News : POLITICO Florida Playbook: Where Demings stands on the mess in D.C.

Tuesday, October 5, 2021

POLITICO Florida Playbook: Where Demings stands on the mess in D.C.

Oct 05, 2021

Hello and welcome to Tuesday.

Let's be clear — Rep. Val Demings, the Orlando Democrat challenging Sen. Marco Rubio, has been in favor of the $3.5 trillion spending bill intended to carry out President Joe Biden's "Build Back Better" agenda.

Differences — That creates an unmistakable divide between her and Rubio. Another clear split: Rubio was one of 31 Republicans who voted against the bipartisan infrastructure bill even though Mitch McConnell voted yes. And Demings has faulted Republicans — like Rubio — who are refusing to raise the debt limit even as the country nears the brink of default.

Lack of clarity — Beyond that, however, it gets a bit murkier. Rep. Stephanie Murphy, who is also from central Florida, was part of the group of moderate Democrats trying to force a vote on the infrastructure bill. That effort fell apart late last week as the fate of the legislation is tied to the larger social spending bill now destined to be retooled (and pared back) to win passage in the Senate.

Criticism — Murphy spoke out loudly about the decision to delay the vote and called House Speaker Pelosi's decision "wrong" and said efforts by progressives to link the two bills was "misguided." Playbook asked Demings' office about all of this, including Murphy's comments, whether Demings could accept a scaled down version of the spending bill, and if she supported the move by progressives to hold up approval of the infrastructure bill.

Sidestep — This was the answer from Demings spokesperson Daniel Gleick: "Rep. Demings was a police officer for 27 years and knows how to stay focused on a clear mission. She is going to keep working to deliver for people who have to go to work everyday, lower health care costs, invest in desperately needed new infrastructure and help people get back to work."

The landscape — There's certainly an argument to be made that all this wrangling will be forgotten a year from now, but if it all falls apart and the Biden presidency continues to be damaged, it could prove costly for Democrats. Biden right now is underwater and unpopular in Florida. You can see the GOP game plan a mile away: Try to link Demings, Pelosi and Biden together in the usual over-the-top conspiratorial fashion that will likely include the word "socialism" about 18 times. But right now, it would appear Demings isn't going to do anything to blunt that effort or spell out exactly where she stands.

— WHERE'S RON? — Gov. DeSantis is expected to be in Tallahassee.

PROGRAMMING NOTE: Florida Playbook will not publish on Monday, Oct. 11. We will back on our normal schedule on Tuesday, Oct. 12. Please continue to follow POLITICO Florida.

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... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ...

HOPING FOR A QUICK RECOVERY — "Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis diagnosed with breast cancer," by Tampa Bay Times' Kirby Wilson and Lawrence Mower: "Florida's first lady, Casey DeSantis, 41, was diagnosed with breast cancer, the governor's office announced Monday. In a brief statement, Gov. Ron DeSantis said his wife would have the support of their family as she faces down this health challenge. The governor also effusively praised his wife's spirit. 'Casey is a true fighter, and she will never, never, never give up,' the governor said."

Important to note — "As first lady, Casey DeSantis has acted as far more than a figurehead. She's become a policymaker as the state tries to improve its substance abuse and child welfare systems. And she's appeared by her husband's side at numerous discussions about Florida's mental health during the coronavirus pandemic."

Rep. Ron DeSantis is pictured. | AP Photo

Florida Republican gubernatorial candidate Ron DeSantis, right, waves to supporters with his wife, Casey, at an election party after winning the Republican primary, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2018, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack) | Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP Photo

CORCORAN CALL YOUR OFFICE PT. 1 — "Biden administration to Florida: Don't you want your $2.3 billion for schools?" by Miami Herald's Ana Ceballos: "A top U.S. Department of Education official on Monday pressed Florida to submit a plan that shows how it intends to use roughly $7 billion in federal relief aid for schools. If it does not, the state could leave $2.3 billion on the table. Florida is the only state in the country not to apply for the third round of funding from $7 billion allocated to help schools under the Biden administration's American Rescue Plan stimulus legislation, which was signed into law in March."

CORCORAN CALL YOUR OFFICE PT. 2 — "Two months into the school year, children with disabilities still waiting for state scholarships," by Orlando Sentinel's Leslie Postal: "Thousands of Florida students with disabilities whose parents count on state scholarships to help pay for their education and therapy are still waiting for the money two months into the school year. The children — recipients of what was known as the Gardiner Scholarship — were erroneously recorded as enrolled in public schools, parents said, citing conversations with Florida Department of Education officials."

GIVING COVER — " The Florida Bar wants to immunize AG Moody and all lawyers who are state officers," by Florida Bulldog's Noreen Marcus: "When Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody joined her Texas counterpart and other Republicans in trying to overturn 2020 presidential election results from four swing states, some Floridians wanted her disbarred. Pam Keith, a South Florida political activist, floated an online petition that slammed Moody for what Keith called 'conduct in violation of her oath of office and in abrogation of her responsibility as an officer of the court.' She collected more than 1,700 signatures. In the end, the petition drive went nowhere. And now the Florida Bar is rewriting a disciplinary rule to forestall any similar efforts in the future."

QUESTION — "Overdoses increased during pandemic. Will Florida's legislators take action?" by Tampa Bay Times Kirby Wilson and Natalie Weber: "State lawmakers are returning to Tallahassee to prepare for the 2022 legislative session at an inflection point of the opioid crisis. Flush with federal cash from lawsuits and pandemic relief aid, elected officials will be forced to find solutions to a long-simmering public health disaster that boiled over during the coronavirus pandemic. Drug rehabilitation facilities are facing a rush of patients, treatment providers say. 'The surge we thought was going to come, it's here now. They are inundated now,' said Linda McKinnon, president and CEO of Central Florida Behavioral Health Network. 'People are sicker. The drug addiction is worse.'

'IMMIGRANTS ARE PEOPLE TOO' — "We don't want you: DeSantis' effort to force feds to detain Haitian migrants sends painful message to advocates," by Sun Sentinel's Brooke Baitinger: "Father Reginald Jean-Mary, pastor of Notre Dame d'Haiti Mission in Miami, says there's no criteria for who stays in the U.S. and who gets deported. 'Why aren't they granting these people due process where they can apply for political asylum? Why is there a double standard from Haitians to Afghans to Cubans?' he asked. 'We want the administration to stop the deportation, treat them with dignity, investigate the abuses that were perpetrated against our brothers and our sisters at the border. It's inhumane. That's not what America is.'"

DATELINE D.C.

DATA DRIVEN — "Democrats say more information needed to understand and solve school shootings. So far, no Republicans agree," by Sun Sentinel's Anthony Man: "Congressional Democrats said Monday gathering more information about the causes and impact of school shootings is essential to coming up with solutions to help curb gun violence in schools. So far, they haven't found any Republicans willing to go along with their proposal to collect more data. 'We don't really know how bad this grizzly picture is. We don't know the scope of the problem,' U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz said in a video news conference."

ROUND TWO? — " Fraud trial for ex-U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown of Jacksonville could be repeated in February," by Florida Times-Union's Steve Patterson: "Former U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown will face a second trial on fraud and tax charges if a plea agreement can't be worked out soon, lawyers told a federal judge Monday. Brown, a Jacksonville political powerhouse before she went to prison in 2018, had her conviction overturned in May by an appeals court that said the judge was wrong to remove a juror who said 'the Holy Spirit' told him she was innocent. She's been facing the potential of a repeat trial since then, and her lawyer, William Mallory Kent, had told U.S. District Judge Timothy Corrigan he'd tried 'to resolve the case short of trial.'"

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CAMPAIGN MODE

HMM — "Griffin, DeSantis's top donor, wishes he'd stay out of mask wars," by Bloomberg's Michael Smith and Jonathan Levin: "Billionaire hedge fund manager Ken Griffin, Ron DeSantis's biggest financial backer this year, criticized the Florida governor for blocking mask mandates as Covid cases and deaths surged. 'I've been frustrated with his position on masks because it has overshadowed his messaging on vaccinations,' Griffin, the founder of Citadel and Citadel Securities, said in an interview Monday with Bloomberg's Erik Schatzker at the Economic Club of Chicago. 'He's caught himself up in a political maelstrom of putting the concept of personal freedom first and foremost around masks, and I understand the principle. But Florida's a really diverse state. He should have let each county make a decision on its own.'"

FRANKEL PAC WEIGHS IN — Elect Democratic Women, a PAC chaired by Rep. Lois Frankel and dedicated to increasing the number of women in Congress, released its first endorsements of the 2022 cycle on Monday. The group is backing Michele Rayner , who is running to succeed Rep. Charlie Crist (D-Fla.) in Florida's 13th Congressional District. The PAC is also endorsing Barbara Sharief in the special election being held for Florida's 20th Congressional District. (From POLITICO's Morning Score.)

REBRANDING EXERCISE — The makeover of the Donald Trump super PAC continues. Last week, former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi was brought in to take the helm of Make American Great Again Action after Corey Lewandowski was alleged to have made unwanted sexual advances toward a major Trump donor. On Monday, the name was changed to … wait for it … Make America Great Again, Again! or MAGA, Again! New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman explained that part of the need for the change was that "Trump folks had no way to legally replace Lewandowski " since he was on the board of the super PAC. She said the plan will also transfer the money to the new group.

— "DeSantis tops Crist, Fried in poll of Florida governor race," by The Hill's Max Greenwood

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES

The daily rundown — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that there were 3,162 Covid-19 infections on Saturday and 2,741 infections on Sunday. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported that 4,847 beds were being used in the state for Covid-19 patients. The Florida Hospital Association reported Monday that 20.6 percent of adult patients in intensive care units are infected with Covid-19.

STANDING FIRM — "Duval Schools tells Education Commissioner Corcoran district isn't changing its mask policy," by Florida Times-Union's Emily Bloch: "Duval County Public Schools is sticking to its guns when it comes to a universal mask mandate on campus, until data shows that COVID-19 transmission in Duval County has declined more. In new letters obtained by The Florida Times-Union sent last week to state Department of Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran, district officials said it wasn't safe yet to repeal its mask mandate."

NEXT STEP — " Parents taking Florida school mask fight to federal appeals court," by News Service of Florida's Jim Saunders: "Parents of children with disabilities went to a federal appeals court Monday after a judge sided with Gov. Ron DeSantis and rejected a challenge to an executive order aimed at preventing Florida school districts from requiring students to wear masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. Attorneys for the parents filed a notice that is an initial step in asking the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn a Sept. 15 ruling by U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore."

— "'A lot…just couldn't do it again': Hospital staff battle fatigue amid never-ending COVID battle," by Pensacola News Journal's Emma Kennedy

— "Broward schools to consider quarantine rules," by Sun Sentinel's Scott Travis

TRUMPLANDIA AND THE SWAMP

RETURN ENGAGEMENT — "Charities pulled events from Mar-a-Lago following firestorms over Trump policies. Why are they back?" by Palm Beach Post's Alexandra Clough, Jodie Wagner and Antonio Fins: "At least two charities that pulled their high-society fundraising galas from Mar-a-Lago following an uproar over former President Donald Trump's incendiary policies and rhetoric as president are bringing back their events to his Palm Beach club this winter season. Bascom Palmer Eye Institute and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society are set to hold galas at Mar-a-Lago, where Trump lives and operates a private club."

ADMITTED — " Florida man 'at the front line of rioters' on Jan. 6 pleads guilty," by The Hill's Joseph Choi: "A Florida man on Monday pleaded guilty to assaulting law enforcement with a deadly weapon during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), Robert Scott Palmer of Largo, Fla., was part of the crowd of rioters on Jan. 6 and threw a wooden plank at U.S. Capitol Police officers as well as at D.C. Metropolitan officers. Just a few minutes after this, Palmer sprayed the contents of a fire extinguisher at the officers and threw the empty fire extinguisher at them."

PENINSULA AND BEYOND

LEAVING SOON — "Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry favors moving Confederate monument from Springfield Park," by Florida Times-Union's David Bauerlein: "Mayor Lenny Curry's top administrator told City Council over the weekend he will file legislation for moving the Confederate monument out of Springfield Park at an estimated cost of about $1.3 million. Curry had said in June 2020, hours after the overnight removal of a Confederate soldier statue from what is now called James Weldon Johnson Park, that 'others in this city will be removed as well.'"

BEHIND THE CURTAIN — " Pandora Papers: A mega wealthy man from the region's poorest country — and his Miami palace," by McClatchy DC's Kevin G. Hall and Miami Herald's Jacqueline Charles: "In Florida, the Bigios have lived behind protective gates in the most exclusive of zones, Indian Creek Island. They've enjoyed protection from local police officers who around the clock staff the entrance gate to the private island community. Property records show their home is held in the name of two corporations: Agro Products and Services, registered in Florida, and Porpoise Investments Ltd., a shell company registered in the Isle of Man, a self-governing low-tax British Crown dependency in the Irish Sea."

EXPANSION — "Publix to hire 30,000 associates companywide in fourth quarter," by The Ledger's Paul Nutcher: "Publix plans to hire 30,000 associates throughout the company's seven-state operating area by the end of the year, according to company officials. The company will hire workers for stores, distribution centers and manufacturing facilities at non-seasonal positions. 'As we continue to grow, having a dedicated team ready to meet our needs is vitally important,' said Publix vice president of human resources, Marcy Benton, in a press release."

— " Florida school massacre suspect's jail brawl trial delayed," by The Associated Press Terry Spencer

— "Rays' ballpark plans focus on former Kforce site in Ybor City," by Tampa Bay Times' Charlie Frago and C.T. Bowen

— " U.S. Census: Minority groups now make up West Palm Beach majority as white population drops," by Palm Beach Post's Wayne Washington

ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN

WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Ashley MacLeay, director of external relations for the Independent Women's Forum and national committeewoman for D.C. to the RNC, and Geoffrey MacLeay, counsel for Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.) and a Trump DOL alum, welcomed William Roderick MacLeay on Saturday. He came in at 7 lbs, 12 oz and 20 inches. Pic (h/t D.C. Playbook)

BIRTHDAYS: Former Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite …. Alan Cohen, businessman and former co-owner of the Florida Panthers

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