. The question is whether they, like the FEA, will split it, or give it outright to loyal soldier Meek.

"Florida's topsy-turvy U.S. Senate race"

"30% Crist, 27% Rubio, 15% Meek and 23% undecided".

"Charlie Crist's declaration of independence is paying off — so far. The governor narrowly leads Florida's topsy-turvy U.S. Senate race, despite nearly half of the voters saying he made a 'purely political' decision to bolt the GOP and run as an independent candidate in the Nov. 2 general election". "Crist narrowly leads U.S. Senate race, new Times/Herald /Bay News 9 poll finds".

LOST in Florida

Howard Troxler gives us the Florida version of "LOST":

- For the role of Jack, Marco Rubio. ... He's been transformed into a man of faith, a believer in destiny, with himself as the chosen one.

- That probably means Charlie Crist has to be Locke, the early, sort-of-hapless Locke.

- Alex Sink, sorry to say, does not get to be Kate or Juliet. She might be Sun, destined (in one time line, at least) to share a common doom with her husband.

- Bill McCollum is Frogurt.

- The Legislature is the Smoke Monster — inchoate, bellowing, terrifying.

- The state of Florida, of course, is the Island itself.

Entrepreneurs in action

"Analysts expect lenders to file a tidal wave of lawsuits against homeowners who foreclose or short sale in the next few years, which could prolong the pain of the housing crisis." "Troubled homeowners may face lender lawsuits to recoup mortgage debt".

Bigger ballot

"Added Proposals Means November 2 Ballot Just Got Bigger".

Yee haw!

"Up to 30 shots blazed between two groups of men in a late-night 2008 street skirmish, killing a 15-year-old boy. Last week a Tallahassee judge decided Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law forced him to dismiss charges against two of the combatants."

Michael Jackson died on Holton Street two years ago, his fate wrapped up in the vagaries of an exchange of bullets among young men in an ongoing dispute. Jeffrey Brown and Andrae Tyler were found immune from prosecution after a Leon County mini-trial, their legal fates decided by the state Legislature more than five years before.

State Attorney Willie Meggs said the Legislature should repeal "that stinking law." The judge who made the decision wrote that the law created an environment "very much like the Wild West." Gun-rights advocates say the law, working as intended, protects innocent people from prosecution.

Political Strategists

Tampa's "Mark Nash and Mitch Kates are hoping to have the same success with Linda Saul-Sena they had with Kevin Beckner." "Strategists thrive on political challenges".

Hiaasen has fun with teabaggery

"Every red-blooded patriot should aspire to a life that's more or less free of government, which apparently can't do anything right."

- Let's begin with health care. President Obama should immediately abandon healthcare reform and turn the whole confusing mess back over to the insurance companies, with no federal rules or supervision.

- Now let's talk about this so-called ``financial reform'' that the President keeps pushing. Big Guv'ment has no business meddling with our venerable Wall Street banks and brokerage houses, even though they brought the country to the brink of a catastrophic depression. Heck, everybody makes mistakes.

- The same hands-off philosophy should guide our national energy strategy -- where does Big Guv'ment get off telling the oil and gas companies where it's safe to drill?

- Then how about that pesky Food and Drug Administration, huh? Say your child comes down with the flu. Is it really necessary for government to hassle the pharmaceutical companies over which cough syrups are safe and which are dangerous?

- We might as well add the Coast Guard, which rescued hundreds of people during Katrina and is now scrambling to contain the BP oil spill.

- As for the rest of Big Guv'ment, get your shiftless boot off our hard-working necks and let us be -- at least until we're old enough for Social Security.

"Wrongfully convicted and imprisoned"

The Tallahassee Democrat editorial board: "Florida's judicial system and its taxpayers will both have something to applaud if Supreme Court Chief Justice Peggy Quince orders creation of the much-needed Florida Innocence Commission, and if Gov. Charlie Crist signs off on a small appropriation to get it running. Both need to do their part right away."

In recent years, at least 11 innocent Florida citizens have been wrongfully convicted and imprisoned; nationwide, some 248 inmates were exonerated by DNA evidence.

Thank you, Mr. Obama

The Miami Herald editorial board: "Everglades National Park has a welcome friend in the White House, as the Obama administration continues to jump-start long-stalled projects to clean up and restore historic water levels in the River of Grass." "A Glades friend".

Time to gut firefighter contracts

"Each year Miami-Dade County government spends $1.5 million on car allowances for more than 400 employees. But top county leaders have reserved special treatment that includes a car allowance equaling $800 a month, unlimited gas at the county pump, free insurance and maintenance." "Budget crisis or not, Miami-Dade leaders are keeping luxury cars".