The good ole days with Alex Sink and Scott Rothstein

Among the things for which Bill McCollum can be thankful this Thanksgiving: That people keep sending Buzz photos of alleged Ponzi schemer/top fundraiser Scott Rothstein appearing to be best buds with Alex Sink.

Heeding Bob Graham, Charlie Crist says he's winding down out-of-state fundraising

Charlie Crist acknowledged in an interview that it may not look like he's 100 percent focused on Florida, when he's spending so much time raising money out of state for his Senate race. "One of the things I like the least about what I do is having to raise money...I also realize that I have to have resources in order to communicate and in order to educate. I don't enjoy going to receptions a lot, but I know I have to do it,'' Crist said. "Does it look bad? Perhaps. But I know if I don't do it, I'm not going to be able to communicate when it really matters."

Crist  said he consulted with  former Democratic Sen. Bob Graham, who also raised money for a senate race while serving as governor, about fundraising.

"(Graham) said, 'It's very difficult and you have to try to be very sensitive to the out-of-state fundraising versus in-state. Your first job is your job.' I realize that. He said, 'My advice would be if you do out of state fundraising do it before the election year. If there are people around the country who want to help you' - and thank God there are a few - 'I would try to schedule those before the calendar year ends in 2009.' So I'm trying to do that. I think it was good advice."

Alex Sink loves her some Scott Rothstein

Someone sent us this nice shot of Alex Sink and her pal, disgraced fundraiser/alleged Ponzi scheme king Scott Rothstein, who has enough bling on his hands to make Mr. T look like the picture of understated taste by comparison.

Could Crist run for re-election, rather than Senate?

It's a scenario that we hear raised surprisingly often now that Gov. Crist is in a tougher-than-expected Senate race against Marco Rubio. So today we asked Crist about the chances of that happening: "Zero. There may be hope on the part of some that that would occur - opponents perhaps, or maybe people who do business in Tallahassee - but no, that's not going to happen,'' Gov. Crist said in a wide-ranging talk with the St. Petersburg Times editorial board.

Sounding engaged and no longer a bit dismissive of the Rubio threat, Crist suggested the Miami Republican has escaped significant scrutiny and has been able to campaign in a vacuum. But not for long.

"What is said sometimes on the campaign trail isn't necessarily consistent with the record...I mean, he's voted for tax increases several times as speaker and as representative,'' Crist said of Rubio. "Campaigns thank God are an educational opportunity. During the course of the next nine months or so we will strive to lay out a very good education...I believe in Reagan's 11th Commandment- thou shall not speak ill of a fellow Republican - but I also think you need to be honest and truthful and make sure that before people go to the ballot box they have a good opportunity to be well-informed."

Florida education policy,commitment on trial

Former state House Speaker Jon Mills and Linda Kobert, an Orlando parent and education activist, appeared on Political Connections Sunday to discuss their lawsuit alleging that the state is vioilating its Constitutional duty to provide "high quality" education to students. The full interview can be seen in Tampa Bay on Ch. 342, Bay News 9 on Demand, but here's a clip (Note: tends to play best on FireFox):

Jeb raps Crist, defends proposed rate increases

Jeb Bush never actually mentions Charlie Crist in this  Tallahassee Democrat column , but he clearly is taking a shot at Charlie Crist for vocally opposing FPL's requested rate increase. Seems to us the first time the former governor has publicly criticicized current leadership in Tallahassee:

The well-publicized pronouncements made outside this quasi-judicial process have already sent a warning signal to the capital markets that will be necessary to finance these large, long-term investments. The growing perception in Florida is that regulatory decisions will be based on poll-driven sentiments in spite of long-term benefits. When decisions crucial to the profitability and viability of a business enter the realm of chance and politics, the incentive for investment in new or expanded endeavors evaporates, along with the jobs and tax revenue that come with it.

Winner and loser of the week

Winner of the Week: State Sen. Ted Deutch. It looks more and more like the first term Democratic legislator from Boca Raton will walk into the Congressional seat Robert Wexler is vacating to take a well-paid middle east policy advocate job. No serious rival has emerged, Wexler essentially hand-picked his successor for a heavily Democratic district the well-regarded Deutch can probably hold as long as he likes.

Loser of the week: Department of Juvenile Justice Secretary Frank Peterman. Spending $44,000 in taxpayer money on travel over two years? Much of it to and from your home area? Come on, Frank. Tighten your belt and fix your political antenna or your own six-figure state salary will be be in jeopardy. Maybe you need to let somebody else do your St. Pete preaching gig for awhile.

Could Crist's relentless money-raising hurt him?

Palm Beach Post: Three of Crist's top fund-raisers have been hamstrung by federal investigations in the past nine months, and a fourth, Jupiter sports agent and real estate investor Marc Roberts, is facing a federal lawsuit alleging he defrauded a business partner out of $100 million to support his own "lavish personal lifestyle."

Crist has "never discriminated" in whom he takes money from, said a former state Republican Party staffer with knowledge of Crist's fund raising. "Now he's facing the consequences of not being careful. And it raises questions about his judgment."

Buddy Nevins: The Feds are looking into a claim by scamster Scott Rothstein that he had influenced Broward judicial appointments with campaign contributions, according a source familiar with the investigation.

The judges are not suspected of anything.   

Rothstein gave large sums of money to the Republican Party of Florida within days that three Broward judges were appointed.

Alex Sink poses riddle to top fundraisers

What do Nintendo, the A-Team, MTV, and Microsoft Windows have in common?

That was the question posed to dozens of top Democratic fundraisers gathered last night at the lakefront Thonotosassa home of Alex Sink for a pep talk/strategery session. We're told the bundlers, including a representative from Emily's List, scratched their heads looking at a screen showing a bunch of logos from the 1980s.

The answer? None of them existed when Bill McCollum first took office.

It illustrates the general line of attack ahead for Sink's gubernatorial campaign: Florida can choose between a career politician who's been in office forever, or they can choose a fresh-faced, career businesswoman just starting in public service?

Jim Greer still has a job

This shouldn't be much of a surprise, but Florida GOP leaders took no formal action at their closed door meeting in Lake County this afternoon - called to help iron out concerns many party leaders expressed about the state Chairman Jim Greer.

"It was productive, definitely. Just open discussion,'' said Hillsborough State Committeeman A.J. Matthews. "The chairman's amicable to settling differences. In the end this is all about being one, big happy family."

"Everyone was polite and nice. It was not contentious,'' said Pinellas GOP Chairman Tony DiMatteo. "There was not a formal board meeting ,so there  was no action that could be taken."

If anything dramatic is going to occur with the state party's leadership it will happen at the December executive committee meeting in Tallahassee or more likely at the January meeting in Orlando.