2ND ROUND OF FAILED MAPS HIT THE HOUSE

FL Senate redistricting maps fail standards again [Bradenton Herald editorial] “Should the Supreme Court rule this version unconstitutional, justices themselves will take on the map-making task. These boundaries should be judged invalid over incumbent and party protection.”

Why doesn’t Will Weatherford just blow up the Senate’s entire damn redistricting plan!?! [SaintPetersBlog] “Maybe it’s time for Weatherford to say, ‘Look, Don, I was crossing my fingers when I first made that promise…’In fact, Gaetz should be pleading with Weatherford to blow up the Senate’s plan for him.  Few Senators think their plan is going to get past the Supreme Court during the second-go-around.  And if its not signed-off by the Supreme Court this time, the justices get to draw the maps.”

Discontent with the map [News-Service of Florida] “Of course, all the questions revolve around the Supreme Court’s approval and the House being willing to go along with the Senate plan. Already, there are some signs of disquiet over the measure.”

Get ready for the next round…Florida new congressional redistricting map likely to face court outcome [News-Press] “Florida’s new congressional redistricting map sits with the U.S. Department of Justice and in the courtroom of a state judge in Tallahassee, making it tough to predict what Florida’s 27 seats in the House of Representatives will look like.”

BIDEN, BIDEN, BIDEN  Biden: Winning Florida Pivotal [FLDemocracy] “Vice President Joe Biden said he’s not planning on winning in November without Florida, a key battleground state in the presidential race”

In South Florida, Vice President Joe Biden attacks Republican playbook [Times/Herald] “He suggested that Republicans want to use the country’s debt and financial crisis to dismantle Medicare and Social Security. The substance of his speech was a clear indication that Obama will run as much against Romney as he will against congressional Republicans who support Ryan’s budget plan.”

Joe Biden Slaps GOP at South Florida Retirement Community [Sunshine State News] “Speaking at the blue-collar retirement community of Wynmoor Village in Coconut Creek, Biden hammered at the theme of ‘economic security for America’s seniors’ and ripped into Republicans.”

Joe Biden bashes ‘Etch-A-Sketch’ Mitt Romney, Republicans over Medicare and Social Security [Miami Herald] “Biden spent more time bashing the budget-cutting plans of U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., who’s not on the ballot nationally, than the likely Republican presidential nominee, Mitt Romney. ‘There is no daylight between Gov. Romney and Republican leaders on the most important issues facing this country,’ Biden said. ‘Not even Romney’s Etch-A-Sketch can change that.’”

Biden woos South Florida seniors with new attack on Republicans [Orlando Sentinel] “Vice President Joe Biden opened a new phase in President Barack Obama’s reelection campaign here on Friday, warning seniors that in 2012 they face a stark choice between Democrats who want to protect Social Security and Medicare, and Republicans who supposedly would gut the programs to favor the rich.”

Rubio slammed on RESTORE Our Opinion: Forget Politics and Help the Gulf States [Tallahassee Democrat Editorial] “Consider this: Florida Sen. Marco Rubio voted no on the bill, the only senator from the five Gulf states to do so. His stated reason was that, with only about 80 percent of the money now going to the five states and other legislative compromises, it is ‘no longer a Gulf Coast restoration bill.’ With billions of dollars in the pot, that is ludicrous.”

MUST READ EDITORIAL: Uphold the Affordable Care Act [Tampa Bay Times Editorial] “Congress has the power to bring order to a chaotic and inefficient health care system that constitutes 17 percent of the economy. It can require everyone to be medically insured so that the system is broadly funded by healthy and sick alike. The Supreme Court should follow legal precedent and uphold the Affordable Care Act.”

ON THE CONGRESSIONAL FRONT: MORE ETHICS PROBLEMS FOR BUCHANAN, RIVERA SLAMMED ON DREAMS AND STARS, STEARNS ABSURDITY

House Ethics Committee to take more time to review Buchanan allegations [McClatchy] “The House Ethics Committee said Friday that it will extend a probe of Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Longboat Key. It now has until May 9 to act on the matter, which is unrelated to a separate inquiry the committee is also conducting.”

Ethics Committee announces new inquiry into Buchanan [Sarasota Herald]
Ethics committee opens second look into Republican Rep. Vern Buchanan [The Hill]
Ethics Committee extends investigation into Buchanan [Florida Independent]
Ethics Panel to Review Allegations Against Vern Buchanan [Roll Call]
Ethics Probe [San Francisco Chronicle]

Rivera slammed on DREAMS and STARS Rivera Stalls DREAM(s) to Replace with Smaller STARS [Politics 365] “Congressman Rivera hasn’t signed on as a co-sponsor of the DREAM Act, but he will readily whittle it down to impact fewer people. His recent policy maneuvers on the immigration matter place him at odds with the more than 90% of U.S. Latinos who favor the DREAM Act. Not lending support to a policy that the community favors isn’t a good way to drum up support from Latino voters heading into the election season.”

Stearns must abandon absurd idea to sell off national parks [Orlando Sentinel guest column] “We need champions who recognize that nature is not ours to spoil. And we need forward-thinking legislators who recognize that our parks are part of our national legacy that not only belong to us, but to future generations as well. I urge Floridians to make their voices heard so that Cliff Stearns reconsiders his position”

OTHER NEWS WE THOUGHT YOU SHOULD KNOW

Lyin’ Lenny: RPOF Chair’s false statements exposed by Politifact, watch WTSP 10’s video here [WTSP] “And President Obama has discussed the need to be energy independent though reduced consumption and renewable energy sources, but he has not promised $2.50 a gallon, so PolitiFact Florida rates Curry’s statement: FALSE.”

AS MY GRANDMOTHER WOULD SAY OH VEY GOP mistakenly hails early start to Jewish holiday [AP] “Fifteen minutes later the state Republican Party issued another statement – albeit quite brief – noting it had erroneously released the message early, claiming they were aware the Passover holiday doesn’t begin until sundown April 6 – two weeks from now.”

Justice Department says Florida fails ‘burden of proof’ on new voting law [Times/Herald] “The U.S. Department of Justice says Florida has not proved that its new voting law protects racial and ethnic minorities from discrimination in Hillsborough, Monroe and three other counties.”

For some in tea party, honeymoon with Gov. Scott is over [Orlando Sentinel] “Everett Wilkinson and fellow tea-party leaders across Florida celebrated when Gov. Rick Scott took office, cheering when their hero killed a $2.8 billion high-speed-rail project, sought $4 billion in cuts in state spending and endorsed radical changes in public schools. But almost 15 months later, Wilkinson isn’t quite as fervent a fan of what many had dubbed the “tea-party governor.”