Planned Parenthood targets Fasano, others

Planned Parenthood said Friday it will make phone calls and launch a direct-mail campaign targeting a half-dozen legislators who voted in favor of a bill that would have required pregnant women to be shown an ultrasound of the fetus before undergoing an abortion. The bill (HB 257) passed the House easily, but died in the Senate on a dramatic 20-20 tie as seven GOP senators sided with opposition Democrats.

The lone Tampa Bay lawmaker who's being targeted is Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, who's up for re-election this fall. The other five are Sen. Jeff Atwater, R-Palm Beach Gardens, and Reps. Gayle Harrell, R-Port St. Lucie; Doug Holder, R-Sarasota; Matt Hudson, R-Naples; and Darren Soto, D-Orlando.

Atwater has raised more than $1.6-million and faces a challenge in a moderate district from former Democratic Sen. Skip Campbell as hs seeks to become the next Senate president. Harrell is running for Congress, Holder represents a swing district and Hudson and Soto are so-called redshirt freshmen, who were elected in the past year. 

Crist, LeMieux and 'the political climate'

Gov. Charlie Crist has invited a select group of political leaders to meetings in Tampa and Fort Lauderdale on June 3 to discuss "the political climate here in Florida and around the country." With Crist will be Gov. Haley Barbour of Mississippi, where Tuesday, Democrat Travis Childers won a Congressional seat that had long been in Republican hands.

"As Governor of Florida, I know the importance that solid, strong leadership can make in shaping a state," Crist writes in the invitation letter. In it, he says he plans to take on a more prominent role in the Republican Governors Association in "moving our country in the right direction." Eleven states will have gubernatorial races in 2008. The lone southeastern state with a governor's race is North Carolina, where Democrat Mike Easley is termed out.

The two Crist-Barbour meetings will be hosted by George LeMieux, who was Crist's chief of staff in 2007.

Targeting Tampa's gay marriage opponents

Thousands of Tampa-area voters who signed petitions that helped the so-called Marriage Protection Amendment get on the Nov. 4 ballot are receiving this letter from the opposition, suggesting they might have been "misinformed" about what they were signing.

The letter from the Red and Blue Committee says, among other things: "People collecting petitions aren't always honest about the issues they're pushing -- especially if they're paid by the signature." That  infuriated Florida Family Action, the group seeking to put a same-sex marriage ban in the Constitution, because its petition-gatherers were unpaid volunteers. (Red and Blue countered that its letter did not specifically accuse Florida Family Action of paying for signatures).

The letter looks like a warm-up for a petition revocation effort, except that wouldn't make sense. The same-sex marriage ban is already on the ballot, as Amendment 2. Asked why the letter focuses on Hillsborough County (and Leon), Red and Blue spokesman Stephen Gaskill said: "Obviously, statewide elections are won in the I-4 corridor, so we're starting in Tampa, where we have a strong base of support." Florida Family Action says "homosexual activists" are behind the letter.   

Compromise looming on Fl delegates?

In a sign that the impasse over giving Florida a voice in the Democratic nomination finally may be breaking, both Democratic presidential campaigns are starting to broach compromise plans publicly. Democratic National Committee member Allan Katz of Tallahassee said the Barack Obama campaign authorized him to suggest to the Florida Democratic Party on Friday that it propose a compromise plan that would let Hillary Rodham Clinton net about 10 delegates out of Florida. He got nowhere with the state party, but on Sunday the Clinton campaign for the first time signaled publicly that it might accept something other than Florida's getting all of its delegates seated at the convention.

"The party took away 100 percent of the delegates. The rule is 50 percent,'' Clinton campaign chairman Terry McAuliffe told Tim Russert on NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday. "Had they only taken away 50 percent like the Republican Party did, Tim, you and I would not be having this conversation today."

More here.

Buddy Johnson sketchy on elections details

TAMPA — It had taken almost three weeks to track down Elections Supervisor Buddy Johnson to hand him a subpoena for his testimony in a federal voting rights case brought by the NAACP. When Johnson finally sat for his deposition, he said he didn't know the answers to dozens of questions about procedures in his office.

He was unable to describe details of the voter registration process and unwilling to respond to routine questions, including the degrees he held and where he lived. Johnson complained that an NAACP lawyer treated him with condescension, and he briefly donned a football helmet before beginning the second day of testimony. More here.

UPDATED: From the Florida Democratic Delegate Front: Lots of movement, but standing still

With her chances of winning fading, Hillary Clinton sent Barack Obama a letter Thursday imploring him to ask the Democratic National Committee to make all of Florida's and Michigan's delegates count towards the presidential nomination.

Most of Florida's congressional Democrats also sent DNC Chairman Howard Dean a letter asking him to help ensure a decision is made by May 31, when the Rules and Bylaws Committee meets to hear an appeal of Florida's case. The state lost its delegates for holding its primary on Jan. 29, a week earlier than party rules allowed.

Meanwhile, at about the same time those letters were released, the Associated Press caused an uproar by reporting that the DNC, the Florida Democratic Party, Obama and Clinton were "on the verge" of striking a deal for seating some portion of Florida's 211 delegates.

It turned out to be wrong, however.

Dems targeting Cuban-American seats

HIALEAH — In a packed social center in the heart of South Florida's most Republican city, elderly Cuban-American voters warmly greet a congressional candidate.

The city's longtime former mayor, Raul Martinez, is a familiar face. But he's no Republican.Instead, he is leading a Democratic challenge that hopes to break the Republican stranglehold on Miami's large Cuban-American vote in congressional elections this fall. More here.

Mahoney's Obama/Clinton poll

U.S. Rep. Tim Mahoney, D-Palm Beach Gardens, one of Florida's would-be super delegates, says he's not inclined to choose between Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama yet, because neither is actively working to seat Florida's Democratic delegates. "It makes no sense to reward Barack or Hillary without Florida," he said.

But he has talked with both of them, and says his district appears split: In a poll commissioned for his campaign last month, Clinton and Obama were running about equal. As has been the pattern elsewhere, Clinton polled better among traditional working-class Democrats, while Obama's strength came from middle- and upper-income Democrats, as well as independents and a small number of Republicans.

His mixed rural, suburban and urban district runs from Palm Beach County through the belly of the state to the Gulf Coast.

A tussle over a judicial vacancy

Gov. Charlie Crist wants the Supreme Court to advise him on whether a sudden vacancy on the county court bench in Tallahassee should be filled by appointment or election. The case pits Crist against the local election supervisor, Ion Sancho, who says th epost should be filled by election and filed a lawsuit Monday seeking to clarify the situation.

Here's what happened: Leon County Judge Tim Harley announced last week he would not run again for health reasons, and he announced his decision in the middle of the five-day qualifying period (April 28-May 2), effective midnight April 30. The local judicial nominating commission immediately said it would accept applications for the post -- with the goal of forwarding least three finalists to Crist. At the same time, Sancho accepted qualifying papers from three lawyers who want to run for the vacancy.

In a five-page letter to Chief Justice Fred Lewis, Crist wrote: "A rule preventing interim appointment to fill such vacancies would result in surprise last-minute contests that would be skewed in favor of a small pool of members of the Bar possessing inside information and those with the wherewithal to mobilize for a campaign very, very quickly."

It's official: three Dems against Rep. Young

Three Democrats qualified by today's deadline to run against Rep. C.W. Bill Young this fall. No surprises -- they are Samm Simpson, who ran against Young in 2006, Max Linn, the former Reform Party candidate for governor, and Bob Hackworth, Dunedin mayor and recent convert to the Democratic Party.

Simpson and Young qualified by collecting petitions. Hackworth and Linn paid the nearly $10,000 qualifying fee.

Write-in candidate Don Callahan of Treasure Island also qualified.

--Stephanie Garry, Times Staff Writer

No serious challenger to Brown-Waite

BROOKSVILLE -- Just weeks ago area Democrats salivated at the opportunity to take on Republican Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite in this fall's congressional campaign.

They sensed an unparalleled chance at unseating the three-term incumbent by riding a generally optimistic feeling among Democrats and highlighting Brown-Waite's latest gaffe where she called Puerto Rico and Guam residents "foreign citizens."

But, as the field solidified after Friday's filing deadline, it appears no party-backed Democrat will challenger her for the District 5 seat.

Charlie's tan and McCain's daughter

So Meghan McCain apparently hasn't gotten the memo that Charlie Crist doesn't  "tan" per se, he's naturally got a Mediterranean complexion thanks to his dad's Greek heritage.

A post on Meghan's blog Tuesday features several photos from Miami campaign events Sunday. Under a picture of her dad, Republican presidential presumed nominee John McCain, his wife Cindy McCain, Charlie Crist and his girlfriend Carol Rome, Meghan writes the caption, "I wish I was as tan as Charlie Crist."

Loyal Buzz readers may remember the gov's complexion was the topic of some speculation during his 2006 gubernatorial race. For a trip down memory lane, click here.

AFSCME to withdraw from voting lawsuit

Seems the League of Women Voters of Florida won't have one of the state's bigger employee unions helping it carry its complaint against the state over its enforcement of voter registration laws (see previous post here). American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, Council 79 (AFSCME), will be withdrawing as a plaintiff, union spokesman Doug Martin said Tuesday.

The reason? Martin told the Buzz the union's relationship with the governor is different than his predecessor, Jeb Bush, and it's not interested in being in litigation against Charlie Crist at this point.

-- Joni James, State Editor

League of Women Voters Sues Florida

Here's a potentially awkward spot for Gov. Charlie Crist: You're possibly interested in running for vice president and your top election official is now being sued by the League of Women Voters over voter access? That's right, the state came under fire today by the League, in cooperation with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, Council 79 (AFSCME) over the implementation of election registration laws.

Read the League's full news release

Download league_of_women_voters_sues_florida.doc

-- Joni James, State Editor

Washing away 'the stains of Bill Clinton'

That's how the trailer begins for the HBO film on the 2000 presidential recount, parts of which were filmed on location in Tallahassee.

Election qualifying change gets on, pulled off

The Florida Senate first attached then detached an amendment on their elections bill (SB 866) that would have helped nonincumbents who lack deep pockets to qualify to run for office.

"We decided as a body five minutes ago that we wanted this amendment, we wanted this language that we were going to open up Democracy," complained Sen. Charlie Justice whose amendment made the bill, then failed when Republican Sen. Alex Villalobos moved for its reconsideration. A few Democrats, like Minority Leader Steve Geller voice-voted it down.

Raising the ante for citrus, cattle and Big Sugar

Citrus, cattle and sugar interests are among the biggest donors in elections for the Cabinet office of agriculture commissioner, but in 1992 a reform-minded Legislature capped industry donations at $100 in an effort to curb the influence of industries regulated by the office.

That may soon change. In a year when three legislators are running for the ag post, an amendment tacked on to a Senate elections bill would lift the $100 restriction and allow agriculture candidates to take up to $500 each, as other candidates can. (It's in SB 866 and HB 761).

Rep. Stan Mayfield, R-Vero Beach, who's running for the ag post, is an enthusiastic supporter of the change. "When that was proposed, I said, 'Yeah, that's a great idea," Mayfield said. "It's a huge freedom of speech issue ... It seems a little archaic."  Rep. Marty Bowen, R-Haines City, and Sen. Carey Baker, R-Eustis are the other would-be successors to Charlie Bronson.

Write-ins can continue to close primaries

For years, Sen. Dave Aronberg has tried to close an elections law "loophole" and halt a particular elections game played by both parties, when it comes to primaries and write-in candidates.

Aronberg's efforts to prevent write-in candidates from closing primaries got a first full floor debate on Wednesday but failed on an 18-18 vote, in what might be the closest vote to hit the Senate this year.

A court victory for Hometown Democracy

Florida Hometown Democracy fell short of getting its slow-growth ballot initiative petition on the 2008 ballot. But the group won a court fight Wednesday when the First District Court of Appeal struck down a state law that allows voters to revoke signatures on ballot initiative petitions. A three-judge panel reversed an earlier order by Leon Circuit Judge Charles Francis, nullifying the law passed by the Legislature in 2007.

The appeals court ruled that The Legislature's passage of the signature revocation law and Secretary of State Kurt Browning's adoption of administrative rules, do not "ensure ballot integrity," a standard set by the Florida Supreme Court in two cases cited by the DCA.

"Signature revocation is not even referenced in the citizen initiative provisions in the Constitution," the judges wrote. "And they are not necessary for the orderly presentation of initiative-generated constitutional amendment proposals on general election ballots. Indeed, they serve to burden the initiative process with requirements that are not prescribed by the Constitution."

Democrats crowd race against Rep. Young

Another Democrat announced his candidacy today for the U.S. House seat held by Rep. U.S. Rep. C.W. Bill Young , R-Indian Shores. Dunedin Mayor Bob Hackworth, 52, said he's in touch with the local community and emphasized Young's length in office. He also knocked Young for bringing in federal dollars through earmarks when the country is running a national debt.

Hackworth, who said he changed his party affiliation from Republican to Democrat to run, is the third announced Democrat in the race.

-- Tamara El-Khoury and Stephanie Garry, Times Staff Writer

Analyst: Mahoney FL's most vulnerable incumbent

The Rothenberg Political Report's latest U.S. House ratings of competetive races pegs Tim Mahoney's CD 16 seat as a "pure tossup"; Tom Feeney in CD 24 as "leans Republican"; Ric Keller in CD 8 and Vern Buchanan in CD 13 as "Republican-favored." Rothenberg apparently isn't seeing much vulnerability yet for the Lincoln and Mario Diaz-Balart or Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.

Ron Paul supporters bullied -- again!

An ongoing spat between supporters of Republican presidential candidates John McCain and Ron Paul flared again Thursday, when pro-Paul dissidents were kicked out of a Pasco County GOP Executive Committee meeting.

Sofie Lefebvre, a Paul supporter, said a sheriff’s deputy escorted her and her husband out of the Land O’Lakes Senior Center, where the meeting was held.

“It’s this little nasty game going on,” Lefebvre said. “This isn’t America where you don’t let your own people into meetings. This is absolute fascism.”

Sen. Deutch: Let's avoid political tragedy

Sen. Ted Deutch wrote to DNC chairman Howard Dean today saying the "surreal dispute between the DNC and Democrats in Florida and Michigan risks becoming a political tragedy." He's asking for the party to count the votes, seat the delegation, but cut its weight in half.

"This is not a new proposal; it is an obvious resolution that has been overlooked or ignored," he wrote. Check out the letter here.

Rouson calls for election reform for write-ins

Hours after he was sworn into office, Democratic state Rep. Darryl Rouson today called for reform of Florida election laws that he says can lead to the abuse of taxpayer dollars.

Bipartisan support for semi-open primaries

Senate ethics and elections committee will consider on Tuesday a bill to sort of open up Florida's presidential primaries. Sen Paula Dockery's bill would allow those registered with no party affiliation to vote in either the Republican or Democratic presidential primaries.

Her bill has picked up an interesting team of co-sponsors: Democratic Senators Dave Aronberg, Larcenia Bullard, Charlie Justice and Republican Senators Mike Bennett, Jim King, Alex Villalobos, Charlie Dean, Rudy Garcia, Dennis Jones.

Dems elect delegates

For folks who don't yet have any say in their presidential nominee, it was a remarkably upbeat group of Democrats who met at Gray Robinson in Orlando today to elect 27 party leader and elected official delegates.Hamilton County Democratic Party Chair Rhett Bullard received the most votes, surely because he distributed cookies and candy to everyone with a vote. The elected delegates - none recognized by the DNC at this point - are listed below.

Q poll: Clinton and McCain too close to call

Hillary Clinton and John McCain are neck-and-neck in Florida, but McCain beats Barack Obama, a new Quinnipiac poll shows.

In a general election match-up, McCain trails Clinton 44 – 42, too close to call, but handily defeats Obama 46 – 37 percent.

"The difference between Clinton and Obama in Florida is the white vote,” said, Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "She gets 38 percent to 50 percent for McCain, but Obama loses to the Arizona senator 54 – 27 among white voters.  If Obama does get the nomination, how he fares with whites will be crucial to his chances."

Ambler to run for Florida Senate in 2010

State Rep. Kevin Ambler, R-Lutz, wants to win re-election this year, but he also filed today to run for state Senate seat of Victor Crist, R-Tampa. Ambler said he wanted to clear anybody's doubts about his future political ambitions by being the first to file for the 2010 race. Crist is term-limited out in 2010 for the district that includes parts of Hillsborough and Pasco counties.

"We expect our legislators to plan for the budgets of the future. ... Why shouldn't I be upfront and forward about showing that I have an intent in continuing in public service?" asked Ambler, whose only 2008 challenger so far is Adam Phinney of Citrus Park, who has no party affiliation.

Rouson wins HD 55

ST. PETERSBURG — Darryl Rouson, the hard-charging attorney and former head of the local NAACP, beat out two other contenders Tuesday in the Democratic primary to replace former Rep. Frank Peterman in the state Legislature. Rouson won 44 percent of the vote, beating activist and educator Charles McKenzie with 30 percent and St. Petersburg City Council member Earnest Williams with 25 percent.

Story here.

No go, DiMaio

That was fast. Just four days after hearing oral arguments, the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Atlanta today tossed out Victor DiMaio's suit against the Democratic National Comittee, saying he failed to show he had grounds to sue.

DiMiaio, a Democratic activist and consultant from Tampa, had charged that the party violated his constitutionally protected rights by taking away the rights of Florida Democrats to have a say in their party's presidential nomination. Florida lost its Democratic delegates for holiding its primary earlier than party rules allowed.

Is Florida that scary?

Buzz isn't sure this will help, what with Florida Democrats dead-set against it and Michigan leaders in knots, but Sen. Hillary Clinton is trying to goad Sen. Barack Obama into agreeing to new Democratic primary elections in the two rogue states. Her campaign turned up the pressure this week and she kept it on at a campaign stop in Terre Haute, Indiana, earlier today.

"I do not understand what Senator Obama is afraid of, but it is going to hurt our party and our chances in November and so I would call on him, once again, to join me in giving the people of Florida and Michigan the chance to be counted as we move forward in this nominating process," Clinton said.

Disenfranchising Non-voters in FL

If Hillary Clinton got her way and Michigan and Florida had their rogue primaries counted, would voters still be disenfranchised. That's what Wharton professor Gregory P. Nini and journalist Glenn Hurowitz conclude in a study that concludes an additional 1.15 million Florida voters and 715,000 Michigan voters would have voted in January if they thought the results would matter.

The Times/Bay News 9/Miami Herald poll of 600 frequent voting Democrats (including 17 percent who did not vote in the primary) found that only 15 percent said the Amendment 1 initiative was the main thing that interested them about the primary.

Times poll: McCain-Crist not huge Dem draw

Telegenic, politically savvy, and popular in a critical state, Gov. Charlie Crist has lots of pluses to offer as a potential running mate for John McCain. But delivering a boatload of crossover Democratic votes in Florida may not be among them.

A new St. Petersburg Times/Bay News 9 statewide poll shows that despite his bipartisan popularity, adding Crist to the ticket is only modest help in pulling Florida Democrats over to the GOP column in November.

"There is no reason to expect from this information Charlie Crist adds anything to his ticket in term of helping him win Democrats in Florida," said pollster Tom Eldon of Schroth, Eldon & Associates, which conducted the poll.

Nor does McCain, often touted for his broad appeal, look especially strong among Florida Democrats. The poll shows 16 percent say they are at least somewhat likely to vote for McCain in November, which is in line with the 13 percent of Democrats who voted for Bush in 2000 and 14 percent in 2004.

Times poll: Dems want primary results to count

Howard Dean and Barack Obama may insist Florida’s Democratic presidential primary was meaningless, but a new poll shows Florida Democrats aren’t buying it, and one in four may not back their party's nominee in November if Florida winds up with no voice in the nomination.

Not only do Florida Democrats say that the Democratic presidential contenders’ boycott of their primary had little effect, but an overwhelming plurality want the officially meaningless results to count, a new St. Petersburg Times/Bay News 9 poll finds.

A record 1.75-million Florida Democrats voted in the Jan. 29 primary, which Hillary Rodham Clinton won by 17 percentage points, but as punishment for holding the primary earlier than allowed by the national party, no delegates were at stake. Now, as a nomination stalemate looms, the candidates and state and national party leaders are struggling to figure out how and if America’s biggest swing state can have a voice in the Democratic nomination.

Geller on C-SPAN: DNC turning Fla. 'bright red'

Senate Democratic Leader Steve Geller brightened up C-SPAN's droll proceedings with a Sunday morning appearance on Washington Journal, where he reviewed the prospects for a "do-over" primary and again blasted Howard Dean and the Democratic National Committee for punishing Florida Democrats. Geller said the drop-dead deadline for instituting a party-run mail election is Monday.

Thurman: Need candidates for election

Florida Democratic Party chairwoman Karen Thurman said today that any new mail-in re-vote election requires the participation of both candidates. She called the idea a "non-starter" without full participation.

Thurman held a press conference laying out all the details of the plan. When asked how likely it is that the mail-in ballot election would occur, based on current input and obstacles, she said: "I don't know. I have a feeling it's getting close to not than yes."

Poll: Dems could hand FL to GOP

A whopping 31% of Democrats polled 3/10 by  InsiderAdvantage for Florida Insider say they would be "less likely" to vote for the Democratic nominee if Florida's delegates aren't seated at the national convention.

“For John McCain to win Florida, it would probably take significantly fewer defections from the Democratic ranks than we see in this poll,” said Matt Towery, CEO of InsiderAdvantage. “If as few as 5% of Florida Democrats who normally would vote for their party’s ticket decide to sill out the election or vote for McCain, that could be disastrous for the Democrats.

Lawmakers: Give unaffiliated voters a voice

A bipartisan group of legislators wants to change state election law to make Florida an open primary state for presidential elections. Florida is in the minority of states that allow only Republicans and Democrats to nominate candidates for the White House, but lawmakers say that's an arcane system that disenfranchises the 1.9-million voters in the state who are not affiliated with either party.

The bills (HB 1189 and SB 2726) have not been scheduled for hearings in either house. Sponsors are Sen. Paula Dockery, R-Lakeland, and Rep. Rick Kriseman, D-St. Petersburg, and Common Cause and League of Women Voters are lobbying for the legislation.

Vote by mail? Only in emergencies, bill says

As Democrats grapple with plans to stage their own do-over presidential primary by mail, legislators are considering a bill that would allow the governor to call a mail ballot election. But it would be allowed only in emergencies like pandemics or hurricanes when an election otherwise would be suspended.

The limited mail ballot proposal is part of a 54-page annual rewrite of the state election code. The bill (HB 1201) passed unanimously Thursday in the House Ethics & Elections Committee. Interestingly, Democrats on the committee could have run amendments to make it easier to hold mail ballot elections, but didn't.

"I'm a big proponent of of mail ballots, but we need to do this in baby steps," said Rep. Keith Fitzgerald, D-Sarasota. "You have to build confidence over time by letting people phase them in. I wouldn't want this (bill) to be a vehicle for putting on a mail ballot election."

Poll says 59% support do-over

UPDATE: Bill Nelson, sounding a tad frustrated, calls on people to put up or shut up asap with a workable plan for getting Democrats seated. See the jump.

Sen. Steve Geller announced on Wednesday that he authorized a poll of Democrats who voted on Jan. 29th, and 59% of some 600 polled said they'd support a mail-in primary election.

Geller said the poll gives Florida Democrats the "moral authority" to go forth and work on a plan to do a mail-in redo ballot, the details of which could emerge on Thursday.

He said plans to pay for the poll, which was conducted by the Kitchens Group on Monday and Tuesday. The poll had a 4 percent margin of error.

Hillary wants statewide primary

That's the (latest) position. Top Choice: allocate delegates based on Jan. 29. Second choice: run another statewide primary election before June 10. "The underlying principle here is every vote should count, no one should be disenchrachised, and if we have to vote again we should make it just as easy for them as it was the first time,'' Clinton spokesman Mo Elleithee said, the day after FL's Congressional delegation came out against a mail do-over election plan that has even been finishes yet.

Given the lack of financial backing right now for a $25-million primary, the constraints on 67 elections offices (including those switching voting machines), and the timing issues, choice two may well be impossible.

Which raises the question: Does Clinton really want a do-over, or does she want the high ground to say all votes should count and remind people that she won 300,000 more votes in America's biggest swing state than Obama?

FL delegation opposes re-vote

After meeting tonight for two hours with Sen. Bill Nelson, the Democrats in Florida's Congressional delegation - Obama and Clinton supporters alike - decided to oppose not only a vote-by-mail Democratic primary but any re-vote at all.

"We are committed to working with the DNC, the FL state Democratic party, our Democratic leaders in FL and our two candidates to reach an expedited solution that ensures our 210 delegates are seated. Our House delegation is opposed to a mail-in campaign or any re-do of any kind."

---Wes Allison

Obama was for mail voting b4 he was against

The Barack Obama campaign has been aggressively bashing the prospect of a vote-by-mail do-over election in Florida, with chief strategist David Axelrod calling it a "nightmare" and assorted Obama surrogates trashing the idea across the state.

The Buzz was intrigued by SB 979, the Vote by Mail Act of 2007 which provided assistance to states implementing mail voting. Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden had three co-sponsors for the Bill: Maria Cantwell, John Kerry and, yep, Barack Obama.

Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton said there's no contradiction: "No, of course not. There is a logistical concern in trying to pull off something like this so quickly."

A primary fix that won't float

One new presidential primary idea that lawmakers don't like: Asking Congress to create a rotating regional presidential primary. A Senate elections panel failed to pass a nonbinding statement urging Congress to rotate primaries by 2012. It failed on a tie vote.

But at least its sponsor, Sen. Charlie Justice, kept his sense of humor. When Justice took over as committee chair so that chairman Sen. Lee Constantine could introduce an ethics bill, Justice announced the bill title as: "Repeal of the gift ban."

"I think the chair misspoke there," Constantine quickly added.

Also, the committee passed a controversial ballot initiative, 4-2, asking voters to repeal public campaign financing. Republicans voted for it; Democrats against.

Obama camp skeptical of mail vote

Chief Barack Obama strategist David Axelrod was decidedly skeptical about Fl's ability to carry out a statewide mail election to Joe Scarborough this morning (Clinton-backer Debbie Wasserman Schultz was also skeptical on Michael Putney's show Sun). Axelrod noted it took Oregon years to come up with an adequate systyem. Meanwhile Al Sharpton is heading to FL with a lawsuit in mind if the 1/29 vote is counted, and Bill Nelson pens an WSJ op ed.

Anybody else sense that with all the hand-wringing over Florida's delegates, a do-over election still seems more likely it WON'T happen than will? 1. Hillary Clinton folks are deeply divided over whether they even want a re-vote. 2. Howard Dean is doing zilch to help make it happen. 3. Karen Thurman and other Democratic leaders are awaiting some sort of direction and agreement from Obama/Clinton, and that looks unlikely to happen. 4. There's no consensus on such basic logistical questions as whether legislative action is needed and whether the state must run such an election. 5. The Obama campaign is doing nothing to help make it happen and now is throwing water on the only kind of election that looks feasible and affordable. 6. Does anybody feel warm and fuzzy about Florida rushing into an experimental election that could decide the leader of the free world?

Strategist: Dems can take back FL House

Do Democrats have any chance of taking back the state House in the next decade? Would Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton be more helpful for down ballot Democrats in Fl? Are Democrats picking off so many state House seats thanks to their own effectiveness or W's unpopularity?

Check out this Q&A with the House Democrats' ace political director Steve Schale.

Crist, Democrats' friend or foe?

STORY: When it comes to dealing with their primary mess, divided Democrats nationally and in Florida are reading from countless conflicting scripts. Amid their leadership vacuum, Florida's Republican governor has happily stepped into the media spotlight.

His offer to help Florida Democrats is infuriating some of them. "If Gov. Crist really wants to make some news, he ought to stop offering up improbable ideas for the Democratic primary instead of dealing with the state's Republican recession as a governor should," Florida Democratic Party spokesman Mark Bubriski said.

But U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, Florida's senior elected Democrat, said Friday that he was encouraged by Crist's offers to help and said he would support a primary by mail that's run by the state. "The enemy here is time. We're going to run out of time if we don't get going pretty quick," said Nelson.

Seat delegates or get off Nov. ballot?

Another idea that just got mentioned on national news in a Fox News interview with Sen. Nan Rich a few moments ago: Pass a law that says any party that doesn't seat Florida's delegates doesn't get to have their nominee on the ballot in November.

It's not just idle chatter. Rep. David Rivera told the Buzz this afternoon that he has the House election's committee staff researching the idea, and so far he thinks the Legislature could have the legal standing to pass it. Although, House Speaker Marco Rubio said the idea makes him "nervous."

Senate Minority Leader Steve Geller told the Buzz today that while it's not his favorite idea, it may be a lesser bad idea compared to a whole lot of other bad ideas. He added that it may be unconstitutional.

House Minority Leader Dan Gelber called it absurd and "a waste of the ink being used to report it."

Dems to Crist: Butt out and back to work

UPDATE: Crist, Howard Dean and Michigan Sen. Carl Levin will be guests on This Week with George Stephanopoulos Sun.

Florida Democratic party communications director Mark Bubriski scoffed at Crist's suggestions that the state might help fund and run Democratic primary re-vote. Just another effort by Crist to get more media coverage, Bubriski said.

"The state of Florida does not have the money to pay for this election and the Democratic party of Florida is not asking the state to pay for it. We're concerned about the money the Republican legislators are trying to cut from education, health care,'' said Bubriski. "You can't turn on a cable tv station without seeing him. Cameras are knocking people out of the way to get to Charlie Crist and he's loving it. He needs to get back to work to fix this Republican recession."In fact, yesterday John  McCain nearly got bonked on the head by a TV camera trying to get past the Republican presidential nominee to talk to Crist. Check it out here.

Crist likes 'do-over' primary by mail

Gov. Charlie Crist says he'd consider using state resources to hold a presidential primary "do-over" by mail to make sure all votes count. Asked Friday whether he still believes that the Democratic Party, not the state, should pay for such an election, Crist said: "It could be a blend ... If the Democratic National Committee is willing to pay for it, I think the appropriate thing would be for the state to oversee it to ensure the integrity of the process." He said he plans to discuss it with lawmakers this weekend.

Crist said he spoke to Rep. Dan Gelber, D-Miami Beach, the House Democratic leader, who pegs the cost of a statewide mail election as in the range of $4-million to $5-million. "That certainly is attractive and an idea that we shouldn't just throw out," Crist said. (Florida has never conducted a statewide vote by mail).

"It's my duty to make sure that any election held in this state has to be done with integrity and a process that's fair, done well, and where the votes count," Crist said.

If the mail-in election happens, Crist will be able to say he, not Howard Dean, made sure that all of the Democrats' votes count. A re-vote is seen as favoring Hillary Clinton, who easily defeated Barack Obama in the Jan. 29 vote that resulted in Florida being stripped of all of its Democratic delegates and half of its GOP delegates. 

Nelson: New Dem primary

Sen. Bill Nelson introduces Presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Clinton during a January campaign rally in Davie, Florida. [Getty Images]

Sen. Bill Nelson, Florida’s senior Democrat and the titular head of the state party, reversed course and called for a new primary election this afternoon. He also demanded that the Democratic National Committee pay for it, even though DNC Chairman Howard Dean has said no and the party lacks the jack.

“With two outstanding candidates battling so closely for their party’s nomination, there’s no way you can tell nearly two-million Florida voters they don’t count,” Nelson said in a statement.

Nelson supports Sen. Hillary Clinton, who won the Jan. 29 primary in Florida and Jan. 15 primary in Michigan, and he had argued that Clinton should get to count the delegates she won in those states.

McCain campaigns in Florida

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist listens as Republican presidential nominee John McCain speaks to the press at Signature Flight Support in West Palm Beach today. McCain was campaigning in Florida after securing the Republican presidential nomination.

[AP photo]

Thurman and Dean on do-over primary

Anything's possible, but so far it strikes us as more likely that Michigan, which has a track record with caucuses, is more likely to hold another Democratic election than FL, which is much more sensitive about voter participation.

Karen Thurman: “Obviously, these primaries are the talk of the political world, and some are even suggesting that Florida hold a run-off election between the top two Democratic primary vote-getters, which happen to be Senators Clinton and Obama. However, this is not a time to panic or jump to any conclusions simply because the Republicans have a nominee. It is important to remember that the Democratic nominating process does not end until June 10. The Florida Democratic Party continues to work with our leadership, Sen. Clinton, Sen. Obama and the Democratic National Committee to ensure this state is fully represented at the National Convention.

More below, including Howard Dean.

Crist: Seat the delegates

Despite Capitol speculation of something bigger, Gov. Charlie Crist on Wednesday called for both parties to seat their delegates at the convention, blasting "party bosses in Washington" for denying Floridians the right to be heard. (He did not accept responsibility for the controversy, even though he signed into law the bill that moved up Florida's primary despite threats of penalties by both parties).   

In a joint statement issued with Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, a Democrat, Crist said: “The right to vote is at the very foundation of our democracy. This primary season, voters have turned out in record numbers to exercise that right, and it is reprehensible that anyone would seek to silence the voices of 5,163,271 Americans. It is intolerable that the national political parties have denied the citizens of Michigan and Florida their votes and voices at their respective national conventions.

Time for a do-over election?

The hope that Florida Democrats' primary dilemma would be resolved with Barack Obama knocking out Hillary Clinton is out the window. Anybody up for take 2 - a caucus, primary, or mail-in election to do-over the Jan. 29 primary? Marc Ambinder reports that Terry McAuliffe raised the possibility of another election in Michigan and Florida.

Charlie Crist, meanwhile, made clear he's not interested in taxpayers paying for another statewide primary, which could cost $25-million: "What I think we ought to do is, the people who've already voted in Florida, that vote needs to be respected. It needs to be recognized. Those delegates need to be seated. And it's not just the Democratic Party. It's my own party as well. They're not seating half of ours. So I hope that cooler heads  prevail. I hope that the leaders of the Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee will seat all the delegates at the respective conventions. The people deserve to be heard."

A boatload of dough for House Republicans

A leisurely two-hour cruise in the Gulf of Mexico over the weekend proved highly lucrative for the House Republican leadership. With a three-story yacht and House budget chairman Ray Sansom, R-Destin, as the big draw three days before the start of the session, the party raised $3-million for use in House races in the 2008 cycle. (By comparison, the GOP took in $4.3-million in the fourth quarter of '07). 

"It takes money to run campaigns," Sansom said. "I always say, when the press stops charging money for ads, we'll stop raising money." Among the lobbyists who embarked from a Destin marina with Sansom & Co.: Rich Heffley, Woody Simmons, Steve Uhlfelder, Travis Blanton, Greg Turbeville, Chris Dudley, Chuck Hinson and Paul Hamilton. The donors and the amounts don't have to be reported until April 10.

Dem primary re-do? Don't count on it

UPDATE: Barack Obama campaign manager David Plouffe said there is no scenario where it would support seating the delegates FL Democrats elected Saturday, based on 1/29 results, but it would obviously compete for delegates if a DNC-approved contest were organized. Once the nomination is secured, FL and Michigan will be top priorities: "That is going to be one of our first and most important tasks,  to make up for lost ground there."

The governor's office suggests Wolf Blitzer's interpretation Sunday was off-base that Charlie Crist supported the state funding another Democratic primary. While the ever-agreeable gov. never shut the door on the idea, the transcript does suggest Blitzer took a bit of a leap.

The Hillary Clinton campaign, meanwhile, took note of Crist's comments but said Monday it has no interest in a second Florida contest: "Our position is 1.7-million Floridians have already come out and (voiced) their votes and their preferences and their votes ought to count," said Clinton communications director Howard Wolfson.