Daily Clips for August 30, 2010

FEATURED STORIES Dems kick off November election efforts By Bill Cotterell Florida Capital News Florida Democrats kicked off their run to November's elections Saturday with a spirited show of party unity and promises of a rugged race to reverse a dozen years of Republican rule in state government. Crist flip-flops on health care law again By John Frank St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau Gov. Charlie Crist said Friday he would have voted for President Barack Obama's health care bill — only to retract his statement two hours later. Finalists for Senate, governor jostle, dodge and schmooze at Realtors' forum By Adam Smith St. Petersburg Times In their first joint appearance on the campaign trail Friday, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Alex Sink challenged Republican Rick Scott to five statewide televised debates and chastised him for a running an overwhelmingly negative primary. Half-dozen Florida races could hold key to GOP gaining control of Congress By William E. Gibson Orlando Sentinel Florida's party primaries last week set the stage for a half-dozen closely contested congressional elections this fall that could help resurgent Republicans regain majority control of Congress. GOP gets out the voters: Could this be an indicator of polling trends in November’s general election? By George Bennett Palm Beach Post Republicans envisioning big gains in the November midterm elections pointed to Tuesday’s Florida primaries as another piece of evidence of a widening “enthusiasm gap” that favors the GOP. Let the lovefest begin By Carl Hiaasen Miami Herald Now that Florida's bitter Republican primary is over, party leaders are zipping on their Hazmat suits and preparing to embrace Rick Scott. EDITORIAL CARTOON OF THE WEEK By Chan Lowe South Florida Sun-Sentinel Read the artist’s commentary here. FLORIDA POLITICS How they voted (first in a series) By Howard Troxler St. Petersburg Times In case you missed it, the battle for the soul and future of Florida was waged during the 2009 session of our state Legislature. Florida lost. Climbing the Hill By Amy Keller Florida Trend Republican Sen. George LeMieux has made himself at home in his office on the third floor of the Russell Senate Office Building. POLITICAL RACES Democratic candidates join for Tampa 'Unity Rally' By Kim Wilmath St. Petersburg Times Six Democratic candidates held a "unity rally" at the Florida State Fairgrounds on Saturday, chock full of sound bites and thumbs-ups, but without many specifics. Sink to Dems: Grassroots, not money will win election By William March Tampa Tribune About 250 Democrats showed up for a "unity rally" in Tampa today, where gubernatorial nominee Alex Sink told them she'll beat Republican nominee Rick Scott even if he spends millions against her as he did against Bill McCollum in the Republican primary. Turnout for Florida gubernatorial primary has GOP licking its chops By Aaron Deslatte and Jim Stratton Orlando Sentinel Florida Republicans angry about President Barack Obama's health-care reforms and government bailout defied the rain and flocked to the polls Tuesday, a turnout that dwarfed the Democratic total and bodes well for GOP candidates in November. Scott: A gift to Democrats or their worst nightmare? By Catherine Whittenburg Tampa Tribune Rick Scott's triumph in the GOP gubernatorial primary may have drawn almost as many cheers from Democrats as it did from Republicans. Get used to seeing Scott until election By Marc Caputo St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau Rick Scott and football broadcasting legend Pat Summerall worked the Jacksonville Jaguars stadium, shaking hundreds of hands and mugging for photos for more than an hour before the game. We still don't know who Rick Scott is By Myriam Marquez Miami Herald With his ah-shucks, Opie Taylor demeanor and his ``Let's get to work!'' slogan, Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Scott pulled it off. Experts expect to see Florida campaigns go negative early, often By Lesley Clark Miami Herald Eager for a respite from the political attacks of the primary season? PolitiFact: Rick Scott and Bill McCollum's Questionable Claims By Scott Finn WUSF Public Radio Tampa Both Rick Scott and Bill McCollum made a series of questionable and untrue claims about the other during the primary, according to PolitiFact Florida editor John Bartosek. In One Afternoon, Charlie Crist Flip-Flop-Flips On Health Care Reform By Evan McMorris-Santoro Talking Points Memo Charlie Crist would not have voted for the Democratic health care reform law had he been in the Senate this year. But, please, don't ask him to say that out loud. Meek won his primary, but still struggles to rally Democrats By Jesse Zwick Florida Independent Days before Florida’s primary, President Obama finally did what Rep. Kendrick Meek’s supporters had been begging him to do for some time: He showed up in the Sunshine State and referred to Meek as “the next senator from the state of Florida.” Meek stakes claim in Florida By Shira Toeplitz Politico Florida Democratic Rep. Kendrick Meek said Sunday that he's earned the right to be his party's Senate nominee after a bruising and expensive primary battle with a wealthy real estate mogul. Charlie Crist has to tread warily in Kendrick Meek, Marco Rubio TV debates By Adam C. Smith St. Petersburg Times Republican Marco Rubio and Democrat Kendrick Meek have agreed to at least five televised Senate debates, potentially putting Charlie Crist in a lose-lose position. Crist of rivals: 'They have to stay in line' By Matt Dixon Florida Times-Union A mere two months before the November general election, U.S. Senate candidate Charlie Crist said he'll side with one of the major political parties if elected - he's just not sure which one. Senate Candidates Crist and Meek Tout Plans To Stimluate Economy The Associated Press Lakeland Ledger Two of Florida's U.S. Senate hopefuls, Gov. Charlie Crist and Congressman Kendrick Meek, on Sunday touted their plans to stimulate the lagging economy. Despite last-minute surge in spending, McCollum gubernatorial bid doomed by late start By Michael C. Bender Palm Beach Post It was past 10 p.m. on Tuesday when Bill McCollum, a known night owl, paced between his campaign's war room and his private suite on the eighth floor of a suburban Orlando hotel as results trickled in for his Republican race against Rick Scott. GOP slate reflects Tea Party's hold in Florida News Service of Florida Sarasota Herald-Tribune The Tea Party movement muscled its way into the American political psyche over the past year with huge rallies, angry voters and colorful rhetoric. Lawton "Bud" Chiles Will Run For Governor Until He Realizes What Everyone Knows: He Can't Win By Kyle Munzenrieder Miami New Times Lawton "Bud" Chiles III, son of the last Democrat to hold the Governor's office in Florida, is running for Governor as an independent. Florida attorney general contest offers voters a vivid ideological choice By Steve Bousquet St. Petersburg Times If you're looking for a statewide race with substantive differences between the two candidates, your search is over. What could you buy with $70 million in Florida? By Danny Valentine St. Petersburg Times Republican candidates Rick Scott and Bill McCollum headlined the most expensive primary campaign in Florida history. 2010 election may be pivotal By William March Tampa Tribune On the morning of Nov. 4, 1998, Florida Republicans awoke to a new political world - one they controlled. BALLOT INITIATIVES Floridians holding house parties to promote amendments By Amy Sherman Miami Herald Floridians are holding dozens of house parties across the state Saturday with hopes of publicizing their support for two amendments that could be overshadowed on the November ballot by high-profile statewide races for U.S. Senate and other offices. ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY SPECIAL REPORT: Washington has yet to address key failures exposed by Katrina By Chris Kromm Facing South As we approach the five year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, today the Institute is releasing a new report which looks at what has changed -- and what hasn't changed -- since the deadly storm took over 1,800 lives and devastated the Gulf Coast. Fla. attorney general asks Holder, BP claims help The Associated Press Tampa Tribune Related: Feinberg: Most spill claims lack documentation Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum says he's worried that independent claims administrator Kenneth Feinberg is making it harder for businesses and individuals to get compensated for damages from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Oil spill: BP reverses, admits there's oil in local waters By Kimberly Blair Pensacola News Journal Despite persistent denials from BP last week, thousands of pounds of weathered oil is being pulled from under the surface of Pensacola Bay every day. Acrimony Behind the Scenes of Gulf Oil Spill By Clifford Krauss, Henry Fountain and John M. Broder New York Times Richard Lynch was walking down the hall in BP’s crisis command center in early May when some engineers rushed up, bearing bad news. Florida history: spinning wetlands into cities By Jeff LaHurd Sarasota Herald-Tribune Ah, Florida, the last frontier. A daunting wilderness filled with snakes, gators, black clouds of mosquitoes, cockroaches and other despicable creatures of the night that slithered and crawled. Growth bill becomes election issue Editorial St. Petersburg Times From the beginning, Senate Bill 360 — the 2009 Legislature's assault on Florida's growth management laws — was a rash deal. LGBT Charlie Crist tells CNN that he supports constitutional ban on same-sex marriage By Steve Rothaus Miami Herald Related: Crist: I don't support - federal - gay marriage ban and am 'fully supportive of civil unions' Now that you're trying to occupy the political center, are you still in favor of a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage? EDUCATION Jeb's claim that student performance not affected by class size refuted by NEA president By Sean Kinane WMNF Community Radio Tampa In 2002, then-Florida Gov. Jeb Bush was caught admitting he had “devious plans” to overturn the class size amendment that voters added to the state constitution that year. Changes make Bright Futures less lucrative, less flexible, easier to lose By Richard Danielson St. Petersburg Times University of South Florida freshman Karsen Lonzo arrived this fall confident her Bright Futures scholarship would largely cover this year's $5,200 tuition and fees. Home plus school By Lashonda Stinson Curry Gainesville Sun A few supplies were the only back-to-school items on the list for Allison Privette's children. Higher Education: More Students, Less Money Editorial Lakeland Ledger Polk State College started its school year this month with a record enrollment: nearly 10,300 students. That's an increase of nearly 55 percent from four years ago. JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY Tourism officials: Misperceptions about oil on Florida beaches means BP needs to ante up By Robert Trigaux St. Petersburg Times Tourist surveys conducted this summer by Conde Nast Traveler magazine and Orlando's YPartnership market researchers alarmed Florida tourism officials. Fla. seeks $1B more to build bullet train By Alfonso Chardy Miami Herald Florida's Department of Transportation is seeking more than $1 billion to build high-speed rail between Tampa and Orlando, advance the system from Orlando to Miami and resume regular passenger train service from Miami to Jacksonville along Florida's east coast. State to hold high-speed rail public meetings in Tampa, Orlando By Robert Napper Florida Independent The Florida Department of Transportation has set public meetings next week during which the agency will present its plans for high-speed rail connecting Tampa and Orlando. Florida's massive reinsurance fund is much smaller this storm season By Gary Fineout Florida Tribune The size of Florida’s state-created reinsurance fund has dramatically reduced in size this storm season. HEALTH AND SENIORS Florida's challenge could topple insurance mandate By Stacey Singer Palm Beach Post Florida may have zeroed in on a key constitutional weakness of the Affordable Care Act, some legal scholars believe. More Medicaid patients go to emergency rooms for care By Richard Martin St. Petersburg Times Hospital emergency rooms are busier than ever, filled with patients who are sicker and poorer than ever. Nonprofit hospitals juggle earning with charity mission By Linda Shrieves Washington Post When Florida Hospital and United Healthcare started their public wrangling over a new contract this summer, each side pointed to the other company's profits. Florida is failing our kids By David Lawrence Jr. Pensacola News Journal I am a frustrated Floridian. CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES Human trafficking becoming epidemic in Florida, authorities say By Michael LaForgia Palm Beach Post Florida is emerging as a major hub for human trafficking in the United States, authorities say. Latino Communities Urge FCC to Protect Open Internet By Gina Presson Public News Service Florida They're one of the fastest growing communities in Florida and the U.S., and they're calling on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Congress to keep an open Internet. Respect constitutional birthright citizenship in United States By Christina Leddin Ft. Myers News-Press Having worked in Southwest Florida for local non-profits as an immigration specialist for over 15 years, I believe that birthright citizenship should remain part of the U.S. Constitution. JUSTICE AND THE COURTS Burned Rothstein clients to get their day in court By Jay Weaver Miami Herald Sorting out the financial wreckage of Scott Rothstein's $1.2 billion Ponzi scheme is an ever-changing math problem, with federal prosecutors and bankruptcy attorneys for his defunct law firm competing over who gets what -- likely to be pennies or dimes on the dollar for his victims.