FEATURED
STORIES
President Barack Obama asks for more time to fix America's problems
By Alex Leary
Tampa Bay Times
Related editorial: Obama defines the stakes for election
Related: President Barack Obama's DNC speech text
President Barack Obama urged Americans to give him more time to address the country's needs as he accepted the Democratic nomination Thursday night, arguing his policies helped prevent a deeper economic disaster and framing the battle with Mitt Romney as the clearest choice in a generation.
At Democratic convention, former GOP Gov. Crist hails Obama as ‘the leader our country needs’
By George Bennett
Palm Beach Post
Three and a half years after Charlie Crist’s hug of President Obama at a stimulus pep rally helped kill Crist’s Republican political career, the former Florida governor gave Obama another kind of embrace Thursday that could signal a new life for Crist as a Democrat.
Florida matters in 2012 presidential election — a lot
By Brent Batten
Naples Daily News
Actress Ashley Judd wasn't able to make it to breakfast Thursday with Florida's delegates to the Democratic National Convention.
Democrats vow big voter push in Florida
By Lloyd Dunkelberger
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Restrictions on early voting and registration have hampered the Florida Democrats’ effort to match their voter turnout in the 2008 presidential race, casting doubt on whether President Barack Obama can carry the state again this year.
John Lewis: GOP 'Still Trying to Stop People From Voting'
By Ari Berman
The Nation
Representative John Lewis of Georgia was brutally beaten while marching for the right to vote during “Bloody Sunday” in Selma, Alabama, in 1965.
Florida Dems fired up about dumping Scott in 2014; less talk about helping Nelson this year
By George Bennett
Palm Beach Post
Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson faces a tough fight this fall that could determine which party controls the Senate, but the governor’s race two years from now inspired more passion at this week’s Florida delegation breakfasts at the Democratic National Convention.
BEST
OF THE BLOGS
Medicare Fraud Lawsuit Filed Against Bain Company In Tampa During RNC
By Inkberries
Beach Peanuts
On the same day that Vice Presidential nominee Paul Ryan was lying to the RNC about the cuts that President Obama made to Medicare, which actually cut fraud and abuse, a company owned by Bain Captial was embroiled in a lawsuit in Tampa involving the company's alleged fraudulent and illegal practices involving Medicare.
So Who Exactly Built That?
By Jake
Rantings From Florida
As thousands of Republicans chant "We Built It" in the middle of a taxpayer-subsidized arena, I just can't help but laugh.
Pam Bondi, Attorney General Needs a Civics 101 Class
By Brughart
Hrrumph
Florida’s State Attorney General should be capable of demonstrating a basic understanding of government I would think.
The Decline of Print Journalism and the GOP Legislative Majority
By Kartik Krishnaiyer
The Political Hurricane
As the Republican legislative hegemony has solidified over the past decade they have been aided by three factors.
The Most Extreme Race-Based Positions Of Mitt Romney’s New Black Leadership Council Chair
By Annie-Rose Strasser
Think Progress
The Romney campaign announced Wednesday that Rep. Allen West (R-FL), the Tea Party darling from Florida, will be one of three chairs on the Romney For President Black Leadership Council.
FLORIDA
POLITICS
Former Rick Scott Spokeswoman Posing as Dissatisfied Obama Voter in National Republican Ad
By Kyle Munzenrieder
Miami New Times
In the worst acted anti-Obama ad released, well, since this little homophobic ditty that came out earlier this week, a new National Republican Committee ad features a pretty, young woman pretending to be a dissatisfied former Obama voter who decides to "break up" with the president.
Charlie Crist's strange political trip takes him to the DNC stage
By Michael Van Sickler
Tampa Bay Times
Charlie Crist's epic and remarkable political journey continued Thursday, landing the one-time governor and current Republican refugee on center stage at the Democratic National Convention, praising the president he once said would be a failure.
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer considering 2014 run for governor
By Mark Schlueb
Orlando Sentinel
Six months after telling Orlando voters he would serve the next four years as their mayor, Buddy Dyer is considering a run for governor in 2014.
Early voting called an unfunded mandate
By James Call
Florida Current
Monroe County Supervisor of Elections Harry Sawyer likes 12 days of early voting.
There ought to be a tough law
Editorial
Miami Herald
Lawsuits have been filed questioning the validity of elections in Miami-Dade County.
POLITICAL
RACES
After convention, Obama heads for Florida, West Palm Beach
Staff Report
Palm Beach Post
Much like Republican candidate Mitt Romney did, President Obama will head to Florida for a campaign tour soon after his nominating convention.
Two conventions tell the tale of 2012
By John F. Harris and Jim Vandehei
Politico
Republicans last week in Tampa and Democrats this week in Charlotte were not faking it.
Takeway after two conventions? Bill Clinton is the star
By Adam C. Smith
Tampa Bay Times
President Barack Obama thrilled Democrats inside the Time Warner Cable Arena on Thursday night, but the real star to emerge after two weeks of national party conventions is Bill Clinton.
Hillary Clinton? Biden? Speculation starts for ‘16 campaign
By Erika Bolstad
Miami Herald
Most Democrats tell you it’s too soon to start talking about it. Their focus, they say, has to be entirely on reelecting President Barack Obama.
Poll shows differing result in Senate race: Mack within 2 points
By William March
Tampa Tribune
If you’re getting whiplash from the varying poll results in the Florida Senate race, here’s another twist: a Gravis Marketing poll shows Republican Connie Mack IV within 2 percentage points of Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson.
Allen West's Challenger: Sometimes I Have No Idea What He's Talking About
By Tim Murphy
Mother Jones
Everyone wants a piece of Patrick Murphy.
BALLOT
INITIATIVES
Constitutional amendments for dummies
By Paul Flemming
Tallahassee Democrat
November’s ballot will be choked with 11 proposed amendments to the state’s constitution.
ENVIRONMENT
AND ENERGY
Fertilizer bill among those expected to return in 2013, House subcommittee chairman says
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
Legislation restricting local government fertilizer ordinances is among the bills expected to be back before the House again in 2013, Rep. Steve Crisafulli, chairman of the House Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee, said Thursday.
Utilities say they are not worried about electric cars -- for now
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
With the number of electric cars in Florida expected to double every two years during the next decade, representatives of utilities say they want to know more about where vehicle charging stations will be installed and when they will be used.
Loggerhead sea turtle nests making a comeback in Florida
By Eric Staats
Naples Daily News
Canaveral National Seashore and neighboring beaches in Central Florida are reporting record numbers of loggerhead sea turtle nests, a promising change from a decade-long drop.
LGBT
Tampa could extend benefits to domestic partners registered beyond city borders
By Janelle Irwin
WMNF Tampa
At their regular meeting Thursday morning, Tampa city council members said they want to allow people from other cities who are registered as domestic partners to be able to use those benefits in Tampa too.
EDUCATION
Education activist groups offer thoughts on Florida commissioner search
By Jeff Solochek
Tampa Bay Times
The Florida Board of Education is set to approve a job description for its new commissioner search when it meets via conference call Friday morning.
Florida 2012 Education Funding Increase Fifth-Largest In Nation
By John O'Connor
StateImpact
Florida had the fifth-largest increase in per-student school funding this year, according to a new ranking from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
JOBS,
BUDGET, AND ECONOMY
Today, Fla. Supreme Court to weigh state employees’ pension pay deduction
By John Kennedy
Palm Beach Post
The Florida Supreme Court hears arguments Friday in a case that could go a long way toward deciding whether Florida governments finally emerge from years of budget cuts – or face even more belt-tightening.
Public Assistance? Return to Sender
By Jim Saunders
News Service of Florida
The Florida Department of Children and Families has approved a change that would end public-assistance benefits for people who don’t report new addresses, drawing concerns that some low-income residents could unnecessarily lose food and medical aid.
Citizens Insurance considers low-interest loan plan to bring more insurers to Florida market
By Toluse Olorunnipa
Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times Tallahassee Bureau
Money that Citizens Property Insurance Corp. has raised by hiking rates, reducing coverage and dodging hurricanes in recent years could soon be transferred to private insurers in the form of low-interest, forgivable loans.
HEALTH
AND SENIORS
Wasserman Schultz defends health care reform at DNC
By Jeremy Wallace
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the only elected official from Florida to speak at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday night, used the spotlight to talk about her own battle with cancer and defend President Barack Obama’s health care reforms.
West Palm grandmother touts health care law at convention
By William E. Gibson
South Florida Sun Sentinel
Carol Berman, a grandmother from West Palm Beach with a friendly smile and determined gaze, began Thursday evening's session of the Democratic National Convention with a speech extolling the new health care law and its expanded drug benefits for senior citizens.
Feds slam Florida for warehousing disabled kids
By Carol Marbin Miller
Miami Herald
Florida health and disability administrators have been systematically dumping sick and disabled children — some of them babies — in nursing homes designed to care for elders, in violation of the youngsters’ civil rights, the U.S. Justice Department says.
CIVIL
RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES
The 'crime' of immigration
By George L. Barnett
Gainesville Sun
A man walks into a bank carrying a loaded semiautomatic pistol and robs the bank of $2 million, shooting, but not killing four people in the process.
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