Attorney General Pam Bondi, who sat in the front row during March oral arguments and became a national face of the lawsuit, said she was “surprised, shocked,” by the ruling.

But he and Republican lawmakers also could continue to resist, in hopes that Congress or a new president repeals some or all of the law.

Bondi, crushed by SCOTUS, whines about taxes

Florida's top lawyer, AG Pam Bondi, who flopped before a Supreme Court dominated by fellow-extremists, "wasted little time criticizing the court for upholding what they view as the White House's imposition on individual freedoms. Attorney General Pam Bondi blamed the Obama administration for a lack of 'political accountability' in disguising the mandates in the Affordable Care Act as not being a $4 billion tax."

“The president and the supporters of the law were apparently not straight with the American people,” Bondi said from the steps of the Old Capitol following the Supreme Court’s landmark decision to uphold the mandates in President Obama’s health care law.

"A big if"

The Palm Beach Post editors: "Though the court ruled the Medicaid expansion constitutional, justices said that it would be unconstitutional to withhold existing Medicaid funds to those states that don’t expand their Medicaid roll."

“The threatened loss of over 10 percent of a state’s overall budget,” said the ruling, “is economic dragooning that leaves the states with no real option but to acquiesce in the Medicaid expansion.” That means states can choose not to expand their Medicaid rolls and keep the federal money they get for existing Medicaid programs. Expanding Medicaid is one of the primary methods the law uses to increase the number of insured Americans. “Lower-income Americans may not benefit at all from the Act, depending on the state in which they live,” said Elizabeth Price Foley, a professor at Florida International University College of Law. “Some states will now opt-out of the Medicaid expansion; others will remain in.” It is unclear what Florida will do. State officials have said expanding Medicaid could mean an additional 1.78 million enrollees by 2019 at a cost of $1.6 billion each year. The government would cover the full costs in the first three years, 2014 to 2016. The federal share drops to 90 percent in 2019 and thereafter. The most the state would incur is 10 percent of the new costs. There are 4 million uninsured Floridians and the state has no plan for covering them. Lawmakers should either come up with a plan or expand Medicaid.

That’s a big if. The law includes a provision that states extend Medicaid coverage to people under age 65 with incomes up to 133 percent of the poverty level, or just under $30,000 a year for a family of four. Such an expansion could eventually cost the state billions.

SoFla already spends $16B annually on "socialized" medicine

"Several major South Florida healthcare leaders applauded the Supreme Court’s decision Thursday on the Affordable Care Act because they say it will bring more access to the region’s large number of uninsured and allow for providers to get paid for their care."

The stakes are huge for the region’s uninsured — 31.8 percent of Miami-Dade residents, 24 percent in Broward and 32 percent in Monroe County, according to 2010 Census data. The national average is 16.3 percent. Among adults from 18 to 64, the potential effect is even greater: 57 percent of Hialeah residents in that age group are uninsured, 50.4 percent in the City of Miami, 48.5 percent in Deerfield Beach. Even in middle-class Kendall, almost one-third — 31.2 percent — of adults aged 18 to 64 now have no coverage. ... Healthcare leaders were braced for the ruling in South Florida, where the large number of uninsured seeking access to healthcare account for $16 billion annually, a larger slice of the region’s revenue than tourism or construction. ... Hospitals, now required to treat the uninsured in emergency rooms even though they rarely get paid for such care ....

Holder talks civil rights in Florida

"Holder told 1,000 LULAC delegates at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort, "It's good to be here and not in Washington, D.C., right now. Later Thursday, the House voted to hold him in contempt of Congress. In his speech, Holder said that in the past three years, the Justice Department has filed more civil-rights cases than in any previous period in the nation's history." "At Disney, Holder touts record in speech to Hispanic group".

Laff riot: "Florida will remain at the forefront"

"Leaders of the National Federation of Independent Businesses and the Florida Chamber of Commerce said they will huddle with their members and allies to decide how to proceed."

However, Bill Herrle, executive director of the NFIB Florida chapter, said his group will continue to advocate for market-based reforms and repeal of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. “Florida will remain at the forefront of this issue,” said Herrle. The NFIB was one of the plaintiffs in the case.

Losing at every turn, Scott continues attack on state employees

"More state employee cuts coming in new fiscal year".

Mini-Mack fights for the right to be uninsured

"U.S. Rep. Connie Mack, R-Fla., the heavy favorite to win the Republican nomination in the August primary as the GOP determines who will challenge Nelson in November, ripped into his potential Democrat incumbent on Thursday." "After Supreme Court Decision, Bill Nelson and Connie Mack Spar Over Health Care". Meanwhile, "Dems, Nelson reserve $2.8M in Orlando TV ads".

Wingnuts in a dither

"As prices drop toward $3 a gallon, one expert predicts the end of sky-high gasoline".

Bondi flops on national stage

William March: "The lawsuit was started, and most of the legal heavy lifting done, under Bondi's predecessor — former Attorney General Bill McCollum. McCollum filed the action electronically within minutes after Obama signed the law in March 2010."

Bondi took over the litigation after taking office in January 2011 and has shepherded it to conclusion as attorney general for Florida, the lead plaintiff among the 26 states suing. Her work included hiring the lead lawyer, Paul Clement of Washington, and signing on the last half-dozen plaintiff states.

When "journalists" think they're lawyers

Nancy Smith: "Me-First Media Blow a Really Big One This Time". See also "CNN, Fox News jump gun, get health ruling wrong".

Bid preferences to in-state companies?

"Should state show bid preference to in-state companies?"

Siplin v Thompson Senate race produces fireworks

"One of the closest watched political contests this summer is a fight over a newly drawn minority Florida Senate seat that encompasses much of the political turf of term-limited Orlando Sen. Gary Siplin. Democratic voters will have the option of keeping it in the family. Siplin's wife, Victoria Siplin, has been running to replace her husband for more than a year, and will square off in the Aug. 14 primary against Rep. Geraldine Thompson, D-Orlando, for the newly drawn District 12 seat – a match likely to pit name-recognition against the advantages of incumbency. It has already produced some fireworks." "Siplin v Thompson Senate race could be a war".

Voter registration suit may be settled

"The state and the opponents of a suspended voter registration law are moving toward a settlement in a lawsuit over the new rules, both sides said Thursday, even as a group of voters is trying to brush aside the state's legal strategy and pursue an appeal. In a brief scheduling conference Thursday with U.S. District Court Judge Robert Hinkle, who struck down new regulations on third-party voter registration organizations at the end of last month, an attorney for the groups said the two sides were close to striking a deal." "State Working to Settle Voter Registration Suit".

Rubio embarrasses himself

"But, But, But …". See also "Rubio: IRS to 'come after' uninsured".

Gaetz "disappointed"

"Incoming Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, also called the decision “disappointing” and said he remains 'convinced the 2010 law is detrimental to our common goal of affordable quality health-care.'"

“The court's 110-page opinion is in some ways as complicated as the law itself," Gaetz said. “Like others we will be tweezering through the ruling to fully understand all of the implications for Florida taxpayers, patients, providers and businesses. While this law remains on the books, states will confront many difficult decisions and in an effort to fully understand all of the implications and costly burdens.”

Idiot wind

"Repealing the Affordable Care Act 'will be our most significant rallying cry for a November victory,' said Al Cardenas, former Florida GOP chairman and now head of the American Conservative Union."

Rep. Connie Mack IV, challenging Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson in November, called the act "a disgustingly large tax increase" and told reporters in a conference call he will stigmatize Nelson as "the deciding vote" for the law, even though Nelson was not among the last of the 60 yes-voting senators to make his decision. "Losing a major battle always tends to galvanize the losing side and focus their attention on righting what they perceive to be a wrong," said retired University of South Florida political scientist Darryl Paulson.

"Deadline looms for growth policies"

"Florida law requires cities and counties surrounding military bases to submit by Saturday policies addressing the compatibility of surrounding land uses. State planners downplay the fact that many won't meet the deadline. The 20 military installations in Florida have an annual economic impact of $70 billion, according to state officials. Avoiding encroachment helps communities avoid having bases closed by the federal government." "As deadline looms for growth policies, development near military bases worries state officials".

"A 'rubber stamp' for insurance companies"

"Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, fought against SB 408 and decried the order as a 'rubber stamp' for insurance companies." "Faced with backlog, regulators fast track property insurance forms".

"Florida’s high court the target of extreme judicial activism"

The Palm Beach Post editorial board: "While the U.S. Supreme Court was exercising judicial restraint in its health care ruling, Florida’s high court remains the target of extreme judicial activism. Not by Florida’s justices, but by a conservative group trying to oust three of them."

The Southeastern Legal Foundation, which is based in Georgia, has filed a lawsuit asking a Leon County circuit court judge to remove three sitting Florida Supreme Court Justices from the ballot. The three — Fred Lewis, Barbara Pariente and Peggy Quince — are up for renewed six-year terms this November under Florida’s system of merit retention. They don’t have opponents running against them, but they must receive a majority of the vote to be retained in office. So the justices face an up or down vote from Florida’s voters, but the Southeastern Legal Foundation instead wants a circuit court judge to toss them off the ballot and take the choice away from Floridians. ... This lawsuit, like a Florida Department of Law Enforcement probe urged by Gov. Scott, are a back-door PR campaign against the justices. Gov. Scott obviously hopes to appoint their replacements.

This compares to the results of a May 3 Swing State Poll by the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University, showing Obama with an 8-point lead in Pennsylvania with Florida and Ohio too close to call.

Matching Obama against Romney in each of these key states - no one has won the White House since 1960 without taking at least two of them - shows:

- Florida: Obama edges Romney 45 - 41 percent;
- Ohio: Obama over Romney 47 - 38 percent;
- Pennsylvania: Obama tops Romney 45 - 39 percent.

"President Barack Obama has decent margins over Gov. Mitt Romney in Ohio and Pennsylvania and a smaller advantage in Florida. If he can keep those leads in all three of these key swing states through election day he would be virtually assured of re-election," said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

Scott continues to struggle ... looks to SCOTUS for relief

"Florida Gov. Rick Scott has a good opportunity to rally Republicans behind him -- and he may have an old political foe to thank for it."

Scott won a bloody Republican primary over then-Attorney General Bill McCollum in 2010. While Scott went on to defeat Democratic nominee Alex Sink, who was then serving as state CFO, in the closest gubernatorial election in more than 165 years of Florida statehood, McCollum sulked in his tent, refusing to endorse either of the candidates.

During his year and a half in Tallahassee, Scott has remained upside down in the polls despite signs that the economy in Florida is starting to recover. With Scott focusing on job growth during his campaign, the state unemployment rate has dropped under his watch -- going from 10.9 percent when he took over to 8.6 percent in May, the lowest it has been since December 2008. Despite these numbers, Scott remains underwater in the polls, with the percentage of Floridians who disapprove of the governor outpacing those who approve by double digits.

Two polls released this month by Quinnipiac University serve as solid examples of Scott’s continuing struggles. A poll from Quinnipiac unveiled last week showed Scott getting the approval of 39 percent of those surveyed while 49 percent disapprove of him. Scott did even worse in a Quinnipiac poll released Wednesday that shows 48 percent of those surveyed disapprove of him while 35 percent approve of his performance in Tallahassee.

Scott should be concerned about his unsteady standing with Republicans. In the first poll, 71 percent of Republicans surveyed approved of Scott while 19 percent disapproved of him. In the new poll, 60 percent of Republicans approve of the governor while 25 percent disapprove of him.

Purge could be revived

"A federal judge said though federal laws prohibit the systematic removal of voters close to an election, the law does not refer to non-citizens, the target of Florida’s purge effort." "Judge halts federal attempt to block Florida’s voter purge". See also "Federal judge says he won't halt voter-roll purge", "Federal judge won’t stop governor’s purge of non-citizens from voter rolls" and "Judge declines to stop voter purge; effort could be revived"

Secret list of voters whose citizenship may be in question

Steve Bousquet writes that "Rick Scott insists Florida's voter rolls must be scrubbed carefully to remove any non-U.S. citizens, but his administration is keeping secret a list of more than 180,000 voters whose citizenship may be in question."

Scott's elections agency is refusing numerous requests from voter advocacy groups and news outlets to release the list, months after the state released an initial list targeting 2,625 potential noncitizens. Many people on the first list turned out to be citizens.

The larger list has the potential to cause a bigger political controversy than the smaller one. ...

With a presidential election slightly more than four months away, voter advocacy groups have been highly critical of Scott for refusing to divulge the information.

"We are troubled that Florida has not yet responded to our request to turn over its complete database of potential noncitizens on the voter rolls," said Diana Kasdan, legal counsel to the Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law. "Careful scrutiny of this list is critical to ensure that eligible Americans will not be blocked from voting. Any attempt to clean the rolls must be open, transparent and accurate. Florida's purge has been anything but."

"MacNamara leads a charmed life"

Nancy Smith asks: "how does the governor's ethically challenged, $189,000-a-year chief of staff get to stick around this long after he was fi... uh, after he resigned in May? I can't recall where any of the state employees MacNamara dispatched with a pink slip over the years were allowed to stay on as long after the hatchet. His bizarre farewell reception in the middle of a tropical storm Monday night -- complete with a special award -- only serves as a reminder that life in the state capital is one rickety roller coaster ride after another." "Master Magician Steve MacNamara Gets to Leave Like He's Lamented -- Why?".

"Appeasing the powerful long-term care industry"

"After a failed attempt to pass legislation to protect the frail and elderly in assisted-living facilities, industry experts reconvened in Jacksonville Monday with the hope of hammering out measures to curb abuse while appeasing the powerful long-term care industry." "Panel revives effort to reform residential care for the elderly".

More privatization follies

"With a prison-privatization plan all but dead, an appeals court Wednesday appeared hesitant to decide a constitutional fight about whether lawmakers improperly used the state budget to approve the plan." "Appeals Court Mulls Ruling on Prison Privatization". See also "Clock running out for South Florida prison privatization".

Scott: Never mind

"Scott said during the 2010 campaign that he would bring an Arizona-style immigration law to Florida, but two years later, he hasn’t pushed such a law and has stopped talking about it." "Gov. Scott failed to follow through on immigration pledge".

The end of innocence

"Florida's Innocence Commission on Wednesday released its final report, hundreds of pages laying out ways to stop bad eye-witnesses, jailhouse snitches, over-zealous cops and unprepared defense lawyers from sending or allowing innocent people to be locked up in prison." "Florida's Innocence Commission finishes its work".

"Scott's ratings recede"

"Poll: Scott's ratings recede". Meanwhile, "Florida consumer confidence falls in June".

"What do Webster, Bense and Atwater have in common?"

"Besides being successful GOP politicians, what do Webster, Bense and Atwater have in common? All three took a long, hard look at running for the U.S. Senate seat held by Democrat Bill Nelson this year, and all three decided against it. Astute politicians often won't run for an office they don't think they can win." "Bill Nelson's opponents frequently melt away".

Dirty water

"The Florida Department of Health in September scaled back spending on beach water testing, leaving only a $530,000 annual federal grant for reduced testing. Now the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposes eliminating the federal Beaches Grant Program with a reduction of $9.9 million in FY 2013. 'We think this is a bad policy,' said Jon Devine, senior attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council." "After state cuts in beach water testing, feds now propose ending grants".

Lawsuit filed to remove three Florida Supreme Court justices

"Two men filed a lawsuit Monday asking the secretary of state to remove three Florida Supreme Court justices who are seeking merit retention from the November ballot."

Bernard Long and Veronco L "Ron" Flores of Seminole County allege that Justices R. Fred Lewis, Barbara Pariente and Peggy Quince broke state law when they halted a court hearing on the Senate redistricting plan so they could complete required paperwork to qualify for the November ballot.

"The delay caused by the justices cost Florida taxpayers thousands of dollars in additional legal fees for private outside counsel who were forced to wait while the justices worked on their campaign documents,'' the lawsuit, filed in Leon County Circuit Court, alleges. "Upon information and belief, the justices campaigns have not reimbursed the State of Florida or any private litigant for their costs and expenses caused by the delay."

Gov. Rick Scott, who will appoint the replacements if the three judges are removed from the ballot, has ordered a Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigation into whether the judges violated the law when they used court personnel to notarize their paperwork.

Dissident Broward Dems lose claim against Snipes

"A Broward judge has rejected claims from dissident Democrats that Supervisor of Elections Brenda Snipes' office improperly processed paperwork for party activists running in the August primary for party committeeman and committeewoman posts." "Judge rejects claim that Snipes improperly processed paperwork".

Burgin runs ultra-right

"State Rep. Rachel Burgin has a lot of things planned if she gets to Tallahassee as the state senator from District 24,"

starting with the "Food Stamp Integrity Act" so families don't use public aid to buy, in her words, "birthday cakes."

I didn't know there was a rash of that, but she told me Wednesday of a woman who called her office, upset she couldn't use her EBT card to buy cake for a birthday party.

"I tried to nicely explain that it was inappropriate to use her card for that," Burgin said.

Burgin also wants to require a licensed physician to attend all abortion procedures. ...

It's bold talk, considering how high-powered Republicans have lined up behind each other to endorse her opponent, former Senate President Tom Lee of Brandon, in the Aug. 14 primary. ...

Indeed, Burgin is a church-going, abortion-opposing, low-tax advocating, home-schooling, poster child for the modern ultra-conservative.

"Another victory for organized labor"?

"The largest privatization venture undertaken by Florida’s prison system is in peril, and when the new fiscal year begins Sunday, it might be doomed, in another political victory for organized labor." "Privatized health care for inmates in peril".

SoFla gets a small share

"South Florida gets a small share of Florida’s $155 million payout to companies thinking of adding jobs in the state." "Florida offers $12 million to South Florida companies".

"The Axis of Silk Stockings"

The Tampa Bay Times' Daniel Ruth: "Nothing can be more irritating in a political campaign than to have powerful outside forces attempt to use their juice to sway the outcome of the race — especially when other meddlers come along to meddle in their meddling."

So there was lobbyist Jack Cory, one of Tallahassee's foremost purveyors of power, who was having a perfectly lovely time pumping wads of cash into the campaign of Republican state Rep. Rachel Burgin in her quest to succeed Ronda Storms in the state Senate. After all, you can't put too high a price on good government. But the bidding starts at around five figures.

Cory was joined in his yearning for democracy to flourish under Burgin's leadership by some of Tallahassee's other deep-pocketed, multi-cellphoned, more wired than Robocop lobbyists, Ron Book and Guy Spearman. Between the three of them, they represent just about every special interest seeking freedom and liberty in the state.

Think of this as the Axis of Silk Stockings.

Privatization flop

Fred Grimm: "Yet again, a judge has been tasked to sort through wrenching allegations of abuse and neglect and violence at a privatized juvenile lock-up." "Horrors continue in privatized lockups".

Floridians voters "strongly support" Obama’s immigration directive

"Florida voters strongly support President Obama’s new directive temporarily lifting the threat of deportation for as many as 1.4 million young illegal immigrants, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll that also finds Obama edging Mitt Romney in the Sunshine State." "Poll: 58% of Florida voters support Obama immigration directive".

"Nelson is in for a tough fight"

"A poll of Florida voters unveiled Wednesday shows that incumbent U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson is in for a tough fight as he seeks his third term, while Gov. Rick Scott remains upside down in the Sunshine State. The Quinnipiac poll finds Democrat Nelson taking 41 percent while U.S. Rep. Connie Mack, the favorite to win the Republican primary in August, is right behind him with 40 percent. A Q-poll released last week showed Nelson with a larger lead, taking 43 percent, while Mack followed with 39 percent. " "Bill Nelson and Connie Mack in Tight Battle While Rick Scott Still Struggles".

Outsourcing fails at 35% rate

"Florida will spend $47 billion this year hiring outsiders to do state work, but the state’s chief financial officer warns that hundreds of contractors will not be required to show they provided the services they agreed to and that state documents could be rife with errors. Those are the conclusions of CFO Jeff Atwater after a sample audit of 24,000 state contracts at 33 different agencies found that 35 percent were flawed." "New state web site shines light on billions in contracts". Related "Atwater puts details of state contracts online" and "Florida launches website showing state contracts with private companies".

Why did the Sentinel fail to publish data?

"A database of 31 projects showing the amount of tax incentives, the number of expected jobs and the average expected wage was published by the Tampa Bay Times last week after DEO accidentally gave the information to Integrity Florida, an ethics reform advocacy group. Such projects aren’t supposed to be announced to the public without the approval of the company involved, and the average wage involved in a project is protected under state public records laws. The database was also released to the Orlando Sentinel, which did not publish the average wage of the projects." "Awkward agency merger may have led to accidental incentives leak".

New Laws

"Student Prayer, PIP Reform, Adam Putnam's Energy Bill Among New Laws on Sunday".

"High cost of being cheap"

The Tampa Bay Times editors: "How much does being cheap cost? Florida State University is already finding out, even before the Legislature's $300 million cut to higher education and less-than-expected tuition increases take effect for 2012-13."

FSU president Eric Barron told Gov. Rick Scott's higher education reform panel Monday that 58 of the arts and sciences faculty members have been offered out-of-state jobs — and FSU lost all but eight of them for salaries that averaged $20,000 more.

State moves to block "confusing" registration program

"By their own estimate, officials with a Washington nonprofit have registered 200,000 voters in Florida the past eight years. This year, the same group, the Voter Participation Center, has mailed another 420,000 registration forms to residents hoping to enlist more. But state officials are considering ways to stop the center from sending any more registration forms, which the state calls confusing." "State moves to block voter-registration group".

Obama rakes in campaign cash in SoFla

"The president rallied a raucous crowd at a Miami Beach fundraiser in an effort to rake in campaign cash and shore up support among crucial Hispanic voters." "Obama rakes in campaign cash at Miami Beach fundraiser with Marc Anthony".

Supreme Court sidesteps controversial Florida Cuba travel ban

"The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday left intact a controversial Florida law that restricts state colleges and universities from traveling to Cuba and other 'terrorist states,' despite indications last year that the court would consider a review. Amid the flurry of rulings from the high court on Monday was a denial of review of Florida’s 'Travel to Terrorist States Act.'" "High court lets Cuba travel ban for professors stand for professors".

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.

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.

"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.

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".

Extremist Jeb Bush is now parading as the self-proclaimed voice of moderation — and the press is letting him get away with it. During his recent appearance before a Congressional committee, the same man who as Florida governor swore he would never raise taxes had the chutzpah to say that, had he been president, he would have accepted the hypothetical deal that every tea party/GOP presidential candidate rejected when it was proposed to them during one of their debates: $10 in spending cuts for every $1 in tax increases.

In addition, uncompromising Jeb now has the gall to posture himself as the leading GOP spokesperson for bipartisanship — and against take-it-or-leave-it, my-way-or-the-highway ideological rigidity.

He set out to recreate the Sunshine State in his image — and let no one stand in his way. He relentlessly attacked government as the cause of our problems, was the sworn enemy of unions and public education. When he told Marco Rubio to jump, the former Florida House Speaker asked, "How high?"

Even now, behind-the-scenes, Jeb pushes an activist, fiercely ideological agenda in Florida: Constitutional Amendment 8, which would destroy our historic separation of church and state and allow unlimited tax dollars to flow to religious organizations — for any purpose. In other words, Jeb is still an example of the rabid partisanship he claims to be against.

The obvious question is: Why is Jeb speaking out now? Why has he not been the voice of compromise and moderation during most of the Obama years — and especially after Sen. Mitch McConnell said his chief goal was to make Obama a one-term president?

Obviously, because the strategy has boomeranged!

Being anti-everything-Obama has made the tea party/GOP anti-women, anti-immigrant, anti-a-lot-of-good things. Jeb now realizes he and his party opened a Pandora's box of political mischief, indulged the tea-party Frankenstein that has taken over and is destroying them — and he's lost any chance of becoming president.

"All the world's a stage"— and Jeb and the tea party/GOP don't know it, but they are acting out a Greek tragedy.

Rubio not ready for prime time

"Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) attacked President Barack Obama's new immigration policy on Sunday, claiming that the new standard, which grants certain young undocumented immigrants a reprieve from deportation, 'injects politics' into the debate over immigration." However,

Rubio has long supported an immigration policy very similar to Obama's, which provides people who came to the United States at a very young age with a path to legal status, but not citizenship. He did not offer alternatives to the administration's policy during his appearance Sunday [on "NBC's Meet The Press"].

Corporate welfare explodes

"Since January 2011, Florida has pledged nearly $155 million in tax breaks and other incentives to companies promising to create jobs in the state." "Mistakenly released database reveals that Florida has pledged nearly $155 million in incentives to create jobs". See also "Incentive deals cut by Scott are small but numerous".

Scott's "contradictions abound"

"The governor has learned to tune his message as he keeps a constant eye on reelection. But while some changes are shifts in policy, others are contradictions."

Eighteen months into his first political job, Gov. Rick Scott has mastered one thing: the art of the perpetual campaign.

He has a political consultant and media strategist on retainer and speed dial. The Republican Party has run statewide television ads and hired a company to regularly update his Facebook page. He has warmed to the media, become adept at his talking points, learned to deflect tough questions and passed the most important test in Florida politics: Showing that he can raise money for his reelection, at $3.7 million so far.

The former health care CEO is still awkward on camera, so his advisors have steered him to friendly conservative talk-radio shows where he spends many early mornings as a regular call-in guest. The result: He has polished his patter.

Scott has stopped touting the state’s job creation and instead brags that “we’ve had the biggest drop in unemployment of any state in the last 18 months.”

The statement implies that Floridians have gone back to work at faster pace than the rest of the nation, but the state’s top economists note that 75 percent of the drop is due to people dropping out of the labor force and who are no longer counted among the unemployed.

Other contradictions abound. The governor vowed to make education a priority, then signed the state budget that cut $300 million from universities and included a spending plan that assumed a 15 percent tuition increase and the creation of a 12th university. Last week he then urged the Board of Governors to make Florida “Number 1 in affordability” and reject the tuition hikes. They didn’t.

The governor has promised to keep the cost of living down for Floridians but has accepted $250,000 in campaign cash from Florida Power & Light, which wants to raise electric rates for its 4.5 million customers.

Scott campaigned on being a Tallahassee outsider but supporters say he does not like being the enforcer. When a series of Herald/Times reports detailed how Scott’s second chief of staff, Steve MacNamara, steered contracts and jobs to friends, the governor called him into his office and asked him to resign earlier than planned.

He kept MacNamara on the job until July 1 and when the governor left the country and spent a month touring the state, MacNamara’s deputy told the Department of Juvenile Justice to give another company a contract advantage. The connection? The lobbyist for the company was close friends with MacNamara’s former boss, Senate President Mike Haridopolos. ...

Scott’s image crafting also has done little to help him in the polls and made him damaged goods on the campaign trail. He has not been invited onto GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney’s campaign bus, and a recent Public Policy Poll of likely voters showed that even little known state Sen. Nan Rich, a Democrat from Weston, could beat Scott if the election for governor were held today.

Rubio expresses "phony outrage"

"Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat, last week accused Republicans, in particular Rubio, of expressing “phony outrage” over the administration’s policy. The administration’s directive allows young undocumented immigrants who were raised in the United States to remain for two years under a deferred deportation." "Obama’s immigration maneuver could box in Romney, GOP". Related: "Rubio calls for depoliticizing immigration issue to find solution" and "Sen. Marco Rubio criticizes those playing politics with immigration".

"Tough look at Vern Buchanan"

"CNN takes tough look at Vern Buchanan". Meanwhile, "Buchanan seeks to muzzle former business partner".

"Florida racing to the bottom"

Lauren Ritchie: "If a clanging gong were used to sound the insincerity of Florida's 'commitment' to educating young people, everybody south of Valdosta would be deaf by now." "Florida racing to the bottom with dual enrollment retreat".

"Impacts of phosphate mining in Florida"

The Sarasota Herald Tribune editorial board: "For more than a decade, local governments, environmental groups and concerned citizens have pleaded with federal and state authorities for a comprehensive study of the cumulative impacts of phosphate mining in Florida."

They've watched as mines were proposed and approved piecemeal, and as mining companies gouged phosphate rock out of Central and Southwest Florida.

Landscapes became moonscapes, wetlands were destroyed and the flow of rivers, streams and underground aquifers were altered. Mine-site reclamation projects eventually improved, but many scientists contend that, despite the companies' claims, the impacts are long-lasting, not temporary.

Gun nut

"Scott defended his purge of state voter rolls and refusal to ban guns in the event zone of the Republican National Convention in a speech to local Republicans Saturday night." "Scott defends RNC gun stance in Tampa speech".

"Why Scott hasn't been invited to campaign alongside Romney"

The Tampa Tribune editorial board: "In his presidential campaign, Republican Mitt Romney stresses the weak economic recovery and high Florida unemployment and, naturally, blames it all on the policies of Barack Obama. Republican Gov. Rick Scott says the state's economy is steadily improving because of his own conservative leadership. The conflicting messages could explain why Scott hasn't been invited to campaign alongside Romney. Whom should we believe?" "Rhetoric obscures state's true outlook".

Scott's "poll numbers are at naked-zombie levels"

Carl Hiaasen writes that Sheldon Adelson

donated $250,000 to Florida Gov. Rick Scott’s PAC, cheerily titled Let’s Get To Work. The contribution — which surely wasn’t intended to influence Scott’s views on upcoming casino legislation — was a boost for the Republican governor, whose poll numbers are at naked-zombie levels.

Nelson decries the polarization

"Wrapping up three days of speeches headlined by President Barack Obama and Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, Florida Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson on Saturday decried the polarization in Washington, echoing remarks made by other legislators at the annual gathering of Latino lawmakers in Orlando." "Sen. Bill Nelson decries 'ideological rigidity' in American politics at NALEO 2012".

Rising seas will drown Florida Keys and Miami-Dade

"Under current projections, the Atlantic would swallow much of the Florida Keys and Miami-Dade in a century, according to experts at a sea-level rise summit". "Rising seas mean shrinking South Florida future, experts say".

Blame Fidel

Medicare fraud? Myriam Marquez thinks Fidel did it! "After 53 years of elaborate schemes, murder and mayhem from Angola to Venezuela, Fidel and Raúl have gotten pretty good at it. But the bottom line really isn’t that complicated if the doubters care to seek the truth. Nothing happens in Cuba without the consent of the Castros. Certainly nothing having to do with money, and certainly not millions of dollars in deposits in Cuban government-controlled banks. Was the Cuban government taking a cut?" "Medicare fraud’s men in Havana".

Kristin Jacobs

"Congressional candidate Jacobs emerged from abusive marriage".

"Getting eyeballs"

"How can a political candidate guarantee getting eyeballs on his campaign advertising? By airing it during the NBA Finals, of course. Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez’s reelection campaign aired its first TV spot last week during Game 4 between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Miami Heat." "Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez’s reelection ad airs during Heat game".

Scott "steering Florida toward a 'Mad Men'-esque vision"

Aaron Deslatte: "This is the kind of news that probably makes Mitt Romney happier than Rick Scott: Florida's declining unemployment rate is due more to would-be workers dropping out of the hunt for jobs than to new hirings by employers. That's the consensus of the Legislature's Office of Economic and Demographic Research, which noted this month that although the state's jobless rate fell from 9.9 percent in December 2011 to 8.7 percent in April 2012, '75 percent of the drop … is due to people dropping out of the labor force.'"

When The Miami Herald asked Scott spokesman Lane Wright why the governor kept claiming success by pointing to a statistic that actually reflects a dwindling labor pool, Wright responded that Scott was simply using the same metric as other governors.

Then he posited an interesting theory:

"How many of those people are mothers who decided they just want to stay at home and let their husbands provide for the family? They didn't need to work. Do you know how many mothers qualify and have dropped out of the unemployment rolls? How many have retired? How many of those are baby boomers that have retired?" Wright told the Herald.

Wright clarified to us that "my point wasn't to hype stay-at-home moms. My point was to say we don't know. All my point is, we don't know" who is dropping out of the labor force.

And Scott's office certainly doesn't want to suggest its economic policies are steering Florida toward a "Mad Men"-esque vision where more women stay home to make babies and highballs for their bread-winning husbands. (Because really, who wants to smoke that much anymore?)

But, could a shift to single-income households be a legitimate explanatory variable for people dropping out of the labor force? The research appears thin.

"Other U.S. cities exploiting what should be Miami's slam-dunks

The Miami Herald editorial board complains that "other U.S. cities are exploiting what should be our slam-dunks. For instance, Miami is the favored port — this year — for Brazil, Honduras and Peru. But Houston is the port of choice for Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Venezuela, according to WorldCity, a Miami-based trade publication. And Los Angeles, bereft of Latin American banks, may be giving a flirtatious eye to those lining Brickell." "Miami can lead the pack".

LeMieux, Broward blues

"George LeMieux dropping out of the U.S. Senate race last week was a blow for some GOP activists in his home county of Broward." "Broward Republicans lose prominent local candidate".

"The write-in tactic"

"Kevin Gross is running for Seminole County Commission, but you won't see his name on a ballot. He doesn't have a campaign website, and it's unlikely he will knock on doors looking for votes."

Gross, a registered Republican from Longwood, is a write-in candidate. Yet despite his low profile, he could have a significant influence on the District 3 commission race Aug. 14.

Because of a loophole in state law, his candidacy means that only registered Republicans — about 41 percent of the county's 260,000 registered voters — will be able to vote in the race. If not for Gross, all registered voters in Seminole could vote in the Republican primary.

Across Florida, Republicans and Democrats alike have used the write-in tactic to keep voters from other parties out of their primaries.

In the Seminole case, no Democrats are seeking the commission seat now held by Dick Van Der Weide. But opening the Republican primary to Democrats and independents would likely benefit candidate Lee Constantine. A longtime state legislator, Constantine could draw votes from non-Republicans because of his name recognition. Donald Epps and Kathleen Gallagher McIver are also seeking the seat.

"I do wish this was changed," Seminole Supervisor of Elections Michael Ertel said of the loophole. "What's frustrating about this for a lot of people is that it just seems to be used as a tactic by one side. … And it causes people not to have much faith in the election process overall."

According to state law, everyone can vote in a primary election when only one party fields candidates. The exception: If write-in candidates, such as Gross, enter the race, then the primary is open only to registered voters of that party, with the winner facing the write-in candidates in the general election.

Supporters of the loophole say that the purpose of a primary should be to allow members of a party to select their best candidate for the general election.