Daily Clips for November 4, 2010

FEATURED STORIES Gov.-elect Rick Scott declares: 'Let's get to work' By Michael C. Bender, Steve Bousquet and Mary Ellen Klas St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau Related: Gov.-elect Rick Scott will announce transition plans Thursday Related: Wave of conservative activism carries Rick Scott to governor's office Related: Scott not first Florida governor to squeak to victory Related editorial: Capital needs Scott's broom Republican Rick Scott spent more of his own money than any politician in Florida history, but needed a wave of conservative activism to push him across the finish line early Wednesday morning in what appeared to be the closest governor's race in 134 years. Sink urges Scott to unite Florida, represent voters who opposed him By Ira Schoffel Tallahassee Democrat After huddling with staff, crunching numbers and realizing there was "no path to victory" after a long night of vote counting, Democratic candidate Alex Sink announced Wednesday morning she would give up her quest to become Florida's first female governor. Crist vows to end strong as governor, as new legislature ponders veto overrides By Jane Musgrave Palm Beach Post A day after Floridians delivered an indisputable rebuke of his independent run for the U.S. Senate, Gov. Charlie Crist emerged from the tony confines of the Renaissance Vinoy Resort and Golf Club Wednesday morning looking and acting like he was still running for office. Hours after redistricting amendments pass, lawsuit targets one By Marc Caputo and Lee Logan St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau Less than 24 hours after its surprise passage, a constitutional amendment that restricts state lawmakers when they draw new congressional districts was challenged in court by two members of Congress. Democrats lose clout in Tallahassee By Mary Ellen Klas St. Petersburg Times Florida Democrats lost more than the governor's office and all three Cabinet posts on Tuesday. With new day in Washington the question is, what now? By Alex Leary St. Petersburg Times A day after the Republican steamroller, a nearly contrite President Barack Obama acknowledged Wednesday that the public was upset with the pace of the economic recovery and promised to work with the new leaders of Congress on tax cuts and energy policy. FLORIDA POLITICS GOP wary of bigger influence in Florida By Beth Reinhard and Amy Sherman Miami Herald Is Florida the biggest battleground state in the country or simply the moodiest? Fla. legislative leaders talking special session By Bill Kaczor The Associated Press Incoming Republican legislative leaders on Wednesday said they are considering calling a special session in the coming weeks to override some of Gov. Charlie Crist's vetoes. Crist uncertain about his next step By William March Tampa Tribune As of Jan. 4, for the first time in 18 years, the Florida political scene will no longer include Charlie Crist, the smooth talker with the tan and the knack for drawing attention to himself.What's he going to do? When Florida Gov.-elect Scott seeks help, it’ll likely be Thrasher’s By Tia Mitchell Florida Times-Union State Sen. John Thrasher says he stands ready to help Rick Scott transition into the governor’s mansion in the coming weeks. He will likely have the power to do that and more. POLITICAL RACES Gov.-elect Scott now works 'for every Floridian,' but still going to work his agenda By Jeff Ostrowski and Dara Kam Palm Beach Post A buoyant Gov.-elect Rick Scott took the stage Wednesday to declare victory more than 12 hours later than he expected but stayed on his message of bringing jobs to Florida. Was Tuesday's landslide also an endorsement of the Florida Legislature? By Howard Troxler St. Petersburg Times Now that was an old-fashioned butt kickin'. Lesson No. 1 from 2010: "It's all about the base." By Gary Fineout The Fine Print Current Republican Party of Florida Chairman John Thrasher had a mantra that he used over and over again during the 2002 re-election campaign of Jeb Bush. After Republican triumph, Florida seeing red By Luke Johnson Florida Independent Florida was an especially strong state for the Republicans yesterday, as they picked up four House seats in landslides, and held a Senate seat and the governorship. These pickups are all the more notable since Democrats outnumber Republicans by 600,000 and Barack Obama won the state in 2008. Republican Blowout, But No Conservative Mandate The Progress Report Think Progress Riding a wave of discontent, Republicans overtook the House of Representatives by great numbers, but foundered in the U.S. Senate, where the media spotlight on Tea Party candidates like Sharron Angle in Nevada, Ken Buck in Colorado, and Christine O'Donnell in Delaware turned off voters. Governor-elect Rick Scott: to benefit Florida, he needs to jettison some harmful ideas Editorial Orlando Sentinel How'd Rick Scott win the governor's race? BALLOT INITIATIVES Amendment 8 aftermath: Florida school districts ready to sue if hit with class size fines By Rafael A. Olmeda and Marc Freeman South Florida Sun-Sentinel Smaller class sizes are here to stay, and the stage is being set for a court battle over who will pay for them. Next move on class size: More tweaks, possible lawsuit By Leslie Postal Orlando Sentinel Florida's class-size rules survived another challenge Tuesday when voters rejected a ballot measure that would have partially neutered the eight-year-old requirements. Brown challenges Florida redistricting decision By Associated Press Florida Times-Union As expected, U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown, D-Fla., filed suit Wednesday against a new, voter-approved amendment to the Florida Constitution that sets rules for drawing congressional districts in the state. Loud and clear Editorial Gainesville Sun They will be debating for the next two years exactly what was the "message" sent by voters on Tuesday. ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY Toxic chemicals found deep at BP oil spill site By Maggie Fox and Jerry Norton Reuters Toxic chemicals at levels high enough to kill sea animals extended deep underwater soon after the BP oil spill, U.S. researchers reported on Tuesday. LGBT Gay-rights groups view election as major setback By David Crary The Associated Press Gay-rights activists celebrated a few bright spots on Election Day, but they also suffered some major setbacks - including losses by key supporters in Congress and the ouster of three Iowa Supreme Court judges who had ruled in favor of same-sex marriage. 'Don't ask, don't tell' repeal a likely election casualty By Nancy A. Youssef and David Lightman Miami Herald President Barack Obama's call on Congress to repeal "don't ask, don't tell" is likely to founder after key House members were defeated in Tuesday's elections. EDUCATION Putting his stamp on education: Gov.-elect Scott faces two State Board vacancies By Jeff Solochek St. Petersburg Times Florida governor-elect Rick Scott has strong opinions about education -- he supports eliminating teacher tenure and expanding school choice options, among his priorities. What constitutes bullying? Answer can vary by school By Leslie Postal Orlando Sentinel It's become a national rallying cry, from the classroom to the White House: End school bullying now. JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY Gov.-elect Rick Scott ready to take on Florida’s sagging economy By Jeremy Cox Florida Times-Union In the private sector, Rick Scott had a knack for whipping failing hospitals into profitable ones. Election results could derail train projects By Dan Tracy Orlando Sentinel Two train projects slated for Metro Orlando weren't on Tuesday's ballot, but their fates could be in doubt because of the election results. HEALTH AND SENIORS 51 organizations competing for low-income pool money Staff Report Florida Tribune Fifty one organizations -- including several large hospitals -- are competing for $34 million in grants to help fund primary care programs. DOH: Closing TB hospital costs $$ By Jim Saunders Health News Florida Florida lawmakers have talked for years about shutting down the only state hospital for tuberculosis patients. JUSTICE AND THE COURTS Tea Party effort to remove Supreme Court Justices for Amendment 9 ruling falls short By Christine Jordan Sexton Florida Tribune A concentrated effort to defeat two Florida Supreme Court justices fell short this election, but the rally to clear the court of “activist judges” could continue forward.