Daily Clips for October 6, 2010

PROGRESS FLORIDA IN THE NEWS Oil drilling foes launch petition for 2012 ballot By Keith Laing St. Augustine Record Excerpt: The Florida Wildlife Federation, Progress Florida and the Sea Turtle Conservancy this week launched "Save our Seas, Beaches and Shores, Inc.," aimed at garnering the nearly 700,000 signatures it would take to put the drilling ban on the 2012 ballot. FEATURED STORIES With governor race tight, Alex Sink and Rick Scott launch brawling ad campaigns By Mary Ellen Klas St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau Related Politifact article: Rick Scott says Alex Sink funneled $770,000 to her former employer The campaign to become Florida's next governor turned into a war of words this week over who had a role in shady business practices that led to fraud charges at the former companies of Democrat Alex Sink and Republican Rick Scott. Jeb Bush calls Crist ad against Rubio ‘shameful’ By Beth Reinhard Miami Herald On the eve of a pivotal debate in the U.S. Senate race, Gov. Charlie Crist on Tuesday pulled out a tried and true political weapon against front-runnner Marco Rubio: sounding the alarm on Social Security. Attorney says McCollum gave WellCare a break in fraud case By Michael Sasso Tampa Tribune Attorney Barry Cohen claims in a new court petition that Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum is so tainted by campaign cash from WellCare Health Plans that he shouldn't be involved in a massive settlement with the insurer. Florida Lawmaker Is a Proud Firebrand By Damien Cave New York Times Calling voters on behalf of Alan Grayson, the Florida congressman and Democratic firebrand, can require the finer arts of persuasion. Florida Republicans want to cut federal spending — but not in state By William E. Gibson Orlando Sentinel Confident their party will gain strength in Congress next year, Florida Republicans are confronted by a dilemma: how to whack government spending without severely pinching the flow of federal funds to their growing and economically troubled state. FLORIDA POLITICS The war against Florida's campaign finance laws By Gary Fineout The Fine Print With just weeks left before Election Day, there is a big legal war going on that could eliminate a large chunk of Florida's campaign finance laws. Lawyer wants Florida Attorney General McCollum disqualified from WellCare whistle-blower settlement By Kris Hundley St. Petersburg Times The lawyer for the lead whistle-blower in the U.S. Justice Department's civil lawsuit against WellCare Health Plans Inc. has asked Florida's Supreme Court to disqualify state Attorney General Bill McCollum from signing off on a proposed $137.5 million settlement. POLITICAL RACES Fla. Senate candidates prepare for second debate The Associated Press Tampa Tribune Republican Marco Rubio, independent Gov. Charlie Crist and Democratic Rep. Kendrick Meek will participate in their second Senate debate. How rough will Charlie Crist go in tonight’s debate? By Mitch Perry Creative Loafing The major candidates for Senate (Which I guess leaves out Alexander Snitker) will engage in a debate tonight in Orlando at 7:00 p.m., and this could be the last, best hope for Charlie Crist to defeat Marco Rubio next month. Jeb Bush accuses Crist of trying to scare seniors with anti-Rubio ad By George Bennett Palm Beach Post Gov. Charlie Crist accused Republican Senate rival Marco Rubio of seeking to "balance the budget on the backs of seniors" in a new TV ad today while Rubio's campaign accused Crist of using a "desperate false attack" to try to scare retirees. Black Vote for Meek Crucial for Sink By Keith Laing News Service of Florida Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Kendrick Meek is struggling to keep Democratic voters from supporting Gov. Charlie Crist in their three-way race for the U.S. Senate with former House Speaker Marco Rubio. Rick Scott's attack on Alex Sink's ethics seen as potentially risky move By Aaron Deslatte Orlando Sentinel After months of being tarred for mammoth fraud at the hospital company he founded, Republican gubernatorial nominee Rick Scott is launching his own hard-hitting ad, accusing Democrat Alex Sink of bilking investors as the Florida president of NationsBank in the 1990s. Sink, Scott campaigns exchange volleys on each other's character By Jeff Ostrowski Palm Beach Post Democratic gubernatorial candidate Alex Sink's running mate made little effort to talk about issues during a campaign stop Tuesday at Howley's diner on Dixie Highway. Sink quietly releases environmental plan to key groups By Bruce Ritchie Florida Tribune Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink, caught up in an increasingly bitter and tight race with Republican Rick Scott, has quietly distributed her environmental platform in the last week. Alan Grayson not backing down By Alex Isenstadt Politico One week after being widely criticized for running a TV spot that compared GOP foe Dan Webster to the Taliban and ripping the Florida Republican’s record on women’s issues, Grayson is out with another hard-hitting spot – slamming Webster’s record on women’s issues. Latinos Back Democrats, But Many May Not Vote By Jennifer Ludden NPR As Democrats struggle to fend of losses in next month's midterm elections, a new survey by the Pew Hispanic Center delivers a good-news, bad-news message from a key voting bloc. BALLOT INITIATIVES Democrats pour cash into redistricting bid By Ben Smith Politico In an unusual public alliance of “good government” groups and liberal activists, several Democratic groups are quietly pouring millions of dollars into supporting two obscure Florida ballot measures that could be crucial to the long-term battle for control of Congress. Florida Supreme Court to hear class size case Wednesday The Associated Press Orlando Sentinel The Florida Supreme Court is hearing oral argument in a teachers union challenge to a ballot proposal loosening class size limits. Tallahassee principal: 'Don't take the bait' on Amend. 8 By Lee Logan St. Petersburg Times Rocky Hanna, the principal of Leon High in Tallahassee, has made a high-profile switch on the class-size proposal, or Amendment 8. A primer on Amendment 8, which would change Florida class sizes By Marcos Restrepo Florida Independent If Amendment 8, proposed by the Florida legislature, passes, it would impact the number of students allowed in every classroom in all Florida public schools. Amendment 4: Growth inhibitor or smart planning? By Tamara Lush The Associated Press Florida's growth - and all the perks and problems that come with it - is at the heart of a thorny, contentious and expensive amendment on the Nov. 2 ballot. New Hometown Democracy ad depicts opponents as ‘monsters,’ cites The Florida Independent By Cooper Levey-Baker Florida Independent Florida Hometown Democracy, the political action committee promoting the passage of Amendment 4 this November, unveiled its latest ad today, citing reporting by The Florida Independent’s Dan Sweeney on how developers that are collecting massive federal tax breaks are also pouring money into defeating Amendment 4. ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY Oil spill researchers gather in Florida as president creates Gulf ecosystem task force By Bruce Ritchie FloridaEnvironments.com More than 150 scientific researchers from around the nation were gathering Tuesday at St. Pete Beach for the beginning of a two-day conference to discuss oil spill research in the Gulf of Mexico. Florida Panhandle legislators seek to repeal septic tank inspection requirement By Bruce Ritchie FloridaEnvironments.com Two Panhandle legislators say they have filed a bill to repeal a new requirement in state law that all septic tanks be inspected every five years. EDUCATION Union buy-in needed for Race to the Top? Maybe not By Jeff Solochek St. Petersburg Times To secure about $700 million in Race to the Top funds, Florida made a show of securing support from state and local teachers union leaders JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY Survey shows Floridians support tax increases The Associated Press Tampa Tribune A new survey shows most Floridians are willing to support tax increases for public schools and health and human services even in these troubled economic times. NW Fla. will rebound from recession faster than rest of U.S., economist says By Dusty Ricketts Northwest Florida Daily News While Northwest Florida felt the affects of the economic recession sooner than most of the country, the region is poised to have one of the strongest recoveries. HEALTH AND SENIORS Lawsuits over health care law heat up By Rick Schmitt USA Today Matt Sissel of Iowa City proudly served in Iraq as a combat medic. Panel advocates steps to expand nurses' role By Andrew Villegas and Mary Agnes Carey Miami Herald A report from a committee chaired by University of Miami President Donna Shalala may give nurses with advanced degrees a potent weapon in their perennial battle to get the authority to practice without a doctor's oversight. JUSTICE AND THE COURTS Corporate America's Favorite Jurists Return The Progress Report Think Progress Few cases define the Roberts Court like the recent decision in Citizens United v. FEC.