Florida Democratic Party News Clips u2014 April 11

DRIVING THE DAY: SH** ALLEN WEST SAYS: HALF OF DEMOCRATS IN CONGRESS ARE COMMUNISTS

FDP’s key takeaway on this: “Every time West opens his mouth, Patrick Murphy’s already formidable campaign looks stronger and stronger.” See coverage below and video of West’s comments here.

Rep. Allen West: Democratic group is Communist [USA Today] “‘With his claim that nearly half of the Democrats in Congress are members of the Communist Party, West seems to be competing with Sarah Palin in the ‘going rogue’ department,’ the Florida Democrats said.”

HUFFINGTON POST: Allen West: I’ve ‘Heard’ 80 House Democrats Are Communist Party Members
POLITICO: West: 80 Communists in House
TALKING POINTS MEMO: Allen West: I’ve ‘Heard’ That Up To 80 House Dems Are Members Of The Communist Party
MSNBC: When McCarthyism gets literal
MIAMI NEWS TIMES: Allen West Says He’s Heard 80 Democratic Congressmen Are Secretly Communists
PALM BEACH POST: Allen West hears cheers, jeers at town-hall meetings in Palm City, Jensen Beach
THE HILL: Rep. Allen West: Half the Democrats in Congress are communists
COMEDY CENTRAL: Allen West: 80 House Democrats Are Members of the Communist Party (R-Fla.)

CONNIE MACK IV AD: JUST BAD, OR WORST OF THE CYCLE SO FAR?  U.S. Rep. Connie Mack launches senate race TV ads [Orlando Sentinel] “This ad is as childish as Congressman Connie Mack’s campaign,” said FDP spokeswoman Brannon Jordan. “The people of Florida don’t care about this monkey business. Florida voters want to talk about real issues like growing jobs and strengthening the economy. If this is the best they’ve got, they are in real trouble.”

PRESIDENT OBAMA IN FLORIDA, FIGHTING FOR FAIRNESS FOR MIDDLE CLASS 

Obama raises $2 million, reconnects with young voters in South Florida visit [Palm Beach Post] “At both Palm Beach County events, Obama made the case for what he called a “smart government” that respects the free market while “investing” in education, clean energy and social safety net programs.

Tax talk dominate President Obama’s day in South Florida [South Florida Sentinel] “‘What drags our entire economy down is when the benefits of economic growth and productivity go only to the few,’ Obama told a mostly student crowd of 4,500 at Florida Atlantic University. ‘Prosperity has never trickled down from the wealthy few. Prosperity has always come from the bottom up.'”

Obama in full campaign mode at FAU, clearly defining differences with GOP to student cheers [Palm Beach Post] “Quoting Abraham Lincoln, President Obama touted strong government, including public education, Social Security and building infrastructure, to about 4,500 Florida Atlantic University students and faculty this afternoon.”

Obama Keeps Florida Focus in Bid to Pad Swing State Lead [FOX Orlando] “But the key to Obama’s success in Florida might be his relentless campaigning in the state. He has talked about his tourism proposals at Disney World and his call for higher taxes on oil companies to finance green energy subsidies at the University of Miami.”

ON THE CONGRESSIONAL FRONT — DEMINGS POSTS BIG NUMBER, GRAYSON GRABS ENDORSEMENT, SENIORS RALLY AGAINST BUCHANAN 

WHY SO QUIET WEBSTER?  Demings posts $330K fundraising quarter [Orlando Sentinel] “The take adds to an already strong start by the former Orlando police chief. In all, she’s raised about $750,000 for the campaign and now has about $484,000 cash-on-hand”

Grayson snags endorsement from Vieques, P.R. group  [Orlando Sentinel] “Grayson hails the endorsement as significant because several Republican and independent candidates seeking the seat are Puerto Rican, in a district with a sizable Puerto Rican population.”

Seniors to rally against Buchanan today [Florida Independent] “A group of seniors will gather today to protest Congressman Vern Buchanan’s plan “to end Medicare” in Sarasota.”

GOP’S GERRYMANDERED SENATE MAP BLASTED, FDP OFFERS CONSTITUTIONALLY VALID ALTERNATIVE

PB Post: Florida Democrats offer Supreme Court a Senate map [Palm Beach Post] “With the Florida Supreme Court set to hear arguments this month on the Legislature’s second attempt at redrawing Senate boundaries, the state Democratic Party weighed in Tuesday with a proposal of its own.”

Fair Districts backers assail new Senate maps [Orlando Sentinel] “The Florida League of Women Voters and Florida Democratic Party also have said the new plan doesn’t comply with the constitutional mandates to draw maps that don’t reduce minority voting-rights or intentionally help incumbents or political parties. If the court agrees this time, it will re-draw them…Both the Fair Districts groups and Florida Democratic Party submitted alternative maps Tuesday to show the seats could be re-drawn in a way that didn’t cement a Republican majority in the chamber despite an evenly-divided electorate.”

Senate maps fall under further scrutiny from Dems and other groups [WFSU] “Florida Democratic Party Chairman Rod Smith says he doesn’t think the Senate’s second set of voting district maps follow the guidelines in the constitution any more closely than the first.”

Legal filings pan Florida redistricting do-over [AP] “Democrats and groups that backed the Florida Constitution’s new anti-gerrymandering standards took aim at lawmakers’ revised Senate redistricting map in filings Tuesday with the state Supreme Court. All say the Republican-controlled Legislature’s do-over still violates the Fair Districts standards that the justices cited in kicking back the original map.”

OTHER (BAD) NEWS (ABOUT THE RPOF) WE THOUGHT YOU SHOULD KNOW

I’M SURE ROMNEY IS THRILLED: MOST-UNPOPULAR-GOVERNOR-IN-THE-COUNTRY RICK SCOTT OFFERS ROMNEY TEPID ENDORSEMENT Gov. Scott gets behind Mitt Romney – somewhat [Tampa Tribune] “Responding to word that Rick Santorum is dropping out of the Republican presidential primary, Gov. Rick Scott, who has stayed neutral in the primary, issued a somewhat tepid endorsement of Romney.”

Is Rick Scott hurting RPOF fundraising to the tune of $3,675,312? [St. Peters Blog] “The answer to why the GOP had its worst fundraising period since Charlie Crist left the party in April of 2009 is Rick Scott – for at least two reasons. One, some major donors are hesitant to give to the party when the standard bearer has a 36% approval rating. Second, the money Scott is raising is going to his own political committee, despite the fact the party is paying for pro-Scott ads thirty months before his re-election.”

Republican Party of Florida fabricates headlines [Miami Herald] “It was a fake headline pasted over a real story by Herald reporter Nancy San Martin from the Herald’s International edition, dated March 5, 2007.