Florida Democratic Party News Clips – August 30

THESE TWEETS SAY IT ALL: 

Adam Smith ‏@adamsmithtimes Did I miss him saying anything specific about how they’ll save medicare, how they’ll create jobs? 

Marc Caputo ‏@MarcACaputo @adamsmithtimes you missed to the degree that it was never said 

GOP “WOULD JEOPARDIZE THE HEALTH CARE OF THE ELDERLY AND THE POOR” High stakes in entitlement reform [Tampa Bay Times editorial] “Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan have failed to explain how their radical proposals to transform Medicare into a voucher program and Medicaid into block grants to the states would benefit Floridians…There is plenty of room on these issues for leadership from both political parties, and Republican convention speakers this week keep touting the importance of bold ideas. It’s one thing to be bold. It’s another to recklessly promote untested ideological brainstorms that would jeopardize the health care of the elderly and the poor.”

On RNC stage, nettlesome issues unmentioned [AP] “What they haven’t heard is talk of offshore tax havens, Missouri Senate candidate Todd Akin, or questions about President Barack Obama’s birthplace – the kind of divisive issues that have bedeviled Mitt Romney in the weeks before formally accepting his party’s presidential nomination.” 

Republican nominee Mitt Romney must fill in the blanks [Tampa Bay Times editorial] “After 18 months of campaigning, hundreds of millions of dollars and more than 70,000 television ads, Mitt Romney has yet to connect with the nation. As former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour joked this week, all many voters know about Romney is what his opponents have told them: ‘He’s a wealthy plutocrat married to a known equestrian.'”

GOP Platform: Bring Back DADT, Ban Same-Sex Marriage [Mother Jones] “According to its platform, the Republican Party wants to reinstate Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, prevent same-sex marriages from being recognized by the federal government, and stop efforts to prevent gays and lesbians from being persecuted in Africa.”

Romney has tough task to gain Hispanic voters [Sun Sentinel] “Several publications have said GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney needs 38 percent of the Hispanic vote to win the November election. If that is the case, President Barrack Obama will win a second term.”

Cayman Islands Cracker Bay Yacht … Gate! [Tampa Bay Times] “ABC News: Mitt Romney’s campaign toasted its top donors today aboard a 150-foot yacht flying the flag of the Cayman Islands. Cracker Bay is Gary Morse’s yacht. Gary Morse of course is the king of The Villages. “It was a really nice event. These are good supporters,” billionaire Wilbur Ross, an energy industry executive, told ABC News. This naturally landed in my inbox posthaste: Top 50 List of Mitt Romney’s All-Time, Out-of-Touch 1% Moments.”

 

THE WAR ROOM Democrats hammer Republicans taking convention spotlight [Politico] “Opposition fire is now trained on even the most obscure down-ballot candidates — most of whom have secondary roles at the Republican National Convention, appearing on stage before delegates at sparsely-watched moments — who are getting hammered for taking the microphone.”

Mitt Romney: An Unshakable Record – WrongForTheMiddleClass.com [OFA] “Get the facts on the Republican National Convention”

 

THE RON PAUL PROBLEM Ron Paul supporters walk out of RNC in protest: ‘we’ve put up with enough’ [Miami Herald] “Ron Paul supporters walked out en masse from the Republican National Convention late Wednesday in protest of a rule change by Republican officials that removed some of Maine’s delegates in an attempt to suppress the group’s movement.”

Paul protest concerning to some GOP delegates [Naples Daily News] “The simmering dissatisfaction of Ron Paul supporters spilled into the concourse of the Tampa Bay Times Forum Wednesday night as Maine delegates and supporters paraded en masse chanting, ‘As Maine goes, so goes the nation.'”

 

THE PROTESTS While officers stay on sidelines, RNC protests decry police tactics [Tampa Bay Times] “At the Planned Parenthood rally, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, a Democrat representing Tampa, spoke. A woman dressed as a giant birth control pill pack took the stage and led a chant” 

Hundreds Rally Against Voter Suppression Laws Near Republican National Convention [Think Progress] “Hundreds of citizens rallied nearby the Republican National Convention Tuesday, protesting the spread of voter suppression laws across the country over the past two years.”

 

SCANDAL ALERT: MACK PUSHES LEGISLATION FOR HEDGE FUND CONTRIBUTOR Hedgie Paul Singer is GOP candidates’ best pal [New York Post] “Singer and his employees have been a top contributor to 23 Republicans running for Congress, but few received more money than Mack…Mack is close to Singer in another way. Several months before he announced his Senate candidacy, Mack was the leading sponsor of a bill designed to pressure Argentina to pay Elliott $2 billion that the hedge fund claims it is owed…It’s highly unusual for legislation to single out a single country and its dispute with private creditors, according to Congressional sources.”

 

OTHER (NON-CONVENTION) NEWS WE THOUGHT YOU SHOULD KNOW 

This time, Rick Scott wants the federal money [Palm Beach Post editorial] “Federal money for a high-speed rail line from Orlando to Tampa? Gov. Scott didn’t want it. Federal money to expand Medicaid in Florida? Gov. Scott doesn’t want it. Federal money to clean up after Tropical Storm/Hurricane Isaac? Gov. Scott will take that, if the state qualifies.”  

Florida congressional vulnerability ratings: Our first take for 2012 [Tampa Bay Times] “Florida Republicans will be playing defense this cycle rather than offense”

New questions arise over Democrat’s financial disclosure [Miami Herald] “As the FBI began investigating a failed Democratic congressional candidate tied to Republican Rep. David Rivera, the campaign amended its financial disclosures in an effort to clear up lingering questions about its book-keeping.”

1.6 million Floridians would get healthcare if Medicaid is expanded [News Service of Florida] “Almost 1.6 million Floridians making less than $15,372 a year were not covered by health insurance in 2010 and would be eligible for Medicaid if the state went along with a controversial expansion of the program under President Barack Obama’s healthcare law.” 

Charter schools get chilly reception [St. Augustine Record] “Officials behind three proposed charter schools faced sharp comments from the public and tough questioning from St. Johns County District School Board members Tuesday morning including why the schools wanted to come to one of the top performing districts in the state.”

Equal access to voting is vital [Tampa Tribune guest column by Betty Castor] “Discrimination does not end at the county line. And so I call on Gov. Scott to remedy the inequality before us and enter an executive order mandating that early voting be available for the full 12 hours each day throughout this state.”