SCOTT HURTING GOP BRAND IN FLORIDA Florida Governor Snubbed by Romney After Political Gaffes [Bloomberg] “The governor’s gaffes, along with an approval rating that hasn’t gone above 41 percent in Quinnipiac University polls, may hurt his party’s presidential contender, Mitt Romney…Scott’s unpopularity may help President Barack Obama’s re-election effort, said Tom Jensen, director of Public Policy Polling in Raleigh, North Carolina. ‘Obama’s more competitive in Florida right now than I would have expected,’ Jensen said in an e-mail. “The damage Scott has done to the Republican brand is part of that.”

IN OR OUT, THE DAMAGE TO RUBIO & ROMNEY IS DONE Dis of Marco Rubio by anonymous advisers derails Mitt Romney for a day [Miami Herald] “The Florida Democratic Party seized on the story by sending out an email with the headline: ‘Rubio fails preliminary review in Veepstakes.’ ‘According to today’s Washington Post article on GOP Veepstakes, it only took the Romney camp a ‘preliminary review’ to determine Marco Rubio would fail to pass vetting,’ the email said. ‘Ouch, that’s going to leave a mark.’ It did.” 

Romney says Rubio being ‘thoroughly vetted’ [AP] “The vetting flap came on the day Rubio released a memoir and Romney’s concluded a six-state bus tour. The Florida Democratic Party blasted a message to reporters titled: “‘Rubio fails preliminary review in Veepstakes.'”

Rubio biographer lists his potential drawbacks as a VP candidate [MSNBC] “The Republican senator from Florida is reportedly being “thoroughly vetted” to be Romney’s running mate, but Roig-Franzia noted some potential issues that might hurt his chances” 

OFA LAUNCHES TWO NEW ADS, ENTHUSIASM IN TAMPA  New Obama ads target Romney record as governor [AP] “President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign is running new television ads targeting Republican rival Mitt Romney’s record as Massachusetts governor.” WATCH “MOSAIC” HERE’.  WATCH “COME AND GO” HERE. 

Hillsborough County, center of the 2012 universe [Politico] “It’s one of the most important counties in one of the most important swing states in the 2012 presidential race. That explains why, just two months after visiting the Port of Tampa, President Obama will be back again Friday for another visit.”

Huge crowd in Ybor waits for Obama tickets [Creative Loafing] “The idea that there’s a lack of enthusiasm for Barack Obama among his liberal base? Not the case in Ybor City.”

SEIU pledges “largest-ever” grassroots presidential field campaign [Orlando Sentinel] “The union, which claims 58,000 members and retirees in the Sunshine State, is pledging to knock on 225,000 doors in Florida, part of a planned outreach program to knock on 3 million doors in Florida and seven other swing states.” 

IT’S MACK VS. HIMSELF George LeMieux calls it quits in Florida Senate race [Miami Herald]“George LeMieux is quitting the race for Senate. That means that Rep. Connie Mack is all but guaranteed to win the Republican race and face Sen. Bill Nelson.

Mack the target of House ethics complaint over ‘penny plan’ mailer [Naples News] “A Broward County man has filed an ethics complaint against Rep. Connie Mack, contending the Fort Myers Republican sent a government mailer to voters outside of his Southwest Florida congressional district.” 

ON THE CONGRESSIONAL FRONT — BUCHANAN TO COURT Congressman Vern Buchanan to testify under oath [WTSP] “Sarasota Congressman Vern Buchanan will have to testify under oath in a lawsuit involving his former partner, who alleged Buchanan was the architect of a plan to violate federal elections laws.”

SCOTT UNDER FIRE FOR WATER FAILURE Former Gov. Graham to give keynote speech at environmental rally [Daytona Beach News Journal] “Hundreds of environmental advocates from across Florida are expected to flock to Silver River State Park in Ocala on Saturday to “speak up” for Florida’s springs and waters.”

Tarnished jewel [Gainesville Sun Editorial] “Silver Springs is the crown jewel of Florida’s glittering necklace of natural springs. But, increasingly, it is a tarnished jewel: Its flow greatly diminished, its waters laden with nutrients, its vegetation brown with algae. Its diminished beauty makes a mockery of Tallahassee’s empty pledge to ‘get the water right’…What are you doing on Saturday, Gov. Scott?” 

Water war pits Silver Springs against cattle [Orlando Sentinel] “Canadian auto-parts magnate Frank Stronach asked in December for a permit that would allow him to drill into the state’s underground aquifer near famed Silver Springs in Marion County — and pump as much water as a medium-sized city uses each day”

OTHER NEWS WE THOUGHT YOU SHOULD KNOW 

Dem Registration In Florida Grows In May [FLDemocracy2012] “Florida Democrats registered 5,108 more voters than Republicans in May, according to numbers released Tuesday by the Florida Democratic Party. This is the fourth consecutive month that Democrats have out-registered Republicans, this time by 10-percentage points .”

Lawsuit claims voter purge illegally targets minorities [Times/Herald] “A string of voter advocacy groups sued Florida on Tuesday, claiming the state’s recent noncitizen voter purge unfairly discriminates against minority voters.”  

Miami rally set to protest voter registration purge [Daytona News Journal] “Several groups of Floridians will rally outside a Miami courthouse asking Gov. Rick Scott to halt a contentious push to remove potentially ineligible voters from the rolls.”

Swamped by standardized tests? Blame Jeb [Palm Beach Editorial]  “In fact, local districts have little or no choice. They know that everybody suffers if students do poorly on the late-spring FCAT. So they give at least two pre-FCAT tests, one in the fall and one in the winter, to identify areas where individual students need more help.”