News: POLITICO Florida Playbook: Crist returns to airwaves after 3-week absence

Wednesday, September 14, 2022

POLITICO Florida Playbook: Crist returns to airwaves after 3-week absence

Sep 14, 2022

Hello and welcome to Wednesday.

The Great Curve — Rep. Charlie Crist, who won the Democratic primary for governor three works ago, is finally back on television with a new ad that attempts to knock Gov. Ron DeSantis over abortion rights as well as rising costs for insurance and gas.

Born Under Punches — Crist — who drained much of his campaign accounts to defeat Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried — was forced to go dark since Aug. 23 while Republicans and DeSantis launched a barrage of both positive ads lauding the incumbent governor while also ripping into Crist over his support of President Joe Biden.

Burning Down The House — In the last few weeks, the Republican Party of Florida — using an antiquated feature of the state's campaign finance laws to sidestep spending limits — have put more than $19 million into the ads while the Democrats have been silent.

The Overload — The new ad from Crist titled "Fed Up" is scheduled to start airing statewide on Thursday. The buy is expected to exceed $1 million and features Crist attempting to lay blame for the rising prices of gas and groceries on DeSantis before pivoting to lay into the governor for supporting a ban on abortions after 15 weeks. "If you are fed up every time you fill up, or ticked off whenever you pick up groceries, maybe it's time you had a governor focused on you," Crist says to the camera.

Don't Worry About The Government — Crist promises to veto any anti-abortion bills, force insurance companies to lower their rates and cut the gas tax. "DeSantis won't do it. But I will," he says. That last part could be deemed as a bit misleading. Crist has been calling on the governor to use his power to suspend the state's gas taxes. The governor didn't do it, but instead he did urge the Florida Legislature to enact a gas tax holiday. That one-month holiday — which will cost an estimated $200 million — will take effect in October.

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

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CAMPAIGN MODE

A DEEP DIVE — "Is Ron DeSantis the future of the Republican Party?" by The New York Times' Matt Flegenheimer: "Republican donors, a reliable party weather vane, have likewise turned his way. Some, leery of missing their chance to ingratiate themselves early, have offered the ultimate good-will gesture: submitting to a midsummer day in North Florida. 'National donors are wanting 15 minutes in front of [Gov. Ron] DeSantis more and more, and people are willing to fly to Tallahassee to do that,' [Dan] Eberhart told me. 'It almost feels a bit like the period right before [Donald] Trump won the nomination in 2016. There was a moment when the donor class was like, 'Oh, wow, the train is leaving the station.'"

— "As 2024 looms, Ron DeSantis has every corner of the conservative media fawning," by Vanity Fair's Caleb Ecarma

SOME ADVICE — " Sen. Marco Rubio suggests Trump should compete in GOP primary if former POTUS runs in 2024," by Fox News' Joseph A. Wulfsohn : "[Sen. Marco] Rubio, who was speaking at the National Conservatism conference in Aventura, Fla., clarified he doesn't know whether there will even be a GOP primary, which is based on if other Republicans throw their hat in the ring against the former president but added they're "certainly entitled to run if they want to" and "prove me wrong on the outcome," which is ultimately decided by the voters.

Sidesteps the main question — "However, when asked if he would back [former President Donald] Trump in a GOP primary, Rubio refrained from offering his support. 'I'm not gonna begin to speculate about races that don't exist,' Rubio told Fox News Digital. 'I mean, I just don't answer hypotheticals anymore because the world changes too much, it's too dynamic out there. And you know, we'll deal with 2024, we're not even done with 22 yet.'"

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) sits in the Senate subway, talking to reporters outside the trolley car.

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) speaks with reporters at the U.S. Capitol Sept. 8, 2022. (Francis Chung/E&E News/POLITICO)

CAMPAIGN ROUNDUP — The Everglades Trust on Tuesday endorsed eight candidates for Congress, including five incumbents running for reelection. The list includes five Republican candidates — Reps. Mario Díaz Balart, Brian Mast, María Elvira Salazar as well as state Sen. Aaron Bean and former Secretary of State Laurel Lee. The three Democrats backed by the group were Reps. Darren Soto and Debbie Wasserman Schultz and former Florida emergency management director Jared Moskowitz. "The Trust believes these congressional candidates have either demonstrated or shown a commitment to the restoration and preservation of America's Everglades, one that we hope they will continue if elected to serve in Congress in November," said Anna Upton, Everglades Trust CEO in a statement. …

… Giffords, the gun safety organization founded by former Rep. Gabby Giffords, released a video late Tuesday night on various social media channels, that features Rep. Val Demings talking about the need to take action due to gun violence in schools. The text next to the video says "Shooting after shooting, Marco Rubio has done nothing. But @ValDemings has fought tirelessly to make her community safer." In the video, there is footage of Demings saying "See, we don't think it's OK for our children to be gunned down in first grade, in fourth grade, in high school, on a college campus."

… Giffords PAC on Tuesday endorsed eight "gun safety champions" in congressional and legislative races around Florida, including Democrats Alan Cohn and Eric Lynn in the races for Florida's 15th and 13th congressional districts.

… The Florida Association of State Troopers have endorsed Republican Attorney General Ashley Moody for reelection.

— "After Florida Senate loss, Barbara Sharief announces she'll run again – in election that's two years away," by South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Anthony Man

... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ...

CLOSED OFF — "Florida Supreme Court won't hear appeal on ruling that tossed human rights ordinances," by Orlando Sentinel's Ryan Gillespie: "The Florida Supreme Court declined to review a decision by an appeals court that dozens of local human rights ordinances across the state were unconstitutional. The filing Tuesday brings to a close a years-long saga, which started with two women being denied entry into an Orlando gentleman's club for not being with a man and concluded with portions of dozens of local human rights ordinances tossed out."

NEXT STEPS — Plaintiffs ask judge to halt Medicaid rule blocking gender-affirming care, by POLITICO's Arek Sarkissian: A coalition of transgender rights groups suing Florida over a Medicaid ban on gender affirming treatments has asked a federal judge to temporarily halt the new rule. The group filed a lawsuit last week in Tallahassee federal court arguing new rules approved by Florida's chief Medicaid regulator that block the program from providing coverage for treatments such as hormone therapy was a violation of the federal equal protection clause. On Monday, the group also filed a motion asking Judge Robert Hinkle to also issue a temporary injunction on the rules, which the motion refers to as the challenged exclusion.

— Florida activists oppose latest PSC energy conservation proposal, by POLITICO's Bruce Ritchie

— " Florida appeals court weighs COVID-19 data fight," by News Service of Florida's Jim Saunders

DATELINE D.C.

Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) arrives at a news conference.

Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) arrives at a news conference in the U.S. Capitol Building on June 14, 2022 in Washington, DC. | Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

'COMPETITION IS A HEALTHY THING' — The Black conservative who's challenging Stefanik for House GOP leadership," by POLITICO's Olivia Beavers: The race for House Republicans' No. 3 leadership spot next year is already taking shape: It's Rep. Byron Donalds, one of two Black conference members, versus sitting conference chair Elise Stefanik. "I think races are healthy," the first-term Floridian said in an exclusive interview, saying his plan "hasn't changed" despite Stefanik's formal confirmation that she's seeking reelection in leadership after flirting with a bid for whip next year. "Competition is a healthy thing. At the end of the day, the members want us to make sure that the best person can represent the conference at a time where we're up against some of the worst policies this country's ever seen," Donalds added.

MAYBE HE HAS SOMEONE ELSE IN MIND — "Rick Scott won't commit to backing McConnell as GOP Senate leader," by Fox News' Haris Alic and Joseph A. Wulfsohn: "National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Rick Scott this week declined to back Minority Leader Mitch McConnell for another term as leader of the Senate Republicans. Scott was asked by Fox News Digital at the National Conservatism Conference if he supported McConnell in the leadership position next year. 'We'll see what he wants to do,' said Scott, R-Fla. 'We'll have an election after the November elections, I'm confident that we're going to get a majority. So, we'll make a decision then.'"

TRANSITIONS — Caroline Stonecipher, deputy communications director for Nikki Fried, is returning to Washington. D.C. where she will become a strategic communications adviser for Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.). Stonecipher previously worked for Peters as well as former Sens. Doug Jones (D-Ala.) and Bill Nelson (D-Fla.).

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TRUMPLANDIA AND THE SWAMP

WHAT HAPPENS NOW? — Jan. 6 panel weighs new DOJ cooperation after Trump world subpoenas, by POLITICO's Kyle Cheney and Nicholas Wu: A week after federal prosecutors bombarded Trump world with Jan. 6-related subpoenas, the chair of Congress' Capitol attack committee said members are actively discussing how quickly to deliver its evidence trove to the Justice Department. "We have a meeting on Friday. I plan to bring it up," Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) told reporters at the Capitol Tuesday, following a roughly four-hour-long meeting of the Jan. 6 select committee. "I think now that the Department of Justice is being proactive in issuing subpoenas and other things, I think it's time for the committee to determine whether or not the information we've gathered can be beneficial to their investigation."

WHAT MATTERS MORE — "Rubio balances Senate Intelligence leadership with defense of Trump in Mar-a-Lago case," by McClatchy D.C.'s Michael Wilner: "[Marco] Rubio's ardent defense of the former president since the Aug. 8 search has raised questions over the consequences his reelection might have for the work of the committee. The Florida senator has appeared so frequently on conservative television to defend [former President Donald] Trump and dismiss the federal probe that the Republican Senate leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, has referred reporters to him for the GOP response."

AS THE PAGES TURN — " Judge unseals additional portions of Mar-a-Lago affidavit," by The Associated Press' Eric Tucker: "A federal judge Tuesday unsealed additional portions of an FBI affidavit laying out the basis for a search of former President Donald Trump's Florida home, showing that agents earlier obtained a hard drive after issuing a subpoena for surveillance footage recorded inside Mar-a-Lago. A heavily redacted version of the affidavit was made public last month, but the Justice Department requested permission to show more of it after lawyers for Trump revealed the existence of a June grand jury subpoena that sought video footage from cameras in the vicinity of the Mar-a-Lago storage room."

— "House Oversight panel asks National Archives to determine whether Trump still has documents," by NBC News' Rebecca Shabad

PENINSULA AND BEYOND

ON THE RISE — "Florida sees sharp rise in white power, anti-Semitic incidents, report finds," by McClatchy D.C.'s Ben Wieder: "Florida saw a sharp increase in anti-Semitic incidents last year, according to a new report from the Anti-Defamation League, the New York-based organization that tracks anti-Semitic incidents and other extremist activity across the country. The state saw a 50% increase in anti-Semitic incidents in 2021 compared to the year before, and Florida had the third most anti-Semitic incidents of any state in the country, behind only New York and California, according to the report. Nationally, 2021 saw a 34% increase in anti-Semitic incidents across the country. The ADL found that Florida is home to an overlapping network of white supremacists and anti-Semitic groups responsible for organizing numerous rallies and distributing hateful propaganda."

THE MOUSE SPEAKS — "CEO Chapek says Disney held firm over 'don't say gay' law," by Orlando Sentinel's Katie Rice: "Walt Disney CEO Bob Chapek defended the response to the 'don't say gay' controversy, saying company leaders 'stood our ground' during an 'ultimate barrage of attacks from certain political constituencies' and earned the respect of employees. He spoke to The Hollywood Reporter and the LA Times about the controversial Florida law during the D23 expo, an annual fan event this past weekend in California."

HALTED — Broward cuts off ousted school board members from legal services, by POLITICO's Andrew Atterbury: The Broward County School Board had been paying thousands of dollars in legal fees for school board members who were attempting to expunge key pieces of a scathing grand jury report tied to the 2018 Parkland shooting. But that came to a stop Tuesday. Broward's school board unanimously approved cutting off the cash faucet for four board members recently suspended by Gov. Ron DeSantis over findings from a final grand jury report in the wake of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

— " Miami fires police captain after years of controversy. His attorney blames politics," by Miami Herald's Joey Flechas and Charles Rabin

— " Expert: School shooter's mother drank heavily in pregnancy," by Terry Spencer

— "3 school administrators forced out; Superintendent details 'swift action' after grand jury report ," by South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Scott Travis

— "Gainesville real estate broker booked on charges for threatening to harm elected leaders," by The Gainesville Sun's Andrew Caplan

— "NASA takes Artemis I launch date off the board, considers another," by Orlando Sentinel's Richard Tribou

ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN

— "Man accused of racist attack on Black historian in Florida town faces assault charge," by Miami Herald's Charles Rabin: "A man accused of screaming the N-word at a prominent Black historian and others and then threatening to run them down in Rosewood, a small Florida town with a notorious racist history, has been arrested. According to an arrest report from the Levy County Sheriff's Office, David Allen Emanuel, 61, was arrested and charged Monday night with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Police determined he threatened Marvin Dunn, a professor emeritus of psychology at Florida International University, and his group with his pickup truck last week while they were gathered on the side of a public roadway."

— "Former Clay County Sheriff Darryl Daniels' lover first to testify in his sex scandal trial," by Florida Times-Union's Dan Scanlan: "The 'other woman' spent almost two hours answering questions as the first witness in this week's trial of her former lover Clay County Sheriff Darryl Daniels, who's accused of illegally telling deputies to arrest her for stalking in 2019. Cierra Smith, Daniels' mistress and a corrections officer he supervised in the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office before he became Clay County's sheriff, talked about her intimate relationship with him from 2013 to 2015, then rekindling their romance when she left her husband in North Carolina in 2019 and returned to Jacksonville."

BIRTHDAYS: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is 44 ... Apopka Mayor and former legislator Bryan Nelson

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