Former House Speaker and GOP U.S. Senate wannabe Marco Rubio will address reporters and editors in Palm Beach on Friday. Also invited but not yet confirmed is Gov. Charlie Crist, who’s the leading Republican candidate to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez.

U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek, the Democratic contender for the high-profile post who’s stumped through the Florida Panhandle all weekend, is also a maybe at the annual Florida Press Association/Florida Society of Newspaper Editors convention.

Meek’s got to be in D.C. to vote in Congress but might get there at the tail-end of the 2:30-4 p.m. Friday powwow, his campaign spokesman Adam Sharon said.

Floridians so far have received less federal stimulus money than any of their fellow Americans, despite an unemployment rate here that ranks among the highest in the country and a budget crisis that few states can match.

Calabro

Florida has received more total dollars than all but three other states from a stimulus pot of about $198 billion so far for infrastructure projects and social services, according to figures reported this week by The Wall Street Journal.¹ That total includes money Congress left for states to divide among themselves and other dollars that federal departments have already disbursed.

But Florida received just $505 per person, which ranks last among the 50 states, all U.S. territories combined and Washington, D.C., according to a Palm Beach Post analysis of the Journal’s data.

The numbers raise significant questions about the stimulus program, which President Obama said during a February stop in Fort Myers would help curtail the state’s rising unemployment rate.²

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1. Wall Street Journal, 06/30/09: Stimulus Spending, Breakdown by State
2. Remarks of President Obama, 02/10/09, Fort Myers.

A new Mason DIxon poll shows that nearly all Floridians recognize Gov. Charlie Crist’s name - but less than half of them viewhim favorably.

The poll, released today, shows Crist leading former House Speaker Marco Rubio by 51 to 23 percent in the GOP race to fill retiring U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez’ seat, with 26 percent undecided.

Crist has nearly total name recognition among Florida Republicans while Rubio is recognized by just more than half, the poll found.

But among GOP voters who recognize both Rubio and Crist, the poll shows them in a virtual dead heat - Crist with 33 percent and Rubio with 31.

U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek has a 27 to 12 percent lead over U.S. Rep. Corinne Brown but nearly two-thirds of voters - 61 percent - remain undecided in that race. 0
In a General Election, Crist leads 48 percent to 26 percent over Meek, with 26 percent undecided. Crist also leads Brown by 55 percent to 24 percent, with 21 percent undecided.

In the general election, the poll showed Crist with a slightly smaller lead over Meek - 48 to 26 percent, with 26 percent undecided.

The poll was released by Ron Sachs Communications.

Gov. Charlie Crist weighed in on a variety of topics this morning after signing several law enforcement-related bills at the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles this morning.

Sheltered from the blazing heat by tents, slews of department employees dressed in bright red shirts turned out to hear Crist speak and pose for pictures with the governor, who is also running to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez.

Among the bills Crist signed today was one that will expand the state’s DNA database. Law enforcement officials, now limited to taking DNA samples from those convicted of crimes, will now be able to take DNA from anyone who is arrested.

But Crist defended the bill (SB 2276) which civil liberties advocates argue is too far-reaching and have threatened to challenge in court.

“I think it’ll be alright or I wouldn’t have signed the bill. I think that we need to protect first and make sure that our people are safe. I think that this legislation will help us to do that even better,” he said.

Read what else Crist told reporters at a gaggle after the bill-signing after the jump. (more…)

Florida Democrats appear to be spared a costly primary election for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Mel Martinez.

State Sen. Dan Gelber has dropped out of the race against U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek, who’s already collected more than $1 million in campaign contributions.

“It makes little sense — when we do face the prospect of real change in Florida — for me to participate in a potentially divisive primary for U.S. Senate that will only serve to diminish our chances against a very formidable and well-known Republican nominee,” Gelber, D-Miami Beach, said in a message posted on Facebook.

Republicans so far still have a potentially divisive primary on their hands. Former House Speaker Marco Rubio is still in the race against Gov. Charlie Crist despite Republican Party of Florida Chairman Jim Greer’s endorsement of the governor.

Democrats, too, want to avoid costly and potentially politically damaging primaries, as Gelber said to his supporters on a Facebook posting.

Gelber’s expressed an interested in running for attorney general, along with fellow senator Dave Aronberg of Greenacres and former state senator Rod Smith. Gelber’s name is also being tossed around as a possible running mate with CFO Alex Sink, who is likely to be the Democratic candidate for governor.
Read Gelber’s message after the jump.
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Minutes after she announced her candidacy for governor, Florida Democratic Party leader Karen Thurman and former governor and U.S. Sen. Bob Graham endorsed Alex Sink.

Sink, with U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson one of only two Democrats elected to statewide office, ended speculation about her run the day after Gov. Charlie Crist announced he would not seek reelection but would run to replace retiring GOP U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez.

“In just a short period of time, Alex has already cut wasteful spending, cracked down on financial fraud and scams, reformed government contracting and provided our state with a fresh approach to solving problems and restoring Florida’s economy,” Graham said in a statement.

“Floridians are cheering today now that Alex Sink has announced her candidacy for governor. As a businesswoman who delivers real results for the people of Florida, CFO Alex Sink is not only the Democrats’ strongest candidate but she’s the very best candidate for the job,” Thurman’s release said.

Although Sink has been mum about her plans, her attention from national Democrats has not gone unnoticed.

Recently, one of Boca Raton U.S. Rep. Ron Klein’s aides, Stephanie Grutman, came to work for Sink. Sink hired spokeswoman Kyra Jennings, a veteran of several Democratic congressional campaigns, about three months ago.

A new poll by Public Policy Polling shows that Barack Obama has rebounded in Florida and now holds a razor-thin edge over John McCain in the state.

But the poll also outlines potential trouble for U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez. In a hypothetical 2010 matchup against Florida CFO Alex Sink, Martinez trails 31 percent to 37 percent. Against U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler, the poll shows both candidates at 33 percent with undecided at 34 percent.

The poll is good news for Obama, who trailed McCain 50-39 in March, at the height of the contrversy over Obama’s former pastor, Jeremiah Wright.

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Gov. Charlie Crist said he’s not “running” for vice president and has “no idea” if he’s being considered by Sen. John McCain to be his runningmate.

Talking with reporters after attending a luncheon meeting with GOP senators — including McCain — at the U.S. Capitol, Crist said: “I’m focused on being the best governor I can for the citizens of Florida and that takes up the lion’s share of my time.”


When Crist was asked by a reporter if he would turn down the vice presidential nomination if asked, Sen. Mel Martinez leaped to his rhetorical rescue.

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Here are statements from local members of the Florida congressional delegation:

U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., said: “The president delivered an uplifting assessment of where America stands in the world today, and where we are headed in the future. We clearly have much work to do - most pressing today are the areas of the economy, housing, health care, and the war on terror.

“The president talked about our economy and stressed the need for a quick, clean and bipartisan stimulus package. Families are counting on us to do what is right and to do it soon. There’s simply no place in this debate for partisan squabbling or localized and unrelated earmarks. As the president emphasized, federal lawmakers need to exercise fiscal restraint.

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Sen. Mel Martinez will endorse John McCain for president, the Associated Press is reporting.

A knowledgeable source said the AP story is accurate and that Martinez, who is traveling with McCain today, is likey to make the formal announcement at a 5 p.m. meeting the the Latin Builders Association in Miami.

Martinez could not be reached for comment and his press secretary was unavailable moments ago.

Martinez had indicated last month that he might not endorse any candidate prior to Tuesday’s GOP primary because he had supporters backing several of the leading candidates.

According to AP, two Republican officials disclosed the upcoming endorsement on
the condition of anonymity in advance of the formal announcement.

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Looking a lot like the guys in the Apple commercials — “Hi, I’m a Mac …” — U.S. Sens. Bill Nelson and Mel Martinez have taped a public service announcement urging Florida voters to participate in the Jan. 29 presidential primary.

Nelson, dressed casually in a light blue pullover, and Martinez, in a suit with a red. white and blue tie, remind voters that although they are from different political parties, “we’re Floridians first.”

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Kirk Fordham, who gained national notoriety as a former chief of staff to Mark Foley, has been picked to be chief executive officer for the Everglades Foundation.

Fordham wasn’t serving in Foley’s office when the page scandal ended Foley’s political career in 2006, but he helped engineer Foley’s exit from Congress and testified before the House Ethics Committee investigating how top congressional leaders mishandled the situation.

But Fordham has a long history of working in the political and legislative arenas. He has been a chief of staff to three congressmen and spearheaded Sen. Mel Martinez’s fundraising efforts during the 2004 campaign.

The Everglades Foundation put out a news release offering bipartisan praise for Fordham’s abilities. Here’s what some key politicos said:

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Mitt Romney’s campaign says he never mentioned Florida Sen. Mel Martinez as a possible vice presidential candidate.

Martinez’s name was included in a list of possible veep candidates in an Associated Press story over the weekend that said he also mentioned Gov. Charlie Crist and former Gov. Jeb Bush. The AP story reported that Romney said in West Palm Beach that Florida has great leaders, including the current governor, former governor and its Republican senator. That’s Crist, Bush and Martinez.

But Martinez, who was born in Cuba, is barred by the U.S. Constitution from serving as either president or vice president.

Romney spokeswoman Gail Gitcho said the former Massachusetts governor mentioned Florida Republican leaders in general, but did not mention Martinez by name. She said the AP story mistakenly listed Martinez as the senator Romney had in mind. Gitcho noted that in previous interviews Romney has mentioned former U.S. Sen. Connie Mack III, as the type of Republican leader from Florida who could be a veep candidate.

Photo by Rick McKay

Some states have U.S. senators who barely talk to each other.

But despite the fact that Democrat Bill Nelson campaigned against Republican Mel Martinez’s election in 2004, the two have generally gotten along and have worked together on numerous Florida issues.

Here Nelson, left, and Martinez share a private moment after a news conference in which they unveiled six bills aimed at reducing property insurance rates by addressing tax and insurance changes related to disaster coverage.

Here’s what some local members of Congress had to say about President Bush’s budget:

Sen. Bill Nelson: “Overall, there’s a lot of bad news for Americans in the president’s budget. There would be $76 billion in cuts to Medicare coverage for seniors and the disabled and $26 billion slashed from Medicaid for the poor. And that’s just for starters.”

Sen. Mel Martinez: “The president’s budget reflects a good approach to meeting ongoing federal obligations and the need to work toward balancing the federal budget. For Florida, the budget includes money for our environmental priorities, education initiatives, and transportation projects. The budget includes funds to enable important health care reforms. The focus on reforming earmarks and entitlement programs is essential to making certain tax dollars are used to their fullest and best extent.”

Rep. Tim Mahoney: “The president’s budget fails to provide a realistic estimate of the costs our country is likely to incur in the coming fiscal year. While the president has said he supports fiscal responsibility, his rhetoric does not match the results. The president’s budget cuts funding for Florida’s seniors, students, while running a deficit of $239 billion. These cuts are not moving us closer to fiscal responsibility, they are moving us further along the same failed path the American people rebuked in the past election.”

There’s a lot of talk about bipartisanship in Washington these days.

Democrat Bill Nelson and Republican Mel Martinez say they want to promote it further. Nelson told members of the Florida congressional delegation today that he and Martinez plan to host the delegation for a dinner at one of their houses.

Nelson, who said during the campaign last fall that he and Martinez had been discussing ways to promote bipartisanship in the Senate, said he hoped to get the Florida delegation to interact socially as well as at work.

No mention of what the menu might be.

The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste, a self-proclaimed taxpayer watchdog group, has released its annual ratings of how well members of Congress did in voting against what it deems “wasteful programs and pork-barrel spending.”

Not surprisingly, the list of issues chosen by the group favors Republicans over Democrats.

Among the Florida delegation,

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Anybody think the Senate vote on the proposed constitutional amendment to define marriage involved politics?

Rep. Katherine Harris lost no time sending out an e-mail after the vote chiding Sen. Bill Nelson for voting against it.

“I believe the majority of Americans strongly support the preservation of traditional marriage being defined as the union between one man and one woman. We must never undermine the uniqueness of an institution that continues to serve as an essential thread in the fabric of our society. I am disappointed the Marriage Protection Amendment did not pass the Senate, and I know Floridians are disappointed with the vote cast by my opponent,” Harris said.

Nelson, who voted to block the amendment, answered with this e-mail from spokesman Dan McLaughlin: “Senator Nelson firmly believes marriage should be between one man and one woman, but that the states and not the federal government should regulate marriage. He supports the Florida law that already bans same-sex marriage, and the federal law that says Florida doesn’t have to honor a gay marriage from another state. He didn’t vote for the proposed federal amendment for these reasons, and also because it would have allowed the federal government to regulate other relationships besides marriage.”

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