About 230 members of the Palm Beach County Republican Executive Committee should be getting mailers today from GOP activist Jack Furnari that show chairman candidate Ed Lynch’s photo against a background of dead bodies from the 1978 Jonestown mass cult suicide.

“Don’t Drink Ed Lynch’s Kool-Aid!” say the mailer, which says a vote for Lynch over incumbent Chairman Sid Dinerstein is “a vote to destroy the Republican Party of Palm Beach County.”

Furnari includes his name on the mailer, which he says he sent on his own.

“I think ‘Don’t drink the Kool-Aid’ is a common expression in politics,” Furnari said of the content.

The election for county GOP chairman is Wednesday night.

In his bid for Palm Beach County GOP chairman, two-time congressional candidate Ed Lynch is mounting a more-Republican-than-thou challenge of incumbent Sid Dinerstein. Among other things, he has ripped Dinerstein for allowing BIZPAC Chairman John R. Smith to be a non-voting member on the county GOP executive board when Smith contributed to Democratic state Rep. Joseph Abruzzo.

So Dinerstein supporter Jack Furnari is making hay of photos from 2008 that show Lynch wielding a guitar at a joint event for Democrats Abruzzo and former state Sen. Dave Aronberg. Lynch is wearing a “Team Aronberg” T-shirt in the pics, which conservative activist Furnari posted today on his blog.

Lynch today called the guitar issue a sign his opponents are “desperate.”

Lynch says he merely loaned his sound system to a friend who played at the event. He says he picked up the guitar, which he says wasn’t his, to do a sound check and didn’t actually perform. Abruzzo said he thinks he remembers Lynch playing at the event, but can’t be absolutely sure. He said he remembers feeling a little uncomfortable about it because he supported Lynch’s opponent at the time, former Democratic U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler. Aronberg said he wasn’t 100 percent certain either, but thinks Lynch’s sound-check story is “probably right.”

And that Aronberg T-shirt? Lynch said he spilled barbecue sauce on his own shirt and donned the Democratic garment as an emergency substitute.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee didn’t waste any time slamming Senate President Mike Haridopolos, a GOP U.S. Senate hopeful who’s just taken over the helm of his chamber.

Before Haridopolos has even officially announced his intention to run against incumbent U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson in two years (if, as expected, Nelson seeks reelection), the DSCC lashed out at the Merritt Island Republican for violating the state’s ethics laws.

“Mike Haridopolos’ arrogance reached a new level when he kicked off a likely Senate bid by pleading guilty to breaking Florida ethics laws,” DSCC National Press Secretary Deirdre Murphy said in a statement today. “If Haridopolos’ miserable first week as a likely candidate is any harbinger for the future, he’s got a lot of explaining to do to Florida voters.”

Haridopolos, a college teacher whose courses include government, and the state Commission on Ethics reached an agreement about his failure to accurately fill out his financial disclosure forms for five years.

His punishment? Nothing, thus far.

Haridopolos’ own chamber and fellow senators will have to decide whether their leader must face a fine or other penalty for failing to identify the clients that paid him as a political consultant.

Sen. John Thrasher, who is also the head of the state GOP, is chairman of the Rules Committee that will make the final decision on whether to mete out any fiscal or other reprimand. Haridopolos appointed Thrasher, R-St. Augustine, to head the committee before he entered the stipulation agreement with the ethics commission.

Read the joint agreement here.

WEST PALM BEACH — Republican U.S. Sen. George LeMieux, whose 16-month appointment ends next month, told a Forum Club of the Palm Beaches lunch he’ll decide “pretty soon” whether or not he’s running in 2012, when Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson is up for reelection.

He was asked afterward what some of the factors will be in his decision. He mentioned his family first, then said he’ll consider who else is running.

“If I feel that there’s somebody who would do as equal or better job than me for our country, then it would be smarter for me to step aside and allow me to spend more time with my four kids who are 7 and under,” LeMieux said.

“If I look out and don’t think that there’s someone like a Jeb Bush, for example who’s going to run and I don’t think there’s someone who’s going to be a problem-solver who’s going to go to Washington not to be a career politician, but go there to do the work that’s needed and come home, that’s going to be compelling for me.”

Bush has ruled out running for president in 2012. A spokesperson wasn’t immediately available to discuss the Senate race.

Palm Beach billionaire Jeff Greene, who lost a self-financed Democratic Senate primary bid in August, has been sued by a Washington-based consulting firm that claims it’s owed $394,000 for media work it did late in the campaign, the South Florida Business Journal is reporting.

Greene said through his attorney that he has a right to challenge some of the charges sought by the Devine Mulvey firm, the Business Journal reported.

U.S. Sen. George LeMieux’s appearance at a Forum Club of the Palm Beaches lunch today in West Palm Beach puts the spotlight on Florida’s 2012 U.S. Senate race.

Republican LeMieux is winding down a 16-month gig after being appointed by Gov. Charlie Crist in 2009. At the time, Crist was the 2010 Republican Senate frontrunner and LeMieux, his former campaign manager and chief of staff, was seen as a seatwarmer for his ex-boss. LeMieux ended up campaigning for Marco Rubio when Crist bolted the GOP for an independent bid.

Now LeMieux is seen as one of several potential Republican candidates for 2012, when Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson is up for reelection. Some other Republicans to watch: former state House Majority Leader Adam Hasner of Boca Raton, new state Senate President Mike Haridopolos and U.S. Reps. Connie Mack and Vern Buchanan from Florida’s west coast.

Palm Beach County GOP Chairman Sid Dinerstein, seeking reelection next week, sent an e-mail to Republican Executive Committee members that doesn’t name challenger Ed Lynch, but calls his rival a “Ron Klein Republican” and a “lifelong Democrat,” a reference to the fact Lynch was registered as a Democrat from 2000 to 2004.

Lynch launched his candidacy Thursday with a lengthy e-mail blasting Dinerstein.

The county race has particularly high stakes for Dinerstein. He wants to become Republican Party of Florida chairman, but won’t be eligible if he loses his county post.

Read Dinerstein’s e-mail after the jump….

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After more than an hour of heated discussion, the Palm Beach County Democratic Executive Committee voted to send a “brisk” letter of disapproval to Democrats (from left) Aaronson, Sachs and Vana for endorsing Republican-turned-independent Charlie Crist in the U.S. Senate race.

Carole Pollack was inducted as a Palm Beach County Democratic precinct captain Thursday night. Less than two hours later, after listening to party members shout each other down and seeing several walk out in protest, Pollack herself was storming out of a Democratic Executive Committee meeting in West Delray saying she might never return.

Pollack witnessed an intramural Democratic bloodbath over whether the party should take action against Democratic County Commissioners Burt Aaronson and Shelley Vana and state Sen. Maria Sachs for bucking the party and endorsing Republican-turned-independent Charlie Crist in the Nov. 2 U.S. Senate race.

Committee members who stayed to the bitter end rejected a motion to censure the elected officials but voted to authorize a committee to send a “brisk” letter telling them of their disapproval.

Pollack didn’t stick around for the final vote.

“This is the first time I’ve been here. I’m not sure that it won’t be the last. I’m very upset by what I’m seeing here,” she told the party activists who met at Temple Emeth.

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Republicans blasted U.S. Rep. Ron Klein, D-Boca Raton, for voting the Democratic line 98 percent of the time, including his support for the landmark health care and stimulus bills. A billboard depicted Klein as a marionette controlled by liberal Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Klein, who was defeated by Republican Allen West on Nov. 2, was one of 20 Democrats who bucked the party today and voted against a bill to extend the Bush tax cuts only for those making $250,000 a year or less.

The bill passed by a 234-to-188 margin. Click here to see the roll call.

Republicans favor a permanent extension of all the tax cuts. Klein during the campaign favored a one-year extension of all the tax cuts, and reiterated that position today.

“The middle class is the heart and soul of America, and I strongly support middle class tax cuts,” Klein said in a statement released by his office. “However, I couldn’t vote for today’s proposal because it just didn’t go far enough. I have said consistently over the last few months that I believe all tax cuts should be extended for one year while our economy recovers and we work out a stable, long-term tax structure that allows American families and business to reasonably plan ahead.”

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Two-time congressional candidate Ed Lynch announced he’ll challenge four-term incumbent Sid Dinerstein next week in the race for county GOP chairman.

In an e-mail sent to Republican Executive Committee members (read it after the jump), Lynch suggests Dinerstein is more interested in self-promotion and higher office than electing Republicans locally. Dinerstein wants to be Republican Party of Florida chairman. To be eligible for the state job, he must win reelection to his county chairman’s post next Wednesday.

Lynch lost to former Democratic U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler in 2008, then lost to Democrat Ted Deutch in a special election this year to replace Wexler.

Dinerstein said most of the accusations in Lynch’s e-mail aren’t true and “he knows that. He doesn’t care. We’ll have an election.”

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After his way-outside-the-Beltway shock pick of conservative radio talker Joyce Kaufman for chief of staff didn’t work out, Republican U.S. Rep.-elect Allen West today announced his top aide will be Jonathan Blyth, a former chief of staff to two House members and a veteran of more than 20 years in Washington.

Blyth held the top staff job for former Republican U.S. Rep. Bob Barr of Georgia, who later was the 2008 Libertarian Party presidential nominee. Blyth also was appointed by former President George W. Bush to two federal agencies, according to a release from West’s office.

West’s former campaign manager, Josh Grodin, will be deputy chief of staff and legislative director for West’s congressional office.

West’s communications director will be Angela Sachitano, who until recently was a reporter for WPTV Channel 5. Read more from our Jose Lambiet about the Sachitano hiring by clicking here.

Read West’s announcement after the jump….

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Andrew Gillum, the Tallahassee city commissioner making an outsider bid for Florida Democratic Party chairman, has endorsed establishment favorite Rod Smith for the job. Smith is a former state Senator from Alachua County who was Alex Sink’s running mate in the governor’s race and has lined up a slew of endorsements.

Gillum issued this statement this morning:

“Rod Smith is committed to delivering the reforms that the Florida Democratic Party needs to win elections, which is why I am proud to offer him my support. My candidacy was always about moving Florida forward, which required a serious dialogue about how we motivate our base, build our infrastructure, and recruit the next generation of Florida Democrats. We will make these reforms, and we will win elections.”
 

Democratic U.S. Rep. Ron Klein, defeated in his reelection bid Nov. 2, delivered parting remarks on the floor of the House late today.

“The opportunity to serve in this body has been the privilege of a lifetime,” said the two-term representative from Boca Raton, who lost to Republican Allen West.

Klein expressed pride in lining up bipartisan support for his homeowner insurance bill, closing the Medicare prescription drug “donut hole” and helping veterans.

“Some might disagree with our policies,” Klein said. “But I think it is clear that each of us loves this country, and stood up for what we believe in the best way we know how.”

Read Klein’s complete remarks after the jump…

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Florida Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson was one of only seven Dems to vote for a ban on earmarks Tuesday. The measure failed 56-39.

PolitiFact.com rates Nelson’s vote a “full flop,” noting that Nelson voiced support for earmarks only a few weeks ago and voted to table an earmarks ban in March.

The GOP isn’t giving Nelson any love for joining 32 Republicans in supporting the earmarks ban. Nelson is up for reelection in 2012, and the National Republican Senatorial Committee is making sure the PolitiFact “full flop” verdict gets widely circulated.

West Palm Beach-based Florida Crystals Corp. contributed the maximum $25,000 this week to Gov.-elect Rick Scott’s inaugural festivities. And three other entities listing the same Clematis Street office suite address as Florida Crystals kicked in $25,000 apiece as well.

See the complete list of contributors by clicking here.

The four $25,000 contributors from the same office suite are Florida Crystals Corp., Sun Corn Inc., Agro-Industrial Management and Florida Pioneer Investments.

Florida Crystals’ rival, U.S. Sugar Corp., contributed $25,000 to the inaugural. During his GOP primary against Bill McCollum, Scott blasted the state’s $197 million purchase of 27,000 acres of U.S. Sugar land for Everglades restoration and slammed U.S. Sugar’s contributions to McCollum.

Other local contributors to the inaugural include the Palm Beach Kennel Club, which donated $5,000, and Palm Beach Credit Adjustor Inc., which gave $10,000.

Contributions topped $800,000 through Monday.