| | | | | |  | | By Gary Fineout | Hello and welcome to Monday. Safe space — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis last week gave a lengthy interview to Ben Shapiro , the conservative columnist and founder of The Daily Wire, that featured the Republican governor hitting on many of his familiar topics — Joe Biden, Covid-19, the "corporate media" — and contained many of his now-familiar complaints. The video was posted over the weekend. For those of you at home — But DeSantis — who rarely does in-depth sit-down interviews with media that aren't part of the conservative landscape — continued to sound like someone who could be a presidential contender in 2024, even though he says he's not thinking about that. The interview was done inside of DeSantis' office in the middle of the special session on vaccine mandates. A few takeaways — DeSantis called President Joe Biden the "most divisive president of my lifetime" and echoed some of the other Republican/conservative media narrative that Biden doesn't have the "wherewithal or leadership ability" to resist those in his administration who are pushing liberal policies. The governor, who has openly clashed with those who don't share his point of view, contended that at the national level "the government has just been weaponized against people who dissent against the regime." Tell us what you really think — He went on a sustained harangue about the "corporate media" that may have included this bit of explanation on why he spends so much time with sympathetic conservative media outlets such as Fox News: "Conservative outlets are much more accurate in what they are reporting every single day." But he also said that the media viewed him as the No. 2 "target" behind former President Donald Trump, especially due to his positions over Covid-19. What didn't get said — As he described his strategy against Covid-19 and his criticism against federal health authorities and the media, here's what was not noted: DeSantis himself also agreed to lockdowns early on during the pandemic. It's true that he lifted them quickly and vowed to never do it again, but that part seems to get left out all the time. And he did not acknowledge that more than 61,000 Floridians have died from the disease. — WHERE'S RON? — Gov. Ron DeSantis will be in Daytona Beach where he is holding a press conference at a Buc-ee's with Department of Transportation Secretary Kevin Thibault PROGRAMMING NOTE: Florida Playbook will be off for Thanksgiving this Thursday and Friday but back to our normal schedule on Monday, Nov. 29. Please continue to follow POLITICO Florida. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for Playbook? Get in touch: gfineout@politico.com | | | | BECOME A GLOBAL INSIDER: The world is more connected than ever. It has never been more essential to identify, unpack and analyze important news, trends and decisions shaping our future — and we've got you covered! Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Global Insider author Ryan Heath navigates the global news maze and connects you to power players and events changing our world. Don't miss out on this influential global community. Subscribe now. | | | | |
|  | CAMPAIGN MODE | | COMING TO YOUR LOCAL ELECTIONS — "Face mask mandates fueled Moms for Liberty's growth. Now group reviews books, looks ahead to school board elections," by Orlando Sentinel's Skyler Swisher and Leslie Postal: "Launched on Jan. 1 by a trio of current and former conservative Florida school board members, Moms for Liberty quickly grew into a national network of parents aiming to become a lasting political force. It puts its membership ranks at 60,000 with 152 chapters in 33 states, but many of its local groups are still small, with 40 or so dues-paying members who meet in their homes or local libraries, parks, churches and community centers. Some of the gatherings are 'Madison meet ups' where they read aloud from the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. The meetings start with the Pledge of Allegiance and a prayer and include a review of the local school board's agendas." GETTING READY — "Here's how Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick won the primary — and her plans to be Florida's newest congresswoman," by Sun Sentinel's Anthony Man: "After three campaigns spanning close to four years, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick is about to become South Florida's newest member of Congress, after besting a slew of prominent elected officials. She's wasting no time. On Wednesday, the day after her victory was certified by the state Elections Canvassing Commission, Cherfilus-McCormick (the first half of her last name pronounced SHUR-full-es) headed for Washington, D.C., for three days of introductions, meetings and guidance, including a scheduled meeting with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi." Pushing back — "Cherfilus-McCormick addressed the heightened scrutiny from her opponents, who have poked and prodded her finances, frustrated by her ability to finance most of the campaign herself. 'When it's a Black woman who's successful and a Black family, and we put money in, there's always a criticizing and a hatred that comes because for some reason we're not supposed to be successful enough to put money in our account. And it's not just me,' Cherfilus-McCormick said. 'It's racist. It's a racist comment, racist idea.'" | | CORONAVIRUS UPDATES | | The daily rundown — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there were 1,581 Covid-19 infections on Friday. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported that 1,384 hospital beds were being used in the state for Covid-19 patients. The toll — The Florida Department of Health reported on Friday that 61,081 have been killed by Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic in March 2020, including 37 deaths recorded in the past week. Thirty-six percent of the state's fatalities have been recorded since July 30. REBUFFED — "Federal judge refuses to block health care vaccinations rule in Florida," by News Service of Florida's Jim Saunders: "A federal judge has quickly rejected Florida's request to block a Biden administration requirement that workers at hospitals, nursing homes and other health-care providers be vaccinated against COVID-19. U.S. District Judge M. Casey Rodgers issued an 11-page order Saturday denying a motion by Attorney General Ashley Moody for a preliminary injunction or temporary restraining order against the federal rule. Moody's office filed a lawsuit Wednesday challenging the rule and sought an injunction or temporary restraining order before the vaccination requirement takes effect Dec. 6. Rodgers, however, wrote that Florida had not shown 'irreparable harm' to justify an injunction or temporary restraining order." | 
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody speaks during a roundtable discussion with President Donald Trump and law enforcement officials, Monday, June 8, 2020, at the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) | ON HOLD — "Disney puts worker vaccine mandate on pause after Florida ban on restrictions," by The New York Times' Victor Manuel Ramos: "Disney has put on pause a coronavirus vaccine mandate for employees of its Florida theme park after the State Legislature and the governor made it illegal for employers to require all workers get the shots, a company spokesperson confirmed Saturday. Walt Disney World could have been facing fines under the policy now on hold, illustrating how even one of the most iconic tourism brands in the state has to deal with the headwinds of political debate over the pandemic response." A DIFFERENT APPROACH — " GOP embraces natural immunity as substitute for vaccines," by The Associated Press' Anthony Izaguirre: "Florida wrote natural immunity into state law this week as GOP lawmakers elsewhere are pushing similar measures to sidestep vaccine mandates. Lawsuits over the mandates have also begun leaning on the idea. Conservative federal lawmakers have implored regulators to consider it when formulating mandates. Scientists acknowledge that people previously infected with COVID-19 have some level of immunity but that vaccines offer a more consistent level of protection. Natural immunity is also far from a one-size-fits-all scenario, making it complicated to enact sweeping exemptions to vaccines." | | DATELINE D.C. | | 'I'M VERY PRAGMATIC' — "Meet one of the most influential Blue Dog Dems," by POLITICO's Brakkton Booker: Rep. Stephanie Murphy was among the last of the moderate Democratic holdouts House leaders needed to win over to secure a victory for Biden's signature spending and climate package, which passed along party lines Friday morning, with one Democrat voting against it. It now heads to the Senate, where its future is unclear. There is a lot of good in this bill," Murphy said in a statement late Thursday. "[A]s a pragmatic Democrat who wants to deliver for my constituents, I am never one to let the perfect become the enemy of the good." More Murphy POV — "If the Democrats want to be in the majority, they need to be able to win competitive seats, purple seats and red seats. Those are the kinds of seats that Blue Dogs hold and we represent Democrats, Republicans and independents alike. And, you know, the majority runs through our members. When Blue Dogs are a robust coalition, we have a robust Democratic majority. And when the Blue Dogs are lower in numbers, the Democratic majorities are very thin or nonexistent." MURPHY VOTE GETS NOTICED — The vote Rep. Stephanie Murphy cast in favor of the Build Back Better Act got a swift response from groups supporting and opposing the legislation. Americans for Prosperity Florida said it was launching ads against 15 House Democrats who supported the legislation including Murphy. The ad calls the proposal the "Biden-Sanders" plan and contends it will "make inflation worse." Meanwhile, the groups Economic Security Project Action and Stand for Children announced that they are launching "a multimedia ad" campaign to thank Murphy for voting in support of a one-year extension of the expanded child tax credit included in the legislation. The ad campaign will include a billboard along Interstate 4 in central Florida as well as radio and digital ads. | | | | STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president's ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today. | | | | |
| | TRUMPLANDIA AND THE SWAMP | | TENSIONS — "Trump's ire grows as DeSantis' popularity with Republicans takes off," by CNN's Gabby Orr and Steve Contorno : "A statement to CNN from Trump spokesman Taylor Budowich appeared to confirm Trump's obsession with receiving credit for [Gov. Ron} DeSantis' success. Budowich said the former President's 2020 victory in Florida 'paved the way for Republicans, including Governor Ron DeSantis, to sweep the state in 2022' and suggested that [President Donald] Trump 'catapulted' then-Congressman DeSantis 'into the Governor's Mansion' with his endorsement in the 2018 GOP primary for Florida governor. 'President Trump remains committed and supportive of Governor Ron DeSantis, who has been a champion for President Trump's America First agenda,' said Budowich." FIGHT GOES ON — "30A 'Trump won' banner battle headed to circuit court; homeowner fined $1,269," by Northwest Florida Daily News' Tom McLaughlin: "No sooner had Magistrate Hayward Dykes ordered Marvin Peavy to pay $1,269 for failing to comply with a code enforcement decree that he remove a huge 'Trump Won' banner from his 30A property than a group of his deep-pocketed neighbors were scrambling to cover the cost of his fine. His continuing defiance of local government regulations has earned Peavy and his wife Paige something of a celebrity status in deeply conservative Walton County. 'The support here, really from all over the country, has been just unreal,' Paige Peavy said. 'It's freedom of speech, that's what we're fighting for.'" | | ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... | | CHANGES — "DeSantis shakes up key administration posts, including new prison chief," by POLITICO's Matt Dixon: Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday shook up a handful of key administration posts, including replacing prison chief Mark Inch, who openly feuded last year with Senate President Wilton Simpson. Inch, who the governor's office says is retiring, is being replaced as head of the Florida Department of Corrections by deputy secretary Ricky Dixon, who has served in his current post since 2015. During the 2021 legislative session, Inch was in the middle of a Senate budget fight over the closure of four prisons. The fight over a proposed budget cut that would have shuttered the prisons broke out during a tense meeting of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Criminal and Civil Justice. — "DeSantis spokesperson acknowledges latest mistake, spurns critics after tweet deemed antisemitic," by Florida Politics' Renzo Downey | | PENINSULA AND BEYOND | | IMPORTANT — "A fire alarm could have saved lives at Surfside tower. Residents say it didn't go off," by Miami Herald's Sarah Blaskey and Nicholas Nehamas: "It was 1:15 a.m. — seven minutes before half of the 12-story tower came crashing down and killed 98 people. But in that crucial seven-minute span between the pool deck collapsing and the tower failing, no klaxons, sirens or warnings seem to have gone off in the building's condo units, hallways or lobby, according to a review of audio and video footage and interviews with more than a dozen residents and workers — raising questions about a possible failure or malfunction of the system." SHELVED — "A Florida school board member filed a police report over a Black and LGBTQ memoir, igniting a debate over banning books," by Orlando Sentinel's Skyler Swisher: "School Board member Jill Woolbright filed a criminal complaint, telling a deputy that she thought it was 'a crime to have the book in the [district's] media centers' and demanding that the people who put it there be held 'accountable.' The Flagler County Sheriff's Office dismissed the complaint Friday, but the community remains embroiled in a heated debate over whether the book should be available in school libraries." — " Notorious Haiti gang frees two of 17 kidnapped missionaries after weeks," by Miami Herald's Jacqueline Charles — "Army Corps completes reservoir for Everglades restoration," by The Associated Press | | ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN | | WEEKEND WEDDING — Todd Inman, secretary of the Florida Department of Management Services and former chief of staff for the U.S. Department of Transportation under former President Donald Trump, on Saturday married Ann Duncan, chief strategy officer for Savills North America. The couple, who met at a meeting of Florida Tax Watch, wed at the Opryland hotel in Nashville and are honeymooning on Nicaragua's Calala Island. Pic BIRTHDAYS: Bettina Inclán, chief communications officer for IBX … Lauren Reamy, legislative director for Sen. Marco Rubio
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