Florida Democratic Party News Clips – June 4, 2012

ENERGIZED & EXCITED DEMS GATHER IN TAMPA FOR DELEGATE NOMINATING CONVENTION Democrats gather in Tampa [Tampa Tribune/WFLA] “Just weeks before the nation’s Republicans gather in Tampa to make Mitt Romney their presidential candidate, the state’s Democrats are in town to choose delegates for their convention.”

“What better place to have a kickoff than the I-4 Corridor and the very location that the Republicans are going to hold their national convention? This is all about energizing and mobilizing the people who have to do the job of getting other people to the polls.”  Florida Political Expert Prof. Susan McManus.

“Ground zero is the state of Florida.” Sen. Bill Nelson. 

“It’s very important because we need to show [the president] how much we’re fired up and ready to go and how hard we’re going to work – every single day – from here until Election Day,”  Pasco County delegate Elena McCullough.

GOV. SCOTT’S VOTER SUPPRESSION EFFORTS UNDER FIRE 

Florida voter purge gets pushback from elections supervisors, U.S. Justice [Palm Beach Post] “Florida elections supervisors said Friday they will discontinue a state-directed effort to remove names from county voter rolls because they believe the state data is flawed and because the U.S. Department of Justice has said the process violates federal voting laws. Late Thursday, the Department of Justice sent Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner a letter telling him that an effort launched by Republican Gov. Rick Scott’s administration last year to remove the names of people believed to be non-citizens from voter rolls appears to violate at least two federal voting laws.”

The GOP, demographics and voter suppression [Miami Herald column] “Internicola is 91 years old. He was born in Brooklyn. He is a veteran of the Second World War. He earned a Bronze Star for his part in the Battle of the Bulge. Yet he was required to prove to a county functionary that he is entitled to vote in an American election…The demographic trend lines are clearly against the Republican Party. But rather than work to broaden the party’s appeal, some GOP leaders have chosen instead to narrow the other party’s base under the guise of addressing a problem that does not exist”

Rep. Ted Deutch: Florida purge ‘brazen ploy’ [Politico] “Rep. Ted Deutch, a Florida Democrat opposed to Gov. Rick Scott’s controversial attempt to purge thousands of people from the state’s voter rolls, is blasting the Republican governor for engaging in a ‘brazen political ploy.'”

Darkness in the Sunshine State [New York Times column] “Florida ought to know better. And must do better, particularly on the issue of voting and discrimination.”

Judge stops assault on democracy [Tampa Tribune editorial] 

Feds step in to protect Florida voters [Tampa Bay Times editorial]

Reprieve for voter drives [Herald Tribune Editorial]

Purge the purge list [Miami Herald editorial] 

Drop purge and reform process [Sun Sentinel Editorial]

RUBIO LIVING “GREERFULLY” Romney’s ticket won’t include baggage, er, Rubio [Tampa Tribune column] “As Speaker of the Florida House during the Greer years, Rubio was an active participant in living “Greerfully,” which Ingram’s dictionary defines as: [greer-fuhl-lee] adverb 1. To live beyond your means in a manner in which you expect others to pay for your largess. 2. To be greedy, selfish, and sloppy about the spending of other people’s money. 3. To buy stuff for your personal benefit using a Republican Party of Florida Amex card and then lie about it. Synonyms: Rubio-esque.”

Marco Rubio’s deeds and words don’t match [CNN guest column] “How does Sen. Marco Rubio curry favor with Hispanic voters and at the same time burnish his tea party credentials? Easy. By saying one thing and doing another.”

Axelrod: Marco Rubio VP pick would be “an insult to the Hispanic community.” [Miami Herald] “David Axelrod, President Obama’s top political strategist, said Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney would be ‘insulting’ Hispanics if he picked Sen. Marco Rubio as a running mateif the pick was intended to win more Latino support.”

FDP CHAIR ROD SMITH PENS OP ED ON FL’S WATER WOES: A MATTER OF FAIRNESS Rod Smith: Unfair water policies reward some, penalize others [Gainesville Sun guest column by FDP Chair Rod Smith] “So much of what troubles Floridians about state government boils down to fairness. That’s because so few of the decisions made in Tallahassee seem fair to middle class Floridians. Is it fair that families who work hard and play by the rules deserve to have their voices in government drowned out by the special interests, flush with cash, who seek to bend the rules for personal gain or political advantage?”

OBAMA FOR AMERICA UP WITH NEW AD IN FLORIDA New Obama ad in Fla hits Romney for weak jobs record, outsourcing as Mass gov [Tampa Bay Times] “The Barack Obama campaign is taking aim at Romney’s record as Massachusetts governor in a new TV ad running in Florida, Colorado Iowa, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.” Watch “We’ve Heard it All Before” HERE. 

OTHER NEWS WE THOUGHT YOU SHOULD KNOW 

Challenger Jessica Ehrlich criticizes Rep. C.W. Bill Young [Tampa Bay Times] “Now Young faces another credible Democratic challenger, St. Petersburg lawyer Jessica Ehrlich, 38, who in a Political Connections interview airing today on Bay New 9 makes clear she will try to wrap the Paul Ryan budget proposal revamping Medicare around Young’s neck.” 

Failing on FCAT [Ocala Star Banner editorial] “Too many people on the front lines — principals, teachers and parents — have far too many criticisms of FCAT for Robinson, Gov. Rick Scott and our lawmakers to continue playing the hear no evil, see no evil and speak no evil game.”