“I congratulate Chancellor Brogan on his selection. We are making positive steps in improving Florida’s higher education system based on accountability and achievement. The administration looks forward to working with the Board of Governors and Chancellor Brogan in making Florida a national leader in higher education.”

For anyone wishing that Bruce Jenner would hand over keynote speaker duties to his curvaceous stepdaughter Kim Kardashian during the RPOF's upcoming youth event in Orlando, take solace in this bit of news: beauty queen Carrie Prejean, Miss California 2009 and Miss USA 2009 runnerup, will be a guest speaker.

The RPOF’s Drive the Discussion Exchange ’09 youth event is August 22 at the Gaylord Palms Resort.
 
Prejean is the model from Vista, California who garnered gained national attention over her answer to a question about same-sex marriage during the Miss USA 2009 pageant.
 
Drive the Discussion Exchange is planned as a gathering for young Floridians to discuss "the future of the Republican Party," but people of all ages can come. RPOF leaders recently announced that former Olympian Bruce Jenner, more recently of reality show "Meet the Kardashians" fame, will be the keynote.

And if you're wondering, blog readers (esp. of the male contingent) -- yes, we asked if Kim Kardashian will be there. So far, nothing is confirmed.

 "We will be requesting that Rep. Sansom respond to the complaint at the Aug. 4 meeting,'' said Galvano, R-Bradenton. The letter says: "A brief statement either admitting or denying the allegations in the complaint is all that is necessary at this time.''

The organizational meeting will "review where we are and how we're going to proceed from here," he said.

Sansom must face an investigation from his peers after an investigator found probable cause that he damaged "faith and confidence" in the Florida House. The findings are based on Sansom's funneling millions of taxpayer dollrs to the Panhandle college and his role in funding an airport building wanted by a private developer. The panel could recommend sanctions, such as a fine or removal from office. Download Letter to Sansom (Aug 4)

The jobless figure, up from 10.2 percent a month earlier, represents 970,000 out-of-work Floridians out of a statewide workforce of 9.19 million. The last time Florida unemployment was higher was October 1975, when it hit 11 percent. (story here)

The BOG search committee just selected Brogan over fellow finalist Roderick Chu, a former Ohio universities chancellor who has more higher education experience than Brogan but lacks familiarity with Florida politics.

BOG members lauded the success of Brogan’s earlier career in K-12 education. They said the former education commissioner is well-suited to bridge K-12 classrooms with the 11 state universities — two education systems trying to succeed despite hundreds of millions of dollars in recent budget cuts.

"Brogan’s relationship with the Board of Governors, with his board of trustees (at FAU), with his students. ..here’s a man of commitment," said search committee member Shane Strum, deputy chief of staff to Gov. Charlie Crist. "He has a dstrong and powerful voice in the state of Florida. I think he would serve all of you well.”

They also made clear they expect Brogan, known for his affable personality and political savvy, to use his Capitol connections to repair the university system’s relations with the Legislature. What they didn’t say: Those tensions date back to 2001, when Republican Gov. Jeb Bush got rid of the Board of Regents that preceded the BOG.

Brogan served during that time as Bush’s lieutenant governor, but he told BOG members Friday: “My role in that was limited.”

“First it was President Bush, now it’s Governor Palin – when will the Democrats stop trying to turn Republican candidates into other people and finally focus on the critical issues facing America, like bipartisan health care reform and skyrocketing unemployment?," said NRSC spokeswoman Amber Wilkerson. "Obviously the Democrats are nervous about Governor Crist’s candidacy if they’re spending this much time lobbing these pathetic attacks instead of figuring out how to turn our nation’s economy around. Perhaps they should redirect their energies toward accomplishing something positive for the American people.”

"Given her judicial record, and her testimony this week, it is my determination that Judge Sotomayor is well-qualified to serve as Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court," he said in a statement. Judge Sotomayor is knowledgeable of the law, would be a fair and impartial judge, and seems to have a good understanding of the limited role the judiciary plays in our democracy.

"Judge Sotomayor’s rise to the Supreme Court is testimony to the fact that the American dream continues to be attainable. As an Hispanic American, I take great pride in Judge Sotomayor’s historic achievement. Given her qualifications and testimony this week, I intend to vote in favor of her confirmation."

In a brief resignation letter Thursday to DBPR Deputy Secretary Scott Ross, Roberts wrote that he was resigning immediately. "I would like to inform you that I am resigning my position as the Director of Pari-Mutuel Wagering effective July 16, 2009. I have enjoyed working for the agency and appreciate the support provided me through my career.''

The agency has released no statement. Download Roberts resignation letter

FPL officials say they need the revenue from higher rates to harden infrastructure against hurricanes and build hurricane reserves that are used after storms to ensure minimal power disruption to customers.  And they say the $12.40 increase on the base rate of a typical 1,000 kilowatt-hour residential FPL bill would be offset by a roughly $17 decrease in the fuel charge in 2010 (that's based on FPL projections for better fuel efficiency). The result: A net savings of $5 per month.

FPL leaders also say the investment in better infrastructure will create jobs in the short term and lower rates over time.

Still, Attorney General and aspiring governor Bill McCollum has called the proposed hike "excessive" But AIF president Barney Bishop begs to differ. (FPL senior VP Ed Tancer sits on AIF's board...)

"We believe no business can continue to invest in modernizing its infrastructure without periodically adjusting its fees or rates," said AIF president Barney Bishop. “Florida knows all too well the fury of Mother Nature and has experienced the impact and disruption of power during hurricane season. ... FPL’s rate proposal would be used to harden infrastructure against hurricanes while building up hurricane 
Bishop pointed out that FPL’s rates are now among the lowest of the state’s 54 utilities, and it has not received a base rate increase in more than 25 years.

“The company has demonstrated exemplary efforts in fuel efficiency by making its power plants among the cleanest in Florida and nationwide, which has saved its customers nearly $3 billion in fuel costs since 2003," Bishop said.

"Check out the fine work being done to keep up on things at the Fed. Skip to about 3 minutes where Alan Grayson asks about $9 trillion in off-balance-sheet transactions - the answer is amazing," said Beck, who posted the video on his site.

Grayon's office said they got an e-mail from Theresa, a Beck fan in Tavares: "Although I am a registered Republican, I would definitely vote for you if you continue to do the right thing instead of automatically following party lines. Holding her feet to the fire and not permitting her to wiggle out of answering your simple questions was a sight to see! I am truly proud of you!"

FSU Associate Professor Steve MacNamara tells the Times/Herald he withdrew from the pool of chancellor finalists being interviewed today in Tampa because "I thought it was the best thing to do, and I think they have two good people in there."

"At the end of the day, I think Frank Brogan will make a fine chancellor. I think a lot of people will be happy to have him back in Tallahassee, and I’ll be one of them."

MacNamara's decision Thursday to bow out came one day after fellow finalist Thomas Snyder of Indiana's Ivy Tech Community Colleges withdrew, saying he wants to stay at Ivy Tech during what he views as a critical time for growth.

That leaves the BOG with just two finalists, FAU's Brogan still the frontrunner, thanks to his career spent in education and politics. Also under consideration is Roderick W. Chu, former longtime chancellor for Ohio's state universities. The BOG will select one of the two by the end of today.

Leon County Circuit Judge Terry Lewis has ruled in favor of a motion by defense attorneys that Meggs provide a statement, or bill, of "particulars." (background here) "We're very pleased," said Sansom attorney Steve Dobson. "We genuinely want to know what our clients have done that is illegal."

Sansom, Richburg and Odom have been charged with felony official misconduct for allegedly scheming to get $6 million in taxpayer money for a building Odom planned to store aircraft in at Destin Airport.

A grand jury based the charges on, among other things, a 2006 budget document that implies the money was for a college training and emergency response facility only. The final document omitted that the building would be at Destin Airport. (more on that here) But Dobson says that is not proof enough. "How on earth do you falsify the general appropriations act?" he asked.

A House investigator, Steve Kahn, reached the same basic conclusion as Meggs, plus found fault with other actions, including a secretive meeting Sansom and Richburg set up with the Northwest Florida State College Board of Trustees. An ethics commission review is under way.

The move puts some distance between Conax and Young, who has secured $28.5 million in federal “earmarks” for the company since 2005.

Young’s spokesman said he did not pursue the money during a key budget hearing because of the probe -- the scope and nature of which remain unclear. “They decided they would see what develops with what (investigators) are looking at,” Harry Glenn said.

The $4 million “earmark” request Young, R-Indian Shores, had supported was for a "belt tensioning" restraint system for Air Force aircraft platforms. 

Young is the ranking Republican on the House Defense Appropriations Committee, which met in private Thursday morning to work out details for the 2010 budget. His clout would have almost certainly ensured inclusion of the request, which he supported, had it not been for the investigation.

Young told the St. Petersburg Times on Wednesday that he was not sure what authorities were looking for but that the company had performed well in the past.

"I was a little surprised because we've never had any suggestion that Conax was not performing properly and not doing what they were contracted to do," Young said.

Crist also appointed Brian M. Seymour of Palm Beach Gardens, an attorney with Gunster, Yoakley and Stewart, to the commission for a term beginning July 16, 2009, and ending December 31, 2012.

Among them: Gerald B. Curington, the governor's deputy general counsel; Lyn Colby Hearn, general counsel to the Florida Secretary of State;  Bruce R. Meeks, inspector general of the State Board of Administration; Larry Ringers, former chief of staff to Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp who is now chief of staff at the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, and Lori Rowe, the governor's deputy chief of staff.

Of those candidates, Currington and Hearn had applied for the last vacancy on the appellate court. Other candidates include Scott D. Makar, solicitor general, T. Kent Wetherell, an administrative law judge, and other judges and lawyers from Jacksonville to Pace.  Download JNC 1st DCA Interviews - Browning Allen Replacement Sheet2

The JNC will interview the candidates on July 23 and 24, according to JNC chairman George Levesque. The JNC must present a list of candidates to Crist by July 31 to fill the vacancy on the court created by the retirements of Judge Edwin B. Browning, Jr. and Judge Michael E. Allen. Levesque said the panel will give the governor a list of between six and 12 candidates for the governor to choose from for both posts.

The good news for the GOP is that they gained 8,281 new voters in June - their best number since October, and perhaps a sign their voter registration push is working. The bad news is Democrats in June gained 14,200 new voters in June, also their best month since October.

Q: You said you’d say by Thursday.

“I said I might know by Thursday. I think it's important to note: there are members on the Senate judiciary committee that have seen every minute of testimony and they haven’t made an announcement on it. I don’t feel pressure.”

Here’s the synopsis, guv: The Senators take 15 minutes to ask simple questions and they ask them over and over again. Democrats think she’s great because of her background and American Bar Association ranking. Republicans are queasy over “wise Latina” statement and her decision to rule against the interests of white firefighters in the Ricci v. DeStefano case. More here

Crist: "We'll adhere to the letter of the law and look forward to doing so and all the data is available to anybody who wants it."

Q: What about disclosing a list of your bundlers?

Crist: "We'll adhere to the letter of the law and I think that it's imporant to do so."

Q: What changed your mind?

Crist: "Nothing has."

Q: But you did change your mind though.

Crist: "No I said we'd try."

Q: But you're not.

Crist, who was heading out in his SUV, closed the door and left without answering.

-- Marc Caputo

The long-serving Pinellas County Republican took in the third most money among members of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, behind Rep. Jim Moran, D-VA, ($201,100) and Rep. Jack Murtha, D-PA, ($199,050).

"It's really hard to prove a quid pro quo but these companies aren't dumb. They are making contributions to lawmakers who are in a good position to deliver millions of taxpayer dollars," said Steve Ellis of Taxpayers for Common Sense.

But Young, who is the ranking Republican on the committee, said in an interview yesterday about the troubled contractor Conax that contributions do not hold sway over his decisions.

Crist tells McCain and Sen. Carl Levin, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, that he worries about a House proposal to strip from the federal budget $46 million that has been slated for the project.

Read the letter here:  Download 2009.7.15 Letter to United States Senators Carl Levin and John McCain.

*

"Florida just simply cannot afford to delay reform for another administration or even one more year. Skyrocketing health care costs are straining family budgets, they're threatening businesses' viability and they're exploding our national budget," Ashley Walker, Florida Director of OFA, said in a conference call this morning (LISTEN HERE) "We're reaching out to Floridians every way we can. We're using phone calls, face to face contact, social media like Facebook. We're using traditional media sources and also our Web site, mybarackobama.com.

OFA's national political director, Addisu Demissie, said volunteers will be targeting Democrats, Republicans and independents alike. "We are talking to everybody, dems, repubs independs alike to get the message out that we need to get something done and something done this year ... In Florida we are very committed to hitting the ground and using the same tactics and same strategies that were successful in turning Florida blue last year now to make change a reality and enact the agenda President Obama was elected to perform."

*

"It's untrue," Rubio said. "This is part of the game they play in Washington."

Rubio pointed out that the day the blog hit the Internet (Wednesday) he was stuck in a Tallahassee-Pensacola-Tallahassee car-ride for six hours with an Associated Press reporter who didn't hear Rubio on the phone chatting about that at all.

Marc Caputo, Times/Herald Tallahassee bureau

*

The fundraiser was held by Doyle Bartlett, a lobbyist for the Mortgage Bankers Association, Morgan Stanley, Federal Home Loan Bank and others. As it happens, Bartlett was chief of staff to former Congressman Bill McCollum, way back in the 80s.

It's a sign of how critical fundraising is for the freshman lawmaker, who is being targeted by the GOP in the upcoming midterm elections. But the hearing she missed dealt with a priority of President Obama, a new Consumer Financial Protection Agency.

Said her spokesman Marc Goldberg, "Committee schedules are notoriously unpredictable but Congresswoman Kosmas is working extremely hard to create jobs and move Central Florida's economy forward.”

Goldberg cited committee meetings as an example of how busy his boss was this week and why she was unavailable to discuss the emerging health care reform legislation.

He provided a statement instead that said Kosmas is supportive of lower prescription costs, improved veterans' care and minimizing cost to small businesses. "I am hopeful that a complete health care reform bill will accomplish these goals, but I am not sure that we are there yet," the statement said.

When asked specifically about the public option and surtax components of the House Democratic plan released this week, Goldberg said Kosmas is "reviewing the bill carefully and evaluating all of the details.”

The cautiousness is shared by other Democrats, particularly those in GOP-rich districts like Kosmas', who fear (or think their constituents fear) the government is taking too big a role in health care.

Snyder was one of three candidates search consultant William Funk recommended to the Board of Governors on Monday. He also suggested FAU President Brogan and former Ohio universities chancellor Roderick Chu. Board members also decided to include FSU associate professor and Capitol veteran Steve MacNamara among the finalists to be interviewed at the end of this week.

The three remaining will be interviewed Friday in Tampa, and the BOG will choose a chancellor that afternoon.

Incoming Senate President Mike Haridopolos and two other leading Senate Republicans just sent out a release endorsing longtime Hillsborough County Commissioner Jim Norman, who will face off against Ambler in the Republican primary. (The Miami Senate members, meanwhile, are staying out of the Flores-Rivera battle for District 38 in Miami.)

“For 15 years as a county commissioner, and even more as a community leader, Jim Norman has earned the trust and respect of his neighbors,” said Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island.  “His record of civic achievement is built on solid conservative values, and with the support of the people of Pasco and Hillsborough counties, he will be a great senator.”
 
Joining the "we love Jim" chorus are Sens. J.D. Alexander, R-Lake Wales, and Don Gaetz, R-Niceville. 

“The Senate needs a leader like Jim Norman who has proven he can unite people and find solutions to tough problems,” said Alexander.  “Jim Norman’s common sense philosophy of promoting job creation, cutting unnecessary government overhead and building a stronger economy is exactly what Florida needs.” 
 
“Not only have the people of Hillsborough County shown their confidence in Jim in five elections, but his fellow commissioners have chosen him as their chairman for five terms, more than anyone else in county charter history,” Gaetz added.

Sen. Victor Crist now has the District 12 seat sought by Ambler and Norman but leaves in 2010 because of term limits.

*

Here's how well it has worked in Florida: 3,226 have signed up. That's 0.088 percent of the uninsured population in a state with one of the largest uninsured populations. Put another way, 3,646,774 more people would need to sign up before there were no uninsured Floridians.

Here's what Crist, Republican U.S. Senate candidate, had to say about the Democrats' plan:

"I’d like to see more private sector involvement. I think that what we’ve done in Florida can be a pretty good model. I mean the real concern here is to make sure that people have access to health care that’s affordable. Through our Cover Florida program, we’ve shown a way to do it where you don’t have to increase taxes."

Crist made the statements at a press conference to tout the stimulus plan, which doesn't look like it's stimulating very much. More here on that.

*

Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Pelosi, Reid Announce Six Appointments to the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission

Washington, D.C.— House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid today announced their six appointments to the 10-member Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, established by Congress to examine the domestic and global causes of the financial crisis.

“The American people deserve nothing less than a full explanation of why so many people lost their homes, their life’s savings, and their hard-earned pensions,” said Pelosi. “To avoid a financial crisis of this magnitude in the future, the commission will conduct a thorough, systematic, and non-partisan examination of the failures in both government and financial markets .  The men and women we are appointing today bring great experience and credibility to the work of the Commission.”

Reid said: “As President Obama has said on several occasions, sunlight is the best disinfectant. The American people are entitled to a thorough examination of what went wrong.  The men and women who we appoint to this commission must help the public gain a full understanding of why our system failed us in the past and I am confident that we have chosen the right people to lead that effort.  Learning from these mistakes of the past through a transparent process is an important part of America’s road to full financial recovery.”

Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid appointed former California State Treasurer Phil Angelides as chairman of the Commission.  The statute requires the House Speaker and the Senate Majority Leader to jointly appoint a commission chair. Mr. Angelides, one of Speaker Pelosi’s three appointments to the commission, served with distinction as the elected California State Treasurer from 1999 to 2007.  He has earned national recognition as an effective public and private sector leader with broad expertise and accomplishments in the fields of investor protection, housing, finance, and corporate and financial market reform.

The Commission will conduct a comprehensive examination of, and hold hearings on, more than 20 specific areas of inquiry related to the financial crisis, including the role of fraud and abuse in the financial sector; state and federal regulatory enforcement; tax treatment of financial products; credit rating agencies; lending practices and securitization; unregulated financial products and practices; and corporate governance and executive compensation. The Commission will also examine the causes of major financial institutions that failed or were likely to fail had they not received exceptional government assistance.  The Commission will provide its findings and conclusions in a final report due to Congress on December 15, 2010.

 In addition to Angelides, the Speaker also appointed:

 ·          Brooksley Born, who was appointed by President Clinton as Chair of the Commodities Futures Trading Commission from 1996-1999.  As the top Federal overseer of commodities and futures markets, she presciently warned about the need to reduce unwarranted risk in our financial system by strengthening regulatory oversight of over-the-counter financial derivatives products, such as credit default swaps.  Born is a 2009 recipient of the “Profile in Courage Award” from the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation.  

·          John W. Thompson, who is Chairman of the Board of Directors of Symantec Corporation, a leading security software provider. Prior to his retirement in April 2009, Mr. Thompson led Symantec as Chief Executive Officer for 10 years.  As Symantec CEO, he championed corporate responsibility, effective corporate governance, and strong business ethics policies and procedures.

Majority Leader Reid appointed: 

·          Senator Bob Graham, the former U.S. Senator and former Governor of Florida. Senator Graham brings a wealth of experience and understanding of finance to this appointment from his years of service as a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee.  He also served as the Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee and, in that role, co-sponsored a bill that lead to the creation of the Director of National Intelligence position.  Currently, Senator Graham is leading the Bob Graham Center for Public Service at the University of Florida, his alma mater.

·          Heather Murren, a retired Managing Director for Global Securities Research and Economics at Merrill Lynch.  At Merrill Lynch, Ms. Murren was the group head for Global Consumer Products Equity Research.  In 2004, she was recognized by Las Vegas magazine of the Las Vegas Review-Journal as one of the Influential Businesswomen of the year.  Ms. Murren is the Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board for Nevada Cancer Institute.  Ms. Murren is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and a chartered financial analyst. 

·          Byron Georgiou, who is a Las Vegas-based businessman and attorney. Mr. Georgiou serves on the advisory board of the Harvard Law School Program on Corporate Governance which hosts the leading blog on corporate governance and financial regulation.  Mr. Georgiou is the President of Georgiou Enterprises, a company with a wide range of business interests from international carbon emission reductions projects to residential and commercial real estate and golf course management and development.

The commission will also include four additional members, two appointed by the House Minority Leader and two appointed by the Senate Minority Leader. The Vice-Chair of the commission is selected jointly by the House Minority Leader and the Senate Minority Leader. 

Biographies of the Commission Members and a fact sheet are below:

* * *

Phil Angelides, Chairman

Phil Angelides has earned national acclaim as an effective public and private sector leader with broad expertise and accomplishments in the fields of investor protection, finance, housing, and corporate and financial market reform. He has won widespread praise for his innovative work in urban reinvestment, smart growth and green investment.

Mr. Angelides was elected as California’s State Treasurer and served from 1999-2007. The Associated Press reported that he made “the sleepy treasurer’s office a policy powerhouse,” and The Sacramento Bee praised Treasurer Angelides as “the most effective and dynamic state treasurer in a generation.” 

During his eight years in elected office, he transformed the State Treasurer’s Office into a force for progress.  As early as 2002, he warned of excesses and abuses in the nation’s financial markets, mobilizing pension funds and investors across the country to push for reforms, fight fraud, curb egregious executive compensation, and expand shareholder and investor rights.  He was a consistent and forceful voice against California’s deficit spending and excessive borrowing. He put the weight of the state’s pension funds behind investment in clean energy and the fight against global warming – seeding the “green tech” investment revolution. And, Mr. Angelides launched groundbreaking initiatives to promote smart growth and to spur urban revitalization.

During his tenure as Treasurer, Mr. Angelides served as a trustee for California’s two major pension funds, managed the State’s $57 billion investment fund, financed over 100,000 units of affordable housing and $150 billion in schools, transportation, parks and other public projects, and earned record returns on state investments.  

Mr. Angelides, 56, is a graduate of Harvard University and a Coro Foundation Fellow. He served from 1975 to 1983 in California government, where he was a widely respected policy leader in affordable housing, urban planning, and public finance.  He entered the private sector in 1984 and, in 1986, formed his own real estate investment business, which pioneered the planning and building of smart growth communities and helped spark a national dialogue around building more livable, environmentally responsible communities.  Mr. Angelides is currently Chairman of the Canyon-Johnson Urban Communities Fund, a partnership of Earvin “Magic” Johnson and Canyon Capital Realty Advisors being formed to invest in rental housing for working families in urban communities across America.

Phil Angelides has been active in the civic life of his community, state, and nation for more than three decades. He was the Democratic nominee for Governor of California in 2006.  He currently serves as the National Chairman of the Apollo Alliance, a coalition of business, labor, environmental and community leaders committed to building a clean energy, good jobs economy for America’s future.  Mr. Angelides has received numerous awards for his work and was inducted into the California Housing Hall of Fame.

Mr. Angelides and his wife, Julie, have three daughters – Megan, Christina and Arianna.

Brooksley Born, Commissioner 

Brooksley Born brings to the commission an outstanding record of public service and accomplishment.

A recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the Profile in Courage Award from the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation, Born was appointed by President Clinton in 1996 as Chair of the Commodities Futures Trading Commission, on which she served until 1999.  

As the top Federal overseer of commodities and futures markets, she presciently warned about the need to reduce unwarranted risk in our financial system by strengthening regulatory oversight of over-the-counter financial derivatives products, such as credit default swaps.

Earlier in her career, she served as law clerk to Judge Henry W. Edgerton of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and later joined the law firm of Arnold & Porter where she was a partner for many years, retiring from the firm in 2003.  Ms. Born is chair of the board of directors of the National Women’s Law Center, serves as a member of the District of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission and has long been active in a number of non-profit organizations and bar associations. 

Born is a graduate of Stanford Law School, is past president of the Stanford Law Review, and received her undergraduate degree from Stanford University.   

Byron Georgiou, Commissioner 

Byron Georgiou is President of Georgiou Enterprises, with wide ranging interests including a portfolio of carbon emission reduction projects in China that generate carbon credits under the Kyoto protocol; environmental cleanup of deep coal mining sites; residential and commercial real estate and golf course management and development; and the provision of customer services at regional shopping centers throughout America.

Mr. Georgiou serves on the advisory board of the Harvard Law School Program on Corporate Governance which hosts the leading blog on corporate governance and financial regulation.  

Since 2000, Mr. Georgiou has been affiliated of counsel to the national law firm of Coughlin Stoia Geller Rudman & Robbins, the world’s largest plaintiffs’ securities practice, serving as liaison to many of the firm’s primary institutional investor clients and in a leadership role in the historic litigations prosecuting financial fraud on behalf of defrauded investors at Enron, WorldCom, Dynegy, AOL Time Warner, and United Health.

Earlier in his career, Mr. Georgiou served as legal Affairs Secretary to California Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr., responsible for litigation by and against the Governor, judicial appointments, liaison with the Attorney General, Judiciary and State Bar, legal advice to the Governor and members of his Cabinet, and exercise of the Governor’s powers of extradition and clemency.

Mr. Georgiou received his undergraduate degree with Great Distinction from Stanford University, attending a full Alfred P. Sloan academic scholarship, and his Juris Doctor degree Magna Cum Laude from Harvard Law School.  

Mr. Georgiou and his wife, Therese, live in Las Vegas, Nevada and have one daughter, Ariadne Christina.

Bob Graham, Commissioner 

Senator Graham was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1986, serving three consecutive terms. During his final term, he was named chairman on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. He co-sponsored the bill to create the Director of National Intelligence position and co-chaired the “Joint Inquiry into Intelligence Community Activities Before and After the Terrorist Attacks on September 11, 2001.”  Senator Graham later authored 2004’s Intelligence Matters, revealing serious faults in the U.S. national security system.  Senator Graham was also a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee during his time in the Senate.

Since retiring from public office in early 2005, Graham spent the 2005-2006 academic year at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. 

After earning his bachelor’s degree in political science from University of Florida in 1959 and a law degree from Harvard in 1962, Graham served 12 years in the Florida Legislature while working in his family’s cattle business and community development businesses. In 1978, he was elected Governor of Florida and served two successful terms in the Florida Legislature.

Senator Graham now focuses his efforts on training the next generation of public leaders by mobilizing the academic resources of the University of Florida to solve public policy challenges facing the nation. 

Heather Murren, Commissioner

Heather Murren is Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board of Nevada Cancer Institute (NVCI).  NVCI is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2002. 

In April 2002, she retired as a Managing Director, Global Securities Research and Economics, of Merrill Lynch, where she was group head for the Global Consumer Products Equity Research effort.  In this position, she coordinated the efforts of Merrill Lynch’s 16-member global consumer products team, encompassing analysts in Pacific Asia, Australia, Canada, Europe and the United States.

Ms. Murren was a highly ranked analyst, recognized in all major financial industry surveys for the quality of her written work and timely market calls.  She was chosen six consecutive years as a member of The Institutional Investor’s All-American Research Team.  Her multi-year inclusion in the Greenwich survey and repeated designations by the Wall Street Journal as an all-star analyst underscored her other notable achievement in the economic and financial services community.  In addition, while at Merrill Lynch, she was profiled by Fortune magazine as one of Wall Street’s all-star analysts. 

In 2004, she was recognized as one of the Influential Businesswomen of the year by Las Vegas magazine of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.  She is a graduate of The Johns Hopkins University and is a chartered financial analyst.

John W. Thompson, Commissioner 

John W. Thompson is Chairman of the Board of Directors of Symantec Corporation, a leading security software provider. Prior to his retirement in April 2009, Mr. Thompson led Symantec as Chief Executive Officer for ten years.

As Symantec CEO, he championed robust corporate responsibility, effective corporate governance, and linked the company’s mission to strong business ethics policies and procedures.  Prior to joining Symantec, Mr. Thompson worked at IBM for 28 years, where he began his career in sales and rose to become general manager of IBM Americas.  

Mr. Thompson has consistently advocated for Federal legislation that provides high notification standards for consumers when they become victims of data breaches that compromise their financial or other proprietary personal information. In 2002, President Bush appointed Mr. Thompson to the National Infrastructure Advisory Committee (NIAC).  He received a master’s degree in management science from MIT’s Sloan School of Management, and an undergraduate degree from Florida A&M University.

*

*

The agencies executing a search warrant are the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the offices of inspector general with the Air Force, NASA and the Defense Department.

"We don't have a lot of information at this point, so there's really no comment I can have because I haven't had a chance to look at it all myself,'' said Chet Claudon, general manager of Cobham Life Support Systems in St. Petersburg, a division of the parent company of Conax, British defense contractor Cobham. (story here)

*

The injury, which includes a sprained ankle, came as she was sliding into second base. "She is doing well and is in good spirits, given the overwhelming success of the game, which was organized to raise money for the Young Survivors Coalition," said spokesman Jonathan Beeton. "The congresswoman would like to stress that she was safe at 2nd."

"I'm extremely excited about coming to Florida and the opportunities we have for 2010. It's going to be ground zero," Arceneaux told Buzz.

"Scott's proven record of success and strong leadership will help Florida Democrats end the status quo and move our state forward. I am excited to work with chair Karen Thurman and her team to bring change to Florida," said CFO Alex Sink.

"The Florida Democratic Party is in the best shape it has been in years," said U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson. "We won't miss a beat with Scott."

*

"Over the past several years, the Florida Democratic Party has made great strides helping elect strong Democratic leaders who fight to move Florida to a better future. On behalf of the Florida Democratic Party, I would like to thank Leonard for his hard work and tireless commitment over the past several years. While Leonard will be missed, we wish him luck as he moves on," said chairwoman Karen Thurman.

Joseph said: "It's been an honor to work with the thousands of Floridians who helped in our efforts to bring change to Florida by electing Democrats. For Florida Democrats, the best days are ahead. I look forward to seeing Florida Democrats continue the momentum we have built by making gains at all levels of government in the years to come. I would like to thank chair Thurman and the Florida Democratic Party staff for their leadership and friendship."

*

There will be some disgruntled political partisans who will take issue with Gov. Charlie Crist's decision Tuesday to appoint former Hillsborough County school superintendent Earl Lennard to replace the late Phyllis Busansky as supervisor of elections. Lennard is a Republican, and Busansky was a Democrat who defeated the incompetent incumbent Republican Buddy Johnson just eight months ago. But Lennard is a prudent choice with a long record as a solid administrator, and he can bring some stability to the office. Read full editorial here.

Perhaps the humiliation of being treated like teenagers will convince Florida's most dangerous drivers to shape up. A new state law will send them back to driving school, and if they refuse to go or don't pass, they will lose their licenses. It is an appropriately tough tactic against these consistently careless drivers who endanger everyone around them on the roadways. Read full editorial here.

*

Amber Wilkerson of the National Republican Senatorial Committee: "Will Sen. Nelson represent the best interests of families and small businesses in Florida, or will he bend to coercion from Washington and serve as a rubber stamp for national Democrats who are trying to ram through another massive bill without adequate review?" 

*

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson wants a kill-'em-all python hunt in the Everglades this winter. He sent a letter (see jump) today to Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar urging him to allow deputized agents and volunteers into the park to curtail the growing menace.

Setting aside a real problem, we wonder what title you'd give this Hiaasen-like story.

Dear Secretary Salazar: 

As we have discussed, we need to get a grip on pythons invading America's Everglades. Thus, I would offer two things. 

First, I appreciate your input on my bill that would ban the import of Burmese pythons. Many of these dangerous snakes are making their way into the ‘Glades because they are being released by their owners.  My legislation would classify pythons as an injurious animal and would prohibit their import and interstate trade.   

Passage of this bill would put an end to people importing these things. And, I hope we never again would have to see what we saw in Florida three weeks ago: a toddler strangled to death by a pet python. 

Second, when we visited the Everglades recently we heard a variety of ideas for capturing or killing many of the estimated 100,000 or more pythons now roaming the ‘Glades. They are threatening endangered wildlife there -- and, Lord forbid, a visitor in the Everglades ever encounters one. 

One idea seems particularly promising. Some, including Florida Gov. Charlie Crist and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, appear open to an organized hunt. This is not intended in any way to open our national parks to hunting per se. Steps must be taken to protect the Florida panther and other wildlife. 

Instead, the U.S. Park Service, under your direction, would allow for a supervised hunt of pythons by park staff, authorized deputies or agents and volunteers. Given the serious threat from these snakes, I ask that you approve of taking this step. 

Sincerely, 

Bill Nelson

*

The Herald/Times reported that Sink's campaign made the payment to her own agency for 20 airplane trips to different cities where she had state business -- and campaign events. Sink's aide said Tuesday they made the payment "because it's following the law." State law, however, is silent when it comes to a candidate who travels on official business and campaign events using commercial aircraft, but Sink repaid her agency for the cost of that travel as well.

Lorenzo's ethics complaint alleges that Sink violated state law because she failed to timely report her use of the state plane for campaign purposes in the first quarter of the year and "corruptly used her official position to secure a special privilege or benefit" when she used state planes to travel for official business in conjunction with campaign events. Sink's $17,022 check repaid the state for her travel over two reporting periods.

The elections complaint alleges she violated state election laws by waiting to reimburse the state for her "gift" of state plane use until the second quarter, when several of her events were scheduled in the first quarter and that gift exceeded the $500 campaign contribution limit. Download Alex Sink Elections Commission Complaint Download Alex Sink Ethics Commission Complaint

*

On Saturday, volunteers will go door-to-door (see jump for locations). Florida residents will be asked to contact lawmakers in Washington to support the legislation, which Obama wants to see approved before the August recess.

“The fight to fix our broken health care system is heating up -- and we need your help to ensure all Americans have the care that many have lacked for far too long,” Organizing for America Florida director Ashley Walker said in a statement. “When regular folks get together, organize door-by-door, block-by-block, and neighborhood-by-neighborhood, we can build a movement from coast-to-coast.”

Organizing for America has been working on health care in states this summer but is making its biggest push as the deadline nears and the GOP works to counter what it deems a "government takeover."

Phone banks:
Largo
Orlando
Melbourne
Tallahassee
Hollywood
Lantana
Plantation
Gainesville
Lake Worth
Altamonte Springs
West Palm Beach
Miami Beach
Jacksonville
Tampa

Canvasses:
Miami Beach
Flagler Beach
Boca Raton
Lake Worth
Lantana
Melbourne
Palm Bay
Cocoa
Miami
Largo
Safety Harbor
Tallahassee
Jacksonville
Gainesville
Polk County
Tampa

The Senate will spend $24,000 to send six senators to this week's American Legislative Exchange Council conference in Atlanta and six others and a staff member to next week's gathering in Philadelphia of the National Conference of State Legislatures.

The House is spending up to $31,000 to send 27 representatives to the ALEC or NCSL conferences. The House limits each lawmaker to $1,150 for one conference at state expense, and the Senate will pay $2,000 for each member.

Legislators clamped down on state money used for agency travel by requiring that it get approval as a mission-critical expense. But lawmakers put no such restrictions on their own travel. The $55,000 cost for their conference travel is the equivalent of funding 21 children in prekindergarten classes, reinstating bonuses for seven teachers who become nationally certified, or paying for $117 vaccines for 470 underprivileged children. Full story here.

Steve Bousquet

*

“Earl understands the importance of elections in our democracy and has a fundamental sense of fairness,” Governor Crist said in a release.  “Dr. Lennard has served the Hillsborough County community well, both as superintendent and as a community leader, and I am confident he will once again serve the people of Hillsborough County well.”
 
Lennard, 67, lives in Riverview and has served as a classroom teacher and administrator before being appointed as superintendent, where he served from 1996 to 2005.  An educator for 42 years, he was named Florida Superintendent of the Year in 2003 by the Florida Association of District School Superintendents. 
 
He earned bachelor’s and doctoral degrees from the University of South Florida and a master’s from the University of Florida. His term will end November 8, 2010.

Crist spent Friday afternoon in Tampa interviewing candidates for the position, left vacant with the recent and sudden death of newly elected elections supervisor Phyllis Busansky. Among those seeking the post is Tampa Republican Sen. Victor Crist.

Read the letter here: Download Letter to Governor Crist - Hillsborough SOE Appointment

Edwards, who faces Doug Tudor in the Democratic primary, in a conference the endorsement will help voters unfamiliar record understand that "I am a conserv and moderate Democrat." Asked about President Obama health care reform proposal, Edwards indeed sounded like she'll fit right in with the Blue Dogs, saying it should be "deficit-neutral" and focus on "small business protection."

Edwards told Buzz she raised about $102,000 in the last fundraising quarter and spent about $19,000.

How the editorial pages thundered, the pundits pundited, the tree huggers raged! And, indeed, Crist now has been duly punished. We showed him, all right. We made him feel the lash of public outrage by …

By giving him $4.3 million in contributions for his U.S. Senate campaign so far. That'll learn him!

Good grief. Like young Anakin Skywalker, Crist has learned that the Dark Side has its rewards. He should start dressing in black and breathing heavily.

The invitation "to experience the new Yankee Stadium" and contribute generously to Senate Majority 2010 is being sent by the Republican Party of Florida. First Pitch between the NY Yankees and Baltimore Orioles is at 1:05 p.m.

The squeeze play is hosted by Senate President Jeff Atwater, Pro Tem Mike Fasano, and Sens. Mike Haridopolos, Mike Bennett, Don Gaetz and Andy Gardiner.

Maybe we put this in the Building Integrity and Lasting Leadership column. When Attorney General Bill McCollum was asked what he thought of his gubernatorial opponent's decision to use campaign funds to reimburse the state for her use of the state plane, he said. "I don't have any comment on that. None, whatsoever."

Remember the BILL Fund is McCollum's CCE. The AG may not have any comment, but we'll wait and see if his CCE or another political committee that supports him does take the opportunity to comment on Sink's decision. We'll keep watching.

We also asked the AG if he was convinced that his use of the state plane is not commuting? He answered: "Yes. I'm definitely convinced that it's not. I think it's perfectly appropriate. I've never commuted between Tallahassee and Orlando on the state plane -- that's my home. Never.''

Here's the list of the top 20 money grabbers running for state office in 2010** this past quarter:

Note: the list includes in-kind contributions (was too lazy to cull them out). Even so, consider that Gov. Charlie Crist raised so much money ($4.3m) in his U.S. Senate bid that it exceeds the top 8 state candidates combined (caveat: federal candidates can raise way more cash.**

**Another Note: this doesn't include those who are listed to run for office in 2012 (though they're going to be running in 2010 because the incumbent is running for another office). So this would include Ellyn Bogdanoff (c. $89k) and Nick Loeb ($238k -- whoa! -- though apparently lots of this money is rollover from another campaign).

-- Marc Caputo