It certainly didn't take long for scandal to rear its ugly head in the new era of Democratic control. Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich saw to that, and in spectacular fashion.
But while most attention is fixed on the Blagojevich scandal -- coming as it does in President-elect Barack Obama's home state and replete as it is with enough tape-recorded talk of peddling a Senate seat, shaking down contributors and blackmailing journalists to make even FBI agents blush -- it may not be the most troublesome one for the new president.
His more vexing problem could turn out to be that other, quieter scandal dogging Democrats. That's the one involving Rep. Charles Rangel, head of the House Ways and Means Committee.
Read more from the Wall Street Journal here.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Karen Thurman Tells Barack Obama: ‘You Can Keep Your Change’
Tallahassee—Barack Obama has pledged to set up a bipartisan administration and revive the economy. We take him at his word. Florida Democrat Chairman Karen Thurman, however, refuses to follow the lead of President-Elect Obama, continuing to hurl hyper-partisan attacks across the aisle instead of working for change.
Under the leadership of Governor Crist, Republicans are working to get our economy back on track by accelerating transportation projects, increasing access to affordable healthcare, and helping homeowners facing foreclosure. Our goal is to stimulate the economy and keep taxes low, versus stimulating controversy for political hay and taking the low road. Republicans have also tried to reach across the aisle and appoint Democrats to leadership positions in the Legislature, but instead of accepting the positions and working with Republicans for change, the Democrats used the same old playbook and refused “…so that it would be easier for the minority party to criticize the GOP-run process.” (“House Democrats Decline Committee Leadership Positions" )
While accusing Republicans of election losses, Thurman neglects to mention that the Florida Democrats had an unprecedented amount of cash, staff, and resources this election cycle, but they still couldn’t beat one Republican incumbent Legislator this year.
If Karen Thurman and the Democrats are interested in doing what’s best for Floridians, they would stop the nonsense, end the political games, and give up the ridiculous attacks.
If the Democrats want to do what’s best for Republicans, they will keep up the same old attacks and repetitive losses.
Meanwhile, we’ll keep providing strong leadership that the people will continue to support at the ballot box. We appreciate your assistance, Chairman Thurman!
Under the leadership of Governor Crist, Republicans are working to get our economy back on track by accelerating transportation projects, increasing access to affordable healthcare, and helping homeowners facing foreclosure. Our goal is to stimulate the economy and keep taxes low, versus stimulating controversy for political hay and taking the low road. Republicans have also tried to reach across the aisle and appoint Democrats to leadership positions in the Legislature, but instead of accepting the positions and working with Republicans for change, the Democrats used the same old playbook and refused “…so that it would be easier for the minority party to criticize the GOP-run process.” (“House Democrats Decline Committee Leadership Positions" )
While accusing Republicans of election losses, Thurman neglects to mention that the Florida Democrats had an unprecedented amount of cash, staff, and resources this election cycle, but they still couldn’t beat one Republican incumbent Legislator this year.
If Karen Thurman and the Democrats are interested in doing what’s best for Floridians, they would stop the nonsense, end the political games, and give up the ridiculous attacks.
If the Democrats want to do what’s best for Republicans, they will keep up the same old attacks and repetitive losses.
Meanwhile, we’ll keep providing strong leadership that the people will continue to support at the ballot box. We appreciate your assistance, Chairman Thurman!
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Governor Crist Launches Cover Florida
To launch the Cover Florida Health Care Access Program available January 5, 2009, Governor Charlie Crist today witnessed the signing of contracts between six health insurance providers and Secretary Holly Benson of the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) and Commissioner Kevin McCarty of the Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR). The new health insurance plans will make affordable, quality health insurance coverage and access to health care available to Florida’s 3.8 million uninsured applicants age 19 to 64, with four of the six carriers insuring children of applicants.
Read more here.
Read more here.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
NRCC Announces New Executive Director and Deputy ED
The National Republican Congressional Committee announced today the hiring of its first two senior staffers for the upcoming cycle. Guy Harrison will step into the role of Executive Director, controlling the Committee's day-to-day operations. Harrison comes to the NRCC from his previous position as Chief of Staff to incoming NRCC Chairman Pete Sessions. For 14 years, he has helped guide Sessions to multiple reelection wins, including a resounding win over former Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Martin Frost in 2004.
Click here for more info.
Click here for more info.
Did Democrats peak too early?
By Jeanne Cummings, Politico
December 9, 2008
Did the Democrats’ exile end too soon?
That may be a question that nags at more than a few party activists once all the partying is done.
Democrats have clearly come a long way in rebuilding their party infrastructure since falling from power in the late 1990s.
They’ve upgraded their party databases. They’ve established a relatively small but vibrant group of think tanks and candidate-training programs.
They’ve shown they can craft messages that resonate in every region in the country and used them well enough on Election Day to retake the White House and boost their majorities in the House and Senate.
But the Georgia runoff election last Tuesday exposed some remaining weakness. And it’s unclear if, in these heady times and at this point of transition, the party will focus on it or look past it.
To View the Entire Article, Click Here.
December 9, 2008
Did the Democrats’ exile end too soon?
That may be a question that nags at more than a few party activists once all the partying is done.
Democrats have clearly come a long way in rebuilding their party infrastructure since falling from power in the late 1990s.
They’ve upgraded their party databases. They’ve established a relatively small but vibrant group of think tanks and candidate-training programs.
They’ve shown they can craft messages that resonate in every region in the country and used them well enough on Election Day to retake the White House and boost their majorities in the House and Senate.
But the Georgia runoff election last Tuesday exposed some remaining weakness. And it’s unclear if, in these heady times and at this point of transition, the party will focus on it or look past it.
To View the Entire Article, Click Here.
Governor Crist Announces Chief of Technology
Governor Charlie Crist today appointed David W. Taylor of Tallahassee as executive director of the Agency for Enterprise Information Technology and state chief information officer. The Florida Cabinet unanimously approved the appointment. He will oversee the state agency responsible for developing the State of Florida’s enterprise strategic information technology plan. Taylor has been serving as interim director since July 2008, while continuing to serve as chief information officer for the Florida Department of Health since March 2003.
Click here for more information.
Click here for more information.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Governor Crist Names Peter Boulware to State Board of Education
TALLAHASSEE – Governor Charlie Crist today appointed Peter Boulware, 33, of Tallahassee, to the State Board of Education.
“Peter will be a wonderful addition to the State Board of Education,” said Governor Crist. “As a former professional athlete and now as a businessman and father, he has proven himself to be a strong role model who values education and understands how important it is in bettering the lives of Floridians.”
Boulware is married with three children and is vice president of the Legacy Toyota dealership in Tallahassee. A former All-American for the Florida State University Seminoles, Boulware graduated in 1997 and played for nine years in the NFL as a linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens. In Baltimore, he established the Peter Boulware Charitable Foundation, a nonprofit organization in which Boulware served as a mentor and motivational speaker to inner-city students, many of them young athletes. He currently serves on the Florida State University Athletics Committee, and previously was a board member of the University of Maryland Medical Children’s Hospital.
“I’m very excited that the Governor has appointed me to this position,” said Boulware. “It’s definitely an honor, and I look forward to working to help improve our education system here in Florida.”
Boulware succeeds Donna Callaway, who resigned on June 25, 2008. Boulware’s appointment is effective immediately, and his term runs through December 31, 2009.
“Peter will be a wonderful addition to the State Board of Education,” said Governor Crist. “As a former professional athlete and now as a businessman and father, he has proven himself to be a strong role model who values education and understands how important it is in bettering the lives of Floridians.”
Boulware is married with three children and is vice president of the Legacy Toyota dealership in Tallahassee. A former All-American for the Florida State University Seminoles, Boulware graduated in 1997 and played for nine years in the NFL as a linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens. In Baltimore, he established the Peter Boulware Charitable Foundation, a nonprofit organization in which Boulware served as a mentor and motivational speaker to inner-city students, many of them young athletes. He currently serves on the Florida State University Athletics Committee, and previously was a board member of the University of Maryland Medical Children’s Hospital.
“I’m very excited that the Governor has appointed me to this position,” said Boulware. “It’s definitely an honor, and I look forward to working to help improve our education system here in Florida.”
Boulware succeeds Donna Callaway, who resigned on June 25, 2008. Boulware’s appointment is effective immediately, and his term runs through December 31, 2009.
Governor Crist Announces $11.5 Million to Help Florida Homeowners
TALLAHASSEE – Governor Charlie Crist today announced that Florida has received nearly $11.5 million to continue providing statewide foreclosure prevention counseling and legal assistance to homeowners in foreclosure. The boost will enable 77 counseling agencies and organizations across the state to provide foreclosure counseling. The funds also will allow legal services groups to counsel area homeowners at risk of foreclosure.
“These dollars will go a long way toward helping Floridians stay in their homes, and we are grateful to the federal government,” said Governor Charlie Crist. “By working together, Florida and Washington, D.C., are providing the advice and counsel to help residents here in the Sunshine State retain the dream of home ownership.”
The grant to support Florida’s foreclosure counseling intervention efforts comes from funds provided through the Housing and Economic Recover Act approved by Congress in July of 2008. Congress appropriated $180 million to be distributed nationally through a competitive application process administered by NeighborWorks® America, within guidelines defined by federal legislation. NeighborWorks America is an independent, congressionally-chartered, non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., that provides access to homeownership and affordable rental housing. In March 2008, Florida received nearly $1.3 million to support statewide foreclosure prevention counseling efforts. Those funds enabled approximately 50 counseling agencies/organizations to provide more foreclosure counseling than ever before to homeowners in danger of foreclosure.
The federal dollars for Florida come as Governor Crist and his administration continue working to help Florida homeowners. According to RealtyTrac, Florida has the nation’s third-highest state foreclosure rate, with 166,600 households statewide being impacted by foreclosure activities in October 2008.
Earlier this month Governor Crist joined representatives of the banking and mortgage lending industry to announce a voluntary agreement to provide foreclosure relief to Florida homestead property owners for 45 day, through the holidays and New Year. Also, the Florida Department of Community Affairs recently submitted to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) its proposed plan for distributing $91.1 million in federal funds to smaller urban and rural communities to respond to rising foreclosures and falling home values. In September 2008, HUD announced that targeted Florida cities and counties would receive $541 million in federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds for this purpose.
In February 2008, Governor Crist created the Florida Home Ownership Promotes the Economy (HOPE) Task Force to review Florida’s foreclosure rate and its impact on Florida’s economy. In April, the task force submitted recommendations, including urging loan services and investors to pursue all workout options and to dedicate resources to foreclosure prevention. To learn more about foreclosure prevention resources, please visit www.FloridaHousing.org and click on “Foreclosure Prevention Resources Now Available!”
# # #
“These dollars will go a long way toward helping Floridians stay in their homes, and we are grateful to the federal government,” said Governor Charlie Crist. “By working together, Florida and Washington, D.C., are providing the advice and counsel to help residents here in the Sunshine State retain the dream of home ownership.”
The grant to support Florida’s foreclosure counseling intervention efforts comes from funds provided through the Housing and Economic Recover Act approved by Congress in July of 2008. Congress appropriated $180 million to be distributed nationally through a competitive application process administered by NeighborWorks® America, within guidelines defined by federal legislation. NeighborWorks America is an independent, congressionally-chartered, non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., that provides access to homeownership and affordable rental housing. In March 2008, Florida received nearly $1.3 million to support statewide foreclosure prevention counseling efforts. Those funds enabled approximately 50 counseling agencies/organizations to provide more foreclosure counseling than ever before to homeowners in danger of foreclosure.
The federal dollars for Florida come as Governor Crist and his administration continue working to help Florida homeowners. According to RealtyTrac, Florida has the nation’s third-highest state foreclosure rate, with 166,600 households statewide being impacted by foreclosure activities in October 2008.
Earlier this month Governor Crist joined representatives of the banking and mortgage lending industry to announce a voluntary agreement to provide foreclosure relief to Florida homestead property owners for 45 day, through the holidays and New Year. Also, the Florida Department of Community Affairs recently submitted to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) its proposed plan for distributing $91.1 million in federal funds to smaller urban and rural communities to respond to rising foreclosures and falling home values. In September 2008, HUD announced that targeted Florida cities and counties would receive $541 million in federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds for this purpose.
In February 2008, Governor Crist created the Florida Home Ownership Promotes the Economy (HOPE) Task Force to review Florida’s foreclosure rate and its impact on Florida’s economy. In April, the task force submitted recommendations, including urging loan services and investors to pursue all workout options and to dedicate resources to foreclosure prevention. To learn more about foreclosure prevention resources, please visit www.FloridaHousing.org and click on “Foreclosure Prevention Resources Now Available!”
# # #
WaPo Politics blog: "Are Republicans on the March?"
WaPo's Chris Cillizza has an interesting take on Republican victories in Georgia and Louisiana over the past few days. These victories echo GOP's performance in Florida, where the Obama coattails were short and FL Democrats failed to defeat a single Republican incumbent in the Legislature, even in the best possible political environment.
Notes Cillizza, "In the wake of an election cycle dominated by bad news for Republicans, the last five days have been a welcome relief.
Georgia Sen. Saxby Chambliss cruised to a runoff victory last Tuesday, and House Republicans held Louisiana's 4th district and pulled off a massive upset win over Rep. Bill Jefferson in Louisiana's 2nd district on Saturday.
Those three developments have led some Republicans to insist that what happened on Nov. 4 was almost entirely due to President-elect Barack Obama's unique electoral appeal and that when the soon-to-be-president is not on the ballot -- the 2010 midterm elections -- his party will not fare nearly as well.
"Voters vented on Nov. 4th and the momentum that swept Obama and many other Democrats to victory has now stalled a bit," said Republican pollster Neil Newhouse, a partner in the firm Public Opinion Strategies. "It seems it might have been 'easy' to get the Democratic base excited about Nov. 4th -- the historic opportunity to elect Obama and send a message of rejection to Bush's eight-year tenure -- but it's a bit more difficult re-energizing those voters now, with seemingly less at stake."
...
"While I don't think these victories mean that the GOP has miraculously fixed everything that is currently broken, I do think that they a really positive data points," said Alex Vogel, a prominent Republican strategist. "Just like the Democrats took advance comfort from the special elections they won leading up to the 2008 elections, we should certainly view these overtime wins as a sign that the sun is rising again."
Notes Cillizza, "In the wake of an election cycle dominated by bad news for Republicans, the last five days have been a welcome relief.
Georgia Sen. Saxby Chambliss cruised to a runoff victory last Tuesday, and House Republicans held Louisiana's 4th district and pulled off a massive upset win over Rep. Bill Jefferson in Louisiana's 2nd district on Saturday.
Those three developments have led some Republicans to insist that what happened on Nov. 4 was almost entirely due to President-elect Barack Obama's unique electoral appeal and that when the soon-to-be-president is not on the ballot -- the 2010 midterm elections -- his party will not fare nearly as well.
"Voters vented on Nov. 4th and the momentum that swept Obama and many other Democrats to victory has now stalled a bit," said Republican pollster Neil Newhouse, a partner in the firm Public Opinion Strategies. "It seems it might have been 'easy' to get the Democratic base excited about Nov. 4th -- the historic opportunity to elect Obama and send a message of rejection to Bush's eight-year tenure -- but it's a bit more difficult re-energizing those voters now, with seemingly less at stake."
...
"While I don't think these victories mean that the GOP has miraculously fixed everything that is currently broken, I do think that they a really positive data points," said Alex Vogel, a prominent Republican strategist. "Just like the Democrats took advance comfort from the special elections they won leading up to the 2008 elections, we should certainly view these overtime wins as a sign that the sun is rising again."
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