There is no gender gap in Florida, unlike many other states, but there is a material age gap and race gap: Romney leads by 4 points among voters age 50+; Obama leads by 14 points among voters age 18 to 49. Romney leads 5:4 among white voters, Obama leads 10:1 among black voters.

3 key groups propel Obama today: Hispanics break 5:4 Democrat. Moderates break 2:1 Democrat. Independents break 4:3 Democrat. Obama leads among voters who earn less than $40,000 a year; Romney leads among voters who earn more than $80,000 a year. Those Floridians voting for Mitt Romney 3:1 prefer Marco Rubio to be Romney's running mate over Condoleezza Rice.

incumbent Democrat Bill Nelson does not fare as well as fellow Democrat Obama. Republican U.S. House member Connie Mack leads Nelson 48% to 42%, and is positioned for a possible Senate-seat takeaway.

Hispanics, who vote for Democrat Obama by 10 points today, vote for Republican Mack by 12 points, a 22-point difference. Independents, who vote for Democrat Obama by 11 points, vote for Republican Mack by 4 points, a 15-point difference. Middle-income voters, who vote for Democrat Obama by 11 points, vote for Republican Mack by 2 points, a 13-point difference. 9% of Obama voters cross-over and vote Republican in the U.S. Senate contest. These factors combine to tip the balance to Mhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifack.

FlaGOPers cry in their caviar

"The national media might be abuzz about the names on Mitt Romney’s vice presidential shortlist, but in Florida many folks are mourning the prize they thought they had in the palm of their hands. A shot at a place in the White House: either U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio or former Gov. Jeb Bush as Romney's running mate." "Jeb Bush or Marco Rubio as Romney's VP Choice -- While Hope Fades, the Dream Lives".

"Political headwinds favoring Romney in America's biggest battleground state"

Adam C. Smith: "Razor-thin presidential elections are typical in Florida, and there's no reason to think 2012 will be any different, particularly as undecided voters here tend to make up their minds late in the campaign. But the fundamental political headwinds are favoring Romney in America's biggest battleground state."

Recent polls consistently underscore Romney's advantages:

• 54 percent of likely Florida voters believe the country is on the wrong track, and only 35 percent believe Obama's policies have improved the economy, according to a July 9-11 Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald/Bay News 9 poll conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research.

• A poll this month by the bipartisan firm Purple Strategies found 50 percent of Florida voters said Obama was a failure as president, and only 40 percent said Romney couldn't do a better job improving the economy.

• Recent national Gallup polls have found the president's support among Jewish voters has dropped 10 percent since 2008, and the number of voters younger than 30 — a key group for Obama — who said they definitely will vote at all has dropped 20 percentage points to 58 percent.

• In poll after poll this year, the president's approval rating has remained below 50 percent, ominous for any incumbent.

"An incumbent struggling to stay at 45 percent — after plowing through $20 million in negative advertising, and holding more than 20 campaign events in one state — is in trouble," Republican consultant Brett Doster, a senior adviser to the Romney campaign, wrote in a memo welcoming Obama to Florida last week.

Obama, just as he did in 2008, is building the largest campaign organization Florida has ever seen, and his allies say that methodical effort is right on track. Democrats have out-registered Republicans for five straight months.

Obama cuts out

"Obama cuts Florida campaign swing short".

Flobama

"President Barack Obama campaigns in Jacksonville and West Palm Beach, but he faces a more pessimistic electorate than in 2008 and he’s grappling with tougher opponent in Mitt Romney." "As thrill fades, President Barack Obama fires up supporters on Medicare, tax cuts".

"A handful of gimme and a mouthful of much obliged"

"There was a hint of 'it's about time' Thursday, as Florida port leaders praised a federal announcement to speed up work at JaxPort. State officials took it as a sign the feds are joining their effort to push upgrades at Sunshine State port facilities." "Finally! Feds Recognize Urgency of Florida Port Upgrades".

SD 39

"SD 39: Ron Saunders Leads Crowded Dem Primary in Money Chase".

"Yes, Jennifer, you do look like a lesbian"

Lloyd Dunkelberger:

WINNER OF THE WEEK: Florida’s counties. They saw the state’s claim that they owed $316 million in Medicaid payments reduced to $146 million. The counties are considering dropping their lawsuit against the state over the issue.

LOSER OF THE WEEK: Connie Mack. The Tampa Bay Times, the state’s largest newspaper, endorsed Mack’s opponent, Dave Weldon, in the Aug. 14 Republican primary for the U.S. Senate. Mack accused the newspaper of pursuing a “liberal” agenda. He was rebuked later in the week by the conservative Wall Street Journal.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “Yes, Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll, you do look like a lesbian,” Nadine Smith, head of Equality Florida, a gay rights group, said in an opinion piece criticizing Carroll’s comments that women “who look like me don’t engage in relationships like that.”

DOE miscalculates school grades

"DOE miscalculates school grades in Orange, Osceola, Lake, Volusia". See also "Error by state leads to higher grades at 11 schools".

18 percent of Floridians receive federal food assistance

"As Congress considers a farm bill that could slash federal food assistance, Florida — with nearly 18 percent of its residents relying on that help — could find its poor still further submerged beneath the poverty line. ... Since 2007, before the recession, the number of Florida residents receiving food assistance has more than doubled, said Rebecca Brislain, executive director of the Florida Association of Food Banks." "Food aid cuts would hit Florida hard".

Movin' on

"The Department of Health has a new chief of staff and the wildlife commission's finance director retires." "Arrivals and Departures". See also "TB outbreak point person leaves job for corrections department post" and "DOH deputy secretary moves to DOC".

"State's jobless rate stalls"

"State's jobless rate stalls at 8.6 percent". See also "Florida gains 9,000 jobs in June, but unemployment rate doesn't budge".

"Democrats sharpen their knives"

"This week in the roundup, Republican leaders try to tone down a Tampa-area Senate race, and Democrats sharpen their knives for three fierce campaign battles in the upper chamber." "Campaign Roundup: Tampa Senate race intrigue; Dems home in on 3 Senate races".

SD 12 Dem primary

"Democrats voting in the primary election for the Florida Senate's newly drawn District 12 will find a choice between an experienced legislator, Rep. Geraldine Thompson, and a candidate with a familiar last name — Victoria Siplin, the wife of outgoing state Sen. Gary Siplin. And nowhere is the contest between the two African-American women more visible than in the historically black neighborhood of Washington Shores. Signs for Siplin and Thompson dot many front yards in the community west of downtown Orlando." "Thompson-Siplin state Senate matchup tests experience vs. name recognition".

"Florida can't grow its way out of this one"

Aaron Deslatte: "Policymakers insist that if businesses are freed from costly environmental and safety regulations, developers are untethered from state-mandated comprehensive planning and citizens are unburdened of already comparatively low tax burdens, the state can recapture the glory days of its adolescent-growth phase."

From 1990 through 2007, Florida saw average population growth of 2.12 percent annually, or 321,991 people a year.

Those 5.8 million new people helped power a real-estate boom, fueled tax-revenue growth and exacerbated environmental threats and urban-planning challenges. But those problems were generally less severe that those confronting policymakers in states with declining populations and hollowed-out tax bases.

The money let Republican policymakers experiment with all manner of conservative ideas, such as the FCAT school-accountability push, charter schools, vouchers and big tax cuts. When Jeb Bush left the Governor's Office in January 2007, he was bragging about $8 billion in cumulative tax cuts he had enacted.

But the Republicans also enjoyed the feel-good luxury of being able to throw money at problems. Billions went into affordable-housing programs and expanded tax incentives for corporations. During Bush's final year, he even pushed lawmakers to pour $1.5 billion into tough growth-management measures — measures that were gutted five years later.

Back to the point: We know now that Florida's population growth never stopped completely during the Great Recession — although it did shrink to 0.89 percent during the past four years, or about 168,662 people a year. In 2009, just 73,000 people moved here.

And according to an estimate the Legislature's Office of Economic and Demographic Research released last week, annual growth is expected to hover around 1 percent or less through 2040.

With Florida's senior-heavy population and aging baby boomers, the state's natural growth (births minus deaths) is projected to become a smaller and smaller percentage of overall population growth, from roughly 20 percent this year to about 9.4 percent by 2030.

That will make Florida's growth-addicted economy even more dependent on people moving here. That is necessitating the vicious cycle of trying to make an already low-tax, small-government state even cheaper — to the detriment of many public goals.

He wants to strengthen Florida's "knowledge-based work force," yet he has cut funding for public schools and universities. ...

The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. And it looks like Florida can't grow its way out of this one.

Week in Review

"This week a study suggests the real reason the jobless rate is falling; there's movement on Internet sales tax; state prisons look to privatize health care; the voter purge catches break, then stalls; and a shooting in an Internet cafe raises two issues." "Week in Review for July 16 to July 20".

"Rubio and Scott won’t admit it"

"President Barack Obama’s “health exchanges” are similar to Rubio’s 2008 idea of a Florida marketplace to make health insurance more affordable."

In the months before he became Florida House speaker, Marco Rubio crisscrossed the state searching for ways to make Florida better.

The best proposals, dealing with topics ranging from property taxes to education, became a book: 100 Innovative Ideas for Florida’s Future.

Chapter 8 is titled “Quality Healthcare at an Affordable Price,” and it includes Idea No. 87: “Florida should launch a marketplace of affordable health insurance.”

Why is any of this important now, more than five years later?

While Gov. Rick Scott has said Florida will refuse to participate in optional provisions of the federal health care law, including the creation of a state health insurance exchange, Rubio’s vision for an insurance marketplace is about to come to fruition.

It’s called Florida Health Choices.

And though Republicans such as Rubio and Scott won’t admit it, Florida’s marketplace is a lot like President Barack Obama’s exchange.

Is it "something larger and more sinister and apt to the times?"

Fabiola Santiago: "Sometimes, the threats to media freedoms aren’t blatant and up front, but they’re no less dangerous. They take the guise of regulation, behind-the-scenes intimidation, and in the latest case in our state, in a housekeeping directive by the administration of the University of Florida that the signature orange newspaper racks carrying The Independent Florida Alligator on campus be removed."

What is really behind this attempt to undermine the student newspaper and tax what is essentially a public service?

Is it a crass attempt to collect more fees, or something larger and more sinister and apt to the times?

Tough talkers

"Amid tough talk about severance negotiations, Miami Beach commissioners may have unwittingly given their ousted city manager an extra $45,000 in unused leave and allowed him to fatten his pension while sitting at home." "More time off possible for former Miami Beach city manager?".

Orlando Circuit Judge Marc Lubet ordered a continuance after Greer’s lawyer, Damon Chase, asked for more time to review documents he is subpoenaing from the Republican Party of Florida.

Chase said he wants to be sure he can review any emails, notes, memos and reports that mention Victory Strategies LLC, the company Greer is accused of using to get almost $200,000 out of the party. The party’s attorney, Stephen Dobson, said emails for Delmar Johnson, the party’s former executive director, alone numbered around 70,000.

Allegations against Ballard and Sergeant may be released

"In the middle of a pretrial hearing for ousted Florida GOP Chairman Jim Greer, who's charged with fraud and grand theft, Circuit Judge Marc Lubet walked into a back room at the Orange County courthouse Thursday and read a four-page police report. When he came out, he rattled off the names of four prominent Florida Republicans who will be witnesses in Greer's trial."

Two unnamed potential witnesses had hired a lawyer, Richard Hornsby, who asked that the judge keep secret what is in those four pages. It is "defamatory", "salacious and basically harassing in nature," Hornsby said, and not relevant to the case.

Lubet pushed back by four months the start date of Greer's trial, which had been scheduled to start July 30, but made no immediate decision on whether to release the police report. He would decide, he said, early next week.

No one discussed in open court what the report contained, and Hornsby would not identify his clients.

But by reading aloud the names of those four powerful Republicans, the judge hinted broadly about whose reputations might take a beating: former state party executive director Delmar Johnson; GOP lobbyist Brian Ballard; former party finance chairman and major party donor Harry Sergeant III; and Dane Eagle, the longtime travel aide to former Gov. Charlie Crist.

HD 45

"Democratic voters in the newly drawn House District 45 will decide between a former legislative aide to termed-out Orlando Sen. Gary Siplin and a former political consultant to the controversial lawmaker when they pick a nominee on Aug. 14."

Randolph Bracy III, 35, is a former basketball player at William and Mary College who has worked for an Orange County charter school and dabbled in politics as a consultant for Siplin. His father, Randolph Bracy Jr., is the well-known senior pastor at New Covenant Baptist Church of Orlando and former chair of the Orange chapter of the NAACP.

Shannon Currie, 42, has spent seven years as a legislative aide to Siplin, whose wife is also running this summer to replace him in the Florida Senate.

Both Democratic candidates say they want to follow in Siplin's footsteps – at least as far as finding ways to win allies in a political process in Tallahassee dominated by Republicans.

Siplin, though a Democrat, has been a reliable vote for the Senate's Republican leadership on controversial bills over the years – including fighting the Fair Districts reforms, voting for GOP spending bills, and was one of the few minority-party members to chair a committee.

Tampa Teabaggery

"There's another big rally being discussed for the eve of the Republican National Convention, this one involving the tea party and potential appearances by former GOP presidential candidates Michele Bachmann and Herman Cain." "Tea Party looks at organizing pre-RNC rally".

Flobama

"President Barack Obama returned Thursday to the Florida city he used in 2008 to draw a stark contrast to his past Republican rival, reviving the same themes of an embattled middle class against his new opponent Mitt Romney."

In 2008, after John McCain memorably told a Jacksonville audience that “the fundamentals of the economy are strong,” Obama drew 9,000 supporters to Veteran’s Memorial Arena on the eve of his election and promised change and hope.

This time, Obama told a sellout crowd estimated at 3,000 that the Prime Osborn Convention Center that Wall Street’s “culture of anything goes” and the “worst economic crisis since the Great Depression” are among the factors that continue to threaten the future of the middle class.

“We are here today because we recognize that this basic bargain, this essence of who we are — the simple American Dream — is at risk like never before,’’ he said. “What’s standing in our way is not technical solutions …What’s standing in our way is our politics.’’

But Obama steered clear of attacks on Romney’s business record and instead tailored his message toward seniors and the middle class on the first day of a two-day campaign swing in the nation's biggest battleground state. He stops in Fort Myers and Orlando on Friday.

HDs 81 and 82

See "HD 82: Carl Domino Faces Four GOP Foes as He Looks to Return to Tallahassee" and "HD 81: Steve Perman and Kevin Rader Battle in Democratic Primary".

Teachers to know their accusers

"The identity of students who submit complaints about teachers to public schools, including colleges and universities, are public records and must be disclosed to citizens, a Florida appellate court ruled Thursday." "Florida college must identify complaining student".

Heritage Foundation lectures Florida Health Insurance Industry Advisory Board

"Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty told members of the Florida Health Insurance Industry Advisory Board -- meeting for the first time since June 28, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to uphold the Affordable Care Act -- that the ruling created “ambiguity” regarding the state exchanges and Medicaid expansion."

Florida continues to actively resist the now-optional parts of the federal plan that include federal health-care exchanges. It is setting up a voluntary health-insurance marketplace for small businesses that goes into place next year,

Meanwhile, board members were told that little information has trickled out about what insurers -- if they participate in the subsidized exchanges -- are required to offer and how they would get paid.

“These plans are supposed to be ready on Oct. 1, 2013, and these exchanges are expected to open, while we’re now ticking down to 14, 15 months before that and those two big questions have not been answered,” said Edmund Haislmaier, the Heritage Foundation’s senior research fellow for health policy studies.

“It becomes questionable as to whether this thing will be ready, never mind the whole issue of the exchanges to screen the information through a federal data hub.”

Further stirring up the waters is the fall election.

Republican heavyweights make Senate ugly race uglier

"Two more Republican heavyweights climbed aboard Thursday to endorse Tom Lee in his primary bid against Rep. Rachel Burgin in a Senate race that has turned ugly and personal. Lee, a former Senate president from Brandon who is looking to return to the Legislature, received the endorsements of Sens. John Thrasher and Joe Negron in his quest to become the GOP nominee in District 24. The support comes in addition to previous endorsements from incoming Senate President Don Gaetz, Senate Majority Leader Andy Gardiner and Sen. Jack Latvala." "John Thrasher, Joe Negron Join Support for Tom Lee".

Background: "Ex-Senate President Tom Lee calls 'garbage' a mass mailing attacking him that recently went out and says lobbyists are out to torpedo him in Senate District 24." "Burgin: 'I knew nothing of hit piece'". See also "Burgin says she's not behind Tom Lee attack ad".

Nancy Smith wrote this yesterday, "Does Attack on Tom Lee Have Senate Leadership Overtones?".

SDs 4 and 15

See "SD 15: Kelli Stargel Leading GOP Primary Field in Money Chase" and "SD 4: First Coast GOP Rivals Unveil Endorsements".

Carroll has turned her job into an episode of "Desperate Bureaucrats"

Daniel Ruth explains the goings on in the lieutenant governor's office:

"Salacious allegations of office randiness. Surreptitious bugging of employee conversations. Catty rumor-mongering, with a dollop of sneering gossip — always a nice touch. And let us not forget the mini-wastebasket conflagration. Employees being read their Miranda rights. Enter the lawyers."

[Lt. Gov. Jennifer] Carroll has managed to turn her make-work job into an episode of Desperate Bureaucrats with former aide Carletha Cole accused of handing over an illegally recorded conversation to a reporter for the Florida Times-Union.

The recording Cole allegedly passed along to the press involved a conversation between John Konkus, Carroll's chief of staff, and Cole, who worked as a senior program analyst and flack for the lieutenant governor, jobs which probably involved unlinking tangled paperclips.

On the recording, Konkus is heard bragging that Steve MacNamara, who was then Gov. Rick Scott's chief of staff, was afraid of Carroll.

How naive of Konkus. During his time in Tallahassee, MacNamara was one of the capital's most powerful and influential insiders. He used people like Carroll for dental floss.

Konkus then whines that Scott is "not leading," which is not exactly a big state secret in Tallahassee.

And for supposedly exposing a recording that was more innocuous than a chat you have with your cat, Cole is facing the possibility of five years in the slammer?

But Cole, who is also a minister, wasn't about to take her legal pickle lying down, especially if she could get Carroll to take her place, so to speak.

Cole denied being the secret taper, suggesting instead it was Carroll, who had found her inner Richard Nixon. Maybe she was bored.

And Cole was only getting warmed up, so to speak. She claimed she had walked in on Carroll and a female staffer, Beatriz Ramos, and found the two in an indelicate position.

Capping off the Animal House atmosphere in the capital, Cole's trash receptacle caught fire. Who knows how this got started, although Ramos suggested it might have happened when she tossed a lit cigar into the can. Busy people, these folks are.

Let us remind ourselves that all this saucy fiddle-faddle is coming out of the office of the lieutenant governor, a job with less impact on the affairs of the state than Scott's barber.

Carroll took time from her hectic schedule of rearranging the paperweights on her desk to deny anything untoward occurred between herself and Ramos, noting she was a wife and mother and besides, "black women who look like me don't engage in (lesbian relationships)."

Gambling in the Florida Constitution?

The Orlando Sentinel editorial board: "Going forward, gambling should be addressed through state law, not constitutional amendments. There's a clear reason why: Namely, state law is flexible and can be changed more easily when unintended consequences emerge. Not so for the state constitution. The Florida Constitution is best limited to issues regarding the structure of government and basic rights of Floridians." "Keep gambling proposal out of Fla. Constitution".

The Palm Beach Post editors: "Keep mega-casino bill off Florida’s 2014 ballot".

Rankings run wild

"The state Health Department, which came up with a ranking system of county health systems at Gov. Rick Scott’s request, says the document is still a work in progress." "County health departments get ranking by state".

"Vicious attack mailer, an eyebrow-raiser"

"A vicious attack mailer, an eyebrow-raiser, against former Florida Senate President Tom Lee hit mailboxes this week in Senate District 24, and among politicos in the state capital especially, it's still causing a stir."

The mailer includes a reproduction of a fractured wedding photo, mentioning Lee's 2001 divorce, claiming he had an affair with a gaming industry lobbyist -- an allegation Lee has categorically denied. ...

The direct-mail piece is the latest example of how political committees are heating up targeted Senate races this election cycle, due to the enormity of their implications on the chamber's leadership. Republicans could see as many as 10 new senators added to their caucus, representing a large new voting bloc with the potential to determine the Senate leadership outcomes post-Don Gaetz and Andy Gardiner.

The Lee hit piece was produced by The American People Committee Inc., a Florida Committee of Continuous Existence (CCE), whose chairwoman is powerful Tallahassee lobbyist Kenya Cory. Of note, under Florida elections law, this type of advertising is allowed for Electioneering Communication Organizations (ECOs) but not for CCEs.

Said attorney Mark Herron, ethics and elections specialist with Messer, Caparello & Self PA in Tallahassee, "CCEs are prohibited from doing political advertising or electioneering. They can't do it."

Cory was unavailable Wednesday afternoon.

Examination of The American People Committee’s financial records revealed a link between the committee and state Sen. Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, who is currently in a contentious leadership race with Sen. Joe Negron, R-Stuart. The committee has made contributions to numerous candidates supported by Latvala as well as a $5,000 contribution to Latvala’s leadership committee – the Florida Leadership Fund.

GOPer Senate Primaries heat up

Kevin Derby: "SD 15: Kelli Stargel Leading GOP Primary Field in Money Chase" and "SD 4: First Coast GOP Rivals Unveil Endorsements".

Lt. Gov. Carroll denies she "looks" lesbian

Lloyd Dunkelberger: "The head of a major gay rights group in Florida criticized Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll’s recent comments that women 'who look like me don’t engage in relationships like that.'"

In an opinion piece, Nadine Smith, head of Equality Florida, which calls itself the largest civil rights organization in the state that promotes equal treatment for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, said Carroll’s comments were out of line.

“There are many ways for a person to deny accusations, but Lt. Gov. Carroll reached into her anti-gay bag of tricks and ended up hurling a series of stereotypes about women, lesbians and black people in one fell swoop,” Smith said in her critique. “The hyper, nervous giggling didn’t help matters.”

"Masked protesters will not be allowed"

"The city releases details of the rules and parameters for the area, which extend beyond this photo, around the convention welcoming cocktail party at Tropicana Field and other events." "City plans expansive event zone". See also "See detailed map of the event zone". Background: "Tampa established event zone for convention".

'Glades

The Miami Herald editorial board: "U.S. District Judge Alan Gold’s order last week ... clears the way for a historic $880 million cleanup plan agreed upon by state and federal governments. The Obama administration also announced an $80 million program to preserve 23,000 acres of farmland by buying up the development rights to ensure that ranchland in the Northern Everglades remains pristine in perpetuity — a key to saving the endangered Florida panther." "Everglades gets fighting chance". Related: "U.S. interior secretary urges continued Everglades commitment".

Bob Graham, he ain't

"Gov. Scott 'gets to work' at Hillsborough River State Park".

"A tax system that hasn't evolved"

The Orlando Sentinel editorial board: "Florida has a chronic budget problem: The money raised by its tax system hasn't been growing as fast as state government's expenses. Lawmakers have been closing annual deficits primarily through spending cuts. Last year, they slashed $1.3 billion in funding for public schools. This year, they hacked $300 million out of higher education and sliced $350 million from hospitals. While part of the shortfalls in recent years can be blamed on the Great Recession and its lingering effects, part is also attributable to a tax system that hasn't evolved with the economy. " "How should state taxes change?".

Convenience store jobs on the way!

"Rick Scott: 4,500 Jobs on the Way as Wawa Opens, Digital Risk Expands". See also "Gov. Scott touts new jobs in Central Florida".

HD 24

"Primary Profile: Democrats square off in House District 24, hope to nab seat from Republicans".

"Quiet voter purge"

"Long before Florida's controversial non-citizen voter purge drew national attention, a dozen Sarasota County residents got letters in the mail from the supervisor of elections warning them that they may have broken the law by registering to vote."

They had all checked a box on a form excusing them from jury duty that indicated they were not U.S. citizens.

All but one — later found not to be a citizen, though he had never actually voted — had checked the box in error. Many were not added back to the voting rolls until months later.

That 11 of them ultimately had their citizenship confirmed underscores the difficulty for elections supervisors seeking to identify fraudulent voters. Various databases can contain out-of-date or inaccurate citizenship information.

Bondi loses another one

"A federal judge Tuesday tossed out a challenge by Florida and six other states to the part of the federal health law that requires coverage for contraceptives in insurance plans." "U.S. judge rejects states’ challenge to health care law’s contraceptive rule".

"BP Money Fight"

"The payoff may be years away, but Florida stakeholders are already coordinating efforts to make sure the state gets its share of BP oil spill compensation in what could be the largest Gulf restoration effort in history." "Groups Ready for BP Money Fight".

Dawson seeks less jail time

"When former South Florida lawmaker Mandy Dawson is sentenced Friday for tax crimes related to a pay-to-play political corruption case, she wants a federal judge to give her a lighter punishment because of her depression and ongoing illegal drug abuse problems." "Former state Sen. Mandy Dawson seeks less jail time, admits to cocaine abuse".

They don’t like the governor they elected, but they like his policies — even those found to be constitutionally questionable by the courts.

They overwhelmingly support the flawed Stand Your Ground Law used by some people to get away with murder, but reject the Affordable Care Act that would make it possible for people with pre-existing medical conditions to get insurance.

If one is to believe the results of a Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times/Bay News 9 poll of 800 voters likely to vote in the Nov. 6 election, the conservative Florida that elected Rick Scott hasn’t grown any wiser in the 18 months he’s been in office.

Never mind the ample media coverage of Scott’s controversial initiatives.

Floridians support the governor’s voter purge, despite evidence that citizens have been removed and that minorities have been targeted.

They support Scott’s attempt to drug-test welfare recipients, even though that measure was struck down by a federal judge who said it violates the Fourth Amendment ban on illegal searches and seizure of a class of people.

Despite detailed reports about Scott’s outright lies about the effects of the president’s healthcare reform and that the U.S. Supreme Court largely upheld its constitutionality, 52 percent of Florida voters oppose the Affordable Care Act because they think it will make the healthcare system worse.

These are the same voters who give Scott low approval ratings and elected him knowing that he was the chief executive of a hospital chain accused of perpetrating a billion-dollar Medicare fraud and of violating other federal laws mostly while he was in charge.

"There’s more of this decision-making to come in the general election, and unfortunately for the nation, our lack of sound judgment could once again reverberate all the way to the White House.

HD 116

"HD 116: Jose Felix Diaz Has the Financial Edge on Ana Rivas Logan".

Teabagger cash flows to West

"GOP Rep. Allen West's $2.3 million for the quarter ending June 30 continued the contribution juggernaut that has allowed the one-term incumbent to amass nearly $10 million so far in his first re-election campaign." "Rep. Allen West leads fundraising race among congressional candidates in Florida".

SD 25

"SD 25: Joe Abruzzo Waits to See Who Emerges in GOP Primary Battle".

Scott's "politically motivated power plays"

"In a cost-saving move affecting nearly 3,000 Department of Corrections employees, the prison system announced plans Tuesday to privatize inmate health care services with two companies."

AFSCME state president Jeanette Wynn, a retired hospital attendant from Florida State Hospital in Chattahoochee, said Scott was making "politically motivated power plays" to reward Republican campaign contributors with state contracts.

Scott scrapes bottom of the barrel

"Scott wants Florida’s congressional delegation to dig deeper into a growing scandal involving the manipulation of important benchmark interest rates, which he says could reach beyond Barclays Capital and impact Florida businesses and residents."

He also wants the U.S. representatives and senators to address allegations that the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in 2008, when under the direction of President Obama’s Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, may have been advised of problems with the reporting of the London interbank offered rate “Libor.”

“Based on what has been reported already, these inappropriate banking practices have cost hard-working Floridians money,” Scott wrote to Florida’s congressional members on Tuesday.

“As investigations into other institutions proceed, the question that must be answered is, 'How much money has this cost Florida families?’”
Barclays has agreed to pay $453 million, admitting it lied in its Libor submissions regarding borrowing costs.

Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi is among a handful of state attorneys general already trying to determine if they have jurisdiction over banks found manipulating lending benchmarks following British-based Barclays settlement with both U.S. and U.K. authorities.

Wingnuts won't get their Rubio

"Sen. Marco Rubio seems to have fallen off the shortlist of vice-presidential candidates for Republican Mitt Romney. The right wing isn’t happy." "Bye-bye Marco Rubio in Romney veepstakes?".

Scott’s refuses to expand health insurance for the poor

Advocates for "the poor are ramping up lobbying in an effort to persuade state legislators to block Gov. Rick Scott’s refusal to expand health insurance for the poor, under the Affordable Care Act." "Advocates for hospitals and the poor push back on Florida’s refusal of federal Medicaid money to expand health coverage".

HD 17

"Primary Profile: Rep. Renuart faces challenge in new district".

Mica holds major fundraising edge over Adams

"New fundraising figures confirm what many Central Florida Republicans already expected: veteran U.S. Rep. John Mica of Winter Park will hold a major edge over freshman U.S. Rep. Sandy Adams of Orlando going into their Aug. 14 primary. According to new election reports, Mica raised about $400,000 in April, May and June to give him about $1.3 million going into the homestretch. Adams netted about $129,000 to give her about $500,000 cash-on-hand." "10-term incumbent Mica outraises Adams by 3-1 margin".

"Tallahassee is an incubator for hubris"

"As voters in suburban Tampa prepare to nominate a state Senate candidate, the issue of gambling is prompting allegations of campaign dirty tricks."

A gambling lobbyist wrote a fundraising letter on behalf of former Senate President Tom Lee of Brandon, but Lee calls the move "a hatchet job" designed to inaccurately paint him as pro-gambling in his Aug. 14 primary battle with Rep. Rachel Burgin, R-Riverview.

The race between Burgin and Lee is being fought in east Hills­borough, an area with many social conservatives who oppose gambling, which both candidates also say they oppose.

Gambling lobbyist Marc Dunbar wrote the letter to his clients in which he praised Lee as a "true champion for the industry" who as a senator a decade ago teamed with liberal Democrats such as former Sen. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, "a good friend" of gambling, to support racetracks, poker rooms and voter-approved slot machines.

With Lee back in the Senate, Dunbar wrote, Florida can be "a true high stakes commercial gambling market" similar to "Las Vegas and Macau." A Hills­borough County resident who donated money to Burgin's campaign, Patricia McClure, gave the letter to the Times/Herald.

"It's an obvious hatchet job on me," Lee said. "Marc Dunbar has an ax to grind. Tallahassee is an incubator for hubris. These people have long since forgotten about the interests of their clients."

SD 6: John Thrasher Heavy Favorite

"SD 6: John Thrasher Heavy Favorite to Keep Seat".

FlaBaggers in a dither

"Three state Supreme Court justices whom critics have deemed judicial activists have amassed nearly $1 million to assure their retention in November."

With unprecedented contributions rolling in for a judicial contest of any kind in Florida, the three justices up for retention collectively picked up $455,310 -- the bulk from attorneys and law firms -- during the second quarter of the year. The combined number for Supreme Court justices R. Fred Lewis, Barbara Pariente and Peggy Quince almost equaled their first-quarter totals.

The cash donations come as the Florida Bar is running a $300,000 parallel retention education campaign.

The justices have spent more than $240,000, mostly on campaign consultants and campaign staff, according to state Division of Elections records. Justices are required to appoint campaign finance committees because they are prohibited from soliciting contributions personally.

The anti-retention effort is being headed by the Orlando-based Restore Justice2012, an outgrowth of efforts of local tea party activist Jesse Phillips.

Florida's 3.6 percent

"President Barack Obama has reiterated his support for a tax plan that would maintain the current rate for most Americans while increasing the levy paid by individuals earning more than $200,000 annually and couples making more than $250,000."

If that happens, a quarter-million Florida households would see their taxes rise. About 256,000 Florida families and individuals reported incomes of more than $200,000 to the U.S. census; that's about 3.6 percent of the roughly 7.2 million households included in the latest survey.

How bad would that hurt?

For an individual making $300,000 annually, the new rate under Obama would mean about $3,500 more a year in taxes. Someone earning $1 million would pay about $35,000 more, according to tax calculators created by liberal and conservative groups. ...

"The problem with continuing tax cuts for the rich is that they don't spend it," said Bruce Nissen, director of research at the Florida International University Center for Labor Research and Studies. "We don't need to increase savings — that's not the problem."

In Florida, it's difficult to determine which individuals and incomes would be most affected, although state wage statistics provide a few clues. In 2012, earners with the top average wages described themselves as CEOs; others in the top 20 include medical providers — dentists, psychiatrists and oral surgeons — as well as lawyers and financial planners.

"Candidate didn’t disclose"

"Nikasha Wells, a candidate for the Florida House from District 88 in western Palm Beach County, lost a judgment for $44,025 in Circuit Court late last year, but did not include that amount among her liabilities when she filed a financial disclosure form with the State Department of Elections in June." "Florida House candidate didn’t disclose $44,000 judgment for rent nonpayment".

Scott loses another one

"Judge: Florida improperly shifted juvenile-detention costs to counties".

"Florida’s shrinking workforce"

"The latest review of Florida’s economy continues to cloud Gov. Rick Scott’s claims that his policies are prompting an eye-catching drop in unemployment."

The Legislature’s Office of Economic and Demographic Research reported Tuesday that the 1.3 percent decline in the state’s jobless level between the end of 2011 and May can be attributed chiefly to Floridians dropping out of the workforce.

The unemployment rate in December was 9.9 percent and in May clocked in at 8.6 percent. But EDR found that if the same number of Floridians had been seeking jobs in May, the actual unemployment level would have been 9.5 percent, a more modest reduction.

“Sixty-nine percent of the drop in the unemployment rate is due to people dropping out of the labor force,” the analysis concluded.

The role of Florida’s shrinking workforce has been cited before. EDR raised a similar caution last month about April’s rate, which was hailed by Scott and Florida Republican leaders for marking a three-year low in Florida’s jobless level.

SD 35: Margolis Faces Well-Funded GOPer

"SD 35: Gwen Margolis Faces A Well-Funded GOP Opponent in John Couriel".

HD 81

"Two men who vied for the same seat several years ago will square off again during the Aug. 14 Democratic primary election, this time seeking the newly drawn District 81 seat in the Florida House of Representatives." "Once more with feeling: Rader, Perman vie for Florida House seat".

HD 116

"HD 116: Jose Felix Diaz Has the Financial Edge on Ana Rivas Logan".

Mini-Mack mixes it up

"Barack Obama vs. Mitt Romney and Bill Nelson vs. Connie Mack IV may be different races, but Mack is determined to make them inextricably entwined." "Mack's message to Republicans: Supporting Sen. Bill Nelson is like supporting the president".

Florida’s voter purge is back

The Palm Beach Post editorial board: "Like the flu you can’t shake, Florida’s attempted voter purge is back. This strain may not be any better." "Federal list still no reason for Florida to rush voter purge". See also "Elections Supervisors: Search for Noncitizens May Resume after August Primary".

Latvala is one of dozens of state lawmakers taking advantage of a legal loophole that allows them to raise and spend millions from special interests, even though a ban on lobbyist gifts prevents them from accepting a cup of coffee from a lobbyist. Any lawmaker or candidate for the Legislature can operate a fund much like a personal bank account — after notifying the state in writing. ...

The campaign funds, known as CCEs or committees of continuous existence or 527s in reference to part of the IRS code, have existed for years, but are multiplying — and more than 100 now exist. Another 30 lawmakers have recently created them so they can rake in four- and five-figure checks from influential donors such as Blue Cross Blue Shield, U.S. Sugar, Progress Energy, Disney, Florida Power & Light and the Geo Group, a for-profit prison operator.

The money is often funneled to shadowy political groups and spent on hard-hitting ads and mailers in legislative races.

Disney Worldwide Services gave $130,000 to Protect Our Liberty, a fund controlled by six Republican senators including Andy Gardiner of Orlando, Joe Negron of Stuart and Anitere Flores of Miami. Disney's agenda includes opposition to expanded gambling, which it sees as bad for Florida's image as a family friendly tourist destination.

Another leading donor to lawmakers' funds is Automated HealthCare Solutions, a Broward-based medical software company that repackages drugs for doctors to distribute to patients with on-the-job injuries. For years, business groups have tried to break the company's grip, claiming it drives up workers' compensation costs, but Automated's lobbying team killed a bill in the Senate in 2012.

Automated HealthCare is a major donor to the Republican Party and to lawmaker-controlled CCEs. It recently sent $25,000 to Florida Forward, a fund controlled by Rep. Richard Corcoran, R-Trinity, who's slated to become House speaker in 2016.

Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, who will be Senate president in November, has raised $754,000 through the Florida Conservative Majority fund, along with Sens. Gardiner and Negron. Another $1.9 million in Republican Party money has passed through Gaetz's fund to help Gaetz allies in Republican Senate primaries including Tom Lee, a Senate candidate in Hillsborough.

A big chunk of the Gaetz money has flowed to an electioneering group, Liberty Foundation of Florida, which has run ads touting Lee as a pro-family Republican.

"It's destructive to the political process," said Lee's Republican opponent, Rep. Rachel Burgin, R-Riverview. "They're collecting all this money from Republican donors, and they're using it against a conservative Republican to defeat her."

Mica outraises Adams

"New fundraising figures confirm what many Central Florida Republicans already expected: veteran U.S. Rep. John Mica of Winter Park will hold a major edge over freshman U.S. Rep. Sandy Adams of Orlando going into their Aug. 14 primary." "10-term incumbent Mica outraises Adams by 3-1 margin".

"Bowery Boys meets the campfire scene in Blazing Saddles"

Daniel Ruth writes that, "if one aspires to become part of the power-broker cabal in the Florida House and Senate, which is akin to leading the Bowery Boys meets the campfire scene in Blazing Saddles, one must declare one's ambitions years in advance." Jim

Frishe made the horrific error of aligning himself with Sen. Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, who is vying to become Senate president in 2016. Latvala is something of an apostate among Florida Republicans since from time to time he engages in original thought. And to be fair, Latvala has transferred $100,000 from his Florida Leadership Fund to the Committee to Protect Florida, which has sent out leaflets critical of [Frishe's opponent, "fellow Republican House member Jeff Brandes, R-Eddie Haskell"]. There are no clean hands in this mud-slinging.

It comes as no surprise the forces at work to deny Frishe a Senate seat include state Sen. Joe Negron, R-Stuart, who also wants to be Senate president. Negron is part of the phony political action committee Alliance for a Strong Economy, which has contributed $70,000 to Accountability in Government, an umbrella PAC, to spend on ads attacking Frishe.

Poetic irony, isn't it, that the group endeavoring to sabotage the political process and avoid accountability goes by the initials AIG?

Alliance for a Strong, Odious Stench of Political Duplicity also counts among its membership those paragons of virtue Sen. JD Alexander and outgoing Senate President Mike Haridopolos.

Outgoing House Speaker Dean Cannon's bogus Florida Freedom Council tossed in $20,000, and incoming 2014 Speaker Chris Dorworth, whose personal financial acumen makes Greece look like a robust economy, sent $50,000 from his sham PAC to AIG to undermine Frishe's campaign.

But for sheer shamelessness, nothing quite measures up to the disingenuous explanation offered up by Brandes, who claimed he knew nothing about who was supporting AIG even as he was donating $38,000 from his own PAC, Floridians for Liberty — or Craven Politicians Conning the Public With Fake Patriotic Names — to go after Frishe.

"Compromising position" allegation may lead to more charges

"The bitter feud between Florida Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll and a disgruntled aide escalated Monday as the aide’s attorney called for a state arson investigation into a trash can fire in Carroll’s office and the state attorney said he may expand the charges against the aide, Carletha Cole."

Leon County State Attorney Willie Meggs, who charged Cole last October with giving an illegally taped conversation to a newspaper reporter, told the Herald/Times that he is considering additional charges against her for illegally recording the conversation she had with Carroll’s chief of staff, John Konkus.

In the recording, Konkus is heard blaming internal office problems on Gov. Rick Scott’s former Chief of Staff Steve MacNamara and accusing the governor of “not leading.” Cole has declined comment. Cole’s attorney, Steven R. Andrews, denies his client made the recording.

After the recording surfaced on the Florida Times Union website last September, Cole, 51, was fired from her $42,500-a-year job as a senior program analyst for “conduct unbecoming.”

Meggs said Monday he had hoped to settle the initial charges quietly, but said the tenor of the case changed last week when Cole’s attorney filed documents in court alleging that Cole caught Carroll and her travel aide in a "compromising position.”

“We may amend that and charge her with recording it, too,’’ he said. "If you have to go to war, you go to war. I think we’re at war.’’

Waiting for the purge

"Rick Scott Waiting for Supervisors to Restart Search for Noncitizen Voters".

Nearly $1 million to assure retention

"Three state Supreme Court justices whom critics have deemed judicial activists have amassed nearly $1 million to assure their retention in November." "Funds to Retain Florida Supreme Court Justices Near an 'Unprecedented' $1 Million".

"Not clean enough"

"For the 17th year, regional water managers say the sugar industry beat the state target for cutting pollution damaging the Everglades. ... it’s still not clean enough to meet the tough standards set for the sensitive Everglades, which focus on the concentration of phosphorus in the water." "Sugar farms cut pollution".

A related column from Nancy Smith: "Obama’s Schizophrenic Everglades Election Strategy".

Fundraising reports

See "SD 17: John Legg Has Solid Financial Advantage in GOP Primary", "GOP Senate Hopefuls Aaron Bean, Mike Weinstein Raking in Big Cash on First Coast", "SD 17: John Legg Has Solid Financial Advantage in GOP Primary" and "SD 24: Tom Lee Has Fundraising Edge on Rachel Burgin".

The best she could do

"HD 11: Janet Adkins Gets Jeb Bush's Support as GOP Primary Looms".

"Jeb!" continues extreme makeover tour

"Jeb!" continues his extreme makeover tour, whining in Orlando that

"Unlike Bill Clinton, who had to publicly flog himself and say he was in error by being critical of President Obama's campaign attacking Mitt Romney for his business career, there is no orthodoxy. Heretics aren't burned at the stake in the Republican Party."

Panhandle passivity

"State Senators in North Florida Appear Headed for Easy Re-election Bids".

Tongue-lashing

"The board of Citizens Property Insurance Corp. received a tongue-lashing from lawmakers and homeowners during a Monday workshop in Miami after unveiling a plan to raise rates by an average of 7.5 percent next year." "Public workshop in Miami turns into public outcry against Citizens Insurance". See also "Cap Breaking Could Cloud the Credibility of Citizens Property Insurance".

Bondi strides national stage

"Pam Bondi Named as One to Watch Nationally".

"Journalists" being played by Scott

Why are alleged journalists flogging Florida's access to SAVE - under the conditions access was always available to the state - as some sort of "victory" for Rick Scott and his purgers? Today's Orlando Sentinel:

Each name submitted to the database by the state, federal officials said, must be accompanied by a "unique identifier," such as the "alien number" given to immigrants who have green cards. It's not clear how many of the state's initial 2,600 names have such an identifier.

In addition, this restriction means the database would be no help identifying immigrants who came here illegally, since they'd have no "alien number."

"Shocking news"

Joe Henderson is "always stunned when politicians come together from opposite sides of the aisle to pass important legislation for the public good. I guess I shouldn't say "always" since I haven't had to test this theory too often in our toxic political climate, but you know what I mean. Anyway, there was U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, Democrat, visiting the Florida Aquarium on Monday with some shocking news. When they put their minds to it, our leaders still know how to work together. They proved it by passing the RESTORE Act." "Congress can still cooperate".

Fundraising tools created by Miami billionaire businessman

"Newly released campaign finance reports show long-entrenched Miami-Dade commissioners in auto magnate Norman Braman’s crosshairs are facing unprecedented fundraising pressure, and County Mayor Carlos Gimenez enjoys an enormous financial edge over chief rival Joe Martinez for the August election."

The four incumbent commissioners up for reelection — Bruno Barreiro, Audrey Edmonson, Barbara Jordan and Dennis Moss — still enjoy large fundraising leads. But that money is being countered by Braman’s two political groups: an electioneering communications organization called Change for Miami-Dade Now, and a political action committee called Vote For a New Miami-Dade. The two fundraising tools created by the billionaire businessman so far have collected a combined $440,000.

Though the groups must follow different rules than campaigns — an ECO is not allowed to endorse a candidate, for example, but it can attack one — both groups can do something campaigns cannot: solicit unlimited donations.

Agents with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement had waded through piles of credit-card receipts and banking records, tracing thousands of dollars from Rivera’s political campaigns to his personal accounts. Miami-Dade prosecutors were preparing a “draft” complaint charging the Republican congressman with 52 counts of theft, money laundering and racketeering.

The lengthy probe of Rivera’s finances “unequivocally explains the theft and/or fraud of campaign funds,” FDLE inspector Brett Lycett wrote in a July 5, 2011, e-mail to a prosecutor. “We believe the violations are quite evident.”

But in the ensuing months — after Rivera’s lawyer poked holes in the case — the investigators’ confidence gave way to prosecutors’ increasing skepticism about the potential charges. The 52-count complaint accusing Rivera of systematic misspending of campaign funds was never filed; instead, prosecutors would write a 16-page memo explaining why they believed they could not arrest Rivera for anything.

Some six months earlier, in November 2011, FDLE Commissioner Gerald Bailey urged Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernández Rundle to move more quickly, worried that the time lag would prevent them from bringing some charges against Rivera.

“While I appreciate the need for careful deliberation in matters such as this, I am concerned that the statute of limitations may become an issue if a decision regarding prosecution is further delayed,” Bailey wrote in a Nov. 3 letter to Rundle.

By then — unbeknownst to Bailey or his investigators — Rundle’s prosecutors had already offered to drop the criminal charges against Rivera if the congressman agreed to admit to civil election-law violations, e-mail records show.

FDLE agents grew so frustrated with the delays that they approached the state attorney in Leon County, Willie Meggs, to see if he would be willing to pursue the case, according to an internal FDLE memo from January.

Rundle told Bailey, the FDLE commissioner, that her staff was “still reviewing the facts” and had not yet decided whether to charge Rivera, FDLE records show.

A week later, Bailey wrote Rundle a letter urging her to expedite the case, but the state attorney did not respond for more than two months. Rundle later told Bailey the letter was misplaced over the holidays.

On March 21, an FDLE supervisor, Cindy Sanz, asked [Prosecutor Jose] Arrojo for an update but received no response. Two weeks later, she wrote again to the prosecutor: “Since I have not heard from you, I will presume that no progress has been made,” Sanz wrote. “As you and Ms. Rundle have already indicated that your office does not intend to pursue prosecution of Mr. Rivera, FDLE has now closed our investigation.”

Arrojo then urged the FDLE not to release any information to the press, arguing that the investigation was “still in the end stage,” e-mail records show. But an FDLE lawyer said it was difficult to consider the case an active investigation, making the records inaccessible to the public, because “nothing is happening.”

Monday is deadline to register

"Monday is the deadline for Florida residents to register to vote in the upcoming state primary elections or change their party affiliation. The state's primary for U.S. and Florida House and Senate elections will take place on Aug. 14. Only residents registered with a political party can vote in their party's primary." "Monday is deadline for primary voter registration".

"A field of up-and-comers as dull as a dead parrot"

Nancy Smith asks, "How desperate are the Democrats in Florida? "

With no rising star of their own, with a field of up-and-comers as dull as a dead parrot, they spent this past weekend ripping into Gov. Rick Scott.

They had to. Lurching toward the main event in November and lacking a weapon in their own arsenal, Florida Dems have latched onto Scott as the whipping boy who can make them believe they have a future. Or, so they hope. Scott's low approval numbers and conservative policies are the best they can come up with.

Sarasota GOP scrapes barrel for "Statesman of the Year"

Jeremy Wallace: "Whether or not Mitt Romney was planning on inviting Donald Trump to the Tampa Bay region for the Republican National Convention in August is now a moot point thanks to Sarasota Republicans. The local GOP announced last week that they will honor Trump as the 'Statesman of the Year' on Aug. 26, a day before the curtain rises on the national convention in Tampa." "Wallace: Sarasota Republicans bring Trump to the GOP convention's doorstep".

Costly primary

"With Sen. Steve Wise, R-Jacksonville, headed to the sidelines due to term limits, two Republicans -- former Rep. Aaron Bean and Rep. Mike Weinstein, R-Jacksonville -- are battling it out in a costly primary to replace him in representing parts of Duval and Nassau counties." "GOP Senate Hopefuls Aaron Bean, Mike Weinstein Raking in Big Cash on First Coast".

"Volunteers streaming into Romney for President storefronts"

"They come because of Barack Obama. They stay because of Mitt Romney."

So say the volunteers streaming into Romney for President storefronts in Florida. The Romney campaign is opening campaign offices across the state and cranking up phone banks — all focused on what the campaign says is a sure-fire motivational tool:

President Obama.

There's always faith healing

"Rick Scott, Iowa Governor Reaffirm Opposition to Obamacare Medicaid Expansion".

Sink will make her decision after November election

"Alex Sink, who narrowly lost to Scott in 2010 in an election where Republicans far outperformed Democrats, said she is thinking of running for governor again."

"There's an enormous amount of buyers' remorse. I have strangers come up to me and say, 'Oh I made a mistake,'" Sink said. "Here we are almost two years away from that campaign and every day I get stopped somewhere — the Circle K in Thonotosassa — and people say 'Please run again. We need you.'"

She said she will make her decision after the November election.

Has Republican Party "devolved"?

"Palm Beach County Tax Collector Anne Gannon will square off next month against the incumbent she beat out six years ago to win her countywide seat. The presence of only a write-in candidate as general election opposition prevents a primary from becoming a universal primary in which all registered voters can vote. Then in the general election, the write-in candidate’s name doesn’t appear on the ballot. Instead, the Nov. 6 ballot will include only Gannon’s or Carney’s name, and a blank space for a write-in. Carney was a Republican in 2006 when former Gov. Jeb Bush appointed him to replace former Tax Collector John Clark, who abruptly retired from the post. ... Carney switched parties last spring, saying that the Republican Party had 'devolve' and was no longer 'welcoming.'" "Carney switches parties for rematch of 2006 tax collector’s race he lost to Gannon".

Yee haw!

"Poll: Most Floridians want no changes to 'stand your ground' law".

A new Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald/Bay News 9 poll finds Barack Obama and Mitt Romney essentially tied in America’s biggest battleground state, with 46 percent of likely Florida voters supporting the president, 45 percent backing the former Massachusetts governor, and 2 percent behind Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson. Only 7 percent are undecided.

"A coin toss," Mason-Dixon pollster Brad Coker said. "Typical Florida."

Adding Republican Sen. Marco Rubio to the Romney ticket would only marginally help Romney in must-win Florida. A Romney-Rubio ticket leads Obama-Joe Biden 46 percent to 45 percent in Florida.

• 54 percent of likely Florida voters say the country is on the “wrong track” with Obama at the helm.

• Only 35 percent believe his policies have improved the economy, while 41 percent say they have made it worse.

• 46 percent of voters approve of the president’s job performance, while 50 percent disapprove.

• 52 percent oppose the healthcare overhaul — Obama’s signature achievement recently upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court — and 50 percent of Florida voters want to see it repealed.

TaxWatch (again) exposed as right wing shill

"Florida TaxWatch: State Leaders Did Right; We'll Back Them in Court in Employees' Pension Battle".

"Whacked-out things about Florida politics"

Scott Maxwell: "There are a lot of whacked-out things about Florida politics. Seriously. We could alphabetize them … and still need Greek symbols. But one of the most harebrained is the way legislators pick House speakers. They do so about six years out, during their first term in office." "Picking House speaker 6 years out is absurd".

Lt. Gov. Carroll denies she was in "a compromising position"

"Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll plans to fight back against charges that she and a female aide were caught in "a compromising position," according to emails Carroll sent to well-wishers from her state account."

The statements came as several emails poured into Carroll’s inbox, according to a review of the Sunburst system, which releases emails from staff in Gov. Rick Scott’s office. All of the emails to Carroll so far have been supportive, with some also taking aim at Carletha Cole — the former employee who accused the lieutenant governor.

Cole is currently facing a trial for illegally disclosing conversations recorded when Cole worked for Carroll.

"I will be fighting back against these blatant lies," Carroll said in an email to Franz Metz, a supporter who asked her to do so.

In another email, Carroll lashes out at the media for reporting the allegations.

"Unfortunately, as an elected official character deformation that is totally fabricated can occur like this and there is not much I can do,"Carroll wrote to Mary Jane and George Duryea of Lake Mary. "The media loves to put out sensational stories without doing due diligence to verify the authenticity."

Jeff-Jax

"At their annual Jefferson Jackson dinner, Democrats seemed more fired up about beating Gov. Rick Scott in 2014 than in defeating Republican Mitt Romney in November." "Florida Democrats slam Mitt Romney and Gov. Rick Scott at annual dinner in Hollywood". See also "Florida Democrats say Rick Scott is liability for Mitt Romney".

Florida hospitals the "biggest losers"

Lloyd Dunkelberger: "If Florida refuses to expand Medicaid under the new federal health care law, hospitals could end up the biggest losers."

The potential financial loss will come to an industry that over the last two years has seen more than $700 million in state budget cuts, including a 5.6 percent Medicaid rate cut that cost $235 million this year.

Additionally, as part of the Affordable Care Act, the federal government will be phasing out the “disproportionate share” payments to the states that compensate hospitals that have larger numbers of uninsured patients.

The idea is that with the expansion of Medicaid and private insurance under the ACA, the hospitals will not need as much financial support for “uncompensated” care.

But in Florida, it would mean the loss of more than $200 million in disproportionate payments, without an offset by an expanded Medicaid program for the poor and disabled.

More financial problems loom with expected cutbacks in Medicare, the federal health care program for the elderly.

Any changes in Medicare are amplified in Florida, the state with the highest percentage of Medicare recipients and where nearly one out of every five residents depends on the program.

"Intriguing chatter"

Adam C. Smith discusses the "intriguing chatter in Washington and Florida political circles lately that DNC chairwoman and U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz is considering running for governor in 2014." "Wasserman Schultz for governor of Florida".

Billionaires for Mini-Mack

"While Mack's fundraising has been anemic, [super-PACs] are spending millions, and lining up to spend more, for ads attacking Nelson, in effect eradicating his fundraising advantage. ... Here are the outside groups and their spending:"

- Americans for Prosperity, a conservative political action committee linked to the Koch brothers, Kansas billionaires famous for their top-dollar support of conservative political causes. It announced a two-week, $1 million statewide ad buy in June.

- The 60-Plus Association, a conservative advocacy group based in the Washington, D.C., area, made $1.1 million buys in both March and June. It's organized as an issue advocacy group rather than a PAC or independent political committee, and therefore it doesn't reveal its donors.

- The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which did a $2 million statewide ad buy in May.

- Freedom PAC Florida, a Miami-based political action committee supporting Mack, hasn't publicly announced any advertising purchase but has received a $1 million contribution from Las Vegas gambling magnate Sheldon Adelson, who became famous for bankrolling Newt Gingrich in the Republican presidential primary. It has also received $50,000 from The Villages retirement community and $20,000 from an organization representing the family of Texas real estate magnate Harlan Crowe.

- Crossroads GPS, one of two sister political groups organized by former George W. Bush political adviser Karl Rove, has spent $1.1 million.

- American Crossroads, the other Rove group, just announced it has reserved $6.2 million worth of air time for the fall, part of a $70 million campaign by the two Crossroads groups to influence control of the U.S. Senate.

- American Commitment, an issue advocacy group formed in April by the previous head of Americans for Prosperity, has a $1.1 million ad buy now running.

Chamber hackery

"The Florida Chamber of Commerce has endorsed John Legg in the Senate District 17 race in Hillsborough and Pasco counties, but didn't pick a candidate in the Rachel Burgin-Tom Lee primary race in east Hillsborough or the Jeff Brandes-Jim Frishe race in Tampa-St. Petersburg." "Chamber backs Legg in primary".

Scott's publicity blitz flops

"After 18 months as governor, Rick Scott remains personally unpopular with a majority of Floridians, according to a new Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald/Bay News 9 poll."

But despite voters’ displeasure with Scott, they strongly support his efforts to rid Florida’s voter rolls of noncitizens in this presidential election year.

The latest survey by the nonpartisan Mason-Dixon Polling & Research of Jacksonville shows that 51 percent of voters disapprove of Scott’s job performance and 40 percent approve, with 9 percent not sure.

Scott’s positive name recognition also remains low, with 29 percent of voters viewing him favorably, 37 percent unfavorably, 30 percent neutral and 4 percent with no opinion, despite his people-friendly work days, blitz of ceremonial bill signings and frequent visits to high-profile, cable TV shows.

"I like some of his ideas and I don’t care for others," said Josephine Boyington, 64, of Lake City, a Democrat who says she’s leaning toward becoming a Republican. "I liked the idea when he said that the people that were on welfare had to provide drug testing. That would get rid of some of the riff-raff."

Scott, 59, is only the fifth Republican governor of Florida since Reconstruction. He says he will run for a second term in 2014.

A political neophyte and former chief executive of the Columbia HCA hospital chain, Scott spent $73 million of his personal fortune to clinch the governorship in 2010.

The statewide telephone survey of 800 registered voters, all likely to vote in the Nov. 6 general election, was conducted July 9-11 for the Tampa Bay Times, Miami Herald, El Nuevo Herald, Bay News 9 and Central Florida News 13. The margin of error is 3.5 percentage points.

Scott a "uniquely powerful albatross against Romney"

"With Scott's poll numbers continuing to struggle and Florida a critical battleground in the November election, Democrats see the unpopular businessman governor as a uniquely powerful albatross against Romney, a former Massachusetts governor under fire for his time at the head of private equity firm Bain Capital as he runs against President Barack Obama." "Florida Democrats say Rick Scott is liability for Mitt Romney".

HD 17

"The money is flowing into the First Coast where Rep. Ronald “Doc” Renuart, R-Ponte Vedra, faces two challengers in the Republican primary as he seeks a third term in the Florida House." "Doc Renuart Has Financial Edge in Last Weeks of First Coast GOP House Primary".

"'Business-friendly' policymaking binge"

"Responding to an election field upended by redistricting, Florida corporations and interest-groups are flooding a record amount of cash into legislative races that will help finance a blizzard of ads and fliers during the coming months."

In 2010, corporate groups such as the Florida Chamber helped elect business-friendly Republican super-majorities to the House and Senate, which set off a "business-friendly" policymaking binge — gutting Florida's growth laws, repealing hundreds of safety and environmental regulations, and cutting corporate taxes.

Business groups hope to preserve as much of that clout as possible, despite new redistricting maps that theoretically make legislative districts more competitive for Democrats. Despite those maps, though, cash is king in modern electoral warfare.

And new reports filed late Friday detail the millions of dollars flowing into the coffers of candidates — mostly Republicans — and slush-funds they control.

Gov. Rick Scott — who won't even be on the ballot until 2014 — led the way, garnering just over $2.8 million over the last three months and nearly $3.8 million total this year. The biggest checks: $250,000 each from Florida Power & Light, which is pushing to dominate the state's renewable energy market; Las Vegas Sands Chief Executive Sheldon Adelson, whose company wants to build "destination" casinos in South Florida; and former Miami Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga.

Grayson bait

"4 vie to be GOP pick to take on Grayson in House race".

Defended or de-funded?

Aaron Deslatte: "Has Florida's political leadership defended public education or de-funded it over the last two years? The answer you get depends on the party you ask this election season." "Campaign may turn on whether GOP starving or remaking schools".

DWS rejects call to release her tax returns

"While blasting Mitt Romney for not releasing years of income tax returns, Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz is rejecting an opponent’s call to release her own tax returns." "Wasserman Schultz rejects comparison to Romney on releasing tax returns".

TB now in 18 counties

"TB strain now found in 18 counties in Florida".

"Mack's approach to public service does not inspire confidence"

The Tampa Bay Times editorial board: "Mack, 44, has the reputation of an opportunist with an unremarkable record in Congress. The son of the former U.S. senator, he left the Legislature and moved across the state to the Fort Myers area to run for an open U.S. House seat in 2004. He has the expected conservative voting record, opposing the federal stimulus, the Affordable Care Act and the Dodd-Frank financial regulation reforms. ... Beyond his policy positions, Mack's approach to public service does not inspire confidence. He refused to debate his Republican primary opponents or meet with editorial boards, including this one. By one measure, he has missed more than twice as many votes in the House as the average member since taking office. There also remain questions about how much time he spends in his district." "Few options in primaries".

"Rubio is still in the VP mix"

Carl Hiaasen: "Sometime before the Republican National Convention in Tampa next month, Mitt Romney will pick a running mate."

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio repeatedly has said he doesn’t want the job. Then he wrote a book about himself and made sure it was published this summer, before Romney decided.

It’s possible that Rubio is 100 percent sincere about not joining the GOP ticket. Perhaps the only point of rushing his autobiography into print was to let America know what a fabulous vice president he would have made, had he been interested in the position. It’s also possible that he’ll jump at the offer if it comes his way.

For Romney, the first step in choosing a running mate is crossing the obvious losers off the list without offending their constituencies, however marginal and loony they might be. The first to go will be his opponents from the GOP primaries. ...

Rubio is still in the VP mix. Florida’s electoral votes will be critical, and polls show that the race here between Romney and President Barack Obama is tight.

National journalists began focusing on Rubio last year, and fresh reporting forced him to revise his much-repeated life story, particularly as it related to the timeline of his parents’ departure from Cuba (they left before, not after, Fidel Castro seized power).

Some say Rubio’s more tolerant stance on immigration could hurt Romney’s stock with the right wing. A counter-argument is that Rubio’s presence in the race could attract Hispanic voters beyond Florida, which the GOP desperately needs.

Either way, Rubio’s chances to make the ticket probably weren’t damaged by his autobiography. He and his ghostwriter (and they all use ghostwriters) were careful to make sure nothing too wacky or incendiary appeared in the pages.

Even the title, An American Son, was crafted free of exclamation points to sound like a personal journey, not a political manifesto. The book has generated virtually no controversy, which should please Team Romney.

Because, after what happened four years ago, the last thing a Republican nominee needs is a running mate who makes waves.

Forget feisty. Forget animated. Forget spontaneous.

All you want is somebody who looks harmlessly vice-presidential, stays on message and says nothing terrifying between now and November.

"Union bosses"

Fred Grimm can's get "union bosses" out-of-his-mind. He writes that former "BTU President Pat Santeramo was arrested last week and charged with running an utterly banal kickback scheme."

The union hired Kendall Coffey, a former U.S. attorney, to sort out through the wreckage. Coffey suggested that the sort of character failings exhibited by [Santeramo] if he’s convicted, are not limited to union bosses. He talked of CEOs who as they “gain in stature and power, lose sight of the fact that their power is borrowed from the organization.” He talked about how a successful boss can come to think that what’s best for him is best for the company. He told me, “I don’t think this is just a union dynamic.”

Except when a union boss steals money and prestige and power from a constituency of underpaid, demoralized and politically harassed school teachers, the sin seems somehow more odious than the corporate variety.

I wonder too whether South Florida’s atmosphere of ostentatious wealth has contributed to this flurry of ethical lapses and corruption scandals among local political and union leaders. Tornillo was earning $264,000 a year. Santeramo, $189,000. Both far more than their school teacher constituents. Yet in the land of waterfront mansions and super yachts and Italian sports cars, maybe union powerbrokers and elected officials can come to feel underpaid and underappreciated by their minions, deserving of a lifestyle comparable to the big money boys scarfing up the best seats in the finest restaurants.

“Down here, among all this spectacular wealth, you can be a person of very decent means and still be the last person the valet brings his car,” Coffey said. One could almost see how some powerful union or political leaders, confronted with temptation, could talk himself into it, he said.

Of course, the corruption formula still requires those other elements: Unchecked power. An absence of safeguards. A lack of oversight. And the utter disregard for those embattled school teachers, their union dues, their trust and their needs in a treacherous season.

Push to allow voters to decide on gambling in SoFla

"Genting Group appears to be intensifying its push to allow voters to make the final decision on whether Las-Vegas style gambling comes to South Florida. Recently released financing reports show a political action group linked to the Malaysia-based conglomerate is spending big on an apparent campaign to get voters to approve a constitutional amendment in favor of resort-style casinos." "Genting dollars fuel possible ballot drive".

Scott plays Florida media on federal citizens database issue

Steve Bousquet writes that, in "a victory for Republicans, the federal government has agreed to let Florida use a law-enforcement database to challenge people’s right to vote if they are suspected of not being U.S. citizens." "Feds OK Florida access to U.S. citizens list".

Wrong.

Aaron Deslatte does better, in this grossly mis-headlined piece: "In GOP victory, Florida to get access to feds' list of noncitizens".

As Deslatte writes, "Florida has agreed that it can challenge voters only if the state provides a 'unique identifier,' such as an 'alien number,' for each person in question."

Alien numbers generally are assigned to foreigners living in the country legally, often with visas or other permits such as green cards. Unless they become naturalized citizens, however, they cannot vote.

The agreement will prevent Florida from using only a name and birthdate to seek federal data about a suspected noncitizen on voter rolls.