News: POLITICO Florida Playbook: Crist gives another jumbled response on abortion

Monday, May 16, 2022

POLITICO Florida Playbook: Crist gives another jumbled response on abortion

May 16, 2022

Hello and welcome to Monday.

Crist v. Crist — Forget about whether Democratic gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist will have a full-fledged televised debate with Nikki Fried. He sometimes seems too busy figuring out how to debate his old Republican self.

Duck and cover — Crist, over his lengthy political career, has many times been able to artfully sidestep difficult questions. But this past weekend Crist was asked by CBS Miami's Jim DeFede what had changed between now and 2010, when he said during his unsuccessful bid for U.S. Senate that he would fight for "pro-life legislative efforts." Crist's answer? "Nothing, nothing."

Words — Crist, who attended an abortion rights rally in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday, followed up his answer by contending that he is "for life" but that he has a track record that shows he clearly supports abortion rights, including his decision to veto an anti-abortion bill while he was governor. He pointed out his endorsement by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and that he has gotten top marks from abortion rights groups.

Nothing…to see here? — In a veiled jab at Fried, he responded, "So my record I think is crystal clear. I think some competitors are trying to make it something it's not."

Response — Well, that attempt to push back at Fried didn't stop her campaign from latching onto Crist's latest answer. Fried herself tweeted out a link to the interview and said "This is why women march — to protect our freedom from politicians we can't trust."

What's next? — Crist is the clear frontrunner in this Democratic primary, but his contortions on abortion — even in the aftermath of the draft U.S. Supreme Court ruling saying that Roe v. Wade should be struck down — could give Fried an opening … if she had the resources. If she had the money for a sustained television campaign, Fried could take the clip of his latest answer and hammer him between now and August. Of course, the candidate waiting for Crist in the fall does have the money to pound and pound and pound.

— WHERE'S RON? — Nothing official scheduled for Gov. DeSantis.

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CAMPAIGN MODE

STARGEL IS IN — POLITICO's Matt Dixon writes in: Florida Republican Sen. Kelli Stargel is running for the 15th Congressional District. An announcement from Stargel, who has served as the Florida Senate's budget committee chair for two years, is coming today, she told POLITICO Sunday night. Stargel joins a crowded GOP primary that already includes Florida Rep. Jacki Toledo, and former Congressman Dennis Ross. Former Florida Secretary of State Laurel Lee is also expected to join the race after she resigned last week from the DeSantis administration.

RAYNER IS OUT — "Michele Rayner leaves CD 13 for another run at the state House," by Florida Politics' Daniel Figueroa IV

QUESTION — " Can Val Demings defeat Marco Rubio and overcome Democrats' Florida malaise?" by Newsweek's Adrian Carrasquillo: "Florida Democrats, [Rep. Val Demings] said, make the mistake of dividing the state into three groups: white voters, African-American voters, and Latino or Hispanic voters, when the politics of those constituencies is not that easily categorized. 'We all want the same things in terms of access to health care, we want a fair shot, we want affordable housing, we want to be able to take care of our families,' she continued, 'but we also know that the issues, whether it's Cuban-Americans or Venezuelans or it's Colombians or Puerto Ricans, there are also separate issues that affect those different communities.'"

— "'Tremendous damage': Marco Rubio talks inflation at Seminole County field office opening," by Florida Politics' Kelly Hayes

ON OFFENSE — "' We're not going back': Val Demings slams Rubio, anti-abortion rhetoric at pro-choice conference," by Orlando Sentinel's Cristóbal Reyes: "In a speech in Orlando on Saturday, U.S. Senate hopeful Val Demings touted her pro-choice stance and attacked Republican Sen. Marco Rubio's position on abortion as 'radical.' Rubio, who's seeking a third term, has long supported bans on abortion with no exceptions, most recently saying a failed Senate bill to codify Roe v. Wade would legalize 'the killing of unborn children right up to the day of delivery.'"

ANOTHER QUESTION — " Could Black voters' frustration with DeSantis' politics awaken a 'sleeping giant'?" by South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Anthony Man: "Inflamed by what they regard as repeated political assaults by Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Republican-controlled state Legislature, African American and Caribbean American Democrats in South Florida are vowing to channel their frustration into action aimed at the November elections. 'The governor and the Republicans in the state of Florida have awakened a sleeping giant with Black people in the state,' said state Sen. Shevrin Jones, a Democrat whose district straddles the Broward/Miami-Dade county line.

— " Bans off our Bodies rally draws thousands, including candidates, to Miami-Dade park," by Miami Herald's Howard Cohen and Matias Ocner

— " At West Palm Beach abortion rights rally, attendees remember, imagine a world without Roe V. Wade," by Palm Beach Post's Antigone Barton

— "Hundreds march, rally in support of abortion rights ," by The Gainesville Sun's Javon L. Harris

... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ...

FALLOUT — "Florida's fight over 'Don't Say Gay' is getting more heated. And it hasn't even gone into effect yet ," by POLITICO's Andrew Atterbury: The ugly fight over Florida's "Parental Rights in Education" bill has shifted from the statehouse to local school districts. In the weeks since Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the measure, dubbed "Don't Say Gay" by its critics, into law, schools across the state have started to feel the legislation's effects even before it officially takes hold. Students have complained about being censored for supporting the LGBTQ community. One educator claimed they have been called a "groomer" and "pedophile." At least one first-year educator was fired for bringing LGBTQ discussions into the classroom. And all the while, school officials remain in a holding pattern as the Florida Department of Education comes up with guidance for how to carry out the controversial measure.

— "School censorship mars end of Florida school year, LGBTQ advocates say," by Orlando Sentinel's Skyler Swisher

— "Disney edges out Ron DeSantis in popularity poll," by Florida Politics' A.G. Gancarski

MEET THE NEW BOSS — " DeSantis taps Byrd as secretary of state," by POLITICO's Matt Dixon: Beyond voting with Gov. Ron DeSantis — and against his own Republican House leadership — on the congressional maps, state Rep. Cord Byrd has filed bills championed by DeSantis that have been controversial and stoked partisan division. Among them is the so-called anti-riot legislation passed during the 2021 session after the national protests that broke out after the killing of George Floyd by police. Democrats and activists said the bill would disproportionately impact Black protesters and crack down on free speech.

More background — He was also the House sponsor for controversial immigration bills, including one that banned so-called sanctuary cities, and another requiring the state to use E-Verify, an online system that checks potential employee's immigration status. Byrd also got national attention when his wife, Esther, was photographed at a boat rally for former President Donald Trump on a boat flying a QAnon flag. Esther Byrd has also defended the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Cord Byrd | AP Photo

Rep. Cord Byrd, R- Neptune Beach, listens to the debate on an immigration bill he sponsored during session Wednesday April 24, 2019, in Tallahassee, Fla. The Florida House has passed a high-profile Republican bill requiring local law enforcement agencies to cooperate with federal immigration authorities and banning so-called "sanctuary city" policies that shield immigrants who are arrested. (AP Photo/Steve Cannon) | AP Photo

REACTION — "State Rep. Cord Byrd of Neptune Beach gets picked by DeSantis as Florida secretary of state," by Florida Times-Union's David Bauerlein and USA Today Network-Florida's John Kennedy: "State Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith of Orlando said Florida's elections will be overseen by 'a QAnon conspiracy theorist' who is a 'hyperpartisan GOP loyalist.' State Rep. Angie Nixon of Jacksonville said the secretary of state should be a consensus builder but DeSantis chose someone who will 'attempt to weaponize government against his political opponents.' 'The idea that he (Byrd) will now be in charge of the governor's elections police force should be a frightening thought for every Floridian, no matter who you are or where you come from,' she said."

CHANGING ADDRESSES — "Everglades Trust names new CEO, announces 'restructuring,'" by Miami Herald's Mary Ellen Klas: "After a legislative session in which they were blindsided by a sugar industry maneuver to reverse their progress on restoring water flow to the Everglades, the leaders of the Everglades Trust say the organization is turning a corner. The political arm of the non-profit Everglades Foundation announced on Friday that effective May 16 its new CEO will be Anna Upton and it will launch a restructuring, beginning with moving its headquarters to Tallahassee."

— " Alimony bill in limbo as pending divorce actions pile up," by Florida Phoenix's Laurel Cassels

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TRUMPLANDIA AND THE SWAMP

PALM BEACH STORY — "What's the hottest spot to debut your 2020 election conspiracy film? Mar-a-Lago, of course ," by POLITICO's Meredith McGraw: Donald Trump's private club has become the Grauman's Chinese Theater for the Hollywood-hating crowd. Just weeks before Dinesh D'Souza's debut, a slew of Trump allies, friends, and conservative figures flew down to Palm Beach estate for the showing of a documentary, "Rigged," on the 2020 election. The film starred Trump himself, and was produced by David Bossie, the president of the conservative group Citizens United. Shortly after, Matt Schlapp, chair of the American Conservative Union, debuted his own documentary, "Culture Killers: the Woke Wars" on cancel culture poolside at Trump's club.

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES

'NEVER LET A CRISIS GO TO WASTE' — "As COVID rolled on, legions of companies migrated to Florida. Which metro areas gained the most? " by South Florida Sun-Sentinel's David Lyons: "While COVID-19 remains a lingering menace to society, there appears to be no end in sight for the corporate relocation and expansion boom it fostered in Florida. Two years after the pandemic's start in early 2020, the wave of companies from the Northeast, Midwest, California and Texas looking to move to the state's major metropolitan regions is accelerating as they search for friendlier business climates, more space, less red tape and lower operating costs."

FOR YOUR RADAR — "COVID infections hit 5,600 a day in Florida. But is it a new wave?" by Tampa Bay Times' Ian Hodgson and Christopher O'Donnell: "COVID-19 infections continue to rise, but experts aren't ready to declare a new pandemic wave in Florida. The state averaged more than 5,600 cases of COVID-19 a day from May 7 through Friday, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That's up 20 percent from the week before. It's the highest number of average daily cases since February. The positivity rates in Tampa Bay and Florida also keep climbing."

PENINSULA AND BEYOND

THE PATH AHEAD — "For families, dividing $1 billion Surfside condo settlement looms as 'extremely painful,'" by Miami Herald's Jay Weaver: "Despite the uplifting news of a nearly $1 billion settlement in the Surfside condo collapse case, the ordeal of divvying up that massive sum isn't over. And the process looms as difficult and potentially heartbreaking for some relatives of the 98 people who died in the tragedy last summer. Still suffering from the wrenching personal loss, families will now have to file claims for loved ones that spell out age, occupation and earnings, among other economic factors, so that a pair of administrators and a judge can put an exact value on each lost life."

STRANDED — "68,200 home insurance policies to be canceled as hurricane season begins," by Sun Sentinel's Ron Hurtibise: "Florida's property insurance crisis is about to hit home for tens of thousands of policyholders. More than 68,000 policies of troubled Sunrise-based FedNat Insurance Company and its sister companies Maison and Monarch National will be canceled by the end of June, according to terms of a consent order filed Friday by the state Office of Insurance Regulation. The order follows the downgrade of FedNat's financial stability rating by ratings firm Demotech a month ago. The cancellations, meant to help FedNat's parent company, FedNat Holding Company, survive after reporting $103.1 million in reported losses in 2021, will force the displaced policyholders to scramble to secure coverage just as hurricane season begins."

ON SECOND THOUGHT — "What happened when a conservative Jewish group invited DeSantis to speak," by The New York Times' Liam Stack: "Tikvah signed a contract and sent it to the museum before [Gov. Ron] DeSantis was added to the lineup, and the trouble began once the group updated its program to include the governor. 'Thanks for sharing this with me,' read an email to the fund from Trudy Chan, an official with the museum. Ms. Chan noted that providing security for the governor would not be a problem, but she added: 'We would need to ascertain if there are any potential conflicts with your invited speakers. Please stand by.'"

— " 10 Florida Memorial Professors are now out of a job. 4 are claiming discrimination," by WLRN's Kate Payne

— " Miami-Dade home rental costs explode. Oceanfront leads with 2-year 115% spike," by Miami Herald's Rebecca San Juan

— "Florida bridge plane crash killed 1 on board, police say ," by The Associated Press

ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN

— "Butt lifts are booming. Healing is no joke," by The New York Times' Sandra E. Garcia: "Dream Body Recovery is just one of countless recovery houses that have cropped up in Miami, which has become the heartbeat of the B.B.L. boom in the United States. The average price of a B.B.L. nationwide is around $5,000, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. But when I spoke to Dr. Angelo Cuzalina, a cosmetic surgeon in Tulsa, Okla., he estimated the cost of the procedure in which patients receive high-quality care to range from $6,000 to $15,000. Patients in Miami can get the butt-enhancing procedure for well below that price, however, and many choose to spend the money saved on additional procedures like liposuction in the arms or thighs."

— "Could Pensacola become a mecca for oyster farmers? A group is working to make it happen," by Pensacola News Journal's Brittany Misencik and Alex Miller: "With one of the longest coastlines in the country, Florida has all the potential to be an industry leader in oyster farming. However, because of growing environmental concerns, job insecurity for oyster farmers, lack of workforce training opportunities or financial startup support, many are hesitant to take the leap into the industry. Despite the looming challenges, Pensacola farmers and environmentalists are teaming up to resurrect the plentiful harvest of succulent wild oysters."

BIRTHDAYS: Rep. Lois Frankel … state Sen. Tom Wright … State Rep. Bobby Payne … Fox News' (and part-time Florida man) Tucker Carlson … Matthew Ubben, government and public affairs consultant and former executive director of Florida Transportation Commission… Cindi Lane, community information coordinator for City of Daytona Beach Shores.