Thank you, Mr. Bender, for Getting It as opposed to flocking with the Tallahassee Parrots known as the Press Gaggle. They all write the same story with the same quotes from the same tired old sources who'll give the most flamboyant or inflammatory quotes regardless of its accuracy. Anyone who thinks that the negatives of ANY Governor has much of an impact on a Presidential race is too naive to vote. Any journalist who prints it is to stupid to write. Thanks again for writing...

Atwater is Charlie Crist's successor a the Empty Shirt on the Cabinet. His legislative career was marked by indecision, waffling, and prevarication. These decisions he did make (such as hiring Bud Knapp!) were stupid. Anyone who takes his seriously (besides himself) should check the contents of their own shirt.

Duhhhh....with the exception of JEB, there's ALWAYS been conflict between the Gov and the Legislature, especially the Senate. Think Askew-Barron, Graham and everyone, Martinez and the Dems, Chiles and everyone, Crist and everyone etc. It's called "Separation of Powers" and is a key element in "checks and balances," concepts they obviously fail to teach in journalism school. There's about as much news and wisdom here as "bubblegum sticks to the bottom of a chair..."

The Herald and Times should come out of the closet and do a combined blog called either "The Voice of Alex" or maybe "We Hate Rick." They're producing THE most biased reporting since Goebbels flaked for Adolph.

What makes anyone think that the Feds will limit their investigation to the credit cards and to Samsom and Rubio? Remember there are also investigations going on regarding Mendelson and Rothstein that also relate to the GOP. Once the Feds get started, there's no stopping them from hopefully cleaning up the entire garbage dump and let the chips fall where they may.

This is as intellectually dishonest an analysis as the author can make it. Only a fool or someone with an agenda would compare our full-time Congress with our part-time 60-day Legislature. The same is true as to anyone who would compare SB6 to ObamaCare in terms of scope or impacts. Politifacts has now prostituted the truth in order to march to the drum of the SPT editorial board. It's a damned shame in that there's the potential for a genuine public service when staffed by competent, neutral researchers. Too bad the SPT won't allow this.

Duhhhh- Folks may be getting snookered again again when celebrating the entry of the Feds. Most violations that may have occurred will be state election law issues with a two-year statute of limitations that's running now. Feds don't investigate state offenses so these may fall between the cracks. Again much ado about nothing...the Feds and IRS can come in any time they want and don't need an invitation from the Gov. Most think they're here already because of MendelsonGate, RothsteinGate, etc. This is more political hot-doggery by Sink and Crist but the dumbass Press Corps is licking it up.

Mr. Frank is again showing his ignorance and his bias simultaneously. These questions are put exactly as they'd be put by Gallop, Mason-Dixon ,etc. Mr. Frank should either grow up or write a column where bias is allowed as opposed to news where it (allegedly) isn't. Suggestion: Call Rob Schroth or another Democratic pollster and ask whether the questions are fair and THEN write your post-- they'll tell you what you don't want to hear!!

"Government take-over of ERs" is Trial lawyer hyperbole that's made for rookie reporters. In sum, ERs are providing an essential public service like fire and police departments,etc. Those who work in ERs should receive the same kind of liability protections as other providers of essential services. The extent of government "intrusion" into ERs is limited to providing what amounts to insurance for those who work there- no more, no less. Maybe the reporter ought to do a little homework (a four-letter word to many journalists) before partaking of the Trial Lawyer Kool-aid.

This is a real gut check on the alleged firewalls between the business and news sides of the print media. My bet is that the news coverage will be slanted pretty hard toward the business side's view in that the reporters know by whom their bread is buttered.

My post above is an excellent case for previewing before posting. Sorry about that but you caught my drift...

Lets see... an amendment funded with huge contributions from Personal Injury lawyers, Big Labor, Left-wing Limousine Liberals, and other notoriously Democratic fellow travelers is proposing an amendment that will be fair to all of us. This'll happen right about the time that Osama bin Laden becomes a Mormon.

"Shrieking cacophony" = oxymoronic

Nan Rich's bill would make criminals out of lots of Democrats and leave hundreds of sheep unemployed. May be worth it, though, to hear Bullard's take on "animal husbandry" this time around...

The Democrats are making way too much about their registration numbers and the gullible Press is eating it up. Most of the registration surge was Obama-driven...African American and young voters who wanted to vote for Obama the Man and NOT Obama the Democrat. The drop-off in votes cast between Obama and the next-highest vote-getters all over the state proves this...there simply was no Obama Effect in terms of coattails. On top of it all, The Dems must carry the burden of an Obama Presidency and a Democratic Congress, neither of which have particularly inspired the confidence and goodwill of the electorate. Shale and his fellow Kool-aiders can wish-cast all they want but the numbers themselves prove them wrong.

Does anyone really think that the voters at large really CARE what the local party executive committees think about anything? These folks are basically political wannabees who hold no real sway with the voters that they allegedly represent. The Press thrives on controversy and will try to transform irrelevance into something more. Political junkies will get some fodder to gossip about on Facebook and over their lunches of quiche and imported bottled water. Other than that, no one else anywhere really gives much of a damn.

South Florida in general and Broward in particular have long histories of corruption. During the 30s, things were wide-open with casinos, bawdy houses, etc under the very eyes of "law enforcement." It was also the Wintering spot of choice for most of the Mafia and were "open territory" in which any Family could operate. While organized crime and overt corruption has decreased, the continuing influx of new residents from the Northeast-- New York, New Jersey, etc.--created a citizenry that tolerates and even expects corruption as a way of getting things done. There's also little sense of community since most of these people still think of themselves as residents of their former homes up North. Corruption is thus someone else's problem. Those of us in other parts of the state are skeptical of the excuse that corruption is part of any large urban area. No other area of the state has witnessed corruption on such a massive and continuing scale as has occurred down there. Even Tampa has cleaned up its act... Many of us see S. Florida as South New Jersey and would just as soon see it a a seperate state.

Let's see...is this the same Al Lawson whose insurance clients include several of the biggest special interests in the state? Pretty unusual for a small agency...kinda reminds you of the Pat Thomas Agency when he was in the Senate. Al should know all about conflicts!!!

Chairman Thrasher's release of the credit card statements would do a world of good in dispelling the secrecy, suspicions, and rumors of abuse that permeate John Greer's GOP today. Yes there will be a body count...there are some people who spent money as if was free and others who shouldn't have had credit cards in the first place. However, welcome to the Real World where people have to live with the consequences of their actions. Chairman Thrasher has the potential for leading the GOP out from under the cloud of potential misuses and downright abuses of funds and dispelling any doubts that there's a new sheriff in town. He owes the GOP's donors as well as a doubtful public nothing less.

Mr. Herron's theory is utter nonsense. The statute simply requires the chairman and treasurer to certify as to the CORRECTNESS of the report and certainly doesn't require or even infer that saying the report is accurate is also "accepting" the contributions being reported. Maybe the "expert" and the reporter should actually look at the statute before circulating bad theories and bad law...

I'm genuinely sorry that Todd's Mom is ailing...both will be in my thoughts and prayers. Todd undoubtedly recognized Jim Davis as another Liberal Loser to lead the Dems down the path to defeat and that are why so many conservative to moderate Dems are now Republicans. Meek's a good guy but more of the same... Meek as the nominee would allow Crist to win despite himself. When will the Dems ever learn that moderation is mainstream and liberalism is lethal?

Another silly Rube Goldberg answer for a very simple problem... Assuming that there's a valid public purpose in finding out how much corporations, groups, etc pay for lobbying, require the entities themselves to disclose their aggregate payment for lobbyists in a given quarter, etc. Finding this out by adding up what's reported by the individual lobbyists is reaching around your shoulder to scratch your butt.. What the press won't report is the infamous Tom Lee Loophole in the lobbying law. Under the old law, lobbying principals (corporations, etc) had to report how much they spend on indirect lobbying--grassroots, TV/Radio/Newspaper advertising, etc. Tom Lee's "reforms" omitted this requirement. Now, large interest groups are spending millions on TV and grassroots but no one knows how much. In fact, some of them spend far more on TV than they do on their lobbyists. If the SPT is looking for a jihad, it should be the closing of the Lee Loophole. It won't happen, though. Tom Lee has achieved God-like status with the press for making those nasty lobbyists disclose their incomes. Wait until his GOP credit card records and fundraising tactics come out... the press will have enough egg on its face to feed a third-world country.

The Everglades Foundation poll is not a true "push poll" but it might as well be. The critical question was asked at the end of a string of positive messaging without any opposing messaging and is virtually predictable and totally unreliable. Shame on them for circulating propaganda disguised as fact!!

Hillsboro GOP- You're 100% right-- Guetzloe can't be bought. However, his history proves that he can be rented to the top (or sometimes any) bidder with his lemming followers thrown in for good measure. Doug should have a red light installed permanently over his head so folks like you can see his true color--green (as in money!).

Paula shouldn't go anywhere near the infamous Doug Goeztloe-- the Elmer Gantry of the Anti-tax Movement. She should remember the old adage, "(S)he who runs with pigs shouldn't be surprised to be called swine!" Even skunk stink washes off but not Doug's.