The controversy in Florida -- which began with possibly fraudulent forms that first cropped up in Palm Beach County -- has engulfed the Republican National Committee, which admitted Thursday that it urged state parties in seven swing states to hire the firm, Strategic Allied Consulting.The RNC paid the company at least $3.1 million -- routed through the state parties of Florida, Nevada, Colorado, North Carolina and Virginia -- to register voters and run get-out-the-vote operations. Wisconsin and Ohio had not yet paid the firm for get-out-the-vote operations it was contracted to do.

Strategic Allied is run by an Arizona-based man named Nathan Sproul, who has been dogged by charges in the past that his employees destroyed Democratic registrations. No charges were ever filed.

But his reputation is such that when Sproul was tapped by the RNC to do field work this year, officials requested that he set up a new firm to avoid being publicly linked to the past allegations, Sproul told The Times. The firm was set up at a Virginia address, and Sproul does not show up on the corporate paperwork.

If someone’s address is changed within the same county, they could still cast a ballot once poll workers were able to establish that the voter was in the correct precinct.

“It’s another step the clerk, the poll worker and the voter would have to go through in order to cast a vote,” Davis said.

Things would get more complicated if a voter’s address has been changed to another county. If that were the case, the voter would be forced to cast a provisional ballot, which would be evaluated later in the week by a local canvassing board.

More than 2,000 provisional ballots were cast in Florida in 2008; less than half of those ballots were ultimately counted, according to University of Florida election law professor Daniel Smith.

True the Vote protects us from them "non-American looking" people

Jan Rogers: "There was some really good news a couple of weeks ago for those paranoid folks who are sure that voter fraud is sweeping the country. An Austrian who has Canadian citizenship was actually convicted of fraudulently casting a ballot here in Florida. Alleluia!"

Election fraud has a rich history in Florida, generally involving bottles of whiskey and folding money, but these voter fraud laws aren’t about good old-fashioned vote buying. No, the effort is to raise the bar so high that voting becomes discouragingly hard or impossible for some.

Those who are the targets are generally the young, the old and the poor. By requiring certain kinds of ID, purging voter rolls and restricting early voting, the effort is to constrict the number of people eligible to vote. There are good arguments that only men who own property should be allowed to vote. They are, after all, the ones who pay most of the taxes, and we all know that women are too foolish to be able to make valid political judgments. That was a very good argument in the late 18th century, but we have moved on — at least some of us have. The argument has been reframed in terms of people who don’t vote the right way.

There is an organization called True the Vote, a national association of busybodies who are determined to find voter fraud even if they have to conjure up nonexistent buses full of non-native Americans turning up to register and vote in Wisconsin. Sadly, nobody took any pictures with an iPhone, nobody made a note of the bus’ tag, despite the oddity of a busload of “non-American looking” people doing this. Hmmm.

Even FlaGOPers have limits

"Two separate polls from Republican and Democratic third-party groups have arrived at the same conclusion: Republican U.S. Rep. David Rivera is losing his reelection effort. Rivera, under separate federal criminal investigations into his personal and campaign finances, trails Democratic challenger Joe Garcia by nine percentage points in a Democratic poll and he’s behind by 10 points in the Republican survey — just outside the poll’s error margin." "GOP poll: embattled David Rivera trails Joe Garcia".

Scott denies Florida unlawfully warehouses disabled children

"The war of words between Florida health administrators and federal civil rights lawyers continued Friday as the administration of Gov. Rick Scott rebuffed the U.S. Justice Department’s offer to help remove hundreds of children from nursing homes."

In a letter to the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, Florida social service chiefs called “unfounded” the claim that the state needlessly warehouses disabled and medically fragile children in nursing homes meant to care for elders. Agency heads reached that conclusion after a two-week investigation in which they interviewed the parents or caregivers of many disabled children “to ensure that they were aware of the services available for them in the community.” . . .

Earlier this month, the Justice Department sent a scathing, 22-page letter to Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi that said state health regulators were violating the federal Americans with Disabilities Act, a 1990 law designed to protect frail and disabled people from being warehoused in large, isolated institutions. In all, more than 220 children — some of them infants and toddlers — are being housed in institutions along with frail elders. Many of the youngsters, the Justice Department said, get no education, and spend much of their time sitting in bed or in wheelchairs watching television. Some have lived almost their entire lives in nursing-home beds.

So many children are in nursing homes, the Justice Department said, because Florida has failed to set aside enough money to pay for in-home nursing care, therapy and other services that would allow parents to care for their children at home. Other states, the department contends, have done a better job of keeping children out of institutions.

Already working the refs?

The Tampa Bay Times editorial board: "It's a sad state of affairs when the disgraced former chairman of the Republican Party of Florida has more appreciation for an independent judiciary than the speaker of the Florida House. It's even worse that so many prominent Republicans are biting their tongues as their political party and its allies wage an unprecedented partisan assault on three Florida Supreme Court justices who are up for merit retention on the November ballot."

This is no time for Floridians who respect the law and the courts to remain silent against a very real threat that seeks to corrupt the process for political gain.

Former state Republican Party chairman Jim Greer is awaiting trial on charges of stealing about $200,000 from the party through a secret fundraising company. But even Greer had the good sense to say last week that as the party chairman he would not have allowed the party to oppose the merit retention of Justices R. Fred Lewis, Barbara J. Pariente and Peggy A. Quince. At least he recognizes a partisan political power play and acknowledges the danger of allowing Gov. Rick Scott to pack the Supreme Court with three new justices if voters remove the well-qualified incumbents.

Contrast that clear thinking with the bellicose attacks on the court by departing House Speaker Dean Cannon, a Winter Park Republican and a lawyer with no respect for the state Supreme Court, the Florida Bar or the judicial branch in general. Cannon contends it is "ludicrous" to be critical of the Republican Party for wading into the nonpartisan merit retention process. He misrepresents the purpose of merit retention and lashes out at the Florida Bar for trying to educate voters about the process.

Curtis Krueger reminds us that three months before calling for their ouster of three Florida Supreme Court justices, the party issued a pointed and partisan attack titled: 'Remember the Democrat [sic] Justices of the Florida Supreme Court During Bush v. Gore?'" "'Egregious' trial isn't first attack on state justices".

Could it be the Florida Republican Party expects the courts will again have to get involved in counting votes, and they're already working the refs?

Teabaggers on fire

"What they’re doing is probably not illegal, but from now until Nov. 6 city officials across the Sunshine State are being urged to use taxpayer-funded instruments to convince their citizens to oppose the Florida Property Tax Amendment, and the amendment's supporters are not happy about it." "Are City Officials Fighting Florida Property Tax Breaks on the Taxpayers' Dime?".

Scott intent on delivering the state to the GOP

Fabiola Santiago: "Here he goes again, round two of Gov. Rick Scott vs. the voters of Florida.

Instead of focusing his stewardship of the state on getting relief for beleaguered homeowners being priced out of their homes by skyrocketing insurance rates, instead of putting his energy into making good on the “let’s get back to work” promises that got him elected, Scott continues the hunt for those phantom noncitizen voters.

Never mind that federal law prohibits voter roll purges within 90 days of an election.

Never mind that his previous purge did not reveal substantial evidence that there are any significant number of noncitizens registered to vote in Florida — but did reveal embarrassing cases in which citizens were targeted for removal.

This Republican governor is intent on delivering the state of Florida to the GOP, and if he has to suppress the rights of minority voters, in violation of federal law, that’s just the price of winning the presidential election on Nov. 6.

"Of late, the political world has been dominated by allegations — almost all of which have come from the conservative end of the spectrum — that the media (and its pollsters) are part of a grand conspiracy designed to re-elect President Obama."

The simplest conclusion to draw from the [data] is that while majorities of Republicans seem to believe the coverage is tilted toward President Obama, there’s little actual evidence that pollsters and the media are “rooting” for anyone or anything in the race.

Instead, complaints about polling methodology and coverage are almost certainly the result of a party who sees itself behind and is looking for a reason why. Our guess is that if Mitt Romney experiences a bit of a comeback in these next two weeks or so, the same polls that Republicans are decrying as skewed today will become useful data points in their argument for a GOP resurgence.

"Many Jewish voters remain solidly Democratic"

"Voters and speakers in South Florida spent relatively little time talking about Israel and Iran with Vice President Joe Biden, and far more about Medicare and Republican plans to change it. It was another sign that many Jewish voters remain solidly Democratic." "Biden seeks seniors' votes".

Week in Review

"Week in Review for Sept. 24 to Sept. 28". See also "Campaign Roundup: Suspicious registration and prostitution pitfalls".

Condo commandos

"They always turn out – strong – for the Democrats, but just to make sure, Vice President Joe Biden lavished attention on South Florida's retiree condo dwellers Friday." "Biden tells South Florida retirees Romney doesn't care about older Americans". See also "Biden, in Boca’s Century Village, says Romney view of “dependent” Americans is skewed".

But he isn't "Mike Horner"

"Republican Party executive committee members from Osceola and Polk counties will meet Saturday to determine who to run on the ballot in a Central Florida district under the name of Mike Horner." "Replacement For Mike Horner Expected on Saturday".

Pay no attention to the men behind the curtain

"Thousands of cellphone text messages accidentally released by [Orange County] Mayor Teresa Jacobs paint the clearest picture yet of how the sick-time ballot initiative was kept off the Nov. 6 Orange County ballot."

They also show the influence of corporate lobbyists and legal confidantes on Jacobs, who ran as a maverick outsider willing to take on powerful interests.

The messages show how she, her staff and a ring of informal advisers worked with businesses to defeat the measure, which would require many employers to provide sick time to their workers.

The battle over the sick-time initiative raged for weeks, ballooning into one of the most fierce Orange County political fights in years.

Housing market improves

"Housing market better, but we're not there yet".

Pusillanimous Chavez haters travel to spill their venom

"Casting a ballot in the upcoming presidential election in Venezuela will require Oscar Ganem to drive 832 miles from his home in Pompano Beach to a polling station in New Orleans. That's no sweat, he says, for he despises President Hugo Chavez so much he's willing to travel great distances to help oust the socialist leader." "Many Venezuelans in Florida head to New Orleans to vote".

More concerned about Medicare than Iran

"Voters and speakers in Boca Raton’s Century Village and Tamarac’s Kings Point spent relatively little time talking about Israel and Iran, and far more about Medicare and Republican plans to change it." "Jewish voters concerned more about Medicare than Iran".

Runnin' gub'ment like a bidness

"A legislative aide to state Rep. Daphne Campbell was arrested Friday for grand theft after she allegedly charged constituents phony fees for assistance that never materialized. . . . The victims, all of Haitian descent, would arrive in Campbell’s office seeking help from the lawmaker. Shackleford would often have them sign court forms and documents, charge them fake fees of as much as $1,110 and fail to follow through." "State rep’s aide arrested for grand theft involving Haitian constituents of lawmaker".

"There's a Margaret Thatcher moment for you"

Daniel Ruth: "You think it's easy being a political consultant? How would you like to have a client like Jennifer Gottlieb, who turned out to be the Kim Kardashian meets Madonna of the Broward County School Board?"

Gottlieb, who transformed serving on a school board into the Body Heat of education, wound up as the femme fatale of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigation into high finance hanky-panky.

The report noted that while she was serving as a School Board member, Gottlieb took up with Citigroup executive Richard Patterson, who was pitching to win some bond business with the School Board.

This, as Richard Nixon might have said, was wrong. Gottlieb was then married to a prominent judge, and it probably doesn't look good for a School Board member to be conducting her own sex education classes.

Still Gottlieb, ever the savvy politician, sensed that maybe, just maybe, canoodling with people trying to do business with the School Board could possibly be misconstrued by some people as declasse. . . .

Gottlieb was no dummy. She had to good sense to terminate the coo-coo-ca-choo with Patterson, which was a good thing. Because cutting off the illicit romance made it possible for her to begin an affair with Patterson's Citigroup colleague, Michael Baldwin, who was also lobbying for School Board business.

You have to give Gottlieb credit for taking one thing at a time.

While certainly salacious, not to mention embarrassing to everyone involved, the FDLE could not determine if Gottlieb had actually violated any laws.

Indeed, Baldwin told FDLE investigators that while he and Gottlieb were making whoopee, she steadfastly insisted on never accepting any gifts from her paramour.

Who says there are no standards anymore?

In fact, while making hay in various hotels, Gottlieb assiduously avoided ordering room service. Now there's a Margaret Thatcher moment for you.

Little wonder. This was the judge who, during a hearing last week, disparaged the Legislature’s early-voting changes as “a resolution in search of no problem.” U.S. District Judge Timothy Corrigan of Jacksonville was only stating the obvious. The shortened early-voting period – reduced to eight days from at least 12 in 2008, even though the total number of hours will remain the same – was pushed through over protests by voter-rights groups and Florida’s 67 election supervisors. The unstated but all-too-apparent goal: reducing the turnout of black voters, who disproportionately use early voting and tend to vote Democratic.

Florida officials refuse to meet to implement "Obamacare"

"With the clock ticking on Florida’s ability to control how it applies the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, pediatricians say they’ve been trying to meet with the agency that oversees the state’s Medicaid program --- to no avail. The Agency for Health Care Administration last month declined a request from the Florida Pediatric Society to discuss how the state will implement those aspects of the federal health-care overhaul that relate to children." "Pediatricians: Florida state officials refuse to meet to talk about implementing Obamacare".

Hillsborough should replace volunteer firefighters

The Tampa Bay Times editorial board: "Hillsborough County should replace its volunteer firefighters with full-time professionals. That's the only responsible conclusion to draw from a recent audit that found numerous problems and only modest cost savings from using the volunteers. Replacing the ranks with professionals puts public safety first. It's not cheap, but it makes financial sense."

Hillsborough County runs the largest fire rescue operation in the state, and outside auditors recently praised it for "strong leadership," a "high sense of responsibility" and "unity of command." These are high marks for an urban county that hired its first full-time firefighters not 40 years ago. They speak to the department's ability to handle the increasingly complex tasks that firefighters must handle, from containing hazardous spills to answering medical and rescue calls.

"DEP permitting initiative threatens future water supplies"?

"DEP says water management districts should not reduce water-use permits after they have been issued. Environmental groups, commenting on draft proposed rule changes, are asking how the state can ensure that future water supplies and the environment can be protected if permits can't be modified." "Environmental groups say DEP permitting initiative threatens future water supplies".

Mini-Mack whines about crooked polls

"The U.S. Senate campaign for Rep. Connie Mack, R-Fort Myers, strongly disputes the results of recent polls by the CBS News/New York Times-commissioned Quinnipiac Poll and from the Washington Post that 'serve no other purpose than to attempt to sway public opinion and voter enthusiasm.'" "Connie Mack’s Camp Disputes Polling Attempts to ‘Sway’ Senate Contest".

"Poverty Rising Among Floridians"

Ashley Lopez: "According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Floridians are among the poorest in the country, and the state’s already stark income gap is widening." "U.S. Census: Poverty Rising Among Floridians".

"Pay a little more now or a lot more later"

The Sarasota Herald Tribune editorial board: "Floridians can pay a little more now or a lot more later. That was the message delivered to Gov. Rick Scott last week in a letter signed by 20 former water management district board members from across the state. The letter urged the governor to restore $240 million in funding he stripped from the five water district budgets last year." "Florida's water bill".

"Sleep the sleep of angels "

Joe Henderson: "The judges are on the hit list, many believe, because they were part of a 5-2 vote that blocked the state's efforts to overturn President Barack Obama's health-care law. A short history lesson: Voters approved a constitutional amendment in the 1970s known as merit retention. Every six years, justices face a yes-or-no vote on whether they keep their jobs."

If the majority decides against retention, Gov. Rick Scott gets to appoint replacements — unless Amendment 5 passes in November, which could put the decision in the hands of the state Senate. Sleep the sleep of angels contemplating Supreme Court justices chosen by the body that gave us JD Alexander.

"Constitutionally confused?"

Scott Maxwell: "Constitutionally confused? Let me help". In the meantime, that lefty "League of Women Voters urges straight 'no' ticket on amendments". See also "League, GOP mostly agree: Vote no on amendments".

"Makes me feel so very Mitt"

Fred Grimm: "While the freeloaders and moochers and the 47 percenters sit seething , I’m speeding, leaving the rabble in sluggish traffic and my egalitarian values back on the freeway. It’s all I can do to keep from waving bye-bye as I zoom along. Makes me feel so very Mitt. Nothing captures the spirit of the new two-tiered America like the go-fast pay lanes we’re adding to clogged-up freeways, with variable tolls calculated by the amount of misery suffered over in the proletariat lanes. We like to call this 'congestion pricing,' because that sounds so much better than, 'See ya, peon.'" "Feeling like Mitt: Life in I-95’s fast lane".

A stooge for Rivera

Ashley Lopez: "Lamar Sternad, who ran in the Democratic primary against Joe Garcia for a South Florida congressional seat, admitted to the FBI that he was a stooge for incumbent Republican David Rivera." "Fake Candidate Tells FBI Congressman David Rivera Secretly Ran Campaign".

"Contracts that were not competitively bid"

"The Department of Economic Opportunity and its legacy agency have spent $750,000 to redesign its website, build a content management system and review its communications related to unemployment compensation over five contracts that were not competitively bid." "Jobs agency spends $750,000 on overhaul of websites".

Scott's job favorability rating slides

"In spite of his recent efforts to mend fences with Florida educators and other constituents, Gov. Rick Scott's favorability rating has fallen among state residents in a new poll about his job performance." "Scott's job favorability rating takes a fall".

Teachers Union talks with Scott

"Teachers Union Sees Talks With Rick Scott Moving Beyond 'Second Date'".

Disney a right-wing money machine

"Disney's political spending in Florida has ballooned to unprecedented levels: It has spent nearly twice as much money as it had at this same point during the 2010 elections, and it has spent about six times as much as it did during the entire 2008 cycle. Nearly 90 cents of every dollar that Disney has spent on Florida campaigns in this election has gone to Republican candidates or Republican-leaning interest groups, according to the [Orlando] Sentinel's analysis." "Disney World 'flexing its bicep' in Florida elections".

"Darden quadruples PAC donations"

The Orlando-based "Darden [primarily Olive Garden and Red Lobster] has given 60 percent of its contributions to Republican candidates, PACs and parties, according to analysis by the Center for Responsive Politics. " "Darden quadruples PAC donations to $684K".

"Dorworth's nearly $1 million personal political fund"

"State Rep. Chris Dorworth is a study in political contradictions."

His personal finances are a shambles, but his ability to raise and spend political money in the capital is nearly unmatched. . . . Dorworth uses his power base in the Capitol and his skill at raising special interest money to sustain a nearly $1 million personal political fund called Citizens for an Enterprising Democracy.

Super-sized campaign contributions allow Dorworth to employ a travel aide, campaign strategist, fund-raising consultant and media adviser.

He pays for airplane trips and catered meals, using unrestricted political donations from an array of interests that covet his support, from citrus growers to healthcare insurers to law firms to Internet cafes. In July, Disney Worldwide Services stroked an $80,000 check to Dorworth. . . .

When Dorworth flew to San Francisco last year — to raise money, he says — and then to Taiwan for a goodwill mission with other legislators, the fund paid for it. (The fund’s website is www.cedcce.com. A second lawmaker, Rep. Jason Brodeur, R-Sanford, also raises money for it.)

The fund has paid for phones, office supplies and personalized Dorworth polo shirts. It racked up $3,300 in bills in a three-month period at 101 Restaurant & Lounge, a Tallahassee watering hole where Dorworth is a presence during legislative sessions.

Dorworth also reimbursed himself nearly $32,000 in out-of-pocket expenses from the fund at a time when his personal net worth was plummeting. Most expenses were in 2009 and 2010 when he was running for speaker, and he said he has never personally benefited from the fund.

"Comprehensive gambling review"

"Florida needs a new gambling policy that covers racinos, Seminole casinos, Internet betting parlors and proposals for huge Las Vegas-style casinos, legislative leaders say. And they want to take a two-year break from tinkering with gambling laws so they can devise the new comprehensive policy." "Legislative leaders call for comprehensive gambling review".

Republican/League of Cities attack on defined benefit plans

LeRoy Collins' namesake "Institute" releases a so-called "report" that is little more than a Republican/League of Cities Powerpoint attack on defined benefit plans: "Municipal pension plans are stretching thinner in Florida as a smaller workforce supports a growing number of retirees — with prospects bleak that funds will recover, a report released Wednesday concludes."

The Leroy Collins Institute’s latest review of the plans found that while the sluggish economy has contributed to the funds’ problems, deeper woes plague them. “These municipal pension issues were not created overnight and can’t be changed overnight,” said David Matkin, a public administration professor at Florida State University, who studied Florida’s 492 municipal pension plans for the Tallahassee-based institute. The problems track those facing the Social Security system or Medicare: Too few workers supporting a growing number of retirees. If anything, municipal budget cuts and layoffs in recent years have contributed to the imbalance, analysts said.

"Amendment 4 is easily the most colorful"

"Of all the campaigns surrounding the Sunshine State’s 2012 ballot initiatives, the one promoting Amendment 4 is easily the most colorful." "Pain in the Assets? Realtors, Local Governments Debate Florida Property Tax Amendment".

Republican Party of Florida is shocked! Shocked!

"Republicans on Thursday fired a vendor suspected of submitting 108 questionable new voter registrations in Florida's Palm Beach County, ground zero for disputed ballots in 2000's presidential race." "GOP fires vendor after questionable registrations".

Biden hits SoFla

"Biden seeks seniors' votes for Obama in Fla. stops". See also "Biden coming to Century Village of Boca Raton today".

"Just another means of buying votes"

The Miami Herald editors: "Their nearest neighbors’ painful lessons to the contrary, Broward County commissioners have agreed to give themselves 'discretionary' funds to pay for projects in their districts. It may sound very civic-minded and public-spirited, this idea of commissioners doling out money to underwrite worthwhile projects for their constituents. In truth, these slush funds are just another means of buying votes at county taxpayers’ expense." "Broward’s slushy honey pots".

That's all they got?

"According to the state's voter-registration database, only 38 of the 198 people on the new list ever voted. Of those, records show, 16 voted only once. Most of the people on the list live in South Florida, including 82 in Miami-Dade County, 23 in Broward County and 14 in Palm Beach County." "State names 198 noncitizens illegally registered to vote". "The state sent counties a new potential noncitizens voter list 41 days before the Nov. 6 election. Some on the list said they’re citizens. Others said they’re not, denying they voted. One said she voted." "State names 198 noncitizens illegally registered to vote". Meanwhile, "The state's effort to weed non-citizens from voter rolls may purge few voters in the 39 days before election day because of legal challenges, bureaucratic processes and Florida's agreement with the federal government." "Removal of non-citizens from voter rolls could be delayed". Related: "With New List, Counties Again Prepare to Check Voter Eligibility".

"Absentee voting is more prone to fraud"

"If you vote early in an election in Florida, it’s there for the world to see: The Legislature requires an online listing of everyone who voted early and when and where they voted."

But if you vote by mail and request an absentee ballot, it’s a closely held secret, available to a few. [Candidates with opposition, political parties, political committees, and committees of continuous existence, known as CCEs, which are mostly controlled by trade groups, unions, or legislators.] The information is off limits to the public. The Legislature mandated that, too.

As more people vote by mail, including one of every three people who voted in the Aug. 14 primary, candidates must spend more time and money seeking to influence those voters before they fill out their ballots.

The practice of “chasing” absentee voters with direct mail and phone calls is a key strategic component of any effective campaign. . . .

Yet, as it grows in popularity in Florida, absentee voting is more prone to fraud and other problems as ballots pass through many pairs of hands:

In Miami-Dade, a police investigation has resulted in the arrests of two ballot brokers in Hialeah, both accused of filling out ballots for others.

In Madison, east of Tallahassee, nine people, including a county elections supervisor and School Board member, are charged with voter fraud stemming from absentee-ballot voting in a 2010 election. Both are suspended from office pending the outcome of the “Madison Nine” case.

In Tallahassee, a judge last week upheld a canvassing board’s rejection of 40 absentee ballots in a tight Palm Beach County state Senate race because none of the voters’ signatures on absentee ballot paperwork matched those on file. Some Haitian-American voters’ ballots were rejected because their printed names did not resemble their cursive signatures.

Historically, voting by mail has been more popular among Republican voters while Democrats have favored early voting since it began in 2004.

CD 10

"U.S. Rep. Dan Webster has run a low-key re-election campaign so far, but a rally on Friday signals a change in intensity for the mild-mannered Republican from Winter Garden. . . . Similar campaign stops helped Webster beat incumbent Alan Grayson in 2008. This year, he faces a challenge in the new 10th District from Democrat Val Demings, Orlando's former police chief." "Dan Webster to rally supporters from his pickup".

"Republican Party wrong"

The Palm Beach Post editorial board: "Not only has the Republican Party of Florida joined the lynch mob going after three Florida Supreme Court justices, the GOP is being dishonest about its motives." "Republican Party wrong to target Florida Supreme Court justices".

"What you see is not always what you get"

Beth Kassab: "Mike Horner's campaign materials and official bio portray him as the prototypical conservative. A pro-business Republican who cheers small government. A champion of lower taxes. A lifetime NRA member. And a made-for-a-political-brochure life: wife, son, dogs, cats and horses."

His startling resignation this week was a kick-in-the-gut reminder that what you see is not always what you get. . . .

Good judgment is a job requirement.

Too often, though, we find out that despite the gleaming campaign brochures and the well-rehearsed rhetoric that one critical qualification is missing.

Shameless

"In a blunt-talking scolding, Sen. Don Gaetz calls out lobbyists for nasty mailers and criticizes Tallahassee business group for actively supporting his opponents". "Incoming Senate president chastises business group for not backing his picks".

Libertarian candidate faces challenges in Florida

"The marijuana legalization proposal faces tough challenges in Florida. So does Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson." "Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson backs Florida ballot drive to legalize medicinal marijuana".

It is an unwritten rule in Florida politics that you can never go wrong decrying the Castro brothers' grip on Cuba, even if your own voting record would normally get you tarred and feathered in Little Havana. But that's part of the shameless charm of a presidential campaign: Tell the people what they want to hear and hope no one reads the Congressional Record.

What might we call this? Scam-a-lot?

During his visit to Miami's Versailles Restaurant, Ryan engaged in his own P90X workout on revisionist history, railing about the evildoing Castros and how he and Mitt Romney would make it the first order of business to get Dallas Mavericks' owner Mark Cuban to change his name if he knows what's good for him.

Oddly enough, while Ryan was claiming he and Romney would short-sheet Fidel's bed, send him unwanted pizzas and regularly call the presidential palace asking if they have pop in the bottle, the Wisconsin congressman conveniently neglected to say he had voted at least three times against maintaining the Cuban embargo.

He probably just forgot.

Chamber leader and GOP Rep. Horner ends re-election bid after named as a prostitution client

"State Rep. Mike Horner of Kissimmee, a leading Osceola County Republican and a rising star in state GOP circles, abruptly ended his re-election campaign Monday after he was named as a client in a prostitution and racketeering case." "State Rep. Mike Horner ends campaign after being named in racketeering, prostitution case". See also "State Rep. Mike Horner resigns after being linked to brothel in Orange County", "State lawmaker drops out of race after link to arrest" and "Mike Horner: ‘I Deeply Regret Decisions I Made’".

EV challenges tossed

"In a federal case, a judge refused to stop Florida's plan to cut the number of early-voting days. In another challenge, one brought by state Sen. Arthenia L. Joyner, a judge ruled the petition lacked merit after the federal Justice Department accepted the state's plan." "2 early-voting court challenges are dismissed".

The Week Ahead

"The Week Ahead for Sept. 24 to Sept. 28".

"Frontal assault on the judicial branch"

The Tampa Bay Times editorial board: "It's understandable why Gov. Rick Scott and his Republican allies have no love for the courts. After all, their batting average is pretty low in trying to overturn laws they don't like and defending their own extreme lawmaking."

But the state Republican Party's unprecedented call for voters to remove three Florida Supreme Court justices is a frontal assault on the judicial branch for no reason other than political intimidation. Reasonable Republicans ought to speak out against this attack on the courts and support the nonpartisan merit retention process, and all Florida voters should stand up for an independent judiciary.

"Lobbyists handed envelopes"

"A luncheon at the exclusive Governor's Club seemed like a typical fundraiser any candidate would crave in a tight race."

Lobbyists handed envelopes to nine state House campaigns, the amounts and interests behind them a mystery until campaign finance reports are filed.

Discretion is expected at these affairs, and the Sept. 18 fundraiser hosted by incoming House Speaker Will Weatherford was no different. Frank Terraferma, director of House campaigns for the Republican Party of Florida, told a Times/Herald reporter to leave because his presence was making guests "uncomfortable."

Yet most of the politicos collecting money that day hardly need it to win in November. Two face write-in candidates. Three others face token opposition from candidates who are Independents or who have no party affiliation. Just four of the Republicans listed on the invite face Democratic opponents.

In all, the nine House candidates had raised more than $1 million before the fundraiser, while their opponents in the general election have mustered a combined $33,057.

Rivera’s pal has checkered past

"Ana Alliegro, who has had previous run-ins with the law, isn’t cooperating with the FBI or a federal grand jury investigating the campaign finances of Justin Lamar Sternad and the possible ties to Rep. David Rivera." "From a shooting to shoplifting, David Rivera’s pal in FBI probe has checkered past".

"Test of state growth management laws"

"HB 7207 reduced the state's role in overseeing local government growth management but also required "protecting the functions of important state resources and facilities." Planners and environmentalists were left to wonder what resources will be protected, and a Brevard County proposal is one of the first to provide a glimpse of how state agencies will define those areas." "Brevard County wetlands proposal offers test of revised state growth management laws".

Independent judiciary under threat

"As the secretive campaign against the three Florida Supreme Court justices up for merit retention took shape Monday, one of the targeted justices warned that the future of the state's independent judiciary was under threat." "Fla. justice criticizes GOP attack". See also "GOP campaign against Florida justices draws fire from inside and outside the party". Meanwhile, "RPOF: Money Available for Justice Retention Fight".

"Former state senator Alex Villalobos warned the move could impact the Florida Supreme Court's independence. ... Related Research: Republican Party of Florida statement on the retention vote for three Supreme Court Justices. " "Former GOP lawmaker hits out at RPOF opposition of Supreme Court justices".

Meanwhile, the "chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, said Monday that GOP Gov. Rick Scott had nothing to do with the party's drive to oust three justices from the state Supreme Court."

On Friday, the RPOF's executive board called for voters to fight against keeping Justices R. Fred Lewis, Barbara Pariente and Peggy Quince on the high court, calling them "liberals" and accusing them of "judicial activism."

If voters remove the justices during the November election, Scott will appoint their replacements.

A spokeswoman for Scott said Monday the governor had been unaware of his party's vote last week, and Curry agreed, saying Scott was "not a part of the decision at all."

Supreme Court sides with PSC

"The court did not rule on the merits in the case filed by the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy and instead agreed with the PSC that the group lacked standing to file the challenge. The group had argued in its challenge that the PSC had ignored 2008 law changes in approving conservation plans for Florida Power & Light and Progress Energy." "Florida Supreme Court sides with PSC, dismisses group's challenge to approval of conservation plans".

Frankel attacks Hasner’s support of Ryan budget plan

"Lois Frankel attacked opponent Adam Hasner’s support of the Ryan budget plan at the congressional candidates’ first joint appearance on Monday, saying the budget plan would cut services for 'children of autism, and 90-year-old grannies in the nursing homes.'" "Frankel attacks Hasner on support of Ryan’s budget plan".

Florida has a rich presidential history

"Sitting and retired American presidents have hosted heads of state in Florida, sailed in the Atlantic, even had a secret bunker here." "The Sunshine State has a rich presidential history".

No one seems willing to defend Amendment 3

"Of the 11 amendments placed on the November 2012 ballot by the Sunshine State’s Republican-dominated Legislature, perhaps the strangest is the third: Almost no one seems willing to go on the record to defend it."

The Florida State Revenue Limitation Amendment (Amendment 3), if approved by 60 percent of the voters, would change the way the state calculates limitations on the amount of revenue it can raise each year.

"Email in-box not for the timid"

"Gov. Rick Scott doesn't have time to read all the email he gets, and it's probably just as well. His in-box overflows with raw emotion on all sides."

Sunburst is a Scott innovation where you get to peek into his in-box (www.flgov.com/sunburst).

"Obama's lead in Florida isn't all about Romney losing ground though. He's pretty strong in his own right with 51% of voters approving of him to 47% who disapprove. That's up a net 7 points from 47/50 before the Democratic convention. This is the first time since April we've found his approval over 50% in the state. Perhaps more importantly Florida voters trust Obama over Romney on the issue of the economy by the same 50/46 margin as the overall numbers- Romney's not getting any traction on that front. And Obama leads 50-45 in terms of who voters have more faith in on foreign policy." "Obama leads by 4 in Florida". See also "PPP FL Poll: Obama 50-Romney 46".

In Florida, "it’s the economy, stupid"

Marc Caputo: "The latest statewide poll by The Miami Herald and its media partners shows a virtual tie in the presidential race in Florida. And it came as a shock to liberals and Democrats. In short, it’s the economy, stupid. Plus a little immigration, foreign policy and healthcare. The data:

• 330,000: the number of homes in foreclosure in Florida. Almost half of all homes are underwater, meaning the owner owes more on the mortgage than the home’s value.

• 67.6 percent: this year’s second-quarter Florida homeownership rate, which hasn’t been this low since about 1999, when 15 percent fewer people lived in the state.

• 8.8 percent: the state’s official unemployment rate, higher than the national average.

• 800,000: the number of people counted within the unemployment rate.

• 399: the number of callers on hold when a Herald reporter recently called to check the waiting time of the state’s “customer service” department for jobless claims.

• 9.8 percent: what the unemployment rate would be if all labor-force-eligible workers who haven’t found work in Florida were counted.

• 60.1 percent: the labor-force participation rate, which hasn’t been this low since 1986.

• 29,000: the amount Florida’s labor force shrank in July.

• 715,000: the number of jobs lost during the 18-month recession.

• 1.4 million: the number of undocumented immigrants deported under President Obama.

• 55-41: the Senate vote that killed the DREAM Act sought by advocates of limited immigration amnesty.

• 4: the number of foreign-service workers, including Ambassador Chris Stevens, killed at the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, on the 11th anniversary of 9/11.

• 1979: the last time an ambassador of the United States was killed overseas, in Afghanistan. • $716 billion: the estimated reductions in future increases — commonly called “cuts” — to Medicare under the president’s affordable healthcare act.

• $16 trillion: the current size of the national debt.

• 18 percent: the proportion of Floridians on Medicaid, the healthcare program for the poor.

George W. Bush was president when the recession started and budget deficits ballooned amid unfunded wars, tax cuts and a Medicare prescription-drug benefit.

Republicans have controlled Florida for years. And Gov. Rick Scott and his fellow Republicans made it tougher for people to get jobless benefits. That increases 1) the level of frustration and/or 2) the likelihood people don’t get their checks and spend them quickly.

All of this — the Romney gaffes plus the bad economy under Obama — makes for a tight race.

Yesterday's poll

"President Obama and Mitt Romney are locked in a virtual tie in Florida, according to a Miami Herald/El Nuevo Herald/Tampa Bay Times poll that indicates the Democrats’ convention buzz and the Republican’s recent troubles haven’t altered the race in this biggest of battleground states. Obama is drawing 48 percent support to Romney’s 47 percent among likely voters — a lead well within the poll’s 3.5 percent error margin. Only 4 percent are undecided." "Obama 48 percent, Romney 47 percent in hard-fought presidential race in Florida".

"Cash Flows to Hot Races"

"With party primaries finished and the general election looming, new campaign-finance reports show where some of the state's top legislative races will play out in November." "Florida Campaign Cash Flows to Hot Races".

"Three-point shift in Nelson's favor since July"

"The Republican shot at unseating Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson is slipping away, according to a new Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald/Bay News 9 poll. Nelson leads Republican U.S. Rep. Connie Mack IV 48 percent to 40 percent, a three-point shift in the Democrat's favor since July." "Poll: Nelson's lead over Mack growing". Meanwhile, "Florida's U.S. Senate race about to heat up".

Florida's "slave labor" problem

"Recent cases include Mexican women being lured by the promise of love and a better life to the United States, only to find themselves coerced into prostitution, and 39 Filipino workers being forced to work for little or no pay in exclusive country clubs in Palm Beach County. . . . It refers to the exploitation of people who are forced into situations where they are essentially used as slave labor, in some cases for sexual purposes." "Florida is a 'hub' for human traffickers, attorney general says".

This is an old story: "Tomato Farm Workers - Committee Hearing" and "Farmworkers exploited, even enslaved, in Florida" ("Former Gov. Jeb Bush and his labor emissary openly criticized the [Coalition of Immokalee Workers] for its work for its work").

"Scott’s boasts ringing hollow"

"The competitive businessman in Gov. Rick Scott wants Florida to be No. 1 for jobs."

By most measures, it's not, and in at least one area, it's dead last.

Florida ranks last in the nation when it comes to long-term unemployment, so economists say the shrinking labor force is a natural result. More than half of the 816,000 jobless people in Florida have been looking for work for six months or more, a national record, according to a recent Florida International University study.

Absent the labor pool's contraction, the unemployment rate would be 9.8 percent, Baker's report found. A report from Scott's Department of Economic Opportunity found that if the state's 94,100 discouraged workers were added to the unemployment rolls, the jobless rate would be 9.7 percent.

That's because Florida's job growth rate has been mediocre when compared with other states.

We found his example of the plummeting unemployment rate over 20 months is not something to tout.

Experts say the reasons behind the drop are mostly grim: Thousands of discouraged workers have given up on finding work in Florida.

The shrinking workforce can be attributed to a number of factors, but the fact that Florida is last in the nation when it comes to long-term unemployment can't be ignored. A major factor in the drop in unemployment is the exodus of people who have simply given up looking for work. Job creation, meanwhile, has been below-average.

So is the unemployment rate decline a positive economic sign for Florida? We say Mostly False.

"What’s up with FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate?"

The Palm Beach Post editorial board: "With the Federal Emergency Management Agency rejecting Florida’s request for disaster assistance because of Tropical Storm Isaac, all the usual roles are reversed."

The supposedly spendthrift Obama administration is playing the fiscal conservative, declaring that Florida’s damage wasn’t severe enough for FEMA to reimburse local governments. Damage in Palm Beach County is estimated at $6 million, with most of the problems in the west-central communities.

Meanwhile, Gov. Scott, who won’t take money from Washington to implement the health care law, will appeal FEMA’s decision and ask the feds for relief. He calculates the damage in 10 counties at $36.7 million.

Finally, what’s up with FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate? He was Florida’s director of emergency management during the hurricane years of 2004 and 2005. He was among many in Florida bugging FEMA about its slow reimbursements. And doesn’t he think his boss might like to win Florida?

"Way too early to coronate Charlie Crist"

"When Charlie Crist was invited to take one of the coveted speaker spots at the Democratic National Convention, it was clear that at some point, Democratic leaders lifted the flaps on their tent so Florida's 44th governor could squeeze under."

Even though Crist remains in his own Republican-turned-independent land of limbo.

The move led by Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Weston, has come at the consternation of a number of party members and drawn rebukes from others who have already declared or are considering runs for the governor’s mansion in 2014. That is the path most political insiders in Tallahassee anticipate Crist will take once he firmly attaches the large "D" to his name.

This is something the Republican Party of Florida is fixated upon. It consumed a great deal of time for Republicans as they gathered daily for breakfast during their own national convention at the end of August in Tampa.

But, while polls indicate Crist would provide a more-than-serious challenge to Gov. Rick Scott in two years, there are "down poll" indicators that reflect Crist may be a paper tiger who won’t be fully welcome; something that should have been evident to those who watched his tepid reception and speech at the Democratic convention in Charlotte, N.C.

"It's way too early for any coronation of Charlie Crist as the Democratic Party's nominee to challenge Rick Scott in 2014," said University of Florida political science professor Daniel Smith.

The best they can do?

Nancy Smith claims that, during last Thursday's Univision forum in Coral Gables, the President made the "false claim" that "the Fast and Furious program began under President George W. Bush." Here's the desperate hair-splitting:

It's true, the G.W. Bush administration did run programs involving ATF agents allowing guns to “walk” across the border "so as to trace them," ABC reported. But it did not do so with the “field-initiated program” known as Fast and Furious.

"Only once in recent history have Floridians opted not to reduce taxes"

"Among the 11 referendum questions put on the Nov. 6 ballot by the Florida Legislature, five give voters the opportunity to put more tax breaks into the state constitution."

Like many Americans, Floridians love lower taxes, and even with the 60 percent approval required, the tax breaks are expected to pass easily. Only once in recent history have they opted not to reduce taxes, said Daniel Smith, a University of Florida political science professor who studies constitutional amendments and ballot initiatives.

"Voting laws may disenfranchise 10 million Hispanic U.S. citizens"

"New voting laws in 23 of the 50 states could keep more than 10 million Hispanic U.S. citizens from registering and voting, a new study said on Sunday, a number so large it could affect the outcome of the November 6 election."

Nationwide, polls show Obama leading Romney among Hispanic voters by 70 percent to 30 percent or more, and winning that voting bloc by a large margin is seen as an important key to Obama winning re-election.

The Hispanic vote could be crucial in some of the battleground states where the election is especially close, such as Nevada, Colorado and Florida.

For example, in Florida, 27 percent of eligible voters are Hispanic. With polls showing Obama's re-election race against Romney very tight in the state, a smaller turnout by Hispanic groups that favor Obama could tilt the vote toward the Republican.

Koch brothers attack Florida’s corporate tax

"A tea party organization founded by the billionaire Koch brothers has launched a vigorous attack on Florida’s corporate income tax, enlisting two dozen Republican legislative candidates who vow to abolish the $2.1 billion levy."

If elected in November, the anti-tax advocates could form a potent bloc in the legislature demanding faster action on erasing the tax, which supplies critical cash to a still-fragile state budget.