Elections will be crucial step in Haiti's path to recovery

PORT-AU-PRINCE -- Along the hardened edges of a sprawling public plaza-turned survivors camp, children run through cascading water, women wash clothes and Elusner Marcellus, 31, is thinking about making it through another day. The last thing on his mind are elections.

``A people who is hungry, who is living in misery can't think about going to elections,'' said the disillusioned street vendor.

But not far from Champs de Mars in the tony hills of Petionville, Haiti's yet-to-be-scheduled elections are the topic du jour as more than a dozen of this country's most powerful businesspeople spend the day discussing how to keep politics from derailing the earthquake-battered nation's slow recovery.

That parallel universe is the dilemma facing Haitian President René Préval and the international community as Haiti prepares to be without a functioning parliament after most members' terms run out on Monday, and attentions are divided between day-to-day survival and political reality.

``I understand we are in a difficult situation where people are not thinking about elections, but it's also clear that the democratic process has to continue,'' Préval said last week. ``We cannot leave the country without a parliament. We cannot leave the country without mayors. We cannot leave the country without a president.''

GLOBAL HELP

So concerned that a new tremor could cause further destabilization, Haiti's partners -- among them the United States, Canada, the Organization of American States and the United Nations -- have all dispatched top lieutenants here for a Monday meeting with Préval.

``You have to send the right signals out there to be able to have a stable democratic process because that will enable you to do your economic development; it will enable you to do as well your social development,'' Canada's Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon told The Miami Herald during a visit here last week. ``Ultimately, we are asking people to come in here. . . . If that environment is perceived to be unstable, obviously there is going to be enormous reticent to doing something.''

Last week, Haiti's lower chamber voted in favor of allowing Préval to remain until May 14, 2011 -- five years to the date he assumed power -- should his successor not be elected by Feb. 7. The senate is expected to vote Monday, and Préval spent Saturday meeting with key senators in hopes of getting their support.

As of Monday, Haiti's parliament will cease to exist as a law-making body because the mandate of the entire lower chamber of deputies, and one-third or 10 senators would have expired -- preventing the passage of critical laws.

With that new reality facing Haiti, Préval's opponents have criticized his request, calling it a power grab. They've demanded that he leave on Feb. 7, the date scheduled for the inauguration of a new president and that an interim government be installed to organize elections for all 144 mayors, 99 deputies, 11 senators and president.

``We have an opposition that doesn't want stability,'' said Sen. Moise Jean-Charles, a Préval supporter. ``It's just a matter of formality.''

The United States and others are all opposed to an interim government, fearing that it could create instability or uncertainty. Monday's discussions, which will include U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's chief of staff, Cheryl Mills; OAS Assistant Secretary General Albert Ramdin and CARICOM Assistant Secretary General Colin Granderson will focus on how to avoid an interim government. They'll discuss a yet-to-be publicized UN report that found elections are possible ``technically, logistically and financially,'' but there are things Préval must do to kick-start the process.

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In his first TV spot, Kendrick Meek takes aim at Jeff Greene

Candidates typically make their television debut with feel-good footage of them bonding with their family, listening to elderly voters and reading to schoolchildren.

U.S Rep. Kendrick Meek of Miami -- about $7 million in advertising behind his chief Democratic opponent for the U.S. Senate -- decided to cut to the chase.

``Became a billionaire on Wall Street betting middle class families would lose their homes. Helped fuel the economic meltdown,'' Meek's new ad says of real estate investor Jeff Greene, complete with unflattering photos. ``Betting on suffering does matter.''

Meek launched his modest counteroffensive Monday as polls show Greene gaining on him, with four weeks to go before the Aug. 24 primary. Meek is spending roughly $400,000 on the commercial, about three times less than it costs to saturate the airwaves statewide.

In contrast, Greene will have spent nearly $8 million on television by the end of this week. His latest spot dismisses Meek as a career politician beholden to special interests. A mailing that reached absentee voters on Monday accuses Meek of helping subprime lenders ``abuse'' Florida homeowners.

``Our campaign has no choice but to fight back to make sure Floridians know how Greene made the money he is using to launch false and misleading television attacks,'' says a memo from Meek's campaign manager Abe Dyk.

Meek's campaign is also fending off speculation that President Barack Obama will offer only lackluster support in a contest heavily dominated by Republican Marco Rubio, the former Florida House speaker, and independent Gov. Charlie Crist, who is attracting considerable Democratic support.

In a tangible sign that Obama is behind Meek, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel is to headline a fundraiser for him on Aug. 2 in Washington.

HASTINGS WEIGHS IN

U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings of Miramar said Obama needs to step up his efforts to help Meek, particularly by activating his grassroots network in the nation's largest swing state.

``I personally feel Democrats need to stop playing footsie with Charlie Crist,'' Hastings said. ``We have an opportunity for a young man with excellent credentials to be the nominee, and here they go finding excuses.''

The accusations in Meek's new ad are familiar: Greene is a carpetbagging former Republican who only moved to Florida two years ago. That's true. But the ad's claim that Greene contributed to the real estate market's collapse ignores major causes, like the subprime mortgage crisis and lax federal regulation.

Greene made hundreds of millions of dollars from so-called credit default swaps in which he predicted widespread mortgage foreclosures.

``The only person who wrecked the economy was Kendrick Meek and his friends in Congress,'' Greene said Monday, trying to turn the tables on his opponent. ``I've created jobs and gotten results.''

DEBATES SCHEDULED

Meek and Greene are scheduled to face off in three debates before the primary: Sunday at Bay News 9 in St. Petersburg, Aug. 10 at WKMG in Orlando, and Aug. 15 at WPLG in Miami.

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Rick Scott, Bill McCollum clash over statewide debate

TALLAHASSEE -- Rick Scott is all over TV, spending his millions on ads promoting himself as an outsider candidate for governor against ``career politician'' Bill McCollum.

And Scott has agreed to two limited TV debates with McCollum, but balked at going on live TV statewide for one hour -- free of charge -- to debate his Republican opponent unless the location was moved away from McCollum's Orlando base to one of Scott's choosing.

McCollum agreed to the move on Wednesday, but Scott insists on a public venue that organizers say they can't provide.

The flap over the only statewide TV debate comes as Scott also is passing up invitations from newspaper editorial boards for interviews.

The wealthy former hospital executive has never run for public office, but by spending more than $25 million on 30-second ads, Scott can largely control his campaign message.

McCollum accuses Scott of ``ducking'' the debate to avoid subjecting himself to scrutiny about his platform and his business record.

``The people in Orlando, in Jacksonville, in Fort Myers and other places are not going to see us debate if he doesn't agree,'' McCollum said. ``It's wrong of him not to. I hope that he will allow that debate to take place.''

If no agreement is reached, the McCollum-Scott contest may be decided in the Aug. 24 primary without any opportunity for all voters to see the candidates in a live, unscripted televised format.

Statewide televised debates in Florida have a history of providing colorful and revealing moments, such as Lawton Chiles' quip about ``the old he-coon'' overtaking Jeb Bush in 1994 and Bill McBride's flub to NBC's Tim Russert in 2002 when he was asked about the cost of the class-size amendment.

Scott spokesman Jen Baker noted that it was Scott who first challenged McCollum to four debates and that Scott has just completed a six-day statewide bus tour that provided close access to traveling reporters.

``I know the editorial boards and TV stations think they're the only arbiters of what makes a good governor,'' Baker said. ``But we have two debates in television studios. We want one where the community can come and it's bigger and it's public.''

The disputed TV debate, in the planning for a year, is sponsored by Leadership Florida and the Florida Press Association.

The groups sponsored similar debates in the race for governor in 2006 and president in 2008.

``This is our third debate cycle,'' said leadership Florida President Wendy Abberger. ``All of those we've invited except Mr. Scott have gladly accepted.''

Florida Press Association President Dean Ridings said his group will move the debate to a Jacksonville TV station, but there's no time to find a public venue.

``Rick Scott wants a debate in North Florida, and we have made provisions to do that,'' Ridings said. ``We don't have the resources to find a public setting in such a short period of time.''

The debate would be broadcast the evening of Aug. 11 on eight stations, including WPLG-ABC10 in Miami and WFTS-Channel 28 in Tampa, as well as network outlets in Orlando, Jacksonville, West Palm Beach, Fort Myers, Tallahassee and Panama City.

McCollum on Wednesday bowed to Scott's insistence that the debate be moved from Orlando to Jacksonville.

``We are happy to accommodate the Rick Scott campaign's `demand' to move the debate to Jacksonville,'' McCollum senior advisor Doyle Bartlett wrote to Leadership Florida President Wendy Abberger.

Scott and McCollum have two TV debates scheduled next week, both to limited audiences. They will meet on Miami's Univisión-23 on Monday and on WTVT-Channel 13 in Tampa on Thursday.

Times reporter Janet Zink contributed to this report. Steve Bousquet can be reached at bousquet@sptimes.com.

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US military deaths in Afghan region at 1,122

As of Thursday, July 29, 2010, at least 1,122 members of the U.S. military had died in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan as a result of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, according to an Associated Press count.

At least 890 military personnel have died in Afghanistan as a result of hostile action, according to the military's numbers. The Defense Department's tally was last updated Friday at 10 a.m. EDT.

Outside of Afghanistan, the department reports at least 92 more members of the U.S. military died in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Of those, 10 were the result of hostile action.

The Defense Department also counts two military civilian deaths.

Since the start of U.S. military operations in Afghanistan, 7,149 U.S. service members have been wounded in hostile action, according to the Defense Department's weekly tally.

---

The latest deaths reported by the military:

- No new deaths have been reported.

---

The latest identifications reported by the military:

- Lt. Col. Mario D. Carazo, 41, of Springfield, Ohio; died July 22 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan; assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force, based out of Camp Pendleton, Calif.

- Maj. James M. Weis, 37, of Toms River, N.J.; died July 22 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan; assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force, based out of Camp Pendleton, Calif.

- Pfc. James J. Oquin, 20, of El Paso, Texas; died July 23 in Forward Operating Base Orgun-E, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident when he was swept away by the current when a levee broke near his military vehicle in Paktika province, Afghanistan; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.

- Petty Officer 2nd Class Justin McNeley, 30, of Wheat Ridge, Colo.; died of wounds sustained in a July 23 incident in Logar province, Afghanistan; coalition Forces recovered his body July 25 after an extensive search; assigned to Assault Craft Unit One (ACU-1), San Diego.

- Petty Officer 3rd Class Jarod Newlove, 25, of Seattle; died of wounds sustained in a July 23 incident in Logar province, Afghanistan; coalition forces recovered his body July 28 after an extensive search; assigned to commander, Navy Reserve Force Command. The July 23 incident remains under investigation.

- Staff Sgt. Conrad A. Mora, 24, of San Diego; died July 24, at Qalat, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when insurgents attacked their military vehicle with an improvised explosive device; assigned to 5th Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, 17th Fires Brigade, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.

- Sgt. Daniel Lim, 23, of Cypress, Calif.; died July 24, at Qalat, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when insurgents attacked their military vehicle with an improvised explosive device; assigned to 5th Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, 17th Fires Brigade, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.

- Spc. Joseph A. Bauer, 27, of Cincinnati, Ohio; died July 24, at Qalat, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when insurgents attacked their military vehicle with an improvised explosive device; assigned to 5th Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, 17th Fires Brigade, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.

- Spc. Andrew L. Hand, 25, of Enterprise, Ala.; died July 24, at Qalat, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when insurgents attacked their military vehicle with an improvised explosive device; assigned to 5th Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, 17th Fires Brigade, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.

- Lance Cpl. Frederik E. Vazquez, 20, of Melrose Park, Ill.; died July 24 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan; assigned to 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

- Lance Cpl. Abram L. Howard, 21, of Williamsport, Pa.; died July 27 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan; assigned to Headquarters and Service Battalion, 4th Marine Logistics Group, Marine Forces Reserve, based out of North Versailles, Pa.

---

Online:

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/

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Chamber group donates $500,000 to McCollum ally

WASHINGTON -- A U.S. Chamber of Commerce affiliate has contributed $500,000 to a political group associated with Florida Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill McCollum.

The group, Florida First Initiative, has been running ads against McCollum's GOP primary opponent, Rick Scott.

Disclosure documents posted by Florida First show the chamber's Institute for Legal Reform made the contribution this week. It is among the largest contributions received by the group.

The money comes as McCollum's campaign has been scrambling to keep up with the pace of Scott's spending. Scott, a millionaire former health care executive, has been financing his own campaign.

The chamber has not endorsed a candidate in the Florida governor's race. But the chamber's legal reform institute has been a supporter of McCollum's efforts to rein in lawsuits in the state. A spokesman for the chamber institute would not comment on the contribution.

McCollum has received help from several political groups, many of them called 527 organizations after the tax code provision that gives them tax-exempt status.

Unlike candidates, the groups can raise unlimited amounts of money from individuals or corporations, using the money to air ads or conduct other political activity.

The Florida first Initiative has run a tough ad against Scott, attacking his leadership as CEO of the hospital chain Columbia/HCA. Scott was forced out by his board amid a Medicaid/Medicare fraud investigation. Scott, who was not charged, has said he didn't know about any wrongdoing. The firm paid $1.7 billion in fines and settlements.

Florida First has received money from other corporate interests, including $350,000 from Florida-based U.S. Sugar, the nation's largest producer of cane sugar, according to documents filed with the Internal Revenue Service. It also has received more than $1 million from groups affiliated with state Republican office holders such as incoming House Speaker Dean Cannon and Senate President Mike Haridopolos.

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Trial lawyer's e-mail triggers controversy

TALLAHASSEE -- In the hotly contested Republican primary for attorney general, it doesn't take much to start controversy.

A brief e-mail from an attorney who dated candidate Pam Bondi for five years did the trick.

Bondi, 44, a former Hillsborough County prosecutor, is criticizing rival Jeff Kottkamp for his ties to Morgan & Morgan, the powerhouse personal injury law firm whose ``for the people'' billboards and radio ads promoting its pro-consumer work are seen and heard all over Florida.

Kottkamp, 49, briefly worked for Morgan & Morgan, and the firm and its members have donated about $25,000 to his campaign, nearly a third of it on July 16. Trial lawyers are not the most popular group in any GOP-only contest.

Seeking to deflect Bondi's criticism of his connections to the trial bar, Kottkamp cited an e-mail written last fall by Billy Howard, 43, a member of the Morgan & Morgan firm, who once dated Bondi.

In the e-mail, Howard suggested that Bondi hire the firm if she wins the race.

``Told me at church today she will use us for consumer protection if she wins,'' Howard wrote on Nov. 22, 2009. ``She plans to announce this week I think, but u would know more than me as usual.''

Both Howard and Bondi now insist such a conversation never took place.

In a brief phone conversation, Howard said: ``There was never any talk about retaining our law firm.''

He said Bondi made no such offer.

``No, she never did. Absolutely not,'' he said in an e-mail reply.

Howard has not contributed to Bondi, and records show he gave $250 to Kottkamp's campaign on July 16.

Bondi declined to be interviewed for this article, but issued a prepared statement accusing Kottkamp of a ``smear campaign,'' saying it was further evidence that Kottkamp ``will do and say anything necessary to win this election.''

``Jeff Kottkamp received a forwarded e-mail from his former boss and head of the personal injury firm Morgan & Morgan, containing information that is absolutely untrue,'' Bondi's statement said.

``I state without any hesitation or doubt that this purported conversation did not occur.''

A search of campaign records found no Morgan & Morgan law firm members who have donated to Bondi's campaign.

The e-mail indicates that Howard sent it to John Morgan, the law firm's founder, who forwarded it 14 minutes later to Kottkamp, the candidate Morgan is backing.

The e-mail's subject line: ``Paminator.''

As Howard explained: ``The term ``Paminator'' was a nickname I gave her because of her work as an aggressive [assistant] state attorney.''

The outspoken Morgan dismissed the e-mail controversy and said it was doubtful that Bondi could send legal work his way even if she wanted to.

``I think the people who are supporting her would turn five shades of purple if something like that happened,'' Morgan said. ``She's close to the Fox News people, you know.''

Bondi's campaign literature features her work as a legal analyst for Fox News.

Kottkamp said Bondi's explanation ``doesn't pass the credibility test,'' and that because Howard dated Bondi for five years, ``he would have no reason to fabricate such a comment.'

``The offering of a state contract is illegal and should be investigated,'' Kottkamp said.

The third Republican in the primary for attorney general, Holly Benson, 39, has stayed out of the Bondi-Kottkamp fray.

Kim Kirtley, an advisor to Bondi's campaign, asked the Times/Herald not to publish this article, and noted that Bondi was not yet a candidate at the time of the disputed conversation with Howard.

Steve Bousquet can be reached at bousquet@sptimes.com or 850-224-7263.

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Paul's father-in-law says others got subsidy, too

FRANKFORT, Ky. -- U.S. Senate candidate Rand Paul's father-in-law says he split more than $10,000 in federal farm subsidy payments between 1996 and 2007 with siblings.

Hilton Ashby said Monday the candidate knew nothing about the payments that he, his brother and sister split evenly. They were paid to keep fallow their late father's farm.

Paul's Republican campaign acknowledged Friday that his in-laws had benefited from federal farm subsidies that he has been criticizing, triggering accusations of hypocrisy from his Democratic rival.

Paul told a group of Kentucky farmers in Louisville last week that the federal payments may need to be cut to reduce the national debt. Democrat Jack Conway said eliminating the subsidy program, which pumped more than $200 million into the state last year, would hurt farmers.

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Taxpayers give McCollum $1.3 million boost

TALLAHASSEE -- Bill McCollum picked up a hefty check from taxpayers Friday -- a financial lifeline for his campaign for governor struggling to keep pace with his free-spending primary opponent Rick Scott.

McCollum's $1.3 million check was one of seven doled out to statewide candidates in four races under a public financing formula that matches up to $250 that each candidate receives from a Florida resident.

So far, taxpayers have paid out $3.1 million, enough to pay the average annual salaries for 66 experienced teachers.

The cash infusion is a timely boost for McCollum, the state's attorney general. Fundraising totals released Friday show he was down to about $540,000, about half of the cost of a week's worth of major TV advertising.

Scott, a former healthcare executive, has poured $22.9 million of his money into the campaign, isn't taking public money and has sued to block McCollum from getting public financing.

Noting that his own polling shows him tied with Scott, McCollum said, ``Considering the differential in money, we're in pretty good shape.''

The Scott camp pointed to several public polls showing him ahead by double digits and claimed McCollum's ``snout is deep in the public trough, scarfing up funds that could be used for other public projects.''

McCollum's campaign says he is following the letter and the spirit of campaign finance laws, and Scott is being ``disingenuous'' by suing and trying to change the rules in the middle of the race.

The major Democrat in the governor's race, Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink, has said she will abide by the system's $24.9 million spending limit, but has not yet decided whether to accept public matching money.

Sink has raised $7.3 million in contributions and has $5.7 million in the bank. Based on McCollum's total, she could be in line for more than $1 million in matching money.

Friday's checks include matching funds for contributions from September 2009 through March 31. Next week, candidates will receive another check for contributions from the latest fundraising period that ended July 16.

Independent candidate Lawton ``Bud'' Chiles III is not yet eligible for the first round of checks because entered the race in June.

Chiles, who is limiting contributions to $250 and is not accepting money from corporations or PACs, has raised $54,000. He also donated $25,000 of his own money, the maximum allowed under the public finance system.

Scott is poised to sail past the $24.9 million spending limit covered by another part of the public financing law. Once he breaks that cap, his rivals would receive a dollar-for-dollar match on everything he spends over that limit.

Friday was also the deadline for other campaigns to release their fundraising totals for the second quarter.

In the attorney general's race, on the Democratic side, Sen. Dave Aronberg of Greenacres raised $264,000 last quarter, leaving him with $658,000. Primary opponent, Sen. Dan Gelber of Miami Beach, has $665,000 left after raising $164,000 last quarter. Gelber got $350,000 in public financing.

Former Hillsborough County prosecutor Pam Bondi leads the three-way GOP race with $400,000 in the bank after raising $192,000. Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp took in $143,000 this quarter and has a total of $316,000. Holly Benson raised $152,000 and has $274,000 in hand.

In public financing, Bondi pulled down $246,000, Kottkamp collected $259,000 and Benson got $249,000.

In the race for chief financial officer, Democrat Loranne Ausley raised $202,000. Her $507,000 in the bank still trails Republican Jeff Atwater's $2.1 million. Atwater, the Senate President from North Palm Beach, raised $246,000 last quarter. That figure is about half of his total in each of the previous four reporting periods. Atwater also got $492,000 in matching funds.

Adam Putnam, the GOP candidate for agriculture commissioner, has $1.3 million to spend after taking in $205,000. Putnam also got a $317,000 matching funds check. Democrat Scott Maddox raised $100,000 and has $394,000 left to spend.

Campaigns for Aronberg, Ausley and Maddox said they plan to participate in public financing, but turned in paperwork late and expect checks next week.

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Liberals press Obama for more action on key issues

LAS VEGAS, Nev. — President Barack Obama Saturday tried to calm liberals frustrated by what they consider slow progress on their favorite causes, urging Democratic bloggers and activists to be patient and work with him.

"Change hasn't come fast enough for too many Americans; I know that," Obama said in a four-minute video message to the Netroots Nation convention. "It hasn't come fast enough for me, either. And I know it hasn't come fast enough for many of you who fought so hard during the election."

Obama, a last-minute addition to the convention program, has been both a hero and an obstacle to the 2,000 liberal Democrats who've been meeting since Thursday to plot their political future.

After two days of strategy seminars, the crowd Saturday also spent an hour gently grilling House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who got a standing ovation, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada.

Reid got a similar ovation, but his comments were received with only polite applause because he presides over a chamber where popular legislation on government-run health care, energy policy and other proposals have been stymied.

"There are times I get on your nerves," he said with a smile. "I'm here to tell you you get on my nerves."

Obama is an even more difficult figure for the netroots. They think their Internet networks helped elect him in 2008 _ and Obama Saturday acknowledged their influence, referring to them as "we" _ but they want to see a greater push in several areas, including health care, financial regulation, gay rights and other issues.

Be patient, Obama urged them. His message included a brief recitation of his accomplishments by liberal TV commentator Rachel Maddow, who noted that Congress has passed landmark health care and financial regulation legislation.

Remember, Obama said, "The fact is it took years to get here. It'll take time to get us out." Look at the journey, not its endpoint so far, he urged.

"In ways large and small, we've begun to deliver on the change you've fought so hard for," he said.

The former Chicago community organizer praised the netroots' chief political tactic, organizing from the ground up.

"Change is hard, but if we've learned anything these past 18 months, it's that change is possible," Obama said. "The change doesn't come from the top down, it comes from the bottom up, it comes from the netroots, from the grassroots, every American who loves their country and believes they can make a difference."

Pelosi defended Obama and Congress, blaming Republicans for delaying progress on key issues.

She won the crowd by sharing its frustration. More can be done on jobs and health care, for instance, she said, but added that "the leverage has changed" since major legislation shifts power to consumers and away from special interests.

Her most forceful pitch involved climate change legislation. Senate Democratic leaders this week abandoned an effort to vote this summer on legislation to help limit global warming. The House passed a similar measure last year.

"Time is running out. This is not an issue you can walk away from," Pelosi insisted. "Sooner or later this has to happen, the sooner the better."

Reid offered elaborate praise for the group and explained why it takes 60 votes, the number needed to cut off debate, to get anything done in the Senate. While some attendees have said that at one point in the 111th Congress, Democrats controlled 60 seats, Reid said, "We only had 60 seats for a few weeks."

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Florida Legislature rejects oil drilling ban vote, adjourns

TALLAHASSEE -- Moving with extraordinary speed, the Florida Legislature took just two hours Tuesday to reject Gov. Charlie Crist's proposal to give voters the chance to amend the state Constitution and ban offshore oil drilling.

In a brief special session, Republicans carried out a plan to block Crist from scoring political points by leading the charge for what they see as a symbolic ban on near-shore drilling, something already barred by state law.

The referendum is strongly supported by Democrats and independents whose votes Crist covets as an independent U.S. Senate candidate.

Lawmakers said they would work on another special session in September, one focused on long-term measures to provide economic relief to people affected by the Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf.

A fired-up Crist heaped scorn on lawmakers, criticizing them for an ``arrogance of power'' and urging voters to throw them out of office in November.

``They are the do-nothing Legislature,'' said Crist, who called the special session in hopes of beating the Aug. 4 deadline to add a referendum to the Nov. 2 general election ballot.

``I can't believe that this Legislature has shirked their duty so badly,'' Crist said. ``How arrogant can a Legislature be? I can't believe that they would have that much of a lack of respect for the people of Florida.''

Neither the House nor the Senate debated the issue itself. Instead, both chambers debated whether the drilling ban proposal should be debated.

As scores of drilling opponents looked on wearing ``Let the People Vote'' stickers, the House voted 67-44 to curtail debate after 10 minutes, and senators followed with a vote of 18 to 16.

Two Democratic senators who sided with Republicans played key roles in blocking a vote on the measure: Sen. Jeremy Ring, D-Margate, and Gary Siplin, D-Orlando. Their influence was magnified by the absences of three Democrats and two moderate Republicans who are both Crist allies.

Eight Republican senators, four from the Tampa Bay region, voted against ending the session prematurely. They were Lee Constantine of Altamonte Springs, Victor Crist of Tampa, Paula Dockery of Lakeland, Mike Fasano of New Port Richey, Dennis Jones of Treasure Island, Evelyn Lynn of Ormond Beach, Steve Oelrich of Gainesville and Alex Villalobos of Miami, who sponsored the drilling ban, and who threw in the towel when the House adjourned after 49 minutes.

``I can't prevail because they left,'' Villalobos said.

In the House, four Republicans sided with Democrats in support of debating the ban. They were Reps. Kevin Ambler, R-Tampa and three Miami lawmakers: Reps. Marcelo Llorente, Julio Robaina, and Juan Zapata. One House Democrat, Rep, Leonard Bembry of Greenville, voted with Republicans to block debate.

House Speaker Larry Cretul, R-Ocala, pounded his gavel at 12:02 p.m., quickly rejecting Crist's call for a constitutional drilling ban and criticizing the governor for calling lawmakers to work on short notice.

``The fact remains that he has called us here at the last possible moment to consider a constitutional amendment for which he never proposed any language and permitted far too little time for reflection and review,'' Cretul said. ``This is a terrible way to propose constitutional changes.''

Senate President Jeff Atwater, R-North Palm Beach, said he tried to persuade Crist and Cretul to expand the scope of the session to discuss tax relief and creation of a claims advocate, but got no takers: ``Unfortunately, I did not receive a receptive audience.''

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Scott hits some speed bumps on the trail

TAMPA -- Rick Scott's statewide bus tour stumbled Friday as he endured tough questions about the fraud at his former company and appeared to misstep on volatile questions from voters.

The campaign minefield -- a combination of media scrutiny and voter intrigue -- forced the Republican's gubernatorial campaign to clarify whether Scott thinks President Barack Obama is a U.S. citizen and how a student's race affects school performance.

The distractions slowed the candidate's momentum but only slightly as he sealed votes with handshakes and won rave reviews from many of hundreds at his events.

Scott started his day in Clearwater, where he found an anti-incumbent crowd sipping coffee at the Lenny's restaurant.

Standing under one of the diner's colorful ceiling tiles with the slogan -- ``A restaurant is the only place where people are happy when they are fed up'' -- city councilman Paul Gibson told him voters ``are just voting for the other guy because they are mad.''

Paul and Carol Heister, sitting a few tables away, exemplified the anger. ``How are you going to get those clowns out of Tallahassee,'' Paul Heister said as he shook Scott's hand. ``I'm a Republican and I think they are an embarrassment.''

Scott smiled, and said he would run government like a business. ``We're going to be in the black, we're going to watch every penny,'' he said.

The Heisters said they left solid Scott supporters. ``I'm so glad you're a businessman and not a politician,'' she said. ``I'm so sick of politicians.''

The remark is an obvious dig at Scott's outspent rival Bill McCollum, the Republican attorney general who spent two decades in Congress and has been a consistent name on the ballot.

McCollum has responded with ads that highlight the Medicare and Medicaid fraud that took place in Scott's hospital chain, Columbia/HCA, which pleaded guilty to 14 felonies and paid $1.7 billion in civil and criminal penalties.

Scott has routinely said he did not know about the fraud and stressed that he was never charged with any crimes, but took responsibility for the actions under his watch.

The issue is reverberating in the election. In just about every forum in the last two days of the bus tour, voters ask him to further explain his involvement and knowledge in the fraud.

Steve Cutler, an undecided voter, is a former corporate auditor who contends Scott ``had to have to know something.'' After listening to Scott, he said, ``It's one of the key questions I'm undecided about and it's not a full answer there.''

The Justice Department found that Columbia/HCA committed a variety of frauds on the federal Medicare program, from overbilling for patient care to fraudulently manipulating hospital costs. And some crimes date back to the very first hospital purchases orchestrated by Scott's company in Texas in the late 1980s, court records show.

Scott and his partners started Columbia with the purchase of two hospitals in El Paso, before expanding through Texas and later Florida. According to the Justice Department, Columbia illegally offered financial benefits to El Paso doctors in exchange for their patient referrals, a violation of anti-kickback statutes barring such transactions to prevent financial incentives for unnecessary medical treatment.

As part of its business model, Columbia offered doctors ownership shares in its hospitals. But according to the Justice Department, the number of shares given to doctors depended on how many patient referrals they brought in. In a lawsuit filed in Washington in 2001, government lawyers said Scott knew of this arrangement and even paid money to some doctors as part of the scheme, court records show.

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Extent of wealth emerging

WASHINGTON -- Florida Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Jeff Greene is fabulously wealthy, that we know.

But the depth and scope of the billionaire's fortune was revealed Friday when he filed his financial disclosure form, only a short while before the deadline. The 56-page document shows a dizzying and diverse array of investments, from real estate to stock and government bonds.

For starters, Greene has more than $50 million in U.S. Treasury Bonds, which generated between $1 million and $5 million in interest last year.

Federal financial disclosure forms deal in ranges, not specific amounts. But Greene's investments sprawl across the globe, and make it clear this political neophyte from Palm Beach has virtually limitless resources to wage a campaign, something he's already established with millions already spent on TV ads that have made him a contender in the Democratic primary against rival Kendrick Meek.

Greene has sunk money in everything from foreign oil fields to local schools, with millions of dollars in Miami-Dade and Broward county school bonds kicking out interest for him.

His investment in Miami-Dade is between $1 million and $5 million. In Broward, it is listed as between $5 million and $25 million. He also holds bonds in Ohio, New York and California. The Broward County bonds are paying Greene between $100,000 and $1 million annually, according to the report.

RISKY BUSINESS

Greene has millions invested in stocks as prosaic as Continental Airlines and Eastman Kodak and Exxon Mobile. His holdings with the highest values include Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, indicating he is betting on banks, which not long ago teetered on collapse.

But the forms also reveal riskier bets, including investments in Venezuelan government bonds and in the state-owned oil company, Petroleos De Venezuela.

So-called emerging market investments ``aren't for the faint of heart,'' but are popular among big investors because of their high yields, said Jason Kaplan, managing director at hedge fund group NWI Management in New York.

Still, the investment could be problematic in a political context, particularly in Florida, with strong ties to Latin America.

Greene said the Venezuelan bonds were part of a Latin America portfolio put together for him by a broker. Once he found out, he sold the bonds -- ``because I hate that Hugo Chávez.''

Still, the sale made him millions, the records show.

Because the federal form requires only ranges, not specific amounts of assets, it is hard to accurately calculate Greene's net worth. It has been valued at more than $1 billion and could top $2 billion.

AMERICAN DREAM

Greene said the document is a picture of ``35 years of hard work and dedication'' and a ``testament that the American Dream is alive and well in our great nation.''

He said he started with nothing and wants to give the same opportunities to others.

Greene lists himself as a partner in about 70 companies, mostly real estate businesses that generate up to $1 million a year in income and in some cases up to $5 million per year. He also owns several jet rental businesses.

His biggest liabilities are mortgages on rental properties in various states including Indiana, Tennessee, Ohio and Pennsylvania. In 2009, he took out a loan for as much as $25 million from Bank of America for property in Los Angeles.

Greene built his wealth in real estate and by 2005 was estimated to be worth nearly $800 million. But he worried that a looming housing collapse could wipe him out just as it nearly did in the 1990s.

To protect himself, he said, he wound up persuading investment houses to let him invest in complicated products called credit default swaps -- essentially insurance against a subprime mortgage implosion.

For an investment of about $24 million, Greene made at least $500 million, according to the book, The Greatest Trade Ever by Gregory Zuckerman.

TIMING IN QUESTION

Meek's campaign questioned the timing and contents of Greene's disclosure.

``Jeff Greene entered this race at the last minute and disclosed his personal finances just hours before they were due,'' campaign spokesman Adam Sharon said.

``These forms only raise more questions about Greene's business interests. Jeff Greene is trying to buy a U.S. Senate seat with the ill-gotten gains made betting against middle class Florida homeowners.''

Times political editor Adam C. Smith contributed this report.

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Fla. Senate candidate Greene discloses assets

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Democratic Senate candidate Jeff Greene has more than 200 separate assets, each worth more than $1 million, according to a 56-page financial disclosure form released Friday.

In all, the assets listed are worth at least $750 million but possibly more than $2.8 billion.

His assets include stocks, foreign currency, municipal bonds, real estate holdings and more. He has holdings with companies like Delta, Northwest Airlines, Eastman Kodak, Motorola, General Motors and others.

It's difficult from the Senate form to determine exactly how much Greene is worth. The form has wide ranges for the value of assets and candidates are not required to give exact amounts. Greene has more than 120 assets worth somewhere between $1 million and $5 million and more than 70 assets worth somewhere between $5 million and $25 million, five worth between $25 million and $50 million and three listed as more than $50 million.

Greene has spent about $6 million of his fortune trying to beat Rep. Kendrick Meek in the Aug. 24 primary. The winner will face Republican Marco Rubio and Gov. Charlie Crist, who is running as an independent.

Greene is listed as the partner in 53 rental real estate companies and president of one other. He is listed as president of three real estate management companies, as well as rental airplane and energy investment companies.

He was already a millionaire before he correctly guessed that the housing market would collapse and was able to profit off property foreclosures and achieve billionaire status.

"I started with nothing, worked my way through college as a busboy, graduated from Johns Hopkins and Harvard Business School and started my own business. As a result of hard work and building successful businesses, I have been able to attain more success than I could ever imagine," Greene said in a press release.

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Bosses binged on meals, concerts, cigars, GOP ex-aide says

Long before criminal investigations shook the Republican Party of Florida, office manager Susan Wright noticed a problem, she says: Higher-ups were spending party money to help themselves instead of the GOP.

There were the thousands of dollars dropped in Las Vegas restaurants, a casino resort and a Wayne Newton concert.

She says she saw thousands more in questionable expenses for trips and swank accommodations in Boston, Beverly Hills and Miami.

And she says she was among the first Republican staffers to voice concerns about a $200,000 party contract with a shell company called Victory Strategies, which is now at the center of the fraud and theft charges against former Chairman Jim Greer, who has pleaded not guilty.

Wright, 57, didn't know all the details, but fretted to her supervisors and co-workers that the party was running out of money and couldn't afford it all.

``I was told to keep my mouth shut,'' she said.

Wright didn't. So, she says, she was fired.

Now a witness in the state criminal case against Greer, Wright is breaking months of public silence to detail for The St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald the problems she saw at party headquarters under Greer and his right-hand man, Delmar Johnson, who is avoiding jail time in return for testifying against Greer.

GREER RESPONSE

Greer's attorney says he's innocent and is being set up by vengeful party leaders reneging on a $124,000 severance agreement.

Wright had access to expense reports, contracts, pay information and vacation time for nearly every party worker. She saw first hand the internal party documents detailing the charges, from the $1,290 at The Palazzo Las Vegas Resort Hotel Casino to the nearly $5,000 that Jim and wife Lisa Greer spent for a getaway in exclusive Fisher Island.

``Five-thousand friggin' dollars!'' she exclaimed when she asked about the purpose of the expense.

She says she never got an answer, only demands and insinuations that she be silent.

The spending came to light this spring when The Times/Herald and other media obtained Republican leaders' party-issued American Express cards. But Wright says Greer and Johnson also frequently used their personal credit cards for expenses, such as the $243 in Wayne Newton Before I Go performance tickets, that were reimbursed by the party.

Investigative documents and some top Republicans confirm that Wright was among the first insiders to raise red flags about all the spending.

Weeks after she was fired in January, Wright was flown to West Palm Beach by the U.S. Attorney's Office to tell her story to a federal prosecutor, an FBI agent and an Internal Revenue Service official.

Wright was interviewed by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement in March.

Wright's observations not only helped investigators uncover alleged wrongdoing, they reveal a deep level of dysfunction in a political party that fostered a sense of entitlement among some top-ranking members and fear among the rank and file.

$100 DINNERS

Wright started working for the Republican Party of Florida in September 2007, nine months after Gov. Charlie Crist made Greer chairman.

By the middle of 2009, Wright said, the party was so ``broke'' that it paid some of its bills with staffers' credit cards. Known in budgeting circles as using non-recurring money to fund recurring expenses, that type of financial practice is decried year after year by Republican lawmakers just up the hill in the state Capitol.

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Charlie Crist leads in money race for U.S. Senate

Gov. Charlie Crist raised $1.8 million for his independent U.S. Senate campaign in the past three months, trailing Republican Marco Rubio but conserving millions of dollars more for the last few months of the campaign.

Rubio reported a monster-sized $4.5 million haul earlier this week -- replacing Crist as Florida's fundraising champ. Still, Crist's latest donations were up from the $1.1 million he collected in the previous three months before he ditched the Republican Party.

``I couldn't be more delighted. It's uncharted territory,'' said Crist, who leads the polls.

What's more, Crist said he has $8.2 million in the bank, compared to Rubio, who has $4.4 million. Crist has been increasingly leaning on Democratic donors.

``It's no surprise that Charlie Crist would maintain a significant advantage over Marco at this point,'' said Rubio spokesman Alex Burgos. ``He's been the Republican establishment candidate, and now he's seeking to be the Democratic establishment candidate.''

Rubio blew through $4 million between April and June, mostly on television, mail and fundraising, according to Burgos. Crist's expenses were far less -- roughly $1.2 million.

Here's one reason why: While the former House Speaker has to pay to travel around the state and get his message out, the governor gets around mostly on the public's dime and gets free publicity wherever he goes by virtue of his public office. Crist is also spending less because most campaign staff left when he dropped his party affiliation, leaving a skeleton crew led by his sister as campaign manager.

The Democratic front-runner, U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek of Miami, collected $1 million in the past three months. That leaves him with $4 million in the bank, slightly less than Rubio. Meek spent less than $700,000 during that time period, compared to $5.8 million by his chief opponent in the Aug. 24 primary, billionaire Jeff Greene.

Greene has spent his own money on television ads to introduce himself to a state where he has never run for office. The media campaign seems to be working, with polls showing him and Meek in a tight race.

Crist led Rubio 35 percent to 28 percent, with the Democrats running a distant third, in a Reuters/Ipsos survey released Tuesday. The poll has a margin of error of four percentage points.

Herald/Times staff writers Steve Bousquet and Alex Leary contributed to this report.

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Tea Party event attendee shouts at Rick Scott

The question dogs gubernatorial candidate Rick Scott wherever he goes: What was your role in Columbia/HCA's Medicare fraud?

On Tuesday night, it was asked by a shouting, finger-pointing attendee at a South Florida Tea Party meeting in Delray Beach.

Scott, the front-runner in the GOP primary, calmly gave the same explanation he gives in his TV ads: The company made mistakes and he accepts responsibility because he was CEO.

``He didn't answer it,'' Harry Klein said after his confrontation with Scott. ``I wanted a simple answer that would have told us what happened. He did not answer the question.''

Columbia/HCA, the medical company Scott led for 10 years, pleaded guilty and paid $1.7 billion in criminal and civil fines following an FBI investigation into its Medicare billing practices. Scott was never charged and has denied knowing any fraud was taking place. Voters' willingness to accept that answer could determine whether Scott can beat Attorney General Bill McCollum, a fixture in Florida politics, in the Republican primary on Aug. 24.

``The only people that ask, that are fixated on Columbia/HCA, are reporters and McCollum campaign operatives,'' said Jen Baker, Scott's spokeswoman. ``People on the trail are asking him about jobs, jobs, jobs, and the economy and that's why there's support for Rick.''

Harry Klein and the other South Florida Tea Party event attendees who questioned Scott were planted there by the McCollum campaign, Baker said.

Scott, who has spent millions on TV ads, is running slightly ahead of McCollum in the latest polls. The Tea Partiers in Delray Beach also didn't like Scott's response to a question on whether one of his investments had received federal economic stimulus money.

``I think you'd better find out real soon!'' a member of the audience exclaimed after he said he wasn't sure. Xfone, a company in which Scott had a 17 percent stake in 2008, accepted $60 million in stimulus money.

Some Republicans give Scott credit for addressing Columbia/HCA head-on in his early television ads before McCollum even went on the air. Those spots helped Scott frame the issue and at least partly inoculate himself from McCollum's attacks.

``I'm gonna do something politicians won't -- give you the unvarnished truth,'' Scott says looking straight into the camera. ``I was in charge and was questioned by the authorities. But that's not what matters. What matters is that the company made mistakes. And as CEO, I take responsibility and learned from it.''

He then goes on to tout Columbia/HCA's successes.

But Tuesday's raucous Tea Party meeting suggests the issue is far from being put to rest.

``He avoided the question about the Medicare fraud,'' attendee Kathleen Colleran said after the meeting. ``That's the thing -- he has got to answer. He was president of the company. I want our questions clarified.''

In a civil lawsuit filed in 2001, the Justice Department said Scott and other company executives approved payments to doctors in Texas in an effort to induce the doctors to refer patients to Columbia hospitals. The Justice Department said the payments violated federal anti-kickback laws.

After Scott left Columbia/HCA, the company pleaded guilty to a criminal charge of making illegal kickbacks to doctors -- one of 14 felonies to which the company pleaded guilty -- and paid a $30 million criminal fine. The company paid more than $200 million in additional civil fines for making unlawful payments to doctors.

Miami Herald staff writer Scott Hiaasen contributed to this report.

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Marco Rubio lists his plans for Senate

TAMPA -- Marco Rubio, who as Florida House speaker published a book of 100 ideas that became a road map for the Legislature, unveiled a new set of ideas Tuesday that he said he wants to take to the U.S. Senate.

Speaking to about three dozen supporters at a seafood restaurant in Tampa, the Republican candidate unveiled 23 ideas to improve the nation's economy and to address the impact of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

Many of the ideas mimic the tax and economic policies of most Republicans -- from making permanent the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts passed under President George W. Bush to ending the inheritance tax, plus opposing any new energy tax or the creation of a value-added tax.

Other ideas, like creating a sales tax holiday for oil spill-affected areas and offering property owners affected by the spill property tax relief, appear to be state issues and not federal ones.

Rubio promised to unveil more ideas during the campaign.

``Some of these ideas will be so straightforward it's amazing that Washington has refused to do them,'' Rubio said. ``And some will be controversial because politicians believe they aren't convenient to winning an election.''

Rubio's announcement at a Crabby Bill's restaurant in Tampa came on the heels of news that he raised a record $4.5 million in the past three months, beating Gov. Charlie Crist's $4.3 million fundraising quarter at the start of the race. Crist bolted from the GOP in April and is running for the Senate as an independent. Yet a new poll still shows Rubio trailing Crist in a three-way general election.

Crist leads Rubio 35 percent to 28 percent in a November match-up, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released Tuesday. Democrat Kendrick Meek trails with 17 percent.

Crist holds a 34 to 29 percent edge over Rubio in a three-way race that includes Democrat Jeff Greene.

Rubio prefaced his plan for addressing the economic impact of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill by taking a dig at Crist.

The governor has called for a special session for the Legislature to consider a constitutional amendment that would ban offshore oil drilling. Rubio called it a campaign stunt, which Crist denies.

``Spending $200,000 of taxpayer money to haul legislators to Tallahassee to basically hold a campaign event, using the tragedy of the Gulf oil spill as a backdrop and a prop in a political campaign . . . there are other things, real things, we should be focused on instead,'' Rubio said.

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Florida Legislature session on oil-drilling ban in jeopardy

TALLAHASSEE -- Gov. Charlie Crist's bid to ask voters to ban oil drilling off Florida is in deep trouble, with the House backing away from a vote and the oil industry already declaring victory.

Crist has called lawmakers back to work Tuesday for a four-day session, seeking a state constitutional amendment to ban drilling in response to the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. The state has until Aug. 4 to put the question on the Nov. 2 ballot; passage would need the approval of 60 percent of voters.

In a poisonous political atmosphere, it now appears that nothing will be accomplished next week, and the hostility between the independent governor and Republican-led Legislature will be worse than ever.

In the House, acrimony toward Crist remains intense over his decision to quit the Republican Party to save his U.S. Senate aspirations. House Speaker Larry Cretul, R-Ocala, called the drilling ban ``symbolic and perhaps even smoke and mirrors,'' and would not say whether he would let members vote.

``Whether it gets to the floor or not, who knows?'' Cretul said in an interview. ``I suspect we'll have a lot of lengthy debate about that.''

As speaker, Cretul has life-or-death control over legislation. In a memo to legislators, he said: ``You can expect your stay to be very short next week.''

Crist said the House would be ``stunningly short-sighted'' to thwart a referendum on offshore drilling, and he warned the House that some members would suffer politically in November as a result.

``Who in their right mind would argue that the people shouldn't have a right to vote on this?'' Crist asked. ``It's an unconscionable position.''

By blocking a vote, Cretul denies a triumph to Crist, and House members avoid having to vote for a drilling ban against the wishes of House leaders, who say it is not needed because state law already bans drilling near the Florida coastline.

Sen. Dan Gelber, D-Miami Beach, said: ``There's so much animus between the governor and his former party, it's like an emotional vortex sucking everybody in.''

Veteran oil industry lobbyist David Mica, of the Florida Petroleum Council, predicted that neither chamber has the three-fifths majority needed to place the proposed constitutional ban before voters.

``We feel very confident that the Legislature realizes that this is not something we want to do in the Constitution,'' Mica said. ``I think the vast majority of the Legislature is ready to say to their constituents that there's a law in place.''

Oil-drilling opponent Eric Draper of Audubon of Florida said the House passed a bill in 2009 that would have opened up the shore to drilling. The bill's sponsor, Rep. Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, will be the next House speaker.

``The oil industry has shown themselves to be a very powerful advocate for drilling in Florida's waters,'' Draper said. ``This is the very reason why we need to put this to the voters -- to get it away from the Legislature.''

As prospects for that grew more remote Thursday, legislative leaders changed the subject.

Cretul and Senate President Jeff Atwater, R-North Palm Beach, in separate letters, agreed on the need for another special session, in late August or early September. But the focus would be on streamlining the claims process for spill victims and tax and economic relief for affected residents and businesses.

Both leaders agreed that the session Crist called for July 20-23 would not allow time for that.

``Ill advised and poorly conceived legislative action might very well impede the speedy resolution of claims and make things more difficult for the citizens of Florida,'' Atwater wrote.

One lawmaker whose constituents are feeling the spill's impact most directly is Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville. He convened a four-hour hearing Monday in Pensacola in anticipation of proposing legislation to help Panhandle businesses and individuals struggling financially because of the spill.

However, after pushing legislative leaders and Crist to expand the agenda of the special session, Gaetz gave up.

``The governor had no interested in the economic issues of the Gulf Coast,'' Gaetz said. ``I pushed as hard as I can for expanding the call, but when the clock rolled out on this, I called for a special session as soon as we can get one.''

In a reply to Atwater, Cretul directed a parting shot at Crist's drilling ban proposal: ``Rushing to amend the Constitution at the last possible moment because of an accident hundreds of miles from our jurisdiction does not typify deliberation and responsible legislation.''

The House version of the drilling ban appeared Thursday, sponsored by Reps. Rick Kriseman, D-St. Petersburg, and Keith Fitzgerald D-Sarasota. The 62-word, two-sentence bill asks voters ``to prohibit oil and natural gas exploration, drilling, extraction and production in and beneath all state waters.''

Herald/Times Staff Writers Mary Ellen Klas and Lee Logan contributed to this report. Steve Bousquet can be reached at bousquet@sptimes.com.

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Did BP get Lockerbie terrorist released? Britain's Cameron rejects it

WASHINGTON — British Prime Minister David Cameron on Tuesday rejected calls for an investigation of the British government's release last year of an American-killing terrorist, dismissing charges that oil giant BP engineered the release to win oil business in Libya.

Making his first visit to the White House since taking office in May, Cameron condemned the decision to release the Lockerbie bomber — just as he did a year ago when he was leading the Conservative Party opposition to the British government led then by the Labor Party.

"This was the biggest mass murderer in British history and there was no business in letting him out of prison," Cameron said.

The release last year was controversial and emotion-charged for the families of those killed when a bomb blew up Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, on Dec. 21, 1988, killing 270 people, 189 of them Americans.

Abdel Baset al-Megrahi was convicted in the bombing. He was serving a life sentence when Scottish authorities released him last August to return to Libya, saying he had cancer and less than three months to live. He received a hero's welcome in Libya and is still alive.

Cameron said he's seen no evidence to support allegations that oil giant BP pressured the British government in Scotland to release the terrorist in exchange for Libyan oil contracts.

"I haven't seen anything to suggest that the Scottish government were in any way swayed by BP," Cameron said at a joint news conference at the White House with President Barack Obama.

"They were swayed by their considerations about the need to release him on compassionate grounds — grounds that I think were completely wrong," Cameron said. "I don't think it's right to show compassion to a mass murderer like that. I think it was wrong."

Lacking any evidence of a prisoner-for-oil swap, he said, "I don't need an inquiry to tell me what was a bad decision. It was a bad decision."

Obama declined to press for a British investigation but said he'd welcome it.

"All of us here in the United States were surprised, disappointed and angry about the release of the Lockerbie bomber," Obama said. "And my administration expressed very clearly our objections prior to the decision being made and subsequent to the decision being made. So we welcome any additional information that will give us insights and a better understanding of why the decision was made."

Anger at BP's massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico renewed this grievance, raising anew questions about whether BP had pressured the British government to release the man to Libya so that BP could win deepwater drilling rights there.

BP insists that it never discussed al-Megrahi, but the company acknowledges that it pressed the British government to sign a general prisoner transfer agreement with Libya.

In May 2007, the British and Libyan governments signed a memorandum agreeing to negotiate prisoner transfers as well as other issues. The same month, BP signed an oil agreement with Libya.

Cameron stressed that under British law, the Scottish government had the sole power to release al-Megrahi.

"In terms of an inquiry, there has been an inquiry by the Scottish Parliament into the way the decision was made," he said. "The British government, the last British government, released a whole heap of information about this decision. But I've asked the Cabinet secretary today to go back through all of the paperwork and see if more needs to be published about the background to this decision."

Cameron also said his government would "engage constructively" with hearings in Congress. Cameron was meeting later with congressional delegations from New Jersey and New York, home to many of the Americans killed in the Lockerbie bombing.

On Afghanistan, Cameron said that he and Obama reaffirmed their joint commitment to training Afghan army and police forces so that U.S. and British forces can withdraw.

"We also agreed on the need to reinvigorate the political strategy for Afghanistan," Cameron said. "Insurgencies tend not to be defeated by military means alone. There must also be political settlement. And to those people currently fighting, if they give up violence, if they cut themselves off from al Qaeda, if they accept the basic tenets of the Afghan constitution, they can have a future in a peaceful Afghanistan."

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Utility links color Florida Public Service Commission picks

TALLAHASSEE -- Gov. Charlie Crist is expected to announce his replacements for his two ousted appointees to the state utility-regulation board on Wednesday, and will choose from a list of eight applicants that includes many with deep ties to utility companies.

Crist interviewed the candidates last week to fill two positions on the Public Service Commission and told The Miami Herald/St. Petersburg Times that he wants to select a commissioner who is willing to offer an independent, pro-consumer point of view, and that ``some more than others'' fit that criterion.

The appointments will fill two positions on the PSC that were vacated when the Florida Senate rejected David Klement and Benjamin ``Steve'' Stevens for confirmation in April.

Crist's list was put together by the PSC Nominating Council, a 12-member board with a chairman and six members who are legislators. Sen. Mike Bennett, a Sarasota Republican and chairman of the council, called the list of applicants ``one of the most qualified'' the panel had ever seen.

The same council last month rejected the reappointment of two sitting PSC commissioners, Nancy Argenziano and Nathan Skop. Some council members said the commissioners had not been cooperative, and the council wanted to ``start over'' on the board.

Argenziano has urged Crist to reject the lists of names because she believes the council is unduly influenced by the utility companies.

Crist is expected to choose two names from the following:

• Rep. Ron Brise, a Democrat from Miami whose former telecom company, IPIP Telecommunications, used to share contracts with a company now under indictment for bribing Haitian officials. Brise says he joined the company after the questionable behavior, left it in January 2009, and was never involved. ``During my tenure there I can attest that everything that was done at IPIP was very much aboveboard,'' he said.

• Connie Murray, a former three-term Republican state legislator from Springfield, Mo., who was appointed to two terms on Missouri's PSC by two Democratic governors.

After leaving the panel, Murray took on a $30,000 consulting job with Ameren UE, a St. Louis-based utility that is the largest in the state. She was once publicly reprimanded by a state legislator for allowing a gas company to get a 44 percent rate increase without a public hearing. She defends that decision, saying the increase was a temporary hike required by law when fuel prices spiked.

• Charles Ranson, a consultant who has worked in economic development in Kansas and Florida and is the former executive director of the Florida TaxWatch Center for a Competitive Florida. He formerly represented telecommunication clients before the Legislature, and his former law partner represented clients before the PSC.

• Mary Bane, the retired former executive director of the PSC, who served on the commission for more than 40 years, including the last year in which the agency came under fire for allowing staff members to exchange text messages and socialize with the utility officials they regulate.

In the past year, Bane was criticized for not acting quickly enough after the PSC's lead lobbyist, Ryder Rudd, admitted he attended a Kentucky Derby party at the home of an FPL executive when the company had a rate-increase request before the PSC. Bane personally approved a 10 percent salary increase for Rudd a month after the event.

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Rubio's rise linked to tea parties

Daytona Beach, February 2007: 30 people gather at a medical billing office to hear a young Miami politician.

All they know about him is that he's about to become the speaker of the Florida House, and he supposedly shares their growing anger over property taxes and government spending.

``I loved him. I absolutely loved him,'' recalled Margie Patchett, leader of a Volusia County antitax group. ``I thought, `This is not your standard politician. This is a man of vision.' ''

The scene played across Florida -- from Panama City to Spring Hill and Sarasota. Marco Rubio shaped anger over soaring property taxes into the defining mark of his two years as speaker.

Today, the issue has been overlooked as Rubio stands atop the race for U.S. Senate. But that period was the foundation of his success, and it spawned another angst-ridden movement that has fueled his campaign: the tea party.

The 35-year-old standing before the small crowd in Daytona Beach seized the populist cause of property tax relief and used it to confront the governor and satisfy the anti-establishment rage on the ground.

When that rage turned on the federal government, Rubio was right there, with a repertoire of speaking skills honed to the cause. While he was blasting President Barack Obama's stimulus plan and declaring government spending out of control, Gov. Charlie Crist was giving the president a hug.

``What Florida was experiencing was just beginning to dawn on the country,'' said Brett Doster, a political strategist in Tallahassee. ``His [Rubio's] willingness to stand up put him on the leading cusp of what is now a strong antigovernment, anti-incumbency movement out there. He's developed a really loyal base.''

The base was built in conference rooms and community halls, in airport hangars and on the steps of City Hall. Rubio's extensive travel introduced him to grass-roots leaders like Patchett, who now travels the state herself to talk about property taxes -- and about Marco Rubio.

Some of the first calls Rubio made after declaring his candidacy for the U.S. Senate seat that is up for grabs this year were to contacts he met in 2007. Partly with their help, he won a series of straw polls that represented the beginning of the end of Crist's run as Republican.

And while most Florida House speakers don't get much attention beyond Tallahassee, Rubio enjoyed widespread exposure because of the property tax issue. National television networks visited him in Miami, and conservative leaders in Washington talked him up.

``He's the most pro-taxpayer legislative leader in the country,'' Grover Norquist, president of anti-tax advocacy group Americans for Tax Reform, said at the time. Norquist invited Rubio to speak at his influential weekly Wednesday meeting, and then endorsed him for Senate.

The base has gotten Rubio far, but his strength will be tested as the campaign moves to the general election. While he has raised the money to compete on TV -- the ultimate battleground in Florida politics -- he still has to show he can appeal to more than hard-line conservatives and tea partyers.

Already, momentum has cooled with Crist dropping out of the GOP primary to run as an independent. The conflict and contrast that riled up Rubio's supporters and drove a media story line has been sapped.

And Rubio's record on property taxes invites questions about his effectiveness. His ideas were big but mostly failed, even though his party controlled the Legislature. In the end, Crist prevailed with a simpler -- and less substantial -- property tax relief plan.

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Congressional candidates aggressively raising funds

The last campaign finance reports the public will see before some voters start filling out their primary ballots show a massive money fight shaping up in one of the most closely watched congressional contests in Florida.

In Broward, Allen West -- a black Republican and retired army lieutenant colonel -- raised more than $1.4 million between April 1 and June 30, nearly triple the haul of about $510,000 by the incumbent, Democratic Rep. Ron Klein.

In his second quest to unseat Klein, who represents a swing district in Broward and Palm Beach counties, West beat his own fundraising record this quarter: Last quarter he raised $840,000. West has now raised about $3.5 million while Klein has raised about $2.4 million.

But thanks to leftover money from a previous election cycle, Klein is ahead in cash on hand with $2.9 million to West's war chest of almost $2.2 million.

Klein benefited from a wave of anger at President George W. Bush and the war when he ousted longtime Republican Rep. Clay Shaw in 2006. Klein easily beat West two years later, but this time West has attracted national media attention and more money as he has tapped into the anger of the Tea Party and voters' frustration with the economy.

Both West and Klein are expected to easily win their primaries Aug. 24 and then face off in November.

Pollster Jim Kane says the race is still Klein's to lose since he is the incumbent -- but that it won't be easy for him to win.

``Allen West is really, really coming on very strong, and he has the solid backing of the Republican rank and file and the Tea Party people,'' Kane said. ``That's the danger point for Klein.''

Money is expected to keep pouring into the race between now and when the next finance reports are due Aug. 12 -- after absentee ballots hit the mail and early voting begins Aug. 9.

In Miami-Dade, Haitian-American Rudolph ``Rudy'' Moise continues to bring in more money than established Democrats trying to replace Rep. Kendrick Meek, who is running for the U.S. Senate.

But the race attracting most campaign dollars in Miami-Dade is the contest to replace Republican Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart for a district that spans west to Collier County.

Leading Democrat Joe Garcia, who came close to unseating Diaz-Balart in 2008, pulled in about $728,000 this quarter -- outraising the Republican front-runner, David Rivera, who raked in about $518,000, though Rivera still holds a total fundraising lead.

According to an analysis by The Washington Post, that makes Garcia one of the top-raising candidates in the country this quarter.

``The overwhelming amount of support for Joe Garcia's campaign shows why this is one of our top pick-up opportunities,'' said Shripal Shah, a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesman.

But Rivera, the Miami-Dade GOP chairman and state House budget chief, has a larger campaign chest overall, including more cash on hand: more than $1.1 million, compared to Garcia's approximately $623,000.

None of the other primary candidates in that race -- Republicans Marili Cancio and Paul Crespo and Democrat Luis Meurice -- have come close to Rivera's and Garcia's fundraising. Two other candidates, from the Tea Party and Florida Whig party, will face the primary winners in the general election.

The dollars have been slower to flow into the coffers of the 10 candidates vying to replace Meek in a district that includes some of the poorest areas of Miami-Dade County.

Leading the fundraising pack among the nine Democrats is Moise, a physician and amateur actor who raised about $138,000, loaned $800,000 to himself and ended the quarter with about $909,000 on hand. In total, Moise has put more than $1 million of his own money into the campaign.

The money could put Moise -- who released a TV ad this week -- in a position to play spoiler in the primary to candidates with more name recognition, like Miami Gardens Mayor Shirley Gibson or state Sen. Frederica Wilson.

Wilson brought in about $16,000 and had approximately $78,00 cash on hand. Gibson raised close to $27,000, spent more than $111,000 and had just $4,264 left in the bank -- but her campaign said it isn't worried.

``We spent our money where we thought we should, which is in a grassroots campaign,'' Gibson campaign manager Mark Goodrich said. ``Wenever planned to do television.''

In total, the primary field features four current or former state lawmakers, three municipal officials and a well-known Haitian-American activist.

With the Democratic Party spending money to hold on to Meek's seat, the primary winner will likely win the general election, though he or she will still have to face Roderick Vereen, an attorney who originally opened his campaign account as a Democrat but is now running without party affiliation.

Several other South Florida incumbents have opponents, but with little money or party support, the challengers aren't expected to pose much of a threat.

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Unwelcome surprise for GOP senator: a challenger

NEW ORLEANS -- Talk about Republican Sen. David Vitter's worst political nightmare - a surprise challenger with all the right conservative credentials and none of the baggage of the incumbent's prostitution scandal.

Chet Traylor, the first Republican elected to Louisiana's Supreme Court since Reconstruction, made a last-minute decision to take on Vitter after a fresh scandal for the first-term lawmaker: An aide had remained on Vitter's payroll after pleading guilty to charges stemming from a knife-wielding incident with an ex-girlfriend.

"In the weeks leading right up to the campaign, people just wanted an alternative," said Traylor, 64, an Army veteran and former state trooper who later became a lawyer and a judge.

Traylor said conservative Republicans - he didn't name them - begged him to enter the race, fearing that Vitter, hobbled by scandals old and new, could lose to a Democrat in the general election.

Still, Vitter has the incumbent's edge, in the Aug. 28 primary and in November, when he'll likely face Democrat Charlie Melancon and a handful of independent and minor party candidates. He has more than $5 million in campaign cash and a double-digit lead in recent polls over Melancon, who has about half that amount.

State GOP chairman Roger Villere still backs Vitter, a 49-year-old attorney, Rhodes Scholar and the state's first Republican senator in modern times. Other state Republicans also are standing with the incumbent.

Traylor has only started raising money and building name recognition even though he won election in a sprawling Supreme Court district in north Louisiana.

"I would like to find out more information about his background," said Connie Beach, a Republican from Folsom in south Louisiana, who added that "the right person" might be able to defeat Vitter in the primary.

Lev Dawson believes Vitter is vulnerable. Dawson is a conservative north Louisiana farmer and businessman and a frequent contributor to past Republican campaigns, including Vitter's. But now he is managing Traylor's fledgling campaign and says Republicans who want Traylor to run believe the latest scandal isn't the last.

"Is there more coming? We think there might be. And if there's more coming, how bad is it? And what will happen to the women's vote in Louisiana, and will he survive it?" said Dawson. "We think if Justice Traylor gets the nomination, he'll win."

Others were more skeptical of Traylor's chances.

"Right now, at this time, I don't see that happening," Cathy White, a New Orleans Republican said, when asked if Traylor could win. White, president of a 73-member Republican women's group, said members of the group like Vitter's opposition to President Barack Obama's policies.

Vitter has focused his attention on Melancon, repeatedly calling him a rubber stamp for Obama's initiatives even though the conservative congressman often breaks with his party. Vitter attracted attention this past week when he expressed support for conservative organizations challenging Obama's citizenship in court. So-called birthers have challenged Obama's standing as president by arguing that he was not born in the United States. Hawaii officials have repeatedly confirmed the president's citizenship.

The incumbent has responded to Traylor's entry into the race in much the same way he handled the prostitution scandal, by keeping quiet about it. His campaign declined to comment for this story.

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Florida Senate chief wants special session on oil spill victims

TALLAHASSEE -- Senate President Jeff Atwater on Thursday called for a second special session to be held next month to streamline the claims process for victims of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Lawmakers will be in the Capitol next week to consider a constitutional amendment to ban oil drilling -- which was called by Gov. Charlie Crist and is opposed by most legislative leaders.

A Senate committee, led by Sen. Don Gaetz of Fort Walton Beach, has been pushing legislators to consider economic relief for businesses affected by the spill.

In a letter to House Speaker Larry Cretul, Atwater said he agrees with many of those ideas but that they cannot be drafted in time for next week's session. He said a committee of lawmakers will work over the next 30 days to craft proposals.

``Ill advised and poorly conceived legislative action might very well impede the speedy resolution of claims and make things more difficult for the citizens of Florida,'' he wrote.

Atwater, R-North Palm Beach, is a Republican candidate for chief financial officer. He said a second session could be held in either late August or early September. By postponing the date, he clears the schedule for candidates eager to remain on the campaign trial for the Aug. 24 primary.

Gaetz, however, told The Miami Herald/St. Petersburg Times on Monday that he believes there is an immediate need to address the issues facing businesses, many of whom are on the brink of bankruptcy, and had hoped to expand the session next week.

``What we're finding is a number of these economic issues really are very time sensitive and need to be dealt with sooner rather than later,'' he said. ``The hope is we expand the call either by the governor, or just absorb these issues into the call.''

Miami Herald staff writer Mary Ellen Klas contributed to this report. Lee Logan can be reached at llogan@MiamiHerald.com.

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Senate candidate Jeff Greene invades rival Kendrick Meek's home turf

Committing the political equivalent of a home invasion in broad daylight, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Jeff Greene stumped Monday afternoon in the needy Miami neighborhood represented in Congress by rival Kendrick Meek and his mother for almost two decades.

Greene toured the African Heritage Cultural Arts Center, visited the vacant lot where Meek had unsuccessfully championed construction of a biotech campus, and drove down streets pocked by closed storefronts and rundown apartment buildings.

``Kendrick Meek has neglected his district and neglected his state,'' Greene told about 50 people gathered in front of the Helping Hands Youth Center in Liberty City. ``People are fed up with career politicians.''

Meek says he didn't know developer Dennis Stackhouse had paid his mother, former U.S. Rep. Carrie Meek, as a consultant and helped his chief of staff buy a home when he sought federal funds for the biotech project. Stackhouse never built it, and is charged with stealing $1 million in private and public funds.

``All the money keeps disappearing when it comes to the black community,'' said Mae Christian, who wore an Obama campaign T-shirt at Greene's campaign event. ``We have a lack of leadership.''

Even by the standards of wacky Florida politics, there was something surreal in the sight of Greene, a Palm Beach billionaire, driving through Liberty City in a Cadillac Escalade -- the same kind of car he has criticized Meek's mother for accepting from Stackhouse.

His brazen attack on Meek's home turf reflected the audacity -- critics would say arrogance -- of a real estate mogul bankrolling his own campaign and making his first trip to Liberty City. Greene has lived in Florida full-time only since 2008.

``Kendrick's entire life has been about representing and working on behalf of the residents of Liberty City and the surrounding communities, while Jeff Greene was there for a political stunt,'' said Meek's spokesman, Adam Sharon.

Meek's mother still lives in Liberty City, while Meek lives nearby in Miami Gardens. Sharon added: ``There's no doubt the recession and the housing market collapse has hit the community he represents in a more impactful way then almost anywhere else. When you are of and from that district you know that better than anyone, certainly better than Jeff Greene.''

Greene's campaign billed the speech as his ``Jobs for Florida Plan,'' but he gave few details in his eight-minute talk beyond calling for affordable college tuition, more unemployment benefits and a ``national infrastructure bank'' to build roads, bridges and high-speed rail lines.

Greene also vowed to ``end earmarks once and for all,'' referring to the pet projects members of Congress tuck into the federal budget. Meek has argued that bringing money home to his congressional district is part of the job.

Asked about his 1982 Republican bid for Congress in California, Greene fudged and said, ``I was a Republican 30 years ago for a couple years of my life.'' Records show he remained a Republican until 1992, when he moved to Malibu and dropped his party affiliation. Greene registered as a Democrat in 2008.

Greene is slated Tuesday to campaign in Miami-Dade for the second day in a row when he and his wife visit the Embrace Girls Foundation in Sunny Isles Beach.

In the crowd at the Helping Hands Youth Center was the father of Sherdavia Jenkins, the 9-year-old girl killed by a stray bullet while playing on her front stoop in 2006.

``It's hard for me to even be in this area, but I believe a change is needed,'' said David Jenkins, explaining his support for Greene.

``I'm hoping he can create more jobs and put an end to some of the violence in our neighborhood.''

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