Daily Clips for September 24, 2010

FEATURED STORIES Poll: Alex Sink leads Rick Scott in governor's race By Marc Caputo Miami Herald/St. Petersburg Times Tallahassee Bureau Democrat Alex Sink leads Republican rival Rick Scott by seven percentage points in the Florida governor's race, according to a new poll that shows she's highly popular with the state's swing voters: Independents. Former fan says Marco Rubio charged home remodeling on GOP credit card By Adam C. Smith St. Petersburg Times Marco Rubio had hoped that months ago he'd put behind him the controversy over questionable personal spending on his Republican Party credit card. Fla. judge blocks GOP quest for Crist refunds The Associated Press Palm Beach Post Republicans upset that Gov. Charlie Crist abandoned the GOP to become an independent were thwarted Thursday in a legal maneuver to force Crist's U.S. Senate campaign to refund about $7.5 million in contributions. Gay or straight, question off table for parents adopting By Carol Marbin Miller and Scott Hiaasen Miami Herald Related editorial: A loving home, at last After an appeals court struck down Florida's controversial gay-adoption law, child welfare administrators quickly issued new instructions Thursday to foster-care workers throughout the state: From now on, when it comes to sexual orientation, don't ask. Marco Rubio must be frank about the "Taj Mahal" courthouse Editorial St. Petersburg Times Marco Rubio has a terrible memory or an aversion to telling the truth. Neither trait is desirable in a candidate for U.S. Senate. BEST OF THE BLOGS Republican Party of Florida Audit Contradicts Itself (Or Worse) on Rubio, Atwater, Cannon By Kenneth Quinnell Florida Progressive Coalition The Alston & Bird internal audit for the Republican Party of Florida seems to contain a glaring inconsistency which appears to exonerate current Republican office holders from any wrongdoing while, at the same time, making serious allegations about former Republican Party officials and office holders. Profile & Interview: My Neighborhood Politician... the Rise of Rick Kriseman Part I By Benjamin Kirby The Spencerian The first time I met State Representative Rick Kriseman, a Democrat from District 53, was 2007 and I was celebrating my first wedding anniversary. Marco Rubio And “American Exceptionalism” By Inkberries Beach Peanuts Last week Marco Rubio rallied with a group of 200 Evangelicals near Orlando, but there was one in particular that one might want to pay attention to. He is a man named David Barton. Crist withdrawal empowers moderates By Daniel Tilson The Examiner Election Day is November 2nd. Early voting starts a couple of weeks before that. So we have about a month left before voting starts in Florida, about a month left for Charlie Crist to be a hero. Poll: Florida Republican Party chair John Thrasher in trouble? By Peter Schorsch St. Petersblog 2.0 From the Joint Bureau of The Reid Report and Saint Petersblog: A new poll commissioned by the Florida Democratic Party shows State Sen. John Thrasher, author of the Jeb Bushian anti-teacher tenure bill SB6, and the man behind the “Get Charlie” partial party finances audit, may be in trouble in his own re-election hunt. FLORIDA POLITICS Florida House Republicans hint at special session on energy rebates By Bruce Ritchie FloridaEnvironments.com House Republican leaders on Thursday said a special session could be held in November -- possibly during the Legislature's organizational session -- to approve using federal economic stimulus money for state energy rebate programs. POLITICAL RACES In race for governor, Sink and Scott’s tax plans up against Florida’s slow economy By Tristram Korten Florida Independent Despite their differences, Florida’s Republican and Democratic gubernatorial candidates both promise not to raise taxes, and both have ambitious plans to invigorate a stalled economy. New poll shows Alex Sink with 7-point lead in governor's race By Aaron Deslatte Orlando Sentinel Nearing the stretch run of their hotly contested gubernatorial showdown, a new poll shows Democrat Alex Sink enjoying a slight edge over Republican Rick Scott thanks to the lingering bad taste among voters over his bloody, $70-million Republican primary. Sink leads Scott in Mason-Dixon poll By Paul Flemming Florida Capital News A seven-point lead for Democrat Alex Sink over Republican Rick Scott depends on strong support from core constituencies and winning the independent vote. GOP says Alex Sink gave bonuses to state pension workers who lost billions By Mary Ellen Klas St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Politifact Millions of Americans had that stomach-churning feeling when the headlines announced another bad day on Wall Street as stock and bond markets plunged in value. Republicans aim for Democratic stronghold By Mark Schlueb Orlando Sentinel Republicans have set their sights on state Rep. Scott Randolph, hoping to kick him out of office and win control of one of Central Florida's few solidly Democratic House districts. GOP touts ex-Haitian Senate Prez for U.S. Rep. Hastings seat; Hastings not concerned By Gregory Lewis Palm Beach Post U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Miramar, is concerned about the anti-incumbent mood that has already taken down some experienced politicians — but not for his own re-election bid. BALLOT INITIATIVES Marco Rubio sides with Corrine Brown on redistricting By Abel Harding Florida Times-Union Marco Rubio, the conservative Republican running for Florida's open U.S. Senate seat, sided with U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown, D-Jacksonville, on the state's redistricting amendments. Manatee County Sample Ballot On Amendment 4 Criticized For Being Misleading By Doug Miles Bradenton Times A sample ballot put out by Manatee County showing what it might look like should Amendment 4 be passed has caused some controversy for its misleading language. Let's help district lines make sense Editorial Pensacola News Journal Politics is a lot like war. In most cases, winner takes all, or as the saying goes, to the victor go the spoils. ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY Studies confirm both Florida panther success and gloomy outlook By Craig Pittman St. Petersburg Times Florida's panther population has hit its peak in the habitat that's left, and federal officials should quickly create new colonies by moving some of them, according to scientists who just published two of the most extensive studies of panthers ever undertaken. Florida panthers bound back thanks to Texas mates By Lauran Neergaard The Associated Press In the quest to save the endangered Florida panther, their Texas cousins were the cat's meow. Everglades restoration remains 'slow,' according to federal review By Andy Reid South Florida Sun-Sentinel Everglades restoration remains slow and may require "tradeoffs" between water quality and water quantity in the decades-long effort to save Florida's fading River of Grass, according to a report to Congress released on Thursday. Lionfish found off Pensacola Beach threatens Florida By Kimberly Blair Pensacola News Journal A beautiful yet venomous lionfish, native to the Indian and Pacific oceans, has been captured on a reef about 16 miles off Pensacola Beach. LGBT Score one for sanity: Court strikes down Florida's gay adoption ban and a good dad gets to legally be one By Sue Carlton St. Petersburg Times Here's the irony in the court case of Frank Martin Gill, a gay man who wanted to adopt the two foster children he already thought of as his sons: Everyone agreed he was a good father to them — even the people fighting to keep him from legally being their dad. Anita Bryant's legacy starts to crumble away Editorial Ft. Myers News-Press The discriminatory and divisive ban that prevents gay men and lesbians from adopting children is dying a long overdue death. Gay adoption ruling Editorial Orlando Sentinel We hope this week's wise and just ruling from a Florida appeals court is the final nail in the coffin for the state's law banning gays from adopting children. Important win Editorial Florida Today They say slow and steady wins the race, and we hope so in the case of advocates who’ve fought for decades to overturn a Florida law banning adoption by gays. All created equal Editorial Florida Today You can serve your country with honor and sacrifice, be wounded or killed, but when you wear the uniform don’t expect to be treated with the same equality as other Americans. EDUCATION 6 Fla. districts to develop merit pay programs The Associated Press Tampa Tribune Six Florida school districts have been awarded funds by the U.S. Department of Education to create merit pay programs for teachers and principals. JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY Florida approves Citizens Property rate hikes above 10 percent By Jeff Harrington St. Petersburg Times Florida's biggest property insurer is getting more than it bargained for. Mortgage Delinquencies: Less Stigma, More Walk-Aways? By Gina Presson Public News Service Florida At least one in five homeowners owe more on their mortgages than their houses are worth, and an increasing number think it's okay to walk away from those mortgages. Time-share resale scams targeted by state regulators By Lee Logan St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau Florida's consumer protection chief announced a crackdown on unscrupulous time-share resale agents Thursday. HEALTH AND SENIORS Rubio: Health care reform will be too costly By David Hunt Florida Times-Union With the six-month anniversary of the federal health care overhaul prompting a White House media blitz on Thursday, even U.S. Senate candidate Marco Rubio, a staunch critic of the plan, said the Democrats had a few things to cheer about. Executive fraud bill passes House By Carol Gentry Health News Florida A bill targeting corporations found guilty of Medicare or Medicaid fraud -- and the executives who were in charge when it happened, as in the case of Rick Scott -- passed the House by voice vote on Wednesday, with bipartisan support. Doctors sue to block state's pill bill By Dave Berman Florida Today Two Florida doctors who run a group of seven pain-management clinics have filed suit to block from going into effect Oct. 1 a new state law regulating their industry. Hearing will let insurers vent By Jim Saunders Health News Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty will use a hearing today to try to bolster his arguments that Florida insurers should get leeway in meeting a key requirement of the federal health-reform law. Jacksonville family spotlighted in Obama health event By Jeremy Cox Florida Times-Union A Jacksonville mother stepped into the national media spotlight Wednesday to help the White House tout consumer-friendly provisions created by the federal health reform legislation. JUSTICE AND THE COURTS Cabinet commutes life sentence of inmate who had pocket knife in '86 burglary By Steve Bousquet St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau A 3-inch pocketknife cost Timothy Bunkley decades of freedom. But his persistence paid off, and he will walk out of prison any day now.