It's an easy target, questioning the Democratic credentials of a fellow who used to call himself a prolife, progun, antitax Ronald Reagan Republican. But trying to convince Democratic primary voters, let alone general election voters, that Charlie Crist was a right-wing Republican before he became a Democrat won't work. Crist has tried to do that himself with little success in at least a couple of Republican primaries. If Florida's most conservative activists believed Crist's claims that he was one of them in 2010, the former governor would be living in Washington as Florida's Republican junior senator.

new group launched a Facebook site this week called “Floridians for Charlie Crist” and encouraging Democrats to support the former governor. The group’s Facebook page features Crist with former President Bill Clinton and sporting a Barack Obama button. After leaving the GOP in 2010 to run for the Senate with no party affiliation, Crist endorsed Obama in 2012 and joined the Democrats in December.

Rich confident

"Former state Sen. Nan Rich, the only prominent Democrat who has declared as a candidate for governor in 2014, told a Tampa audience Friday she thinks she can win the governor's race despite being a lesser-known, dark horse candidate." "Rich says she's confident she can win governor's race".

Legislators coordinated with GOP operatives in redistricting

"New records in a court fight over Florida's redrawn congressional and legislative maps show an aide to former House Speaker Dean Cannon released congressional maps to a Republican operative two weeks before they were made public." "Records show GOP consultant got political maps before public did". Related: "Judge grants continuance in redistricting case".

"Erring on the side of a 19th century Dickensian workhouse"

Nancy Smith: "Steve Southerland's Farm Bill amendment might have erred on the side of a 19th century Dickensian workhouse, but give the Panama City Republican credit: SNAP, America's food stamp program, is eating the national budget alive, reforms are desperately needed -- and Southerland called it. " "SNAP Is a Beast, Steve Southerland Is Right".

Despite Scott's big talk, Florida is losing jobs

"Florida's May unemployment report offered a mixed bag of news Friday, with the jobless rate falling to 7.1 percent – down a bit from April – even as the state lost 6,200 jobs over the month. . . . Florida still has 137,000 fewer jobs than it did in September 2008, said Rollins College economist Bill Seyfried. It has 500,000 fewer jobs than it did at the start of the recession in late 2007." "Florida jobless rate dips to 7.1 percent".

LeMieux as Lt. Gov?

"George LeMieux Makes Sense for Rick Scott as Lieutenant Governor".

Weekly Roundup

"Weekly Roundup: Tres Bien Fait, Monsieur le Gouverneur". See also "Week in Review for June 21, 2013".

UNITE HERE pressures Rubio

"About 15-20 children of Walt Disney World workers gathered outside Orlando's federal detention center Thursday to show U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio that they are the face of those seeking immigration reform from Washington. The children, whose parents are members of Disney's largest union, UNITE HERE Locals 737 and 362, were part of an effort to send a message to Rubio that he should stand firm behind his Immigration Modernization Act of 2013." "Disney workers' children urge Rubio: Push immigration plan".

Weatherford's morality

The Tampa Bay Times editorial board: "Leadership matters. In Arizona, Republican Gov. Jan Brewer set aside her opposition to health care reform, called the legislature into special session and forced it to approve Medicaid expansion. In Florida, Republican Gov. Rick Scott had a similar epiphany but hardly lobbied Republican lawmakers who refused to expand Medicaid. Now that he has signed into law or vetoed most legislation, Scott should refocus on the most important issue facing Florida and demand action."

There are moral and medical arguments for expanding Medicaid in Florida. It would cover nearly a million uninsured adults earning $15,856 or less and create a healthier state. But that is not persuasive to House Speaker Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, who believes poor people could get health coverage if they just worked harder and got better jobs that offered insurance. So Scott and the business community should hammer home the hard-nosed, economic reasons Florida should expand Medicaid:

Florida leads nation in vacated foreclosures

"Florida has 55,503 housing units in foreclosure that have been left vacant -- one-third of all such properties in the country and more than the next five-highest states combined, according to a RealtyTrac report released Thursday." "Florida leads nation in vacated foreclosures -- and it's not even close".

"Gun lobby warns of 'misinformation'"

Bill Cotterell: "Gun lobby warns of 'misinformation' being spread against the bill (HB 1355) that would keep mentally ill people from buying guns in Florida." "NRA urges Scott to sign gun bill". See also "Bill on Gov. Rick Scott's desk divides gun rights activists".

"That perennially loathed lot that comes to work in this steamy, backwoods armpit"

Aaron Deslatte: "Here's a toast to the Florida Legislature, that perennially loathed lot that comes to work in this steamy, backwoods armpit of an otherwise scenic, celebrity-filled and entertainment-abundant megastate."

No one in their right mind would construct a state Capitol here today.

That's what outsiders think, those people who avoid Tally in the muggiest of summer months when no one can stomach the thought of hopscotching through airports to get here — unless they're a lobbyist, paid an ungodly sum of cash to put their contacts and campaign checks to work.

A Quinnipiac University poll last week found the Legislature's approval rating with voters resting at a lowly 32 percent — though not as bottomed-out as March, when only 25 percent of voters thought legislators were doing a good job. That was its lowest approval rating in the past decade.

So maybe it's apropos that such a collection of the unloved has to come to work in a town such as this, disproportionately populated by the equally unappreciated ranks of journalists, PR people, lawyers and lobbyists.

The point is, the people who live here year-round are a rare breed who relish — and feed off —political conflict. And even though it's summer — you can tell because so few college kids are in the bars — lawmakers have given us enough work to get our minds off the filthy heat.

"Liberal education" under attack by Scott

The Tampa Bay Times editors: "The humanities and social sciences have been under attack by Gov. Rick Scott and other politicians who are insisting on a more direct connection between university studies and specific jobs. Now an encouraging new report to Congress provides a path to promoting the humanities, such as philosophy and literature, as critical components in higher education and in creating well-rounded citizens."

Humanities complement the STEM fields, and in today's fast-paced world, it's more crucial than ever to have the broad knowledge base they provide. The report says more than half of employers call a liberal education very important. Scott and other politicians so intent on linking higher education directly to jobs should keep that in mind the next time they question the value of an anthropology course.

"Medical marijuana battle"

"Medical marijuana battle coming to Florida".

Scott panders for Jesus

"FAU re-hires instructor in ‘Jesus’ controversy, faculty union head says". More: "Florida governor wants probe of FAU ‘step on Jesus’ exercise".

Pammy holds a press conference

The Tampa Trib editors: "Bondi says Bank of America failing to live up to national mortgage settlement terms".

In fact, party leaders say, they are working to undermine one of the bulwarks of Republican dominance in Florida government -- a near-stranglehold on statewide offices, with U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson serving as the only statewide elected official in a state that President Barack Obama carried twice.

Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Allison Tant said her party is laying the groundwork for all the statewide contests.

"We're actively recruiting for the Cabinet right now," Tant said. "We are not leaving any stone unturned. We are going to look at every race that we can and we're going to be very aggressive in playing in all of them, including [the] governor's race."

Tant told reporters she has already met with a candidate to take on Atwater and is speaking with two potential challengers for Bondi. But she declined to name them.

Gimme gimme

"Business groups say expanding Medicaid would save them money". See also "Business coalition wants to talk health care with legislators", "Business coalitions warn Florida’s failure to expand Medicaid will hurt them".

Sternad claims he was duped by Rivera's "gal pal"

"Justin Lamar Sternad, who is to be sentenced Monday in Miami federal court for campaign-finance crimes, said in an interview Wednesday night on America TeVe that he believes former Congressman David Rivera was part of the conspiracy. Sternad, however, said he had no direct knowledge of Rivera’s role and suggested that the former congressman’s gal pal, Ana Alliegro, had far more to do with the criminal effort to underwrite his campaign." "Justin Lamar Sternad says he was duped by campaign manager".

Scott's "time in the sun may be running out"

Bill Cotterell: "With abject apologies to Robert Herrick, the great British fop of the 17th century, Gov. Rick Scott is wielding his pen on legislation with a panache that can only mean he’s painfully aware that his time in the sun may be running out." "Vetoes can beef up Scott's 2014 hopes".

Dem rule changes

"Rep. Darryl Rouson of St. Petersburg, next-in-line to lead Florida's House Democrats in 2014, hasn't had a chance to review the caucus' latest proposed rule changes, and is in no rush to do so, because they won't be voted on until late September." "Darryl Rouson: House Democrats Won't Decide Controversial Rule Changes Until September.

Good luck with that

"Equality Florida announces campaign to push for equal marriage rights".

West raises "possibility" of challenging Rubio

"Saying he has 'a lot of concerns' about the immigration reform bill backed by Sen. Marco Rubio, former Rep. Allen West didn’t say no [Wednesday] morning when a Washington radio interviewer raised the possibility of West challenging Rubio in a 2016 GOP Senate primary." "West doesn’t rule out challenging Rubio".

Sorry NRA, but Floridians like background checks

"Poll says Florida voters like background checks for gun buyers".

Scott shifts focus to fees

"With tuition rising slightly, Gov. Rick Scott asks board to be tough on fees".

'Glades

The Tampa Trib editors: "It would be a disgrace, after all the effort that has been devoted to reviving the Florida Everglades, for a state agency to pull the plug on that momentum."

Conservationists are rightly worried that the South Florida Water Management District has yet to endorse $2.2 billion in work needed to restore a more natural water flow to the central section of the Everglades. . . .

Florida leaders have been working on saving the Everglades for decades. Now is no time for the South Florida Water District to derail everything.

Rubio's "mixed signals"

"Florida voters give Sen. Marco Rubio bad reviews for his mixed signals on immigration and don't like his opposition to requiring background checks for gun buyers, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday." "Poll: Floridians oppose Rubio's stands on immigration, gun control". See also "Poll: Floridians oppose Rubio's stands on immigration, gun control".

"Banks lag on compliance"

"Banks lag on compliance but progress found, foreclosure fraud settlement report says".

ALEC shills like Florida

"A policy analyst from Michigan's [ALEC connected] Mackinac Center is sky-high on Florida education, particularly its reform model, insisting the Sunshine State has plenty to be proud of." "Michigan Think Tank High on Florida Education Reform".

The gall of Firefighters to expect pensions?

"2 dead, 2 firefighters injured in Miami Beach fire".

Scott’s standing with the public has been so persistently grim that any improvement looks like a breakthrough. His approval rating cracked 40 percent for the first time in the latest poll — 43 percent of voters approve of his handling of his job, 44 percent disapprove.

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., is at the center of a few current political dramas as he balances his prospects for a presidential run in 2016 with being the leading voice in Washington on immigration reform. A poll released Wednesday by Quinnipiac University finds voters in Florida don’t think much of Rubio’s role on immigration reform or gun control, but still give him high marks for his two and a half years in the Senate.

Florida exec fights for "Walmart loophole"

"A California bill that would fine large companies whose employees rely on Medicaid has Darden Restaurants so worried that the company's chief executive officer recently visited state lawmakers to lobby against it."

The Orlando-based owner of Olive Garden and Red Lobster confirmed Clarence Otis went to Sacramento last month to weigh in on the union-backed bill (AB 880). A spokesman for the bill's sponsor, Assembly member Jimmy Gomez, said lawmakers expect to vote on the measure this week. . . .

Drafters of the bill say they wrote it to combat what's often referred to as the "Walmart loophole."

Garcia vulnerable?

"A poll conducted for Republican Carlos Curbelo suggests Democratic Rep. Joe Garcia’s popularity has been hurt by his campaigns involvement in a fraudulent absentee-ballot request scheme." "Poll: Absentee-ballot scandal makes Miami Congressman Joe Garcia vulnerable in potential matchup".

Punishing dissenters

"Latest Rules Draft Makes It Harder for House Democrats to Punish Dissenters".

Hill smokes both "Jeb!" and Rubio in Florida Q Poll

So much for Florida's "favorite sons":

And in a way-too-early comparison of potential presidential candidates in 2016, the poll found Democratic former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton leading both Rubio (53 percent to 41 percent) and former Gov. Jeb Bush (50 percent to 43 percent), while Vice President Joe Biden is trailing Bush (43-47 percent) and Rubio (43-45 percent) although both findings are within the margin for error.

Never mind those school grades

"State board calls for review of school grades". See also "Board to study how schools are graded" and "State School Board Will Get Task-Force Help on School Grading Standards".

Yee haw!

"More guns seized at OIA than other Florida airports".

"Gobs of attention for Nan Rich"

"Weeks of not-so-subtle taunting by Republicans about the lineup of speakers at the Democrats' annual fundraiser didn't change the group on the dias one jot this past weekend. But it did generate gobs of attention for Nan Rich, the former state senator who has been running hard with little traction to be the Democratic candidate for governor next year." "Brushoff pays off".

Same old Republican Party of Florida song

Fred Grimm:

Our governor was deeply offended by a burst of unkind aspersions after an insurance company that didn’t exist 11 months ago finagled a $52 million deal out of the state-run Citizens Property Insurance Company.

Heritage Property and Casualty Insurance landed the very sweet package — all that money to take over 60,000 windstorm policies from Citizens — just two months after contributing $110,000 to Gov. Rick Scott’s “Let’s Get to Work” political action committee in March. And after Heritage (an odd name for a company with a heritage dating back to last August) contributed $30,000 to the state Republican party.

Reporters wondered whether hefty political contributions might have greased the suspect transaction. (So suspect that Senate President Don Gaetz has announced a Senate investigation.)

The governor’s spokesperson retorted that “any assertion that our office influenced the Heritage risk transfer decision by the Citizens Board is outrageous.”

Then why, one wonders, the contributions? What was this fledgling company buying with its $140,000? It’s the wormy question hanging over Florida’s stampede to privatize state functions.

Private for-profit companies, while getting rich off the taxpayers, taking over state prisons, probation services, public toll roads, prison health services, online education, pieces of the state park system, school tutoring and windstorm insurance, are simultaneously enriching their benefactors’ re-election committees.

Or they’re hiring the state’s most powerful influence peddlers. In February, Citizens similarly paid Weston Insurance $63 million to take over 30,000 policies — after Weston spent $250,000 on Tallahassee lobbyists. When Sunshine State Health Plans wanted a piece of the action as Florida moved Medicaid clients into privately managed health care plans, the company hired Dean Cannon, last year’s speaker of the House.

The well-lobbied 2013 Legislature voted to funnel more public money to private, for-profit, online education operations — despite unsettling revelations about their class sizes and teacher qualifications — while reducing funding for the state-run Florida Virtual Schools. Without evidence that private companies would do any better job teaching students. Or that taxpayers would be getting more for their money.

All that influence money flowing into Tallahassee, even as state politicians turn over state assets and state funds to private outfits, keeps raising the same nagging question: Is it about us, about the public’s best interest? Or is it all about the money?

Jeb Bush has already blazed the trail. Florida's governor [was] an aggressive privatizer, and as The Miami Herald put it after a careful study of state records, ''his bold experiment has been a success -- at least for him and the Republican Party, records show. The policy has spawned a network of contractors who have given him, other Republican politicians and the Florida G.O.P. millions of dollars in campaign donations.''

What's interesting about this network of contractors isn't just the way that big contributions are linked to big contracts; it's the end of the traditional practice in which businesses hedge their bets by giving to both parties. The big winners in Mr. Bush's Florida are companies that give little or nothing to Democrats. Strange, isn't it? It's as if firms seeking business with the state of Florida are subject to a loyalty test.

So am I saying that we are going back to the days of Boss Tweed and Mark Hanna? Gosh, no -- those guys were pikers. One-party control of today's government offers opportunities to reward friends and punish enemies that the old machine politicians never dreamed of.

Sink speaks

"Stop this bad Citizens insurance deal".

"Localities offer millions in tax breaks" corporate welfare

"Amazon officials won’t disclose the role tax incentives play in deciding where to expand, or even if they request them. But if there was ever a case in which a company didn’t need an incentive to come to Florida, it might just be Amazon." "Amazon doesn’t need tax incentives, but localities offer millions in tax breaks".

PSC challengers

"PSC Incumbents Draw 22 Challengers". See also "At least 24 apply for 2 PSC seats, including commissioners Brisé and Graham".

"Voters don't approve of Rubio immigration stance"

"Poll: Voters don't approve of Rubio immigration stance". See also "Poll: Rubio gets negative marks on immigration".

"Dysfunctional Dems"

Scott Maxwell: "Florida Democrats are a titillated bunch these days. They have far more registered voters than Republicans. The GOP governor is weak. What they don't have is a candidate."

Actually, that's not true. They have one; a respected former state senator. They just don't like her. So they shunned her at their big convention last weekend so they could court a guy who might be their candidate … a guy who spent most of his career touting the virtues of being a "Reagan Republican."

Allow me to provide a reality check: The "Anybody-but-Rick" game plan is a loser. . . .

[And] Crist is little more than a Labrador puppy who wags his tail at whomever he thinks has a treat.

Most immediately, it riled immigrant advocates who support the bill — but failed to satisfy some conservatives who oppose it. Both sides see Rubio's amendment as a distraction, or an example of political posturing.

The "real Rick Scott"

Fabiola Santiago: "Scott — Paris-bound on Friday on a 'jobs' mission — is b-a-a-a-ck!"

On Tuesday, he vetoed a measure that would have allowed the children of undocumented immigrants, affectionately dubbed “Dreamers,” to get a Florida driver’s license.

The law, passed by the Legislature by a nearly unanimous vote, would have eased the way for the young people covered by President Barack Obama’s 2012 executive order suspending deportation to get a driver’s license.

That’s all, no big deal.

For these young people, this country is the only home they know because they were brought here by their parents as children and have been educated here.

The Legislature’s action would not have given Dreamers any privileges, except being allowed to use their “approved application for deferred action status” as identification to obtain a driver’s license.

“Deferred action status is simply a policy of the Obama administration, absent congressional direction,” Scott wrote in his veto message. “Although the Legislature may have been well-intentioned in seeking to expedite the process to obtain a temporary driver license, it should not have been done by relying on a federal government policy adopted without legal basis.”

There he is, the governor who turned down federal funds for high-speed rail in Florida.

There he is, the governor who fought the Affordable Care Act, not the governor who recently endorsed a three-year expansion of Medicaid, to the chagrin of his tea party base.

It’s too bad for Scott, who may have underestimated the feelings of most voters.

According to a poll released two days after his veto, 71 percent of Floridians favor bipartisan immigration reform — which would prescribe a path to citizenship to the qualified Dreamers to whom he’s denying a driver’s license.

More bad news for the governor: Florida Republicans back the immigration reform proposal before Congress 71-22 percent. Add to that that, an even larger number — 82 percent — who said their state senator should support it, too.

Those are huge numbers. It’s not a far stretch to think Floridians might want their governor to support the Dreamers.

Insurance agent excites RPOF

"When Pensacola's Mike Hill soared to an easy electoral victory in Tuesday night's special election to replace the late Rep. Clay Ford, he did more than become Florida's newest legislator: he made history, becoming the Panhandle's first black Republican elected to the Legislature in 126 years." "Meet Mike Hill: Florida's Newest Legislator, 'Free-Market Capitalist Zealot'".

"Ballot-fraud scandals mount"

The Miami Herald editorial board: "As ballot-fraud scandals mount, voters should be worried about the integrity of elections. Phantom ballot requests have now tainted two congressional races, two state legislative races and even the current Miami mayor’s race involving both major political parties. This equal-opportunity corruption must end."

In the latest flap, county elections workers found about 20 absentee-ballot requests made on May 29 by one computer belonging to a campaign worker for Commissioner Francis Suarez, who is running for Miami mayor. Mr. Suarez makes a compelling case that this was one big misunderstanding because, unlike in other cases being investigated, his campaign had signed permission from those voters to solicit the absentee ballots. Permission or not, it’s illegal to solicit ballots unless the one asking for the ballots is a family member of the voters in question.

State stiffed corrections officers

"Acting on complaints by two prison guards and the Teamsters Union, the Labor Department’s Wage & Hour Division launched an investigation at Union in Raiford in 2011."

The complaints alleged that officers were not paid while they waited in line to be searched and pass through metal detectors, receive tear gas canisters and walk to their assigned post, a process that officers said can take 25 minutes at UCI.

Grayson 2.0

The Grayson haters in the MSM can't restrain themselves, with tripe like this: "Rep. Alan Grayson, the self-styled ‘congressman with guts,’ has managed what seems like an impossible feat of self-restraint." "Rep. Alan Grayson 2.0: Less fire-breathing, more self-restraint".

Scott seen as "easy target"

"Florida Democrats see Gov. Rick Scott as easy target in 2014".

"Mostly true"

"Nelson said Scott returned '$1 million in federal funding that would have helped the state cover the cost of overseeing insurance rates under the new health care law.' It is undeniable that a grant for that purpose in that amount was sought, and a grant was returned. But the official who technically returned the money was the state's insurance commissioner, a political appointee who answers to Scott as part of his role on the Financial Services Commission. Still, he did so shortly after Scott took office and Scott's office claimed some amount of credit back in 2011. We rate the claim Mostly True." "PolitiFact: Bill Nelson says Rick Scott said no to $1 million to monitor health insurance rates".

"A chance for a game-changer of epic proportions"

Nancy Smith: "Rick Scott so far in his administration plain hasn't been listening to the right people a lot of the time. For a governor with subtropical approval numbers, appointing the right lieutenant governor, and doing it soon, is a chance for a game-changer of epic proportions. This is an opportunity to listen to good information, to govern better, to fill in the areas that need work and find somebody who knows the players, knows history and knows his or her way around." "Rick Scott Should Get on With Hiring the Right Lieutenant Governor".

"Shortsighted Republican leaders"

The Tampa Bay Times editorial board: "The state and Hillsborough County are poised to reward an out-of-state corporate giant that has avoided collecting Florida sales tax for more than a decade by offering it millions in tax incentives to finally hire Floridians and contribute to the state's economy. Gov. Rick Scott tried to sell his tentative agreement with Amazon on Thursday as another sign that he is improving Florida's economy. Don't be fooled. Amazon is once again getting just what it wants — access to the Florida market at less cost than competitors who have been here for decades."

[I]n Florida, shortsighted Republican leaders have failed to consider how to modernize a tax system so heavily dependent on sales tax revenue. Scott may have struck a deal that could bring 3,000 jobs, but he did it on the backs of taxpayers. Amazon, once again, is the big winner.

"Scott against the consumer"

The Tampa Bay Times: "It's one thing to be a hands-off governor when it comes to lawmaking. It's something else to be a governor who fails to use the tools at his disposal to protect consumers even as he promotes himself as an advocate for the middle class. Five weeks after legislators left Tallahassee, the full scope of anticonsumer bills passed in the 2013 session is becoming apparent. Yet Gov. Rick Scott is routinely acquiescing to special interests by signing their bills rather than upholding his pledge to look out for consumers."

Scott seems only willing to defend consumers' interests if he perceives he will politically benefit — such as his veto of a modest tuition increase at the state's public universities. Scott said it amounted to tax increase. But he has yet to apply the same outrage on pocketbook issues hitting far more Floridians.