No holds barred: LeMieux quickly reaches for Senate's 'power of one'

WASHINGTON — George LeMieux has been a member of the U.S. Senate only two months but has managed to jam up legislation on oil drilling, a bill cutting funding for Radio Marti and he is blocking President Barack Obama's nominee for ambassador to Brazil.

But what may seem remarkably effective from afar is merely a reflection of a grand tradition in the Senate: the hold.

You won't find a description in the rule books, but a "hold" is one of the most powerful, many say abused, weapons available to the 100 men and women who make up the Senate — even to a neophyte like LeMieux, who was never elected and is serving on a temporary basis.

"It's the power of one," LeMieux says. (story here)

Despite law, Jim Smith keeps FSU post

Steve Bousquet: Seven years ago, Jim Smith got a coveted seat at the 'Noles head table with an appointment to the Florida State University board of trustees....But how does a guy get to stretch a four-year appointment into seven years? Aren't there other qualified people eager to serve?

The answer is simple: Smith has connections to Crist, and that enabled him to sidestep a 2005 state law that prohibits lobbyists from serving on any state university trustee boards. Crist could not have reappointed Smith.

McCollum faults Sansom in court, presses case

Attorney General Bill McCollum says there is reason to appeal a circuit court ruling dismissing part of the criminal case against dethroned House Speaker Ray Sansom.

A motion motion filed today with the First District Court of Appeal, lays out several technical arguments why the appeal is justified and asks the appellate court to deny a motion from Sansom and co-defendant Jay Odom to dismiss the appeal. But the motion only addresses legal questions and does not delve into the specifics of the allegations against Sansom. That would come later, if the appeals court tosses Sansom's motion to dismiss.

Sansom argued that because Judge Terry Lewis dismissed only part of the charges, it remains an open issue requiring "additional judicial labor in the lower court." But the McCollum motion cites Florida law and rule of criminal procedure stating the state may appeal "an order dismissing an indictment or information or any count thereof."

Bennett blasts PSC for 'lack of oversight' in replacing top lawyer

State Sen. Mike Bennett sent an angry letter to the state's five Public Service Commissioners this week, "appalled with the lack of oversight'' in the general counsel selection process when it let agency executive director Mary Bane "change the rules as you go in order to accommodate candidates who failed to meet the deadlines.''

"With the recent bad press and unhappy climate surrounding the PSC, I would think that every effort would be made to ensure that rules are being followed and that the hiring process is fair, open and able to withstand public scrutiny,'' Bennett wrote.

He noted what the Herald/Times first reported, that the process was moved from the state's People First application process to allow for additional applications to be submitted after the deadline.

"I believe it is the responsibility of the PSC to operate in complete fairness according to a predetermined process,'' Bennett wrote. "...Such behavior lends itself to a perception of  'cronyism,' and that kind of perception does not lend itself to public trust."

Video: Charlie Crist and Bobby Bowden shoot the breeze.

A little video slice of life of Gov. Charlie Crist small-talking with FSU coach Bobby Bowden. -- Marc Caputo

Alex Sink poses riddle to top fundraisers

What do Nintendo, the A-Team, MTV, and Microsoft Windows have in common?

That was the question posed to dozens of top Democratic fundraisers gathered last night at the lakefront Thonotosassa home of Alex Sink for a pep talk/strategery session. We're told the bundlers, including a representative from Emily's List, scratched their heads looking at a screen showing a bunch of logos from the 1980s.

The answer? None of them existed when Bill McCollum first took office.

It illustrates the general line of attack ahead for Sink's gubernatorial campaign: Florida can choose between a career politician who's been in office forever, or they can choose a fresh-faced, career businesswoman just starting in public service?

Nelson, LeMieux split vote on whether to advance health care bill

UPDATE: Florida's Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson will vote to move the bill forward. Listen to his floor speech

Sen. George LeMieux said he will vote against moving the health care bill to the floor, contending it is still an unfinished product. "It's out for six weeks in Harry Reid's conference room. We should certainly have (time) to evaluate the actual bill we're going to vote on before we move to proceed."

LeMieux said he would speak to the issue at 3 p.m. "From what I see so far, there's a lot that concerns me," he said about 12:30 p.m., making his way into the Charlie Crist fundraiser.

Republican votes like LeMieux's are not critical. What Majority Leader Reid needs is the 60 members who vote with the Democratic caucus (58 Ds and two independents) to move the bill forward. A vote is expected tomorrow evening.

Crist, in D.C. raising money, insists he's focused on 'jobs, jobs, jobs'

Gov. Charlie Crist is in D.C. today raising money at Holland & Knight but insisted he is also focused on the dreadful state of the Florida economy, reinforced by a fresh report about 11.2 percent unemployment.

"I just think it's so important to stay focused on jobs, jobs, jobs," the U.S. Senate hopeful said, adding a pitch for the special legislative session on SunRail. "I think we're on a very good path to hopefully be able to deliver that because that would mean a lot of jobs for our people."

Since it is such a pressing issue, should you be back in Florida instead of raising money? "Well, I'm dealing with it here, too. I'm about to meet with Sen. LeMieux to talk about that. He's our main contact for us dealing with the U.S. Department of Transportation. So I think it's all hands on deck."

Crist said he's not ready to debate GOP challenger Marco Rubio but will "next year." He said, "I have no real interest in doing it at this point and time. I think what we need to do is continue workin' hard and fighting for the people. You know, I've got a day job."

We hear Crist is off to New York later today for another fundraiser.

Poll shows Boyd in tight race with Lawson

A poll commissioned by Al Lawson's campaign shows him even with U.S. Rep. Allen Boyd in the Democratic primary for the 2nd Congressional District.

In the head-to-head match up, Lawson took 34.9 percent to Boyd's 30.7 percent, a slight lead that fell within the 4.6 percent margin of error, the results from The Research Network poll showed.

For Lawson, the Democratic leader in the Florida Senate, this a victory, his campaign manager Josh Robinson said, especially considering that Boyd has been running television ads for weeks.

More numbers below.

With higher tax, Florida cigarette sales are down, but revenues climb

Cigarettes sales are down 27 percent in Florida during the past four months, thanks to a new $1-a-pack tax designed to balance the budget and cut down on smoking.

But despite the drop in sales, tobacco tax collections in Florida are high and holding steady. That's because state economists accurately factored in the sales decrease when they forecast revenue from the surcharge that went into effect July 1.

The new tax, which helps fund Medicaid, will raise $881 million this year and $907 million the next, the economists forecast Thursday when they analyzed cigarette sales data.

"This is working exactly the way we had hoped," said Sen. Nan Rich, a Weston Democrat and leading proponent of the tax. "We wanted to cut down on smoking and keep health care programs from being cut." (story here)

Jim Greer still has a job

This shouldn't be much of a surprise, but Florida GOP leaders took no formal action at their closed door meeting in Lake County this afternoon - called to help iron out concerns many party leaders expressed about the state Chairman Jim Greer.

"It was productive, definitely. Just open discussion,'' said Hillsborough State Committeeman A.J. Matthews. "The chairman's amicable to settling differences. In the end this is all about being one, big happy family."

"Everyone was polite and nice. It was not contentious,'' said Pinellas GOP Chairman Tony DiMatteo. "There was not a formal board meeting ,so there  was no action that could be taken."

If anything dramatic is going to occur with the state party's leadership it will happen at the December executive committee meeting in Tallahassee or more likely at the January meeting in Orlando.

A closer look at the Daily Kos' U.S. Senate GOP primary poll

The liberal Daily Kos blog has released a poll with some intriguing results in Florida's Republican U.S. Senate race between Gov. Charlie Crist and former House Speaker Marco Rubio. Crist leads 47 percent to 37 percent among likely Republican voters, according to the poll, which is bad for the governor for two reasons:

A) That's a 43-percentage-point swing in 10 months.

B) The once-wildly popular Crist is below 50 percent.

If Crist switched parties to become a Democrat or an independent, the poll suggests he would do better.

The hold up on Frank Sanchez's Commerce nomination

Florida Trend: A U.S. Commerce Department spokeswoman told Florida Trend Thursday that the agency is frustrated over the delay in Frank Sanchez’s confirmation to be under secretary of international trade but rejected speculation that the holdup is related to anything other than the fact that the Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over his confirmation, is bogged down with healthcare reform.

 

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FSU aims to choose new president by end of year

FSU's presidential search committee just released a timeline for choosing longtime President T.K. Wetherell's successor, with the aim of sending a list of finalists to the Board of Trustees by early December.

The search consultant, John Hicks of Academic Search Inc., said the schedule is "expedited" because several other universities nationwide are also looking for presidents, and because open records laws usually prompt top candidates to wait until the end of the search deadline to apply. Wetherell has said he wants to leave FSU for retirement by early 2010.
  
“The search must move forward in a timely manner while top candidates are available," Hicks said.

Info is posted on the university’s Presidential Search Web site. Here's the schedule:

Alex Sink names chief of staff; Jim Cassady to leave for campaign

CFO Alex Sink just announced she is promoting deputy chief financial officer Tammy Teston to serve as her chief of staff for the Department of Financial Services. The change will take effect in January, when Teston will replace current Chief of Staff Jim Cassady, who is leaving then to work on the Sink for Governor campaign.

“Tammy’s decades of business experience and expertise in standing up for Florida’s consumers is invaluable and she is well-prepared for this new role,” CFO Sink said in a release from her office.

In a separate release from the campaign, she said: "I have full confidence in Jim, and am pleased that he will be joining our team."

Poll: Marco Rubio closing gap on Gov. Charlie Crist, Gov race tied

Robo poll from liberal DailyKos and Research 2000: Gov. Charlie Crist leads Rubio 47 percent to 37 percent among Republicans. In January, Crist led 57 percent to 11 percent. Among all voters, Crist beats Kendrick Meek 50-33, while Meek beats Rubio 38-30. Birthers prefer Rubio 54-31.

These trendlines are bleak for Crist, and there's little chance of him surviving. Remember, Rubio hasn't spent a dime on media yet. This is all grassroots driven, and the teabaggers are engaged, angry, and looking for the next Scozzafava. Crist is in their crosshairs, and the governor has been flopping all over the place hoping to stem this growing tide against him, and failing. Note -- 50 percent of Republicans still don't know who Rubio is. The more he raises his name ID, the better he does. 

The Fix calls 10 the most important number of the day.

 

Bill McCollum: RGA should return Scott Rothstein's $200,000

Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill McCollum is (finally) taking a position on whether the Republican Governor's Association should return the $200,000 that disgraced donor Scott Rothstein gave the organization.

"As I have said on many occasions over the last few weeks, I believe that any individual or organization that has received money from Scott Rothstein during this election cycle should return that money. It is the right thing to do and my commitment to that has not changed," McCollum said in a statement.

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GAO lists Tampa contractor in report on fraud in government program

A Tampa company got a $900,000 Air Force contract through a program benefiting veteran-owned businesses but funneled the job to another firm, according to a new report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office.

The GAO report on fraud and abuse cites 10 examples in which firms obtained $100 million in contracts under the Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Program. The Tampa case involves Furniture Fixtures & Equipment Office Solutions, which got the $900,000 contract through MacDill Air Force Base to design and install furniture.

But the company, which consists of one man and is based at a mail box rental store, passed along the work to a furniture dealer his wife works for, according to the report. The man also works full-time at MacDill.

Sen. George LeMieux scrutinizing recommendations for vacant U.S. attorney posts

On the heels of Sen. George LeMieux's active use of "holds" to block legislation and the U.S. ambassador to Brazil comes word that he has been reviewing U.S. attorney recommendations suggested to the White House by Sen. Bill Nelson and former Sen. Mel Martinez.

LeMieux met with White House counsel Greg Craig on Nov. 9 to review the names submitted for the vacant U.S. attorney spots for the Middle and Southern districts. LeMieux's office would not discuss specifics, saying it was inappropriate to comment before a nominee emerges.

The Buzz is people close to Gov. Charlie Crist are throwing up objections to Harry Shorstein, a Democrat and former state attorney in Jacksonville who is now in private practice and has been recommended for the Middle District, which stretches from Jacksonville to Naples.

Nelson and Martinez passed along three names to the White House: Shorstein, interim Florida Middle District Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert O’Neill and Florida Middle District Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg. Background here.

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Sorting out the truth amid unemployment compensation bickering

If we have to blog one more lob in this week's tit-for-tat between Democrats and Republicans on the whole unemployment compensation/federal stimulus deal, we might pull our hair out.

So we talked to Amy Baker, the state's chief economist, to try and bring this partisan finger-pointing to a conclusion.

Baker's conclusion is that the state's odds of finishing the legislation and paperwork required to even get the federal dollars into state coffers on time were doubtful. And had the money gotten in on time, it would not have prevented the looming hike in unemployment compensation taxes - it would have blunted the hike, though.

Bill McCollum's inconsistency on Scott Rothstein

Three days ago we asked the Bill McCollum gubernatorial campaign if he intended to call on the Republican Governor's Association to return the $200,000 contribution it received Nov. 17, 2008 from Scott Rothstein. McCollum, after all, was quick to call for both the state GOP and Alex Sink to return all money connected to Rothstein. But team McCollum has been nearly-silent on the RGA donation besides the suggestion that maybe it wasn't part of the current election cycle, (though the '08 election was over when Rothstein wrote that check). We're still awaiting a response.

A couple thoughts come to mind about this:

1. Bill McCollum sees the state GOP under Jim Greer as doing zero to help his campaign. He has no reluctance to throw Greer and Co. under the Rothstein bus, but maybe not the RGA that could be helpful.

What does Meek have against competitive bidding?

The Center for Public Integrity today is criticizing a bill introduced by U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek that would get rid of a competitive bidding program for Medicare.

"The dispute concerns so-called durable medical equipment — items like power wheelchairs and oxygen supplies. Federal investigators have long complained that the equipment business is a hotbed of Medicare abuse. A competitive bidding program for durable medical equipment finally went into effect in late October after an 18-month delay that was mandated by Congress," the investigative group writes.

But it said Meek's bill, which has 70 co-sponsors, would scrap the competitive bidding program for good." Read the report, and Meek's response, here.

Alex Sink's unusual relatives and how they might inspire your marriage

My father-in-law, former Raleigh Times editor A.C. Snow, hails from the same rural North Carolina County as Alex Sink. Here's his column  on what lessons we may learn from Alex Sink's great grandfather Cheng,  of the original Siamese Twins, Cheng and Eng:

The next time you and your spouse can't decide which movie to see or whose parents you'll spend Christmas with this year, think about two couples who proved that where there's a will, enough passion and patience, there's a way to make marriage last a lifetime.

5 Ways Charlie Crist can beat Marco Rubio

Almost daily, some supposedly savvy Florida political operative insists Charlie Crist has already lost the U.S. Senate race. It's a crazy suggestion considering Gov. Crist is leading Republican rival Marco Rubio by about 20 points in recent polls and so far has four times as much money to spend in the GOP primary.

But Crist, 53, is in a free-fall among likely Republican voters, say Crist supporters and detractors alike, while Rubio's trajectory is heading straight up. Crist's credibility among hard-core Republicans is practically gone, they claim, while the contest's ever-growing national attention ensures Rubio won't be as overwhelmingly outspent.

It's nine months before the primary — way too early for predictions. What's clear, though, is that Crist's long-held image as a man with remarkable gut instincts for politics and people is shot. It took him way too long to wake up to Rubio, and then he kept handing ammunition to critics, such as lamely insisting he did not endorse the $787 billion stimulus package that he campaigned for.

Governor, if you're reading this, here are five things you should do to fight Rubio's insurgent threat:

LeMieux setting up a PAC

Florida Sen. George LeMieux is setting up a political action committee -- Protect America's Future -- and signaling he's likely going to pursue elective office after his temporary gig is up next year.

"The goal is to use it as a vehicle to promote the ideas he believes in: Reducing the debt and promoting security and democracy through the world," deputy chief of staff Vivian Myrtetus said in confirming the news to the Buzz.

LeMieux could use the warchest to travel around and speak on the issues (boosting his name ID) and to contribute to political campaigns (cultivating key relationships). How about Charlie Crist? That's a possibility, Myrtetus said, adding it was too soon to know specifically. PACs can give $5,000 to a candidate.

Word on Capitol Hill is that LeMieux has already begun telling lobbyists and the move has stoked speculation about his political ambitions. One theory is that Crist's decision to appoint LeMieux to fill out the final 16 months of Mel Martinez's term was part of a grand scheme for a LeMieux-Bill Nelson showdown in 2012.

Bennett will try again for longer term limits

Sen. Mike Bennett will try again this legislative session to get a bill through that allows lawmakers to serve longer -- but this time he wants to target local elected officials, too.

SB 598 would allow state senators to serve two 6-year terms, and House reps to serve 3 four-year terms. City and county electees also would get up to 12 years in office.

He thinks it has a better shot at passing this year since he is addressing all elected officials, not just the Legislature.

"And I think it'll cut down on the campaigning and fundraising," said Bennett, who is termed out in 2012. "Maybe people will actually stay and do their jobs instead of running home and everywhere for money as soon as they're elected."

Bennett bill a McCarty payback?

In politics, payback can be a real ...well, you know, female dog.

Sen. Mike Bennett insists his just-filed bill isn't payback, but it sure could affect the job security of Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty.

SB 740 would require that the Cabinet, acting as the Financial Services Commission, reconfirm the insurance regulation leader every two years -- and send their vote to the Senate for final reconfirmation. Right now the insurance commish is appointed and confirmed once, and that's it.

But we can't help noting that Bennett is no BFF of McCarty, after this past summer's fight over the proposed rate dereg bill for private, big-name insurers like State Farm. McCarty voiced objections. The governor vetoed the bill. Bennett, who sponsored the bill with Rep. Bill Proctor, blasted McCarty's criticism of the legislation and questioned the facts he used to back up his criticism.

Fast forward to this week, and here is Bennett filing the bill requiring reconfirmation. (It is not the first time
McCarty's been a target. CFO Alex Sink, you'll recall, is no fan, either...)

Actually, Escambia GOP "overjoyed" to hear Charlie Crist

In response to this post, came this press release: RESPONSE TO E-MAIL CONCERNING GOVERNOR’S ATTENDANCE AT ESCAMBIA GOP DINNER

 Pensacola—Statement from Escambia County Republican Party Chairman Susan Moore concerning private e-mail:

“Today, I was notified that a private e-mail that I sent to five members of the Escambia County Republican Party was forwarded to the media.  The five people that received the e-mail were supporters of Marco Rubio, who is running against Governor Crist for Senate.  In an attempt to unify the local party and encourage these five Republican Party members to attend our Lincoln Day Dinner, which financially benefits only the local Republican Party, I sent an e-mail asking them to support the Lincoln Day Dinner even if they did not support the Governor in his campaign for Senate.  Unfortunately, someone felt the need to forward that e-mail to the media and it has now been misconstrued to sound as if I was apologizing for having the Governor as our featured speaker.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  As a long-time volunteer on many of Charlie Crist’s campaigns, I personally asked Governor Crist, as well as members of his staff, if he would do Escambia’s Republican Party the honor of speaking at our Lincoln Day Dinner.  The Governor graciously accepted and we are thrilled to host him as our Lincoln Day Dinner featured speaker.  I make no apologies for asking the Governor to be our speaker and I am overwhelmed by the support within the community as people consistently call or e-mail me to say they would like tickets to the event, even though we have not had any local media coverage announcing the event to this point.  It is unfortunate that one or more of the five people that the e-mail was sent to felt the need to forward my comments to the media when I was simply trying to let these five people know that no matter who they support in the race for Senate prior to the primary, our sitting Governor is honoring us by speaking at our dinner event.  I hope that this statement will put to rest any idea that either I or Escambia County’s Republican Party is anything but overjoyed at hosting Governor Charlie Crist in Pensacola in early December at our Lincoln Day Dinner.”

 

Meek wades into unemployment comp debate, writes Crist

U.S. Congressman Kendrick Meek, the Dem who could find himself running against Gov. Charlie Crist for U.S. Senate, wades into today's unemployment compensation finger-pointing.

Here's his letter to Crist:

Florida Bar boots Rothstein

Republican-leaning fundraiser Scott Rothstein will never practice law again in Florida, according to this Florida Bar press release:

"The Florida Bar and Scott W. Rothstein have agreed to his permanent disbarment – subject to the approval of the Supreme Court of Florida – in lieu of Rothstein defending himself against allegations of disciplinary violations. Rothstein was under investigation for violations of The Rules Regulating The Florida Bar, including misappropriation of funds from trust accounts.

"The Florida Bar has been monitoring the federal investigation of Mr. Rothstein and we have been in contact with the court-appointed receiver for the firm as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Office. While the case is very complex, it became evident that Bar rules may have been violated.

"This is a terribly unfortunate and tragic situation, but it is also a rare circumstance in the legal profession. The great majority of Florida attorneys serve their clients admirably and in accordance with the Bar’s rules of professional conduct. However, rule violations are not tolerated and the Bar takes appropriate actions to protect the public against further harm. The Florida Bar will continue to investigate any violations of its rules by other attorneys who may have been involved in this case.

"Additional details of the disbarment on consent will be available when the document has been received by the Supreme Court."

Marc Caputo, Times/Herald

Republican-leaning fundraiser Scott Rothstein will never practice law again in Florida, according to this Florida Bar press release:

"The Florida Bar and Scott W. Rothstein have agreed to his permanent disbarment – subject to the approval of the Supreme Court of Florida – in lieu of Rothstein defending himself against allegations of disciplinary violations. Rothstein was under investigation for violations of The Rules Regulating The Florida Bar, including misappropriation of funds from trust accounts.

"The Florida Bar has been monitoring the federal investigation of Mr. Rothstein and we have been in contact with the court-appointed receiver for the firm as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Office. While the case is very complex, it became evident that Bar rules may have been violated.

"This is a terribly unfortunate and tragic situation, but it is also a rare circumstance in the legal profession. The great majority of Florida attorneys serve their clients admirably and in accordance with the Bar’s rules of professional conduct. However, rule violations are not tolerated and the Bar takes appropriate actions to protect the public against further harm. The Florida Bar will continue to investigate any violations of its rules by other attorneys who may have been involved in this case.

"Additional details of the disbarment on consent will be available when the document has been received by the Supreme Court."

Marc Caputo, Times/Herald

Charlie Crist mum on his Marco Rubio shots

Gov. Charlie Crist's campaign and acolytes have stepped up their pressure on his Republican U.S. Senate opponent, Marco Rubio. But not the governor himself.

Asked why his campaign is going negative now, Crist said "No reason. No reason. People deserve to know the facts."

What will you be telling people?

"We'll have to wait and see," Crist said.

Marc Caputo, Times/Herald

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Tom Slade endorses Paula Dockery for governor

State Sen. Paula Dockery of Lakeland, who recently stepped up to challenge Attorney General Bill McCollum for the Republican nomination for governor, announced a name-brand endorsement today: Former Republican Party of Florida Chairman Tom Slade.

Slade, who lives in Jacksonville and headed the state party during the 1990s, is known as a straight-talking maverick -- a perfect fit for Dockery's antiestablishment campaign.

"McCollum is a nice guy, but I think he would be better in the U.S. Senate, where I think his skills are better suited,'' Slade says in a press release. "But I think Paula would do a better job of being governor. She's got the kind of tenacity you need, and she's got the knowledge."

He added: "Paula would be better position to win the general election than her opponent. She has a delightful personality and a pleasantness that is rare in most politicians."

Dockery remains a longshot, but this endorsement has got to bug the McCollum camp, coming one day before he addresses the Republican Governors Association's annual conference in Texas. McCollum, who is trailing Sink in fundraising, could use the heft of a group like the RGA behind him.

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Here goes the class size debate ... again

The class size amendment's smaller classes are supposed to take effect in 2010, but Florida Republican senators are trying to stop that from happening. Their attempts aren't new, but this time around they might have more political traction thanks to the state's projected 2010-11 budget deficit of more than $2 billion.

Hypothetical floor debate: "How can we spend this money on new classrooms when we're laying off teachers?"

Sen. Mike Bennett, R-Bradenton, yesterday filed a proposed resolution for a constitutional amendment that would repeal the class size changes pushed successfully by Dems (including current U.S. Senate candidate Kendrick Meek) several years back.

Dems blame R's for tax hike on businesses

That darned federal stimulus and all its implications -- political and practical -- continue to provide fodder for partisan press releases, and thus fodder for blogs such as this one.

The latest: Florida Dems say businesses can blame state Republican leaders for the higher unemployment compensation taxes they now face. The higher taxes next year will be due to the fact that so many out of work Floridians will draw unemployment checks from the state's unemployment fund. (The jobless rate hit 11 percent in September.)

Dems point out that R's in the House could have avoided the higher tax by taking $444-million in federal funds during the spring session. Crist and the state Senate wanted to take the money, but House leaders said no way! That will mean higher taxes. R's, as you know, don't like taxes (unless they're called surcharges,' as in cigarettes...or rental cars).

Hi, it's Ginny Brown-Waite. Just want to say this Web site stinks

U.S. Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite said today that she called a hotline for Recovery.org, the Web site that tracks stimulus spending, and lodged a complaint against the site itself.

"I’m startled by the amount of misinformation on the website and how much money is being wasted at the taxpayer’s expense," she said in her second news release on the subject in as many days. Republicans have jabbed at reports that nonexistent congressional districts have been listed on the site as putting stimulus money toward jobs.

The Obama administration, facing sliding public support for the stimulus, says no money has been misappropriated and that recipients merely inserted the wrong district. But the White House isn't helping things. Brown-Waite, R-Brooksville, cited Vice President Joe Biden's appearance on The Daily Show:

Sen. George LeMieux raising coin for would-be Sen. Charlie Crist

Much of Charlie Crist's old campaign staff already is on the payroll of Sen. George LeMieux, so it only makes sense that LeMieux is now actively raising money to help Crist take over his temporary Senate seat:

You are invited to a Luncheon honoring Governor Charlie Crist Candidate for Florida United States Senate with Special Guests:GOVERNOR BOB MARTINEZ AND SENATOR GEORGE LEMIEUX Hosted by:PHIL BAKER-�SHENK, KATHRYN LEHMAN, ROB BRADNER, DAVE ROBINSON, RICH GOLD, & DAVID WHITESTONE  Friday, November 20th 12:00 - 1:30 PM THE LAW OFFICES OF HOLLAND & KNIGHT2099 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE NW, SUITE 100 WASHINGTON, DC 20006 HOST $2,500 / SPONSOR $1,500 / GUEST $1,000Please RSVP to Lisa Spies...

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Crist promotes Drago and longtime external affairs director

Gov. Charlie Crist just announced he is appointing Charles “Chuck” Drago to deputy chief of staff, and longtime external affairs director Stephanie Smith will serve a larger role as "executive deputy chief of staff ."

Charlie Liem, chief of staff for the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, will take over as DBPR secretary temporarily, filling Drago's spot.

Escambia GOP chairwoman apologizes for having Crist as speaker

UPDATE: Chairwoman Moore stressed to Buzz that there is "overwhelming support for Charlie Crist" on the Escambia REC, and that the e-mail was sent only to about five vocal Marco Rubio supporters who were complaining about Crist being the featured speaker. She released a press release that we pasted into comments.

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Nothing better illustrates Charlie Crist's sorry standing among the activist GOP base than the following e-mail sent to Panhandle Republicans by Escambia County GOP Chairwoman Susan Moore. Basically, she is apologizing for having the sitting governor and leader of the Florida GOP address Escambia's Lincoln Day dinner and assuring them if they're willing to sit through Crist, they'll have a better shot at bringing in Marco Rubio down the line.

Dear Rubio supporters: 
I wanted to take a moment to dispel some grumblings I've heard recently about the ECREC's Lincoln Day Dinner and put your mind at ease.  First let me say that the ECREC is holding the Lincoln Day Dinner as a fundraiser exclusively for the ECREC.  We were sort of "handed" Governor Crist as our speaker.  He is, after all, the sitting governor of our state and having him as our speaker is neither an overt nor tacit endorsement of his campaign for Senate against Marco Rubio.   
None--absolutely none--of the proceeds go to Governor Crist, nor to his campaign for Senate, nor to the RPOF.  This is a fundraiser for the local Republican Party alone.  Buying a ticket to the Lincoln Day Dinner, even though Governor Crist is the speaker, is a donation to the local party.  We need everyone's support of this event.  Keep in mind that I really want to follow up on this event by having Marco as a featured guest speaker for a huge, elegant dinner event in the spring.  However, if this event is not successful, I will be loathe to put one ounce of effort into planning any other events featuring other speakers, and sadly that includes Marco Rubio. 

Crist orders internal probe of Peterman's travel

Gov. Charlie Crist has asked his inspector general, Melinda Miguel, to look into Wednesday's Times/Herald report that Juvenile Justice Secretary Frank Peterman has racked up $44,000 in travel expenses in less than two years.

That total includes nearly $20,000 in airplane trips between Tallahassee and Tampa. Peterman owns a house in St. Petersburg, and his wife and four children still live there.

Crist, who appointed Peterman to the DJJ post in February 2008, told reporters of his desire to have his in-house troubleshooter look into Peterman's travel. But he did not pass judgment.

"Hopefully, there's not more," Crist said. "You know, I like to go to St. Pete sometimes, too. But I pay for it."

Peterman, 47, is a former Democratic state legislator who said his travel allows him to interact more frequently with his staff and the agency's clients.

-- Steve Bousquet

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Rubio stays after Crist: Let's debate

Marco Rubio really wants to debate Charlie Crist. He has been asking for months. Now again in a letter:

Dear Eric (Eikenberg):

Unfortunately, Governor Crist has shown no interest in debating Marco thus far. Instead, the media has widely reported on behind-the-scenes maneuvering by your campaign to attack Marco and his record. Today, the National Journal’s On Call reports that, “FL Gov. Charlie Crist will step up his direct engagements with his opponent. … Crist will attack former FL House Speaker Marco Rubio.”

Marco welcomes the challenge and invites Governor Crist to reconsider his reluctance to directly engage in face-to-face debates. In light of Governor Crist’s “governing” commitments, we would be happy to work with you to formalize a debate schedule that will help our campaigns rise above the typical 30-second commercials, slick slogans and bumper stickers that define too many of our country’s political contests.

Respectfully,

Pat Shortridge, Senior Advisor, Marco Rubio for U.S. Senate

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Wasserman Schultz critical of new breast cancer guidelines

New federal guidelines that women should get mammograms starting at age 50, not 40, have provoked a spirited debate, and one prominent critic is Florida Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who battled breast cancer herself.

"I am very concerned that these guidelines conflict with many of the well-established recommendations from the American Medical Association, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, the American Cancer Society, and Susan G. Komen for the Cure. This conflicting information will inevitably lead to confusion among providers and women, resulting in fewer women getting screened for breast cancer." she said in a statement.

Wasserman Schultz, D-Weston, is sponsoring legislation that would direct $45 million toward an early detection program aimed at women under 45 -- a proposal that has generated its own debate. Yesterday, she went on CNN to discuss the issue. Video below.

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Brown, Diaz-Balart worry about legality of Fla redistricting push

Rep. Dean Cannon this morning sent to members of the House Select Policy Council on Strategic & Economic Planning a copy of the letter he recently received from Congresswoman Corrine Brown and Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart, who have many of the same redistricting concerns voiced earlier this month by Sen. Mike Haridopolos.

Cannon writes that he plans to use the letter from D.C. "as a framework for our next meeting on the subject of reapportionment.  I have directed our legal counsel and House staff to attempt to formulate answers to the questions in this letter and to report back to us during the December committee week." The Senate also will dig deeper into proposed ballot initiatives dealing with reapportionment during that week in December.

Here's the letter: Download Letter from Congresswoman Brown and Congressman Diaz-Balart

Times ed board: Citizens should go back to drawing board

From Wednesday's St. Petersburg Times editorial page: Florida's state-run insurer absolutely should be rooting out fraud and incompetence that is inflating hurricane-mitigation discounts for homeowners. But Citizens Property Insurance Corp.'s board of directors should not award a no-bid $60 million contract to a private vendor who has not tackled a project of this size. The board should reconsider and seek competitive bids. Read full editorial here

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Video: Charlie Crist. Barack Obama. And the truth

Charlie Crist supported the stimulus package. And he didn't. He was aware of President Obama's whereabouts in Florida. And he wasn't. That's his story. And he's sticking to it. -- Marc Caputo

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Suit: State is failing schools, violating Constitution

Not enough money. Not enough progress. Florida is violating the state Constitution by not pouring enough money into schools and relentlessly focusing on high-stakes testing policies that aren't getting good results, says a lawsuit expected to be filed today in Leon County Circuit Court.

Prepared by a team of lawyers that includes a former Democratic House speaker and a Republican Party patriarch, the suit takes aim at virtually every aspect of the sweeping education overhaul engineered by former Gov. Jeb Bush and kept largely intact by his successor, Gov. Charlie Crist.

Low graduation rates, stagnant test scores, a persistent effort by lawmakers to shift education costs to school districts — all of it shows Florida is not living up to a constitutional mandate to provide high-quality schools, the suit says.

Some of the suit's roots go back to last spring's budget cuts, when everything from music programs to teaching assistants were considered for the chopping block, said Kathleen Oropeza, co-founder of an Orlando-based parents group listed as a plaintiff.

"The first question we asked amongst ourselves was, 'What can we do to fix this?' " Oropeza said Tuesday. "It always came back to legal action."

(Story here)

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DJJ Secretary Frank Peterman racks up travel expenses

At a time when state employees face travel restrictions to save money, Florida's top juvenile justice official racked up $44,000 on travel — much of it for commercial flights between his office in the capital and St. Petersburg, where his family lives.

Frank Peterman, secretary of the Department of Juvenile Justice, has flown at taxpayer expense 68 times between Tampa and Tallahassee since taking office in February 2008, at a cost of nearly $20,000. Many flights left Tallahassee on Thursday or Friday and brought him back to Tallahassee on the following Tuesday .... In contrast, Corrections Secretary Walt McNeil, who oversees the statewide system of prisons, spent about $14,000 in travel in the same period of time as the review of Peterman's travel. The prison system has a budget more than three times larger than Peterman's agency.

(Story here)

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Rubio campaign like Obama campaign, LeMieux says

The Buzz caught up with Sen. George LeMieux today and he talked about various issues (see jump) before the topic turned to Gov. Charlie Crist's campaign problems, chiefly his association with President Obama's stimulus bailout. But LeMieux promptly turned it into a critique of Marco Rubio.

"Being governor means you have to make choices. And you have to make decisions," LeMieux said, heading into a GOP lunch at the U.S. Capitol. "It’s very easy to be a critic and the speaker now is not in office. He wasn’t there when the state was facing the challenges of the huge recession and the stimulus. He didn’t have to vote on that. All of the folks that were in his administration voted for the stimulus money. And I suspect if he were there, he could vote for it. This is just like President Obama being able to be against the war in Iraq because he didn’t have to vote on it. There’s a lot of parallels to draw between Speaker Rubio and President Obama in the way they are running their race and in their ability to throw bombs without ever having to lead because they are out of office."

Replies Rubio spokesman Alex Burgos: "As Charlie Crist was endorsing Obama's stimulus, Marco Rubio was in the good company of Florida's entire Republican congressional delegation in opposing it. With Charlie Crist's record of embracing the stimulus, cap-and-trade schemes and tax increases, there is no greater parallel in this primary than the one between him and President Obama."

Jim Greer: Get ready for Crist to go negative on Rubio

Hotline: "As in all cases with campaigns, there comes a point where you engage, and I believe that the governor is going to start talking about everybody's records," said Jim Greer, the FL GOP chair and close Crist ally.

Crist campaign aides did not say whether they would engage in an immediate round of paid media, but one consultant hinted that option is on the table. Campaigns are about differences, the consultant said, and eventually they will become apparent.