GOP targets Democrats with robo calls urging them to 'free Nan Rich'

Putting its money where its mouth is, the Republican Party of Florida on Tuesday launched a robo-call campaign aimed at loyal Democrats urging them to "free Nan Rich" and let the underdog candidate for governor speak at the party’s annual fundraising dinner this weekend.

“Hi. I’m calling on behalf of the Republican Party of Florida,’’ the recorded female voice says in telephone calls targeting 13,000 Democrats in Miami, Palm Beach and Fort Myers. The phone campaign is part of an aggressive GOP media pitch aimed at exploiting the rift that rose when Rich was denied a speaking spot at the event.

“While our parties may not agree on most issues, we do agree when it comes to honoring those in our parties who represent its core values,’’ the recorded voice continues. “But Florida Democratic Chair Allison Tant is refusing to let Nan Rich speak for five minutes at this Saturday’s Jefferson-Jackson dinner.” Download RPOF_06112013_NanRich (1)

Rich, a former state senator, was left off the roster of the dinner to be held at the Westin Diplomat Hotel in Hollywood even though she has been the only Democrat actively campaigning to defeat Gov. Rick Scott in 2014.

Tant said Rich’s rejection was not a snub but an attempt to streamline and energize a program that has traditionally gone on for hours. Meanwhile, the high profile attention from Repupblican Party Chairman Lenny Curry has not suppressed interest but increased it, she said, noting that the party is sold 40 more tables than last year and is ahead of its fundraising goal.

“I hope it costs them some money,’’ Tant said with a laugh. “Maybe I ought to write Lenny a thank you note.”

RPOF’s focus on the issue – in an email to party stalwarts, the robo calls and press releases – has also helped draw attention to Rich’s campaign which, until now, had been dwarfed by a focus on former Republican governor turned Democrat, Charlie Crist, and former Chief Financial Officer and 2010 gubernatorial candidate Alex Sink.

“They are trying to be my best friend,’’ Rich said Tuesday, adding that the RPOF attention and the party rejection “is backfiring on everybody.

“I’ve received two to three weeks of incredible media attention I wasn’t able to get before and people recognize that I’m a legitimate candidate for governor,’’ she told the Herald/Times.

Tant said she was also “thrilled that Nan’s gotten some buzz." 

The party program, which last year included six key speeches, is designed to be kept to 90 minutes, said Democratic Party spokesman Joshua Karp.

Speakers will include brief remarks from Tant, DNC Chairwoman Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Pembroke Pines, U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, and a keynote speech from San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro, the rising star who gave a well-received speech at the 2012 Democratic National Convention and will help the party highlight its outreach to Hispanics.

Rich, a former Senate Democratic leader, agrees there is a need to shorten the speechifying. "I have sat there for hour after hour and there have been too many speakers,'' she said. But she is not persuaded they couldn’t make room for a five-minute speech from the only Democrat who has been campaigning to unseat Scott.

“We have a different view what the purpose of the Jefferson-Jackson dinner is,’’ she told the Herald Times. “I believe I’ve earned the right to speak and it is totally appropriate for me to speak. The truth is people all over the state are expressing that.”

Curry clearly sees the advantage in exploiting the disagreement. In the robo-call to Democrats, the recorded voice quotes Democratic activists and a newspaper columnist and urges people to call the Democratic Party.

"To make your voice heard, call the Florida Democrats at 850-222-3411 Tell them to free Nan Rich and let her speak,’’ the caller says.

Here’s the RPOF script:

“Hi. I’m calling on behalf of the Republican Party of Florida.

"While our parties may not agree on most issues, we do agree when it comes to honoring those in our parties who represent its core values. But Florida Democratic Chair Allison Tant is refusing to let Nan Rich speak for five minutes at this Saturday’s Jefferson-Jackson dinner.

"Maggie Davidson, state Democratic committeewoman from Broward, told the Sun-Sentinel that “Nan Rich should be allowed to speak. She’s a high-level Democrat and she should be highlighted.”

"The Sun-Sentinel’s Gary Stein, wrote that “Jefferson and Jackson themselves would be all in favor of letting Nan Rich speak.”

"To make your voice heard, call the Florida Democrats at 850-222-3411 Tell them to free Nan Rich and let her speak."

War on drugs casualty: private RX info of thousands in FL database gets leaked

@MarcACaputo

To keep dangerous prescription drugs controlled, the government maintains a database to make sure that it monitors who gets what pills from what doctors and how often.

The database has probably helped cut down on doctor shopping (and perhaps overdose deaths), but it also has exposed the privacy of thousands of Floridians.

Here's the ACLU press release:

Tallahassee, Florida – The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Florida today sent public records requests to the Florida Department of Health and the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office to learn how and why approximately 3,300 Floridians’ confidential prescription drug information, stored in a state-wide prescription drug database, ended up in the hands of third parties without the knowledge or consent of the individuals whose prescription drug information was released.

Marco Rubio: newly legalized need to speak English

@FrancoOrdonez

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio wants to make sure newly legalized immigrants can speak English. On Tuesday, he’s introducing an amendment to his own immigration bill to ensure those applying for permanent residency are proficient in English.

"You cannot flourish in our economy -- you cannot flourish in our country -- if you are not proficient in English," he said. "We're going to require that."

Under current law, English proficiency is only required for citizenship, not permanent residency.

The requirement will have an interesting effect in Rubio's home of Miami-Dade County, a Spanish-speaking bastion where many immigrants legal and illegal can get by for years without having to speak English.

Senators began debate this week on the massive immigration overhaul that Rubio helped write. But he said the current version of the legislation has a loophole that makes it easy to dodge the English requirement. His amendment strikes a provision in the legislation that stipulates the English proficiency requirement can simply be met by being enrolled in an English course.

If passed, those applying for legal status would be required demonstrate, possibly by a test, “ability to read, write, and speak words in ordinary usage.”

Rubio said last week that the legislation still does not have the support of 60 Senate members needed to pass. He said Republican colleagues have told him the bill needs stronger border security to win their support.

The Senate is expected to vote Tuesday on a motion to proceed with the immigration bill. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said members will have three weeks to offer and debate amendments. He expects a vote in the Senate by July 4.

Obama's coming for Miami-Beach fundraiser, and you're paying for it

@MarcACaputo

President Obama travels to Miami Beach on Wednesday to fundraise for the Democratic Party at a private event where donations could reach as high as $32,400 per person.

But everyone will pay for the president’s visit to the waterfront home of businessman Joseph W. Blount.

It costs federal taxpayers about $180,000 per flight hour just to take Air Force One. Locally, there’s a cost as well.

The city of Miami Beach budgets about $100,000 yearly for presidential visits and local taxpayers on the peninsular city shelled out roughly $18,000 to cover security costs for the president’s June 2011 fundraiser at another exclusive waterfront mansion.

In 2011, Miami Beach paid about $49,000 to cover the visits.

"We are NOT reimbursed for this expenditure," city police spokesman, Robert Hernandez, said in an email where he estimated the cost of presidential visit security at $10,000 to $55,000, "depending on the venue and length of stay."

Countywide, there’s a cost, too, even if the president goes to a municipality.

The Miami-Dade Police Department said the president’s Oct. 11, 2012 visit cost county taxpayers about $28,978.18, said Detective Javier Baez. Florida Highway Patrol chipped in $6,490 and City of Miami Police another $5,727.

More here

In election scandal, Rep. Joe Garcia targeted in NRCC Spanish-language radio ads

@MarcACaputo

The National Republican Congressional Committee announced it's running Spanish-language ads on three Miami stations bashing Democratic Rep. Joe Garcia for the election scandal that engulfed his office (some background here).

The script:

"Voter alert.  Political corruption and fraud are looking to plague our community. The Chief of Staff for Congressman Joe Garcia and his campaign manager are being investigated for carrying out an unprecedented plan to falsify hundreds of absentee ballot requests with the intention of manipulating Garcia's election. What's Garcia's reaction?  He says it was a well-intentioned effort.  A well-intentioned effort?  Committing fraud?  Garcia had the nerve to say that it's all part of how we do politics in our community.  No Mr. Garcia, fraud is not acceptable in our community and it's shameful for you to say that.  Call Joe Garcia today. Tell him that we are tired of the corruption and the fraud.  If he can't tell us the truth, the right thing to do is resign.

"The National Republican Congressional Committee paid for and is responsible for the content of this advertising. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee

Here it is in Spanish:

HuffPo finds signs of Marco Rubio double-dealing on immigration reform

Huffington Post story on Florida Sen. Marco Rubio's behind-the-scenes moves:

Rubio had privately urged fellow Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) to remain quiet about her support for immigration reform, in hopes that Senate negotiators would amend the bill's border security measures to win her vote, according to three sources, including one Republican Senate aide. Ayotte, a moderate-leaning New Hampshire Republican, decided nevertheless to announce her support for the measure on Sunday, becoming the first Republican outside of the group to back the reform legislation.

Rubio "has not been telling them to vote no," said one Senate Democratic aide familiar with negotiations. "He has been apparently holding people back from declaring support for the bill, while at the same time saying the bill needs changes in order to garner support. My understanding is he told Sen. Ayotte's office to hold back, but she didn't care."

A Republican Senate source confirmed Rubio's lobbying of Ayotte, saying it was "not the first time" Rubio had done something not aligned with the gang of eight’s interests.

More here

House District 2 special election ballots stolen

A special election is currently underway in House  District 2, and Republican candidate Mike Hill of Pensacola is expected to coast into office. But now there is a fresh mystery to add a bit of intrigue to the race.

Two safes containing early-voting and absentee ballots are missing, the Pensacola News-Journal reported today. Santa Rosa County officials say the safes containing 35 ballots were stolen.

Here is more from the News-Journal:

Two safes containing early-voting and absentee ballots for the House District 2 special election were stolen over the weekend from the South Santa Rosa Service Center, authorities said.

Santa Rosa Supervisor of Elections Tappie Villane said two absentee ballots and 33 early-voting ballots that were cast on Friday and Saturday at the U.S. 98 office in Midway are missing. An employee discovered that the safes were missing when they went in this morning to pick up the ballots for early voting, which ended on Saturday, Villane said.

A glass side door was pried open, and the burglars also cut a fiber-optic cable for the building’s communication lines.

No arrests have been made, officials said, though investigators have security camera surveillance footage that they are reviewing.

Read more here.

Movers & Shakers

Former Romney spokesman new press secretary for the Republican Party of Florida

 Susan Hepworth, who served as director of the national traveling press for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney during the 2012 campaign, is the new press secretary and deputy communications director for the Republican Party of Florida.

The Kansas City native traveled full time with former Gov. Romney and the press corp during his race for president.

During the 2010 election cycle, she directed the day-to-day political operations at the RNC. Prior to that she was at Majority Strategies, a mail firm in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.

Hepworth began her political career in 2007 in Iowa on Romney’s first presidential bid right after graduating from the University of Kansas with a degree in journalism.

“I graduated on a Sunday, drove to Des Moines on Monday and I started working on the campaign on Tuesday,” said Hepworth, who started her new job June 7. “And that’s been my life.”

Winsor new state solicitor general

Allen Winsor succeeds Timothy Osterhaus as Florida’s solicitor general,  the state government’s top appellate lawyer. Osterhaus was appointed to the 1st District Court of Appeal May 20th.

Winsor, 36,  has been the principal deputy solicitor general since January. Prior to that, he was a member of the Tallahassee office of GrayRobinson, most recently as a shareholder. He’s a 2002 graduate of the University Of Florida College Of Law, where he was editor-in-chief of the Florida Law Review.

The Florida solicitor general represents the state throughout Florida's appellate courts and in the U.S. Supreme Court. The solicitor general also serves as the Richard W. Ervin Eminent Scholar Chair and a visiting professor of law at Florida State University College of Law.

Scott's campaign against university tuition increase crosses line, some say

Gov. Rick Scott is meeting with universities one by one, asking leaders to reject an automatic 1.7 percent tuition increase. Not only are schools declining his request, but some higher education observers are once again accusing Scott of crossing the line. Here is an excerpt from the story in Tuesday's paper:

Seeking to offset an automatic 1.7 percent tuition increase, Gov. Rick Scott is meeting with university leaders one by one and lobbying them to cut tuition rates by an equal amount next year.

It's not working.

The University of Florida and Florida State University boards of trustees voted Friday to reject the governor's offer. Other university leaders have signalled they could do the same this week. And some, like the University of South Florida, want guidance from the state Board of Governors before making a decision.

It's a big loss for Scott, who had all-but-promised no tuition increases next year and who directly or indirectly appoints a majority of university trustees. But university officials, supported by House Speaker Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, say they need additional revenues to begin to compensate for the losses generated by the downturn in the economy and state budget cuts.

"No one likes to raise tuition, but I think the essence for us as a governing board is to make sure we use these dollars wisely, make sure that we deliver value," said FSU trustee Ed Burr.

Scott has called raising tuition a tax increase — even though he approved an 8 percent tuition increase in 2011 — and has been making his case to anyone who will listen. University of West Florida President Judy Bense said she didn't feel pressured during a meeting with Scott last week, though she didn't make any promises.

Bill to preempt local control of 'sick time' reaches governor

A bill that may serve as a litmus test on Gov. Rick Scott's view of government reached his desk today, giving the governor 15 days to decide whether to sign or reject HB 655, which preempts local control over issues such as "sick time" and wages and replaces it with regulation from Tallahassee.

The Florida Legislature passed the measure largely along party lines as Democrats opposed and the Republican-controlled leadership of the House and Senate embraced the view of the Florida Chamber of Commerce and other business-backed groups. They argued that leaving living wage regulation to local governments was bad for business.

Since then, a bi-partisan stream of opposition has reached the governor's desk, particularly from Miami where Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado joined with other local government officials and labor union reps to urge the governor to veto the measure. 

It's also a classic test of political consistency. When it comes to Washington v. Tallahassee, many of the advocates of the bill say they prefer government closest to the people. But when it's Tallahassee v. local government, the argument changes -- usually depending on the business lobby.