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Hello and welcome to Tuesday.
Midterm mania — Sen. Rick Scott has always been a cheerleader for Republican electoral prospects, but more than a year before the 2022 midterms he sounds supremely confident. The main reason? President Joe Biden.
Selling it — Scott, the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, boasted to reporters on Monday that “he’s our best asset right now” as he and NRSC consultants went over a poll of 1,200 suburban voters across the country that showed that Biden is underwater and a majority believe the country is on the “wrong track.” Scott added that “I don’t believe he’s going to get any better.”
The message — The poll touted by the NRSC — which did not include voters from solid blue states — had a bit of message testing but it still displayed that GOP talking points on inflation, critical race theory, and Afghanistan were resonating with voters in pivotal midterm battlegrounds, including Florida where Sen. Marco Rubio is seeking another term. One NRSC pollster said that what’s happening in schools, including the response to the pandemic, has soured many voters. But the point is that Scott predicted that a coalition of working class voters, Hispanic voters — and now returning suburban voters — could help ensure GOP victories across the country. “If I was a Democrat looking at this, it should scare the living daylights out of me,” Scott said.
But what about Florida man — Of course, there is one potential obstacle and that’s former President Donald Trump. Trump has handed out endorsements to Senate primary candidates who could have trouble in the 2022 general election. And Trump has also suggested that GOP voters should sit out the next election unless his baseless allegations about voter fraud are given serious attention. This was acknowledged by the NRSC team, but Scott maintained that opposition to Biden will motivate voters.
Trump doesn’t matter? — Scott — without mentioning Trump directly by name — also insisted that endorsements aren’t that important by noting that he won the Florida GOP primary for governor in 2010 despite widespread opposition. “The only Republicans that talked to me in the primary were the ones telling me to get out of the race,” Scott said. OK, yeah — but um — it was the Trump endorsement of Ron DeSantis that made a big difference in the 2018 governor’s race.
— WHERE'S RON? — Nothing official announced for Gov. DeSantis.
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CAMPAIGN MODE
THE RICK SCOTT SIDESTEP — Sen. Rick Scott, who back in January voted against certifying the election results from Pennsylvania but also said that Joe Biden fairly won the election, did not directly answer a question Monday about whether Florida should audit or perform a hand recount of its own 2020 results. Local Republican groups have begun calling for an audit even though Gov. Ron DeSantis and state election officials have pointed out that the state already did pre-election testing and random post-election audits.
Not my problem — Scott, the chairman of the NRSC, said “the decision to what people do with regard to reviewing what happened in 2020 — that will be done at the state level. What I’m focused on is making sure that we get the vote out in '22.” The former two-term governor added that he and Republicans will continue to legally defend “election security laws” passed by Florida and other states in the aftermath of the 2020 elections. The NRSC has intervened in lawsuits that have been filed against some of the new measures.
BEHIND THE CURTAIN — “Lawyers for Florida attorney general mocked lawsuit to overturn 2020 election,” by Tampa Bay Times’ Lawrence Mower: “When Texas’ attorney general announced he was suing four swing states in a last-ditch attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election, lawyers in Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody’s office scoffed. One lawyer called it ‘bats--t insane.’ Another called it ‘weird.’ Despite the criticisms, Moody came out in support of Texas’ lawsuit the next day, co-signing a brief along with 16 other Republican attorneys general urging the U.S. Supreme Court to hear Texas’ case. ‘The integrity and resolution of the 2020 election is of paramount importance,’ Moody tweeted at the time.”
REQUEST — “Florida’s 67 election supervisors urge voters to reject election falsehoods, audits,” by Orlando Sentinel’s Steven Lemongello: “Florida’s 67 county elections supervisors wrote a letter to voters Monday urging them to reject falsehoods about the 2020 election and reaffirming the integrity of the state’s voting system. The plea, issued by the Florida Supervisors of Elections, comes after GOP county committees in Lake and Brevard County called for an Arizona-style 'forensic audit' spurred by former president Donald Trump’s false claims of election fraud.”
— “Early voting turnout in special Congress election abysmal — just one voter every 15 minutes,” by Sun Sentinel’s Anthony Man
— “Miami’s local elections draw ‘abysmally low’ turnout. Here’s why that matters,” by Miami Herald’s Samantha J. Gross
— “Marjorie Taylor Greene and Jim Jordan back rival Republicans in Florida swing district,” by Washington Examiner’s Emily Brooks
CORONAVIRUS UPDATES
The daily rundown — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there were 1,360 Covid-19 infections on Saturday and 950 on Sunday. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported that 2,333 beds were being used in the state for Covid-19 patients.
SHHH — “Florida’s surgeon general nominee won’t share Covid-19 vaccine status," by POLITICO’s Arek Sarkissian: “Florida surgeon general nominee Joseph Ladapo, who has publicly questioned the effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccines, will not say if he’s been vaccinated against coronavirus after he was booted last week from the office of a cancer-stricken state senator. Gov. Ron DeSantis picked the controversial Ladapo last month because of his reticence toward Covid-19 pandemic safety measures such as wearing face masks and relying on vaccines to slow down spread, which are in line with the Republican governor. Yet when asked on Monday if Ladapo himself was vaccinated, Florida Department of Health spokesperson Weesam Khoury said that information is private.”
— “Florida surgeon general’s mask clash with senator complicates his confirmation,” by Orlando Sentinel’s Gray Rohrer
MASK WARS — “U.S. Education Department aims to ‘stop’ Florida from pulling federal aid over school mask mandates,” by POLITICO’s Andrew Atterbury: "U.S. Department of Education officials on Monday signaled their intent to prevent Florida’s education agency from stripping federal grants meant for local school board members to offset sanctions over student mask mandates. In the latest clash between the Biden administration and Florida over Covid-19, U.S. Department of Education warned that the state’s Department of Education would run afoul of federal law for leveling fines against school board members in Alachua and Broward counties, which are requiring students to wear masks against the wishes of Gov. Ron DeSantis.”
— “Broward County schools may ease mask mandate,” by Sun Sentinel’s Scott Travis
— “Some parents urge Orange schools to extend mask mandates slated to end this week,” by Orlando Sentinel’s Leslie Postal
MAYBE OR MAYBE NOT — “DeSantis on getting COVID-19 vaccine booster: ‘I’ll take a look,’” by Sarasota Herald-Tribune’s Zac Anderson: “Gov. Ron DeSantis said Monday that he plans to "take a look" at the guidance on COVID-19 booster shots before deciding whether to get one. ‘I haven't seen it so I'll have to take a look,’ DeSantis said when asked whether he plans to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommendation last week that individuals such as the governor who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine more than two months ago receive a booster.”
CC: RON DESANTIS — “‘The pandemic isn’t over’: CDC extends Conditional Sailing Order for cruises into January amid COVID-19,” by USA Today’s Morgan Hines: “Cruise lines will be required to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention protocol for COVID-19 on ships through Jan. 15. Capt. Aimee Treffiletti, who leads the CDC's maritime unit, told USA TODAY Monday that the agency came to the decision to temporarily extend the agency's Framework for Conditional Sailing Order ‘in the best interest of public health.’ ‘The pandemic isn't over. We've seen what the delta variant can do,’ Treffiletti said. ‘Despite, you know, really what have been the best efforts of the cruise industry to provide a safer and healthier environment for crew, passengers and communities, COVID-19 has still been a challenge, particularly with the delta variant.’”
NEVER MIND — “Miami school walks back quarantine for vaccinated students after state threatens funds,” by Miami Herald’s Michelle Marchante: “Centner Academy, the private school in Miami that has garnered attention over its controversial stance on COVID-19, is walking back its decision to require students who get vaccinated against the disease to quarantine for 30 days. The private school’s decision to no longer implement the vaccine quarantine policy at its three campuses in the Miami Design District and Wynwood comes just days after the Florida Department of Education threatened to cut its funding if its attendance policy was found to be against the law. The policy rollback was first reported by Local10.”
— “Jeff Brandes bill would extend COVID-19 liability protections for health care providers,” by Florida Politics’ Christine Jordan Sexton
— “Rick Scott appeals to airlines to fight ‘unconstitutional mandates,’” by Florida Politics' A.G. Gancarski
... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ...
STILL WATERS — “Environmentalists want Legislature to restore Ocklawaha River following Monday court ruling,” by POLITICO’s Bruce Ritchie: “A three-judge panel of the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled against a Florida environmental group that was challenging a previous judge’s ruling tossing out its lawsuit to remove the Rodman Reservoir dam on the Ocklawaha River. The appeals court panel on Monday sided with U.S. District Court Judge Harvey Schlesinger in Jacksonville who ruled in 2020 that he lacked jurisdiction in Florida Defenders of the Environment’s fight to force the U.S. Forest Service to remove the dam. But the appeals court judges also sided with Florida Defenders of the Environment in directing that the case be dismissed without prejudice, which would allow the group to file a new lawsuit.”
DATELINE D.C.
‘REPREHENSIBLE MISUSE’ — “Miami lawmakers demand answers from Fauci over puppy experiments,” by Miami Herald’s Alex Daugherty: “Two Miami lawmakers joined a bipartisan group demanding answers from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases after an advocacy group revealed that taxpayer funds paid for research that involved infecting beagle puppies with parasites to test experimental drugs. Republican U.S. Reps. Carlos Gimenez and Maria Elvira Salazar signed a letter addressed to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the NIAID director and public face of the federal government’s COVID-19 response efforts, demanding answers on why drug tests were performed on dogs.”
‘TIME TO MODERNIZE’ — “After 34 years of growth, will Congress change how Florida’s clean-water money is figured?” by Florida Times-Union’s Steve Patterson: “The legislation, filed last week in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, is meant to shake up a financing system called the Clean Water State Revolving Fund that sent $54 million to Florida this year but sent more to smaller states like Illinois, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania. ‘It’s endlessly frustrating to see Florida getting a third of what it should,’ said U.S. Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., who sponsored the House bill with seven Florida co-sponsors and U.S. Rep. Anthony Brown, D-Md.”
TRUMPLANDIA AND THE SWAMP
SIGN OF THE TIMES — “Supporters rally around huge ‘Trump Won’ banner on 30A home, calling it a ‘symbol of hope,’” by Northwest Florida Daily News’s Jim Thompson: “The banner remained on the side of [Marvin] Peavy's house on Monday, a day after he had all but dared county officials to enforce the magistrate's sanction. ‘You're telling me the Walton County Sheriff's Office is going to come and take my sign down?’ Peavy taunted Sunday as the contingent of local Republicans stood by the road in front of his home."
PENINSULA AND BEYOND
DEVIL IN THE GROVE — “Prosecutor seeks to dismiss criminal case against Groveland Four,” by Orlando Sentinel’s Desiree Stennett: “More than 70 years after four young Black men — known now as the Groveland Four — were wrongly accused of raping a white teen girl in Lake County, State Attorney William Gladson has filed a motion to ‘confront our sins’ and formally clear their names in state court. Ernest Thomas was killed shortly after he was accused of the crime in 1949. Charles Greenlee, Walter Irvin and Samuel Shepard were tried and found guilty.”
‘Deprived’ due process — “In the motion filed Monday, Gladson called the handling of the case ‘a complete breakdown of the criminal justice system. Even a casual review of the record reveals that these four men were deprived of the fundamental due process rights that are afforded to all Americans,” Gladson wrote. ‘Given these facts today, no fair-minded prosecutor would even consider filing these charges and no reasonable jury would convict. The evidence strongly suggests that a sheriff, a judge, and prosecutor all but guaranteed guilty verdicts in this case.’”
IT’S STRICTLY BUSINESS — “After 4 decades of influence, the ‘Godfather’ of Miami politics wants 4 more years," by Miami Herald’s Bianca Padró Ocasio and Joey Flechas: “As Miami’s new top cop began to give a speech, Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo, perhaps the person most responsible for [Chief Art] Acevedo’s ouster, pulled out a cellphone and began to play a song: the theme from the epic Sicilian gangster flick, 'The Godfather.' Carollo now claims he doesn’t remember putting on the song. Maybe it was a poke at Acevedo’s regretful quip that the 'Cuban Mafia' runs things in Miami. 'Maybe it came from heaven,' Carollo said Friday.”
— “Lawyer: Initial autopsy inconclusive on Laundrie death cause,” by The Associated Press’ Curt Anderson
ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN
— “All hell broke loose at this dog show in Miami — and humans sparked the chaos, video shows,” by Miami Herald’s Madeleine Marr: “OMG. All hell broke loose at a dog show in Miami Saturday night, but it’s the humans who caused the chaos. On video shared to social media and reposted by local filmmaker Billy Corben, people are seen throwing wild punches as chairs go flying at the Miami Bully Takeover at the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel by Miami International Airport.”
— “Man guilty of posting bomb instructions for terrorists,” by The Associated Press: “A South Florida man has been convicted of posting bomb-making instructions on the internet for people who he believed were Islamic terrorists. Samuel Baptiste, 29, pleaded guilty Friday in Miami federal court to attempting to provide material support to terrorists, according to court records. He faces up to 15 years in prison at a sentencing hearing scheduled for Jan. 5.”
BIRTHDAYS: Monica Russell with KPMG US … Author and journalist Tyler Bridges
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