"Mystery poll"

Marc Caputo: "Even if former Sen. George LeMieux hadn’t unexpectedly dropped out of the U.S. Senate race Wednesday, Rep. Connie Mack was the Republicans’ de facto nominee anyway. That’s how it looked from a Democratic-leaning mystery poll that coincided with LeMieux’s withdrawal."

"Less than 20 minutes after Lemieux quit, an outfit that called itself 'Florida Opinion Survey' began polling Florida voters to test a number of political messages that undoubtedly will be used to boost incumbent Sen. Bill Nelson and tear at Mack."

This wasn’t a so-called "push poll" — a call that masquerades as a survey but simply trashes an opponent. Instead, it’s a message-test poll that political consultants use to figure out what helps their candidate and hurts his opponent.

Read the eight "messages" Nelson appears to be testing, and Caputo's counterpoints here: "Mystery poll gives glimpse of Senate race tactics".




Scott can't win for losing

Nancy Smith didn't much like Daniel Ruth "poking fun at Rick Scott for running a PR move by the Florida Commission on Ethics? If the governor hadn't done it -- if he had recorded a greeting for Republican National Convention visitors at Tampa International Airport without the blessing of the state rules committee -- the Tampa Bay Times columnist and every one of these left-sided scribes in Tallahassee would have been on him like a Star Trek tractor beam." "Ethics Question: More Evidence of the Treacherous Terrain in Tally for Rick Scott". Background: Daniel Ruth's "In Florida's ethical swamp, swatting a gnat".




"Gays feel new passion for politics"

Anthony Man: "Battleground South Florida: Gays feel new passion for politics".




"Send it to legal aid organizations and the court system"

The Tampa Bay Times editorial board: "Attorney General Pam Bondi is asking the public how the state should spend hundreds of millions of dollars from Florida's share of the national robo-signing settlement."

Here's the answer: Send it to legal aid organizations and the court system. What the state should not do is follow the path of some other cash-strapped states and use the windfall to help close a budget deficit. This money is supposed to compensate for the harms caused by mortgage banks who used low-level workers to create fraudulent legal documents in foreclosure cases. Homeowners and the courts — the victims of that fraud — should reap the benefits.

When the landmark robo-signing settlement was announced earlier this year, five of the country's biggest banks promised to spend $25 billion — $8.4 billion in Florida — to help underwater and delinquent homeowners by modifying mortgages, writing down principal and other steps. Ten percent of the settlement, or $2.5 billion, was to go to the federal government and the states that participated in the form of cash, with the idea that it too be used to help homeowners. But an investigation by the online newsroom ProPublica, which is tracking the money state by state, indicates that much of the cash is being diverted to address budget deficits instead.

"Put fraud victims at top of list".




"Sweet deal"

The Sarasota Herald Tribune editors: "Nelson and Rubio were among the senators who endorsed, by a 50-46 vote, continuing the federal sugar program without changes. The program limits domestic production of cane and beet sugar, restricts foreign imports, places a floor under growers' prices and requires the government to buy crop surpluses for sale at a loss to the ethanol-fuel industry. The program also protects the incomes of growers and producers -- including the most profitable and richest." "Sugar industry's sweet deal".




"Putnam Remains Busy"

Kevin Derby: "Adam Putnam Remains Busy in 2012 Election Cycle".




"Unfinished business"

Jeremy Wallace: "Sarasota attorney Liz Alpert has some unfinished business."

Fourteen years ago, Alpert, then a Tampa Democrat, came within 1,500 votes of winning a seat in the Florida Legislature against Republican Sandra Murman.

Since then, Alpert, a Democrat, has gone to law school in her 50s, graduated and opened her own private practice in Sarasota. But the fire to run for the Legislature never went away. So Alpert is at it again, preparing to challenge State Rep. Ray Pilon, R-Sarasota, for House District 72.

"Liz Alpert to challenge Ray Pilon".




1.3M Floridians to receive rebates courtesy of health-care reform

"1.3 million Floridians can expect a rebate [averaging $168] from their health-insurance company this summer, according to a report released Thursday from the Department of Health and Human Services." "Florida’s health insurance plans owe $124M in rebates".




"Less likely Rubio will make the cut"

Jeremy Wallace: "Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney disputed reports last week that Florida Sen. Marco Rubio is no longer being vetted for vice president. But national political prognosticators say it’s becoming less and less likely Rubio will make the cut. University of Virginia political science professor Larry Sabato said Rubio is just too new on the national scene, which would invite intense scrutiny." "Rubio’s VP chances". But see "Rubio remains a vice presidential prospect".