Florida Democratic Party News Clips – May 30, 2012

FL DEMS SLAM SCOTT FOR VOTER PURGE Florida Democrats say Gov. Rick Scott leading ‘misguided’ effort to purge voters from state rolls [Times/Herald] “Bill Internicola was born in Brooklyn 91 years ago and received a Bronze Star for fighting in the Battle of the Bulge in World War II, but, according to the state of Florida, he may not be a U.S. citizen.”

Congressmen urge Gov. Scott to stop voter purge now [Sun Sentinel] “Using an American war veteran as the face of their cause, two South Florida congressmen called on the governor Tuesday to immediately stop the state’s purge of the voter rolls. And in a separate move, Florida Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson sent a letter to the governor expressing his own concerns about the voter purging.”

Rachel Maddow BLASTS Florida Voter Purge led by Rick Scott [MSNBC] 

World War II Bronze Star winner resents Fla. letter questioning citizenship, right to vote [Palm Beach Post]

6 members of Congress ask Fla. to stop voter purge [AP]

Few non-citizens on Central Florida voter roll [Orlando Sentinel]

ON THE CONGRESSIONAL FRONT — RIVERA, BUCHANAN AND WEST ALL UNDER FIRE 

David Rivera investigation left behind $50,000 mystery [Miami Herald] “Why did an obscure Republican organization pay $25,000 in 2006 to a defunct company founded by Rivera’s mother? Why did a political consultant with close ties to Rivera receive another $25,000 on the very same day? And where did the money come from in the first place? Further adding to the mystery: The Republican Party of Florida reportedly made a $50,000 payment to a Central Florida nonprofit group — money the group never received — on the same day the payments went to Rivera’s mother and consultant. Are the payments connected?”

Rep. Rivera’s $50,000 question [Politico] “Florida prosecutors have wrapped up their criminal probe into Rep. David Rivera’s finances without filing charges, but the investigation appears to have left more questions than answers — particularly surrounding $50,000 in payments.”

Eight-paragraph affidavit at center of Buchanan ethics inquiry [Sarasota Herald Tribune] “In 2008, Buchanan, R-Longboat Key, tried to get a former business partner to sign an affidavit saying he never directly told Buchanan about an illegal funding scheme that helped Buchanan’s first two campaigns until long afterward. The former business partner, Sam Kazran, refused to sign, and now that document is the focus of a recently announced House Ethics Committee inquiry and critics’ new calls for him to resign from Congress. It is also part of a Justice Department investigation into Buchanan.”

Allen West: ‘Let’s talk about the president doing blow’ [BizPacReview] “It was a chaotic scene with tempers flaring at the latest town hall meeting presented by Congressman Allen West.”

Rep. Allen West greeted by protesters in Boca Raton [WPBF] “Toni Rosenburg said she felt compelled to show up because she doesn’t believe West is listening to all of his elder constituents.”

LINDA STEWART MAKES A SPLASH IN ORLANDO BATTLEGROUND Linda Stewart Launches “Common Sense Express” bid for Florida House [Orlando Sentinel] “Stewart touted her early support for the rail project and said she would push job creation and support for public education in Tallahassee, just as she worked in a bi-partisan fashion as a commissioner to keep taxes down and increase services, such as park space.”

OTHER NEWS WE THOUGHT YOU SHOULD KNOW

Sen. Marco Rubio’s bill draws charges of hypocrisy from immigrant advocates [Tampa Bay Times] “The effort drew little attention for good reason: Rubio’s office did not publicize it. But liberal groups and immigrant advocates noticed and are accusing the Florida Republican of hypocrisy, saying he is hurting innocent children at the same time he pushes a Dream Act alternative that seeks to help children who were brought to the United States illegally, as he says, ‘through no fault of their own.'”

Failed stewardship puts Florida wetlands at risk [Tampa Bay Times editorial] “But under Gov. Rick Scott, there are no limits to how far the state will go to change the rules to help big landowners make millions at the environment’s expense.”

Delegate nominating convention set for Saturday in Tampa [Bay News 9] “The Florida Democratic Party’s delegate nominating convention is set for Saturday night at the Hyatt Regency Tampa.”