Peter Schorsch
Sunburn – The morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics.
By Peter Schorsch, Phil Ammann, Jenna Buzzacco-Foerster, Mitch Perry and Jim Rosica.
HILLARY CLINTON, DONALD TRUMP BATTLE FIERCELY OVER TAXES, RACES, TERROR
In a combative opening debate, Hillary Clinton emphatically denounced Donald Trump Monday night for keeping his personal tax returns and business dealings secret from voters and peddling a “racist lie” about President Barack Obama. Businessman Trump repeatedly cast Clinton as a “typical politician” as he sought to capitalize on Americans’ frustration with Washington.
Locked in an exceedingly close White House race, the presidential rivals tangled for 90-minutes over their vastly different visions for the nation’s future. Clinton called for lowering taxes for the middle class, while Trump focused more on renegotiating trade deals that he said have caused companies to move jobs out of the U.S. The Republican backed the controversial “stop-and-frisk policing” tactic as a way to bring down crime, while the Democrat said the policy was unconstitutional and ineffective.
The debate was heated from the start, with Trump frequently trying to interrupt Clinton and speaking over her answers. Clinton was more measured and restrained, but also needled the sometimes-thin-skinned Trump over his business record and wealth.
Trump aggressively tried to turn the transparency questions around on Clinton, who has struggled to overcome voters’ concerns about her honestly and trustworthiness. He said he would release his tax information when she produces more than 30,000 emails that were deleted from the personal internet server she used as secretary of state.
Tax experts have said there is no reason the businessman cannot make his records public during an audit.
Clinton was contrite in addressing her controversial email use, saying simply that it was a “mistake”. She notably did not fall back on many of the excuses she has often used for failing to use a government email during her four years as secretary of state.
“If I had to do it over again, I would obviously do it differently,” she said.
The televised face-off was the most anticipated moment in an election campaign that has been both historic and unpredictable. Both sides expected a record-setting audience for the showdown at Hofstra University in suburban New York, reflecting the intense national interest in the race to become America’s 45th president.
The candidates sparred over trade, taxes and how to bring good-paying jobs back to the United States.
Clinton said her Republican rival was promoting a “Trumped-up” version of trickle-down economics — a philosophy focused on tax cuts for the wealthy. She called for increasing the federal minimum wage, spending more on infrastructure projects and guaranteeing equal pay for women.
Trump panned policies that he said have led to American jobs being moved overseas, in part because of international trade agreements that Clinton has supported. He pushed Clinton aggressively on her past support for the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact while she was serving in the Obama administration. She’s since said she opposes the sweeping deal in its final form.
“You called it the gold standard of trade deals,” Trump said. “If you did win, you would approve that.”
Disputing his version of events, Clinton said, “I know you live in your reality.”
Trump struggled to answer repeated questions about why he only recently acknowledged that Barack Obama was born in the United States. For years, Trump has been the chief promoter of questions falsely suggesting the president was born outside of America.
“He has really started his political activity on this racist lie,” Clinton charged.
DEBATE TAKEAWAYS: CLINTON GETS UNDER TRUMP’S SKIN
— Trump’s temperament —
If Clinton aimed to get under Trump’s skin in the first 30 minutes of the debate, the Democratic nominee appeared to succeed. Clinton often put Trump on the defensive, saying he had “rooted for” the collapse of the housing industry and had considered climate change to be a hoax. In another exchange, Clinton said, “I have a feeling that by the end of this evening I’ll be blamed for everything that ever happened.”
Trump interjected, “Why not?” Later on, Trump said he had a “winning temperament,” prompting Clinton to respond: “Whew. OK.”
— Economy —
Trump scored points with his core supporters by lamenting the number of jobs that have moved overseas. He opened with an extensive argument that jobs are “fleeing the country” and going to Mexico while the U.S. economy is being undermined by China. He pointed to Ford Motor Co.’s plans to build compact cars in Mexico and railed against Carrier’s decision to move hundreds of air-conditioner manufacturing jobs from Indianapolis to Mexico. “So many hundreds and hundreds of companies are doing this,” Trump said. His economic case could resonate in states like Ohio and Michigan that have grappled with the loss of manufacturing jobs. “We have to stop our jobs from being stolen from us. We have to stop our companies from leaving the United States,” he said. Clinton pointed out that her father was a small businessman, adding, “The more we can do for the middle class, the more we can invest in you, your education, your skills, your future, the better we will be off.”
— Clinton zingers —
Often delivered with a smile, Clinton came prepared with pithy lines that undercut Trump’s case on the economy. In an early exchange, Clinton said Trump would push for “trickle-down” tax cuts that would only benefit the wealthy, calling it, “trumped-up trickle-down.” When Trump got in a dig at Clinton’s absence from the campaign trail, she said there was nothing wrong with spending time preparing for the debate. “You know what else I did?” she asked. “I prepared to be president.”
— The political outsider —
Trump repeatedly underscored his role as a political outsider, questioning the economic stewardship of President Barack Obama and the administration of former President Bill Clinton, who sat in the front row. Describing the loss of manufacturing jobs in states like Michigan and Ohio, Trump said Clinton had been in government for 30 years, asking, “Why are you just thinking about these solutions right now?” When the discussion turned to foreign policy, Trump said Obama and Clinton failed to confront the Islamic State group, saying his opponent was there when it was “an infant.”
— Trump’s taxes —
Clinton savaged Trump with a lengthy explanation of why Trump won’t release his tax returns, concluding he’s got something to hide. She said Trump may not be “as rich as he says he is” or “maybe he’s not as charitable” as he says he is. Clinton warned that perhaps Trump hadn’t paid any federal income tax at all, noting that some of Trump’s income tax returns in the 1970s showed he had paid no federal income taxes in certain years. Trump disclosed the returns to New Jersey casino regulators.
— Clinton’s emails —
Clinton gave arguably her most concise answer to questions about her use of a private email server as secretary of state, taking responsibility and giving Trump nowhere to go. Despite her past statements in which she changed her story from previous iterations or left wiggle room by not being completely accurate, on Monday she avoided getting wrapped up in a lengthy exchange over one of her biggest liabilities. When Trump said he would release his tax returns if Clinton put out what he called her “33,000 deleted” emails, Clinton said, “I made a mistake using a private email” server. Trump interjected, “That’s for sure,” prompting Clinton to respond, “I take responsibility for that.”
— Gender wars —
Clinton turned the tables on Trump when he was asked to respond to his assertions that she doesn’t have the “stamina” to be president. Trump questioned whether Clinton has the physical fitness to be president and he repeated the criticism directly to her. Clinton replied that Trump shouldn’t talk about stamina until he’s tried to maintain a busy schedule like that she kept up as secretary of state. And then she dug into him, adding, “This is a man who has called women pigs, slobs and dogs.”
— Racial politics —
Trump has said black voters have “nothing to lose” by supporting his candidacy but he was forced to answer for his role in claiming Obama was born outside the United States. Clinton accused Trump of spreading a “racist lie” that our “first black president” was not an American citizen, adding, “He has a long record of engaging in racist behavior.” Trump responded by recalling the bitter debates between Clinton and Obama during the 2008 Democratic presidential primary, saying Clinton treated Obama then with “terrible disrespect.” Later, when Clinton said Trump’s view of black communities was too grim, Trump sighed, rolled his eyes and said, “Ugh.”
— “I agree with her …”
Trump and Clinton seemed to agree on two potentially combustible political issues: child care and barring people on the terrorist watch list from buying guns. Both are unusual positions for a GOP presidential nominee. Trump injected an element of surprise when he said he disagreed with many Republicans and “we have to look at” barring the sales of guns to people on the terror watch list. The proposal is sharply opposed by the National Rifle Association, one of Trump’s chief backers, but Democrats have hoped it will change the dynamic of the gun debate. Trump also said he backs government aid for child care expenses, an issue that has been pushed by his daughter, Ivanka Trump. Clinton and Trump have both proposed plans to help families pay for child care.
SHOT: Google searches before the presidential debate, by U.S. state: 
CHASER: Google searches after the presidential debate, by U.S. state:
VOTERS NATIONALLY SAY CLINTON WON DEBATE 51/40 via Public Policy Polling – PPP’s post-debate survey … finds that voters nationally think Clinton defeated Donald Trump in the debate, 51/40. Perhaps most important for Clinton is that among young voters, who she has underperformed with, 63 percent think she won the debate to only 24 percent for Trump. 47 percent of voters in that age group said the debate made them more likely to vote for her, to only 10 percent who say it made them less likely to vote for her. For Trump with that group on the other hand, only 23 percent said the debate made them more likely to vote for him to 39 percent who said it made them less likely to. Clinton also won the debate by particularly wide margins with women (54/36) and voters who are either African-American or Latino (77/13). Among white voters the debate was basically a draw with Trump coming out ahead 47/45. Clinton emerges from the debate with clear advantages over Trump on temperament, preparedness to be President, and whether she can be trusted with nuclear weapons.
FINANCIAL MARKETS REACT via Quartz – As investors chalked up the debate as a win for Clinton—seen as the more stable candidate—the Mexican peso jumped almost 2% and the S&P 500 was up 0.6% in after-hours trading. The Canadian dollar strengthened from its weakest level since March in a signal that investors think Clinton could win the election.
— “Clinton did what she needed to do” via Rob Fournier of the Atlantic
— “If This night doesn’t save Hillary’s Campaign, Nothing Will.” via Jim Geraghty of the National Review
— “Viewers impressed by how male Trump looked during debate” via The Onion
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ON SOCIAL MEDIA, EVERYONE WANTED TO TALK ABOUT DONALD TRUMP’S TEMPERAMENT via Phillip Bump of the Washington Post – On Twitter and Facebook, Trump dominated the conversation, but it may not have been for positive reasons. Overall, the moment that had the most resonance on Facebook was when Trump said his strongest asset was his temperament. Trump was the subject of 79 percent of the conversation on the social network. On Twitter, he was the focus of 62 percent, with the most talked-about comment also being his temperament, followed by his comments on stop-and-frisk (which were debatable) and his mention of fighting the Islamic State.
TRUMP INTERRUPTED HILLARY CLINTON 25 TIMES IN THE FIRST 26 MINUTES OF THE DEBATE via Emily Crockett of Vox.com – It didn’t take long during Monday night’s presidential debate before Trump started interrupting Clinton. A lot, and aggressively. We kept count — and Trump interrupted Clinton 25 times in the first 26 minutes of the debate. Moderator Lester Holtinterrupted Clinton 15 times, bringing the total to 40. “That’s called business, by the way,” Trump interjected after Clinton argued that he “was one of the people who rooted for the housing crisis.” Shortly after that, he interrupted to deny that he ever said climate change was a hoax perpetrated by the Chinese … And then things escalated pretty quickly. Trump started loudly talking over Clinton and at times interrupted her with snide, even childish-sounding remarks. When Clinton directed viewers to check out her website for fact checks, Trump interjected: “And take a look at mine also.” At one point, he threw in a one-word, “Not.” Gender dynamics were always going to be a big deal at Monday’s debate. It wasn’t just America’s first major party presidential debate between a man and a woman; it was this particular man and woman — Donald Trump, who typically uses bullying, hypermasculine dominance as a weapon, and Hillary Clinton, who has spent decades weathering sexist attacks in the public eye. Many commentators were expecting it would cost Trump dearly if he came off as too domineering or bullying — and that he would moderate his style as a result. Apparently not.
HOWARD DEAN HAS A THORY ABOUT DONALD TRUMP’S SNIFFLES via Amber Phillips of the Washington Post – (F)rom the moment Trump took the stage for the first presidential debate, viewers couldn’t help but notice something: He was sniffly. In fact, The Post’s Gillian Brockell counted Trump sniffed at least 27 — wait, 28 — times since the debate began … So what’s going on? Twitter, of course, had its theories — among the most colorful was the drug use (when snorted, cocaine can cause nasal drip. Gross, I know). Dean was among the most prominent to share that (again, totally unsubstantiated) theory.
IT SURE SOUNDS LIKE TRUMP ADMITTED HE DOESN’T PAY TAXES via Helaine Olen of Slate.com – The moment came … when Trump was discussing the need for infrastructure improvements. “Our country has tremendous problems,” the Republican candidate said. “We’re a debtor nation, we’re a serious debtor nation, and we have a country that needs new roads, new tunnels, new bridges, new airports, new schools, new hospitals. And we don’t have the money, because it’s been squandered on so many of your ideas.” Clinton interrupted: “And maybe because you haven’t paid any federal income tax for a lot of years. And the other thing I think would be important …” It’s what came next that’s extraordinary. Trump said: “It would be squandered too, believe me.” Would be squandered. Had Trump just admitted he doesn’t pay a penny in taxes? It sure sounded that way … she missed the bigger point: Trump claims he cannot release his taxes because he is under audit by Internal Revenue Service. This is hooey. Instead, he’s left commentators—and Clinton, who also offered some other theories about Trump’s tax return … to wonder whether the real reason the Donald won’t let the public review his filings is because he doesn’t want us to see how little he’s paying. Perhaps because he’s not paying anything at all. Trump just gave those critics a lot of ammunition, even if Clinton didn’t seem to realize it onstage.
TRUMP WEBSITE GOES DOWN DURING DEBATE via Eric Geller of POLITICO – Trump‘s campaign website went down briefly approximately 30 minutes into the first presidential debate. It was back up shortly after 9:30 p.m. The outage appeared to begin shortly after both Trump and Clinton encouraged viewers to visit their website for details of their policies. The hacktivist group Anonymous tweeted a few minutes prior that it was “getting things set up” for the debate, but it was unclear exactly what the tweet was in reference to. Anonymous has taken down Trump’s website before.
MORE TWEETS
@MaryEllenKlas: Hillary frames answer of how to help American pocketbooks with long list of detail, Donald frames the problem but offers only 2 details
@SaintPetersblog: If I interrupted my wife as much as @RealDonaldTrump does @HillaryClinton, I’d be sleeping on the couch.
@JonFavs: Did Trump just answer his charge that he didn’t pay income taxes by saying “it would be squandered anyway?”
@JPeterDonald (Deputy Commissioner for Communications for NYPD): Stop question & frisk has decreased nearly 97% in NYC since ’11. Crime, murder, & shootings have decreased significantly during same period
@EliLake: To sum up. America’s leading Birther just cribbed Black Lives Matter to attack Hillary. Now he credits the birther thing to Sid Blumenthal
@BillMaher: If that meltdown ending with “I have the greatest temperment” hasn’t convinced the idiot undecideds to vote Clinton, nothing can.
@SteveCrisafulli: Donald Trump proved tonight he is the voice of change. Hillary Clinton is more politics as usual.
@Shawnfor63 (GOP lawmaker in a swing-y Florida House District): Donald Trump: Hillary kicked your butt. The middle will decide this election. You didn’t get them tonight. Next time prepare.
@TheMadStone: The only winner tonight is the Voyager probe, which is speeding away from the Earth at 17 kilometers/second
MORE REAX
American Bridge: “Donald Trump confirmed tonight, once again, what we already knew — he’s unfit to serve as Commander in Chief. His complete lack of substantive ideas and two-minute long tirade on birtherism aside, Trump couldn’t manage to keep his temper in check for even a few moments before he lashed out. While Republicans watched with bated breath hoping “presidential” Trump would appear tonight, it became clear that “presidential” Trump simply does not exist. Trump showed himself to be angry, thin-skinned, prone to lies, and operating on a hair trigger temper — and those qualities have no place in the Oval Office.”
Politico: “Insiders: Hillary Won. Eight in 10 agree Donald Trump lost the first debate, but Republicans aren’t convinced it will hurt him.”
RedState.com via Caleb Howe: – Winners: The Media: The real winner … was the media. Attack Ad Makers: Oh boy. If you are in the business of making attack ads, you are about to be rich, rich, rich. Hard Core Supporters: If preaching to your own choir counts for anything, then tonight was a huge success. Sean Hannity: Trump said your name, Sean. SQUEE!! Losers: Gun Rights Advocates … America’s Reputation: These two could not have been less likable. Hillary was awkward, her “emulate human emotion” chip malfunctioned multiple times, and she can’t deliver a killing blow line to save her life. Donald, on the other hand, was too emotional, temper driven, surly, quick to interrupt, and bad at facts and information. Sean Hannity: Everybody refuses to call him.
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TRUMP, CLINTON DEADLOCKED IN BLOOMBERG POLL BEFORE KEY DEBATE via John McCormick of Bloomberg Politics – The Republican and Democratic nominees each get 46 percent of likely voters in a head-to-head contest in the latest Bloomberg Politics national poll, while Trump gets 43 percent to Clinton’s 41 percent when third-party candidates are included. Clinton faces higher expectations as tens of millions of people tune in for a television spectacle that could reach Super Bowl viewership levels. About half, 49 percent, say they anticipate the former secretary of state will perform better, while 39 percent say that for Trump … Among likely voters under 35 years old, Clinton gets 50 percent to Trump’s 40 percent, down from her 29-point margin in August in the two-way race and from her 26-point margin in June in the three-way race … The poll’s margin of error is plus or minus 3.1 points for top-line numbers, with 1,002 likely voters interviewed, and is higher among subgroups.
The poll was taken Wednesday through Saturday, after Clinton took political heat for calling half of Trump’s supporters “deplorables” and for disclosing she had pneumonia after a video caught her falling ill at a Sept. 11 ceremony. Both major nominees face skepticism from a majority of likely voters about their trustworthiness and their willingness to tell the public everything it wants to know to decide if they’re fit to serve. More than seven in 10 rate Clinton’s truthfulness as “just fair” or “poor,” while more than six in 10 say that of Trump … About two-thirds of likely voters, 69 percent, say Trump should maintain 40 years of tradition for presidential nominees and release his tax returns … Trump is rated better than Clinton on physical health, with 61 percent calling his “excellent” or “good” compared to 36 percent who give Clinton good marks. Just 8 percent call Trump’s health “poor” compared to 31 percent for Clinton. Still, half of likely voters say they aren’t bothered at all that Clinton didn’t immediately tell the public about her pneumonia.
TRUMP DIRECTED $2.3 MILLION OWED TO HIM TO HIS TAX-EXEMPT FOUNDATION INSTEAD via David Fahrenthold of the Washington Post – In cases where he diverted his own income to his foundation, tax experts said, Trump would still likely be required to pay taxes on the income. Trump has refused to release his personal tax returns. His campaign said he paid income tax on one of the donations, but did not respond to questions about the others. That gift was a $400,000 payment from Comedy Central, which owed Trump an appearance fee for his 2011 “roast.” Then there were payments totaling nearly $1.9 million from a man in New York City who sells sought-after tickets and one-of-a-kind experiences to wealthy clients. That man, Richard Ebers, bought goods and services — including tickets — from Trump or his businesses, according to two people familiar with the transactions, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak about the payments. They said that Ebers was instructed to pay the Donald J. Trump Foundation instead.
The gifts begin to answer one of the mysteries surrounding the foundation: Why would other people continue giving to Trump’s charity when Trump himself gave his last recorded donation in 2008? The donations from Ebers and Comedy Central, which account for half the money given to the Trump Foundation since 2008, also provide new evidence of the Trump Foundation’s ties to Trump’s business empire … laws governing the diversion of income into a foundation were written, in part, to stop charity leaders from funneling income that should be taxed into a charity and then using that money to benefit themselves. Such violations can bring monetary penalties, the loss of tax-exempt status, and even criminal charges in extreme cases.
FLORIDA CHAMBER POLL: CLINTON 43%, TRUMP 41% via Florida Politics — The survey found Clinton is at 43 percent, followed by Trump at 41 percent. Libertarian Gary Johnson received 8 percent support, while 5 percent said they were undecided. Two percent of respondents said they would pick someone else. Both Clinton and Trump are deeply disliked. The survey found 55 percent of respondents said they had an unfavorable view of Clinton, while 41 percent had a favorable opinion. The poll found 53 percent of respondents had an unfavorable view of Trump, while 39 percent said they had a favorable view of Trump. Clinton is helped by a commanding lead among Hispanic voters. She leads 53 percent to 30 percent in a head-to-head race with Trump. She also leads with African Americans, leading Trump 89 percent to 4 percent. Trump leads among white voters, 51 percent to 35 percent.
TIM KAINE OUTLINES ECONOMY UNDER CLINTON DURING LAKELAND SPEECH via Adam Smith and Christopher O’Donnell of the Tampa Bay Times – In his 43-minute speech before about 120 enthusiastic supporters, Kaine also talked about national security and took repeated shots at … Trump, saying a Trump presidency would lead to the loss of 3 million jobs. “Hillary will be a ‘You’re-hired’ president; Donald Trump will be a ‘You’re-fired’ president,” Kaine told a delighted crowd in a reference to Trump’s reality TV show line. And of course, Kaine couldn’t’ resist providing his own preview of tonight’s highly anticipated debate, predicting that Trump’s election promises — like a wall sealing off the United States from Mexico — wouldn’t stand up the scrutiny of a one-on-one debate. “You’ve got 90 minutes and there’s just two of you onstage,” Kaine said. “You can run, but you can’t hide.”
… Kaine’s biggest attacks on Trump were about his ability to be an effective commander in chief. He blasted Trump for his praise of Putin and public statements that he would end U.S. cooperation with allies. That would mean less intelligence sharing, weakening the United States and putting its residents more at risk from terrorism, Kaine said. “Donald Trump as commander in chief scares me to death,” he said.
BILLBOARD IN MIAMI LINKS TRUMP AND MARCO RUBIO via Alex Leary of the Tampa Bay Times – “The digital billboard ad, located directly next to the Palmetto Expressway exit for Rubio’s Miami Senate office, will run for four weeks, warning drivers about not only the danger of a Trump presidency but the danger of the Florida Republican senator’s outspoken endorsement of Trump,” according to a release from Florida’s Voice, which joined with For Florida’s Future, a super PAC tied to Tom Steyer. “Recent polling in the state indicates that a majority of Latino voters are unaware (47 percent) that much of Rubio’s immigration position mirrors the GOP nominee and platform and that 58 percent would be deterred from giving him a second Senate term if they knew that he supported Donald Trump.” The Spanish-language billboard includes a quote from Trump and Rubio. “I’m not just saying Mexicans, I’m talking about people that are from all over that are killers and rapists and they’re coming into this country,” Trump is quoted as saying. “We have to make sure that Donald wins this election,” says Rubio.
MEANWHILE … JILL STEIN BARNSTORMING FLORIDA THIS WEEK via Adam Smith of the Tampa Bay Times – Green Party nominee Stein hasn’t made much of a showing in most Florida presidential polls, but she will make a big Sunshine State swing this week, hitting Tampa, Sarasota, Orlando and Miami Wednesday through Friday. The schedule: Wednesday, Sept. 28, 6:30 p.m. – 9 p.m. The Cuban Club, 2010 N Avenida Republica De Cuba in Ybor City; Thursday, Sept. 29, Noon – 2 p.m., Robert L Taylor Community Center, 1845 34th St. in Sarasota; Thursday, Sept. 29, 6 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., Flamboyan Banquet Hall at Acacia’s El Centro Borinqueno, 1865 N Econlockhatchee Trail in Orlando; Friday, Sept. 30, 6 p.m. – 10 p.m., Miami Dade College, 300 NE 2nd Ave., Wolfson Campus, Chapman Hall in Miami.
FLORIDA CHAMBER POLL SHOWS MARCO RUBIO IS AT 46%, PATRICK MURPHY AT 42% via Jenna Buzzacco-Foerster of Florida Politics — Another day, another poll showing a close race between Murphy and Rubio. The Florida Chamber Political Institute released a new poll Monday that showed Rubio and Murphy were locked into a tight race. The survey found Rubio was at 46 percent, while Murphy was at 42 percent. Eleven percent of Floridians polled said they were undecided.The poll of 617 registered voters was conducted from Sept. 15 through Sept. 20. The survey has a margin of error of 4 percent. Rubio leads Murphy among Hispanics, 46 percent to 43 percent. He also leads Murphy among white voters, 53 percent to 35 percent. Murphy, meanwhile, holds a 68 percentage point lead over Rubio among African American voters, 79 percent to 11 percent. With just a few weeks until Election Day, Murphy remains unknown. The survey found 29 percent of respondents said they had never heard of Murphy, while 22 percent said they had a favorable view of Murphy. Twenty-four percent of respondents said they had an unfavorable view of Murphy.
ALISON MORANO TO LEAD FLORIDA CAMPAIGN CHALLENGING RUBIO ON SOCIAL SECURITY via Mitch Perry of Florida Politics – Americans United for Change announced Mondaya six-figure, five-state ‘Hands Off My Social Security!’ campaign “to prevent a surprise attack after the November election” on Social Security, and Alison Morano will lead the effort here in Florida. Morano, the vice chair of the Florida Democratic Party and former chair of the Pasco County Democrats, will work on trying to get Rubio to back off his previous comments on the issue by having him a pledge to strengthen the program. “If Senator Rubio refuses to sign this pledge against benefit cuts and privatization, he will be hounded to explain why wherever he goes,” Morano said … “We’ll be there at his public events, at his offices, outside his closed door fundraisers, and on social media. If he won’t answer why, why should voters trust him to not undermine their retirement security? If Rubio prefers to let his record speak for itself, then fine. He’s on tape claiming Social Security “weakened us as a people” even though Americans work very hard to pay into the system. The record shows that the first chance he got, Senator Rubio would force seniors to tough it out another year or so by raising the retirement age including those with physically demanding jobs. Rubio also used to be a big advocate of privatizing Social Security and letting his big donor friends on Wall Street get their hands on earned benefits. Rubio claims he’s changed his mind on privatization, but then he voted in 2015 against a measure to make it harder to pass such a proposal. Like privatization, voting for Senator Rubio is a risky gamble for Florida Seniors.”
TWEET, TWEET: @burgessev: No mention at all by Kaine or any other speaker of Patrick Murphy/Florida Senate race that Democrats keep saying is winnable.
EVEN MURPHY’S NAME IS A POLITICAL CREATION via Brent Scher of the Washington Free Beacon – Murphy went by his middle name “Erin” until he decided to pursue a life in politics in 2011 … All traces of Murphy before his political career—from mentions in the Miami Herald to his signature on official documents—indicate that he was known to all as “Erin.” Murphy reinvented himself in 2011 after hiring a political consultant to map out his congressional run. He moved to a new district, switched party affiliations, and started telling tall tales about being a successful small-business owner. He also abandoned the name “Erin,” which he had gone by since his days as a prep school student in Miami and aspiring businessman. Incorporation documents for Coastal Environmental Services, a failed company that Murphy’s father started for him as he attempted to assist with cleanup of the Gulf oil spill, list Erin Murphy as one of the company’s three board members. The Miami Herald business section announced that “Coastal Construction Group has named Erin Murphy vice president of coastal environmental services.” When Murphy was quoted in official company press releases, he was referred to as Erin Murphy. In the company’s 2012 annual report, Erin Murphy was still listed as a director. The Free Beacon has determined that the name goes back to Murphy’s childhood and continued to be used until he entered politics. The earliest mentions of Murphy located by the Free Beacon were during his high school days at Palmer Trinity, a private Miami prep school. Though he is currently referred to as “Patrick” on the school website, records show he was not actually called that while enrolled there … Murphy listed his name as Patrick Murphy in his initial statement of organization with the FEC in March 2011, but still signed the form as Erin. He later abandoned the signature as well, as can be seen on the statement of candidacy filing for his current Senate campaign.
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DAYS UNTIL: First day domestic vote-by-mail ballots can be sent – 7; first day of early voting – 31; Election Day – 41; first Legislative Organization Session – 55; premiere of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story – 79; start of 2017 Legislative Session – 160.
POLL: 73% OF VOTERS SUPPORT MEDICAL MARIJUANA BALLOT INITIATIVE via Florida Politics — A new poll from the Florida Chamber Political Institute found 73 percent of voters would support the amendment. The survey found 22 percent were opposed to the ballot initiative. The poll of 617 registered voters was conducted from Sept. 15 through Sept. 20. The survey has a margin of error of 4 percent. The 2016 proposal allows people with debilitating medical conditions, as determined by a licensed Florida physician, to use medical marijuana. A similar amendment received 58 percent of the vote in 2014, just shy of the 60 percent needed to become law. The new Florida Chamber Political Institute survey is in line with other recent polls, which showed 70 percent of Floridians supported the amendment.
SOLAR AMENDMENT SUPPORTED BY 66% OF FLORIDIANS, NEW POLL FINDS via Florida Politics — A new poll by the Florida Chamber Political Institute found 66 percent of Florida voters would support solar power initiative, while 16 percent of respondents said they would vote against it. “The Florida Chamber supports the solar energy policies in Amendment 1 and it appears Florida voters do too,” said Mark Wilson, the president and CEO of the Florida Chamber of Commerce, in a statement. The amendment is backed by the state’s major electric companies, and outlines the rules for solar power in Florida. It would put existing law dealing with the rights of homeowners and businesses to own or lease solar equipment into the state constitution.
DAVID JOLLY AND CHARLIE CRIST DON’T DISAGREE ON EVERYTHING IN CD 13 via Marc Puente of the Tampa Bay Times – In separate interviews … Jolly and Crist revealed that not much separates them on major issues such as the Cuban embargo and background checks for buying high-powered firearms. Last month commercial flights between the United States and the island nation resumed after being halted for a half-century. While President Obama has restored diplomatic relations with Cuba and loosened restrictions on travel, the Cold War-era embargo remains in place. Jolly prefers to lift the ban in stages. He cautioned that tourist money from China and other countries hasn’t improved the lives of the Cuban people. He fears that U.S. dollars will only enrich the Castro regime, not reform it. Crist supports lifting the embargo because of Florida’s and Tampa Bay’s ties to Cuba.
Crist and Jolly both stressed the need to keep Americans safe in the aftermath of mass shootings and domestic terrorist attacks on crowded venues, such as the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando … Jolly also favors tougher background checks. He’s also open to exploring whether the number of bullets that can be held in a rifle magazine should be restricted … They don’t agree on everything, of course. Take Obamacare. Jolly maintained his opposition to the ACA. Repealing Obamacare was one of his main planks when he won his seat in 2014. He says, though, that the ACA should not be repealed unless a new plan is in place. “We should have legislation to ensure that nobody is worse off,” he said. “We owe it to the people to have an alternative.” Crist, who once favored repeal as governor, now said he “strongly supports” the ACA and pointed out that Jolly has voted to end it.
DONATIONS TO LEGISLATIVE CAMPAIGNS TOP $308.1 MILLION — Legislative campaigns raised $308.1 million through Aug. 16. An analysis by Contribution Link found $234.5 million of that went to committees. Political committees received 78 percent, or $182.3 million, of that sum, while the party executive committees received $29.2 million, or 12 percent of the total donations to committees. Affiliated party committees received $13.2 million, or about 6 percent of the total contributions to committees. The analysis showed $73.6 million went to candidates. Most of that — $38.8 million, or 52 percent — went to Republican candidates, while Democrats received $22.1 million, or 30 percent of the total donations to candidates. No party affiliate candidates brought in $12.7 million through Sept. 16.
BOB BUESING RELEASES FIRST TV AD via Michael Auslen of the Tampa Bay Times – The ad highlights three of Buesing‘s, “bonus kids,” the word he uses to describe the six at-risk youth he and his wife have taken in over the years. “Every kid in Florida deserves a fair shot,” Buesing says in the ad. “We can’t let special interests undermine our values.” Buesing faces Dana Young and Joe Redner, who is not affiliated with a party, for the open Senate seat in District 18. Young released her first ads in mid-August. The Buesing ad features three “bonus kids”: Laura Lee, who now works full-time as a waitress and volunteers for the campaign; Bianqa, who graduated from technical college and works as a hospital lab technician; and Alberto … a certified nurse assistant and community college student. The ad is the beginning of an expected six-figure ad buy, according to the campaign.
FRANK ARTILES RAISES $109K IN TWO WEEKS FOR SD 40 BID via Jenna Buzzacco-Foerster of Florida Politics – State records show Artiles raised a combined $209,225 — $109,225 to his official campaign account and $100,000 to his political committee— between Sept. 3 and Sept. 16 … Dwight Bullard raised $9,925 during the same time period, $3,750 of which was in kind contributions from the Florida Democratic Party. Bullard received $1,000 from the Community Health Care political committee, three $1,000 contributions from United Teachers of Dade TIGER, and $100 from St. Lucie County TIGER PAC. The in-kind contribution from the Florida Democratic Party was for polling, records show. Bullard had just one expenditure during two-week fundraising period. Records show the campaign spent $344 on a charitable contribution to the Zoological Society of South Florida. He ended the fundraising period with $54,584 cash on hand. Records show Artiles raised $109,225 for his official campaign between Sept. 3 and Sept. 16. That included $1,000 contributions from the Florida Leadership Committee, Friends of Jason Brodeur, Rebuild Florida, Growing Florida’s Future and Jobs for Florida. His campaign spent $108,742 during the same time period, including $72,793 for a TV ad buy. He ended the reporting period with $135,285 in his campaign account. His political committee, Veterans for Conservative Principles, raised another $100,000 during the same time span. That included $25,000 contributions from Jobs for Florida, Working for Florida’s Families and Innovate Florida, the political committee chaired by Senate Majority Leader Bill Galvano.
HD 68 REPUBLICAN JB BENSHIMEN HITS FUNDRAISING RUT via Mitch Perry of Florida Politics – With six weeks to go before the election in Pinellas County, the 47-year-old Benshimen, a home health care business executive who has lived in the district for less than a year, has raised only $14,608. Ben Diamond, on the other hand, has collected $292,688. “David Jolly is right. People are tired of you calling them up and asking them for money,” he said half-jokingly … referring to Jolly’s STOP Act legislation which would ban federal office holders from fundraising. “People don’t like it,” he says about dialing for dollars, though he insists he’ll be in the hunt when it’s all said and done Nov. 8. Benshimen said he has proven that he can successfully fundraise, having raised more than $120,000 for his race for Florida’s 22nd Congressional District seat in Palm Beach County last year to oppose Democrat Lois Frankel. But he opted out of that race after redistricting made it much more viable for a Republican to win. He ultimately moved to St. Petersburg earlier this year and prepared to challenge Dwight Dudley in the HD 68 seat, before Dudley surprised observers by dropping out of the race in May. Benshimen says the campaign is putting in another $24,000 into his campaign. “We’re trying to raise money the best way we can,” he says.
HAPPENING TODAY: Buesing is scheduled for a meet-and-greet event 6 p.m. at the Lake Carlton Arms, Clubhouse 2, 5631 Goldfish Dr. in Lutz.
IN FIRST VIDEO AD, JENNIFER WEBB SLAMS SPECIAL INTERESTS via Anne Lindberg of Florida Politics – “For too long, big special interests have gotten their way in Tallahassee and we’re paying the price,” Webb says in the 30-second spot. Examples flash on the screen: “Duke Energy customers will pay $108 million a year for canceled nuclear plants” and “Teco, Duke Energy get electrical rate increases.” Also flashing on the screen are Webb’s campaign promises: To take on special interests, protect drinking water, oppose fracking and stop Duke’s utility tax. “Let’s put the people of Pinellas first,” Webb concludes. Webb, a Democrat, is making her first run for public office against HD 69 incumbent Kathleen Peters.
HAPPENING TOMORROW: Candidates in Pinellas County state House districts 66, 67 and 69 are slated to speak at the Suncoast Tiger Bay Club beginning noon at the St. Petersburg Yacht Club, 11 Central Ave. in St. Petersburg.
ENDORSEMENT WATCH:
Linda Stewart, running for Florida Senate District 13, has been endorsed by state Rep. Mike Clelland, her former rival in the SD 13 Democratic primary.
Dana Young, running for Florida Senate District 18, was endorsed by the Hillsborough County Firefighters Local 2294 and Tampa Firefighters Local 754.
***Host your Election Night Watch Party at the Governors Club, Tallahassee’s premier business, social and political venue! Party packages are available for all budgets; rooms for 50-450 guests. For more information or to book a celebration, contact Laura Kalinoski, Director of Catering at 850-205-0665 or [email protected]. Visit www.GovClub.com***
ASSIGNMENT EDITORS: Gov. Scott will tour the Mosaic New Wales Facility and sinkhole and receive a briefing from DEP and company officials at 11:30 a.m. at the Mosaic New Wales Facility, 3095 County Road 460 West in Mulberry.
JACK LATVALA: ‘WIDE RANGE OF OPTIONS ON EVERGLADES TO BE CONSIDERED’ via Bruce Ritchie of POLITICO Florida – As incoming Senate budget chairman, GOP Sen. Jack Latvala says he will carry Sen. Joe Negron’s proposal for an Everglades water storage reservoir “to the finish line” in 2017, but he also says the chamber will consider a range of options. Negron, the incoming Senate president, in August proposed that the state buy 60,000 acres of farmland south of Lake Okeechobee to reduce environmentally harmful discharges to coastal estuaries. Some agricultural industry representatives are dismissing the idea but Latvala says environmentalists, agriculture and business groups need to work together. “I think it’s wrong to think there is only one idea that can’t be modified on the table,” Latvala
STATE, LOCAL OFFICIALS JOIN EX-PRISONERS TO PROTEST PROPOSED CLOSING BRIDGES OF AMERICA CENTER via Larry Griffin of Florida Politics – A group of state and local elected officials, as well as reformed ex-prisoners who know firsthand what the Bridges of America Orlando Transition Center can do, appeared to protest the possible closing of the center by the Florida Department of Corrections. The center is being considered for closure due to what Bridges of America presumed was budgetary constraints. But years of results have shown the center to cost taxpayers less money and reduce recidivism, it asserted … If the center is closed, the inmates in the program would have to operate out of the prison itself. At the news conference, reformed ex-prisoners Jeffery Vannocker, James Rogers and Jacob Deibler made an impassioned, emotional appeal as to why the current center at 2001 Mercy Drive is ideal — and why the program worked, through sharing their stories. “Being at this program helped me in so many ways,” Vannocker said. “It was able to open my mind artistically, I did a lot of family days, and they got me into work releases and an excellent job. The counselors helped me with anger management, criminal thinking errors, stuff along those lines. When I got back into the real world, it helped me get ready for society, and the pressures you’re not used to being incarcerated.” He said one of the most memorable experiences he had with the center was seeing his daughter on Christmas one year after initially not being allowed to. “I was afforded the opportunity to learn quite a bit about myself, and why I was acting and behaving the way I was,” Rogers said. “Learning came through the process of group therapy, receiving feedback from peers, and one-on-one counseling, receiving feedback from counselors who not only had been there before, but also were educated to help us understand the reasons for our criminality and substance abuse.” Deibler said the program at the center was a simulation of sorts to what it’s like to being in normal society. State legislators Randolph Bracy, Victor Torres, Mike Miller, Eric Eisnaugle and Bob Cortes also appeared, joining City of Orlando Commissioner Regina Hill and County Commissioner Bryan Nelson. All were fiercely opposed to the idea of closing the Bridges to America center.
TEACHERS UNION ASKS SUPREME COURT TO TAKE VOUCHER CASE via Florida Politics – Attorneys for the statewide teachers’ union … filed a brief asking the Florida Supreme Court to review a lower court decision involving the state’s largest private school voucher program. The Florida Education Association said the supreme court “should accept jurisdiction and review the (1st District Court of Appeal)’s decision.” The appellate court had sided with a trial court’s decision to throw out the lawsuit filed by the association and others. They argued that its method of funding private-school educations for more than 90,000 schoolchildren this year is unconstitutional. A three-judge panel said the plaintiffs don’t have standing to sue because they haven’t been harmed by the program. The panel also denied that it violates state law. The vouchers are funded by corporations, which in turn receive tax credits on money they owe to the state. But the brief … said “the decision not only undermines the law of taxpayer standing, but it effectively holds the Scholarship Program – and any other government program similarly funded by a targeted tax credit rather than direct appropriations – to be immune from challenge under … the Florida Constitution.” The state Supreme Court previously ended a different voucher program championed by former Gov. Jeb Bush.
COURT GRANTS FLORIDA ENVIRO GROUPS’, STATES’ REQUESTS TO FILE BRIEFS IN WATER DISPUTE via Bruce Ritchie of POLITICO Florida – A U. S. Supreme Court official has granted a request by Florida environmental groups to file a brief in the state’s water lawsuit against Georgia. Gov. Scott in 2013 filed the lawsuit asking the nation’s highest court to limit Georgia’s water use from the Chattahoochee and Flint rivers, which he said threatened oysters in Apalachicola Bay and the seafood industry there. Florida environmental groups said, while previous interstate water disputes provided for an allocation of water based on human needs, this case “puts the need to apportion water for pressing ecological concerns front and center.” Court special master Ralph Lancaster, a Maine lawyer, granted the request to file an amicus brief by Apalachicola Riverkeeper and the Florida Wildlife Federation along with the National Audubon Society and Defenders of Wildlife. The briefs must be filed by Oct. 21. Lancaster also granted such requests by Alabama, Colorado and Georgia groups, including the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, Georgia Farm Bureau and the Chattahoochee Riverkeeper. The case goes to trial Oct. 31 in Maine. Alabama, which is not a party to the case but is involved in a related federal lawsuit filed in 1990 over the operation of federal hydropower reservoirs on the Chattahoochee River, said it would advise the court on how an order could be crafted without harming Alabama’s interest. The only group that was denied leave to file a brief was the Lake Lanier Association, which includes homeowners and businesses around the federal reservoir on the Chattahoochee River north of Atlanta. The request was denied because the association wanted to file its brief only after the Oct. 21 deadline.
JORGE LABARGA SOLICITS RESUMES FOR CRC APPOINTMENTS via Christine Sexton of POLITICO Florida – Labarga [is] accepting resumes of people who are interested in serving on the Florida Constitution Revision Commission. As chief justice of the Florida Supreme Court, Labarga, 63, will have three appointments to the 37-member commission. The commission meets every 20 years to consider revising the state’s constitution. Members are appointed by the governor, the president of the Senate, the speaker of the House, and the chief justice of the state Supreme Court. The state’s attorney general automatically sits as a member. Resumes must be submitted by Dec. 31.
DUMBEST POLICY STORY YOU’LL READ TODAY — WHY ARE STATE REPS PAID TO NOT DRAFT LEGISLATION via Rachel Polansky of NBC 2 — Six months prior to an election, dozens of state lawmakers are not allowed to make laws. It’s all spelled out in this policy manual. None of the 120 members of the Florida House are allowed to draft bills during the “blackout period” if they are seeking re-election. In Southwest Florida right now, there are four lawmakers who cannot draft any legislation: Rep. Ben Albritton in District 56, Rep. Ray Rodrigues in District 76, Rep. Matt Caldwell in District 79, and Rep. Carlos Trujillo in District 105. “When you’re talking about a two-year term, losing the ability to plan for the future for six months can be a little frustrating,” said Rep. Caldwell. He admits it’s a tough rule to follow, but he stands behind the principle. “There’s no guarantee that you’re going to return come the general election,” Rep. Caldwell said. The Florida Senate does not have any similar restrictions.
HAPPENING TODAY – CITIZENS PROPERTY INSURANCE COMMITTEE MEETINGS — Committees of the Citizens Property Insurance Corp. Board of Directors will hold meetings beginning at 10:30 a.m. at the Sheraton Orlando North, 600 North Lake Destiny Drive in Maitland. The market accountability advisor committee, finance and investment committee, and depopulation committee are among the committees holding meetings. The committees are meeting ahead of Wednesday’s Board of Governor’s meeting.
HAPPENING TODAY – FLORIDA CHAIN HOSTS MOVING FORWARD TOGETHER CONFERENCE — Florida CHAIN, a statewide health advocacy organization, will host its second annual conference, Moving Forward Together: Advancing Health Care for Those Left Behind, beginning at the Harry P. Leu, Gardens, 1920 North Forest Avenue in Orlando. The event kicks off at 10 a.m. with a press conference to release a report looking at the health disparities in the state. Among the topics scheduled to be discussed are Medicaid expansion and the Low Income Pool; children’s’ health care and seniors’ health care, and emerging needs in the field. Speakers include Minority Leader Mark Pafford, Dr. Cara James, the director of the Office of Minority Health at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, and Dr. Stephen Freedman, director of health policy at the University of Florida.
HAPPENING TODAY – JACKSONVILLE LAWMAKERS LAUNCH PROGRAM TO COMBAT DRUG ABUSE — Sens. Aaron Bean and Audrey Gibson will join Reps. Paul Renner, Charles McBurney, and other elected officials to unveil a new safe medication disposal kiosk at 10 a.m. at a Jacksonville Walgreens, 6006 Beach Blvd. Media interested in attending should RSVP to [email protected].
HAPPENING TODAY – FWC, LEON COUNTY TO HOST “BEARWISE” EVENT — The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Leon County will host a BearWise Public Education Event at 6 p.m. at the Fort Braden Community Center, 16387 Blountstown Hwy. in Tallahassee. The events are meant to education residents and businesses in bear-prone areas on ways to reduce human-bear interactions. Residents will learn preventative techniques to reduce bear attractants, keep pets and livestock safe, and properly secure garbage. They’ll also learn how to respond to an encounter with a bear. A bear resistant trash can will also be raffled off.
PERSONNEL NOTE: TONY GUZZO HEADS TO AHCA via Florida Politics – Guzzo is the new Deputy Director of Legislative Affairs at Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration. Guzzo was with the state for the last 10 years. Most recently, he served as a legislative analyst for the House Health & Human Services Committee, where he worked the past six legislative sessions. Before that, he was an auditor of workers’ compensation claims for the state. His brother, Cory and father, Gary, are lobbyists with Floridian Partners.
PERSONNEL NOTE: LISA HURLEY JOINS SMITH BRYAN & MYERS via Florida Politics — Hurley, legislative director for the Florida Association of Counties (FAC), has turned in a resignation letter and is heading to Tallahassee’s Smith, Bryan & Myers influence shop. Her last day will be Oct. 21. FAC Executive Director Scott Shalley shared the news with his board of directors in a Monday morning memo. “In my 30 years of involvement with Tallahassee’s legislative process, I have never worked with anyone more impressive than Lisa Hurley,” he said. She is a “brilliant lawyer, a tireless advocate, and (most importantly) one of the most ethically grounded people in this process.” There’s a silver lining, Shalley added. Since Smith, Bryan & Myers has an outside contract to lobby for the association, Hurley will still work on the group’s issues, he said. Shalley told the board he will immediately begin a search to find the association’s next chief in-house lobbyist.
NEW LOBBYING REGISTRATIONS
Thomas Arnold, David Browning, Jerry McDaniel, James McFaddin, Southern Strategy Group: Ride Solution, Inc.
Greg Black, Jim Daughton, Patricia Green, Warren Husband, Aimee Diaz Lyon, Andy Palmer, Allison Liby-Schoonover, Metz Husband & Daughton: Barron Collier Companies; International Equestrian Group
Carlos Cruz, Cruz & Company: Polaris Pharmacy Services
Pete Dunbar, Martha Edenfield, Brittany Finkbeiner, Cari Roth, Dean Mead: Orlando Lutheran Towers, Inc.
Nicole Graganella, Colodny Fass: WellCare Health Plans
Kathryn Grant: The Campaign to Keep Guns off Campus
Cynthia Henderson: AECOM
Yolanda Jackson, Becker & Poliakoff: Miami Children’s Initiative
Frank Mayernick, Tracy Mayernick, The Mayernick Group: Smart Pharmacy
Rachel Silverstein: Miami Waterkeeper
Josh Spagnola: Centene dba Sunshine Health
ON THIS WEEK’S EDITION OF THE ROTUNDA – On Trimmel Gomes’ latest episode of The Rotunda, he talks with Democratic Congresswoman Gwen Graham who is calling on Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection to make public all of its records following a massive sinkhole spill at Mosaic’s New Wales plant in Mulberry that’s leaking radioactive waste into the state’s aquifer. Politico’s environmental reporter Bruce Ritchie chats with Gomes about the politics behind the sinkhole story while previewing some of the water battles ahead in the 2017 legislative session. Meanwhile, as Attorney General Pam Bondi tries to shake a repeat story about the campaign donation she sought from Donald Trump, her work to fight against human trafficking inspires former child slave and activist, Brigitte Perenyi who talks with Gomes about being liberated from being a “trokosi” girl.
REGISTRATION NOW OPEN FOR 2016 SAYFIE REVIEW FLORIDA LEADERS SUMMIT — The 4th annual Sayfie Review Summit is scheduled for Nov. 17 and No. 18 at the JW Marriott Grande Lakes, 4040 Central Florida Parkway in Orlando. The 2016 event marks the first time the summit will be held days after a presidential election and days before new members of the Legislature and presiding officers are sworn in. The 2016 event also marks the first time the summit will have a general admission program open to Sayfie Review readers. The traditional invitation-only program will begin at noon on Nov. 17. The general admission program will begin at 5:30 p.m. that same day, with a cocktail reception for all invitees and attendees. Speakers this year will include Joe Scarborough, the former congressman and host of MSNBC’s Morning Joe, and Jake Tapper, host of CNN’s The Lead with Jake Tapper. For more registration information, visit www.sayfiesummit.com.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to one of our INFLUENCE 100 alumni, Monica Russo of SEIU Florida.
