A couple of stories that arose originally during last year's McBride - "Jeb!" race.
First the story (apparently not yet picked up by Florida's media) about "Jeb!"'s obtaining an emergency delay of the Florida Retirement System audit from, of all people, Chief Justice Rehnquist's daughter, Janet Rehnquist. The General Accounting Office report on Reqnquist's misconduct prior to her resignation as inspector general of the Department of Health and Human Services included her having "delayed an audit at the request of Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida while he was running for re-election last year. The audit eventually found that Florida had overcharged the federal government for the cost of state employees working on federal programs. Ms. Rehnquist said the delay was not related to the election." See "Report Calls Health Department Inspector General a Poor Manager". So far, only the New York Times appears to have covered the issue, and that was yesterday.
Here's an AP Wire story from last November: "A spokeswoman for Jeb Bush, the president's brother, said the Florida governor's office asked for the delay because the pension agency was in the middle of a transition between its old and new directors." However, "Tom Herndon, the pension manager who retired in June, said he saw no need for a postponement. His successor, Coleman Stipanovich, was hardly new to the pension fund; he was Herndon's top deputy." Moreover, "Stipanovich said that while he believed it would be wise to have him in office before the audit began, he never requested a postponement from the governor." See "Bush requested pension audit delay". So, the precise reasons asserted by "Jeb!"'s flak for the delay are contradicted by the pension managers. Where's the media follow up?
And for something completely different: in "TV ad blitz for McBride under scrutiny", we see the hipocrisy of the "Jeb!" cabal in full force. In the story, we are told that "Florida elections regulators say there is good reason to believe that former Democratic gubernatorial nominee Bill McBride and the state's teachers union broke the law last year with a massive TV ad blitz that many believe led to McBride's stunning primary victory over former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno.". The story makes it appear as if the legal issue was some sort of close call, and that both Dem and GOP appointments to the election Commission agree there was a problem. That is simply false. As a preliminary matter, you may remember that when the charges were originally filed, they were dismissed by the Florida Election Commission's executive director. However, in the midst of the election, "the Republican Party of Florida persuaded the Florida Elections Commission to investigate [even] after the agency's executive director had concluded there was no legal basis to do so." In this, the executive director was overruled by the GOP dominated commission. See "GOP: McBride TV spot is illegal".
The stories in the media today neglect to mention that the decision to dismiss the charge was originally dismissed by the FEC executive director and reinstated by GOP partisan operatives appointed by "Jeb!" (and of course all that happened in the midst of the election).
Perhaps the media will explore the facts underlying the issue a little more carefully. As it stands now the coverage actually makes "Jeb!" appear to be a "victim", and that this was some sort of "close" call.
A Casulty Of "Jeb!"'s War On Education - "The most politically influential faculty member in the state is disgusted and angry at what he sees happening to higher education in Florida. Universities are starving for money. State leaders are ignoring the wishes of voters who asked for a separate governing board. Politicians are running many of the schools." See "Faculty leader leaves in disgust". See also: "Florida college students will pay more for less".
'Glades: "Genuine Alarm" In Congress Over "Jeb!"'s Bill - "Citing 'genuine alarm' over the controversial Everglades law, another leading Republican congressman is questioning Gov. Jeb Bush's commitment to cleaning up the River of Grass. U.S. Rep. David Hobson, an Ohio Republican who has sway over federal money for energy and water projects across the United States, wrote a letter Friday to the Republican governor saying the new law gives him ''reason to doubt'' the state is ''bound or committed'' to cleaning up the water in the Everglades fast enough to allow an $8 billion restoration project to go forward." See "Congressman questions Glades law".See also "Big Sugar stalls 'Glades action hearing".
And Katherine Harris Could Be Your Running Mate - "Arnold Schwarzenegger, long mentioned as a potential Republican candidate for governor, told Esquire magazine for its July issue: 'Yes, I would love to be governor of California. ... If the state needs me, and if there's no one I think is better, then I will run.'". See "Ah-nuld all but announces run for California governor". 7:05 AM
[Go to current Florida Politics site (no popup ads)]