Daily Clips for August 23, 2010

FEATURED STORIES In the homestretch, Florida candidates fan out, trade more attacks By Beth Reinhard, Adam C. Smith and Marc Caputo St. Petersburg Times Related: On the trail Sunday, primary candidates rally and pray Candidates in the homestretch of tumultuous races for governor and the U.S. Senate fanned out Saturday across Florida, with once-vulnerable political insiders surging in the polls and mega-rich outsiders struggling to regain momentum before Tuesday's election. Primaries to test outsiders' clout By George Bennett Palm Beach Post Related: Jewish group defends Meek's record on Israel as race against Greene winds down Related AP story: Fla. Dem Senate race is about spending money, time Related column: Greene goes face to face with a skeptic In America's year of the political outsider, Florida's Tuesday primaries will test anti-establishment sentiment in both parties. GOP contenders Scott, McCollum attack to the end in Florida governor's race By Michael C. Bender Palm Beach Post It’s unclear who cast the first stone in the volatile Republican race for governor, but neither Bill McCollum nor Rick Scott was willing to set aside their differences Sunday as they brought their campaigns to mega-churches on opposite ends of the state. Can GOP overcome nasty gubernatorial primary? By Jeremy Wallace Sarasota Herald-Tribune Regardless of who survives Tuesday's Republican primary between Rick Scott and Bill McCollum, the real winner might be Democrat Alex Sink. Gauging BP oil spill's damage may take a decade By William E. Gibson Orlando Sentinel Related AP story: New guidelines could rule out many oil claims A Florida research vessel last week discovered polluted plankton on the floor of the Gulf of Mexico, an indication that toxic oil from the BP spill may be setting off a chain reaction of ecological damage. EDITORIAL CARTOON OF THE WEEK By Chan Lowe South Florida Sun-Sentinel Read the artist’s commentary here. FLORIDA POLITICS Independents grow in Florida voter rolls The Associated Press Palm Beach Post Gallus Quigley wants no part of either major party. Lawyers for Sansom challenge prosecutor's handling of Tallahassee corruption case By Lee Logan St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau The prosecutor in the Ray Sansom case was put on trial himself Friday for what his opposing lawyers say is unethical behavior. Former speaker and prosecutor tangle in court again By Brent Henzi Florida Tribune Former House Speaker Ray Sansom sat in a Leon County court room on Friday and watched as a conclusion came closer on whether or not State Attorney Willie Meggs will be thrown off the case for prosecutorial misconduct. POLITICAL RACES Bill McCollum, Kendrick Meek hold commanding leads in respective races By Jim Stratton Orlando Sentinel With two days left in one of the wildest primary election seasons in recent memory, the "Establishment" candidates for governor and senator hold sizable leads over their "outsider" challengers. What we will learn from Tuesday's Florida primaries By Brandon Larrabee Florida Times-Union Primary elections are sometimes more than simply fights to advance to the next stage of the campaign for office; they can also be learning experiences about the politics of the moment. Rick Scott and Jeff Greene may be the political establishment's nightmare By Steve Bousquet St. Petersburg Times Related editorial: Candidates have a wealth of shortcomings What if? What if Rick Scott and Jeff Greene both win on Tuesday? Meek: I forgive Greene for attacks in Senate race The Associated Press Miami Herald Related: Crowd at Greene event wants to get paid A nasty Democratic Senate primary turned spiritual Sunday as Rep. Kendrick Meek told a church congregation that he forgives billionaire opponent Jeff Greene for his campaign attacks. Florida Candidate Veers From Tea Party’s Script By Jeff Zeleny New York Times When the year began, the stars could not have shone brighter for Marco Rubio, the fresh voice of newly invigorated conservatives who embodied the change that frustrated grass-roots Republicans demanded from inside their own party. In Gainesville, Democractic hopefuls converge By Cindy Swirko Ocala Star-Banner Alachua County Democrats were kept hopping Saturday with three candidates for top positions speaking at different times throughout the day. Talk of running mate a sign of confidence for Bill McCollum By Adam C. Smith St. Petersburg Times Related editorial: Buying the Governor’s Mansion If most of the polls prove right, on Tuesday night we could be talking about Bill McCollum being the biggest comeback kid (and Rick Scott being the costliest loser) that Florida has seen in ages, if not ever. Busy defending McCollum, RPOF taps dry its federal account By Beth Reinhard Miami Herald The Republican Party of Florida's latest federal campaign finance account -- the rich source of funds for get-out-the vote efforts, voter registration drives and even staff salaries -- has dipped to an unusually low $54,000. McCollum and Scott offer contrasting styles By Lloyd Dunkelberger Sarasota Herald-Tribune Few would argue that Florida's struggling economy, projected $6 billion state budget shortfall and record unemployment rate will demand strong action from the next governor. Rick Scott: Get to work as Florida governor or go home to Naples? By Ryan Mills Naples Daily News Rick Scott could hang up his blue suit at any time, curl up in his $9 million Naples mansion and call it a career. Fla. governor candidates campaign at churches The Associated Press Tampa Tribune Bill McCollum and Rick Scott courted voters in separate megachurches Sunday morning as their tight race for the Republican gubernatorial nomination came down to the final two days. Five candidates jostle for advantage in the attorney general's race By Steve Bousquet St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau Boldly pitching different biographies, five lawyers are fighting for two spots Tuesday in the race to be Florida's attorney general. Marleine Bastien, congressional candidate, robbed at gunpoint By Rafael A. Olmeda South Florida Sun-Sentinel One of nine Democrats running to replace U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek in Congress was robbed at gunpoint while waiting to go into a Miami-Dade church on Saturday, police said. The vexing art and science of polls in Florida's primaries By Alex Leary St. Petersburg Times A day before two of the most-watched primary races in Florida's gripping political history, the question at work, lunch or the gym may be, "Who's going to win?" Primary voters turned off by mudslinging By Jim Stratton Orlando Sentinel It's supposed to be the year of the "outsider" — the election where fed-up voters embrace newcomers and kick incumbents to the curb. BALLOT INITIATIVES Bewildered by the district jigsaw By Charley Williams Orlando Sentinel I am looking at my mail-in ballot for Tuesday's primary. ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY Looking for Trouble on ‘Highway’ for Manatees By John Leland New York Times Related: Details Faulted in Plan to Pay Oil Spill Claims For two sometime residents of Mobile Bay, Ala., the impact of the oil spill is still an unanswered question. PSC punts on Progress' rate hike, for now By Fred Hiers Ocala Star-Banner Progress Energy's proposal to raise utility rates to an average of $17 per month if it is to meet Florida's energy conservation goals was mostly ignored Friday by the Public Service Commission staff. Still hooked on oil Editorial Miami Herald That was quick. A new poll conducted for The Miami Herald by an independent, nonpartisan research company shows support for a permanent oil-drilling ban off Florida's coast has dropped, down to 41 percent since registered voters were last queried in May. EDUCATION Cap on size of classes finally kicks in By Kathleen McGrory and Carli Teproff Miami Herald Tired of chaotic classrooms teeming with 40 students and desperate to see their children get some individual attention from a teacher, Florida voters went to the polls and demanded that public school classes have no more than 25 students. Schools scramble to shrink classes as students start this week By Jeffrey S. Solochek St. Petersburg Times Every day, twice a day, Karen Bass turns all her attention to a single chart in her Bryant Elementary School office. New Lesson for FL Classrooms: Teaching Social Skills By Gina Presson Public News Service Florida It's back to school in Florida and across the country, and teachers and parents are realizing that some children could use some help with the simplest of social skills - such things as greeting a stranger or carrying on a casual conversation. JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY Florida jobless rate creeps up to 11.5 percent in July By Jim Stratton Orlando Sentinel Florida's unemployment rate crept to 11.5 percent in July, an unpleasant but not unexpected reminder that the state's economic recovery has yet to catch fire. The June rate for the state was 11.4 percent. Mortgage defaults among Florida's high-value loans highest in U.S. By Becky Bowers St. Petersburg Times Five years ago, Florida's real estate market was a rollicking beachfront casino where you couldn't make a bad bet. Working for wages that don't pay the bills By Robyn E. Blumner St. Petersburg Times Already in the news is the brewing fight between Democrats and Republicans over what Congress should do about the expiring Bush tax cuts. HEALTH AND SENIORS Feds say no to extension of Medicaid reform waiver By Christine Jordan Sexton Florida Tribune Florida's bold plan to revamp its health care system for the poor -- and which was initially championed by former Gov. Jeb Bush -- could be in trouble. CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES Florida gubernatorial candidates support E-Verify system to solve immigration issues By Cristina Silva St. Petersburg Times Regardless of who voters name as the state's next chief executive, Florida's latest strategy for countering illegal immigration will likely play out not along its borders, but in its boardrooms. South Fla. advocates march for immigration reform The Associated Press Tampa Tribune A South Florida church and advocates are calling on the government to grant more rights to illegal immigrants and for the state not to enact an Arizona-type immigration law. Machen: We need to reject Dove World By Nathan Crabbe Gainesville Sun University of Florida President Bernie Machen waded into local and national controversies - rejecting both the anti-Islamic actions of a Gainesville church and restrictive immigration policies being debated nationally - in a wide-ranging interview before the start of the fall semester.