Daily Clips for August 19, 2010

FEATURED STORIES President Obama campaigns in Miami for Florida Democrats By Beth Reinhard Miami Herald President Barack Obama swooped into Florida for less than three hours Wednesday to pick up $700,000 for the Florida Democratic Party and two corned beef sandwiches on rye from a Miami Beach deli — to go. New poll shows Democrat Alex Sink leading race for governor's office By Lee Logan St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau Democrat Alex Sink has opened up a small lead in the November matchup for governor according to a new poll, largely because her two Republican opponents have been slugging it out in advance of Tuesday's primary election. GOP gov race comes down to McCollum's volunteers vs. Scott's deep pockets By Michael C. Bender Palm Beach Post In a state of 4 million Republicans, it almost seemed futile for Bill McCollum to be waving a sign on the side of a road in an attempt to sway drivers to vote for him instead of Rick Scott in their party's primary for governor. Supreme Court appears divided over fate of amendments By Christine Jordan Sexton Florida Tribune A clearly divided state Supreme Court on Wednesday heard arguments on whether three amendments proposed by state legislators should be kept off the November ballot. USF scientists find evidence that oil spill damaging critical marine life By Craig Pittman St. Petersburg Times The oil from the Deepwater Horizon disaster is still in the Gulf of Mexico and is causing ecological damage, according to new findings from the University of South Florida. FLORIDA POLITICS Former Republican Party employee alleges illegal spending and wrongdoing in lawsuit By Gary Fineout Florida Tribune A former office manager for the Republican Party of Florida has filed a whistleblower lawsuit that says she was fired because she raised questions about questionable expenses made by top party officials and on behalf of Gov. Charlie Crist. Obama makes unannounced stop at Miami Beach deli By Beth Reinhard Miami Herald En route to Miami International Airport from a Democratic fundraiser at the Fontainebleau hotel, President Barack Obama made an unannounced stop at Jerry's Famous Deli on South Beach. POLITICAL RACES Obama visit affirms support for Meek, highlights Democrats' high hopes for Sink By George Bennett Palm Beach Post President Obama wrapped up a five-state political trip here today by raising an estimated $700,000 for the Florida Democratic Party and reaffirming his support for Kendrick Meek's Senate primary bid. McCollum, Meek hold the lead in the latest Quinnipiac poll By Bill Cotterell Tallahassee Democrat Women with doubts about flashy, self-financed newcomers have boosted Attorney General Bill McCollum and U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek in their tough primary campaigns. Ex-Republican Charlie Crist campaigns in Democratic territory — Broward condos By Amy Sherman Miami Herald When introducing Republican-turned-independent Gov. Charlie Crist to a left-leaning crowd Wednesday, Democratic state Rep. Ari Porth joked that he had brought Crist some rugelah so he could have a taste of Broward. Rich Man, Bad Yacht By Gail Collins New York Times “I started with absolutely nothing and I have lived the American dream,” Jeff Greene, a Senate candidate and billionaire, told a small crowd in one of Miami’s poorest and most crime-ridden neighborhoods this week. Rubio hails American exceptionalism at Jacksonville campaign stop By Virginia Chamlee Florida Independent Only hours after visiting a Duval County Republican headquarters to unveil his veterans’ initiative, Marco Rubio made another stop in Jacksonville — this time, to speak about family values and a country he repeatedly called “exceptional.” Economy is key to Florida primary victory By Gary Fineout Sarasota Herald-Tribune Related: McCollum and Scott two portraits of confidence After weeks in which tens of millions of dollars have been spent on negative ads about career politicians and Medicare fraud, the Aug. 24 primary for governor between Rick Scott and Bill McCollum may turn on one simple issue. GOP Establishment condemns Rick Scott's new ad By Aaron Deslatte Orlando Sentinel Republican gubernatorial newcomer Rick Scott is getting slammed for his new ads linking Attorney General Bill McCollum to the Jim Greer scandal. Rick Scott dodges tough questions at Tiger Bay By Kate Bradshaw WMNF Community Radio Tampa There are two things everyone knows about GOP gubernatorial hopeful Rick Scott. Bill McCollum touts experience in race for governor The Associated Press Pensacola News Journal In a year when voters are fed up with politics as usual and outsider candidates are in vogue, Bill McCollum is insisting that Florida needs an experienced hand to guide the state through troubled times. Attorney who subpoenaed Rick Scott delays deposition By Catherine Whittenburg Tampa Tribune Steven Andrews, the attorney who slapped Rick Scott with a subpoena last week, has told the GOP gubernatorial candidate's campaign that he is delaying the deposition he had initially scheduled for Friday. Race for attorney general is deep, competitive By Lloyd Dunkelberger Ocala Star-Banner Floridians face a pivotal political question next week that may be buried under the big-money glitz of the primary contests for governor and U.S. Senate. Democrats for attorney general vow they'll back each other — after primary By Paula McMahon Orlando Sentinel In the final stretch before Tuesday's primary election for attorney general, Democrats Dave Aronberg and Dan Gelber are beating each other up over an issue they once agreed on. Palin endorses political newbie Bondi in 3-way Fla. attorney general race By Dara Kam Palm Beach Post Just six days before Tuesday's primary election, political newbie Pam Bondi scored a major endorsement from conservative icon Sarah Palin in the three-candidate GOP primary for attorney general. Thousands of early voters cast their ballots in Florida's contentious primary election By Mary Ellen Klas St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau At least 200,000 Florida voters have gone to the polls to take advantage of the state's two-week early voting period in this year's contentious primary election. BALLOT INITIATIVES Cannon wants Amendment 7 on ballot By Jim Ash Florida Capital News The Republican-led Legislature did not put Amendment 7 on the November ballot to torpedo competing initiatives by a liberal-leaning citizen's group, House Speaker-designate Dean Cannon told the Florida Supreme Court on Wednesday. Justices react skeptically to redistricting amendment By Aaron Deslatte Orlando Sentinel House Speaker-designate Dean Cannon took the unusual step of appearing before the Florida Supreme Court on Wednesday, but his defense of a legislatively drawn redistricting amendment got a hostile reception from two justices. State Supreme Court hears arguments for putting discarded amendments back on ballot By Lee Logan St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau Lawyers squared off Wednesday before the Florida Supreme Court on challenges to three proposed constitutional amendments that have been kicked off the November ballot. ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY Opponents tout survey opposition to federal water quality standards By Bruce Ritchie FloridaEnvironments.com Critics of proposed federal water quality standards in Florida on Wednesday pointed to new survey results suggesting that a majority of residents oppose them and would vote against candidates who support them. PSC nominating council to interview applicants The Associated Press Tampa Tribune The Florida Public Service Commission Nominating Council is meeting in Orlando to interview applicants for two openings on the utility regulating panel. Shifting data on the Gulf spill Editorial Sarasota Herald-Tribune Is the Gulf environment already recovering from the BP oil spill, or is the damage simply moving to areas that are harder to see? How do they know the oil is gone? They guessed Editorial Pensacola News Journal Certainly, initial results from studies by university scientists in Georgia and Florida can't be used to jump to conclusions about how big the oil problem is in the Gulf of Mexico. EDUCATION Florida's ACT scores improve, but still among nation's lowest By Leslie Postal Orlando Sentinel The percentage of Florida high school graduates meeting all four "college readiness benchmarks" on the ACT rose slightly this year, according to scores from the national college admissions exam released today. Report: Florida ranks low in black male graduation rate By Marcos Restrepo Florida Independent The “Yes We Can” report released by the Schott Foundation for Public Education on Tuesday shows that Florida has one of the lowest graduation rates for black male students in the nation. Pinellas rated last in the nation in graduating black males By Tom Marshall and Rebecca Catalanello St. Petersburg Times The Pinellas County school district earned some unwelcome national attention Wednesday after researchers said it graduated a lower rate of black males than any large district in the United States. JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY Is Social Networking Really Social? By Gina Jordan WFSU Public Radio Tallahassee Social media is a necessary part of doing business these days, and it's an easy way to keep in touch with friends. HEALTH AND SENIORS Nonprofit groups receive $9.1 million in grants to combat rise of HIV infections By Bob LaMendola South Florida Sun-Sentinel South Florida nonprofit groups have won $9.1 million in federal grants to combat the steady rise in new infections with the virus that causes AIDS, especially among gay men and black women. Protecting patients Editorial Florida Today Shortcuts shouldn’t be taken with safe food for hospital and nursing home patients whose health makes them susceptible to illness, or worse. CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES Mosque fever running high By Joy-Ann Reid Miami Herald With the stakes running high in political races nationwide -- and the fate of the economy, the Gulf and our very future hanging in the balance -- politicians from the president on down put all else aside this week to comment on the seminal issue of our time: the disposition of the old Burlington Coat Factory in lower Manhattan. Florida House candidate says Islam against America The Associated Press Tampa Tribune A Republican U.S. House candidate in the Florida Panhandle has told a group of middle and high school students that Islam "is against everything America stands for."