Will Scott have to plead the fifth again?

"Gov. Rick Scott's office has admitted that email to and from the governor contained on his iPad was 'accidentally' deleted -- a potential violation of the law, according to attorneys for the First Amendment Foundation."

The governor's office has previously blamed Rackspace, a private company that maintained its transition emails, for the deletion of transition-related email from Scott, which are considered public records under Florida's broad government-in-the-sunshine law.

"FAF: Scott's office 'accidentally' deleted email, too". See also "More emails from Gov. Rick Scott deleted".




While we're at it ... let's gut his pension

"After a trooper pulled Veronica Renee Elder over in Tampa for speeding, she stepped on the accelerator and took off -- with the trooper's arm pinned in the window, reports the St. Petersburg Times. The trooper was dragged for nearly a half mile while she drove at speeds up to 50 mph, according to officials." "Florida woman accused of dragging trooper for half mile".




Crazies flock to Hasner

"Though down in the polls, Republican U.S. Senate candidate Adam Hasner was Friday's straw poll winner — by just a few percentage points — at CPAC." "Hasner wins Senate straw poll". See also "Hasner: conservative favorite in major Senate straw poll", "Adam Hasner Tops Mike McCalister to Win CPAC Senate Straw Poll" and "Boca's Hasner wins Conservative PAC straw poll in Florida's GOP U.S. Senate race".




Straw Poll preview

"The POLITICO/St. Pete Times Morning Score — Presidency 5 edition — Straw Poll preview".




Week in Review

"The Week in Review for Sept. 12-Sept. 16".




Lt. governor's staff secretly recording embarrassing comments.

The Saint Petersburg Times editorial board: "The last thing the governor of the nation's fourth-largest state needs to be worrying about is whether the staff of his lieutenant governor is secretly recording each other's embarrassing comments."

Now the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the potential breach of law, and Gov. Rick Scott's team has one more distraction.

"Here’s an easy cut".




Obama Florida base mobilizing

"With a recent Quinnipiac University poll showing President Obama now facing the lowest approval rating of his presidency in Florida, his campaign defended its position in the crucial battleground state Friday." "Obama campaign discounts low approval rating in Florida, says base mobilizing".




What's a teabagger to do?

"Overall, the [Obama] jobs bill proposes $25 billion to repair and upgrade 35,000 public school buildings. Florida could receive $1.28 billion for K-12 schools, which the Obama Administration says would create up to 16,000 jobs." "Jobs proposal could pump millions into Florida schools".




Casino crowd must hit their own version of the trifecta

The Palm Beach Post editors: "Supporters of bringing 'destination resorts' with casinos to the state must hit their own version of the trifecta, to use a term from when horse racing ruled Florida gambling."

First, they must show that the plan would be legal. Second, they must show independent proof that the state would benefit financially. Third, they must present detailed legislation and allow plenty of debate.

"Make sure the state wins".




Wingnuts "worry that illegal voters are besieging the polls"

The Miami Herald editorial board: "A number of Republican-controlled state legislatures, including Florida’s, passed restrictive new election laws this year. Democrats charge that laws were designed to suppress voter turnout. Republicans counter that they’re intended to keep fraudulent voters away from the polls."

Florida’s new election law cuts the number of early voting days and adds new restrictions on registration and just who can vote. (The state has long barred ex-cons from voting.) The new law seems born out of some worry that illegal voters are besieging the polls.

In this fanciful spate of paranoia, politicians imagine that felons or illegal immigrants would risk arrest and jail time to participate in an electoral process often ignored by 85 or 90 or 95 percent of legal voters.

Illegal immigrants are said to do jobs considered too lowly or onerous by American citizens. If they deign to take on the unwanted chore of voting, along with dishwashing or farm labor, well, at least Florida polls might seem a little less lonely.

"Lonely at the polls".




Draggin' them knuckles

"The four Republicans running for the U.S. Senate pitched their plans to a roomful of grassroots voters on Friday, but when the 90-minute forum was completed, there were still plenty of question hanging in the air." "Republican Senate contenders show off their styles".




Poverty increases among Florida's children

"While incomes declined and poverty increased among children, young adults and the middle-aged, one group of Floridians has actually seen a modest improvement since the Great Recession: seniors. People age 65 and older experienced an income boost statewide and the number of seniors living in poverty remained near pre-recession levels in 2010, according to Census figures released this week." "Census: Florida seniors' incomes up slightly".




Wingnuts jump Perry

"After Republican presidential frontrunner Rick Perry's rocky performance in Thursday night's GOP candidate debate, the Texas governor's rivals renewed their attacks on his immigration stance today while Perry declared the race shouldn't be about choosing 'the slickest candidate or the smoothest debater.'"

While Perry has cast himself as a no-nonsense conservative, he has taken fire from the right for opposing the construction of a fence along the entire U.S.-Mexico border and for supporting in-state college tuition benefits for children of illegal immigrants.

Perry's foes renewed those criticisms today as the nine leading GOP candidates took turns addressing a Conservative Political Action Conference crowd of more than 2,000. The conference coincides with the Republican Party of Florida's "Presidency 5" candidate showcase, which included Thursday's debate and a presidential straw poll Saturday.

"GOP candidates keep piling on Perry in Orlando after his lackluster debate Thursday". See also "Perry’s debate performance costs him support among the party faithful".




Some crazies stand by their man

"Rick Scott Says Rick Perry's White House Run Will Aid Florida Job Creation".




Redistricting update

"Senate redistricting plan coming in December".




Rubio playin' politics

"Florida Senator Marco Rubio and six other conservative Republicans joined with Senate Democrats on Friday to vote down a bill that would have provided nearly $3.7 billion for disaster relief and enough money to avert a federal shutdown on Oct. 1." "Rubio votes against disaster-aid bill".

The Sun Sentinel editorial board: "Florida, in case you've forgotten, is in the middle of hurricane season. With the start of fall, other states could be facing tornado damage. FEMA's work is much improved over the Hurricane Katrina days, and the agency got deserved praise for the way Hurricane Irene was handled. But FEMA can only do so much if the legislators who fund it insist on playing partisan games. Playing politics and playing Mother Nature could mean playing with people's lives. Congress needs to make sure FEMA is properly funded, and it needs to do it quickly." "Put FEMA above politics when it comes to disaster relief".