Florida Democratic Party News Clips – July 6, 2012

TNR: DOES MITT ROMNEY HAVE A FLORIDA PROBLEM Does Romney Have a Florida Problem? [The New Republic] “Much of the change appears to be driven by a collapse in Romney’s favorability ratings among white working class voters—precisely the effect predicted by advocates of attacks on Romney’s time at Bain Capital. Romney’s favorability rating among white voters without a college degree dropped by a net-15 points between the May and June Quinnipiac polls and Romney’s standing in the horse race declined by a net-10 points.” 

 

Assets offshore raise Romney wealth questions [AP] “For nearly 15 years, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s financial portfolio has included an offshore company that remained invisible to voters as his political star rose.”

 

NEW OFA Video: Do you have an offshore bank account? [OFA] “Vanity Fair and the Associated Press have reported that Mitt Romney has put huge sums of money into investments in offshore tax havens like the Cayman Islands and Bermuda. Is he avoiding paying U.S. taxes by having money in those tax havens? Was he trying to hedge against the dollar by having a Swiss bank account? We asked some ordinary Americans what they think of Mitt Romney’s financial arrangements.”

 

Support for Obama Appears Solid among Latinos in Florida [Latino Decisions] ” As such, the findings I discuss below are representative of Latinos in Florida who, because they are already registered to vote, are likely to be more politically engaged, and thus more likely to vote. Which candidate is winning the Latino vote in Florida? Figure 1 shows that at this point in the race Latinos in Florida are much more likely to support President Obama than Governor Romney”

 

Democrats Open Obama for America HQ in Wesley Chapel  [OurTownFla] “Obama for America volunteers, staff, and supporters celebrated the grand opening of OFA-Florida’s new regional office in Wesley Chapel.  Every day, OFA-Florida’s volunteers are working from Key West to Pensacola and everywhere in between to organize President Obama’s grassroots army of supporters. ‘We wish to spread the President’s accomplishments fighting for middle class security and rebuilding an economy to last’ said volunteer leader Gail Martinez, age 64, resident of Land ‘O Lakes.”

 

“ONCE AGAIN, AT TAXPAYER EXPENSE, A JUDGE HAS BEEN FORCED TO TEACH GOV. RICK SCOTT THAT THE U.S. CONSTITUTION APPLIES IN  THE STATE OF FLORIDA”

 

First Amendment Applies to Florida Doctors, Too [Florida Voices] “Once again, at taxpayer expense, a judge has been forced to teach Gov. Rick Scott that the U.S. Constitution applies in the state of Florida.”

 

Gov. Scott’s health-care law refusal makes federal control more likely in Florida [Palm Beach Post] “‘We’re increasingly behind the 8-ball,’ said Greg Mellowe, health policy director at the left-leaning Florida Center for Fiscal and Economic Policy. ‘There are policy decisions that have to be made. We’ve waited so long I’m not sure how that would happen in that period of time.’” 

 

Act could cause a boom in health care employment [South Florida Business Journal] “Many health care industry experts expect that the Affordable Care Act will increase demand for primary care physicians and support staff.”

 

SORE LOSER? [Florida Courier] “Gov. Rick Scott says to hell with implementing ‘Obamacare’ in Florida, thus hurting thousands of Black Floridians who would immediately benefit from the legislation.”

 

ON THE CONGRESSIONAL FRONT — BILL YOUNG’S NO GOOD, VERY BAD, CAMPAIGN DAMAGING 4TH OF JULY (AND WHAT IT SAYS ABOUT GOP & MIDDLE CLASS), ALLEN WEST DAMAGING GOP BRAND 

 

Rep. Young Tells Constituent Who Gets Minimum Wage To ‘Get A Job’ [FLDemocracy2012] “After a constituent approached Young during a 4th of July event and asked him if he would support a bill currently circulating in the House to raise the minimum wage to $10 an hour, Young answered that he probably would not.  Instead of walking away, however, Young turned to the constituent and asked, ‘How about getting a job?’ When the constituent informed Young that he did, in fact, have a job– one that pays him $8.50 an hour–  the Republican looked puzzled…Jessica Ehrlich, the Democratic challenger hoping to unseat Young, called the Republican’s latest comments further proof he is out of touch with people he represents in Congress. ‘Bill Young is out of touch with what hard working people go through everyday,’ Ehrlich told FLDemocracy. ‘His comments are a stark reminder of the sad fact that he lost touch with middle class folks years ago.'”

 

Republican lawmaker tells worker wanting higher minimum wage to ‘get a job’ [The Raw Story] “In 2010, the Florida Republican voted for a cost-of-living pay increase for himself and other members of Congress. He currently makes the default yearly Congressional salary of $174,000.” 

 

Rep. Bill Young Answers Minimum Wage Question: ‘Get A Job’ [Huffington Post] 

Congressman Reveals Republican Position on Minimum Wage Raise: ‘Get a Job’ [VIDEO] [International Business Times] 

GOP Congressman Tells Man Asking About Minimum Wage To ‘Get A Job’ [Mediate]

When asked about raising the minimum wage, Congressman Bill Young tells questioner to “Get a job” [Creative Loafing]

GOP Rep. Tells Constituent Who Asks About Raising The Minimum Wage To ‘Get A Job’ [ThinkProgress]

 

WEST DAMAGING GOP BRAND America’s dirtiest job: Justifying Allen West [LA Times column] “The person for whom West does represent a problem, though, is Reince Priebus. As much as West’s ravings comfort the conservative base, they do tend to enhance the impression that many of the people aspiring to leadership roles in the post-Obama GOP are wild-eyed wing-nuts (see Bachmann, Cain, et al). Given that Republicans will have to win votes from independents if they want to win the presidency and/or control of Congress this fall, is it wiser politically to bury the likes of West or to praise him?” 

 

OTHER NEWS WE THOUGHT YOU SHOULD KNOW

 

UFO Sightings Are More Common Than Voter Fraud [Mother Jones] “Between 2000 and 2010, there were: 649 million votes cast in general elections. 47,000 UFO sightings. 441 Americans killed by lightning. 13 credible cases of in-person voter impersonation”

 

State hasn’t done enough to avert quality, supply crisis [Orlando Sentinel] “The current state of Florida’s aquatic resources is unacceptable, and in many cases, simply appalling. Many waterways are suffering from the over-pumping of groundwater, poorly treated wastewater, excessive use of fertilizer, and encroaching development.”