Daily Clips for August 2, 2010

FEATURED STORIES Greene and Meek don't hide ill will in debate By Adam C. Smith St. Petersburg Times For two candidates who disagree on so little, it's striking that Jeff Greene and Kendrick Meek can loathe each other so much. Democrat Kendrick Meek facing uphill battle in Florida Senate race By Philip Rucker Washington Post In a year of the unconventional candidate and in a Florida Senate race filled with them, the by-the-book campaign of Democrat Kendrick Meek has left the congressman in such a precarious spot that he might not even make it out of his own party's primary. Crist could become his own worst enemy By Adam C. Smith St. Petersburg Times Charlie Crist is the front-runner in Florida's U.S. Senate race for now, but nobody should underestimate how difficult it will be to pull off an unprecedented statewide victory as a nonpartisan candidate. Appeals panel sides with Rick Scott, says Bill McCollum not entitled to matching funds By Mary Ellen Klas St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau A federal appeals court in Atlanta turned Florida's public campaign financing law on its head Friday, halting a critical provision that was expected to inject taxpayer cash into Attorney General Bill McCollum's struggling campaign for governor. Tracking Gulf’s Fate as Slicks Recede By Andrew C. Revkin New York Times Related: Gulf Officials Optimistic That Cement Will Kill BP Well Related: Despite Rule, BP Used Dispersant, Panel Finds As BP and its team prepare to seal the wrecked Macondo well with mud and cement early next week, and the extent of oil on the surface of the Gulf of Mexico has receded, biologists and other scientists are mulling the long-term prospects for the ecosystems of the despoiled region and the communities that rely on them. EDITORIAL CARTOON OF THE WEEK By Jim Morin Miami Herald FLORIDA POLITICS Florida GOP: Greer had hundreds of party documents at his Oviedo home By Rene Stutzman Orlando Sentinel When Florida Department of Law Enforcement agents raided the Oviedo home of ousted Florida GOP Chairman Jim Greer in June, they not only handcuffed him and hauled him to jail, they also found boxes filled with party records. Inclusion remains a problem for GOP By Douglas C. Lyons South Florida Sun-Sentinel She's probably got better things to do, but if I was Jennifer Carroll, I'd probably be doing a slow burn about now. Vern Buchanan's hand in failed land deal By Michael Braga and Matthew Doig Sarasota Herald-Tribune Around the same time Mark Brivik wrapped up a 2006 real estate deal that ultimately landed him in jail on fraud charges, then-U.S. congressional candidate Vern Buchanan joined Brivik in an even bigger project. POLITICAL RACES New poll: Crist leads for U.S. Senate; Fla. governor too close to call By George Bennett Palm Beach Post Republican-turned-independent Gov. Charlie Crist leads the general election race for the U.S. Senate while the November governor's race is too close to call, a new Quinnipiac University poll says. Meek seeks place in history By William March Tampa Tribune Related: Greene crashes Democrats' party Miami Congressman Kendrick Meek laid the groundwork for his first statewide race with two political coups that made him a hero to Florida's black voters and public schoolteachers. Kendrick Meek has no problem giving his mother her due, even if it becomes a burden By Beth Reinhard Miami Herald U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek readily admits he would not be where he is today without his mother. Helping Meek may be smart move for Obama Staff Report Palm Beach Post The amount of help President Obama gives U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek's imperiled Democratic Senate campaign before the Aug. 24 primary will influence Obama's own prospects in Florida in 2012, says U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Miramar. Q&A: Democratic Senate candidates Kendrick Meek, Jeff Greene differ little on many issues By Jim Stratton Orlando Sentinel U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek and real estate investor Jeff Greene are vying for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate. Jeff Greene's path to Senate campaign shows he is uncompromising, sometimes to a fault By Adam C. Smith St. Petersburg Times Send Jeff Greene to the U.S. Senate, and what do you get? GOP gubernatorial candidates McCollum, Scott to face off in debate By Michael C. Bender Palm Beach Post In a 2002 debate with Republican Gov. Jeb Bush, Democratic candidate Bill McBride stumbled over a question about the potential cost of the class-size amendment, guessing the price would be "somewhere in the middle" of $8 billion and $29 billion. Governor's race will hinge on job creation By Jeremy Wallace Sarasota Herald-Tribune When voters go to the polls this year to pick a new governor, one issue will be on their minds more than any other: jobs. Rick Scott, Bill McCollum have dueling – and vague – jobs plans By Aaron Deslatte Orlando Sentinel Watching the blistering attack ads run by Rick Scott and Bill McCollum – castigating each other on immigration, abortion and corporate fraud — voters might be hard-pressed to decipher how they plan to address Florida's most vexing problem: creating jobs. Court reversal of Fla. campaign-finance law a win for Scott in GOP gov race By Jane Musgrave Palm Beach Post In a decision that some claim may put the governor's mansion out of longtime politician Bill McCollum's reach, an appeals court on Friday ruled that he should not get a windfall of public money to defeat his wealthy opponent Rick Scott in the Aug. 24 Republican primary. Poll: Columbia/HCA whistleblowers stunned Rick Scott is atop Florida governor polls By Liz Freeman Naples Daily News A whistleblower in the Columbia/HCA fraud case said Rick Scott should have known of billing practices at his hospitals that cheated the federal government out of millions of dollars. Rick Scott for governor of Florida catches on with out-of-state donors By Leslie Williams Hale Naples Daily News The fact that the bulk of Rick Scott’s campaign financing has come from his own coffers might nearly overshadow the 1,400 other sources of donations to the Republican gubernatorial candidate’s campaign. Outsider status an 'in' for candidate Charlie Crist? By Jeremy Wallace Sarasota Herald-Tribune Republicans have called Gov. Charlie Crist's quitting the Republican Party to run as an independent for U.S. Senate an act of desperation. Band of others: Charlie Crist retools his bid By David Cantanese Politico Not so long ago, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist’s bid for the Senate was written off and his chances of winning seemed so remote that he needed to switch parties and run as an independent to have a chance at victory. Shift to center helping Crist keep fragile lead By Marc Caputo Miami Herald/St. Petersburg Times Tallahassee Bureau After leaving the Republican Party before the U.S. Senate primary, Gov. Charlie Crist's strategy of veering to the political left has given him the edge in the general election, a new poll shows. Little-known primary rivals warn Rubio: Don't ignore us By Michael C. Bender Palm Beach Post Marco Rubio can't name either of his two Republican opponents for U.S. Senate, but both are acutely aware of him. Church co-founded, led by Rick Scott gives aid to Immokalee’s farmworkers By Jonathan Foerster and Aaron Hale Naples Daily News If you’ve seen Rick Scott’s ubiquitous TV ads, then you’re probably familiar with the themes he has taken on the road with his stump speech. The women behind the men who would be Florida's senator By Cristina Silva St. Petersburg Times Florida's Senate race is about four men elbowing each other in a fierce bid to join the most powerful legislative branch in the United States. Florida attorney general candidates match wits in TV debate By Steve Bousquet St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau In their first joint TV appearance Saturday, all three Republican candidates for attorney general matched wits and contrasted their qualifications to be the state's next chief legal officer. Florida attorney general's race: GOP's Holly Benson, Pam Bondi, Jeff Kottkamp fight to stand out By Josh Hafenbrack South Florida Sun-Sentinel The Republican contest for Florida attorney general features three conservatives with solid resumes, but little name recognition or star power. Ex-prosecutor giving two veteran politicians a run in GOP race for Fla. AG By Dara Kam Palm Beach Post A political neophyte who was a registered Democrat for 16 years has turned what might have been a low-key GOP primary for attorney general into a nail biter. Republicans compete to take on Debbie Wasserman Schultz By Anthony Man South Florida Sun-Sentinel Door to door campaigning in blistering summer heat. Getting slammed by anonymous Internet commenters. Pleading for money. GOP candidates energized to oust Kosmas By Derek Catron Daytona Beach News-Journal The 2008 elections are a distant memory to Republicans, who seem to have drawn energy from life with a Democratic president and Congress. Rehwinkel Vasilinda, Minor face off in District 9 House race By Bill Cotterell Florida Capital News A first-term Democrat who made a politically calculated decision to vote with Republicans for offshore oil drilling faces a "green" challenger in the race for Tallahassee's major House seat. Florida candidates turn to Twitter to get message out By Brandon Larrabee Florida Times-Union At around 4 p.m. on July 22, Attorney General Bill McCollum was playing dominoes at "Domino Park." BALLOT INITIATIVES Judges veto lawmakers' constitutional amendment language By Aaron Deslatte Orlando Sentinel Who would have thought that by trying to block redistricting changes, weaken class-size requirements, fight ObamaCare and cut property taxes for some property owners, Florida lawmakers were effectively legalizing a duck hunt in Tallahassee's courts? Dean and Mike's constitution-writin' service By Howard Troxler St. Petersburg Times A judge has stricken Amendment 9, a criticism of "Obamacare," from the fall ballot in Florida. Break up the politician-developer cabal By Gary Borse Ocala Star-Banner Our way of life is in jeopardy through the actions of the county commissioners who are not working in the general public's best interest, but for their developer friends who fill their bank accounts with campaign contributions for rezoning favors and fat county contracts for roads, fire stations, jails and parks. ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY Florida beaches past the worst of the oil By Travis Griggs Pensacola News Journal Surface oil no longer poses a threat to Florida coastlines, federal officials said Friday, but submerged oil could continue to wash onto Pensacola beaches for some time. South Florida safe from BP oil if cap in Gulf holds, federal officials By Christine Stapleton Palm Beach Post If the cap on the Deepwater Horizon wellhead holds, South Florida, the Florida Keys, and the East Coast are not likely to experience any effects from the remaining oil on the surface of the Gulf, according to a NOAA report issued Friday morning. Report Reveals BP Disaster Part of Industry Pattern By Gina Presson Public News Service Florida Next week is the tenth anniversary of the one of the worst oil spills ever to hit Florida beaches and, while Congress debates a response to the ongoing BP oil disaster, the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) has released a report detailing a decade of serious oil spills, fires, leaks and loss of life that have affected every state. Seeping oil threatens marshes' intricate ecosystem By Donna Melton Miami Herald At least a dozen tiny crabs scurried along the sandy bottom of Jackson Marsh here, just inches beneath a streak of oily sheen racing back into a crude-soaked Gulf with the tide. Oil spill cleanup crews' work stirred controversy, too By Craig Pittman St. Petersburg Times They work in the sun for 10 minutes, then sit in the shade for 50, or they put in 14 hours at night when no one sees them working at all. Poll: Voters want say over offshore drilling By Lesley Clark Miami Herald Nearly three-quarters of Floridians support giving the state's voters a chance to decide whether to permanently ban offshore oil-drilling, a new poll shows. Florida pulls restrictions on Gulf fishing The Associated Press Tampa Tribune Florida is reopening Gulf waters off Escambia County for the harvesting of saltwater fish. Obama: We got the Everglades back on the "danger" list By Lesley Clark Miami Herald Interior Secretary Ken Salazar is hailing today's decision by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee to once again add Everglades National Park to the list of World Heritage in Danger. Will Bay County sacrifice ecosystems for St. Joe Co.? By Jim Murfee Panama City News Herald Last year, Florida’s Senate Bill 2080 unwisely transferred permit responsibility from the water management district governing boards to their executive directors. State Recommendation: Don't Allow Safari Wild in Green Swamp By Tom Palmer Lakeland Ledger A state hearing officer has recommended that Polk County's development order allowing the Safari Wild animal attraction in the Green Swamp Area of Critical State Concern be quashed. No tax break for BP: Senate should reject this outrage Editorial Palm Beach Post Everybody hopes that BP is close to finally controlling for good its undersea oil gusher. EDUCATION Florida’s latest strategy for improving schools promises more of the same By John C. Hall Naples Daily News Florida policy makers are embarking on another in a long series of kindergarten through 12th grade education reform efforts likely to be of uncertain benefit. FCAT Credibility: Test Must Be 100 Percent Editorial Lakeland Ledger The foul-ups surrounding this year's Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test is a scandal, pure and simple. Costly mandates Editorial Gainesville Sun A persistent complaint from our public schools is that the Florida Legislature passes “unfunded mandates” onto school boards. This year is no different. JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY Powerful Tampa Bay interests campaign for local light rail funding By Robert Napper Florida Independent With plans for a federally funded high-speed rail line linking Tampa and Orlando on the fast track, some of the Tampa Bay area’s most powerful political and business interests are pushing to secure funding for a connecting light rail system. A Study Of Economic Success The Progress Report Think Progress This week, economists Mark Zandi and Alan Blinder released a new report that is the first attempt to comprehensively estimate the effects of the policy responses to the economic crises of the last few years. HEALTH AND SENIORS No food inspections at hospitals, nursing homes By Kelli Kennedy The Associated Press No one is inspecting food preparations at Florida's hospitals and nursing homes, nearly one month after the inspections were stopped in a budget-cutting move, officials said Friday. Bid winner has record of fraud By Carol Gentry Health News Florida After Congress overturned a competitive-bidding program for home-health equipment two years ago because of problems, Medicare officials promised they’d be careful in their second attempt. CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES Church plans Quran-burning event By Lauren Russell CNN In protest of what it calls a religion "of the devil," a nondenominational church in Gainesville, Florida, plans to host an "International Burn a Quran Day" on the ninth anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attacks. Mack: Judge's ruling on Arizona immigration law 'overall ... a win for freedom' By Katy Bishop Naples Daily News The Arizona immigration bill that U.S. Rep. Connie Mack called “a blow to freedom” was softened a bit last week. JUSTICE AND THE COURTS Innocence Project says DNA exonerates Florida man serving life in prison By Robert Napper Florida Independent Innocence Project of Florida lawyers say DNA has been discovered that exonerates a Manatee County man serving life in prison for rape and kidnapping. Federal investigators scrutinizing more than $2 million in fake invoices at Seminole tribe By Peter Franceschina and Sally Kestin South Florida Sun-Sentinel Federal prosecutors and the IRS are investigating billing irregularities at the Seminole Tribe of Florida involving more than $2 million in payments to vendors. Miccosukee tribe launches counterattack against IRS By Jay Weaver Miami Herald In a legal showdown with the IRS, the Miccosukees say their members don't owe any taxes on income they receive from the tribe's gambling operation -- a stance that sets them apart from possibly every Indian tribe with casinos in the United States.