Meek consistent in oil drilling opposition

With the Gulf oil spill threatening Florida's pristine beaches and public support for offshore oil drilling waning, Democratic Senate candidate Kendrick Meek of Miami has accused his rivals of backing oil drilling at one time or another, and says he's the only candidate to consistently oppose expanded offshore exploration.

He made the argument on his campaign website, where he encouraged people to sign a petition against offshore oil drilling. This is what he wrote:

``The recent disaster in the Gulf just underscores the need for a moratorium on any new offshore drilling, but Charlie Crist is busy flip-flopping his stance and Marco Rubio refuses to rule drilling out. Kendrick Meek is the only candidate who has consistently been against expanded drilling.

Meek has largely opposed increased offshore drilling during his congressional tenure. But is he the only candidate consistently opposed to it?

We checked with the other major Senate candidates on the issue. Those who have held public office -- Gov. Charlie Crist, former House Speaker Marco Rubio and former Miami Mayor Maurice Ferre -- have publicly declared their positions to various media. Libertarian Alexander Snitker and Jeff Greene, both of whom have never held public office, each stated -- for all intents and purposes -- their opposition. Here's a more detailed look at each of the candidates:

Gov. Charlie Crist: As a candidate for governor in 2006, Crist was unequivocal that he would never support oil drilling off Florida's shores. In 2008, Crist, who was considered a vice presidential running mate with Republican John McCain, backed off his previously staunch opposition. The April 20, 2010, spill convinced him it was risky, and as a result, Crist again became opposed. Clearly, Crist's position on offshore oil drilling has been anything but consistent.

Marco Rubio: Rubio has declined to rule out additional offshore drilling. On May 5, 2010, he spoke to reporters in Washington, D.C., about the issue. `I've not heard anyone say you cannot safely drill for oil because there are thousands of rigs drilling even as we speak that are not leaking, that are not causing this ecological disaster,'' he said in a story published by The Miami Herald.

He later added: ``The question is: 'Should the United States have access to all of its energy resources?' And the answer to me is yes. It has to be done in a way that's safe and clearly not destructive to your environment, to your ecology, or to your economy.'' Rubio has been consistent, though he does not share Meek's position.

Maurice Ferre: The former Miami mayor says he has always been opposed to offshore oil drilling. In his position paper, which he shared with PolitiFact Florida, he bluntly wrote that ``the juice from drilling off the Florida coast is not worth the squeeze of putting our larger economy at risk.'' He said he authored the paper with the help of the Everglades Foundation, an opponent of offshore oil drilling.

NEWCOMER'S VIEW

Jeff Greene: Newcomer Greene told The Miami Herald that he has always opposed drilling off Florida's shore. He told the Century Village Democratic Club in West Palm Beach on May 25: ``Why do people come to Florida? The ocean, the coasts, the beaches. This is not a fun extra thing that we have. This is the lifeline of our state. We're not going to have any offshore drilling in Florida. I was against it before, I'm against it now, and I'll be against it forever.''

Poll: Charlie Crist holds lead in U.S. Senate race — for now

Ex-Florida GOP chief Jim Greer charged with siphoning cash

Jim Austin Greer needed money.

With his personal bank account overdrawn by an average of $10,000 a month for much of last year, prosecutors say, the Republican Party of Florida chairman plotted to get his hands on some of the millions in special-interest cash flooding the party.

The scheme: set up a ``shell company'' called Victory Strategies LLC to secretly divert party fundraising money to himself, according to state prosecutors. He, along with the party's executive director, Delmar W. Johnson III, then made sure no one else knew about it.

But Johnson struck a deal with prosecutors and told them everything.

Greer, 47, was arrested Wednesday morning at his Oviedo home and charged on six felony counts of theft, money laundering and orchestrating a scheme to defraud. He faces a maximum 30 years in prison for money laundering and fraud charges, and a maximum five-year sentence for theft charges.

Greer's attorney, Damon Chase, said his client is an innocent victim of a ``political assassination.''

The arrest capped Greer's controversial three-year reign as chairman. Throughout, he endured criticism from nearly every quarter -- save from the man who chose him for the job,Gov. Charlie Crist.

``Sometimes, you're disappointed by people,'' Crist said Wednesday, calling the incident ``disappointing and surprising.''

Asked if he bore any blame for Greer's troubles, Crist said, ``I do not feel complicit.''

Crist, however, did call for the statewide grand jury on corruption that snared Greer in its first indictment. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement affidavit detailing Greer's alleged scheme exposes a lax culture of financial management at a political party that harps on fiscal responsibility. The affidavit portrays a character -- if not a caricature -- of a shrewd and greedy insider who shoved rivals out of the way, exploited his power, and put on phony public shows of austerity as he privately used donor money for personal enrichment.

``This money,'' said statewide prosecutor Bill Shepherd, ``was laundered through Victory Strategies LLC and then used byMr. Greer to support his own personal lifestyle.''

In all, Greer is accused of diverting $125,000 in party money unlawfully. Johnson earned $65,000, but is not charged.

On the day Greer and Johnson filed the paperwork to create Victory Strategies -- Feb. 4, 2009 -- another $40,000 was transferred to Victory Strategies from a campaign committee called Jim Greer for Chairman of the Republican Party of Florida. Shepherd said Greer pocketed that money, too. In addition, Greer ``pleaded for financial help'' from an unnamed donor who sent him about $180,000 over 18 months, the search warrant affidavit says.

FDLE agents spent the day searching his home for documents related to Victory Strategies and his accounts at SunTrust and United Legacy Bank.

A little-known Republican from Oviedo, Greer catapulted to the top of the most powerful political party in Florida after serving on Crist's campaign for governor. Crist's campaign was fueled with at least $60 million in contributions under chief fundraiser Meredith O'Rourke, who portrayed Greer in unflattering terms to an FDLE agent.

``He realized there was a lot of money to be made in political fundraising,'' O'Rourke told Special Agent Travis Lawson.

Shortly after Greer narrowly won his chairmanship in 2007, he met with O'Rourke over her $30,000 monthly party fundraising contract, Lawson's affidavit says.

Florida GOP slams ex-darling Charlie Crist

Primaries from Calif. to SC measure voter anger

LOS ANGELES -- How angry are Americans?

People primed for change vote in 12 states Tuesday in contests that will decide the fate of two endangered Washington incumbents - a two-term senator in Arkansas and a six-term congressman in South Carolina - while setting the stage for some of the races that could determine the balance of power on Capitol Hill in the fall.

In an Arkansas runoff, Sen. Blanche Lincoln could fall to a fellow Democrat, Lt. Gov. Bill Halter, who says "the only way to change Washington is to change who we send there." South Carolina Republican Rep. Bob Inglis is trying to fend off primary challengers who have made the race a referendum on his 2008 vote to bail out up the nation's banking industry.

The political strength of the tea party movement faces tests in several states, particularly in Nevada, where three Republicans are in a bruising fight for the chance to take on Democrat Harry Reid, the Senate majority leader, in November.

Republicans in California could send two political neophytes, wealthy former business executives Meg Whitman and Carly Fiorina, into races to succeed Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and challenge Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer.

In an election season overshadowed by the ailing economy and unhappiness with Washington, three longtime incumbents already have lost: Sens. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, and Arlen Specter, D-Pa., and Rep. Alan Mollohan, D-W.Va. A party switcher new on the scene, Democrat-turned-Republican Rep. Parker Griffith of Alabama, stumbled this past week as voters demanded ideological purity.

A Pew Research Center poll in April found that public confidence in government was at one of the lowest points in a half century. Bennett calls the political atmosphere toxic. Races on Tuesday will provide fresh evidence of how far people want to go to shake up statehouses and Washington.

"I've become frightened over what our government is doing," says Roxanne Blum, 57, a Republican from Pahrump, Nev. She's alarmed by the soaring debt and has seen firsthand, through her work in the mortgage industry, the damage caused by Nevada's highest-in-the country foreclosure rate.

Once excited by Reid's ascendancy in Washington leadership, she now sees him as out of touch with his economically troubled home state. "When he comes here, he does lip service," she says.

Earlier congressional contests have shown that incumbency can be a yoke and that voter discontent is running through both parties, even though the Democrats who control Congress have the most at risk in November. With President Barack Obama's popularity slipping, issues from the health care overhaul law to taxes are defining races.

Tea party-backed Mike Lee, one of two Republicans who advanced to a June 22 primary for Bennett's Utah seat, says there's "a widespread feeling the federal government is growing, taxing, spending and borrowing way too much."

In the Arkansas runoff, Lincoln is suffering blowback from the right and left for her health care votes. Unions backing her rival have spent more than $5 million to defeat her. In one ad, she acknowledges the frustration among voters: "I know you're angry at Washington."

The Republican race to succeed Schwarzenegger has been a display of extraordinary spending as well as a test of how far right the party wants to venture on issues such as illegal immigration in a traditionally Democratic-tilting state.

Republican billionaire Whitman, a former eBay chief executive, has invested more than $70 million of her own fortune in the race against state insurance commissioner Steve Poizner, a wealthy former businessman who has put $24 million into his campaign. The all-but-certain Democratic nominee is Attorney General Jerry Brown, who was governor in the 1970s and 1980s.

Look out establishment: It’s not just tea partiers

Gay adoption ban coming into play in race for attorney general

TALLAHASSEE -- When voters choose from among five candidates to be Florida's next attorney general, their decision could have a profound effect on some of the state's most highly charged issues, from gay adoption to healthcare reform.

Florida's unique gay adoption ban underscores how the state's chief legal officer can use the position to advance a personal philosophy while adhering to the duties of the job.

Attorney General Bill McCollum has come under fire recently for advocating the use of an expert witness who has been discredited while defending the state's ban on gay couples adopting children.

Three Republicans seeking the post -- Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp, former state healthcare secretary Holly Benson and former Hillsborough prosecutor Pam Bondi -- all say they would continue to uphold the adoption ban.

``The best home for any child is a two-parent home with a mother and a father,'' Benson said.

But both Democrats, state Sens. Dave Aronberg and Dan Gelber, say Florida has spent enough defending an antiquated law.

``I don't think as a lawyer I can make a straight-faced argument that the ban is constitutional,'' said Gelber of Miami Beach.

The challenge comes from a North Miami man who wanted to adopt two foster children that are living with him and his partner. A Miami judge ruled the law unconstitutional in 2008. The state's appeal of that ruling is pending.

McCollum is defending the ban on behalf of the Department of Children and Families. He personally pushed to hire psychologist George Rekers as an expert witness. Rekers was found to have gone on a European vacation with a gay escort.

In public appearances, Bondi refused to say if she would take the case to the Supreme Court if the state loses the appeal. In an interview Friday, she clarified her position: ``I will continue with General McCollum's appeal. If [the Supreme Court] can legally hear it, yes, I will appeal.''

The Supreme Court must first agree to hear the case before any candidate can appeal.

At a Tiger Bay forum in St. Petersburg on Wednesday, Bondi said that as attorney general, she would support whatever law is on the books.

At a May 18 event in Miami Lakes, she mentioned two gay friends before saying that the adoption process as a whole needs reform.

`FIRST DUTY'

``I have friends in Tampa who are in law enforcement who have adopted from overseas, who are in a loving, committed same-sex relationship,'' Bondi said.

Former attorney general Bob Butterworth, a Democrat who held the post for 16 years, said Bondi's earlier comments have some precedent.

``If the Legislature passes legislation, your first duty is to defend it,'' Butterworth said. ``I've handled cases over the years that I didn't quite agree with, but that's not my decision.''

Butterworth said he personally disagrees with the law and that judges should decide if a couple is fit for adoption. When the law was first challenged, Butterworth was the head of DCF.

He asked McCollum to defend the suit because he was focused on ``turning around'' an agency beset by repeated troubles and didn't want to pick a fight with the Republican-controlled Legislature.

Aronberg, of Greenacres, said the attorney general has wide discretion on appealing cases and that ``we have wasted enough taxpayer money'' on defending the ban.

A department spokesman said Florida has spent $383,000 on defending the ban, half of which is for attorneys fees. The other half is for general expenses, including $120,000 to Rekers.

Poll shows plenty of undecided voters in Fla. governor’s race

Rick Scott seeks Little Havana votes

Gubernatorial candidate Rick Scott stopped in Little Havana Thursday at the popular Versailles restaurant to grab a café cubano and chat up the locals -- in English.

The GOP hopeful doesn't speak much Spanish and admitted he had never had Cuban coffee, but he said he's going to step up his courting of Hispanic voters with more campaign stops and soon-to-air Spanish-language television ads.

``I plan to spend a lot of time in Miami, go to places like Versailles,'' Scott said. ``I'm going to listen to and try to address all their issues.''

That may be easier said than done in Florida, where Hispanics represent a diverse bloc of voters.

Consider the controversial Arizona law, which Scott supports and wants approved in Tallahassee. Polls show most Hispanics in Florida oppose the law, although some Cubans -- at least those he met at Versailles -- support it.

``As an immigrant, I had to go through the steps of legalizing,'' said Jose Guerra, 67, a Cuban native who said he would likely vote for Scott. ``If you come here as an illegal, you should be sent back. Everyone should go by the same rules. The Arizona law should be continued all over the country, including in this state.''

Gonzalo Lopez said he, too, liked Scott's stance on immigration, but wanted to hear more about the candidate's position on Cuba. Scott favors maintaining the U.S. embargo against Cuba.

Scott, a millionaire from Naples, is positioning himself as an outsider candidate with working-class roots. The former CEO of hospital chain Columbia/HCA is not a household political name, yet in the six weeks since announcing his candidacy, he's spent more than $11 million on television and radio ads.

The ad barrage has been effective. Polls show he's just 14 percentage points behind Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum, the front-runner in the Republican primary.

In trying to connect with Hispanics, who make up 12 percent of all registered state voters, Scott said he doesn't think his position on the Arizona immigration law would hurt him.

The controversial law makes being an illegal immigrant a state crime and requires legal immigrants to carry papers that confirm their legal status. Opponents charge it will lead to racial profiling, while proponents said people would have to do something illegal before law enforcement questions their immigration status.

In Florida, the law has become a hot campaign issue, with McCollum announcing his support for the measure two weeks ago after he had first denounced it.

Polls show that 58 percent of Floridians support the Arizona immigration law.

``People believe in compliance with the law,'' Scott said. ``They believe in secure borders.''

The Little Havana campaign stop wasn't without hiccups. At 8 a.m., Scott arrived but left after about 10 minutes, perplexing locals who said he didn't even say hello. He returned an hour later to the restaurant to speak to Willi Alvarez, a local activist.

Scott explained that he wanted to interview some residents away from local television cameras, though his campaign had issued a press release inviting media to the event.

Afterwards, Scott passed out campaign bumper stickers to restaurant patrons -- who had expected to sip coffee with a politician. But Scott rallied some fans to his campaign.

Among them: Carlos Guillama, 39, the son of Cuban immigrants, who quickly introduced himself and pledged that he would ``do whatever it takes to help you, sir.''

Florida voters send mixed message in poll

Florida voters send mixed message in poll

Most Florida voters want Gov. Charlie Crist to veto an abortion bill that he, too, appears to oppose. They're cool to oil drilling, just like the governor. And they support his decision to veto a controversial ``teacher-tenure'' bill that the Republican-controlled Legislature wanted signed into law to help reform education.

Whether he's a political weathervane or just a man of the people, Crist's positions are more in line with the majority of Florida voters than with his former Republican colleagues in the state Legislature, according to a new poll of top issues debated in Tallahassee. Ipsos Public Affairs conducted it for The Miami Herald, St. Petersburg Times, Bay News 9 and Central Florida News 13.

The one issue Crist seems out of step with the electorate: an Arizona-style law that would give state and local police more power to enforce immigration laws.

Buoyed by strong support from Republicans and independents, the poll found 58 percent of registered Florida voters would favor such a law, which wasn't debated in Florida's Legislature this spring. Only 36 percent oppose it, including Crist.

Crist left the Republican primary for U.S. Senate just before the April 30 end of the legislative session. A plurality of Florida voters say it was more of an act of political opportunism than conscience, but they still appear to hold the governor in high regard.

``Charlie Crist seems to be more of a people person,'' said Ronnie McGee, a 42-year-old independent voter from Tampa. ``He seems to understand working people. He seems to. What's hard about talking about politicians is that it's like talking about lawyers. You never really know.''

That's especially true when it comes to Crist, his former Republican colleagues say.

Crist favored oil drilling before he opposed it following the Deepwater Horizon accident last month. He led reporters and lawmakers to believe he would support the teacher-tenure bill before he vetoed it. And he repeatedly said he was ``pro-life'' while he was a Republican, but he now looks ready to veto what he says is a ``mean-spirited'' bill that requires women to have, personally pay for and potentially view an ultrasound image prior to getting an abortion.

About 55 percent of voters say Crist should veto the abortion bill, while 31 percent say the law should pass.

``On all those issues, he's been on both sides,'' said Sen. Mike Haridopolos, an Indialantic Republican who's slated to lead the Senate next year. ``So if you're with him today, you don't know if he'll be with you tomorrow.''

Crist was sure to lose the Republican primary race against former House Speaker Marco Rubio, who had staked out positions well to the right of Crist for years. Rubio and Crist differ over the major issues in the poll, which shows Rubio enjoys his strongest backing among Republicans and Hispanics, the fastest-growing segment of the Florida electorate.

TROUBLED

But Hispanics are the only group in which a majority -- 52 percent -- said they were ``strongly opposed'' to the Arizona-style immigration law. And Hispanic voters like Narcisa Suarez say they're deeply troubled with Rubio for supporting the proposal.

``I'm definitely not going to vote for him now that he says he agrees with the law. Even though he's Hispanic, I'm sorry,'' said Suarez, an 81-year-old Spanish-speaking Republican from Pembroke Pines. ``Otherwise, I would support him. Hispanics support each other.''

Poll: Charlie Crist holds lead in U.S. Senate race — for now

Dem Senate candidate mum on inviting Obama to Ky.

FRANKFORT, Ky. -- Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Jack Conway was mum Wednesday on whether he would invite President Barack Obama to Kentucky to campaign for him.

Republican opponent Rand Paul and GOP leaders have tried to tie Conway to Obama. Polls show the president, who got just 41 percent of the vote in Kentucky, is unpopular among voters here.

Obama has "a lot on his plate right now," Conway, the state attorney general, said Wednesday when asked if he would invite the president to get involved in the race.

"I plan to go out and win this election on my own," Conway said.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, is among those who have tried to make the election a referendum on Obama, saying electing Conway would give the Democratic president another vote in the Senate.

"It's not going to be about Barack Obama coming to Kentucky to campaign for me," Conway told reporters. "I would welcome him in the state if he wants to come. I would take the opportunity to point out where I disagree with him on a number of issues."

Paul campaign manager Jesse Benton charged Wednesday that Conway agrees with Obama on "a slate of very unpopular issues" with Kentucky residents, including federal health care reforms.

"Jack Conway may try to keep the president off the campaign trail, but he cannot hide the fact that he supports Barack Obama's liberal agenda," Benton said.

Conway and Paul, who is backed by the tea party, are running for the seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Jim Bunning, a 78-year-old former major league pitcher who opted not to seek a third term.

Conway said the race should not be about any other elected official.

"I would imagine that Rand Paul will continue to make comments and try to make this about some candidate other than me," Conway said. "But his election is going to be about our campaign and Rand Paul's campaign."

Look out establishment: It’s not just tea partiers