Campaign money

Florida Democrats decide to use Frank Artiles resignation to raise money

Old skits

 

Tasteless? Perhaps. A little too quick on the draw? Possibly. But none of that is stopping Florida Democrats from turning the resignation of Florida Sen. Frank Artiles into a fundraising opportunity - just a couple of hours after he resigns.

Will it work?

Here's the pitch:

BREAKING NEWS (via FlaDems.com)<[email protected]>

Developing: state Senator Frank Artiles resigns over racist attacks.

Friend: Moments ago, racist state Senator Frank Artiles resigned from his seat, setting up a HIGHLY competitive special election.

Here’s the thing: Nationwide, we’ve seen Democrats make BIG gains in ruby-red districts during special elections. If we want to flip this seat, we have to bring that same enthusiasm to this special election.

HERE IS WHAT WE NEED: We need to raise another $10,000 into our Special Election Rapid Response Fund before midnight tonight. Can you click here and donate $2 now?

Donate $2 now

Donate $25 now

Donate $50 now

Donate $100 now

 OTHER AMOUNT

This race will be the first major election that Floridians face since November’s disastrous results.

If we’re able to deliver a big win and take this seat back, it will send a crystal clear message that Floridians aren’t going to stand for Donald Trump and Frank Artiles’s extreme, racist right-wing agenda.

Chip in now: http://act.floridadems.org/special-election

Thanks for all you do,

FlaDems.com

 


Florida utilities think voters are suckers

GETTING FIRED
By Brian E. Crowley

A dear friend called recently to go over her sample ballot. She wanted me to explain some of the candidates and issues with which she is least familiar. As we worked her way down the ballot she said she was going to vote for Amendment One. 

I asked her what she thought it was all about. She said it appeared to be a pro-solar amendment that would help the environment. I gently explained to her that Amendment One is actually backed by Florida utilities with FPL being one of the biggest backers. There was a pause. 

Really?

Yup, really.

Her initial reaction to Amendment One is a common. The utilities were brilliant in their soulless effort to deceive voters. The deceit starts with the name of the group pushing passage of Amendment One - Consumers for Smart Solar. 

Well I suppose in one very broad sense FPL and the other big utilities are "consumers" and the very fact that they were able to get this amendment on the ballot suggests they are smart - but this amendment has little to do with protecting citizen rights to solar energy and everything to do with protecting utility monopolies.

There is no question that there are some complicated issues involved with broadening the availability of solar energy for homeowners and businesses. But those issues do not require a constitutional amendment. It is, as former Florida Governor Bob Graham noted today, the job of the Legislature and regulators to, well, regulate the industry.

Even if one agreed with the position being taken by the utilities - Amendment One must fail because the industry deliberately deceived voters.

Last month, the Miami Herald's formidable Mary Ellen Klas obtained an interesting audio tape:

The policy director of a think tank supported by Florida’s largest electric utilities admitted at a conference this month what opponents have claimed for months: The industry attempted to deceive voters into supporting restrictions on the expansion of solar by shrouding Amendment 1 as a pro-solar amendment.

Sal Nuzzo, a vice president at the James Madison Institute in Tallahassee, detailed the strategy used by the state’s largest utilities to create and finance Amendment 1 at the State Energy/Environment Leadership Summit in Nashville on Oct. 2.

Nuzzo called the amendment, which has received more than $21 million in utility industry financing, “an incredibly savvy maneuver” that “would completely negate anything they (pro-solar interests) would try to do either legislatively or constitutionally down the road,” according to an audio recording of the event supplied to the Herald/Times.

You can read the Herald story and hear the audio here. You will also find disclaimers from supporters of Amendment One.

Spending at least $25 million, with much of the money coming from FPL, Consumers for Smart Solar are running television ads that make it appear that these folks are just trying to Make Florida Great Again.

They are not. Instead, they clearly think Florida voters are suckers who are easily misled.

For that reason alone, Amendment One should fail.

My friend is now voting no.


Can Hillary Clinton drag Patrick Murphy over the finish line

REPUBLICAN DEMOCRAT - Copy
Not likely but possible. That's the short answer as to whether Congressman Patrick Murphy's dismal campaign can be saved by Hillary Clinton.

Murphy's campaign has been a bit of mystery. When Murphy believed that incumbent U.S. Senator Marco Rubio would keep his word to not run for a second term if he lost his bid to be president, it was naive. Rubio's life is about politics and while the Republican clearly is disappointed by the inertia of Senate, leaving public life was never a real possibility.

Without Rubio in the race, Democrats believed Murphy had an excellent chance to win against whoever would be the GOP nominee. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and Senate Majority PAC, were prepared to spend heavily in support of Murphy.

But like a bicycle tire with a slow leak, Murphy's campaign seemed to go flat shortly after Rubio shocked no one by saying he wanted to stay in the Senate.

Rubio has remained comfortably in the lead in public polls. Real Clear Politics polling average gives Rubio a 4.2 point lead. One gets a hint of what internal Democratic Party polls are saying by the fact that the DSCC  and the Super Majority PAC (led by Sens. Harry Reid and Chuck Schumer) have pulled out of Florida claiming the state is too expensive (it wasn't less expensive when they planned to support Murphy).

There have been missteps. Rubio challenged Murphy to six debates. Murphy should have accepted immediately and insisted that debates start that week. Instead, he turned it into a debate about debates saying he wanted Rubio to commit to a 6-year term.

Murphy's team loves the 6-year term argument. It has become a central point of their campaign. Perhaps there are voters who care but not many. Running for higher office in the middle of one's term is well, part of American politics. Few will be shocked if Rubio runs for president again in 2020.

Murphy's exaggerated resume landed him in deep trouble. In June, CBS4 investigative reporter Jim Defede nailed Muprhy for claiming he worked as a CPA when he did not and for starting a small business which in fact it is not that simple.

This was fall on your sword time. Instead, Murphy and his team counterattacked. It didn't work and kept the story alive. And handed Rubio a campaign message to use against Murphy.

Continue reading "Can Hillary Clinton drag Patrick Murphy over the finish line" »


Obama asks for money for Patrick Murphy

You just know this is going to tick off the easily tick-offable Alan Grayson. President Barack Obama has signed a fundraising email for Grayson's senate campaign rival Patrick Murphy.

This comes on the heels of Vice President Joe Biden campaigning for Murphy. One of these two Democrats will face the winner of the Republican primary - incumbent Marco Rubio or political newbie Carlos Beruff.

Here's the email:

 
 
 

Friend -- I’m emailing today to tell you why I’m with Patrick Murphy.

Patrick's a strong progressive who's fought special interests on behalf of working families -- and won. In Congress, he’s also fought to strengthen Medicare and Social Security, stand up to the NRA for gun violence prevention, and protect a woman’s right to choose.

With all that's at stake, we need Patrick Murphy in the Senate. But he’ll need your help to get there.

Will you please join me in standing with Patrick and contribute $5 so he can meet his $50,000 goal before the FEC pre-primary deadline, tomorrow at midnight?

Patrick stands up to Republicans on behalf of our shared values. It's why they're attacking him. They know he can win in November and help Democrats retake the Senate, and they’ll spare no expense to defeat him.

We need you on our side to fight back. Can you step up and chip in to help Patrick meet his goal before tomorrow’s big deadline?

I count on Patrick Murphy. You can too, friend.

Thank you,
Barack Obama


 


It is time to stop blaming Big Sugar

 

By Brian E. Crowley

SHAKING MONEY TREEIt is time to stop blaming Big Sugar.

Yes, Big Sugar is winning. It owns the governor’s office, the cabinet, and the Florida Legislature. It has power over much of Florida’s congressional delegation.

Formidable Tallahassee reporter Mary Ellen Klas did a masterful job this week with an in-depth story in the Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times about the power of Big Sugar.

Between 1994 and 2016, a review of state Division of Elections records by The Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times Tallahassee bureau shows, the sugar industry — led by United States Sugar and Florida Crystals — has steered a whopping $57.8 million in direct and in-kind contributions to state and local political campaigns.

Indeed.

The Sugar industry has been masterful. No matter what successes the environmental community has had – passage of the 1994 Everglades Forever Act, the 1996 Polluter Pays Amendment to the Florida Constitution, the 2000 Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (sign by President Bill Clinton with then Gov. Jeb Bush by his side), or the 2014 Water and Land Conservation Act – the Sugar industry has been able to either slow down implementation or thwart the intent.

How?

By owning a stable of elected officials. By hiring top teams of lobbyists. By having connections in critical government agencies.

And, nothing they do is illegal. Sugar simply plays the game of politics better than their opponents.

As Klas reported:

“I can tell you, first hand, that the industry is directly involved with every decision this Legislature makes,” said Eric Eikenberg, CEO of the Everglades Foundation which for decades has fought the sugar industry over the causes and solutions of the Everglades and was a chief of staff to former Gov. Charlie Crist. (Note: I previously was a media consultant for the Foundation.)

Eikenberg works hard to make sure the Foundation’s voice is heard in Tallahassee but it is an often frustrating experience.

Eikenberg was part of the Crist team that put together the deal to buy U.S. Sugar land. At the time, the company applauded the deal and was eager to get out of the sugar business. But when U.S. Sugar wanted out of the contract it fought hard. And they found a willing ally in the newly elected governor, Rick Scott (to whom they contributed handsomely) who said hell no about buying the land.

No matter the setback, the sugar industry always comes out ahead.

But it is time to stop blaming them. Perhaps it is time to blame the environmentalists.

Continue reading "It is time to stop blaming Big Sugar" »


Rubio campaign email calls Donald Trump a dangerous con artist

Marco Rubio's campaign wasted little time asking for money in an email sent out as Super Tuesday voters were still being counted. The email warns against handing "our party over to a dangerous con artist.''

On the campaign trail during the last few days, Rubio has repeatedly called Donald Trump a "con artist." Rubio, who remains far behind Trump, is hitting Trump hard in his effort to trip the frontrunner.

An excerpt from the Rubio email:

Thanks to the hard work of Marco and supporters and volunteers like you, we’re going to come away from tonight with a good chunk of delegates from a diverse range of states. Marco’s message is ready to go national, and he’s the only one who can unify the party against Donald Trump.

 It’s going to be a long fight against the con artist.

Marco has shown the country what putting up a real fight against Trump looks like: It takes a sense of humor, certainly, but it also takes a confidence in your own vision and own ideas to call him out for having absolutely nothing to offer the people he’s trying to swindle.

We are not going to let our party be taken over by a con artist, and we’re not going to nominate a candidate who’ll be totally steamrolled by the Democratic machine. Marco is not going to give up this fight -- he’ll do whatever it takes to stop Trump.


Jeb Bush would eliminate Citizens United

Jeb Bush, who raised more than $120 million for the Right to Rise Super PAC, said he favors a constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision that allows such PACs to operate untethered.

During a speech today before the Rotary Club in Nashua, New Hampshire, Bush said he believes one remedy is for candidate campaigns to be able to receive unlimited contributions and be held "personally accountable and responsible" for the money received. Bush said there would need to be "total transparency" about "the amounts of money and who gives it. And have it with 48 hour turn-around."

Earlier in the day, Bush told CNN, that now there, "is a ridiculous system we have now where you have campaigns that struggle to raise money directly and they can't be held accountable for the spending of the super PAC that's their affiliate."

Right to Rise is, by far, the largest presidential super PAC. It is run by Bush's long-time campaign adviser Mike Murphy. The PAC has spent more than $70 million on campaign activity, according to some reports.

Neither in his speech nor during his appearance on CNN, did Bush say whether he would be willing to publicly urge Murphy to rapidly disclose donors and expenditures. Bush cannot direct Murphy to take any action because federal law forbids coordination between the Bush campaign and Right to Rise.

Still, Bush could make a public statement urging Murphy to meet the candidate's goal of 48-hour disclosures.

Bush also told Rotary members that he believes the time has come for a constitutional convention that would  look at amendments for requiring a balanced federal budget, a line-item veto for the president, and term limits for Congress.

 

 
 

Jeb Bush explains the art of the Selfie

  Jeb Selfie

 

While Jeb Bush was asked a number of serious policy questions during his appearance before nearly 900 members and guests today at the Forum Club of the Palm Beaches, Bush became his most animated when he was asked how the selfie has affected campaigning.

Bush's campaign enjoyed the moment so much that it has been turned Bush's answer into one of the campaign's series of Jeb Unfiltered videos. "The Selfie is now the 11th Amendment of the Bill of Rights," says Bush. ". . .It's a requirement that you take one and I do it with great joy in my heart."

It is actually a very amusing moment for Bush who goes on to describe how selfies should be taken and who is better at taking them.   The other notable thing about his speech was he never uttered the "T" word until he was asked a question about Donald Trump.

 


Jeb Bush raises $13 million has $10 million left

Electfinal_edited-1Not a bad three months for Florida's former governor as Jeb Bush raised more than $13 million last quarter. Fellow Floridian Marco Rubio raised just $6 million during the same period.

One could certainly argue that with the Bush family connections he was bound to raise more money than Rubio. And the Rubio folks have been quick to point out that he has $11 million in the bank while Bush has $10 million.

In a message to donors, Bush campaign manager Danny Diaz highlighted what he sees as the campaign status at this stage:

 

Fundraising:

·      We raised $13,384,832 in the third quarter, which is double what Senator Rubio and Carly Fiorina raised in the same time.  In the same period in 2011, Governor Romney raised $14.2 million, despite having a much smaller field of competitors.

·      The last month of the quarter – September – was our best. We continue to have strong fundraising in October, including events today and tomorrow, which we expect will approach $1 million.

·      We have more than $10 million cash on hand in primary dollars alone, and that comes after substantial investments in data and grassroots operations across the February and March states, as well as paid advertising in New Hampshire

·      The Right to Rise Super PAC has $33 million reserved for advertising in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina.  The only other committee with reservations that even approach that amount is Senator Rubio and The Associated Press recently reported that with his current cash on hand he “cannot afford the space he has reserved.”

Investments & Priorities:

·      Secretary Hillary Clinton is putting together a massive data and grassroots operation that her campaign believes will be pivotal and determinative in the outcome of the general election contest.  Any campaign that is legitimately seeking the presidency must be able to compete with the Democrats.  There are very few GOP campaigns committed to building a real infrastructure and among those we are confident ours is best in class.  Some highlights in data and grassroots organization:

Data:

·      We have a database of approximately 260 million individuals with about 3,000 data points (e.g. hunting interest, magazine subscriptions, online habits, etc.).  We also have more than 30,000 tags built off of previous identification efforts and have made hundreds of thousands of calls into early state voters.

·      This data is being used to provide detailed MicroTargeting profiles of voters in key primary states.  We know exactly which Republicans are the most likely to vote and what issues matter to them

·      We are running thousands of simulated Election Days using the data we have collected in order to game out different scenarios and better allocate resources.

Ground Game:

·      Jeb 2016 has made more than one million voter contacts.

·      We have hundreds of volunteers who have already committed they will travel to the early states to turn out the vote for Jeb.

·      In the early states, news organizations and independent local leaders have noticed Jeb’s organization.

o   Iowa – 10 paid staffers, 2 offices – Jeb’s organization “is strongest on the ground now.”

o   New Hampshire – 12 paid staffers, 1 office – “Jeb grows ground operation, biggest in the state.”

o   South Carolina – 7 paid staffers, 2 offices – Expanded presence in South Carolina.

o   Nevada – 8 paid staffers, 2 offices – “When you ask voters in Nevada which campaign they are hearing from, the most common answer is Bush.”

·      We are going to build on this formidable organization in the early states, increasing staff and resources there as we approach the caucuses and primaries.

·      We’ve also invested in March states. CNN as well as other outlets have reported on our on-the-ground presence in SEC states and other key early battlegrounds, such as Illinois and Michigan.

Polling:

·      Voters in Iowa and New Hampshire are notoriously late deciders.  In 2012, Rick Santorum won Iowa having just 2% in October.  In New Hampshire, exit polls showed 46% made their decision the week before the election.

·      This is a state-by-state campaign and, in New Hampshire and Iowa, the most recent public survey has us leading the other candidates who have previously held public office (3rd in NH, 4th in IA) including Senator Rubio and Governors Kasich and Christie, who have all had substantial paid advertising on their behalf in the early states.  

·      And when looking at the key attributes in deciding whom to support, Jeb stands head and shoulders above most other candidates.  For example, 78% of Republican primary voters say Jeb “has the right kind of experience to be president”, 76% say he is “honest and trustworthy” and 76% say he “has the right kind of temperament and personality to handle an international crisis.”

Other Indicators:

Continue reading "Jeb Bush raises $13 million has $10 million left" »


New Jeb Bush campaign ad says this is Jeb just being Jeb

 There are two distinct approaches underway with campaign ads about Jeb Bush. Both hit on the same themes - golly if you elect Jeb the economy will grow 4 percent. The Right to Rise version is Republican blah, while the Bush campaign version is a bit edgy.

Both ads, however, leave a serious question - do voters get excited about 4 percent growth?

Certainly the campaign ad does a better job of selling the notion but still, are folks going home and saying, "I'm voting for the Bush guy so we can 4 percent."

At this point we'll note that some the numbers used in the ads take some liberty with the facts. You can learn more about that here.

More importantly, is this 4 percent theme going to get Bush's campaign out of the doldrums.

Much of the political conversation about Bush's campaign for Republican nomination has been trending negative. What once seen as a powerful campaign destined to be at the top of the GOP heap, is now being portrayed as a campaign doggedly hanging in there, confident less in the candidate himself than it huge bank account.

Consider this analysis  yesterday from Tampa Bay Times political editor Adam Smith:

When Marco Rubio launched his presidential campaign in the spring, a lot of people wondered how he would ever emerge from the shadow of his mentor, Jeb Bush.

 On Monday, as Sen. Rubio campaigned to an overflow crowd in a sprawling Central Florida development loaded with tens of thousands of relatively new Florida Republicans, the more immediate question was how Bush might escape the shadow of Rubio.

And there is this is a long-look at Bush's campaign in today's Politico.

“I don’t know if it’s panic or paranoia in Miami, but they are losing [Scott] Walker people to Marco, and if you say what’s true, they get mad,” said one Bush donor, who spoke to POLITICO on the condition of anonymity. “I think it’s just reflective of what’s been going on for the past month or so and the way the race, at least in the establishment lane, has shifted. It’s really Jeb or Marco now. Marco’s fundraising has picked up, and Jeb’s has stayed flat.”

Another Bush donor invited to Miami, assessing the state of anxiety within the former Florida governor’s operation on a scale of 1 to 10, put the panic level at a “6 or 7.”

Publicly, the campaign insists it is sticking to its game plan. But that plan could quickly crumble if the more than $24 ad buy in early caucus and primary states doesn't significantly boost Bush's numbers.

If the campaign is still in single digits in November....expect a major campaign changes or risk of collapse making the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary all the more threatening.

Do these ads work?

Here's vanilla: 

 

 

 Here's a little pumpkin spice: 

 


Donald Trump may have more mouth but Jeb Bush has more money

Jeb art
Take that Donald Trump. You may have more mouth...and lord know you do....but former Florida Governor Jeb Bush clearly has more campaign money.

His Right to Rise USA PAC picked up $103 million from more 9,900 donors. And the PAC still has $98 million suggesting that the Bush group is quite stingy - or, as many do, they delayed paying a bunch of bills until after this reporting period. 

It goes like this..."Hi vendor/campaign worker, how about delaying sending us that invoice until after July 1." 

It is a common campaign stunt. Still, even if there are some millions of in invoices about to land, that's still a huge chunk of campaign cash on hand. 

And if you look at the numbers offered by the PAC, a good bit of the money raised came from about 500 donors.

One wonders if Trump is willing to write his campaign a big check.

Here's what Right to Rise had to say:

Later this month, Right to Rise USA will file our first semi-annual report to the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

We are grateful for the overwhelming response from the thousands of donors who have been drawn to Jeb's optimistic message of conservative renewal and reform.

In keeping with our goal of transparency, below is a summary of our preliminary top-line numbers that reflect the total raised by Right to Rise USA from our founding on January 6, 2015, through June 30th, 2015.

Please note that these are preliminary numbers that may change slightly. All data will be available for the public to view when our report is received by the FEC on or before July 31, 2015.

Right to Rise USA Fundraising Facts:

  • TOTAL RAISED:  Over $103,000,000
  • CASH ON HAND:  Over $98,000,000
  • TOTAL DONORS:  Over 9,900
  • DONORS $25k & BELOW:  Over 9,400

Mike Murphy says money raised by Jeb Bush SuperPac will give opponents heart attacks

Electfinal_edited-1

BuzzFeed listened in on a conference call with Republican media strategist Mike Murphy and super donors to Jeb Bush's super PAC, Right to Rise.

According to BuzzFeed, which admits "crashing" the call, Murphy pushed donors to keep raising money before the close of the current campaign finance period on June 30. He predicted dire consequences for Bush's rivals in the 2016 presidential campaign when they see the Bush financial report in July.

"We (will) give some heart attacks to people in July," said Murphy. "It’ll effect some of their decisions, it’ll bum out their donors, and it’ll hurt their money, which cuts off their oxygen, and frankly we want to choke ‘em all out. So, um, you’re killers — I’m gonna turn you guys loose to that mission."

Murphy tell them the PAC wants to "hit the biggest possible number" because, "we want to maximize our crushing advantage there as a sign of strength." 

The BuzzFeed story is a must read for anyone who wants a glimpse of the Bush strategy.


Jeb Bush will move fast after announcement

 With a thanks to SaintPetersBlog which first reported this....Jeb Bush will launch his bid for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination with a rapid series of fundraisers. That is in addition to campaign trips to key primary states.

His fundraising push continues to be impressive. See below.

 

Volunteer Fundraiser Information Packet


Marco Rubio offers a view of New Hampshire campaign

 Florida Senator Marco Rubio's campaign put together a New Hampshire video featuring the Republican making appearances across the Granite State. 

The campaign is using the video to raise money.

The video opens with an image of the state Capitol in Concord, the video zips through other familiar New Hampshire images while a voice is heard introducing Rubio to an audience in Manchester. In the largely blue collar state, Rubio talks about graduating students from high school who are ready to take on skilled jobs.

Rubio tells a house party that running in New Hampshire is similar to his first race for a commission seat in West Miami - "the way you get elected there is you just knock on people' doors, you do parties like this. The only thing missing is Cuban coffee."

Watch below.

 


Jeb Bush Right to Rise spreads the wealth

One way to win support is campaign campaign contributions. Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush is not only using Right to Rise PAC for raising money but he's spreading some of the wealth around. Here's the latest RTP press release:

RIGHT TO RISE PAC RELEASES SECOND WAVE OF CANDIDATE CONTRIBUTIONS

Tallahassee, FL — Today, the Right to Rise PAC released its second round of contributions to conservative candidates and state parties totaling over $100,000.

 “I'm proud to support conservative leaders who are dedicated to expanding economic opportunity for all and restoring America’s place in world," said Governor Jeb Bush, Right to Rise PAC’s Honorary Chairman. “The Right to Rise PAC will continue to aid candidates who want to restore the promise of America with a positive, conservative vision of reform and renewal."

 Right to Rise PAC Contributions:

·         Senator Roy Blunt ($5,400)

·         Senator James Lankford ($5,400)

·         Senator Johnny Isakson ($5,400)

·         Senator John Thune ($5,400)

·         Senator Lisa Murkowski ($5,400)

·         Senator Pat Toomey ($5,400)

·         Senator Thom Tillis ($2,600)

·         Ed Gillespie ($2,600)

·         Representative Rick Allen ($5,400)

·         Representative Bradley Byrne ($5,400)

·         Representative Carlos Curbelo ($5,400)

·         Representative Mario Diaz-Balart ($5,400)

·         Representative Cresent Hardy ($5,400)

·         Representative Jaime Herrera-Beutler ($5,400)

·         Representative Evan Jenkins ($5,400)

·         Representative John Katko ($5,400)

·         Representative Adam Kinzinger ($5,400)

·         Representative Raul Labrador ($5,400)

·         Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen ($5,400)

·         Representative Mike Simpson ($5,400)

·         Representative David Valadao ($5,400)

·         Republican Party of Virginia ($10,000)

 Total Amount Given: $117,800

 

 

###

 

 


Patrick Murphy says Marco Rubio denies climate change and wants to privatize Social Security

Well that didn't take long. U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy's hours-old campaign for the U.S. Senate is already sending out emails asking for money. 

He hits incumbent Republican Senator Marco Rubio by saying he "denies climate change" and "wants to privatize Social Security." 

Let the fun begin.

Murphy's email is below:

Friend --


For the past several months, I’ve been listening to my friends, my family, and my fellow Floridians.

I’m hearing the same sentiment from everyone: Congress is broken. Politicians can’t or won’t get anything done. And Washington is headed in the wrong direction.

Someone needs to step up and do something about it.

Today, I want you to be among the first to know: I’m running for the United States Senate in 2016. Click here to become a Founding Member of my campaign today >>

Our current Senator, Marco Rubio, is a career politician who has shown time and time again that he does not represent Florida’s middle class. Rubio denies climate change is real and wants to privatize Social Security.

It’s clear: It’s time for Marco Rubio to go.

The people of Florida deserve a leader who spends every day in office working to restore the Everglades, fighting for the middle class, and protecting Social Security and Medicare. That’s exactly what I intend to do as the next United States Senator from the State of Florida.

Now we have to build a winning Senate campaign from the ground up. Will you become a Founding Member of my Senate campaign today?

Please chip in $25 or whatever you can to help launch my campaign for United States Senate >>

Thank you for being a part of this journey with me. I could not be more proud to have you on board.

Thanks,

Patrick Murphy

 

Become a Founding Member »

 

 
Paid for by Friends of Patrick Murphy | 45‌21 PGA Blvd #4‌12, Palm Be‌ach Gardens, FL 33‌418 | http://murphyforflorida.com

Ben Carson is the first Florida candidate to make if official for 2016

Ben Carson, who lives in West Palm Beach, today launched a presidential exploratory committee - making him the first candidate to formally enter the 2016 campaign. 

Waiting in the wings are fellow Floridians Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio and Mike Huckabee.  Bush is all but in. Huckabee remains a wannabee. And Rubio seems to be inching closer to a run.

Carson's chances? 

You be the judge.

See Carson's announcement below. 

 
 
 
Ben Carson: Exploratory Committee

Brian, 

Yesterday, I filed with the Federal Election Commission the necessary paperwork to formally consider a run for President of the United States in 2016.

Let me tell you why I’m taking this step today, and how you can help.

For many years, I have traveled the country closely studying our politics. I believe we are on the verge of robbing our children of the American Dream.


We are racking up a virtually insurmountable debt, stifling our economic potential and placing our children’s future at risk.

At home and abroad, we are silencing honest debate about our challenges, our differences and our culture, all in the name of political correctness. 

We are ceding more and more power to Washington bureaucrats at the expense of our personal liberty, ignoring the wisdom of our founders who risked their lives to form “a more perfect union.”

Too many of our children are trapped in failing schools and find themselves thrust into a deadly cycle of crime, dependence and despair.

Continue reading "Ben Carson is the first Florida candidate to make if official for 2016 " »


Jeb Bush makes another announcement on Facebook

Right to Rise Pac
Apparently former Florida Governor and 2016 presidential candidate Jeb Bush is fond of using Facebook to make major announcements. Today, he posted videos, in Spanish and English, announcing the formation of Right to Rise PAC.

Bush's new website explains the PAC this way:

We believe passionately that the Right to Rise — to move up the income ladder based on merit, hard work and earned success — is the central moral promise of American economic life. We are optimists who believe that America’s opportunities have never been greater than they are right now. But we know America is falling short of its promise.

Millions of our fellow citizens across the broad middle class feel as if the American Dream is now out of their reach; that our politics are petty and broken; that opportunities are elusive; and that the playing field is no longer fair or level. Too many of the poor have lost hope that a path to a better life is within their grasp. While the last eight years have been pretty good ones for top earners, they’ve been a lost decade for the rest of America. We are not leading – at home or abroad.

At the Right to Rise PAC, we will support candidates who want to restore the promise of America with a positive, conservative vision of reform and renewal. We believe the income gap is real, but that only conservative principles can solve it by removing the barriers to upward mobility. We will celebrate success and risk-taking, protect liberty, cherish free enterprise, strengthen our national defense, embrace the energy revolution, fix our broken and obsolete immigration system, and give all children a better future by transforming our education system through choice, high standards and accountability. We will strive to put our fiscal house back in order, re-limit government and ensure that America is a welcoming society.

We will not cede an inch of territory — no issues, no demographic groups, no voters — as we unite our citizens to strengthen America through greater economic growth and widespread prosperity.

We believe in the transformative power of conservative ideas to renew America. Our nation can be dynamic and prosperous again, if we join together and fight for every American’s Right to Rise!

Join us.

Right to Rise offers this biography of Bush (the word conservative is used only three times):

Continue reading "Jeb Bush makes another announcement on Facebook" »


New York Times takes hard look at how lobbyists influence Pam Bondi and other AGs

Pam Bondi
Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi is one of several attorneys general whose relationships with law firms and lobbyists is carefully examined in this New York Times investigation.

Some brief excerpts from this must read story:

Breakfast was served on a patio overlooking the Pacific Ocean — a buffet of fresh baked goods, made-to-order eggs, lox and fruit — as the Republican attorneys general, in T-shirts and shorts, assembled at Beach Village at the Del, in Coronado, Calif.

. . .

The group had gathered at the exclusive Beach Village at the Del — where rooms go for as much as $4,500 a night and a special key card is required to enter the private compound — for the most elite event for Republican attorneys general, a gathering of the Edmund Randolph Club (named for the first United States attorney general).

. . .

The club, created by the Republican Attorneys General Association, has a $125,000 entry fee — money used to fund the campaigns of attorney general candidates with as much as $1 million, and to pay for the hotel bills, airfare and meals for the attorneys general who attend the events.

. . .

Ms. Bondi, the Florida attorney general, for example, received nearly $25,000 worth of airfare, hotels and meals in the past two years just from events sponsored by the Republican Attorneys General Association, state disclosure reports show. That money came indirectly from corporate donors.

She has charged Florida taxpayers nearly $14,000 since 2011 to take additional trips to meetings of the National Association of Attorneys General and the Conference of Western Attorneys General, including travel to Hawaii. Those events were also attended by dozens of lobbyists. Ms. Bondi, in a statement, said the support she had received — directly or through the Republican Attorneys General Association — had not had an impact on any of her actions as attorney general.

The Times story goes on to look at cases that Bondi dropped that the Times suggests were a result of undue influence. Bondi, in a statement, disagreed.


Is this why Rick Scott is skipping a deposition on Friday

Miami Herald reporter Mary Ellen Klas is reporting that Florida Governor Rick Scott is not going to give a scheduled deposition Friday in a lawsuit he initiated.

From the Herald:

Gov. Rick Scott is planning to be a no-show Friday for a deposition in a lawsuit he filed in California to block the release of information about Google email accounts used by him and his executive staff. 

Attorney Steven R. Andrews was prepared to put the governor under oath in Tallahassee but Scott’s communications director, Frank Collins, said Thursday “there is not going to be a deposition tomorrow.” He could not immediately answer whether Scott's lawyers are asking the judge to have the event postponed or if they plan to ignore it entirely. 

However, if the governor is a no-show for a deposition in a case he initiated, it may not be without consequences. According to the rules of civil procedure, if Scott fails to submit to the deposition, the judge could dismiss his lawsuit, order the governor to appear at a later date, or sanction him for refusing to cooperate.

Read more from the Herald here.

Here is one reason Scott might be skipping the deposition - he has a major fundraiser tomorrow with big wigs from the sugar industry, FPL, and other major political donors.

From Tuesday's Crowley Political Report:

Some of Florida's most interesting political donors are hosting an event Friday to raise money for Governor Rick Scott's reelection campaign and the Florida Republican Party.

"You are cordially invited to an afternoon with Governor Rick Scott along with special guests Governor Jeb Bush, Senator Marco Rubio (and)  Lieutenant Governor Carlos Lopez-Cantera."

The event is at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables - a glorious place where Bush has his private office mere steps from the golf course.

The gathering begins at 11:30 with a "lunch reception" costing $250 per person or $500 per couple.

The big money event begins at 12:45. It is the "Event Chair Luncheon" for those who have either given or raised $25,000.

The event chairs include:

Pepe Fanjul, Sr., and Pepe Fanjul Jr, owners of Florida Crystals.

Tammy Meyerson, CEO and president of Preferred Medical Plan,

Jim Robo, chairman and CEO of NextEra Energy, Inc. the parent company of FPL.

Jeffrey Soffer, owner of Turnberry Associates.

George Zoley, founder of the private prison company GEO Group.

We suspect this gathering will be closed to the media.

Wouldn't it be fun if former Republican Charlie Crist dropped by to his old friends?

  Biltmore invite