News Service of Florida Blog

Sink Sends Back More Rothstein Cash

 Democrat Alex Sink is returning another $4,000 in campaign contributions from accused Ponzi scheme lawyer Scott Rothstein, whose political largesse has turned into liability for many contenders.

    Sink earlier earmarked as tainted cash the $2,000 she’d collected from Rothstein, his wife, law firm and a company he controlled, AAMM Holdings at an Aug. 27 Fort Lauderdale fund-raiser.

    But a further review uncovered another $4,000 from other Rothstein-related companies.

    “These are very serious allegations,” the Sink campaign said in a statement Tuesday. “The campaign is returning or donating to charity any contributions from Mr. Rothstein, his wife, his law firm, and his other corporate entities.

    “If it becomes clear that others were involved in this matter, it’s our intention to return those contributions as well,” the campaign concluded.

Read full story at www.newsserviceflorida.com

    

DNC targeting Young, Ros-Lehtinen

The Democratic National Committee said Tuesday that it has a target on Republican U.S. Reps. Bill Young and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen as part of a group of Republicans in swing districts who voted against the health care bill this past weekend. Young and Ros-Lehtinen were identified as GOP members whose districts voted for President Obama last year. The effort will mostly include efforts to pump up local voters, press releases and local events, but also may include putting some money into advertising, the DNC said in a release. “...You have to think to vote against health insurance reform in a Congressional District won by President Obama just a year ago could be a political death knell at a time when Americans are clamoring for solutions to vexing issues like health care," said DNC National Press Secretary Hari Sevugan.

American Conservative Union backs McCollum, attacks Dockery

As Lakeland Republican Sen. Paula Dockery was having a hometown kick off for her run for governor Tuesday evening, Attorney General Bill McCollum announced an endorsement that may serve to remind GOP voters who the conservative in the race is supposed to be. David Keene, chairman of the American Conservative Union announced he was supporting McCollum, and took the first shot at Dockery from the McCollum camp. “The notion that a tax and spend liberal like Paula Dockery would represent the core values of the Republican Party is laughable,” Keene said in a statement sent out just before Dockery's Lakeland rally. “Dockery’s record of supporting tax increases and fees, and her support of trial lawyers over businesses flies in the face of the conservative principles Bill McCollum stands for.”

Wasserman Schultz on health care vote, GOP "talk-to-the-hand approach" toward women

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida has become one of the most high profile members of U.S. House Democratic leadership on the health care debate. She's also one of the most vocal on the abortion funding debate that was part of the weekend approval process. Wasserman Schultz said in an interview this week on MSNBC that it was "painful" for her to have to vote for a bill that restricts abortion funding, and said she was confident the language would be removed as the bill goes toward a Senate vote. 

Wasserman Schultz also renews her claim that the Republican Party is "100 percent out of touch with the issues that matter to women," and that the party's attitude toward women is "one of indifference. It's a talk-to-the-hand approach."

See the interview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q44uait26Ls&feature=youtube_gdata

Daily Pulp gets Rothstein comment: "I'm gonna make it right."

Bob Norman's Daily Pulp Blog in the Broward-Palm Beach New Times today has video of under-investigation fundraiser Scott Rothstein having a martini and vowing to “make it right.” Rothstein is under federal investigation in connection with what has essentially been described as a Ponzi scheme and making off with his law firm's money. Rothstein is one of the biggest political fundraisers in the state. Norman caught up with Rothstein at the Capital Grille in Fort Lauderdale and whipped out the flip camera as Rothstein was greeted by staff as if he is a celebrity. Rothstein says to an unidentified person that people make mistakes but he's going to make everything right. Asked by Norman how he plans to do that, Rothstein replies, “I'm not answering any questions, Bob, but I'm gonna make it right.” See the video.

Club Backs Rubio -- Sees Crist as Scozzafava

Ending months of speculation, the Club for Growth formally endorsed Marco Rubio on Monday over Gov. Charlie Crist in Florida's U.s. Senate race.

"Marco Rubio is the real deal, one of the brightest young stars in American politics today, and a proven champion of economic liberty," said Club President Chris Chocola, a former Indiana congressman. "He is a dynamic spokesman for the principles of limited government and economic freedom, and he will make a fantastic senator."

The conservative, anti-tax Club telegraphed its support for Rubio last week, releasing a TV spot ridiculing Crist for supporting President Obama's economic stimulus package -- backing the Florida governor is trying to distant himself from.

The Club cited Crist's stimulus move, along with his proposing a state cap-and-trade measure aimed at energy conservation, and signing into law a $1 billion cigarette tax hike as reasons for choosing Rubio.

"Charlie Crist has repeatedly joined with big government liberals on major economic issues facing America today, from taxes to spending to cap-and-trade," Chocola said. "He represents the wrong direction for our economy and our nation."

Hard to say at this point, what the Club backing will mean. The organization is willing to spend: having coughed up more than $1 million in advertising in New York's Congressional District 23 -- supporting Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman in the divisive race. Hoffman lost to Democrat Bill Owens.

Chocola has already drawn a link between Crist and Republican Dede Scozzafava, the party's choice in that New York campaign but who later withdrew under mounting opposition from GOP conservatives.

"We think that Charlie Crist represents some of the same things that Dede Scozzafava represents," Chocola told ABC News last week.

"We'll be doing everything we can to help Rubio pull this off," Club spokesman Mike Connolly told the News Service of Florida on Monday. "Our PAC will do mailings and TV, and help with bundling contributions. Whatever it takes."

The Club in 2004 endorsed Republican Mel Martinez in the Senate race, and has backed Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart and Connie Mack in recent campaigns.

Crist Backpedaling on Stimulus Support

As Gov. Charlie Crist's opponent for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination tries to sear the picture of him hugging President Barack Obama into the minds of conservative voters, the governor tried late Tuesday to put some distance between himself and the president by saying he never supported the president's stimulus package.

Crist, who famously - or infamously to conservatives - hugged the president after campaigning for the stimulus with him in February in Fort Myers, was asked Tuesday by CNN's Wolf Blitzer if Crist regretted supporting the stimulus since it appears to be fueling the rise in the race of former House Speaker Marco Rubio.

"Well, I didn't endorse it," Crist said. "I - you know - I didn't even have a vote on the darned thing. But I understood that it was going to pass and I wanted to be able to utilize it for the benefit of my fellow Floridians."

But before the stimulus passed, when lawmakers were facing a shortfall that was projected to be as high as $6 billion, Crist did not appear to be so reluctant about the federal money.

News Service of Florida subscribers can read the full story at www.newsserviceflorida.com

GOP Senate primary in WSJ piece

Florida's Republican primary in the U.S. Senate race is drawing increasing attention, with the latest national pub to give the race a look today's Wall Street Journal. The matchup between Gov. Charlie Crist and former House Speaker Marco Rubio gets a treatment today from Peter Wallsten, who formerly worked for the St. Petersburg Times in Tallahassee and covered both Crist and Rubio. Wallsten's story is here.

Dockery Jumps into Florida Gov's Race

   Sen. Paula Dockery jumped into the governor’s race Tuesday, ending what had appeared as Bill McCollum’s virtually unobstructed path to the nomination.

   The 48-year-old Lakeland senator said she planned to file campaign papers mid-afternoon Tuesday, walking the documents from the Capitol to the Secretary of State’s office two blocks away.

   “Some may question why I would undertake this campaign, given that the leadership of the Republican Party of Florida seems to have anointed a candidate,” Dockery said. “To them, I say this: people want a choice. People I meet don’t want to be told what to think.”

    McCollum on Tuesday shrugged off Dockery's entry into the race, saying he had expected a primary opponent to eventually emerge -- and that it would likely be the senator who has been talking about running for months. But McCollum said he was undeterred and that he still saw his real race being against Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink, the only major Democratic contender.

    "I'm focused on the race against the chief financial officer," McCollum said, adding, "that's where my energies will be focused."

    Read full story at www.newsserviceflorida.com

     

  

FOP backs Crist in Senate race

One of the state's two large police unions, the Florida Fraternal Order of Police, announced Monday it's backing Gov. Charlie Crist in his U.S. Senate bid. Crist was earlier also endorsed by the other major police union in the state, the Police Benevolent Association. Crist has for years been well liked by law enforcement, for his strong anti-crime stances going back to when he was known as “Chain Gang Charlie” in the state Senate. Crist's first major legislative push as governor was for legislation toughening the laws related to the treatment of violent probation violators. Crist is running in the Republican U.S. Senate primary against former House Speaker Marco Rubio.