"Not the brightest bulbs in the chandelier"

Stephen Goldstein: "Floridians, historically not the brightest bulbs in the chandelier, fell for Scott's bravado, banking on his CEO skills to get us out of our economic doldrums."

The cornerstone of Scott's campaign was his 7-7-7 plan: He boasted that he would create 700,000 private-sector jobs in seven years through seven steps (like cutting state spending, eliminating government regulations, and enticing companies to Florida with taxpayer handouts). He said over and over that his jobs would be in addition to the 1 million jobs that economists then estimated would have been created as a result of normal growth — no matter who was governor.

"But recently, the guv has apparently lost faith in his ability to deliver — so he's desperate. He 'revised' his promise, saying jobs would grow by 700,000, hoping everyone would forget about the normal growth projection."

You don't have to be a weatherman to see which way the wind is blowing: The hot air of Rick Scott's campaign promises has turned into a snow job that is having a chilling effect on the Florida economy and that will freeze us out of prosperity for the foreseeable future. He's burying us in an avalanche of flaky economics, out of which it will take us decades to dig.

"Scott's job claims are a real snow job".




Dem "path flows straight through Florida"

"The congressman leading Democratic efforts to retake the House next year is counting on the Sunshine State to play a pivotal role. Democrats need to gain 25 seats to win back their majority, and 'our path to 25 seats flows straight through Florida,' said Rep. Steve Israel of New York, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee." "Democrats look to Florida in hopes of retaking House".




"Orchestrated effort to dampen turnout among Democratic-leaning constituencies"

The Saint Petersburg Times editorial board: "Florida Republican leaders have tried to sell voting changes they passed last spring as a mere attempt to thwart fraud. But as a dozen other states have joined the campaign — nearly all Republican-controlled — it appears to be an orchestrated effort to dampen turnout among Democratic-leaning constituencies in the 2012 presidential contest."

Supporters of the new laws claim they are necessary to prevent voter fraud and to keep illegal immigrants from voting. But that is a ruse. The Justice Department under President George W. Bush made voting fraud a priority. Yet a study of a three-year period between 2002 and 2005 found only 38 voting fraud cases prosecuted, with 14 of those ending in dismissals or acquittals.

The big electoral problem isn't voter fraud; it's a system now designed to keep some Americans from exercising their constitutional right to vote.

"Protect the right to vote".




"A university system as mediocre as the Legislature"

Randy Schultz: "If the Legislature tries any harder to run higher education in this state, Florida will have a university system as mediocre as the Legislature." "Cheer, cheer for old, above-average Florida".




Casino advocates challenge state economists' predictions

"Resort casinos would boost state coffers next year by about $155 million, mostly from licensing fees, but the net benefit to the state once the resorts are in full swing in 2015 would be only between $4 million and $102 million a year, according to state economists." However,

The sponsors of the bill, Fresen and Republican Sen. Ellyn Bogdanoff of Fort Lauderdale, said the economists based their estimate on provisions that they have already agreed to change.

"The revenue reduction will no longer exist when this bill is passed,'' said Bogdanoff. She emphasized, however, that the goal of the bill is not to raise revenue for the state but to establish a "strategic direction" for the state's hodge podge gaming policy. "This is not a budget debate."

Fresen said he and Bogdanoff plan to amend the bill to give the five South Florida pari-mutuels the same tax rates and games the resort casinos would get.

"Resort casino benefit estimate 'flawed'". Related: "Seminoles blast resort-gambling bill".

Meanwhile, according to The Saint Petersburg Times editorial board, "Damage grows as gambling spreads".




Fla-Baggers merely a Republican front group

"GOP voters 'still trying to shop around'".




"University lobbyists are among the system's highest paid"

"University students who rail against tuition hikes, program cuts and administrator salaries that they say are better suited to corporate boardrooms are finding an unlikely ally: Republican Gov. Rick Scott."

By posting the salaries of 52,000 employees of the state's public universities on the Internet, Florida's multimillionaire chief executive has helped fuel the placard-waving student crowd at recent Occupy Wall Street-style protests on state campuses.

Among the revelations: University lobbyists, poised to ask lawmakers for another round of 15 percent tuition hikes in 2012, are among the system's highest paid, The Palm Beach Post found in a review of the records.

"There's a lot of talented administrators, and they have to be compensated. But while students have been asked to suffer, I don't see the same kind of pain being put on the administration," said Gonzalo Viscardo, 21, a Florida Atlantic University economics student who helped organize two protests on the campus in the past month.

"University lobbyists dodge cuts".




Rubio = Palin

"Marco Rubio for vice president? Florida Democratic chairman Rod Smith predicts it won't happen. He even compares putting Rubio on the ticket in 2012 to putting Sarah Palin on the ticket in 2008."

"Sen. Rubio is untested right now on the national stage and I don't think anybody would take a risk on him,'' said Smith, who served in the state Senate while Rubio was in the state House. "The last election, if it shows anything, is that you can get some internal excitement from an untested choice, but an untested choice can come back to bite you."

"Risky Rubio?"




"Romney benefiting from the mistakes of his first run"

"Romney is benefiting from the lessons and mistakes of his first run. By this time in the last race, he was up on TV in five states, including Florida, and was engaged in a high-priced war for campaign talent. This go-around, Romney has yet to advertise anywhere. He had at least eight paid staffers in Florida last time; now he has five."

Another shortcoming of the 2008 bid was Romney's broad focus. He tried to have something for everyone and a focus on social issues exposed his contortions on abortion and gay marriage. This time, the message is focused on the economy and Romney is playing up his business background. Paradoxically, he's most often in casual dress, an effort to seem down to earth. He's trying to be less wooden, a trait that dogged him in 2008.

"Mitt Romney's retooled 2012 campaign learning from past mistakes".




Cain campaign spokesman's sexual harassment story

Recall that Cain's campaign spokesman, J.D. Gordon, had "filed a complaint against Miami Herald reporter Carole Rosenberg, telling the paper she had subjected him to 'multiple incidents of abusive and degrading comments of an explicitly sexual nature.' Nothing came of the complaint." "Miami connections".




McGovern returns to Miami

"George McGovern, coming to Miami, talks GOP, Dolphins, Tea Party".




Daddy's boy the best they can do?

"Mack just entered the race and is benefiting from name recognition. His father, Connie Mack III, is a former U.S. senator." "Connie Mack IV starts strong in U.S. Senate poll".