BIDEN TO FLORIDA  Joe Biden to address S. Florida law enforcement gathering today [Sun Sentinel] “Vice President Joe Biden is scheduled to address a law enforcement gathering in Palm Beach County today”

THE TOXIC BRAND Gov. Rick Scott invisible in GOP primary campaigns [Tampa Bay Times Column] “Hobbled by weak poll numbers, awkward on the stump and still somewhat estranged from the party establishment that shunned him in 2010, Scott is invisible on the campaign trail across Florida.”

State’s economy has GOP sending mixed messages [Sarasota Herald Tribune] “Analysts say the conflicting messages among Republicans could confuse Florida voters. Scott’s unwavering talk about job growth could undermine some of Romney’s attack in this key political state”

Rick Scott’s Strange Health Math [The Ledger Column] “The system is a crazy combination of subjective and unrelated categories, each of which is assigned a numerical grade and, when the incongruous items are added, reveals the county’s score. It’s like a magic trick. Really, it’s more like a practical joke.” 

Not so fast, Gov. Scott [Miami Herald editorial] “Gov. Rick Scott’s oh-so-quick dismissal of the opportunity to provide healthcare to more Floridians under Medicaid, which came just one day after the Supreme Court decision upholding most of the Affordable Care Act, should not be the last word on the subject. His decision was politically inspired, and his facts have been called into question. For Floridians desperate to get basic healthcare the consequences could be dire. Train wreck, perfect storm, falling off the cliff — all of these phrases have been used to describe the impact of Mr. Scott’s decision unless the Legislature takes a more thoughtful approach.”

“COULDN’T HAVE COME AT A WORSE TIME” Fla. lieutenant governor’s GOP convention cachet plummets with office scandal [Palm Beach Post] “Florida Republicans acknowledge the cloud over Carroll couldn’t have come at a worse time. ‘This is the kind of story you don’t want to have dragging behind you as you head into a national convention,’ said Tom Slade, a former Florida Republican Party chairman and Carroll mentor…But some Republicans say they are disappointed the case will prove another setback for the Florida GOP, whose leaders are eager to showcase the state at the nominating convention. Party leaders in the host state were already grumbling. Many anticipate that Scott will be held to a low-profile convention presence because of his low popularity ratings”

DEMS OUT-REGISTER GOP FOR 5 STRAIGHT MONTHS Political Parties Release Voter Registration Data [WCTV] “The Florida Democratic party released new tracking data. The data shows how many voters the parties registered last month and that Democrats outpaced Republicans for the 5th straight month.”

“HOW ANGRY WOULD YOU BE IF YOU HIRED SOMEONE TO DO A JOB, AND THEY ONLY SHOWED UP HALF THE TIME” Weldon robo call rips Mack for missing votes [Tampa Bay Times] “Voters in Tampa Bay were getting this robo call over the weekend. It features a woman complaining about U.S. Rep. Connie Mack’s missing votes while he campaign for Senate. The ad was paid for by GOP rival Dave Weldon, who has little time to close Mack’s big lead.” 

Anti-Chavez group run by Mack acolytes [Tampa Tribune] “In August 2010, when Mack had been talking for months about the possibility of running for the Senate but had not made a decision, Cohen set up a nonprofit charitable committee, the Committee to Free Venezuela, linked to the public relations firm for which he then worked.”

Lawyer files FEC complaint against Connie Mack for Brooks Brothers purchases [Tampa Bay Times] “A Jacksonville lawyer has filed an FEC complaint against Connie Mack’s campaign for violating federal election law through the purchase of clothing at Brooks Brothers.”

ON THE CONGRESSIONAL FRONT — WEST SNUBS ED BOARD, HIS OPPONENT TAKES ENDORSEMENT 

EDITORIAL ENDORSEMENT: U.S. HOUSE DISTRICT 18, REPUBLICAN PRIMARY [TCPalm] “The editorial board of Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers invited Crowder and West to meet with us. Crowder accepted. West, through a spokesman, declined, claiming he did not think the board would be ‘objective'”

OTHER NEWS WE THOUGHT YOU SHOULD KNOW

Florida Dems seek to limit GOP cash [Politico] “The Florida Times-Union’s Matt Dixon reports on a smart tactic employed by Florida Democrats this year to limit the flow of cash to the state GOP.”

Is anybody listening? [Ocala Star Banner editorial] “On Tuesday, a contingent from the Florida Conservation Coalition, led by former governor and U.S. Sen. Bob Graham, will deliver more than 13,000 petitions to Gov. Rick Scott. The petition calls on the governor to exert his executive powers to begin confronting ‘the degraded conditions of Florida’s imperiled rivers and springs.'” 

Don’t gamble on springs by granting ranch permit [Orlando Sentinel editorial] “Yes, the St. Johns River Water Management District, which tells homeowners when they can and can’t water their own lawns, is considering issuing a single permit that approaches the amount of water the entire city of Ocala is permitted to use.”

Grades miscalculated for more than 200 schools statewide [Tampa Bay Times] “More than 200 schools statewide received incorrect grades, a mistake that comes after months of state education officials’ efforts to restore confidence in Florida’s testing system.”