Well, not exactly. In 2002, Bush extended regular voting by two hours because of malfunctioning voting machines -- not early voting. And in 2004, he gave supervisors a handful of counties more flexibility in starting early voting days after a devastating hurricane.

It’s important to note that both events were primary elections. Crist made it sound like Bush issued early voting extensions during a presidential election, as Crist did, to accommodate large turn-out.

We rate this claim Mostly False.

Scott pumps up Federalist Society whiners

"Rick Scott urged conservative activists Friday not to point fingers and assign blame for President Barack Obama's re-election -- but to "get in the ring" and fight for continued tax reduction, cuts in government regulation and fiscal policies that hold down the cost of living for working families. . . . Scott, a Republican who started his own political career in 2009 with a campaign against national healthcare, said at a Washington meeting of the Federalist Society." "Scott tells conservative group to 'get in the ring'".

"Scott ready to take his medicine?"

The Palm Beach Post editorial board: "As a private citizen, Gov. Rick Scott campaigned against President Barack Obama’s attempt to pass health care reform. As governor, Rick Scott has refused to let Florida implement any key part of the law, even after the Supreme Court in June declared the law constitutional."

This week, however, the governor declared that he finally may be dropping his opposition to the Affordable Care Act, which he told The Palm Beach Post a year ago would “never become the law of the land.” . . .

Like other Republican governors, Gov. Scott has refused to create an exchange on its own. The state missed Friday’s deadline, set by the federal government, to create its own exchange. Tallahassee’s new Senate and House leaders have expressed interest in a state-federal exchange. The deadline to submit plans for such an exchange is Feb. 15. The exchange is supposed to open in January 2014, when all the other major provisions of the law take effect.

Since the Affordable Care Act became law in March 2010, The Post has advocated improvement of the law, not repeal. Gov. Scott and other Republicans, though, have offered no alternative during their many months of putting politics over helping Floridians obtain health insurance. Given the results on Nov. 6, Gov. Scott now believes that he has no political alternative but to make nice. But will be make good on his promise of cooperation?

Teabaggers run wild in St. Lucie County

"A divided St. Lucie County canvassing board decided Friday night to recount all 37,379 ballots from early voting in the tight congressional race between Republican U.S. Rep. Allen West and Democrat Patrick Murphy."

The recount will begin at 9 a.m. Saturday.

The canvassing board’s decision came hours after Treasure Coast Circuit Judge Dan Vaughn declined to intervene in the case and denied a request from the West campaign that he order a recount of all the early votes. In his ruling, Vaughn noted that the canvassing board would be meeting later in the day to discuss the issue.

After Vaughn’s ruling, the canvassing board held a lengthy and at times heated meeting in which elections officials revealed that 306 ballots had gone uncounted and the attorney for St. Lucie County Elections Supervisor Gertrude Walker announced that the elections chief was in the hospital.

FlaGOP banks nearly $1M from unopposed candidates

"Re-elected without opposition this summer, Rep. Dana Young had the strange but fortunate problem of having $200,000 in her campaign bank account and nothing to spend it on."

Young, a Tampa Republican, is one of about 50 lawmakers who — with no rival to bury in signs or television ads — poured their leftover political donations this year into the coffers of political parties and committees affiliated with the state’s most powerful lawmakers. The GOP-led Legislature in 2011 lifted a $10,000 cap on political contributions for excess campaign money, making the transactions possible.

Under state law, candidates can steer that money to political parties, to charity or return it to their donors. They also can steer money to their state office accounts, or if they’re feeling generous, donate the money to the state treasury.

In years past, lawmakers used nearly all of the money — which comes from lobbyists and private donors — to contribute to their favorite charities.

But this year the Republican Party of Florida banked nearly $1 million in donations from unopposed candidates. Few Democrats ran unopposed, and the few who did donated little to their party.

"Persona non canape"

Daniel Ruth: "Regarding the Khawam/Kelley axis of hubris as 'socialites' is a bit like thinking of Richard Nixon as a Chippendale dancer. And now that Jill Kelley has had her access to MacDill Air Force Base yanked, she has become persona non canape with her former military pals." "After the laughter, a serious scandal".

Florida's jobless rate dips

"Florida unemployment rate dips to 8.5 percent for October". See also "Tampa Bay area leads state in job creation", "Florida's jobless rate dips to 8.5 percent" and "West Palm Beach News - Breaking News, Local Headlines & Weather | www.palmbeachpost.com".

Will Weatherford ... the best they can do?

Tampa Bay area leads state in job creation "Reform Will Weatherford-Style: Campaign Finance, Education and Pension Overhauls".

How Florida campaign cash flows

"After a campaign season of torrential political spending, political consulting firm Contribution Link has produced an interactive graphic illustrating the relationship between the various committees that raised and spent money to influence voters. Researchers employed software used to track interaction within social media networks to plot the number of cash transfers among political committees." "An interactive graphic produced by the Contribution Link consulting firm groups political committees by relationships." "Chart tracks how campaign cash flows".

Week in Review

"Week in Review for Nov. 12 to Nov. 16". See also "Weekly Roundup: Election Fallout Shakes Up Capitol".

"Rejection of the 'Republican agenda'"

Lloyd Dunkelberger: "The defeat of eight of the 11 amendments was hailed by Democrats as a rejection of the 'Republican agenda' from the Legislature."

Former state Sen. Dan Gelber, D-Miami Beach, was among those making that case in a recent opinion piece in Florida Voices, an on-line forum.

“Those long amendments were, for the most part, the entire platform of the Republican Party of Florida,” Gelber wrote. “I guess they expected voters to reflexively support their attacks on Obamacare (Amendment 1), their opposition to reproductive rights (Amendment 6), their support of vouchers (Amendment 8), their antipathy toward an independent Supreme Court (Amendment 5) and their love of draconian revenue limits (Amendment 3).”

But incoming Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, said that criticism is obviously a partisan critique from Gelber and misses a larger problem with the growth of amendments on the statewide ballot.

Exploring election reforms

"Following more than a week of criticism, Broward Elections Supervisor Brenda Snipes agreed Friday to explore ways to avoid long lines, misplaced ballots and other problems that plagued last week's election." "Snipes agrees to explore election reforms".

"Florida's grades for infrastructure have fallen"

"Florida's grades for infrastructure have fallen since 2008; the society gives the state a D for energy, flood control and coastal management and C's for most road and water projects. The lack of investment in roads, bridges, ports and airports led the World Economic Forum in its latest competitiveness report to place the U.S. infrastructure 14th among 144 nations, behind much of Europe and Asia." "Crumbling infrastructure's heavy toll".

"Drunken disrobing"

"The corporate watchdogs who were recently fired from Citizens Property Insurance Corp. had uncovered evidence of favoritism, improper compensation and poorly handled investigations at the highest levels of the state-run company."

A report reviewed Friday by Citizens’ Audit Committee shows that one of the final investigations conducted by Citizens’ Office of Corporate Integrity targeted top senior officials at the company. The four corporate watchdogs were investigating how Citizens had handled previous allegations of sexual harassment, drunken disrobing, irregular severance payments, falsified documents and other improprieties by employees.

What a terrible message Florida sent the nation about how government here works.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott says government should be run like a business and that leaders should be held accountable for performance. Yet on the all-important measure of running an efficient election, he remains strangely silent.

Instead, when asked to extend early voting hours because of long lines, he said no. Facing a similar nightmare in a previous election, his predecessor put the needs of all citizens first. "When you're governor, you don't just work for one party or the other, you work for the people of the state," says former Gov. Charlie Crist.

That's not how Republican leaders in Tallahassee see things. In changing the elections law last year, former state Sen. Mike Bennett famously talked about making it tough for people to vote. After all, he said, people in Africa "literally walk two and three hundred miles" to cast a ballot.

In the end, the GOP's strategy backfired because Democrats got fired up and swung the political pendulum their way.

And now, after laying out their agenda in those proposed amendments, we know Floridians do not support repealing Obamacare, sending taxpayer dollars to religious organizations, erecting more barriers to a woman's right to choose or allowing state senators to decide who sits on the Florida Supreme Court.

By all accounts, Florida Republicans were reeling after Tuesday's election. As they sort things out, we encourage them to start by putting the needs of all Floridians first.

The impact of Republican-controlled redistricting

Harold Meyerson: "Democrats narrowly outpolled Republicans in the total number of votes cast for congressional candidates. The margin varies depending on whether you count the races in which candidates ran unopposed and those in which members of the same party faced off (as happened in several California districts). But any way you count it, the Democrats came out ahead — in everything but the number of House seats they won."

Consider Pennsylvania, where President Barack Obama won 52 percent of the votes cast, and Democratic Sen. Bob Casey defeated his Republican rival, 53 percent to 45 percent. Yet Democrats won just five of that state's 18 U.S. House seats. They carried both districts in the Philadelphia area — by 85 percent and 89 percent, respectively — and three other districts, by 77, 69 and 61 percent. Of the 13 districts where Republicans prevailed, GOP candidates won seven with less than 60 percent of the vote; in only one district did the Republican candidate's total exceed 65 percent of the votes cast.

So it went in several other swing states. In Florida, Obama eked out a victory and Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson won by 13 points, but Democrats will hold only 10 of the Sunshine State's 27 House seats. . . .

Republicans love to proclaim their affinity for the marketplace and the genius of competition. But it's precisely by suppressing competition, and crafting uncompetitive districts, that they maintained their hold on the House. Any notion that House Republicans have a mandate of their own that they can bring to a fight with the president is spurious. Their grasp on the House derives not from voter sentiment but almost entirely from the line-drawers' art.

West’s last gasp

"A St. Lucie County circuit judge has scheduled a two-hour hearing for Friday on Republican U.S. Rep. Allen West’s request for a recount of all 37,379 ballots cast during early voting in St. Lucie County in his tight reelection fight against Democrat Patrick Murphy." "Hearing set over recount in Allen West-Patrick Murphy race". Nancy Smith: "St. Lucie County Recount's a Must, but Put Away Your Conspiracy Theories". Related: "Gayle Harrell: St. Lucie County Elections ‘A Disaster’".

House Democrats Set Up 2013-2014 Leadership

"State House Democratic Leader Perry Thurston, D-Fort Lauderdale, has nominated Rep. Mia Jones, D-Jacksonville, as Democratic Leader Pro Tempore as he rounds out his leadership team for the 2013-2014 sessions." "House Democrats Set Up 2013-2014 Leadership with Mia Jones as Pro Tempore". Related: "Dorworth down, Weatherford announces new leadership positions; minority posts also filled".

"Florida ranks highest in October foreclosure rates"

"Florida ranks highest in October foreclosure rates".

Scott has no problem with these federal dollars

"Pratt & Whitney Aircraft intends to add 230 jobs as it expands its manufacturing facility on its 6,800 acres in northern Palm Beach County. East Hartford, Conn.-based United Technologies Corp. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Louis Chênevert was joined by Gov. Rick Scott in announcing a $4.4 million incentive package from the state and Palm Beach County for Pratt & Whitney’s $63 million investment. The state is putting up $3.4 million, with $1 million from the county for tax exemptions and job growth incentives over four years."

Oh yeah, Pratt

is building the engine for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

Lobbyists file reports

Bill Cotterell: "Lobbyists file 3rd quarter compensation reports".

Florida Socialite at Center of Scandal

"The Washington Post profiled Jill Kelley, the Tampa woman at the center of the widening scandal, and FCIR Associate Director Trevor Aaronson discussed on RT America the history of competition and mistrust between the FBI and CIA." "Florida Socialite at Center of CIA Scandal".

Feel free to reconsider

"U.S. Rep. Allen West says he has no plans to suit up for Georgia. The Palm Beach Gardens Republican who has refused to concede the Congressional District 18 contest along Florida’s Treasure Coast has told the Atlanta Journal Constitution he won’t be heading back to his native state if he has to restart his political career." "Allen West to Georgia: ‘I’m Not an NFL Free Agent’". West would fit in perfectly with the Georgia Republican Party, as "Top Georgia GOP Lawmakers Host Briefing on Secret Obama Mind-Control Plot". More: "GOP Lawmakers in Georgia Hold Closed-Door Session on Conspiracy Theory Involving President Obama, the United Nations, and Mind Control".

And state troopers had their last raise ... when?

"The day after the CEO of the state’s top tourism agency announced he was stepping down, board members quickly handpicked his replacement."

There was only one problem. Picking Visit Florida’s chief marketing officer Will Seccombe to head the agency without doing a national search could upset the agency’s main funders — state legislators and Gov. Rick Scott.

Visit Florida’ solution: give a recruiting firm a no-bid, $45,000, two-month contract to conduct a nationwide CEO search. The firm, Minnesota-based Searchwide, just happened to be the same one that brought in Seccombe five years earlier.

Now, a state watchdog group is slamming the agency's recruiting process, saying it suggests either favoritism, government waste, or both.

Scott rejects coverage for 800,000 to 1.3 million uninsured Floridians

"A new study says Florida could expand Medicaid and add 800,000 to 1.3 million uninsured Floridians to the rolls 'without assuming any new net costs.' How? The researchers say the the state could save up to $100 million a year because allowing people to join Medicaid would reduce the financial burden on other state-funded safety net programs."

Under the Affordable Care Act, the federal government will pay 100 percent of the new costs for expanding Medicaid during the first three years and has agreed to foot 90 percent or more of it until 2020.

Scott has said he worries about the burden on the state budget beyond that period. He points out that the state's current Medicaid expenses are a third of the total budget, $20 billion, even though Florida's eligibility rules are stricter than most states.

But health experts and patients rights organizations say many of the state's 3.8 million uninsured residents will continue to receive care they can't pay for in hospital emergency rooms without the Medicaid expansion, so costs are passed down to other Floridians in the form of higher insurance premiums.

Officials demand answers for prolonged ballot count

"Broward officials are demanding answers for the county’s prolonged ballot count, and at least one county commissioner said she expects to press Elections Supervisor Brenda Snipes for an explanation Friday when the canvassing board meets to examine overseas and military ballots, and to certify official results." "Broward officials want answers for prolonged ballot count".

"Not every precinct created equally"

"When it comes to voting in Florida, not every polling place is created equally. Some Florida polling places have more than 8,000 registered voters assigned to them while others are only an eighth of that size. The result can be a wide variation in how many voting booths and scanners are available to voters in their given precinct. That can create unequal opportunities for voters, based on where they live, if there are long lines like the ones Florida voters experienced on Election Day last week."

Unlike some other states, Florida lacks a statewide standard for the ratio of voters to voting stations or voters to ballot scanners. New York restricts the ratio to no more than 800 registered voters per station. Pennsylvania sets a range of 300 to 400 registered voters per station, depending on the type of election. Ohio recommends a ratio of 175 registered voters per station.

In Orange County, home to Orlando, the ratio of non-handicapped voters to station ranged from 665 to 112 at the start of Election Day, although elections office workers drove around with some 300 extra voting booths and distributed them throughout the day when requested by poll workers. And some precinct workers, seeing large crowds, set up tables for voters to cast their ballots if they didn't mind a lack of privacy.

Miami-Dade calculates a ratio of 70 voters per voting station but that's based on an assumption that only a third of registered voters show up on Election Day, even though two-thirds of the county's registered voters cast their ballots this past election either by going to their precincts, early voting or by absentee ballots. When all registered voters are included in a precinct, the non-handicapped voting booth ratio ranges from 456 to 289, according to an Associated Press analysis. . . .

A study of Virginia election data from 2004 by University of Michigan political scientist Walter Mebane showed a decline in turnout when the ratio of actual voters per station was greater than around 350 or 400. But a follow-up analysis using 2008 election data showed the figure could be as low as 225 voters per machine.

"At some point long lines, specifically long waiting times to vote, cause turnout to decrease because voters who can't wait give up and leave," Mebane said in an email.

Following the troubled 2000 presidential election, the Florida Legislature required counties to use an optical scan system that requires voters to fill out their choices with a pen on a paper ballot, which is then fed by the voter into a scanner. The ratio of scanners to voters in each precinct also varies widely, and some voters like Cathy Kerns said they waited as long as an hour and a half to scan their ballot even after they had waited for hours to enter the polling place.

Hater

"A Florida restaurateur has distanced himself from media reports that he will be implementing a 5 percent 'Obamacare surcharge' at his 45 restaurants. He now insists no such plans are in the offing." "Backlash? Florida Restaurants' Owner Retreats from 'Obamacare Surcharge'". Meanwhile, even Romney endorsing Orlando Sentinel editorial board recognizes that it is "Time to make way for health reform in Florida".

"'Regret' and 'remorse' after a 'difficult year'"

"Expressing 'regret' and 'remorse' after a 'difficult year' at a 'struggling' agency, Florida Corrections Secretary Ken Tucker has posted a farewell to his employees." "Ken Tucker Offers ‘Regret’ as he Retires from Florida Prisons".

"Florida's Nov. 6 election fiasco is generating political fallout that appears likely to dominate the coming state legislative session and possibly affect the 2014 election." "Critics are latching on to state's election problems". More: "Will Weatherford: Florida ‘Should be Embarrassed’ by Latest Election Fiasco". See also "State representative wants early voting expanded".

Doesn't this make you feel better: "Rick Scott: Ken Detzner Directed to Restore Voter ‘Confidence’".

Another Florida embarrassment

"Florida among 7 states that qualify for secession response".

West makes up the rules as he goes

"A St. Lucie County circuit judge has scheduled a two-hour hearing for Friday on Republican U.S. Rep. Allen West’s request for a recount of all 37,379 ballots cast during early voting in St. Lucie County in his tight reelection fight against Democrat Patrick Murphy." "Hearing set over recount in Allen West-Patrick Murphy race". Background: "State to help probe 799 missing votes in Allen West race".

Meanwhile, an "election inspection team ordered by Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner is on the ground in Fort Pierce as the city mayor’s contest has spawned the second lawsuit that questions the general election results in St. Lucie County." "Gayle Harrell: St. Lucie County Elections ‘A Disaster’". The Palm Beach Post editorial board: "Recount early votes in Patrick Murphy-Allen West race". Frank Cerabino: St. Lucie County should recount all of its ballots, and let the West-Murphy votes fall where they may

Florida leads in foreclosures

"Florida keeps top foreclosure ranking".

"Train service from Miami to Orlando"

The Miami Herald editorial board: "All Aboard Florida, the proposed passenger rail service from Miami to Orlando, with stops in Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, promises to add a new dimension to downtown Miami’s vitality. Florida East Coast Industries, the company that began as Henry Flagler’s railroad, has big plans to connect two major tourist destinations as early as 2014." "FEC All Aboard Florida to offer exciting train service from Miami to Orlando".

GOPers "behind the demographic curve"

"The Republican Party finds itself not only behind the demographic curve but out of step on issues gaining national acceptance, like same-sex marriage and immigration reform." "Weak showing among minorities has Republicans rethinking strategy". See also "Poll: Obama got big share of Cuban-American vote, won among other Florida Hispanics".

"Florida’s butterfly effect"

"Voter suppression and Florida’s butterfly effect".

"Ladies of the evening as competition"

"Delmar Johnson, a former GOP official who is testifying against Greer in return for immunity from prosecution, said he believed prostitutes were part of a mens only party in the Bahamas." "New allegations surface in case against Jim Greer". Daniel Ruth: "It is known that then-Gov. Crist was in attendance, as was Tallahassee lobbyist Brian Ballard and GOP finance chairman Harry Sargeant."

As for the identities of the rest of those receiving thanks, well that's become a bit problematic. The guest list has been sealed by lawyers who have argued their clients could be damaged if their names were revealed.

Why is that?

If Delmar Johnson is wrong, if he somehow misread a convention of Minnesota librarians as golf carts full of harlots, then why the shyness in admitting one might have accepted the Republican Party of Florida invitation to come to the Bahamas to be thanked?

Surely, especially if there really were no concubines in golf carts anywhere in sight, the GOP dignitaries wiled away their hours playing canasta on the veranda and engaging in endlessly fascinating discussions about Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations.

Naughty women notwithstanding, the entire Greer saga and its ripple effects upon Republicans could have been largely avoided if only the state party leaders had simply eased the former chairman out of office and then shut up.

Perhaps Greer is guilty of the crimes he is charged with. But it hardly seems worth the trouble to alienate someone who probably knows where more political skeletons are buried than Pol Pot.

It's just a gut feeling, but it's probable Delmar Johnson may just be dead wrong about all those hookers in golf carts. Considering how Tallahassee is already so beholden to deep-pocketed special interests, it's more likely the Republicans viewed any ladies of the evening as competition.

Weatherford flip flops

"In the wake of another big spending election, incoming House Speaker Will Weatherford said Tuesday he wants to limit the dollars that flow into murky political spending committees run by leading Florida lawmakers."

The Wesley Chapel Republican, who will take over leadership of the House at next week’s organizational session of the Legislature, acknowledged that committees he and dozens of legislators have established raise and spend millions of dollars in unlimited contributions from Florida’s biggest industries. Weatherford raised more than $2 million for his Committee for a Conservative House, which he used to help elect favored candidates and for related expenses.

"Florida leaders need to face reality"

The Tampa Bay Times editors: "Just a week after an election that checked the Republican dominance in a decidedly purple state, two Florida politicians have signaled change in Tallahassee. On both the Affordable Health Care Act and campaign finance reform, there's reason for optimism."

After playing a role for years as one of the staunchest critics of the health care reform, Gov. Rick Scott on Tuesday told the Associated Press that he is dropping his strident opposition to Obamacare and is willing to engage in a conversation with Washington to implement the plan's required health insurance exchanges in Florida. Finally.

Scott read the electoral tea leaves, as have incoming legislative leaders Rep. Will Weatherford and Sen. Don Gaetz. They have been signaling for months a willingness to consider implementing the law, given the U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding most of it and President Barack Obama's possible re-election. Floridians will be best served if they can access a state-run exchange, versus a federally run one, to obtain the mandated insurance coverage.

Now Scott, Weatherford and Gaetz also need to agree to accept the Medicaid provisions under the plan that would open the door for up to 2 million more uninsured, low-income Floridians to get coverage. The federal government would pick up 100 percent of the costs for the first three years and 90 percent of the costs thereafter. That's a good deal for Florida and its families.

The Tampa Tribune editorial board write that, "with Obama winning a second term and the Democrats maintaining control of the U.S. Senate in last week's elections, coupled with the Supreme Court upholding the law's constitutionality, Florida leaders need to face reality."

Obamacare, and its personal health insurance mandate, now is cemented in U.S. law, at least for the foreseeable future. It would be foolish to think the law is going away.

Instead, Gov. Rick Scott, lawmakers and other state officials need to take thoughtful steps to implement the law and negotiate with the federal government for the best deal for Florida taxpayers and families.

Revenge of the Nones

"'Nones' — the religiously unaffiliated . . . are to the Democratic Party what evangelicals are to Republicans."

"Both groups are substantial in size, and they both matter a lot," said Alan Cooperman, associate director for research at the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life. In 2012, the "nones" were roughly the same size as white evangelicals. Both represent 19 percent of the American population.

Florida reflected the national trends as well, said Ken Wald, a political-science professor at the University of Florida. Evangelicals came out strongly for Romney, while the "nones" voted overwhelmingly for Obama.

"There's no reason to think Florida differed in any significant way from the national vote in the sense that both those groups are important constituencies," Wald said.

But the numbers of white, born-again evangelicals have declined from 21 percent in 2007, while the religiously unaffiliated have increased from 15 percent.

"The trends are moving in opposite directions. It's something the religious leaders should be very concerned about," said Dan Nejfelt, an editor with Faith and Public Life, a left-leaning faith-based organization.

Not so fast, say experts from the Pew Research Center. Evangelicals turned out for Romney in greater numbers this election than they did for John McCain in 2008 and at the same level — 79 percent — as for George Bush in 2004.

But though the evangelicals came out for Romney as they had for Bush, there was none of the enthusiasm of 2004, when conservative Christians turned the election into a moral crusade for social values, said Phillip Lucas, professor of religious studies at Stetson University in DeLand.

"I think a lot of evangelicals in key swing states, including Florida, said, 'I can't support either of these guys,'" he said.

At the same time, the religiously unaffiliated's support for Obama dropped from 75 percent in 2008 to 70 percent in 2012. Moreover, the "nones" might represent one in five Americans but only one in eight voters. Despite their growth in numbers, their percentage of the electorate remains where it was in 2008 at 12 percent.

"They are punching well below their weight," Cooperman said.

But in an election as close in popular vote as the 2012 election, even small shifts in voter turnout can make a difference. When it comes to evangelicals versus the religiously unaffiliated, the only significant difference between 2004 and 2012 is who won, said Greg Smith, a senior researcher at Pew.

"F--- Obama!"

"A Key West man who told his partner that "if Barack gets re-elected, I'm not going to be around" was found dead on Nov. 8, with the words 'F--- Obama!' scrawled on his will and two empty prescription bottles nearby." "Death of Key West man linked to Obama's reelection".

As his top elections official conceded that the state bears responsibility for long lines and late vote counts that have made Florida a target of national ridicule, Gov. Rick Scott on Friday defended the state’s handling of the election.

From author Carl Hiaasen on CBS (“a freak show”) to The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart (bleeped-out expletives for Florida), writers and comedians have had a field day lampooning the state’s latest electoral embarrassment. The scrutiny would have been immeasurably worse if Ohio had not sealed President Barack Obama’s re-election.

But it’s no joke, and the most ferocious criticism is aimed squarely at Scott, the former hospital-chain CEO who repeatedly urges people to hold him accountable for his performance.

Republican legislators in Tallahassee have ignored pleas by county election supervisors to let them expand early voting to sites beyond their own offices, city halls and libraries, so crowds at each site would be smaller.

For the past three years, Sen. Nan Rich, D-Weston, filed bills to add flexibility to the choices of early voting sites. The 2012 version, SB 516, was shelved and never heard by a committee chaired by Sen. Miguel Diaz de la Portilla, R-Miami, whose county had by far the longest lines and who voted with other Republicans to reduce early voting days.

“The Legislature wouldn’t hear that bill,” Rich said. “The governor and Republican-dominated Legislature caused this to happen, by reducing early voting days and by putting all of those constitutional amendments on the ballot.”

Rich and other Democrats say the limited sites and long ballot were a sinister plot by Republicans to make it harder for Democrats to vote.

Elections are run by counties in Florida, but are governed by state law.

In 2011, Scott signed into law changes that cut early voting days from 14 to eight. As the early voting lines grew longer last month, he refused requests to issue an executive order adding more days. The day after the election, he said: “Let’s look and see what we can improve.”

In turning down a request last week by Monroe County elections chief Harry Sawyer to add additional days of early voting, Detzner said the state had no authority to do so except during a state of emergency that could risk lives or property.

CNN’s Banfield, who said she spent 14 hours at Miami-area voting sites Tuesday, peppered Detzner with tough questions and demanded he explain why the state didn’t expand the locations.

“We were following the law,” Detzner said. “It appears as though now we need to redress the issue regarding the locations. The governor has asked me to look at that issue.”

Banfield told viewers it was time for Scott to “face the music” and explain what went wrong.

As she closed her program, Friday, she spoke directly to Scott, noting that he has declined two offers to appear on the air.

"After Election Day, America went to bed — four times — and still the Sunshine State hadn't declared official results. Days later, we were still counting, despite presidential challenger Mitt Romney conceding. And while Florida once again held up the nation's final election tally, the nation held Florida in ridicule, wondering why we can't get our election act together." "Florida's 2012 election mess: Heavy turnout, wordy ballot, fewer early voting days".

Carl Hiaasen: "The 2012 presidential race was basically over last Tuesday night when precincts in Cleveland and other key areas began reporting. President Obama’s victory was announced shortly after 11 p.m., while many Miami voters were still waiting in long lines."

To their honor, lots of them stayed and voted anyway.

On Wednesday, Floridians awoke to learn that thousands of ballots remained uncounted in Miami-Dade and several other counties. As the sorting process dragged into Thursday, we all began hearing from friends and relatives living in normal places where elections are conducted without scandal or farce.

What is wrong with your state?

CBS asked me the same question, and all I could say was: “It’s a freak show.”

Yes, Florida’s ballot was ridiculously long, stacked with dense constitutional amendments.

Yes, exceptionally long poll lines were made worse by the Legislature’s decision to cut the early-voting period from 14 days to eight days. It was one of several Republican strategies to stifle turnout in the cities, and it backfired.

And yes, Gov. Scott could have made the election go smoother if he hadn’t refused to extend polling hours for early voting. However, there was scant chance of the governor lifting a finger to help urban Hispanics or African-Americans cast ballots, because they often vote Democrat.

Adding to those factors last week were the same demons that helped send the 2000 presidential contest to the Supreme Court — random bungling, lack of preparation and free-floating confusion.

Chads or no chads, Florida simply isn’t equipped to run a major election. We’re in way over our heads, and we should admit it.

Late to the Game

"Ken Detzner: Wait Time at Election Sites Will Be Reduced".

Bondi strikes bad deal

The Palm Beach Post editorial board: "Attorney General Pam Bondi assured Floridians that $300 million from a national mortgage settlement would go to distressed homeowners. She can’t keep that promise, though, because she’s given the Florida Legislature control over most of the money." "Bondi struck bad deal on $200 million from mortgage fraud settlement".

Has Nelson's Moment Arrived?

"Democrat Bill Nelson made the state and the nation a promise in his acceptance speech Tuesday night: He said he will be the voice of moderation, the voice of bipartisanship. He said he will work to unite the country." "Has Bill Nelson's Moment Finally Arrived?".

"GOP’s far-right direction has turned off many Floridians"

The Miami Herald editors believe "voters sent a signal to Gov. Rick Scott and Republicans that they’ve gone too far right" "Florida GOP’s overreach".

Legislature "an extremist, special-interest-driven morass that disrespects the constitution"

Scott Maxwell: "The legislature has mutated from a respected institution designed to do the people's will into an extremist, special-interest-driven morass that disrespects the constitution as much its constituents."

Tuesday's election was a repudiation of Tallahassee's status quo.

Powerful incumbents lost.

The Legislature's attack on the courts failed.

Most of the legislators' ham-fisted attempts to muck up the constitution — and clog up voting lines — went down in flames.

And, most historically, Central Florida voters appear to have done something that hasn't happened in a quarter-century in this state: oust a future speaker of the House — a man who embodied much of what is out of whack.

This wasn't just a liberal rebellion against power-drunk Republicans. It was the work of another, neglected group of people I often write about: the "common-sense conservatives" often abused by the hacks who rule in their name.

Collectively, voters of all stripes finally stood up to say our state deserves better.

They were citizens who don't like politicians playing games with democracy — such as gerrymandered districts. . . .

And in the most remarkable event in the entire state, Seminole County voters appear to have ousted House speaker-to-be Chris Dorworth — from a district that was specifically drawn to keep him safe, stocked with 25 percent more Republicans than Democrats.

"Officially Blue"

"Florida Officially Goes Blue for Obama".

Dorworth Says Defeat Is Likely, Recount Begins Today

Note: The Machine recount begins at 1:00 this afternoon, preceded by logic and accuracy testing. It is expected that this automatic recount will keep the race within 0.25% of the total votes cast, leading to a hand recount (with counting tables trying to discern "voter intent", observers and all that) in the next several days. We will be updating regularly on Twitter. "Chris Dorworth Says Defeat Is Likely; GOP Rallies Around Steve Crisafulli".

Early vote recount set for Sunday in West contest

"Returns submitted to the state Division of Elections today show Democrat Patrick Murphy edging Republican U.S. Rep. Allen West by 2,442 votes or 0.74 percent — a big enough margin to avoid an automatic recount under state law."

But the counting isn’t completely finished.

St. Lucie County’s elections canvassing board has scheduled an emergency meeting for 7 a.m. Sunday to recount all the early votes cast in the county. Elections Supervisor Gertrude Walker on Wednesday estimated there were about 37,000 early votes.

West has not conceded and has raised questions about the early vote tally after some electronic memory cards storing early ballots could not initially be counted Tuesday night. The ballots were counted later in the evening and turned a narrow West lead into a small Murphy advantage.

Weekly Roundup

"Weekly Roundup: Dems Move Forward; GOP Still in Control".

Public employees at work

"Broward Sheriff Fire-Rescue's technical rescue team lifted El Saidy, one of six workers on the job, from the bottom of the tank in a basket." "Worker rescued after fall into water tank".

"Scott and his Bowery Boys of the ballot"

Daniel Ruth writes that "the extremist losers this week look like a gathering of weevils."

But perhaps the most notable Sad Sack of the stump who saw his duty and ducked it faster than the Duke of Windsor has to be Gov. Rick Scott, a man who gave up what's left of his integrity for the votes he abhors.

It was Scott, along with his Bowery Boys of the ballot in the Florida Legislature, who looked at all those minorities and Democrats voting early and thought to themselves, "Well! We'll just see about that. This democracy nonsense can only go so far."

Thus it was the Gov. Lepetomane of the Apalachee Parkway conspired with the Republican-led Legislature to reduce voting hours and otherwise make it more difficult to cast a ballot than catch a glimpse of the Florida swamp ape.

The deceit behind all this was that there was so much make-believe voter fraud occurring. But since nobody could come up with any proof of election hanky-panky, Scott and his little friends decided to commit some of their own voter suppression fraud, perhaps to show people how it's really done.

But the cynical ploy backfired as millions of Floridians defiantly stood in line for hours to commit the single most important act of citizenship — casting a vote, a civic duty the chief executive officer of the state showed little appetite for honoring.

Scott had a second chance. He could have ordered the voting hours to be extended. He could have sided with the public. He could have done the right thing. He took a pass — on democracy.

In 2014, Scott will be up for re-election, asking the public for their vote.

He can be sure Floridians will be more than happy to stand in line for as long as it takes to cast a ballot.

They finally got un

"Non-citizen behind bars after illegally voting in presidential election".

"Epic" move to blue in Orange County

Beth Kassab: "This will go down as the year Orange County's swing between Republicans and Democrats finally came to a stop and landed on the left."

Orange is no longer up for grabs.

We now look an awful lot like Palm Beach County — one of the state's most heavily Democratic-leaning counties — but 10 degrees colder in the winter and no ocean view.

Last week's election confirmed what many have seen coming for much of the past decade: The increase in voters who are either Hispanic, young or both is dramatic.

"'Dramatic' is an understatement," Orange County Republican Party Chairman Lew Oliver said.

OK, then: epic.

Tuesday, President Obama won Orange County with 59 percent of the vote, about the same as in Palm Beach.

That wasn't all.

Alan Grayson won his congressional seat with 63 percent. Newcomer Karen Castor Dentel ousted incumbent Republican state Rep. Scott Plakon. Joe Saunders, one of two openly gay members of the state House elected this year, won by 12 points against his GOP opponent. Linda Stewart buried former legislator Bob Brooks.

The Democratic fever spilled all the way down the ballot to the constitutional offices, where longtime and well-respected Republican Property Appraiser Bill Donegan was unseated by no-name Democrat Rick Singh.

Orange County was once the epicenter of the I-4 corridor in the middle of the largest swing state.

Now Orange appears frozen in the D column among the other counties along Interstate 4 that have more potential to sway from R to D.

Is Scott Softening on HCR?

"The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled, President Barack Obama has won re-election and a majority of Florida voters rejected Amendment 1, the effort to etch into the state constitution a permanent ban on mandatory health insurance. With the Affordable Care Act more certain than ever, some lawmakers are calling for a careful look at how to implement it here. Even Florida Gov. Rick Scott, a staunch opponent, appeared to be softening his longstanding refusal to acknowledge the law." "Florida moving to work on implementing health-care law".

The Tampa Bay Times editorial board: "Scott's obsessive opposition to President Barack Obama's signature health reform law should not be the final word in Tallahassee, and the state’s Republican leadership should rise above partisanship and rigid ideology." "Time to put health care over politics".

"Then, there is Charlie Crist"

"President Barack Obama’s narrow victory over Mitt Romney in Florida this week has Democrats eager to seize the momentum to focus on the next hurdle: defeating Republican Gov. Rick Scott."

Party leaders are thumping their chest that the triumph was a repudiation of the tea party, a signal that the state party is out-of-touch and a blueprint for unseating Scott, the most unpopular governor in Florida in two decades. But Democrats have one big problem: no standout candidate to challenge him.

“Working on that one,’’ joked Scott Arceneaux, director of the Florida Democratic Party.

Their bench includes former legislators, failed former candidates, and a long list of mayors. Only state Sen. Nan Rich, of Weston, who is little known outside Tallahassee, has announced she is in the race.

Then, there is Charlie Crist.

The populist former governor is undergoing a metamorphosis that is substantial even by political standards. He left his party in 2010 as a candidate for U.S. Senate, ran without party affiliation and lost to Republican Marco Rubio.

As an independent, he has since spent this election cycle campaigning aggressively for Obama, chastising his former party for an “extremist” agenda, and, in the last week, he has been accelerating criticism against Rick Scott.

When Scott refused to extend early voting hours as Crist had done in 2008, Crist tweeted “indefensible.” When Scott defiantly defended his decision, Crist sent out a link to his statement and added: “I don’t think the people would agree, Governor.”

Tom Nickens: "Charlie Crist was waiting on a call and had to call me back."

No wonder.

The other caller turned out to be President Barack Obama. The president called the former Florida governor Thursday afternoon to offer his thanks for helping him win re-election. The two men talked briefly about how the voting mess here needs to be fixed.

And before he hung up, Obama told Crist he looked forward to getting together in person to talk about the future.

Of course, that's the juiciest part. Crist won't elaborate on what that means or what he might do next. But I can't see him sticking around a law firm forever and asking folks to call up if they want to say hello.

Tuesday was a rout of the radical right in Florida. Obama won. So did U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, a Democratic centrist, over Republican U.S. Rep. Connie Mack IV. Voters rejected eight of 11 amendments to the state Constitution proposed by the Legislature, and they retained three Florida Supreme Court justices targeted by conservative groups. Democrats gained seats in the state House, the Senate and the congressional delegation.

Crist knows all about the futility of trying to appease the most conservative Republicans. In the 2006 Republican primary for governor, the once-moderate Tom Gallagher tried to remake himself into a conservative to run to the right of Crist and got killed. Crist moved to the right toward the end of his governorship, signing into law the dismantlement of growth management to appease antigovernment conservatives.

That didn't work, either. Republican Marco Rubio became the tea party darling, forcing Crist out of the party in 2010 and into an unsuccessful Senate run as an independent. Now Rubio is in the Senate, and his name will be tossed around as a potential candidate for president in 2016.

But something tells me Crist's political career is not over — particularly when the newly re-elected president sounds ready to show how much he appreciates his help.