In the News
Florida Democratic Party News Clips u2014 April 3
IT’S ELECTION DAY IN ORLANDO It’s Election Day in Orlando [Orlando Sentinel] “Orlando voters are deciding today whether Mayor Buddy Dyer will keep his job for another four years in a city election that also features four council races.”
RUBIO’S HALF DREAM PROBLEM CONTINUES: Rubio’s Half Dream Still an Immigration Nightmare [Bloomberg Editorial] “Many Dream youths are culturally American but lack legal status. A half-measure that produces only a different sort of legal limbo will not do these young people much good. Nor is it likely to solve the Republicans’ electoral problem.”
OBAMA AND DEMS ON ENERGY OFFENSIVE [Tampa Bay Times] “The Obama campaign has a new 30 second ad in Florida and several other key states that touts higher domestic oil production and takes a swipe at Mitt Romney as a pawn of big oil.” Watch the ad here.
Obama campaign releases energy ad in Florida [Miami Herald]
Obama releases TV ad in Florida attacking Romney, Big Oil [Orlando Sentinel]
Priorities USA Action releases ad tying Romney to Big Oil [Florida Independent]
Pro-Obama PAC ties Romney to Big Oil [FLDemocracy2012]
MORE TIGER BLOOD SHED IN FLORIDA SENATE RACE WITH SERIOUS IMPLICATIONS
Dirty campaigning seen in LeMieux, Mack race [NBC 2] “Lee County Republican State Committeewoman Brenda Skupny sent a letter to republican leaders across the state criticizing the political atmosphere, calling campaign tactics ’embarrassing… school yard bullying…beneath the dignity of the office.'”
THE IMPLICATIONS: Another rough Republican primary [Orlando Sentinel Editorial] “Romney’s unfavorable ratings have risen sharply since the race began. But could the party be facing the same risk in the Florida Senate race. U.S. Rep. Connie Mack jumped into the race in November and quickly shot to the top in the polls. He drove one of the top candidates, former state House majority leader Adam Hasner, out of the race…if Mack prevails, the hard-partying, “unserious” label that LeMieux has stuck on him could be hard to peel off in the campaign against Nelson.”
Democrats Pull Ahead After GOP Gaffe on Birth Control [Capital News Service] “New polling shows President Obama leading Mitt Romney in Florida and nationwide by 9 points. And US Senator Bill Nelson leads his likely GOP rival by 8 points. Women are the key to the swing, but as Mike Vasilinda reminds us, the election is still months away. Barack Obama carried the woman’s vote by eight points in 2008. This year he has pulled to a startling 16 point lead among likely women voters. Most believe it’s because of the contraception issue and the perception that the GOP is anti-woman”
War On Women Taking Its Toll On The GOP [ThinkProgress] “Another set of polls out late last week also showed the president with huge margins among women in the key battleground states of Wisconsin, Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.”
ON THE CONGRESSIONAL FRONT…
Yes you are reading this right — Allen West defends Big Oil’s tax breaks [Sun Sentinel] “South Florida Congressman Allen West defended the oil industry and its tax breaks in a message to constituents on Monday”
Mica, Young Top List Of Lawmakers Steering Millions To Family Members [Florida Political Press] “Bill Young earmarked a combined $16.6 million to two sons’ employers. In 2008 he herded $4.4 million to defense contractor SAIC’s facility in St. Petersburg, Florida, where son Patrick is a security administrator. Another $8.5 million went to the National Forensic Science Technology Center, where son Billy is a senior consultant”
A curious case of timing — Legislature seeks federal redistricting review even without a final map [Miami Herald] “The Florida Legislature’s legal team has asked the U.S. Department of Justice to begin the process of reviewing its legislative maps for compliance with the federal Voting Rights Act, even before the Florida Supreme Court signs off on a final product.”
OTHER NEWS WE THOUGHT YOU SHOULD KNOW
Dawdling Senate lets Scott’s appointments stay in limbo [Times/Herald] “But while senators devoted hours to pontificating on one issue after another and allowed term-limited members to make windy farewell speeches, they were unable to find 10 minutes to confirm Scott’s appointees. ‘We got jammed up,’ Senate President Mike Haridopolos said lamely.”
Poll: 70 percent like Medicaid expansion in health care reform law [Florida Independent] “One of the most contentious parts of the 2010 health care reform law — a requirement that states expand their Medicaid programs — is supported by a strong majority of Americans, according to a recent poll.”
Florida GOP fundraisers locked in business dispute [Herald/Times] “It’s a legal battle between two titans in Florida Republican fundraising circles, and tens of millions of dollars are at stake: Zach Zachariah, a Broward County cardiologist who has raised millions of dollars for GOP candidates, versus A.K. Desai, a St. Petersburg insurance executive and the Florida Republican party’s new finance chairman.”