Notes For Wednesday, January 08, 2003
IT LOOKS LIKE A GO FOR GRAHAM. "U.S. Sen. Bob Graham is courting big-money donors and seeking the counsel of experienced strategists as he moves quickly toward an expected campaign for president." An article in the Orlando Sentinel Graham suggests that Graham will announce in several weeks that he intends to make the run. Yet another pundit emphasizes that Graham's " work on homeland security has propelled him to center ring of the nation's political big top. And his potential candidacy looks even more intriguing when one considers how popular he is in his home state among both staunch Democrats and the ever-growing bloc of Floridians who describe themselves as 'moderate independents.' That broad appeal is exactly what the Democrats need nationally to challenge President Bush. Even if Graham should seek his party's nomination and lose, he likely would be at the top of any list of potential picks for vice president, if for no other reason than Florida is now the most closely watched state in America for a national election." 8:11 AM [Go to current Florida Politics site (no popup ads)]SAME AS IT EVER WAS. On budget issues, the right wing Senate will do battle with the yet more conservative House and Governor. Same as the last session, the difference being that the Lawton Chiles surplus is now gone (having being converted into tax breaks for the wealthy), and the Florida GOP (after all, they run everything) needs to find "$4 billion more than the state is expected to have in its coffers." 5:54 AM [Go to current Florida Politics site (no popup ads)]
EDITORIALS ON BUSH BEGINNING HIS SECOND TERM. The Tallahassee Democrat remins us that the "governor [is] not our preacher and, given executive branch reorganization he urged, the most powerful governor in state history. His vision of how he'll solve myriad problems in Florida - what voters hired him to do - [is] ominous and a little bit off the wall." The Sarasota Herald Tribune, in "Jeb Bush's conflict - Compassionate agenda vs. conservative ideology" warns of Bush's "blind adherence to ideology". The Miami Herald notes that Bush must face "harsh political reality. Republican lawmakers already are bickering about how best to bridge a funding deficit estimated at $4 billion. Voters have put two costly education initiatives and a mandate for a bullet train on lawmakers' plate. Doctors are pleading for malpractice-insurance relief; senior citizens want cheaper prescription drugs and working people are demanding better healthcare protections." The St Pete Times observed in "Bush's Fancy" that Bush's allusions to Leroy Collins were a bit off. The Daytona Beach News Journal editorializes on Bush's penchant for making secret, unilateral decisions about major issues. 5:43 AM [Go to current Florida Politics site (no popup ads)]
PRIVATIZE EVERYTHING. "Jeb Bush was sworn in for a second term as governor Tuesday disdaining the government he leads, saying Floridians will be better off 'if we can make these buildings around us empty of workers.' Bush, who in three campaigns ridiculed 'Mount Tallahassee' even as he was on his way to becoming the most powerful governor in Florida's history, told a crowd of more than 5,000 on a sunny but chilly inaugural day that he still believes government does more harm than good." [Article in the Palm Beach Post.]
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REPORT ON ELECTION "REFORM". The complete "Select Task Force on Election Procedures, Standards and Technology" report is available at the Collins Center website. 5:42 AM [Go to current Florida Politics site (no popup ads)]
THE GOV'S SELECT FEW. Bush's inaguration featured "150 sponsors, who footed the $1.4 million bill that enabled free admission to everything but Monday night's ball, read like a who's who of Florida influence. Among them: Outback Steakhouse Inc., Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida, JM Family Enterprises Inc, Walt Disney World, Sprint, Verizon, Claer Channel Communications, U.S. Sugar Corp., Darden Restaurants, Burger King, CSX Transportation and Convergys Corp", according to the Miami Herald. "Pat Roberts, president of the Florida Broadcasters Association and an honorary co-chairman for the inauguration, said sponsors had every right to expect the special treatment, in part because their generosity ensured no tax dollars were used for the celebration." 5:42 AM [Go to current Florida Politics site (no popup ads)]