| | | | | |  | | By Gary Fineout | Hello and welcome to Monday. Nice to see you again — Florida's Democrats gathered this weekend in person for the first time since the pandemic, as they held their Leadership Blue annual convention in Orlando at the Rosen Plaza hotel and their big fundraising gala at the adjacent Orange County Convention Center. Democrats were here, but — The gala itself featured a packed room where attendees listened to the three Democratic candidates for governor, a thunderous Rep. Val Demings and Rep. Jim Clyburn, the House Democratic whip from South Carolina who played a pivotal role in the election of President Joe Biden. But the timing of the event conflicted with a Senate Democratic fundraiser in Las Vegas, so most state Senate Democrats skipped it. Only four Democratic members of Congress from Florida took the stage at the gala. Lack of buzz — Even though it was the first time Democrats were in person for two years, it was clear that the energy wasn't what it has been at previous events. Zingers aimed at Gov. Ron DeSantis sometimes barely registered. Privately Democrats lamented the "depressing" feel. Demings got the crowd going with a rip-roaring speech as she lauded what she called the "Democratic agenda." Clyburn also got a warm reception as he told the crowd that Georgia and Florida would be the most-watched states in the 2022 election because they would foretell what would happen in 2024. Trying to figure it out — The string of defeats for Democrats wasn't lost on those in attendance. There were breakout sessions at the convention and discussions about what can be done to win again. A meeting of the Black caucus included a candid conversation about whether Democrats are taking Black women voters for granted and whether they are doing enough early outreach to Black churches. State Sen. Annette Taddeo noted in her speech that there are fears that big donors no longer want to invest. Rep. Stephanie Murphy, however, pushed back on the idea that Florida is becoming a red state, saying "I call B.S." on that sentiment. Another takeaway — The Florida Democratic Party did not heavily promote the event to the media — including Clyburn's speech — and it showed. There was very little media presence, with just one television camera showing up at the gala. There weren't even Orlando television stations in tow. Republicans have shut down all access to their party events, so you would think that underfunded Democrats would do all they could to get free media. Marching bands and cookies — Rep. Charlie Crist — who is running for governor — obviously spent money on the event. His supporters handed out cookies to everyone and had goodie bags delivered to the hotel rooms of Democrats. And then he showed up at the convention center with a marching band in tow. (Apparently without permission from convention center staff as my POLITICO colleague Matt Dixon discovered.) Meanwhile, Ken Russell, the Miami city commissioner also running for U.S. Senate, got props for hosting a reception with an open bar on the opening night of the convention. — 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 | | 'IF I RUN' — One point of drama as Florida lawmakers work on a new set of congressional maps is what will happen to the district now held by Rep. Stephanie Murphy, the moderate central Florida Democrat who knocked off incumbent Rep. John Mica in 2016. A map proposed by House Republicans would evaporate key parts of it, but maps proposed by Senate Republicans would keep the seat Democratic. Neither yes or no — National Republican groups keep contending that Murphy — who considered challenging Marco Rubio but bowed out when Rep. Val Demings jumped in the race — will eventually walk away from Congress. Murphy strongly pushed back against that rhetoric, but also made it clear she isn't completely decided on re-election. "You know what? I've run tough races where the odds have been against me and I've won," Murphy said on Saturday while attending the Florida Democrats' Leadership Blue convention. "I'm confident that if I run I will win. We are still taking a look. I think there's still a lot of time between now and the elections and right now I'm focused on doing my job." | 
Rep. Charlie Crist enters Orange County Convention Center with a marching band and supporters ahead of Leadership Blue gala Dec. 4, 2021 | Gary Fineout/POLITICO | 'I KNOW WE CAN WIN' — "Florida Democrats come together to plot strategy in uphill 2022 election campaign," by Miami Herald's Ana Ceballos : "Florida Democrats have suffered crushing down-ballot losses in the last two election cycles, and next year, they need a win — badly. But in 2022, it won't be easy. That reality was palpable as Democrats huddled over the weekend at an Orlando hotel for the Florida Democratic Party's annual Leadership Blue conference, an event that the party uses to regroup, talk strategy and energize its base. The party wants to use 2022, which features five statewide races including governor and U.S. Senate, to end a long-running streak of disastrous election cycles that have left Democrats demoralized and without any real power at nearly every level of government in Florida." — "Florida Democrats, in person for first time during pandemic, look for winning 2022 message," by The Daytona Beach News-Journal's Mark Harper TERMS OF ENGAGEMENT — " Hispanic voters: Latinx term isn't helping," by POLITICO's Marc Caputo and Sabrina Rodriguez: As Democrats seek to reach out to Latino voters in a more gender-neutral way, they've increasingly begun using the word Latinx, a term that first began to get traction among academics and activists on the left. But that very effort could be counterproductive in courting those of Latin American descent, according to a new nationwide poll of Hispanic voters. Only 2 percent of those polled refer to themselves as Latinx, while 68 percent call themselves "Hispanic" and 21 percent favored "Latino" or "Latina" to describe their ethnic background, according to the survey from Bendixen & Amandi International, a top Democratic firm specializing in Latino outreach. UH-OH — "'Voters have a right to be angry': Ballots mailed early went uncounted — even those sent 12 days before election," by Sun Sentinel's Lisa J. Huriash: "An inspection by the South Florida Sun Sentinel — of the nearly 300 uncounted ballots that were mailed in before the Nov. 2 election — shows exactly how frustrating the experience has been for several voters in the 20th Congressional District Democratic primary. The Sun Sentinel found some voters put their uncounted ballots in the mail more than a week ahead of the election, with some even mailing them on Oct. 21, nearly two weeks ahead of the election." DEPARTING — " Dan Newman steps down as adviser to Democratic House campaigns," by POLITICO's Matt Dixon: Embattled veteran Democratic consultant Dan Newman has resigned as a top adviser to Florida House Democratic campaigns, a move that comes after reports he helped raise money into a dark money group that worked against Democratic candidates. Newman, who has worked with Democrat's House campaign arm off and on since 2013, told House Minority Leader-designate Ramon Alexander (D-Tallahassee) that he was stepping aside to avoid becoming a distraction. | | ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... | | OFF THE BOARD — "Hard Rock will temporarily suspend sports betting app after appeals court ruling," by POLITICO's Gary Fineout: The fate of Gov. Ron DeSantis' gambling deal with the Seminole Tribe of Florida remains in doubt after a federal appeals court late Friday rejected an emergency request by the Tribe to block a ruling that scrapped the $2.5 billion agreement. The appeals court in Washington — in a 2-1 vote — refused the Tribe's request to place a stay on the decision issued late last month by U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich while it pursued an appeal. … In a statement out Saturday, Seminole spokesperson Gary Bitner said the Tribe will temporarily suspend its sports betting app and players will be refunded upon request. — "Jeff Brandes calls for investigation into Seminole Tribe over petition blocking, intimidation," by Florida Politics Renzo Downey TRADING JABS — Florida Democrats — including Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried — have gone into overdrive with Gov. Ron DeSantis' suggestion last week to revive the shuttered Florida State Guard with a force of 200 volunteers. DeSantis touted the idea as a way to help augment the Florida National Guard during disasters and other functions. Fried and others have blasted the idea as one step closer to an authoritarian regime since the outfit would be under the governor. But Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez and Rep. Carlos Gimenez took to Twitter to slam Fried because during a cable appearance on Friday she nodded (sort of) when MSNBC host Joy Reid compared DeSantis to former Cuban dictator Fidel Castro. Gimenez contended Fried owed Cuban Americans an apology. ANOTHER LAWSUIT — " Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody sues feds over immigration records," by News Service of Florida: "Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody filed a lawsuit Friday alleging that federal agencies have not complied with records requests about Biden administration immigration policies. Moody filed the lawsuit in federal district court in Fort Pierce against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement." — "$1.8B in additional Medicaid funds headed to many Florida hospitals," by Florida Politics' Christine Jordan Sexton — "FL Supreme Court continues pattern of overturning or sidestepping its precedents," by Florida Phoenix's Michael Moline | | CORONAVIRUS UPDATES | | The daily rundown — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there were 2,000 Covid-19 infections on Friday. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported that 1,292 hospital beds were being used in the state for Covid-19 patients. The toll — The Florida Department of Health reported on Friday that 61,701 have been killed by Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic in March 2020 including 35 deaths recorded in the past week. Nearly 37 percent of Florida's deaths have occurred since July 30. BLOCKED — "Injunction denied in health care injunction fight ," by News Service of Florida's Jim Saunders: "A divided federal appeals court Sunday rejected Florida's request to at least temporarily block a Biden administration rule that would require health-care workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19. A panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, in a 2-1 decision, turned down a motion by Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody for an injunction against the Biden administration rule while the Atlanta-based court considers the vaccination requirement." — " Leon County drops mask, vaccine mandates for workers amid new laws signed by Gov. DeSantis," by Tallahassee Democrat's Jeff Burlew — "White House raises concern over rise in Orange County COVID cases as Florida's new case, positivity sees slight uptick," by Orlando Sentinel — "Crowds continue to gather in Florida as health officials keep watch for COVID-19 omicron variant," by WFTV's Ashley Edlund | | DATELINE D.C. | | IN THE CENTER OF IT — "How Stephanie Murphy, a holdout on Biden's agenda, helped savage it," by The New York Times' Emily Cochrane: "Ms. [Stephanie] Murphy, 43, who toggles between allying herself with party leaders and vexing them with her objections, has established herself as part of a group of rank-and-file moderate and liberal lawmakers who, empowered by Democrats' razor-thin majority in the House, can have a major influence on what happens there. Their maneuvering on Mr. [Joe] Biden's social policy bill was not just a break with tradition in the chamber, where Ms. [Nancy] Pelosi has presided over a mostly top-down operation, but an early sign of a generational shift underway for a caucus led by octogenarians." | | TRUMPLANDIA AND THE SWAMP | | MAR-A-LAGO DISPATCH — "Trump attacks media and Mark Milley in foul-mouthed Mar-a-Lago speech," by The Guardian's Martin Pengelly: "In remarks to diners at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Saturday night, Donald Trump called the American media 'crooked ba**ards' and Gen Mark Milley, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, a 'fu**ing idiot'. The meandering, foul-mouthed speech to Turning Point USA, a group for young conservatives, was streamed by Jack Posobiec, a rightwing blogger and provocateur. The insult to the press recalled barbs while Trump was in power, including calling reporters and editors 'fake news' and the 'enemy of the people', attacks many in the media regarded as dangerous, inviting political violence." | | | | 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. | | | | |
| | PENINSULA AND BEYOND | | GATOR GROWL — "UF trustees fire back against professors blocked from serving as expert witnesses," by News Service of Florida's Ryan Dailey: " But the controversy has continued, with the three professors and two others filing a federal lawsuit alleging violations of First Amendment rights. During a meeting Friday, UF Board of Trustees Chairman Mori Hosseini led the charge in sharply criticizing the professors and rallying around university President Kent Fuchs. 'The overwhelming majority of our faculty are here for the reason we are, to educate, research, serve the University of Florida as their employer,' Hosseini told the board. 'However, we saw that some have taken advantage of their positions.'" 'A NEW ATTITUDE IN THE LEGISLATURE' — "Florida conversation movement takes flight, boosting support for panthers, wild places," by Orlando Sentinel's Kevin Spear: "Panthers must expand their turf north, said conservation photographer Carlton Ward Jr. But the gap between Orlando and Tampa is a death row of traffic and development along six-lane Interstate 4. Their best chance is to migrate from the Everglades, cross the expanse of wildlands that links South and Central Florida and includes DeLuca Preserve near Yeehaw Junction, and slip into wetlands and forests east of Orlando. 'I believe that is where we have the most to gain and the most to lose,' Ward said. 'If there are going to be pumas in Georgia or the Appalachians again, they've got to get through that landscape.'" NEIGHBORS — "Poisoned Part 3: The Fallout. Gopher Resource promised changes at Tampa's old lead factory. It kept polluting," by Tampa Bay Times' Corey G. Johnson, Rebecca Woolington and Eli Murray: "On the eastern edge of Tampa, smokestacks rise above Josefina Zepeda's cozy bungalow. The stacks reach 130 feet into the sky, higher than anything else around them, and exhale plumes filled with toxic gases and metal. They belong to the lead factory. Zepeda and her 21-year-old son, Gustavo Araujo, have lived within 500 feet of the factory for more than a decade. They've felt its buzz day and night. They've seen smog fill the neighborhood, where cottages and industrial yards sit beneath a canopy of palms and oak trees dripping Spanish moss." FINAL RESPECTS — "'She's home now': 3-day celebration of late U.S. Rep. Carrie Meek's life begins in Miami," by Miami Herald's C. Isaiah Smalls II and Samantha J. Gross: "As Kendrick Meek stood before the copper-colored casket carrying his mother, he felt a sense of peace. He had already shed a few tears. He hardly slept and had barely eaten. None of that mattered now, though, because Congresswoman Carrie Meek — the woman who birthed him and became the first Black lawmaker from Florida to serve in Congress since the post-Civil War Reconstruction — was in a better place after a long illness. "She's home now," Kendrick said as a procession of well-wishers gathered outside Booker T. Washington Senior High School in Overtown." — "BP oil spill fund: $103M to projects in 3 Gulf states," by The Associated Press — "Despite Surfside tower collapse, buyers snap up condos along Miami's coast," by Miami Herald's Rebecca San Juan — "Ex-Jacksonville councilors Katrina Brown, Reggie Brown lose fraud-sentence appeals," by Florida Times-Union's Steve Patterson | | ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN | | — "Late musician Tom Petty receives posthumous Ph.D. for music," by The Associated Press: "Nearly two decades after earning a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and more than four years after his death, rock icon Tom Petty has been awarded an honorary Ph.D. from the University of Florida. The school's board of trustees unanimously voted to award Thomas Earl Petty a posthumous doctoral degree in music during a Friday meeting. Born and raised in Gainesville, Petty once worked as a groundskeeper at UF as he tried to make it in the music industry, but he was never enrolled." ENGAGED — Olivia Perez-Cubas, SVP of comms at Bullpen Strategy Group and a Marco Rubio alum, got engaged to Hooff Cooksey, who runs the political consulting firm HC Strategies. The couple were introduced through a mutual friend, and he proposed in the backyard of their Capitol Hill home, followed by a celebration with family and friends. Pic BIRTHDAYS: Nancy Brinker, founder of Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and co-founder of Promise Fund of Florida … (Was Saturday) Former Rep. Francis Rooney
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