| | | | | |  | | By Gary Fineout | Hello and welcome to Monday. R.I.P. — On Sunday evening, the news was announced that one of Florida's political trail blazers — Carrie Meek — had died at the age of 95. Meek, who the grandchild of an enslaved person and a sharecropper's daughter, was already known as a force in the halls of the Florida Legislature when she was elected to the U.S. House in 1992. Meek was one of the first Black Floridians to be elected to Congress since Reconstruction. More here from the Miami Herald and The Associated Press. Start — Rick Wilson, a caustic opponent of former President Donald Trump and co-founder of the Lincoln Project, is drawing (maybe even more than the usual amount) scorn and ire from fellow Trump critics over his recent encouragement of a 2024 run by the winter resident of Mar-a-Lago. Set the House Ablaze — But the longtime consultant from Tallahassee explained his logic to POLITICO by saying that he's more fearful about the next generation of Trump acolytes: "I want Trump to run to destroy the people who are more sophisticated than Trump. I want to use Trump's psychological problems to weaken him because I think the most dangerous thing we face is Trump with an Ivy League degree. All the abrasive authoritarianism and nationalism and none of the obvious deficits." That's Entertainment — Well, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis does have an Ivy League degree. And Wilson told Playbook in August that he's convinced DeSantis is going to run: "RD is running for President. Full stop. Everything he does and says, from fundraising to COVID response is to please the Fox/Trump/2024 primary GOP voter audience. It's breathtakingly cynical." So there's that. A Town Called Malice — The Lincoln Project itself has long had internal turmoil, blowback over a stunt in Virginia, and serious allegations leveled against a co-founder. A Trump spokesperson called them a "sad group." But Wilson also said the organization continues to have a place in the political landscape despite criticism from other Never Trumpers and Democrats. The Modern World — "No one is here because it's comfortable and fun or a great way to make new friends, we work a hard job against very tough people and bad guys who spend a lot of money attacking us and the individuals inside the Lincoln Project," Wilson said. "Are we perfect? Of course not and we own those mistakes but what we do is fill a gap in the pro-democracy movement and we show people how to fight." — WHERE'S RON? — Nothing official announced for Gov. DeSantis. 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 | | THE ETON RIFLES — "No one seems to like the Lincoln Project anymore," by POLITICO's Christopher Cadelago and Meredith McGraw: It was the darling of the resistance for savagely attacking Donald Trump. But now, everyone keeps rolling their eyes at the Lincoln Project and fears they may be clearing a path for the former president's reemergence. … A year after delighting liberals with their insistence on bringing guns to a gunfight, operatives across the spectrum now say the group is, at best, ineffective and prodigal, at worst, counterproductive. 'THERE ARE SO MANY CHOICES' — " Next on Trump's 2024 list: An out-of-the-box running mate," by POLITICO's Marc Caputo: Those familiar with his thinking say his selection will be determined by two factors that rate highest in Trump's estimation: unquestioned loyalty and an embrace of the former president's baseless claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him. Those who could get it — He's name-dropped Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as one possible running mate. Veepstakes speculation rose among insiders who saw him interact recently with South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at his Mar-a-Lago club. "They're all begging me. They all come here," Trump boasted to one adviser, who shared the account anonymously with POLITICO. THE NEW NORMAL? — "How 'climate migrants' are roiling American politics, " by POLITICO's Ben Lefebvre: When Puerto Rican native Olga González became the first Latina mayor of Kissimmee, Fla., last year, she credited God for her victory. Others pointed to climate change. A fast-growing Orlando suburb of 80,000 people, Kissimmee saw its Puerto Rican population grow substantially after the damage wrought by Hurricane Maria in 2017 prompted many struggling families to leave the island for Florida. "Hurricane Maria ... served as a reintroduction of the Puerto Rican population into Central Florida," said Fernando Rivera, director of the Puerto Rico Research Hub at the University of Central Florida. Now, "we're seeing growth in the leadership [of Puerto Ricans]." CHARGED — "Jacksonville men charged with falsifying voter registration forms," by Florida Times-Union Dan Scanlan: "The discovery of at least 60 voter registration applications for people who were dead or did not authorize them has led to the arrest of two Jacksonville men, the State Attorney's Office said. Devin Deangelo King was arrested on Nov. 3 and Jordan Rayeshaun Daniels on Nov. 17 on charges of criminal use of personal identification information, jail records show. Both are 33. Both the State Attorney's Office and Supervisor of Elections Mike Hogan said the motive doesn't appear to be political but for financial gain." — " Vet's campaign materials raise questions on DoD photo regulations," by Tampa Bay Times' William March — "Former Army officer files to run against Fentrice Driskell," by Tampa Bay Times' William March | | | 'IT'S BAD POLICY' — "Biden Colombia plan stirs up Florida hornets nest," by POLITICO's Sabrina Rodriguez and Marc Caputo: The Biden administration's plan to remove a Colombian rebel group from a list of foreign terrorist organizations barely caused a ripple outside Washington when the news broke this week. But in Florida, home to an estimated 150,000 Colombian American voters, it's a different story. Biden's policy is reverberating loudly among Democrats, leading some of the state's top elected officials, strategists and activists to rail against the decision. | 
In this Oct. 15, 2014 photo, Democrat Annette Taddeo, who is running for lieutenant governor in Florida, talks during an interview in Pinecrest, Florida. The importance of the Hispanic vote in Florida is such that for the first time, both major parties have a Hispanic candidate for lieutenant governor. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz) | AP Photo | Slam — "This is terrible. It's bad policy. It's bad politics," said Florida state Sen. Annette Taddeo, a Democratic gubernatorial candidate who's Colombian American. Calling the news "outrageous," Taddeo criticized the Biden administration on Twitter and recounted how she fled her home country at the age of 17 "because of the Marxist terrorist organization, FARC, a group of militias who kidnapped my father who was a WWII American fighter pilot." | | CORONAVIRUS UPDATES | | The daily rundown — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there were 667 infections on Friday. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported that 1,299 hospital beds were being used in the state for Covid-19 patients. WHAT'S GOING ON HERE? — "Parents of girl with Down Syndrome in mask-tying case made false statements, staged photos, police say," by Florida Today's Eric Rogers : "In multiple television spots and news articles, the former priest (Jeffrey Steel) used pictures of Sofia allegedly taken that day by her mother to rail against school mask mandates and raise over $100,000 through the 'Christian crowdfunding' site GiveSendGo, ostensibly to fund legal action against the school district. The trouble is, according to an investigation by Indian Harbour Beach police, that doesn't seem to be what happened." Police weigh in — "A 35-page case report and four-page supplement released this week by Indian Harbour Beach police — detailing an investigation initially begun to determine whether school staff had committed child abuse — contradicts many of the details of Steel's story. The report, made available to FLORIDA TODAY, shows that the police actually closed the investigation because many of the allegations, including that staff at Ocean Beach Elementary had abused Sofia when they tied a shoestring-type cord behind her head to prevent her mask from slipping off her ears during class, were without merit." Strong reactions — The police report highlighted by Florida Today brought swift responses from those caught in the never-ending Covid-19 culture wars, in part because Gov. Ron DeSantis had Jeffrey Steel join him at an Oct. 20 press conference on parents rights where Steel talked about his daughter. On Saturday, Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried slammed DeSantis on Twitter : "Ron DeSantis aided and abetted this sickening scam - and used your tax dollars to do it. He should immediately apologize for his involvement, and come clean about what he knew - and when." But Rep. Randy Fine, who has been a constant and caustic critic of top Brevard County school officials, said on Facebook that the report showed that Steel's assertions that his daughter was masked without parental consent were verified and that "the reckoning is coming." And from the governor's office — When asked about the story on the police report, Christina Pushaw, a spokeperson for DeSantis, said in an email that "No one disputes the fact that a little girl with Down Syndrome was forced to wear a mask despite her parents' objections. The school district's forced-masking policy was in violation of Florida law, which protects parents' rights to make choices about the health and education of their own kids." (A reminder - Florida legislators just changed the law this month to make it clear that schools cannot impose mask mandates. There were outstanding legal questions about whether it was previously illegal.) THE KIDS ARE NOT ALRIGHT — "'We are scared every day': Student fights and assaults on teachers trouble schools amid pandemic," by Sun Sentinel's Brooke Baitinger and Scott Travis: "Now, reports of fights, criminal batteries and fear of violence are becoming an unwelcome part of students' full return to in-person education. While the violence isn't happening at every school, many are seeing the problems erupt on more South Florida campuses than in the past. There are reports of teachers, security staff and administrators being knocked to the ground. Footage of students fighting is often shared on TikTok and other social media." | | | | 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. | | | | |
| | ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... | | SPIN THE WHEEL — "Seminole Tribe asks appeals court for stay in sports betting case," by News Service of Florida's Jim Saunders: "The Seminole Tribe has asked a Washington D.C.-based appeals court for a stay of a ruling that rejected a gambling deal allowing sports betting in Florida. Attorneys for the tribe filed the emergency motion Thursday at the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia after U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich ruled that the gambling deal between the state and the tribe violated federal law. Friedrich subsequently refused to stay her ruling as the tribe pursued an appeal. The appeals court has ordered attorneys for two pari-mutuel facilities that challenged the deal to respond by noon Tuesday to the emergency motion." — "Florida lawmakers to consider subminimum wage; critics decry it as a 'loophole' to $15 an hour," by Orlando Sentinel's Caroline Glenn — "Florida redistricting plans include a surprise – praise from Democrats ," by USA Today Network-Florida's John Kennedy — "Supreme Court approves suspension, fine for absentee Palm Beach judge," by Sun Sentinel's Rafael Olmeda — "Doctors 'free speech' bill raises public safety questions ," by Florida Politics' Christine Jordan Sexton | | PENINSULA AND BEYOND | | RETURN ENGAGEMENT — "Art Basel Miami Beach returns, smaller but ready to party," by The New York Times' Brett Sokol: "The return of Basel's Miami fair couldn't have come soon enough for the gallerists about to converge on Florida from around the globe. While contemporary art auctions are once again smashing records, overall gallery sales remain sluggish. A midyear Art Basel and UBS report by the economist Dr. Clare McAndrew found that nearly half of the 700 surveyed dealers saw a continued decline in sales during the first six months of 2021." SPOONFUL — " Lake Okeechobee water plan revision: Sensible decision or gift to the sugar industry?" by Sun Sentinel's David Fleshler: "A new plan for operating Lake Okeechobee was altered in the past few months in a way that environmentalists say favors the sugar industry over coastal communities and the Everglades. But the Army Corps of Engineers, which drew up the plan, says the change was a sensible measure intended to prevent the lake's water level from falling too low. The new lake operating plan, designed in anticipation of the completion of dike repairs next year, is intended to reduce discharges of polluted water that plagues the Atlantic and Gulf coasts with pea-green algae, provide more fresh water for the Everglades and ensure water supplies for cities and farms." — "Bob Dylan artwork show opens in Miami, new cinema paintings," by The Associated Press' Adriana Gomez Licon | | ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN | | — "'Tiger King' Joe Exotic turns on Trump and opens up about child sexual abuse in new memoir," by The Daily Beast's Cheyenne Roundtree: "The 58-year-old pulls out all the stops to try and earn sympathy from the public in his new biography Tiger King: The Official Tell-All Memoir, released on Nov. 23, declaring that he wishes he wasn't associated with the sensation at all, as he paints everyone in his life as the villain, including his estranged husband Dillon Passage, ex-zoo employees and business partners, the government, and even takes aim at Donald Trump — all the while spitting more venom at [Carole] Baskin." BIRTHDAYS: Former state Rep. Cindy Polo
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