Daily Clips for November 13, 2009

FEATURED STORIES

Florida's GOP chief faces heat from his own party's faithful
By Adam C. Smith and Beth Reinhard
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Staff Writers
Republicans should have the wind at their backs this election season with President Barack Obama's poll numbers dropping and independents turning away from Democrats.

Governor, in Jupiter, says stimulus money is helping save jobs
By George Bennett
Palm Beach Post
If he were a member of the U.S. Senate, Gov. Charlie Crist says he would have supported "a different form" of the $787 billion economic stimulus bill and would have major concerns about pending health care legislation.

BEST OF THE BLOGS

Property rights and sea level rise
By Gimleteye
Eye on Miami
Florida is a unique lens through which to view the dilemma of delay and inadequate response by government to the challenges of global warming.

Congressman Bill Young lies about, err, misremembers President Obama telling his opponents to "Shut up!"
By Peter Schorsch
Saint Petersblog 2.0
In a speech to the Pinellas County Republican Executive Committee on November 9, Republican Congressman Bill Young talked passionately about how he "will not forget" President Barack Obama telling "those who oppose (his) policies...to just shut up and go away."

Worst To First: One Million Steps
By Stogie
Ybor City Stogie
Bud Chiles walks in Jacksonville on One Million Steps For Florida's Kids, visiting the Salvation Army Child Development Center and Community Connections of Jacksonville.

Charlie Crist's Coast-to-Coast Charter
By Beach Blogger
Pensacola Beach Blog
After chasing the wind-blown pages of our daily Pensacola Newsletter all over the neighborhood this morning, because once again it's lighter than air, we wound up with some sort of sports half-page, a few classified ads, and the front page.

Fla Repugs Keepin' It Entertaining
By Buck Banks
Pensito Review
The Republican Party of Florida has a penchant for issuing "press releases" on wacky topics.

FLORIDA POLITICS

GOP fight wounds Crist ally Greer
By William March
Tampa Tribune
In another political blow to Gov. Charlie Crist, dissension in the state Republican Party broke open Thursday as a group of party officials demanded an "emergency" meeting to discuss party problems, apparently including grievances against Chairman Jim Greer.

Miami-Dade Democrats' new chairman was Diaz fundraiser in 2001
By Beth Reinhard
Miami Herald
Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Karen Thurman has dumped the head of the party in Miami-Dade, claiming he tried to shake down local candidates for money and browbeat staff members and elected officials.

2010 RACES

Old friends Sen. Mike Fasano and Marco Rubio's spat grows
By Jodie Tillman
St. Petersburg Times
Years ago, state Sen. Mike Fasano helped campaign for an ambitious young legislator he pegged as someone with plenty of potential.

CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

Professor takes part in 'Don't ask' study
By Nathan Crabbe
Ocala Star-Banner
Support for the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy restricting gays and lesbians from military service has fallen sharply among veterans since the policy was introduced, according to a new study done in part by a University of Florida researcher.

Family values means asking prospective adoptive parents about guns
By Sue Carlton
St. Petersburg Times
Say a couple wants to adopt. The officials in charge of such things will have questions, lots of questions.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Utilities fight water rules
By Paul Quinlan
Palm Beach Post via Miami Herald
Related editorial: Water conservation a must in Florida
A deal to put most of South Florida under permanent, three-day-a-week water restrictions -- among the loosest in the state -- has begun to unravel at the 11th hour amid utilities' demands that they not be forced to reduce water use.

Two Florida DEP heads join opposition to EPA standards
By Bruce Ritchie
FloridaEnvironments.com
Opponents of federal water quality standards for nutrients in Florida waterways raised their level of opposition today, unveiling a Web site and two former state environmental chiefs who are on their side.

EDUCATION

State in race for U.S. grants
By Hannah Sampson
Miami Herald
With Thursday's starting gun signaling the first day of the $4.35 billion federal Race to the Top contest, states are scrambling to perfect their applications in time for the mid-January deadline.

Historic session of state education boards promises meeting business workforce needs
By Kimberly Miller
Palm Beach Post
Just shy of two months into office, State University System Chancellor Frank Brogan engineered an historic meeting Thursday between the two groups responsible for kindergarten through graduate school education in Florida.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

U.S. Senator Nelson: health care reform will pass
By George Bennett
Palm Beach Post
Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson today predicted the Senate will pass a health care overhaul bill with a more limited version of a government-run insurance option than was approved by the House last week.

Boyd gets mixed responses at forum
By Bill Cotterell
Tallahassee Democrat
U.S. Rep. Allen Boyd was cheered Thursday for his vote against national health care and jeered by Tallahassee voters who doubt he will defy House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and President Obama when it really counts.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

FBI seeking help from alleged Rothstein victims
By Jay Weaver and Amy Sherman
Miami Herald
The investment scam by Fort Lauderdale attorney Scott Rothstein ``could well exceed $1 billion,'' making it one of the biggest fraud cases in South Florida history, the head of the FBI in Miami said Thursday.

D'Alemberte argues for mental-health treatment
By Bill Cotterell
Tallahassee Democrat
Does the Constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment mean the state can't imprison someone with psychiatric problems when mental treatment is available?