Daily Clips for October 1, 2010

FEATURED STORIES Al Gore stumps for Meek, saying the Democrat has momentum By William March Tampa Tribune Former Vice President Al Gore told a crowd of Democrats Thursday they can count on Kendrick Meek to serve their causes in the Senate, and bolstered Meek's strategy of attacking Charlie Crist by saying, "I like the guy -- I do not really know where he stands." Polls are bad news for Crist, worse news for Meek By Jim Stratton Orlando Sentinel Two new polls are bad news for Gov. Charlie Crist's U.S. Senate bid — they show him trailing Republican Marco Rubio by double digits — but the results are even worse for Democratic U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek. Sink disputes Scott ad alleging conflict of interest By Catherine Whittenburg Tampa Tribune In a recent campaign ad, GOP gubernatorial candidate Rick Scott accuses his opponent, Democrat Alex Sink, of funneling no-bid contracts to her former employer while failing to disclose a conflict-of-interest. Grayson shrugs off criticism, stands by "Taliban Dan" campaign commercial By Alex Leary St. Petersburg Times U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson, D-Orlando, refuses to concede his ad against Republican challenger Dan Webster distorted Webster's views toward women. BEST OF THE BLOGS GOP Admits It: “We’ve Got Nothing” By Inkberries Beach Peanuts Last week Marco Rubio sat down to talk to a conservative women’s group called the “Kitchen Cabinet.” There’s nothing sane about Jon Stewart’s March to Restore Sanity By Darden Rice St. Petersblog 2.0 As much as I love Jon Stewart, I have to say the October 30th March to Restore Sanity is a phenomenally bad idea. The Kosmas Plan. The Grayson Plan By Jake Rantings From Florida Central Florida this year may offer the best example of campaign experimentation for Democrats in this entire campaign cycle as Suzanne Kosmas and Alan Grayson take starkly different approaches to re-election strategies. Profile & Interview: Fighting Like Hell for Good Ideas... the Rise of Rick Kriseman Part II By Benjamin Kirby The Spencerian Rick Kriseman was pissed off. It was Thursday, September 2, and the Democratic Representative from Florida's State House District 53 was fed up with Republican inaction on the oil spill, and he was ready to cut another YouTube video. Koch Brothers gunning for Amendment 4, Florida Hometown Democracy By Gimleteye Eye On Miami If there ever was a question of confused political agendas, it is the failure of The Tea Party, or any party for that matter, to speak up on Amendment 4, the single and once-in-a-lifetime measure to give Floridians a chance to express at the ballot box their disapproval of the special interest agenda of Growth Gone Wild that ran the Florida economy off the rails. Video Shows Democrats Stand By Meek, Not Wexler By Daniel Tilson The Examiner Way too much was made by the media of former Congressman Robert Wexler's endorsement this past weekend of Charlie Crist's NPA (No Party Affiliation) run for the U.S. Senate. FLORIDA POLITICS Senate brain transplant: Mike Haridopolos hires, says no more fires By Marc Caputo St. Petersburg Times So much for a Senate brain drain. Incoming Senate President Mike Haridopolos just hired two top Capitol finance gurus to replace a few top staffers who were let go. New Florida laws kick in By Gabriella Souza Ft. Myers News-Press Tighter regulation of pain clinics, protection from hate crimes for homeless people and stiffer penalties against methadone dealers are among the laws going into effect today. POLITICAL RACES Al Gore rallies the faithful in Tampa for Democratic Senate candidate Kendrick Meek By Aaron Sharockman St. Petersburg Times Needing to corral the support of Democratic voters, and needing to do it quickly, U.S. Senate candidate Kendrick Meek called on one of the party's most popular figures Thursday, former Vice President Al Gore. Polls show Marco Rubio with sizable lead over Senate rivals Charlie Crist and Kendrick Meek By Sergio R. Bustos St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau Republican Marco Rubio holds a solid 13-point lead over Gov. Charlie Crist, who is running as an independent in the race for Florida's U.S. Senate seat, with Democratic U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek a distant third at 18 percent, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Thursday. Meek still a factor for Crist By Zac Anderson Sarasota Herald-Tribune Gov. Charlie Crist has encouraged Democrats to support his independent U.S. Senate candidacy by claiming he is the only candidate capable of beating Republican Marco Rubio. Florida voters' anger propels Rubio in U.S. Senate poll By Paul Flemming Ft. Myers News-Press Florida voters are mad as hell and they’re not going to take it from insiders anymore. Crist May Be Running for Wrong Office By John Kennedy News Service of Florida Floridians may have a favorite for governor - and it's not Democrat Alex Sink or Republican Rick Scott. Rubio downin' dogs, doggin' big government in Pensacola visit By Travis Griggs Pensacola News Journal Marco Rubio, the Republican frontrunner to be Florida's next senator, chowed down on a hot dog while talking up small business during a brief campaign stop Thursday in downtown Pensacola. Political parties, not candidates, finance governor's race By Scott Powers Orlando Sentinel On the surface, the governor's race between Republican Rick Scott and Democrat Alex Sink looks like a contest between Scott's personal millions -- and big contributions from special interests -- versus Sink's legions of small donors. Scott’s campaign co-chairs once called on him to withdraw from race By Tristram Korten Florida Independent Republican governor candidate Rick Scott named his campaign co-chairs today, which immediately caught the attention of the folks at Democrat Alex Sink’s campaign. Rick Scott visits Riverview to tout education plan By Kim Wilmath St. Petersburg Times Three days after unveiling his statewide education plan, Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Scott presented his ideas to about 50 people in Riverview's quaint Winthrop Barn Theatre. Candidate Scott Maddox says his farm life is a plus By Kevin Bouffard Sarasota Herald-Tribune Maddox Democrat Scott Maddox cedes no ground on his agriculture credentials in the race for Florida commissioner of agriculture against his Republican opponent, who represents three generations in Florida citrus and cattle. Tea party group wants to question Rep. Grayson The Associated Press Tampa Tribune A group of tea party activists wants to hear from U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson about whether he had a role in getting a candidate from another tea party faction to run to siphon votes from his Republican challenger. In West-Klein race, harsh allegations and big fundraising totals By Tristram Korten Florida Independent From above, the long slender stretch of Palm Beach County and parts of Broward County that make up Florida’s 22nd Congressional District looks vulnerable, like it could be washed away or broken in half. BALLOT INITIATIVES Activist at the fore in Florida's closely watched growth fight By Dale White Sarasota Herald-Tribune Related: Q & A about comprehensive plans Related column: Why Amendment 4? To empower the public Lesley Blackner may be the most cheered and feared woman in Florida. ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY LeMieux attempts to nix EPA water quality standards By Virginia Chamlee Florida Independent Related: Florida Wildlife Federation head: ‘Politics are being injected into’ water quality debate Add Sen. George LeMieux to the pile of politicians trying to delay EPA water quality nutrient standards. New fears over Cuban plans to drill for oil in 2011 By Craig Pittman St. Petersburg Times The talk has been going around for years. Earthjustice Says New Oil Drilling Rules Don't Go Far Enough By Gina Presson Public News Service Florida New rules for offshore drilling are effective immediately. EPA's chief averts order to testify By Curtis Morgan Miami Herald It appears a Miami federal judge won't get a chance to grill a top federal environmental chief on expanding pollution problems in the Everglades. EDUCATION No easy answers for FCAT By Jeff Schmucker Tampa Tribune Some Hernando County schools already saw some decreasing scores on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test last year. JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY Jobless benefit applications drop again to 453K; 'mildly encouraging' The Associated Press Florida Times-Union Applications for jobless benefits dropped last week for the third time in four weeks, a sign that employers are cutting fewer jobs. HEALTH AND SENIORS Florida’s new pill mill law goes into effect today By Kate Howard Florida Times-Union A Florida law intended to reform pain management clinics and take aim at disreputable “pill mills” takes effect today amid questions about its effectiveness and potential loopholes that problem pain clinics could slip through. Medicare's new order for claims: First weigh, then pay By Jay Weaver Miami Herald The behemoth Medicare bureaucracy will have to act more like a credit card company in flagging suspicious bills under a new federal law that could save taxpayers billions of dollars a year in wasteful government healthcare spending. AHCS invests in politics By John Dorschner Health News Florida A little-known but powerful South Florida company stands at the center of a major battle that embroiled the last legislative session and is likely to do so again. CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES Florida's homeless hate crimes law goes into effect Friday By Sean Kinane WMNF Community Radio Tampa On Friday, prejudice-motivated assaults against people without homes become hate crimes in Florida.