A Florida Republican Becomes a Right-Wing Target
By Kate Zernike
New York Times
In retrospect, even Charlie Crist admits that "the optics" of The Hug are not great.
Go right or do right? Crist should pick the latter
By Thomas Tryon
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
If Florida's governor and candidate for U.S. Senate had a theme-song contest, the leading contender would be "Good time Charlie's got the blues."
Erin Isaac looks like a sacrificial lamb for Crist's image woes
By Steve Bousquet
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
For nearly four years, Erin Isaac was a constant, hard-working presence at the side of Charlie Crist, loyally serving spin and positive imagery for a governor who until recently performed capably as his own best spokesman.
Republicans divided when they need focus
By Aaron Deslatte
Orlando Sentinel
Earth-shattering news: the Florida GOP is a party divided.
State should beware of drilling promises
Editorial
Tampa Tribune
State lawmakers and the people of Florida should see it is an affront to conservative government and fiscal prudence to risk priceless resources and the state's economy for the dubious promises of a secret group of oil interests.
EDITORIAL CARTOON OF THE WEEK
By Jim Morin
Miami Herald
FLORIDA POLITICS
Former Gov. Lawton Chiles' son repeats his father's famous walk
By Howard Troxler
St. Petersburg Times
Nearly 11 years have passed since the death of former Gov. Lawton Chiles.
Money affects Cuba policy
By Lesley Clark
Miami Herald
Supporters of the U.S. embargo against Cuba have contributed almost $11 million to members of Congress since 2004 in a largely successful effort to block efforts to weaken sanctions against the island, a new report shows.
Trend of 'political downsizing' hasn't hit Florida
By Rick Hampson
USA Today via Tallahassee Democrat
A move to "downsize" local-government boards and councils -- something that's happening right now mostly in the state of New York -- hasn't taken hold in Florida.
Senator visits with port, aircraft carrier on his mind
By David Bauerlein
Florida Times-Union
U.S. Sen. George LeMieux on Friday made his first trip to Jacksonville since being appointed two months ago and said dredging the Jacksonville port and bringing a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier will be high on his agenda.
Does Florida's Great Northwest fall under Sunshine Law?
By Matt Dixon
Panama City News Herald
Related: What is Florida's Great Northwest?
Its members include state lawmakers, economic development officials, and industry leaders - all of whom praise its efforts.
Florida may restrict texting while driving
By John Kennedy
News Service of Florida via Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Measures banning motorists from text messaging and using cell phones are becoming hot topics this fall for Florida lawmakers intent on making a U-turn on legislation that formerly went nowhere.
Crist hesitant to appoint replacements; a vote next?
By Charles RabinMiami Herald
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist said Friday he's likely to defer naming a commissioner to one of Miami's two vacant seats -- potentially sending the city into further tumult and bringing a costly election.
Palin returning to Florida for book tour
By Fred Hiers
Gainesville Sun via Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Former Alaska governor and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin heads a list of three conservative icons who will make The Villages part of their whirlwind book tours during the next two weeks.
New voting-machine blues
Editorial
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Elections Systems & Software -- the company now responsible for Sarasota County's optical-scan voting machines -- has some explaining to do.
2010 RACES
Florida candidates take campaigns to Facebook and Twitter
By Shannon Colavecchio
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
U.S. Senate candidate Marco Rubio is about to go on MSNBC's Morning Joe.
Charlie Crist loses his mojo
By Alex Isenstadt
Politico
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist is witnessing a sharp downturn in his political fortunes, imperiling his standing as the presumptive next senator from Florida and leaving Washington and Tallahassee wondering if the seemingly invincible Republican has lost his way.
Conservatives invite Rubio to be keynote speaker at Washington event
By Adam C. Smith
St. Petersburg Times
The Club for Growth finally made it official this month and endorsed Marco Rubio for the Senate over Gov. Charlie Crist.
Rubio wants supporters not to feel too confident
By Jeremy Wallace
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Republican Marco Rubio has gone from being a long shot candidate against Gov. Charlie Crist to one of the most talked about candidates in the state.
Paula Dockery refuses to let party anoint the next Governor
By Brendan McLaughlin
ABC News Tampa Bay
If State Senator Paula Dockery of Lakeland succeeds in her run for Governor, she would be the first female and first Italian American to hold the job -- which begs the Sonia Sotomayor style question: Would a strong Italiana be more effective as Governor than the long line of men who precede you?
So far, no big name for GOP to fight Grayson
By Mark K. Matthews and David Damron
Orlando Sentinel
Few targets in the country are more appealing to Republicans than freshman U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson of Orlando.
Some timely tips for candidate Crist's new aide
By Beth Reinhard
Miami Herald
First of all, welcome aboard. I imagine it's been quite an adjustment, coming from the office of Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah.
Crist's missteps multiply with LeMieux gone
By Mike Thomas
Orlando Sentinel
Charlie Crist sent more than George LeMieux to Washington back in August. He sent his brain.
Charlie Crist: Focused on himself
Editorial
Florida Times-Union
What is Charlie Crist?
BALLOT INITIATIVES
Growth debate pits amendment backers, detractors
By Derek Catron
Daytona Beach News-Journal
Both sides see something wrong with Florida's growth patterns, but the question of how to fix it could fuel one of the biggest political fights Florida has ever seen.
CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE, AND SOCIAL ISSUES
Sink backs adoption by gays, lesbians
By Beth Reinhard
Miami Herald
Alex Sink, Florida's chief financial officer and the leading Democratic candidate for governor, told the state's largest gay rights group Sunday that homosexuals should be allowed to adopt if it's in the children's ``best interest.''
UF study: Religious left emerging to oppose right
By Nathan Crabbe
Gainesville Sun
A new University of Florida study finds the religious left is emerging as an alternative to the Christian right.
ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY
Drilling: wrong way to go
By Waldo Proffitt
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
You will remember, I hope, that last week this space was occupied by the story of a huge oil spill 155 miles off the coast of northern Australia -- how that spill came from a 2-year-old drilling rig using the latest technology, how it spread an oil slick over a vast area of the Timor Sea, and how a spill of such size off the Gulf coast of Florida would endanger both hundreds of miles of white, sandy beaches and billions of dollars worth of income from tourism.
Gore's presentation on climate change draws 800 as 200 protestors gather outside
By George Bennett
Palm Beach Post
Confused Palm Beach County voters helped thwart Al Gore's 2000 bid to become president of the United States, but he was introduced as "president of the planet" when he returned here Saturday night to deliver an environmental lecture.
Judge hears objections to Fla. pollution agreement
The Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
A judge is considering objections to an agreement by the federal Environmental Protection Agency to set surface water pollution standards for Florida.
FSU Professor studying impact of Gulf of Mexico 'dead zones' on marine life
By Doug Blackburn
Tallahassee Democrat
Kevin Craig may have the largest lab of any biology professor at Florida State University.
FDA delays raw oyster ban, Florida reaction mixed
By Bruce Ritchie
FloridaEnvironments.com
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today backed off a proposal to ban the sale of raw oysters from Gulf states during summer months by 2011.
JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY
Closing corporate annual report loophole may bolster Florida budget
By Steve Bousquet
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Florida's constant search for more money could mean a tougher approach to businesses that fail to file annual reports on time.
Shrinking Florida faces tough choices as residents flee, jobs vanish
By Jeff Kunerth
Orlando Sentinel
Rick Desrochers is leaving. And he's not coming back.
Insurer Citizens' $60M no-bid contract draws anger
By Kris Hundley
St. Petersburg Times
The board of state-run Citizens Property Insurance Corp. approved what is likely the largest no-bid contract in its history last month, awarding $60 million to a software company in Jacksonville.
Regulators shut 2 banks in Fla., 1 in Calif.
By Stephen Bernard and Marcy Gordon
The Associated Press
Regulators shut down two banks in Florida and one in California on Friday, boosting to 123 the number of U.S. bank failures this year as loan defaults rise in the worst financial climate in decades.
EDUCATION
State of Florida facing shortage of residency programs
By Angeline J. Taylor
Tallahassee Democrat
Courtney Whittington was raised in Tallahassee, and she hopes her 2-month-old daughter, Linnea, also will grow up in Florida.
HEALTH AND SENIORS
Health-care reform and abortion coverage: Questions and answers
By Alec MacGillis
Washington Post
After the House passed its health-care bill last weekend, debate exploded over an amendment by Reps. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) and Joe Pitts (R-Pa.) that restricts abortion coverage.
Many in S. Florida could face `Cadillac' healthcare tax
By John Dorschner
Miami Herald
A key provision in the main Senate healthcare reform bill could cause many South Floridians to pay taxes on their employer-based insurance on the theory that they're expensive ``Cadillac'' plans.
Medicare warnings ignored, records show
The Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
For three years, the federal agency in charge of preventing Medicare fraud repeatedly ignored internal watchdog warnings about swindlers stealing millions of dollars by scamming several programs, documents show.
JUSTICE AND THE COURTS
Ex-partner: Rothstein `financial serial killer'
By Susan Spencer-Wendel
Palm Beach Post
As former Palm Beach Circuit Judge William Berger resigned Friday from the law firm at the heart of an alleged massive investment scandal, he depicted Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler's lead partner as a ``financial serial killer'' whose actions harmed not just investors but less well-heeled victims.
Two more names added as possible Circuit judge
By Karen Voyles
Gainesville Sun
At the request of Gov. Charlie Crist's staff, two more names have been submitted as possible judges for the 8th Judicial Circuit.
Don't throw kids away
Editorial
Orlando Sentinel
Florida is ground zero for a question that the U.S. Supreme Court was pondering this past week: Is it constitutional for judges to send children to prison for the rest of their lives for crimes other than murder?
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