The Fine Print

Scenes of the final days of the Scott campaign: Change and liars

If everyone who said hello to Rick Scott at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium winds up voting for him then Tuesday's primary may turn out differently than the current polls suggest.

Scott - joined by Pat Summerall, the father of his campaign manager - intensely worked the crowd at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium on Saturday night. And there was plenty of people to talk to since a lightning delay at the game between the Jaguars and Miami Dolphins forced everyone to crowd into the concession areas, terrace suites and "The Bud Zone." But it was clear that many, many people knew who Scott was and had seen his face on television.

In some instances, people recognized Scott - who has spent nearly $50 million on his campaign for governor - and not Summerall, the on-air personality who graced America's television screens for decades.

Tony Sleiman, the owner of the Jacksonville Landing, led the way for Scott and guided him through the stadium.

"I want change,'' Sleiman said. "I'm tired of the same ole, same ole."

Randy Childress, a Republican voter in Jacksonville, said he had already voted for Scott and echoed Sleiman by saying "It will be a good change for us."

His other reason was simple. "He's made his money. He won't take ours."

Not everyone was as positive. Ed Dowling saw Scott about to go into a door and rushed over to him, shook his hand, and proceeded to tell him that he wasn't voting for either Scott or Attorney General Bill McCollum.

"You're both lying through your teeth,'' said Dowling.

Scott's foray into Jacksonville capped off a day that saw him wind across North Florida. While traveling to the stadium, Scott blasted the Republican Party of Florida, noting reports that the party's federal account has dwindled to just around $50,000. He said this was a sign that the party was wasting its resources in an effort to help his primary rival McCollum.

"They don't care about all the other candidates, they are worried about one candidate, Bill McCollum,'' said Scott. "That makes no sense, you bankrupt the party, you don't care about any other candidates. And they are using it to attack it a conservative business person who believes in the exact principles of the Republican Party probably way more than the guy that they are helping.

"This makes no sense, there's something wrong going on,'' added Scott.

Ironically, Scott wound up walking into Jacksonville Municipal Stadium just yards away from where John Thrasher had set up a tent. Thrasher, the current RPOF chairman who is also running for state Senate, brushed aside Scott's complaints. He pointed out that the party raised more than $7 million in its state account and he predicted that the party would raise a large amount of money during its September Victory dinner where Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour is scheduled to speak.

"I'm excited about where we are,'' said Thrasher.

Thrasher acknowledged that the party doesn't have a lot of money in its federal account, but said "we're starting to get some." He wouldn't answer directly Scott's criticisms, but said that people were waiting to see the outcome of the primary.

"Once we have our nominee on Tuesday, we'll be fine,'' said Thrasher. "People have been holding out because they are waiting to see what happens."

Is the federal government going to dismantle a Jeb Bush legacy?

From the Florida Tribune:

Florida's bold plan to revamp its health care system for the poor -- and which was initially championed by former Gov. Jeb Bush -- could be in trouble.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services informed state Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Tom Arnold in a letter this week  that it would not extend the waiver that allowed the reform project to operate.

CMS said that the state cannot "extend" its waiver -- called a Medicaid 1115 waiver -- for three years because waiver extensions apply only to statewide programs. The Medicaid reform project is currently limited to five counties.

The decision could force the state to unravel its existing program or require state officials and Florida hospitals to follow new rules and conditions. One key program that could be upended is the annual $1 billion Low Income Pool, which helps pay for the cost of treating uninsured individuals.

Keep reading here.

Lobbying income not "bullet proof"

Florida lobbyists reported receiving less money during the first six months of this year compared with the same time period in 2009.

This means that professional lobbyists were paid slightly less for work they did during the recently completed 2010 session. An analysis done by the Florida Tribune of new lobbying compensation reports turned in this past weekend shows that the median amount for the first two quarters was $61.8 million or $2.72 million less than the first two quarters of 2009.

"We are not bullet proof,'' said Brian Ballard, senior partner at Smith & Ballard. "People have cut back."

Keep reading here.

Will Florida have a John Kerry moment on immigration?

Attorney General Bill McCollum and Rep. William Snyder are expected this morning to unveil proposed new legislation on immigration that is modeled after the controversial Arizona law that has drawn popular support but is opposed by the administration of President Barack Obama.

The key question for McCollum - who will be in Orlando to make the announcement - is just how close this new bill follows past immigration legislation that has gone nowhere in the Florida Legislature.

Snyder and other lawmakers have said there is a need to push immigration changes. McCollum, who has come under fire from GOP rival Rick Scott for changing his stance on the Arizona law, has also said something needs to be done.

But it's worth noting that back in 2008 - when Marco Rubio was House speaker and McCollum was already in office - that a major immigration bill sponsored by former Rep. Gayle Harrell never it made it beyond a committee workshop.

HB 821 specifically states that "if a law enforcement officer has probable cause to believe that a person arrested for a felony arrest is not legally present in the United States, the officer shall report that person to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office of the United States Department of Homeland Security."

The bill goes even further and states that correctional officers and judges who deal with a person arrested and convicted of felony must report them to federal authorities if they suspect them of being an illegal alien. The measure also requires law-enforcement agencies to provide notices to officers that it is their duty to cooperate with federal officials regarding enforcement. And the bill also directs Florida's Attorney General to "vigorously pursue" all opportunities for federal funds to reimburse the state for enforcing federal immigration laws.

The legislation, which was called unnecessary at the time by some Hispanic Republicans in the Legislature, also required verification of national identity in order to qualify for certain public benefits. The measure also required that if someone were arrested for a DUI that a "reasonable effort" be made in order to find out their citizenship status.

So the question is whether Florida lawmakers will now push for a bill that two years ago wasn't considered worthy enough to even vote for the first time. It will revive questions about Rubio's stance on immigration and whether he has altered them in connection with his run for the U.S. Senate.

Plus, it is also worth remembering that the Legislature this past session wound up rejecting immigration bills. The House, for example, approved a measure by Rep. Sandy Adams, that required contractors who work for the state to verify the citizenship status of their employees. The measure died because it was never taken up by the Florida Senate which is led by Senate President Jeff Atwater, R-North Palm Beach and a candidate for chief financial officer.

(UPDATE - The bill that was unveiled is a bit different from the Harrell legislation although it does include similar language that was included in Adams' bill from this year. But the bill does mandate that law enforcement try to determine the immigration status of someone if they have "reasonable suspicion" that they are in this country illegally.

When asked why McCollum is unveiling the legislation now, a spokeswoman for McCollum said that he has been involved in immigration enforcement efforts during his time as Attorney General. Sandi Copes also defended the timing of presenting the bill now, saying the Arizona controversy has reinforced the public's desire to do something about immigration at this time.)

Make or break week for McCollum?

On Sunday afternoon, Attorney General Bill McCollum spent several hours preparing for his first debate against Naples businessman Rick Scott.

The core of McCollum campaign team assembled at the historic Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables along with others such as House Majority Leader Adam Hasner, R-Delray Beach.

When McCollum emerged he had a serious game-day look on his face. When asked how the preparation was going, McCollum said he had some more "boning" up to do but he otherwise he said he was ready to go.

The stakes for the two debates this week could be pretty high. McCollum is trailing by double-digits in the polls after Scott's onslaught of television advertising.

But Scott is a political novice who has never debated before, even in high school. So the debate in Miami and later this week in Tampa could provide a sharp contrast to voters, although neither one of the debates will be televised statewide.

Keep reading about the debate here.