LeMieux says he wondered how Rothstein made his money

Sen. George LeMieux said he long wondered how disgraced lawyer Scott Rothstein was so successful but never acted on it because he's not "the kind of person to try to pull down others."

"I’ve talked to him and know him," LeMieux, who ran a competing law firm, said last week. "I never understood how he was so successful, but I wasn’t the kind of person to try to pull down others. I just hope for the best and was always optimistic about him as I am about everybody and thought there must be some other way he is making his money."

"I hate to see it because I’m from Fort Lauderdale," LeMieux said of allegations Rothstein engaged in a $1 billion investment scheme. "It’s a black eye for my hometown. There is a culture of corruption in southeast Florida and perhaps other parts of Florida and we’ve got to root it out."

Sen. Feingold goes after 'wasteful' TV Marti

U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wisc., is taking aim at Radio and TV Martí, calling it a $300 million "relic of the Cold War ... that virtually no one tunes in to."

"Government studies show that Radio and TV Martí are riddled with problems, and fall short of journalistic standards," Feingold said in a news release today launching an effort he calls Spotlight on Spending. "As we progress toward a more modern and constructive relationship with Cuba, Radio and TV Martí no longer have any real diplomatic or fiscal purpose. I plan to bring up this issue when the Senate takes up President Obama’s recently announced nominees to the Broadcasting Board of Governors."

That kind of talk won't be well received in South Florida, and Florida Sen. George LeMieux recently put a hold on a bill that would cut funding for the government-financed stations.

With Nelson on board and LeMieux against, U.S. Senate votes to advance health care bill

The U.S. Senate just voted 60-39 to advance the health care bill, exposing deep division that will continue to play out during debate after Thanksgiving. Florida Senators reflected the party line vote.

"This is a debate that we must have. It is a debate that we cannot afford not to have," Democrat Bill Nelson said in a speech Friday, adding there is "room for improvement" and "that's why we need to debate it." Nelson said he would offer an amendment to force an additional $100 billion in savings from drug makers. "So let the debate begin," he declared.

Republican George LeMieux echoed party leaders who assert the plan amounts to a massive government takeover. "What I'm afraid is the end of the day, where we're going to be in five or ten years from now, is that this is Medicaid for the masses," he said during a news conference earlier Saturday. "We're going to turn Medicare into Medicaid and we're going to put everybody basically on a government-run or a government-regulated program."

No holds barred: LeMieux quickly reaches for Senate's 'power of one'

WASHINGTON — George LeMieux has been a member of the U.S. Senate only two months but has managed to jam up legislation on oil drilling, a bill cutting funding for Radio Marti and he is blocking President Barack Obama's nominee for ambassador to Brazil.

But what may seem remarkably effective from afar is merely a reflection of a grand tradition in the Senate: the hold.

You won't find a description in the rule books, but a "hold" is one of the most powerful, many say abused, weapons available to the 100 men and women who make up the Senate — even to a neophyte like LeMieux, who was never elected and is serving on a temporary basis.

"It's the power of one," LeMieux says. (story here)

Nelson, LeMieux split vote on whether to advance health care bill

UPDATE: Florida's Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson will vote to move the bill forward. Listen to his floor speech

Sen. George LeMieux said he will vote against moving the health care bill to the floor, contending it is still an unfinished product. "It's out for six weeks in Harry Reid's conference room. We should certainly have (time) to evaluate the actual bill we're going to vote on before we move to proceed."

LeMieux said he would speak to the issue at 3 p.m. "From what I see so far, there's a lot that concerns me," he said about 12:30 p.m., making his way into the Charlie Crist fundraiser.

Republican votes like LeMieux's are not critical. What Majority Leader Reid needs is the 60 members who vote with the Democratic caucus (58 Ds and two independents) to move the bill forward. A vote is expected tomorrow evening.

Crist, in D.C. raising money, insists he's focused on 'jobs, jobs, jobs'

Gov. Charlie Crist is in D.C. today raising money at Holland & Knight but insisted he is also focused on the dreadful state of the Florida economy, reinforced by a fresh report about 11.2 percent unemployment.

"I just think it's so important to stay focused on jobs, jobs, jobs," the U.S. Senate hopeful said, adding a pitch for the special legislative session on SunRail. "I think we're on a very good path to hopefully be able to deliver that because that would mean a lot of jobs for our people."

Since it is such a pressing issue, should you be back in Florida instead of raising money? "Well, I'm dealing with it here, too. I'm about to meet with Sen. LeMieux to talk about that. He's our main contact for us dealing with the U.S. Department of Transportation. So I think it's all hands on deck."

Crist said he's not ready to debate GOP challenger Marco Rubio but will "next year." He said, "I have no real interest in doing it at this point and time. I think what we need to do is continue workin' hard and fighting for the people. You know, I've got a day job."

We hear Crist is off to New York later today for another fundraiser.

Sen. George LeMieux scrutinizing recommendations for vacant U.S. attorney posts

On the heels of Sen. George LeMieux's active use of "holds" to block legislation and the U.S. ambassador to Brazil comes word that he has been reviewing U.S. attorney recommendations suggested to the White House by Sen. Bill Nelson and former Sen. Mel Martinez.

LeMieux met with White House counsel Greg Craig on Nov. 9 to review the names submitted for the vacant U.S. attorney spots for the Middle and Southern districts. LeMieux's office would not discuss specifics, saying it was inappropriate to comment before a nominee emerges.

The Buzz is people close to Gov. Charlie Crist are throwing up objections to Harry Shorstein, a Democrat and former state attorney in Jacksonville who is now in private practice and has been recommended for the Middle District, which stretches from Jacksonville to Naples.

Nelson and Martinez passed along three names to the White House: Shorstein, interim Florida Middle District Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert O’Neill and Florida Middle District Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg. Background here.

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LeMieux setting up a PAC

Florida Sen. George LeMieux is setting up a political action committee -- Protect America's Future -- and signaling he's likely going to pursue elective office after his temporary gig is up next year.

"The goal is to use it as a vehicle to promote the ideas he believes in: Reducing the debt and promoting security and democracy through the world," deputy chief of staff Vivian Myrtetus said in confirming the news to the Buzz.

LeMieux could use the warchest to travel around and speak on the issues (boosting his name ID) and to contribute to political campaigns (cultivating key relationships). How about Charlie Crist? That's a possibility, Myrtetus said, adding it was too soon to know specifically. PACs can give $5,000 to a candidate.

Word on Capitol Hill is that LeMieux has already begun telling lobbyists and the move has stoked speculation about his political ambitions. One theory is that Crist's decision to appoint LeMieux to fill out the final 16 months of Mel Martinez's term was part of a grand scheme for a LeMieux-Bill Nelson showdown in 2012.

Sen. George LeMieux raising coin for would-be Sen. Charlie Crist

Much of Charlie Crist's old campaign staff already is on the payroll of Sen. George LeMieux, so it only makes sense that LeMieux is now actively raising money to help Crist take over his temporary Senate seat:

You are invited to a Luncheon honoring Governor Charlie Crist Candidate for Florida United States Senate with Special Guests:GOVERNOR BOB MARTINEZ AND SENATOR GEORGE LEMIEUX Hosted by:PHIL BAKER-�SHENK, KATHRYN LEHMAN, ROB BRADNER, DAVE ROBINSON, RICH GOLD, & DAVID WHITESTONE  Friday, November 20th 12:00 - 1:30 PM THE LAW OFFICES OF HOLLAND & KNIGHT2099 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE NW, SUITE 100 WASHINGTON, DC 20006 HOST $2,500 / SPONSOR $1,500 / GUEST $1,000Please RSVP to Lisa Spies...

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Rubio campaign like Obama campaign, LeMieux says

The Buzz caught up with Sen. George LeMieux today and he talked about various issues (see jump) before the topic turned to Gov. Charlie Crist's campaign problems, chiefly his association with President Obama's stimulus bailout. But LeMieux promptly turned it into a critique of Marco Rubio.

"Being governor means you have to make choices. And you have to make decisions," LeMieux said, heading into a GOP lunch at the U.S. Capitol. "It’s very easy to be a critic and the speaker now is not in office. He wasn’t there when the state was facing the challenges of the huge recession and the stimulus. He didn’t have to vote on that. All of the folks that were in his administration voted for the stimulus money. And I suspect if he were there, he could vote for it. This is just like President Obama being able to be against the war in Iraq because he didn’t have to vote on it. There’s a lot of parallels to draw between Speaker Rubio and President Obama in the way they are running their race and in their ability to throw bombs without ever having to lead because they are out of office."

Replies Rubio spokesman Alex Burgos: "As Charlie Crist was endorsing Obama's stimulus, Marco Rubio was in the good company of Florida's entire Republican congressional delegation in opposing it. With Charlie Crist's record of embracing the stimulus, cap-and-trade schemes and tax increases, there is no greater parallel in this primary than the one between him and President Obama."