The Buzz Florida Politics Feed

Looming over 2012 elections is long-term battle over Senate presidency

Mary Ellen Klas — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 12:59:08 +0000

The road to the future of the Florida Senate goes through Tampa Bay in November.

Some of this year's fiercest state election fights are likely to occur in the region, mainly because of a job held by someone that’s rarely a household name — the state Senate president.

“After the election this year, you will probably get a sense of the Senate leadership for the next six years,’’ said Sen. Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, who is running to be Senate president from 2016-18.

That’s because, due to redistricting, every seat in the 40-member chamber is up for election, and the winners will determine who holds the clout for the next decade.

Latvala, who returned to the Senate in 2010 after being termed out in 2002, wants to make sure that enough returning and newly elected Republican senators support him. He even held a fundraiser to raise money for his political committee, proclaiming the money would go to “the first Senate president from Pinellas County.”

Sen. John Thrasher, R-St. Augustine, is also lining up support for the 2016-18 presidency, albeit more quietly. And Sen. Joe Negron, R-Stuart, says he, too, remains a candidate.

The men are all Republicans but they differ in philosophy. Thrasher and Negron are conservative; Latvala is a moderate. Thrasher forged his reputation as a dominant House speaker who forcefully pushed through former Gov. Jeb Bush’s agenda. Negron began his career in the House and moved to the Senate where he has become a budget and health care expert. And Latvala is a maverick who relishes challenging leadership and forging consensus on thorny issues.

Latvala helped secure the 2014-16 Senate presidency for Sen. Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, when Thrasher and Negron lost confidence in Gardiner and attempted to hoist Thrasher to power instead. Now Gardiner, and Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, the designated Senate president for 2012-14, can help determine which candidates align with whom in 2016. The battle is fiercest in Tampa Bay.

Gaetz, for example, on Friday endorsed former Sen. Tom Lee of Brandon, himself a former Senate president, over Rep. Rachel Burgin, also of Brandon, in the District 24 race to replace Sen. Ronda Storms.

Across the state, candidates have until noon next Fridayto declare for office, but, like falling dominoes, the move of one affects another. Take Latvala’s own district. A week ago, he told Gaetz that he was planning to switch from his safe North Pinellas Senate district to Tampa Bay’s reconfigured Senate District 22, which comprises south Pinellas and Tampa.

State Rep. Jim Frishe, R-St. Petersburg, who is closely aligned with Latvala, was lined up to run against Rep. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg for District 22. Brandes declared his intent to run Friday. Both Frishe and Latvala each said they are undecided where they will land.

“I’m just pondering,’’ Latvala told the Herald/Times.

The move is a classic gamble. “Any time you move out of your district to run in another district it adds some element of risk,’’ said Gaetz, who would back Latvala in any race.

If Latvala stays put, he runs the risk of Brandes winning and supporting Thrasher or Negron for Senate president. Brandes, a member of the Cox Lumber family, could easily tap into his personal wealth to spend on his campaign. Brandes has already run TV ads for his state House re-election campaign.

But if Latvala were to win, his reward would be securing his and Frishe’s vote to a Senate presidency victory.

"I don’t think it’s any secret. I’ve publicly pledged my support to Jack Latvala for Senate president," Frishe said. "He and I don’t always agree on everything. But I’ve known the man for 35 years and consider him a friend, and I think having a Senate president from Tampa Bay would be very, very positive for us." Not only is Frishe a personal friend of Latvala’s, but Frishe again is paying for the services of Latvala’s direct-mail company in his race for the Senate.

"There are a handful of seats that will have an impact on the future Senate presidency, and this may be one of them," Frishe said.

Wallace, who served in the House from 1994-2002, is a fiscal conservative who said he hasn’t taken sides between Thrasher and Latvala. He said his own philosophy is closer to Thrasher’s.

“I’m not sure how fiscally conservative Latvala is,” Wallace said.

Jacksonville is another area where the Senate presidency future is at stake. Gaetz, Gardiner and Negron have supported former state Rep. Aaron Bean of Fernandina Beach, while Latvala has supported his opponent, Rep. Mike Weinstein, of Jacksonville, in the Aug. 14 primary.

The Senate leadership’s support of Bean is a payback of sorts. When former Senate President Jim King died, Bean stepped aside so that Thrasher, an ally, could win the seat. He also has the coveted endorsement of former Gov. Jeb Bush, whose TV ads praise Bean as a "principled conservative."

Weinstein entered the Senate race after redistricting would have forced him to move or seek re-election in the House against a fellow Republican, Rep. Charles McBurney, and he’s positioning himself as the only Jacksonville candidate.

The conflict also exposes the power of shadow political committee controlled by Senate leaders Gaetz, Thasher and Negron control a political committee called the Florida Conservative Majority. The organization has given $273,000 to the Liberty Foundation, a electioneering and communications organization that has paid for television ads in support of Bean.

Gaetz said the group has also endorsed three other GOP candidates in open Senate races, Rep. Denise Grimsley of Sebring, Bill Galvano of Sarasota, Dorothy Hukill of Ormond Beach who is facing a tough fight against a Democratic challenger. Another top prirority for Senate Republicans is also a priority for Senate Democrats: the race between Sen. Ellyn Bogdanoff, R-Fort Lauderdale, against Sen. Maria Sachs, D-Delray Beach, in the newly-draw District 34 in Palm Beach and Broward counties.

Another area of conflict is a three-way fight for the Republican nomination for Senate District 17 in Pasco and Hillsborough counties. Sen. Jim Norman of Tampa, Rep. John Legg of Port Richey, and former Rep. Rob Wallace of Tampa have each filed to run.

Norman, a former Hillsborough County commissioner, is considered the incumbent in a seat that redistricting left vastly reconfigured by merging south Pasco with northwest Hillsborough.

Legg, who has served in the House since 2004, had planned to run in Senate District 18 against Pasco County businessman Wilton Simpson, announced two weeks ago he would instead switch to Senate District 17 that now includes half of Pasco County.

He said he and his wife own a home in the district. He was encouraged to run by Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, and other community leaders who wanted a Pasco native.

Gaetz said Senate leaders, however, will support Norman. Legg understands that but doesn’t believe Norman can win. Two years ago, he overcame a federal investigation and ethics questions about a vacation home bankrolled by a businessman friend for Norman’s wife but his narrow victory was in a Hillsborough-based district.

Legg hopes that Senate leaders will agree. “They told me they wanted to support all incumbents however all incumbents had to show a clear path to victory and Jim Norman has not demonstrated that threshold,’’ he said. He acknowledges, however, that the race is complicated for Latvala, since Legg and Norman have both pledged to support his presidency bid.

“One of his best qualities may harm me — and that is Sen. Latvala is incredibly loyal and I know he and Sen. Norman are incredibly good friends,’’ Legg said.

Latvala, for now, is staying quiet. “No comment,’’ he said.

One thing is clear, Legg said, the road to the future Florida Senate may go through Tampa Bay but it is full of potholes.

“It’s not just sinkholes,’’ Legg said. “The ground is very unstable here for candidates, too.”

Tampa Bay Times reporter Lucy Morgan contributed to this report.

Mary Ellen Klas can be reached at meklas@MiamiHerald.com and on Twitter @MaryEllenKlas

BOG now has almost 50 applicants for Poly board

Kim Wilmath — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 21:39:56 +0000

With the deadline to apply for the new Florida Polytechnic board of trustees now extended through Monday, more applications are rolling in -- including the first application in the national search from outside Florida.

At last count Friday, the Florida Board of Governors had just shy of 50 applications. Here's who threw their names in since the deadline extension (the original cut-off was Thursday):

Eric Keith Allen, a Lakeland attorney
Jack David Armstrong, the president of Broward College in Ft. Lauderdale
Gregory Allen Bacon, an application specialist for Auralex Acoustics in Indianapolis
Ronald Lyle, a Lakeland Attorney with Clark, Campbell and Lancaster -- a firm that previously worked for the Polytechnic campus when it was still under the University of South Florida's umbrella
John Larry Dicks, a Plant City attorney
Ann Duncan, of Tarpon Springs, president of Vertical Integration, Inc, and a former member of the Board of Governors
Mygnon Champion Evans, a Lakeland attorney
John Edward Fleming, the president of Phoenix Industries, LLC, in Winter Haven
James Martin Grasse, of Lakeland, who works in concessions for the Delaware North hospitality firm
Winston Nichols Griffith, a program specialist with Leon County Schools
Neysa Hope Hatcher, of Winter Haven, an inspector with the U.S. Department of Agriculture
John Wayne Hendricks, a managing partner of Strategic Technologies in Sarasota
Ralph Dace Kimberlin, a retired professor in Winter Haven
Deborah Lynn Rhodes, of Lakeland, an adjunct instructor at Palomar Community College
Kenneth Leon Riddle, supervisor of chemical programs at Lakeland Electric
Gregory A. Sanoba, a Lakeland attorney
John Hugh Shannon, a Lakeland attorney
Douglas Dean Sommer, an independent contractor in Lakeland
Gene Strickland, Lakeland city manager
Donald Herbert Wilson, a Homeland, Fl, attorney

Those people join dozens of others who have already applied with the Board of Governors, which can appoint five people to the 11-member board of trustees, and Gov. Rick Scott, who can appoint six. Scott's office, at last count, had received 23 applications, including eight who also applied with the Board of Governors.

Vice President Biden heading back to Fla

Adam C. Smith — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 18:07:36 +0000

Vice President Joe Biden will be in Miami Monday to deliver the commencement address to Cypress Bay High School graduates at Marlins Park.

Jeb Bush cools VP chatter; makes pitch for Marco Rubio

Aaron_Sharockman — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 17:56:42 +0000

WASHINGTON -- If there were any doubts that former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush has no intention of returning to a ballot anytime soon, he laid them to rest Friday, in a rare appearance at a congressional hearing.

The Republican former governor was invited to speak to the House Budget Committee by the committee's chairman, Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wisc., author of a federal budget despised by Democrats in part for its proposed changes to the Medicare program for seniors. Bush's remarks focused on removing barriers to free enterprise, but throughout the hearing, he was free with his opinions on all sorts of other policy matters.

"This will prove I'm not running for anything," Bush said, when talking about how he could support a bipartisan commission to examine the tax code for loopholes. He also noted that he thought immigration reform could be a strategy for sustained economic growth -- a position that he said puts him "a little out of step with my own party."

Bush's candor made it clear that he sees his place as a senior Republican whose opinions carry a lot of weight in his party, but whose private sector life gives him a measure of independence. In Washington, that ability to speak freely makes him a refreshing figure. He was followed out of the hearing to his taxi by a throng of reporters so deep that, in the crush, one camerawoman tumbled backward in the hallway of the Cannon Office Building.

No, Bush told the scrum, he's not interested in being vice president. "I'm going to support Gov. Romney, he's a great guy," Bush said. "I believe he has an excellent chance of being elected. I'm going to do what I can to (help him) be elected."

But from the window of his taxi, Bush said he does think highly of his friend Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., for the job.

"That would be my choice, but I’m not Mitt Romney," Bush said. "Marco would bring an incredible energy, he’s the most articulate spokesman for conservative principles I think in America today, and he’s my friend. So I’m a little biased. But I think he would be extraordinary."

Bush also said he likes Rubio's immigration proposal, a Republican alternative to the DREAM Act. He said that Republicans need to work on attracting Hispanic voters by highlighting their economic policies over those of Democrats.

Bush hasn't testified in front of a congressional hearing since he talked about disaster preparations during the brutal 2005-2006 hurricane season -- and it's a good guess that he won't return any time soon. "This is a gotcha kind of environment," he said, seemingly taken aback by the shrill partisan tone of the hearing.
From the moment it began, the hearing focused on the sharp differences between Republicans and the White House on spending.

President Barack Obama's policies "take us in the wrong direction," Ryan said, before introducing Bush. "He has called for higher hurdles and greater complexity in the tax code. He insists on wasteful spending on his political allies and regulatory monstrosities that protect the entrenched at the expense of the entrepreneur."

Not to be outdone, the top Democrat on the committee, Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., said that former President George W. Bush's financial policies "lifted the yachts," but not the rest of the boats.

"I didn't come to criticize anybody, for the record. I came to share my views," Bush said in response. "I'm not used to the 9 o'clock food fight that starts bright and early here in Washington. I'm from Florida where we don't start that way in life. But it's great to be here."

Some other highlights:

*Bush said that until the hearing, he hadn't been asked his opinion on the automotive bailout or the bank bailouts. He told the committee he didn't support the auto bailout -- what he describes as "a form of capitalism where the government intervenes in a very muscular kind of way." The positions puts him in line with Romney. Bush did say, however, say that he thought some aspects of the bank bailout were necessary. Bush worked as a consultant for Lehman Brothers before its collapse, and currently serves as a senior adviser to Barclays Capital.

*He was asked by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Weston, whether he thought his move in 2003 to spend attract the Scripps Research Institute to Florida passed the cost-benefit analysis he had alluded to in his remarks. Wasserman Schultz, now the chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, was a Florida state senator at the time the deal was approved. She called his job projections for the project "massively overblown." Bush defended the plan, which devoted $310 million in state money for Scripps, a California nonprofit focused on medical breakthroughs. Palm Beach County contributed $187 million to the effort, which gave the nonprofit an East Coast presence. "In the life science sector, Florida's gone from being in the back of the pack to aspiring to top tier status," Bush said.

*He also said he likes idea of direct funding for campaigns, as opposed to funneling unlimited money through super PACs. Candidates should be allowed to accept unlimited money from donors, Bush said, but it should come with full transparency so voters know who's backing their elected officials.

Erika Bolstad, Miami Herald

Incoming Senate Prez Gaetz endorses Tom Lee in GOP primary

Mary Ellen Klas — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 17:28:58 +0000

In a statement emanating from the Republican Party of Florida, Senate President-designate Don Gaetz weighed in on one open GOP primary that was garnering some attention, the race to replace Sen. Ronda Storms. Gaetz is endorsing Tom Lee, the former Senate president from Brandon, over Rep. Rachel Burgin, also of Brandon. Retiring state Rep. Rich Glorioso, R-Plant City, announced yesterday that he will not be entering the race but will remain a candidate for Hillsborough County property appraiser.

Gaetz's statement:

"It is a special privilege for me to join with his friends and neighbors in the Tampa Bay area in endorsing Tom Lee for the Florida Senate. The unexpected departure of Senator Ronda Storms leaves her community and her district in need of strong leadership. In my view, Tom Lee is that strong leader.

"Senator Lee grew up and has spent his life in the community he seeks to represent. He knows firsthand the struggles and successes of being a small business owner. His beliefs reflect the conservative values and independent thinking of his neighbors.

"As a former senator and former Senate president, Tom brings solid experience and a track record of real accomplishments to Tallahassee. He will hit the ground running at full speed with the knowledge and skill to help build Florida’s future. Tom Lee will be a leader in the Florida Senate the moment he walks on the floor.

"Personally, I look forward to working closely with Senator Lee and relying on him for guidance and advice during my years as Senate President."

Jeff Brandes for Fla Senate - against Jack Latvala or Jim Frishe?

Adam C. Smith — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 17:00:40 +0000

State Rep. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, today filed to run for the Florida Senate, setting up a potentially bruising primary that could pit him either against state Rep. Jim Frishe, R-St. Petersburg, or state Sen. Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater.

"We need a strong leader to represent south Pinellas. I've shown leadership in the House and I bring a fresh perspective both as a small business owner and former military officer," said Brandes, 36.

Senate District 22 stretches across south Pinellas and about a quarter of it is in Hillsborough. No Democratic candidate has emerged yet.
The deadline for qualifying is in a week, and it's unclear which veteran legislator will face off against Brandes - Frishe or Latvala. Frishe has planned to run in District 22 and Latvala in the senate district encompassing north Pinellas, but both said Friday they may switch races.

"Jack and I still have to talk about that some," said Frishe, calling Brandes a "young and ambitious" candidate. "It's a redistricting year, so everybody's got to be a little flexible."

Likewise, Latvala called Brandes a "Johnny come lately" with nowhere near the community involvement or legislative experience as Latvala or Frishe.

"But we dont have millions of dollars in our pockets to blow and move up the ladder," he said, referring to Brandes' wealth as a member of the former Cox Lumber family.

"It's unfortunate that many local Republicans worked their heart out for him to win the house seat just two years ago, when he beat a very loyal guy in the community (Bill Heller) who had a lot of respect in the community just to become another one of those ladder climbers that can't get up the ladder fast enough. I think it's sad."

Democrat Mark Robert Moon last month filed to run in that senate district

Brandes' move sets up a potentially competitive race in his St. Petersburg state House district, where Republican former legislator Frank Farkas is considering running and Democrat Dwight Dudley has already announced. Republican Daryle Lee Hamel filed to run for the seat in January but has kept a low profile since.

County elections officials to halt controversial voter purge

Mary Ellen Klas — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 16:44:32 +0000

In light of the federal government's objections and a potentially flawed set of data, Florida's elections supervisors will stop using the error-prone list to purge non-citizens from the voting rolls, supervisors of elections officials said Friday.

"My advice under these circumstances, and based upon the previous issues that have been presented concerning the list, as well as the fact that the Department has indicated its intent to take further action to review its list to determine its validity, I recommend that Supervisors of Elections cease any further action until the issues raised by the Department of Justice are resolved between the parties or by a Court,'' wrote Ron Labasky, general counsel for Florida Association of Supervisors of Election. Download 2012.06.01_-_Legal_Update_to_Supervisors

Vicki Davis, Martin County Supervisor of Election and president of the association, told the Herald/Times she expects all 67 of Florida's elections officials to follow Labasky's advice.

"If supervisors do have reliable information that a voter is no longer eligible, then by all means we want them to process that voter accordingly,'' Davis said. "But from those they haven’t heard from or those that are questionable, we are saying just stop."

The decision comes a day after the U.S. Department of Justice ordered the state to stop its systematic attempt at cleaning the voter rolls saying that the effort appears to violate both the 1965 Voting Rights Act and a 1993 that requires the state to halt any purge of voter rolls 90 days before an election.

In a letter to the state's elections supervisors, Labasky urged them to refrain from continuing the flawed purge process which was started at Gov. Rick Scott’s direction in April.

The Department of State used a formula to determine that an estimated 180,000 voters were wrongly on the voter rolls, Labasky said, and flagged at least 2,700 potential noncitizens among them. The state then asked county elections supervisors to verify the list and remove those who are ineligible but county officials found the list was filed with inaccuracies, including listing many eligible voters as non-citizens.

About 58% of those flagged as potential noncitizens are Hispanics, Florida’s largest ethnic immigrant population, a Miami Herald analysis found. Hispanics make up 13 percent of the overall 11.3 million active registered voters.

"Ultimately, it's their call to make,'' said Chris Cate, spokesman for the Department of State said of the supervisors' decision. "We would encourage them, if they believe they have reliable information that someone is an ineligible voter, those persons should be removed."

The U.S. Department of Justice gave Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner until June 6 to respond their concerns. Cate said the department continues to believe it is operating within the law and will urge supervisors to continue to remove people from the list they deem ineligible.

“We will have a response to DOJ, but we are committed to doing the right thing and prevent ineligible voters from voting,’’ he said. “We have been following the law throughout this whole process.”

Detzner, however, blames the federal government for the inaccuracy of Florida's voting rolls, saying the Department of Homeland Security has a legal obligation to give the state access to its immigration data, from the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) Program, but has refused to give the state access.

"Some ofthe issues we have with the reliability of the information could be solved if we were able to get access to a Homeland Security database," Cate said.

Republican Party of Florida chairman Lenny Curry on Friday also came out swinging at the Obama administration.

"With a single phone call, President Obama could have the data from this federal program immediately released to the states," Curry said in a statement. "So, I ask all Floridians who care about the integrity of our elections to contact the White House immediately. Tell the President we need to stop illegal voters and need the SAVE data released today."

In a press release, the RPOF quoted SAVE's mission statement, which touts that the database provides "immigration status information to authorized agencies to assist them in maintaining the integrity of their programs."

Colorado as well as Florida officials have sought access to the information to help them better identify illegal voters.

Jeb Bush to Congress committee: 'Strong sense in business community...that the economy is stalling again'

Amy Hollyfield — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 14:15:45 +0000

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush told the House Budget Committee Friday morning that he fears the economy "is stalling again, and growing well below its historic potential." The Republican governor was invited to speak by the committee's chairman, Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., author of a budget despised by Democrats in part for its proposed changes to the Medicare program for seniors.

Ryan took an immediate political approach. President Barack Obama's policies "take us in the wrong direction," Ryan said, before introducing Bush. "He has called for higher hurdles and greater complexity in the tax code. He insists on wasteful spending on his political allies and regulatory monstrosities that protect the entrenched at the expense of the entrepreneur."

Not to be outdone, the top Democrat on the committee, Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., fired back. Former President George W. Bush's financial policies "lifted the yachts," Van Hollen scolded his brother, but not the rest of the boats.

Bush, perhaps unused to the partisan tone of House politics, told them he wasn't at the committee to criticize anyone, and said he wasn't used to the "9 am. food fight" that begins when the sun comes up in Washington. Politics don't get such an early start in Florida, Bush said.

Bush's full remarks:

Chairman Ryan, Vice Chairman Garrett and Ranking Member Van Hollen, and Members of the Committee.

Thank you for the opportunity to participate in this hearing.

I want to thank the committee for its focus today on the state of our economy.

It is safe to say that the weak economy is the dominant concern for Americans today. Americans can see with their own eyes and in their own communities that the economy is not growing like it should be. We are nearly three years past the end of the recession, and yet few Americans believe we have recovered from it, nor has our economy begun to grow at a healthy and sustainable level.

The kind of snap-back we have seen in every previous post-war recovery simply has not happened. Many people who lost jobs in the last four years have not returned to the workforce – millions have given up trying altogether and have withdrawn from the labor market.

Business owners who retrenched and cut costs have been very slow to invest in the hopes of future growth. The housing market remains weak. Commercial real estate is still weak in many areas.

What’s worse: There is a strong sense in the business community that the economy is stalling again, and growing well below its historic potential.

I recognize that the Members of this committee share a common awareness of the problems facing our economy. And you also share a common resolve to do your part to bring prosperity back to America.

The only question is how.

What do we need to do in these chambers, or in state capitols, to improve the outlook for job creation, business expansion and overall prosperity?

I would urge you to look carefully at your primary responsibility – to manage the budgetary affairs of the U.S. government – as the place to start.

At $3.8 trillion, the U.S. budget is a powerful force on the U.S. economy. Its sheer size means that entire industries – whether heavily regulated or not – operate in constant awareness of what you do here.

When you combine this budgetary power with the separate powers of taxation and regulation, the federal government wields significant influence over the economy, both directly and indirectly. It is not an overstatement to say that right now, the U.S. economy operates significantly at the direction and behest of the U.S. government, not the other way around.

I can think of no better example of this trend than the economic growth of the Washington D.C. area. The district and its surrounding area, is a picture of economic health and growth. Housing values within the Beltway have not fallen, as they have elsewhere.

There is a simple explanation for this: The near-constant growth of the main industry of this region – the federal government.

And while the growth of the federal government is healthy for this area, one has to ask at what cost it occurs? Every dollar spent in this area was taxed from somewhere else – or borrowed, and therefore not used on some other productive activity.

Let me be clear: I do not believe in a zero-sum economy. But I do believe that if the government gets bigger and more powerful, it largely does so at the expense of the rest of the economy, because government does not contribute to the economy the way the private sector does. A dollar spent on government services is not equivalent to a dollar of private sector investment.

Today’s federal government did not emerge out of the blue three years ago. Far from it. But there is no doubt that the growth of the U.S. government, as a share of the U.S. economy, has risen sharply in the past three years. Even when the economy began to grow, the government’s share was growing faster.

In many cases, the government’s growing size and influence was made possible by good intentions and hopeful policy ideas. Behind every spending program and every tax incentive and every regulation is an idea. It might sound good. It might in fact be a good idea.

But those good ideas, as well as the not-so-good ones, add up. And the cost of everything you do here – every line item, every rule, every carve-out and phase-out and earmark – drains activity and investment and creative effort out of the private sector of the economy.

That is why my best advice to you is to perform a fundamental cost-benefit reconsideration of many programs in the federal budget. Please know that no matter your good intentions, the government creates unintended consequences when it acts.

What would a cost-benefit analysis show? I read recently of the 49 different federal job training programs – and that the number of such programs continues to grow.

I wonder about that number. What do we, as taxpayers, get from 49 job training programs that 39 or 29 or just 9 couldn’t accomplish? I wonder as well about the people who need the job training. How do they know which one is right for them? And who runs these training programs – are they being measured on the success with which they get people retrained?

Do these 49 job-training programs operate with any sense that they could – and should - be closed if they fail? This is the daily worry of every business in America, but I would guess that not one of these programs ever worries that they will be put out of business by any of the other programs – or by their Congressional funders.

I wonder about what these job-training programs do, indirectly, to programs which are effective at providing focused skills training? Are we, by creating government programs, competing with those who actually do this work quite well in the private sector?

In this matter, the sheer size of Congressional ambition is one problem. But there are other problems, too. The complexity of the programs. The failure to see whether taxpayer money is well-spent. The likelihood is great that by setting up these programs, government may be keeping someone else from doing the work. Someone who might do the job better than the government can, build a business from it, hire employees, pay taxes on profits, and so on.

In short: When you try to solve one problem, you may not only fail – you may create several others.

Now if you multiply that one example across the economy, in multiple industries and multiple ways, it is not hard to see what will happen, and has happened.

The government, by growing in influence and extending itself into all corners of the economy, makes it less likely that enterprising business people will address social needs through some kind of business idea or business plan. So it’s not only that the government grows bigger through every program. Through the power of taxation and regulation, it also displaces the private economy – the innovators and inventors, the people who risk their own savings on a business idea, the established businesses who could grow but don’t.

The losses that follow are significant.

Someone recently asked a good question: What if the federal government tried to invent the mobile phone? What if Congress said: “People need to talk to each other and receive information while they are out and about, and we need to provide them that technology. So, let’s fund a bunch of research, and get people the tool they need.”

Well, you think, that didn’t happen and wouldn’t have happened. It sounds like an extreme example, but in reality, the federal government tries to invent solutions to people’s problems all the time. Problems far more complex than mobile phone technology. Many well-meaning programs in the federal budget have this exact flaw: They try to accomplish through government fiat what would be better done by individuals and businesses who have a vested stake – through the profit motive – in achieving success.

We see this in spending programs, and we see it in taxing programs as well. Tax policies that advantage certain economic activities are usually just another form of government spending and subsidy. And while they grant an advantage to some companies and industries, they tend to disadvantage other companies and industries.

There is a simple question of fairness that I pose to this committee: Why should a company pay taxes to support government subsidies for one of its competitors?

I understand that there may be political support for specific industries and companies. But we know from recent experience that the government is not good at picking winners and losers in the economy. And fundamentally, it’s not the job of government to pick winners and losers in the economy.

Again, I recognize why government tries to control the marketplace by sheer power and size. I recognize it because in my post-governorship life, I see it in the private sector as well.

Big businesses often struggle at innovation because they wrap innovation in a heavy veil of bureaucracy and groupthink. Good ideas bubble up from time to time, but it takes a special organization to recognize how to let it breathe, how to invest in its growth slowly, and how to let it struggle before demanding it return a profit. There are countless examples of great companies who fail to move with the market, simply because a smaller and more nimble competitor arrives first with the winning solution.

But in the private sector, when a big company is beaten to the punch, it either learns fast or gets smaller fast. That’s just how it is. Big companies routinely fail because they don’t adapt. And while we may bemoan the loss of capital and jobs that follows, we should remember that failure is a natural part of a competitive market.

Most successful business leaders experienced failure at some point in their careers. And there is little shame attached to the experience, provided one learns from it and improves after it.

The problem here is that the U.S. government will not fail. None of us will allow the government to fail.

Because the institutional bias within the U.S. government – especially the U.S. Congress – is not to punish policy failure, nothing is allowed to fail. What would occur in most private organizations and institutions – failure followed by defunding – simply doesn’t happen here.

And so I urge this committee to look carefully at all proposals to zero out programs that do not achieve their goals. A simple expectation – one that should not be terribly controversial. But I realize this will be a new concept to many federal programs I want to return to the rationale behind such a process. This is not simply about making government more efficient. Government efficiency and effectiveness is a worthwhile cause, and I applaud it.

I am speaking of a much more fundamental goal, which is to apply a constant break to the size of the government. To make the government a smaller part of the economy.

The impulse to do something here in Washington D.C., to resolve problems that exist in the country, is perfectly natural. But this impulse has only made government bigger, while the problems remain. We have to ask ourselves whether the status quo – an expensive and unaffordable status quo – is the best way to address the problems that the Congress has set for itself to solve.

I thank the Committee for its attention to these issues, and look forward to answering your questions.

Read more here: http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2012/06/jeb-bush-to-congress-strong-sense-in-business-communitythat-the-economy-is-stalling-again.html#storylink=cpy

-- Erika Bolstad, Miami Herald

Justice Department to Florida: Stop effort to purge voter rolls on noncitizens

Amy Hollyfield — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 11:27:34 +0000

The Justice Department ordered Florida's elections division to halt a systematic effort to find and purge the state's voter rolls of noncitizen voters.

Florida's effort appears to violate both the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which protects minorities, and the 1993 National Voter Registration Act, which governs voter purges, T. Christian Herren Jr., the Justice Department's lead civil rights lawyer, wrote in a letter sent late Thursday night.

State officials said they were reviewing the letter. But they indicated they might fight DOJ over its interpretation of federal law and expressed frustration that President Barack Obama's administration has stonewalled the state's noncitizen voter hunt for nine months.

"We are firmly committed to doing the right thing and preventing ineligible voters from being able to cast a ballot," said Chris Cate, spokesman for Secretary of State Ken Detzner, who was ordered by Gov. Rick Scott to conduct the search for potentially ineligible voters.

So far, Florida has flagged 2,700 potential noncitizen voters and sent the list to county elections supervisors, who have found the data and methodology to be flawed and problematic. The list of potential noncitizen voters — many of whom have turned out to be lawful citizens and voters — disproportionately hits minorities.

Story here.

Mitt Romney ramping up campaign in Fla

Adam C. Smith — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 03:16:46 +0000

As Mitt Romney ramps up his campaign in must-win Florida, he faces a daunting reality.

For 10 months, President Barack Obama has been steadily building a voter mobilization army here and now has about 100 paid staffers, 27 field offices and thousands of volunteers working almost every day to deliver Florida's 29 electoral votes. A click on Romney's Florida campaign website Thursday found no upcoming events in the state, while Obama's site showed 194 events within 40 miles of downtown Tampa.

Even in the face of that Obama campaign juggernaut, however, optimism abounds among Republicans across Florida. Veteran activists see the start of a Florida campaign operation far more robust than John McCain's anemic effort four years ago, and they see a Republican electorate fired up to defeat Obama.

"We've got volunteers everywhere, and I'm not blowing smoke,'' said Cindy Graves, a Republican activist in Jacksonville who leads the Florida Federation of Republican Women. "The difference between 2008 with (John) McCain and 2012 — I could cry with relief. The people running the Florida campaign today are professional, they're sharp, they're disciplined. It's like we have grownups in the room, people who know what they're doing and lots of enthusiasm from volunteers."

In a departure from past presidential campaigns in Florida, the Romney campaign and Republican National Committee are basing their headquarters for turning out voters in Tampa, rather than in Tallahassee with the state GOP. The "Victory" headquarters on Harbour Island just opened and is a two-minute drive from the Tampa Bay Times Forum, where Romney will accept the nomination in August.

"Placing the office in Tampa makes it easier to focus on the all-important I-4 corridor," said Molly Donlin, director of Romney's Florida campaign. "It also shows a willingness to think outside the box and not just do what every other presidential campaign in Florida has done."

Story here

PolitiFact: Top Florida Republican backs third-party voter registration changes

Brittany Davis — Thu, 31 May 2012 21:52:44 +0000

The controversial election law partially struck down by a federal judge Thursday is a frequent subject of political fodder.

Republican Party of Florida Chairman Lenny Curry jumped into the debate weeks ago by publishing this column in the Orlando Sentinel.

The law helps curb voter fraud (which is already quite rare), he argues.

Curry also rejected critics' concerns that new restrictions on third-party organizations that register voters are unnecessarily burdensome.

To defend his point, he said "more than 250 (voter registration) groups, ranging across the entire political spectrum, have filed with the state and are registering voters right now."

That's worth a fact check, we thought.

We rated the statement Half True. Click the links for the full explanation and source list.

Republican National Convention adds four seasoned political operatives

Richard Danielson — Thu, 31 May 2012 21:19:04 +0000

The Republican National Convention Thursday announced that it's hired four veteran political operatives to manage the official program, conduct floor operations and help support communications for the August 27-30 event.

“We’re extremely fortunate to be able to engage this tremendously savvy group,” convention CEO William Harris said in a statement announcing the hiring of:

• Todd Cranney, currently deputy political director for the Mitt Romney presidential campaign, as director of delegate outreach. Before joining the Romney campaign, Cranney was deputy campaign manager and political director for Meg Whitman’s 2010 campaign for governor of California. He was Romney’s 2008 western regional political director and served as field representative for the Bush-Cheney 2004 campaign in California and Nevada. Cranney began his political career as a staff assistant to Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah.

• Tony Feather as director of whip operations. Feather is a Missouri-based political professional specializing in grassroots voter contact. A principal in the firm FLS, Feather also served as political director for President George W. Bush’s 2000 campaign.

• Jim Dyke as senior advisor, a role that will include supporting convention communications. Dyke is a founder and president of the Washington-based firm JDA Frontline. Dyke has worked on four presidential campaigns, managed a congressional race and served as a senior advisor to President George W. Bush and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist. Before starting his own business, he served as communications director for the Republican National Committee.

• Anne Hathaway as convention program director. Hathaway, a former Republican National Committee chief of staff, is an Indiana-based campaign veteran whose experience ranges from volunteering in local congressional races to working in the White House, where she was an assistant to Vice President Dan Quayle.

Killing hogs with Dennis Ross

Adam C. Smith — Thu, 31 May 2012 20:03:14 +0000

National Journal: ZOLFO SPRINGS, Fla.—It’s 7:30 a.m., and already the congressman and I are covered in blood.

Mine trickles out of a crescent-shaped gash on my forehead. It hurts, but the lingering buzz from our predawn whiskey shot helps.

The blood on Rep. Dennis Ross belongs to a 95-pound wild hog whose head he is removing with a hand saw. The skull plops to the ground. Ross yanks off the animal’s skin and cuts open its belly with a bowie knife. He reaches inside and pulls out coils of slimy, gray intestines.

“It beats fundraising,” he says with a grin.

Story here

Federal judge strikes down part of new election law

stevebousquet — Thu, 31 May 2012 18:40:45 +0000

In a much-anticipated decision, U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle on Thursday struck down some provisions of a Florida elections law that imposed new restrictions on third-party groups that register new voters.

Hinkle's order said that a 48-hour deadline for groups to turn in new voter registration forms is "harsh and impractical." But he said most of the other provisions of the law can stand.

At issue are key elements of House Bill 1355, the elections code rewrite that passed the Legislature in the 2011 session. Following the restrictions on third-party voter registration, the League of Women Voters suspended all voter registration activity in Florida.

Sue Carlton column: GOP to Jim Norman: Who?

Amy Hollyfield — Thu, 31 May 2012 18:32:55 +0000

With the flurry over a property appraiser porn scandal and an attorney general's wedding-that-wasn't, you might have missed other intriguing political news, this about state Sen. Jim Norman and his future in Tallahassee.

You might have thought him unstoppable. He is, after all, the guy who made the leap from the Hillsborough County commission to the Senate despite all those headlines, despite a federal investigation and ethics questions about that vacation home bankrolled by a businessman friend for Norman's wife.

You might have assumed a smooth ride to a second term with the full support of his party, Florida politics being what they are.

But here's Norman in a real race and a fight for his political future — without, it seems, the full and fierce party backing incumbents traditionally enjoy.

Who would have thought it? No less than House Speaker Dean Cannon and Sen. Mike Fasano confirmed this week they are endorsing not Norman but the newcomer-to-the-race, State Rep. John Legg. More endorsements are expected to follow (though interestingly, no word from Norman's former commission pal Sen. Ronda Storms, who is running to replace the property appraiser in the porn scandal. Yes, you need a scorecard.)

Column here.

Rubio discusses 'non amnesty' Dream Act bill

Alex Leary — Thu, 31 May 2012 18:11:47 +0000

Sen. Marco Rubio on Fox News today noted several times that a Dream Act proposal he's working on does not create a special pathway to citizenship for children of illegal immigrants, another signal he's trying to frame the debate over a tricky issue. At one point the Florida Republican calls it the "non-amnesty" bill.

Rubio also said since his proposal has not yet been released that it would be unfair to push Mitt Romney to support it. "There are questions about my proposal legislation that haven't been answered yet, even for me. We're trying to figure out how many people this would apply to, whether it would cost any money ... ."

The Fox host also asks Rubio to respond to questions about his age and the VP. See vid for his response.

Poly support group: It's time to come together

Kim Wilmath — Thu, 31 May 2012 16:24:10 +0000

Florida Polytechnic, the state's 12th university, is here. So, no matter how you felt about the idea before it made its way through the Legislature, it's time to come together to support it. That was the message of the new Florida Poly Vision group that debuted Thursday in Lakeland.

"I think there's an awful lot of people here, regardless of where they stood before the decision was made, who are now saying, 'Look, this is an opportunity,'" said the group's leader, Cliff Otto, president of the Saddle Creek Corporation. "Whether we wanted it or not, it's here. Shame on us if we don't take advantage of it."

Without offering many details, the group said it would work to spread a positive message about Florida Polytechnic -- a school that was born into controversy. Students, faculty and the University of South Florida (from which the school is splitting off) opposed its creation. The issue divided Polk County and dominated the higher education landscape during the last Legislative session.

The new nonprofit group, said Otto, will serve as the voice of the new university until a Board of Trustees is set up (applications were due today). It will fill the void of a booster association, which established universities use primarily for fundraising, though later in the news conference, Otto said the group would not fundraise.

Membership is already 70 people strong and growing, he said, with business leaders from all across Polk County joining in.

"All of us are committed to creating a needed, positive voice," Otto said.

There was one voice that seemed to ring out loudest:

"Well," said Sen. JD Alexander, who pushed hardest to split the school off during his last term, "I hope you begin to see, this isn't about me. This is about the idea of how to move our economy and our region and our state forward."

For too long, Alexander said, Florida has lagged in the race to innovation. Harkening back to the start of his own college career at Georgia Tech, ("Where it was cool to be a nerd"), Alexander said the new Florida Polytechnic will help fill a gap in Florida's economic development.

Florida's current universities, he said, do not produce enough graduates in science, technology, engineering and math -- the main focus of the new university.

"We had 17 percent of graduates graduating in STEM eight years ago," Alexander said. "Seventeen percent are graduating in STEM now."

While the total number of STEM graduates has gone up during that time -- increasing 25 percent over just the past four years, according to data from the Florida Board of Governors -- the percentage of those STEM students as part of the total number graduates has hovered just under 18 percent, as regular enrollment has also grown. The BOG's recent accountability report touts that Florida is ranked No. 3 in the nation among university systems for undergraduate STEM degree production.

Poll shows Floridians remain divided over fate of casino gambling

Mary Ellen Klas — Thu, 31 May 2012 15:46:08 +0000

A new survey by Tampa pollster Paul Fallon shows that Floridians haven't budged too much from previous polls on their views about casino gambling: they're still deeply divided with 50 percent in support and 43 percent opposed. The percentage of people in support has grown, however, compared to a Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times poll in January which found that 44 percent of likely voters in Florida opposed casino gambling while 42 percent were opposed, with a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points.

Here's Fallon's assessment:

I just completed the spring installment of the quarterly Florida Omnibus SurveyTM for my various clients, and decided to also include a question to gauge general interest in the concept of allowing casinos to be built in areas that already have gaming. The results indicate that this is a highly-polarizing topic within Florida that divides voters among many lines, such as age, party, race and gender. Overall, 50% of voters supported the idea, while 43% opposed it and 7% were unsure. However, sub-group analysis tells a very different story, which illustrates the many political cross-currents affecting this issue.

For example, as the graphic insert illustrates, the idea was supported by a majority of men (56% to 39%), but opposed by a plurality of women (44% to 47%). Similarly, it was supported by a majority of 18-to-29 year olds (59% to 31%), but opposed by a plurality of senior citizens 60 years of age or older (44% to 47%). Results by political party paint another picture of how treacherous the topic may be, as it was supported by a majority of independents and voters of other minor parties or those who are unaffiliated (57% to 36%), and plurality of Democrats (48% to 42%), but Republicans were divided about it (48% to 48%). Moreover, a majority of white voters supported it (53% to 40%), while Hispanic/Latino voters were split (48% to 48%), and it was opposed by a majority of African-Americans (35% to 55%).

Although this was a concept test, and legislation or an amendment would look quite different, this data seems to presage the great difficulty that might be encountered in building a consensus about the idea. Please note that this question was not funded or commissioned by any candidate, organization, association or committee. It was included in the survey because I believe that this is a topical matter that may be of interest to people with whom I work and professionally associate. If you have any questions about this data or would like to discuss it, please feel free to call me at 813-283-2665.

This information is based on survey data that was gathered through telephone interviews that specially-trained opinion research interviewers conducted with 802 randomly-selected registered voters in the State of Florida who had valid residential or cellular telephone numbers and recent histories of voting in past even-year general elections. The interviews were performed during the period of May 23, 2012 through May 25, 2012. The overall estimated margin of sampling error is +/- 3.46%, based on a confidence level of 95%, although it varies for each individual question. This means that if this survey was repeated, 95 times out of 100 the results would be within plus or minus 3.46% of those provided herein. Adjustments were made to weight the results toward geographic and demographic characteristics of the state, in order to account for under- and over-sampling that normally occurs as a result of the random selection process, to ensure that all major sub-groups are represented in proportion to their actual percentages of the electorate

Attorney General Pam Bondi: 'We are blessed to be happily in love'

Tia Mitchell — Thu, 31 May 2012 14:32:37 +0000

After the Times/Herald published a story Wednesday night about Attorney General Pam Bondi's postponed wedding, Bondi got in touch by email from the Cayman Islands wanting to set the record straight about her relationship with ophthalmologist Greg Henderson.

They are still planning to marry, she said, and both are hurt by speculation that the cancellation of their destination wedding indicates trouble in paradise.

"We never dreamed we would be subjected to this contrived fabrication during such a joyful time in our lives," Bondi wrote. "Your 'speculative' statements are inaccurate and are without merit. We are blessed to be happily in love and are enjoying our life together."

Bondi has refused to clarify why she and Henderson made the last-minute decision despite repeated requests to do so.

That led outsiders to question whether the postponement reflects political positioning, the couple's desire to keep the events private, or a possible prenuptial disagreement. Bondi says any speculation that her relationship is in trouble is inaccurate.

The couple is currently vacationing together at an undisclosed location. Via Bondi's email account, Henderson confirmed that the relationship is going strong: "We are enjoying a happy and blessed trip and are deeply in love with each other."

JD Alexander, other elected officials, to attend Florida Poly Vision unveling

Kim Wilmath — Thu, 31 May 2012 13:51:13 +0000

No surprise here.

Sen. JD Alexander, who was able to push his pitch to create the 12th university through the Legislature and past Gov. Rick Scott's signature, will attend a press conference today in Lakeland announcing a new Florida Polytechnic support group.

The PR firm handling the event, which has also represented Alexander, sent out a revised news release Thursday morning, alerting media that several elected officials will be in attendance.

Those include: Alexander; Rep. Ben Albritton (R-Bartow); Rep. Kelli Stargel (R-Lakeland); Winter Haven Mayor James H. Powell; Auburndale Mayor Jack Myers, who previously worked as a consultant at the University of South Florida Polytechnic (pre-independence push); and Polk County commissioners Melony Bell, R. Todd Dantzler, Bob English and Edwin Smith.

The group, according to PR director Sarah Bascom, will help drum up fundraising the way booster or alumni associations at established universities do, said Sarah Bascom. It will also be available "to serve as hosts to visitors, a positive voice of support in the media, host round table community discussions and help spread the word that Polk County is excited and ready to help Polytechnic reach its needed benchmarks," Bascom said in an e-mail.

A web site devoted to the effort is counting down the minutes until the 11 a.m. news conference.

Vern Buchanan reserves $4-million in TV time in Tampa Bay

Adam C. Smith — Thu, 31 May 2012 12:45:52 +0000

U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Sarasota, may be engulfed in legal and ethical controversies, but the multimillionaire businessman has the money to virtually drown out rivals. Politico reports that he's reserved $4-million in Tampa Bay TV time for late summer and early fall.

Here's the memo about the buy

“Representative Vern Buchanan is on the ropes. Under constant investigation for ethical misconduct and financial improprieties. Abandoned by his party leadership. Laboring at home under his mind-boggling vote to turn Medicare over to the private insurance companies. Spending money on TV is all he has left, even as the people of the Suncoast are unlikely to trust what they see when Representative Buchanan's ads go on the air,” said Adam Scott, Keith Fitzgerald’s campaign manager.

Attorney General Pam Bondi's Cayman trip looked like a wedding; many wonder why it wasn't

Tia Mitchell — Thu, 31 May 2012 00:43:10 +0000

It looked like a wedding. (Photo courtesy of Ryan Joseph Photographs)

Sixty or 70 guests at a luxury Caribbean resort, including the governor and a former Tampa mayor. A beaming bride in a white dress with a flower in her hair. A photographer flown in to take pictures of the smiling couple with aqua water behind them.

But Attorney General Pam Bondi says no ceremony took place at the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman on Saturday. And many questions remain about when and why Bondi made the last-minute decision not to get married.

Did Bondi bow to conservative critics who felt her jaunt across seas was politically tone deaf? The 46-year-old now says she will be wed in a small, private ceremony at a Tampa-area Baptist church.

Did leaks on gossip blogs and social media sites cause the couple to shy from the publicity? A photo of Bondi serving cocktails during the plane ride to the Cayman Islands quickly made the rounds online.

Or is something more personal and heartbreaking involved? Bondi and her fiance, 62-year-old ophthalmologist Greg Henderson, spent the weekend entertaining family and friends and are still on vacation together. But that hasn't stopped people from wondering whether one of the two got cold feet or if there was a prenuptial disagreement.

The first details discussed publicly came from an unlikely source: state Sen. Paula Dockery, who coincidentally was on the same commercial flight to the Cayman Islands on Thursday. She snapped a picture of Bondi serving cocktails to the wedding party and posted it on her Facebook page.

"She looked so happy and I asked permission to take a picture and post on FB," Dockery told the Times/Herald in a Twitter exchange. "My intent was to share her joy with others."

South Florida blogger Jose Lambiet caught wind of Dockery's post and followed up with a call to the Ritz-Carlton. He said a staffer confirmed the details, which he posted on his Gossip Extra website.

"She said the wedding was at 5 o'clock on Saturday and they were at rehearsal" during the time he called Friday, Lambiet said.

Things changed the next day. Hotel staff denied Bondi or Henderson were guests when Lambiet called again and there was no longer mention of a ceremony.

"Saturday I got to thinking, there is something cooking there," he said.

5 things to watch in the 2012 election

Amy Hollyfield — Thu, 31 May 2012 00:40:13 +0000

President Barack Obama phoned Mitt Romney on Wednesday to congratulate him on clinching the Republican nomination. For awhile during the volatile primary season, it looked iffy whether the former Massachusetts governor would win the necessary 1,144 delegates before the convention in Tampa, but he did with an overwhelming victory Tuesday in the Texas primary.

Now we have a presidential race that could go either way. Obama leads Romney by just 2 percentage points in the average of recent national polls compiled by RealClearPolitics. Republicans eager to unseat Obama are coalescing behind their nominee and in stark contrast to four years ago, it's likely Romney and other GOP groups will wind up outspending Democrats.

Nobody can predict with any confidence what will happen in 160 days, but here are five things we'll be watching.

Column by Times political editor Adam C. Smith here.

Alberto Gonzales: Rubio lacks the "wisdom" to be VP

Adam C. Smith — Wed, 30 May 2012 21:55:43 +0000

Yeesh. Did Marco Rubio do something to antagonize the first Hispanic Attorney General? Alberto Gonzales has dismissed the notion of Marco Rubio for vice president before, and now he's at it again. Here's an excerpt from his interview to air in a few minutes on CNN’s John King, USA:

GONZALES: If I were the nominee the person I would look to put on the ticket would be the person I know -- they want -- could be as president. As I look at the slate of candidates, there are a number of good people from the Republican Party who have more experience (than Marco Rubio) and would be better suited on day one and if you combine that with the principle that I don’t think Hispanics are going to vote for a nominee based upon who is number two on the ticket. I think it behooves Governor Romney to look at other candidates. ...

KING: But what you’ve said in the past, you’ve just hinted at it in more diplomatic language right now is you don’t think he meets the number one test to be ready to be president, why?

GONZALES: Again he’s extremely talented and I honor his service. But I think the job of president, and I’ve seen it first hand - how hard it can be. And how important it is to have someone with wisdom. Wisdom comes from experience. It comes from living, comes from success, comes from failure. And I think the country needs to have people in positions of leadership who have that level of experience that’s important to serve effectively as president and as vice president.

George LeMieux on Reagan's 11th Commandment and what he knew about Jim Greer's contract

Adam C. Smith — Wed, 30 May 2012 19:12:13 +0000

Republican U.S. Senate candidate George LeMieux appeared Sunday on Political Connections on Bay News 9. The full interview can be seen in Tampa Bay on Ch. 342-Bay News 9 on Demand, but here's a clip.

Obama's new Spanish ad in Fla

Adam C. Smith — Wed, 30 May 2012 18:36:37 +0000

The Barack Obama campaign has a new Spanish language ad airing in Florida. It features Lynnette Acosta, an Orlando campaign volunteer. The script:

The tenacity and perseverance of the President…those are values very similar to those of the Hispanic community. He helped the auto industry…
He has continued to reform the financial industry and Wall Street. And it has now been more than two years of job growth.
We still have not arrived at where we want to be. But we know that we’re on the right path.

Then President Obama: We don’t give up here in America. We get up. We get each other’s back. We help each other get ahead. I’m Barack Obama and I approve this Message.

Allen West: "Let's talk about the president doing blow"

Adam C. Smith — Wed, 30 May 2012 15:22:28 +0000

Asked at a recent town hall meeting about being disciplined years ago for firing his firearm beside a prisoner in Iraq the never dull Allen West, pivoted to Barack Obama's past drug use.

Polk group to unveil "new support system" for Florida Poly

Kim Wilmath — Wed, 30 May 2012 14:08:30 +0000

Coming on the heels of a Board of Governors meeting, where state leaders heard about Florida Polytechnic's uphill battle as it embarks on independence, a group of Polk County community leaders are now announcing a "new support system," for the new university.

Florida Poly Vision, Inc., according to a news release, has 60 members so far, with the aim of giving Florida Polytechnic "a much needed voice." Participants include local business folks, such as Cliff Otto, president of the Saddle Creek Corporation, Victor Story, president of the Story Companies, Alice Hunt, VP of Hunt Construction of Central Florida, and Ingram Leedy, CEO of iThink Partners, LLC.

On Thursday they'll unveil details of their mission at the United Way of Central Florida building in Lakeland. A new web site for the group is counting down the minutes until that event.

Coincidentally, the public relations firm handling the group, Bascom Communications and Consulting, has also represented departing Senate budget chairman JD Alexander.

Alexander, who just ended his final session in the Senate due to term limits, used his last stint to push Florida Polytechnic to independence. It was a move mired in controversy, as it leap-frogged a plan laid out by the Florida Board of Governors to create FPU out of the USF Polytechnic campus in Lakeland after meeting certain benchmarks. It was opposed by students, faculty and USF officials.

Meanwhile, applications are still coming in to the Board of Governors and Gov. Rick Scott's office for appointment to the new 11-member Florida Polytechnic Board of Trustees. As of late Tuesday night, the Board of Governors had received 15 applicants for the five slots it controls:

Tim Bach, from Apopka, the president of Patterson/Bach Communications Agency
Joshua Keith Brown, from Auberndale, an attorney with the Peterson & Myers law firm in Polk
Gary Clark, an independent financial consultant from Lakeland
Tom Cloud, an Orlando lawyer with the Gray Robinson law firm, which represented an effort Alexander pushed a few years ago to build a road through central Florida, the Heartland Parkway, and also represented the Williams Company, which donated the land for the new Polytechnic campus to USF prior to the independence push
Robert Ernst, an Auburndale business analyst with the Pallet One, Inc., manufacturing firm
Robert F. English, a Polk County commissioner and the CEO of manufacturing company Valiant Products
Robert LeGrand Gardner, a current instructor at the campus formerly known as USF Polytechnic, who studied at Virginia Polytechnic Institute
Richard Paul Hallion, Jr., a research associate in aeronautics for the National Air & Space Museum and Smithsonian Institute
Robert Owen Kincart, a Lakeland scientist and president of the American Compliance Technology science and engineering firm
Thomas Roe Oldt, of Winter Haven, president of Thomas Oldt Investment Services
Maurice A. Raymond, a retired University of Florida chemistry professor from Lakeland, whose last position was director of research and development with Rhone-Poulenc chemistry company in 1995
Christopher David Russo, an Auburdale attorney with Moody Law
Robert Peter Scaringe, of Rockledge, president and CEO of Mainstream Engineering Corporation
Richard Labilb Shaheen, of Jupiter, a senior director of engineering and technical services for Florida Power & Light
Jonathan Wade Thompson, a Lakeland physical therapist with Bond Clinic in Winter Haven

The latest we heard from the Governor's office, there were five applicants for the six slots Scott can appoint, including two that had also applied with the BOG. We are waiting on an update.

TBTimes Editorial: Scott and Vinyard owe state explanation on wetlands

Joni James — Wed, 30 May 2012 13:29:15 +0000

Editorial in Wednesday's Tampa Bay Times: "Wetlands are fragile things, and in recent years Florida has done a horrible job of protecting them. But under Gov. Rick Scott, there are no limits to how far the state will go to change the rules to help big landowners make millions at the environment's expense. The governor and Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Herschel Vinyard should explain why the state's top wetlands expert has been suspended after using science reflected in state law to deny a permit to a well-connected landowner. The administration's integrity is as at risk as the wetlands that are being ignored...."

Full editorial here.

How did David Rivera's mom get $25k from GOP?

Adam C. Smith — Wed, 30 May 2012 02:34:58 +0000

Buried amid the records compiled in the recently concluded criminal probe of Republican Congressman David Rivera is a $50,000 mystery.
Why did an obscure Republican organization pay $25,000 in 2006 to a defunct company founded by Rivera's mother? Why did a political consultant with close ties to Rivera receive another $25,000 on the very same day? And where did the money come from in the first place?

Further adding to the mystery: The Republican Party of Florida reportedly made a $50,000 payment to a Central Florida nonprofit group - money the group never received - on the same day the payments went to Rivera's mother and consultant. Are the payments connected?

These questions are among many left unanswered after an 18-month investigation of Rivera's finances by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office, a probe prosecutors concluded last month without filing charges against the Miami lawmaker.

Investigators suspected Rivera of misusing campaign funds and concealing money he received while working as a consultant for a dog track seeking voter approval for slot machines in Miami-Dade County. Rivera, who was elected to Congress in 2010 after eight years in the Florida House of Representatives, has denied any wrongdoing, and lambasted the investigation as flawed. He remains under investigation by the FBI and the Internal Revenue Service.

Story here.

Read more here: http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2012/05/the-50000-mystery-over-the-republican-national-hispanic-assembly-the-rpof-and-david-rivera.html#storylink=cpy

Translation? Jeb very open to VP

Adam C. Smith — Tue, 29 May 2012 22:49:14 +0000

UPDATE: Bush spokeswoman Jaryn Emhof says she reached out to that Italian paper to set the record straight because Bush never did an interview with them. Turns out the paper used quotes that Bush gave NewsMax months ago and which were reported in this Miami Herald piece.

"Nothing has changed, Gov Bush will not be candidate for VP," Emhof said.

---

Jeb Bush has been mostly dismissive about the endless questions about him becoming Mitt Romney's running mate but in an interview in Italy, the former Florida governor sounded wide open to that prospect. Here's the answer he gave to the online Italian newspaper Linkiesta, translated by Italian-fluent friends of the Buzz:

“If Romney would offer me the post of vice president, I would consider the proposal with great interest. But I don’t think he will choose me. I have a lot of respect for Mitt, and it would be a duty to help him defeat (Barack) Obama.

“We have to develop a culture of inclusion without barriers. Let’s be open, even to the immigrants.”

State back in court, fighting to privatize inmate care

stevebousquet — Tue, 29 May 2012 20:52:35 +0000

Gov. Rick Scott's administration was back in a familiar place Tuesday -- a Florida courtroom -- as it fights to privatize all medical care for the state's 100,000 prison inmates. Two labor unions are challenging the constitutionality of the Legislature's decision in 2011 to mandate the outsourcing of all inmate health care through budget language known as proviso, not by passing a stand-alone bill.

The state says this is legal. Two labor unions say it's not. The Florida Nurses Association and American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees sued the state, employing many of the same arguments another union used last year in its successful challenge to the planned privatization of South Florida prisons.

Circuit Judge Kevin Carroll in Tallahassee listened to two hours of arguments but did not render a decision.

The talk in the courtroom was all legalese about the constitutionality of the proviso, but this case is really about jobs, and people such as Doreen Von Oven, a licensed practical nurse (LPN) at Santa Rosa Correctional Institution in Milton. After six-and-a-half years there, she's earning $33,488 a year. She likes her job and worries about losing pay, benefits and job security if her job is privatized.

"I have a lot at stake," said Von Oven, whose husband retired from the prison system for medical reasons, which requires her to provide insurance for her family. "My own personal belief is that I don't believe that any part of incarceration should be a for-profit thing. We have a responsibility to take care of inmates and provide proper health care."

'14 Fla Gov Poll: Charlie Crist 48 percent, Rick Scott 34%

Adam C. Smith — Tue, 29 May 2012 19:51:47 +0000

Wayne Bertsch sends us this intriguing May 23-25 statewide poll of registered voters by (MoE +/- 3.46%) Florida Opinion Research, asking about a Crist vs Scott match up (Assuming Crist runs as a Democrat and wins the nomination).

Rick Scott 34.1%
Charlie Crist 48.1%
Other 5.0%
Don't Know/Refused 12.8%

To break the numbers down, obviously Republicans stick with Gov. Scott at 60.3% and garnering only 21.6 of the unaffiliated voters. The pop factor is that Gov. Charlie Crist grabs 74.2% of the Democrat vote and 52.2% of the unaffiliated voters.

A few other breakdowns of interest:African-Americans - 88.1% support CristWhite's - 43.4% Crist, 39.4% ScottHispanic - 37.9% Scott, 35.3 Crist, while 23% stated Do Not Know.

Gender: Crist leads Men 45% to Scott's 39%. Women 51% support Crist to Scott's 30%.

As for Age breakdowns, Crist led all categories: 18-29: 52% to 27%; 30-44: 44% to 38%; 45-59: 55% to 28%; 60+: 45% to 38%

Who will be the next Fla Democratic Chair?

Adam C. Smith — Tue, 29 May 2012 18:55:26 +0000

Florida Democratic Chairman Rod Smith has made it clear he will not seek another term as chairman after November's election, so who is his likely replacement?

So far, we hear mainly about three main contenders for the next party chairman: Hillsborough State Committeeman and DNC member Alan Clendenin; Palm Beach Democratic Chairman Mark Alan Siegel; and outgoing state Rep. Scott Randolph of Orlando

Connie Mack announces state co-chairs

Adam C. Smith — Tue, 29 May 2012 18:22:46 +0000

Connie Mack statement on his campaign co-chairs: “I am proud that these distinguished conservative leaders from all across Florida have agreed to lead my campaign to balance America's budget and stand up for America's constitutional rights. These are the areas in which Bill Nelson has most failed us, and I am confident that with this team, we will be able to defeat the Obama-Nelson liberal agenda. Our leadership group is representative of several different Republican movements in the last decade, and they will help us take our message to all precincts in all corners of Florida.”

The chairs:

Allan Bense
Speaker, Florida House of Representatives, 2004-2006
Panama City, FL

Jeb Bush, Jr.
Chief Operating Officer, Jeb Bush & Associates
Chairman, Friends of St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital
Miami, FL

Charles Bronson
Florida Agriculture Commissioner, 2001-2006
Kissimmee, FL

Dr. Stephanie Haridopolos
Board Certified Physician in Family Practice
Melbourne, FL

Bill McCollum
Florida Attorney General, 2007-2011
U.S. House of Representatives, 1981 - 2001
Orlando, Florida

Miya Burt-Stewart
Founding Member of M.D. Stewart and Associates, Inc.
Managing Partner of M.D. Stewart Development Group, Inc.
Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Stanley Tate
Chairman, Tate Capital
North Miami, FL

Senator John Thrasher
Florida State Senate
RPOF Chairman, 2010 - 2011

Rubio at GITMO

Alex Leary — Tue, 29 May 2012 15:59:38 +0000

Sen. Marco Rubio is at U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, his office said.

"As a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Sen. Rubio is traveling to Guantanamo Bay to conduct oversight of the facility, tour the base, and meet with the commander of Joint Task Force Guantanamo Bay. This visit will allow Sen. Rubio an opportunity to better understand the role Guantanamo Bay plays in US detention operations, and examine how the military commission process for trying the terrorists housed there is proceeding," according to his office.

It's his first trip to Cuba.

Orlando Rep. Scott Randolph won't seek re-election

stevebousquet — Tue, 29 May 2012 14:44:42 +0000

Rep. Scott Randolph, an Orlando Democrat who has been an outspoken partisan in his six years in the Legislature, won't seek re-election, he said Tuesday. He said he's leaving the House because his re-designed District 47 is comprised mostly of people he has not previously represented, and he endorsed fellow Democrat Linda Stewart as his successor.

Randolph was never shy about bashing what he viewed as an extreme right-wing political agenda in Tallahassee. The GOP leadership once reprimanded him for using the word "uterus" during floor debate on an abortion bill.

Randolph, who also serves as chairman of the Orange County Democratic Party, says he'll focus on getting Democrats elected and in fighting "the radical agenda of the current legislative leadership in Tallahassee." He plans to seek the chairmanship of the Florida Democratic Party in 2013. His exit further depletes the experience in the 38-member House Democratic Caucus, soon to be led by Rep. Perry Thurston of Fort Lauderdale.

In a statement, Randolph said: "I believe it would be unfair to those constituents for me to focus heavily on non-legislative matters, as well as unfair to the Florida Democratic Party -- should I be elected chair -- not to be exclusively focused on strengthening the party to defeat Rick Scott in 2014."

Daniel Ruth column: What's Spanish for 'Gov. Goofball?'

Amy Hollyfield — Tue, 29 May 2012 13:21:27 +0000

It's fair to say that should Mitt Romney win the presidency, the prospects of Gov. Rick Scott being named ambassador to Spain are somewhere between hapless duffer Charles Barkley winning the U.S. Open and Unabomber Ted Kaczynski being granted parole.

Scott just returned from a Comedy Central mission to Spain, where the governor managed to double down on stupid by: a) making an embarrassed King Juan Carlos squirm more than Nick Nolte posing for a mug shot, and b) once again turning himself (and Florida) into an international punch line.

Gov. Ralph Kramden burst into a meeting with the king blurting out: "I've ridden elephants, I've never shot one," before a mortified Carlos could utter a word.

As diplomatic gaffes go, this might have been right up there with former Russian President Boris Yeltsin, who having been overserved, was found wandering around in front of Blair House in Washington wearing only his underwear looking for a slice of pizza.

Column here.

John Romano column: Imagine a state that protects the environment

Amy Hollyfield — Tue, 29 May 2012 13:16:41 +0000

Imagine you are a boss in the Department of Environmental Protection.

It is your job to preserve the state's wetlands. To ensure water quality is never compromised, and developers do not destroy that which makes Florida unique.

So now one of your experts is telling you an investment company is trying to pull a fast one. That it is claiming a batch of land it owns is valuable wetlands property.

Your expert says most of the land does not qualify as wetlands, and it's neither legal nor wise to take the landowner's word that improvements to the environment will be made.

So what do you do?

Do you compliment your employee on the thoroughness of her work? Do you praise her integrity for refusing to bow to political pressure on this deal?

If you are Deputy Secretary Jeff Littlejohn, you suspend your expert and clear the path for the investment company to recoup the millions of dollars it has spent on this land deal, according to an outstanding report by the Times' Craig Pittman on Monday.

Column here.

Austerity hits Tampa convention party planning

Adam C. Smith — Tue, 29 May 2012 02:26:41 +0000

POLITICO: Republicans aren't living up to their moniker — the Grand Old Party — at this summer's national convention.

Pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca, Time Warner and United Airlines aren't on hosting duty. Trade groups like the American Chemistry Council, the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association and the International Franchise Association are planning on staying home as well.

Many of the K Street outfits that are going plan to cut back from years past — hosting lunches instead of blowout parties, for instance.

The combination of tight corporate budgets, ethics rules and unappealing weather — the average high for Tampa in August is 90 degrees — and it's a recipe for trade groups and lobbyists to spend time anywhere but Florida. Plus, Mitt Romney is anything but a creature of Washington, making him less of a draw for the inside the Beltway crowd.

The strict Democratic convention rules, which don't allow corporate contributions, are also dissuading companies from getting involved in Tampa because they are concerned about maintaining parity among Republican and Democratic activities.

Image also plays a role; splashy parties filled with high-end booze and late night revelry is an awkward fit with the austerity message the Romney campaign and congressional Republicans are spreading in their quest to win the White House and control of the Senate. And it's hard to justify spending thousands of dollars on parties when money is tight elsewhere.

Story here

Counties, Florida making progress over Medicaid billing problem; lawsuit still looms

Amy Hollyfield — Mon, 28 May 2012 19:31:41 +0000

County officials across Florida say they appreciate a new level of openness with the state regarding a long-running dispute about unpaid Medicaid bills.

But for most it's too little, too late.

Broward County Commissioner Lois Wexler said she spent two years meeting with Agency for Health Care Administration officials about the error-prone billing system that caused the county to question a chunk of the bills it received. But nothing ever got done, and Broward's backlog grew by tens of millions.

When Gov. Rick Scott signed into law new rules that require counties to pay up — to the tune of $325.5 million — he also directed AHCA to meet with counties to determine what they truly owed. Only what is agreed upon will have to be paid, the governor said.

Even with those assurances, 53 counties and the Florida Association of Counties sued the state and asked that the law be declared unconstitutional. Wexler said she isn't convinced that more conversations with AHCA will be enough to solve the problem.

"I did this," she said. "I went down this road before. We've had these conversations. We brought the documentation. We brought the data."

Story here.

Steve Bousquet column: One woman's experience in Florida's targeting of noncitizen voters

Amy Hollyfield — Mon, 28 May 2012 19:28:35 +0000

She's the prototypical Tampa Bay resident in many ways.

Born in Cleveland, she fled for the warmth of Pasco County. She's a Republican who works in sales, loves fishing and the beach, and she'll turn 49 next month.

The daughter of Cuban-born parents, she's Hispanic, part of the fastest-growing minority in Florida, and has a long, hyphenated name: Manoly Castro-Williamson.

"Manoly cannoli," she jokes when people don't know how to say it. "Then everybody thinks it's Italian, which it's not. It's Spanish." Manoly is a nickname for Manuela, she said.

Oh yeah, one more thing: Florida falsely accused her of not being a U.S. citizen.

For reasons she can't fathom, her name got on the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles' list of 2,700 suspected noncitizens who may be voting illegally in Florida.

It was a mistake.

Column here.

Burgin will compete against Lee to replace Storms in state Senate

Bill Varian — Mon, 28 May 2012 15:43:21 +0000

State Rep. Rachel Burgin says she will indeed run for the state Senate seat being vacated by her friend, Ronda Storms.

In doing so, Burgin will abandon what was likely a relatively safe reelection bid to take on former Senate President Tom Lee, who announced Friday night, shortly after Storms said she was leaving to take on embattled Hillsborough Property Appraiser Rob Turner. Burgin has previously said she's not intimidated by any candidate.

"The Senate needs true leaders that are willing to take a stand on behalf of the constituents they represent not just the special interests that may want their vote," Burgin said in a news release. "The people of Florida have told us they want fresh faces, good morals, strong ethics and hard workers in Tallahassee who refuse to participate in politics as usual. As I run this race I will work hard to listen and continue to represent the residents of our community in the Florida Senate."

The news release is attached.

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Remember the sacrifice

Adam C. Smith — Mon, 28 May 2012 13:51:33 +0000

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

State suspends wetlands expert for balking at issuing permit

Adam C. Smith — Mon, 28 May 2012 13:39:38 +0000

Florida's top state wetlands expert has been suspended after she refused to issue a permit on a controversial project — one that she said her boss was willing to bend the rules to approve.

The project: turning a North Florida pine plantation into a business that attempts to make up for wetlands that are wiped out by new roads and development. At stake: millions of dollars in wetland "credits" that can be sold to government and developers.

The problem, according to a May 9 memo from Department of Environmental Protection wetlands expert Connie Bersok, is that the owners want the DEP to give them lots of wetland credits for land that isn't wet.

Story here

Winner and loser of the week in Fla politics

Adam C. Smith — Mon, 28 May 2012 13:33:33 +0000

Loser of the week: Rick Scott. Governor, it's fine to travel abroad constantly in the name of recruiting jobs and investment. Just, please, don't embarrass us. The king of Spain is under fire for hunting elephants during economic turmoil, and you publicly marvel at his elephant hunting during a photo op? Really? If you meet with Bill Clinton before the TV cameras, are you going to start chatting about office interns?

Loser of the week 2: Rob Turner. He has been Hillsborough County property appraiser for 16 years, but apparently failed to grasp a simple concept. Six words: Sending porn to employees is unwise. Good luck with your re-election, Rob

Sen. Bill Nelson's cautious approach comes with heavy emphasis on low-hanging fruit

Alex Leary — Sun, 27 May 2012 17:26:44 +0000

WASHINGTON — The world's greatest deliberative body faces monumental decisions on issues ranging from crushing debt to nukes in Iran. But U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson is more likely to be seen fighting monster snakes.

During 12 years in the Senate, the Florida Democrat has maintained a tight focus on the state, rarely missing an opportunity to exploit headlines or take up populist causes, whether sounding alarms over Burmese pythons in the Everglades or Chinese drywall or demanding pensions for ex-Negro League ballplayers in Tampa.

"He is a connoisseur of low-hanging fruit," said Florida Republican strategist J.M. "Mac" Stipanovich. "The best way to win elections is to not do anything hard. Take the easy issue of the moment, kind of the effervescence, climb all over it and then wait for the next one. You can always find Bill Nelson on the side of the momentary majority, well down in front near the cameras."

After former NFL players were arrested in Miami on charges of cashing fraudulently obtained tax-refund checks, Nelson traveled there this month to meet a victim. When debate heated up over extending low interest rates on student loans, Nelson visited college campuses in Gainesville and Tampa.

Toxic playgrounds? Nelson files bill to ban arsenic-treated wood.

Cops shot in St. Petersburg? Nelson seeks funding for high-tech equipment that can "see through" walls.

Newspaper story about high rents for military personnel at MacDill Air Force Base? Nelson demands congressional investigation.

Gas prices up? Nelson calls for a crackdown on oil speculators.

"It's your responsibility no matter how small it is to stand up for what you think is right," Nelson said. "Someone who shirks that kind of duty is not representing their people."

Story here.

Update: Pam Bondi isn't getting married after all (yet)

Amy Hollyfield — Sat, 26 May 2012 21:41:57 +0000

Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi and her fiance are waiting a few more weeks to tie the knot.

Instead of a wedding ceremony Saturday afternoon in the Cayman Islands, Bondi and Tampa opthamologist Greg Henderson, left, will "make it official in several weeks when all our family members can be there," Bondi said when reached at the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman.

An event being held Saturday evening will be a "celebration of upcoming nuptials," Bondi said.

The wedding ultimately will be "small, private and in a Baptist church soon" in the Tampa area, she added.

In the meantime, she said, "We are thrilled to be here having the time of our lives."

Among those who joined Bondi and Henderson this weekend are Gov. Rick Scott and his wife, Ann; South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson; Hillsborough State Attorney Mark Ober; and Kim and John Kirtley. Kim Kirtley was the communications director for Bondi's campaign when she ran for attorney general.

Although the AG apparently tried to keep the event a secret, state Sen. Paula Dockery let the cat out of the bag on her Facebook page Thursday when she reported seeing Bondi at Tampa International Airport and being on the same flight to the islands.

Dockery also posted the above photo of Bondi playing flight attendant during the trip.

Former Senate President Tom Lee announces he'll run for Storms' seat

Bill Varian — Fri, 25 May 2012 22:42:21 +0000

Former Senate President Tom Lee announced late Friday that he will indeed run for the seat being vacated by Ronda Storms. That probably makes him the instant favorite, curiously makes him a leading player in Senate presidency race between Jack Latvala and John Thrasher in 2016 and scares out some of the others giving the seat a look.

See the news release below.

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BOG gets five more applicants for Florida Poly board

Kim Wilmath — Fri, 25 May 2012 21:20:58 +0000

With a week left until the application deadline, five more people have thrown their hats in the ring for the new Florida Polytechnic University Board of Trustees:

- Joshua Keith Brown, from Auburndale

- Robert F. English, from Lakeland

- Robert Owen Kincart, from Lakeland

- Richard Labib Shaheen, from Jupiter

- Jonathan Wade Thompson, from Lakeland

Those, submitted to the Board of Governors, are in addition to four who applied with the BOG's office last week. The university system governing board can appoint five people to the 11-member FPU Board of Trustees.

The Governor's office, which at last count received five applications, can appoint six.

Both entities have called for a "nationwide" response to the search. So far, all the applicants are from Florida, with most of them being from Polk County or areas nearby.