Warm (and frosty) welcome for Crist at Tampa event

Gov. Charlie Crist got a standing ovation today at a national conference of foster care experts and government officials at Tampa's Intercontinental Hotel. The three-day event, hosted by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, is focusing on ways to reduce the number of children in foster care.

Joined by First Lady Carole Crist, the governor cited two years of record numbers of foster child adoptions in Florida: 3,777 last year and 3,764 the year before. He said that was the result of the "great efforts" of child welfare secretary George Sheldon and child advocate Jim Kallinger. "I'm a blessed man," Crist told the group.

On the way out, Crist was cornered by Fox-13 reporter Chris Chmura, who asked Crist if he made a "John Kerry-style flip flop" by now saying he didn't endorse President Barack Obama's stimulus package.

"They're wrong," Crist said, adding he didn't endorse the specific stimulus bill Congress passed -- though he is very grateful for the billions it brought to Florida. When the reporter asked Crist if he has "remade himself" for a race against Marco Rubio, the governor uncharacteristically asked travel aide Dave Mica Jr. to end the questioning. "Dave?" Crist interjected.

-- Steve Bousquet

Crist giving Rothstein the benefit of the doubt?

Asked to comment on the scandal enveloping one of his major donors, Fort Lauderdale attorney Scott Rothstein, Gov. Charlie Crist said, "I hesitate to comment until I have all the facts."

His comment contrasts with the response from Democrat Alex Sink, who moved quickly to distance herself from Rothstein and said she would be returning donations to her gubernatorial campaign from him and his wife.

In an interview a couple of months ago, Rothstein said he raised $237,000 for Crist at a fundraiser at his home on June 26. He also said his law firm was opening an office in Washington on K Street, a thoroughfare known for its high-powered lobbying firms. A couple excerpts from the interview:

If you look back at my political history, I was completely uninvolved in politics until I met Charlie. I met him when he was running for attorney general through the guys I consider my political mentors --  Bill Scherer, John Collins, Jim Blosser...I was pretty much awestruck by the guy (Crist). He knew what he was talking about and seemed to be a man of his word. He and I had a couple of subsequent meetings. He came to my office twice and we spoke on the phone a bunch. The fundraiser I did for him was the first I ever threw in my life. It was at Burt & Jack's (in Fort Lauderdale). We raised six figures in one night and it was my first foray into the fundraising field...Once I got involved in his attorney general's race it snowballed...I've made a lot of fantastic business connections and lifelong relationhips...

I liked that he was a straight shooter. I never felt he was blowing smoke. And I liked the fact that he didn't always agree with me... He made a very strong commitment to us that he was going to get the Dan Marino autism bill passed. He put his power where his mouth is. He doesn't say he's going to help you and then fail to do what he says.

Allan Bense to co-sign state GOP checks

The Republican Party of Florida officially announced today its "Victory 2010'' campaign led by finance chairman Allan Bense, the former House Speaker, "to create a unified financial and political strategy solely focused on benefiting Republian candidates."

What the press release doesn't say: Bense's participation is aimed at reassuring donors concerned about spending by Chairman Jim Greer and other Republican leaders, i.e. former House Speaker Ray Sansom.  Bense said he will be co-signing checks.

"If I'm asking donors for money, I'm going to make sure it's spent wisely,'' Bense said. "My name is on the account, and we're going to look at all the bills."

Al Hoffman, a major Republican fundraiser from Fort Myers, said he would reconsider giving to the RPOF this election cycle if Bense was going to be involved. But he said still wants to see the American Express bills for Greer and other party leaders. Greer has refused to release them and said he cut up his own card.

"You know the old Reagan adage, 'Trust but verify'?'' Hoffman asked. "I want to know what RPOF money went to personal use, and they should have nothing to hide." 

Dear, Guv. What's your gambling deal mean? Love, the Senate.

Gov. Charlie Crist is pretty certain is gaming compact with the Seminole Tribe of Florida is in good shape, but boy is the Senate concerned.

Senate President Jeff Atwater and the Senate's regulated industry committee attorney, James Rhea, have a load o' questions. Rhea's letter has 24 questions subdivided alphabetically.

Said Atwater:"As you might imagine, questions from staff are largely technical in nature, and beg the continuing concerns Senators may have regarding the philosophical deviations of this proposed compact from Chapter 2009-170, L.O.F. Therefore, please do not assume that failure to raise a question at this juncture signals acquiescence with all the other terms and conditions reflected in the proposed compact. Before we can begin to engage a much broader conversation on those questions that might remain, it is important that we fully understand the technical underpinnings and ramifications of the proposed compact language."

Download POS letter to GOV

Download Reg Industries ltr to Gov Gen Counsel

Crist: oil, energy could be added to gambling special session

Gov. Charlie Crist, asked today what else might be on the agenda of an anticipated October special session beyond the gambling compact he signed Monday, said "possibly energy."

And oil? "Possibly, sure." He smiled and added "and lower taxes!"

The renewable energy package Crist wanted this past regular session died when House leadership tried in the final week to tack on oil drilling. Senate sponsor, the late Jim King, R-Jacksonville, said there was no way he could get his members to sign off last-minute, so both proposals died.

Now word is leadership (inc. incoming Senate prez Mike Haridopolos and designated House speaker Dean Cannon) will make another go at it -- saying oil drilling, like the gambling compact, is a much-needed revenue generator that can help pay for enviro-friendly things like land conservation and solar energy research, etc.

Crist said October seems like a good time for a special session, though he hasn't yet decided. A committee week is already scheduled for the week of Oct. 5-9.

Meek, Rubio to speak at candidate forum but not Crist

All of the major contenders for governor and U.S. Senate have agreed to attend a candidates' forum Friday evening in Orlando hosted by the Florida Association of Realtors. Except the Senate frontrunner, Gov. Charlie Crist.

"The governor will be attending the Realtors convention on Friday morning in his official capacity,'' said Pablo Diaz, the political director of Crist's campaign. That means he'll be there as the governor, not as a candidate.

The event will mark the second time Crist has declined an opportunity to contrast himself with his Republican rival, former House Speaker Marco Rubio. Last month, he attended a Florida Society of Newspaper Editors lunch in Palm Beach but left before a candidate forum with Rubio.

The Realtors forum is not billed as a debate because candidates will not be on stage at the same time.  Rubio, Democratic Senate candidate Kendrick Meek, and gubernatorial candidates Alex Sink and Bill McCollum are all scheduled to participate in the forum at the Rosen Shingle Creek hotel.

Former deputy press secretary now Gubernatorial Fellow

Thomas Philpot, former deputy press secretary for Gov. Charlie Crist, is among the 14 young men and women named to the fifth class of Florida Gubernatorial Fellows, a program that puts them to work at least 20 hours a week in the executive office of the governor or in state agencies.

The Fellows earn an hourly wage while getting firsthand experience, and they are chosen based on their written and oral communication skills, their desire for public service, and their history of leadership.

Philpot, 25, left the press office to pursue his law degree at FSU, where he starts later this month as a second-year student.

The full list:

Judge: Prison system 'violated public trust'

An "appalled" state judge said Thursday that Florida’s prison system "blatantly violated the public trust" by secretly negotiating with a new firm to provide for inmates’ mental health. Leon County Circuit Judge Frank Sheffield said the actions by the Department of Corrections were "at best, offensive, and at worst, illegal" in its secret dealings with Correctional Medical Services of St. Louis. Sheffield's full seven-page opinion is here.

But the judge denied the request by the current contractor, MHM Correctional Services, for a temporary injunction to block award of a five-year contract to CMS through a 120-day purchase order starting July 1. The judge said MHM still has legal remedies because it has a bid protest pending before a state hearing officer, and that further legal delays "would cause confusion (and) disorder."

Attorney General Bill McCollum, whose office defended the prison system's conduct, had no immediate comment. A spokeswoman for Corrections Secretary Walt McNeil said the agency had not yet seen Sheffield’s order.

Sheffield was elected to the circuit bench. Ironically, the candidate he defeated, Lisa Raleigh, was the assistant attorney general representing the prison system in the case. At a hearing last week, Sheffield raised that issue, and Raleigh said she did not think it presented a conflict of interest.

"The people lost today due to the worst abuse of power inaginable," MHM attorney Chris Kise said. "The department engaged in secret negotiations, blatant violations of th epublic trust and unsonscionable practices, then hid behind the very laws designed to protect the people. A truly sad day for justice." Kise served as a top legal advisor to Charlie Crist as governor and attorney general. 

UPDATE: CMS issued a statement that said denial of the injunction "will allow the state and CMS to continue to move forward to deliver quality mental healthcare services for inmate patients." The company added that "the negotiation process the state has used is specifically allowed by Florida law and will save the state $1.7 million in the first year alone compared to what MHM has been charging the state for the same services."

-- Steve Bousquet

Kottkamp's chief of staff steps down

Larry Ringers, who has been Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp's chief of staff since the Crist-Kottkamp team took office two-and-a-half years ago, is leaving. Ringers has submitted his resignation and will be he new chief of staff to Director Electra Bustle at the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Ringers will be replacing Nelson Munn, who is returning full-time to his post as the agency's chief information officer.

Ringers, 46, is an attorney who handled some law enforcement-related litigation before joining the administration, where his duties include overseeing DHSMV, a Cabinet agency. His departure comes as Kottkamp is poised to announce his candidacy for attorney general in 2010, and it means Kottkamp now needs a new right hand with 18 months left in his term as Gov. Charlie Crist's No. 2.   

-- Steve Bousquet

Charlie Crist signs worker's comp bill, vetoes auctioneering

Gov. Charlie Crist just signed the worker's compensation bill into law. Crist didn't issue a letter as to why. He did explain in a letter that he vetoed an auctioneering bill because it was too much "big gubment." Well, actually he didn't say that. It was too much regulation, etc. More here on HB63 veto: Download 63