Daily Clips for September 10, 2010

FEATURED STORIES Sink, Scott file paperwork for spending blitz in Fla. governor's race By Michael C. Bender Palm Beach Post Republican Rick Scott and Democrat Alex Sink are sharpening their political attacks while laying the ground work for a blitz of spending for their respective gubernatorial campaigns. Florida Republicans gather in show of unity By Jim Ash Florida Capital News Buffeted by financial scandal and a bitterly divisive primary, Florida Republicans reach a crossroads tonight when they gather in Orlando for an annual "Statesman Dinner" turned "Victory Dinner." Florida to play starring role in contest to win U.S. House By Patricia Mazzei and Lesley Clark Miami Herald The struggle to snatch control of the House on Nov. 2 is likely to come down to some competitive races in Florida, and among the biggest battlegrounds will be the tumultuous South Florida match between Republican David Rivera and Democrat Joe Garcia. Status of Quran burning appears to be in limbo By Kimberly C. Moore, Chad Smith and Harriet Daniels Gainesville Sun The planned Quran burning that put a global spotlight on a small Gainesville church appeared to be called off Thursday afternoon, but its status became murky later in the evening, when the church's senior pastor said it had only been suspended. Some in Fla. GOP softer in condemnations By Simmi Aujla Politico Some Republican congressional candidates in Florida are condemning the Quran burning planned by a church in Gainesville this Saturday, but not as harshly as GOP figures outside the Sunshine State. BEST OF THE BLOGS Carroll On Scott: “We Don’t Need A Gov. Who’s In That Seat For Personal Gain” By Inkberries Beach Peanuts Wow. What a difference a few weeks make when a millionaire wins a primary, huh? Paris Hilton Must Speak Out On Koran-Burning Pastor By Daniel Tilson The Examiner It's true. Only when Paris Hilton and other such icons of celebrity-obsessed society life weigh in on this saga will we know we're scraping the bottom of the barrel of the endless coverage of it. Rick Scott’s jobs plan: fire state workers…plus he tries to be Scott Brown By Peter Schorsch St. Petersblog 2.0 Mr. Medicare Fraud says he wants to create 700,000 jobs in Florida somehow or other … but he’d start by creating higher unemployment by laying off state workers. Amendment 4: a once in a lifetime opportunity for Florida voters on Nov 2nd By Gimleteye Eye on Miami Florida voters will have only one chance in their lifetimes to change the relationship of campaign funders to zoning and local government that shapes communities. Bad Spin Day for RPOF By Kenneth Quinnell Florida Progressive Coalition The Republican Party of Florida had three attempts today of going after Democrats by trying to spin things to make them look bad. POLITICAL RACES Renewable energy supporters back Sink for Florida governor, tussle with Scott By Bruce Ritchie FloridaEnvironments.com Some renewable energy supporters who are backing Democrat Alex Sink for governor said Wednesday that her Republican opponent, Rick Scott, should explain more about his support for nuclear energy. Sink had electioneering committee set up while speaking of it as vague possibility By John Frank St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau Earlier this month, Alex Sink was asked whether she would establish a controversial political committee to raised unlimited campaign cash. Crist Seeks to Run From the Middle The Associated Press Lakeland Ledger The Democrat says Florida Gov. Charlie Crist is a Republican. Are Crist's ratings really `plummeting'? By Aaron Sharockman St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Politifact The man who ran President Barack Obama's successful presidential campaign in Florida has crunched the numbers in the state's high-profile U.S. Senate race and come up with a bold prediction: Charlie Crist, the state's governor and a no-party candidate, will not win. DC hub for tea party providing organizing muscle for Rubio's senate bid By Alex Leary St. Petersburg Times Debbie Wilson will arrive here Sunday with tens of thousands of other conservatives for a "9/12" taxpayer march. BALLOT INITIATIVES Cyberspace the battleground in Florida's land-use amendment fight News Service of Florida Miami Herald Backers of a Florida constitutional amendment that would put land-use changes before voters began airing a tough-toned Web ad that says the measure is needed because Florida leads the nation in corruption among public officials. Amendment 4 will end development madness By Stephen L. Goldstein South Florida Sun-Sentinel Opposing viewpoint: Amendment 4 will make Florida ungovernable Until recently, I was genuinely perplexed about how to vote in November on constitutional Amendment 4, which would require voters to approve changes in local growth management plans. ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY Conservation group petitions water management district over Caloosahatchee abuse By Virginia Chamlee Florida Independent In the wake of several serious water-quality issues in Florida, including the gulf oil spill and the St. Johns River algal blooms, the Conservancy of Southwest Florida last week announced their decision to take legal action to protect the quality of water available in Lee, Charlotte, Glades and Hendry counties. Utility turns to court to resolve bitter dispute with PSC member By Bruce Ritchie Florida Tribune A bitter dispute between Florida Power & Light Co. and Florida Public Service Commission member Nathan A. Skop is now headed to a state appeals court. LGBT Military's ban on gays is unconstitutional, rules judge in case pursued by Log Cabin Republicans The Associated Press Miami Herald A federal judge in Southern California on Thursday declared the U.S. military's ban on openly gay service members unconstitutional. EDUCATION Crist names panel to study Fla. teacher quality The Associated Press Tampa Tribune Gov. Charlie Crist has appointed a 21-member panel to make recommendations on teacher quality issues related to Florida's $700 million federal "Race to the Top" grant. JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY South "Ready for Takeoff;" Asking Federal Gov. to Help Launch By Eric Mack Public News Service Florida Multiple hurricanes and the BP oil spill wreaked havoc on the Gulf Coast, but now the South is ready for takeoff. HEALTH AND SENIORS Florida's drug tracking database on hold By Gary Fineout Florida Tribune Florida’s effort to launch a prescription drug database meant to help crack down on “pills mills” and “doctor shopping” may get pushed back until next year. Advertising agency manages 17 state-funded pregnancy clinics By Marcos Restrepo Florida Independent Tuesday, we examined at length a Florida taxpayer-funded network of Crisis Pregnancy Centers that we found was distributing medical information that was, in the best case, biased, and in the worst case, wrong. JUSTICE AND THE COURTS Commission to look at wrong convictions convenes The Associated Press Tampa Tribune A panel created by the Florida Supreme Court to look into issues that result in wrongful convictions is meeting for the first time.