"Obama did the nation — and Florida in particular — a great service"

The Saint Petersburg Times editorial board: "The Obama administration did the nation — and Florida in particular — a great service by putting forth an ambitious plan to restore the Gulf of Mexico. The federal government and the states must follow through to protect it." "Cleaner gulf, healthier future".




"Nelson likely to win third term"

"One reason Florida's U.S. Senate race has yet to capture much attention and excitement? Even in a political climate where the public is fed up with Washington politicians, politicos in Florida overwhelmingly expect Democratic incumbent Bill Nelson to win another term." "Political insiders say Sen. Bill Nelson likely to win third term".




Fitzgerald "Winner of the Week"

Adam C. Smith says Keith Fitzgerald, the former Democratic state representative running against U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Sarasota, is the "Winner of the Week" because he

received plenty of ammunition to question Buchanan's fitness for the job last week. While Buchanan declared himself "completely exonerated" by a Federal Election Commission report about alleged illegal campaign contributions, the report cast serious doubts on Buchanan's truthfulness and his compliance with federal law.

"What's more, the House Committee on Ethics announced it was extending an investigation into the fundraising activities of Buchanan, who already faced a separate inquiry by the U.S. Justice Department."




What a deal

"While many Americans believe that illegal immigrants don't pay taxes, the Social Security Administration sees billions of dollars flow into its coffers every year that have been deducted from paychecks issued to undocumented workers using false names and phony Social Security numbers - money those workers will almost certainly never see again." "Illegal workers pay taxes, won't benefit".




Desperate GOPers grub for the "Jeb!" endorsement

"Jeb. Sr. — the elusive endorsement that seems most coveted by the candidates." "As GOP candidates vie for Bush backing, Jeb hangs back".




"The year of good government"

The Miami Herald editorial board: "The year of good government in the making".




Paper pushers go after law enforcement officers and firemen

"The Florida League of Cities, an organization representing the state’s municipalities, is lobbying hard for the proposed legislation. The bill negates a law passed in 1999 under then-Gov. Jeb Bush, requiring cities to dedicate growth in tax revenue from property and casualty insurance premiums to extra police and firefighter pension benefits." "Florida legislators target extra pension benefits for police, firemen".




"Bondi has moved farther and faster politically than almost anyone"

"In September, when Mitt Romney opened his Tampa campaign headquarters, one other speaker shared his stage, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi."

Bondi had turned down Romney for an endorsement, staying neutral in the primary, but he wanted her on the stage with him. That's a measure of the political cachet she has built up after only 11 months in office.

Political insiders say she has moved farther and faster politically than almost anyone on the current Florida political scene.

In 2010, she won a statewide race for Florida's highest-profile Cabinet post in her first run for elective office, a rare feat.

She said at the time, and often repeats, that she has no ambitions beyond the attorney general's office.

"I want to run for re-election for attorney general. Do I want to be governor? No," she said. "I just want to be the best attorney general I can.

"In Tallahassee, you see people running for the next office while they're in one — not me."

But her political assets — she's young, photogenic, speaks well in public and has a political base in the crucial Tampa Bay area — make other Republicans see her as a potential candidate.

Her national image, shaped by years of appearances as a Fox News legal affairs commentator, got another boost when she recently helped moderate a presidential primary debate.

For Republicans, such assets outweigh controversies that have affected her tenure as attorney general — the biggest over accusations that her office hasn't been aggressive enough in prosecuting mortgage foreclosure fraud.

"Attorney General Bondi's ascent has been meteoric".




"Was 2011 wacky, or what?"

"Was 2011 wacky, or what? See what you remember, and no fair peeking at the answers!" "A quiz on 2011’s politics of the absurd".




"Who owns that water"?

"The next time you go to your kitchen faucet for a drink, think about who owns that water."

Because for every expert who says it belongs to you, others counter you merely have Florida's permission to use it, and you pay only for having water sanitized and pumped into your home.

That disagreement illustrates an intensifying debate over whether the state should regulate water in the future as essentially the private property of metropolitan utilities, agricultural corporations and owners of large properties.

"In Florida, whose water is it, anyway?"




"Scott awakens old animosity"

"And suddenly, Scott was at the center of the latest in a 50-year series of racially charged conflicts between a predominantly white Florida government and one of the nation's most prestigious black universities, conflicts that have provoked lingering bitterness in generations of FAMU alumni." "Scott awakens old animosity between political leadership, FAMU".




Miami-Dade Commissioners’ resort-casino priorities

"In a bid to ensure Miami-Dade County emerges a winner, the county commission has written state lawmakers spelling out commissioners’ resort-casino priorities." "Miami-Dade Commission weighs in on casino resorts".