Staff Reports
If Rosenstein leaves, what next?
It was difficult to imagine that anything could divert the media’s, if not the entire country’s, laser focus on the allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. Friday’s New York Times bombshell about Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein offering to wear a wire to gain sufficient material on President Donald Trump to invoke the 25th Amendment did just that.
At least for a little while.
The reaction from Trump was measured, while others in his party publicly urged him not to act hastily in firing Rosenstein. The President laid the fault at the feet of Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
By Monday, reports began circulating that Rosenstein might resign or be fired, a distinction without a difference. That would likely intensify a GOP push to expose what they describe as nefarious activities against Trump within the upper echelons of federal law enforcement. He is set to meet with Trump on Thursday.
Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina has said Rosenstein only should be fired if he lied to Trump. Graham then described an even more significant “bureaucratic coup” against Trump playing out within the FBI and Department of Justice.
“They tried to destroy this President,” Graham said. “If Rosenstein is involved, he should be fired. If he is not involved, leave him alone … There’s a bureaucratic coup going on at the Department of Justice and the FBI and somebody needs to look at it.”
Democrats describe Graham’s and other Republicans’ attacks on DOJ and the FBI as a cynical attempt to undermine the investigation of independent counsel Robert Mueller.
Conservative television commentator Sean Hannity, one of Trump’s biggest supporters, implored the President not to fire Rosenstein during his show on Friday night.
“The President needs to know it is all a setup,” Hannity, who had interviewed Trump the night before in Las Vegas, said gravely. “He needs to know that regardless of whether he steps in or not, and I would argue he should definitely not, the deep state tonight is crumbling from within at this very hour.”
No one in the Florida delegation has been more outspoken about Rosenstein than Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Fort Walton Beach. He, along with former Rep. Ron DeSantis previously urged Rosenstein to recuse himself from the Mueller investigation and said he was a possible candidate for impeachment.
Gaetz described the initial imbroglio surrounding Rosenstein as “gossip” and said no action should be taken against him, “yet.” Gaetz took the opportunity to make that point in a statement on Friday that also listed his complaints, and those of many Capitol Hill Republicans, against the number two man at the Justice Department.
“Though I have many objections to Mr. Rosenstein’s performance as Deputy Attorney General — including ignoring multiple Congressional subpoenas, refusing to confirm information under oath, failure to properly vet FISA warrants that he signed, unnecessarily redacting key documents turned over to Congressional investigators, threatening staff members of the Intelligence Committee with retribution, refusing to turn over the document that outlines the scope of the Special Counsel’s investigation, and eroding the American people’s faith in the Department of Justice — until concrete evidence emerges, these accusations remain salacious and unverified, and should be treated with a healthy dose of skepticism,” Gaetz said.
If Rosenstein departs, the next phase will be to turn to a successor who would oversee the Mueller investigation. Rumors point to Solicitor General Noel Francisco.
Stay tuned.
Nelson, Scott deadlocked
The race between Nelson and Gov. Rick Scott could not be any closer. In a poll conducted by the University of North Florida and released on Monday, the three-term incumbent and his challenger are deadlocked at 45 percent.
Seventy-seven percent of Democrats support Bill Nelson while 83 percent of Republicans back Scott. Independents support Nelson by a 52-35 percent margin.
“Nelson and Scott are currently tied, but one bit of hope for Nelson is that more Democrats are unsure who they will vote for and partisans will come home in November,” said Dr. Michael Binder, faculty director of the Public Opinion Research Lab at UNF. Fourteen percent of Democrats were undecided.
“With polling numbers this close, the candidates that are most successful getting their voters to the polls are the ones who are going to win. Historically, Florida has had very close statewide elections, and this year is shaping up to be no different,” Binder added.
Nelson is the latest Democratic candidate that appears to benefit from the support of a majority of independent voters.
Rubio wants DOJ, Sessions to investigate Kerry
Another story not getting much attention involves accusations that former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry engaged in discussions with representatives of other countries, including Iran, concerning the nuclear deal he helped arrange, but Trump eventually scuttled. Kerry has admitted meeting with the Iranians and was accused of urging allies to “wait out” Trump in the hopes of reviving the deal when he leaves the White House.
The President described them as “illegal meetings,” while current Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said: “You can’t find precedent for this in U.S. history.” Republican Sen. Marco Rubio also finds Kerry’s actions troubling.
Kerry responded to Trump by saying the President has the maturity of an 8-year-old boy with the insecurity of a teenage girl.”
Florida’s junior Senator sent a letter to Sessions last week calling on the Department of Justice to launch an investigation into the matter. Specifically, Rubio seeks a determination whether Kerry broke the law.
“I write to encourage the Department of Justice to make a determination on whether former Secretary of State John F. Kerry’s actions since leaving office related to the Iran nuclear deal … potentially violate the Logan Act or the Foreign Agents Registration Act” (FARA),” Rubio wrote.
Possible violations of the Logan Act are what brought scrutiny to former Trump National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. Flynn’s meeting with the Russian foreign minister began a path that ultimately led to Flynn’s resignation and a plea on charges he lied to Mueller’s Russia investigators.
Violations of FARA were among the charges to which Paul Manafort pleaded guilty recently. They involve registering as a foreign agent when trying to influence the U.S. government on behalf of that foreign government.
“The American people deserve to know that U.S. laws are enforced regardless of any individual’s past position,” Rubio said.
Nelson donates remaining funds from Franken PAC
With the swirling controversy over Supreme Court justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh driving daily news cycles, the activities of current candidates, or campaign contributions can often come under scrutiny. Democratic Sen. Nelson is the latest.
CNN aired a story about Nelson accepting $20,000 from a PAC aligned with former Democratic Sen. Al Franken of Minnesota, who resigned after multiple accusations of sexual impropriety. Franken apologized for some of the behavior, but denied other charges.
After Franken’s resignation, Nelson donated $10,000 received from the PAC for the 2018 cycle to the “5,000 Role Models of Excellence Project, a Miami-based program helping “at risk” boys. CNN reported the $10,000 received from the 2012 cycle was not returned.
After the story aired, Nelson said he would donate the other $10,000 as well. According to Nelson campaign spokesman Ryan Brown, the Senator “made clear to his campaign today that any money received from former Sen. Al Franken was to be donated to charity, not just for the 2018 race, but also any contribution from the 2012 race as well.”
Other Senators receiving donations from the Franken PAC donated the funds as well.
Democrats continue to push for delays on Kavanaugh vote
Even before a second woman came forward accusing Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct more than three decades ago, a group of Florida Democrats signed onto a letter calling for delays in hearings conducted by the Senate Judiciary Committee. More than 100 House Democrats wrote to Senate leadership, as well as the committee leadership, calling for the delay.
The letter, signed by 109 Democrats, was organized by Rep. Lois Frankel of West Palm Beach. Frankel is the chairwoman of the Democratic Women’s Working Group (DWWG).
“We urge you to delay Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court until a thorough investigation of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford’s allegations has taken place,” Frankel and the other House Democrats wrote. “To hold a vote now would be an insult to women and girls, sending a powerful message that they don’t matter and will not be believed. Let’s instead set an example for our children that sexual violence should be taken seriously and emphatically denounced.”
Delegation members signing the letter included Kathy Castor of Tampa, Ted Deutch of Boca Raton, Darren Soto of Orlando, Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Weston, and Frederica Wilson of Miami Gardens.
No official investigation was ordered, but the nomination was indeed halted until an agreement for an appearance by Ford, could be negotiated. The emergence of another accuser, Deborah Ramirez, prompted committee ranking member Diane Feinstein of California, to call for further delays.
Lawson proposes to help student-athletes, repeal controversial rule
A delegation member (and former college athlete) is proposing legislation to help current and former college sports participants as well as NCAA member schools. Democratic Rep. Al Lawson of Tallahassee has introduced the National Collegiate Athletics Advancement Act of 2018 to enhance benefits for NCAA student-athletes.
“As a former college basketball player, I understand firsthand the sacrifices and struggles student-athletes face,” Lawson said. “My goal with this bill is to provide NCAA athletes the support they need to be successful long after their college playing days are over.”
Lawson’s proposal would create a returning student scholarship program for athletes who did not graduate while students, make it easier for student-athletes who need work opportunities in the summer and provide full health insurance coverage for sports-related injuries. Currently, athletes are only guaranteed sports-related injury coverage for amounts above the “catastrophic threshold” set by the NCAA.
Probably the most popular provision of the bill in the minds of college basketball fans would be the elimination of the “one-and-done” rule. The rule requires American athletes to be 19-years of age and at least one year out of high school before moving to the professional arena.
Lawson said the rule is a burden on many NCAA programs who commit millions to recruit a high school basketball star, only to have that athlete play one year before turning pro.
“Eliminating this rule would allow college programs to further invest in student-athletes who are truly interested in gaining a college education,” Lawson said.
Lawson was a basketball star at Florida A&M University in the late 1960s and the arena where the team plays its home games today is named after him.
Bilirakis secures funding to combat opioid crisis
Republican Rep. Gus Bilirakis secured $285,000 for substance abuse and mental health treatment at the Premier Community Health Center in Pasco County. Of that, $110,000 will be used to hire additional personnel and $175,000 to renovate facilities at the Zephyrhills treatment center.
Bilirakis secured the funding as part of the 2018 omnibus spending bill. He also supported a $4 billion spending authorization for money to combat the opioid epidemic and expand access to treatment nationwide. Of that, Florida is receiving $49 million to fight addiction.
The veteran legislator from Palm Harbor also helped secure $54 million for opioid treatment last year and earlier this year secured $125,000 for the Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention to coordinate Pasco County’s response to addiction.
“As we examine where the gaps in combating addiction exist within our community during this national Recovery Month, access to treatment continues to be a primary and persistent problem,” Bilirakis said.
Bilirakis met with state and local leaders Monday to discuss how the funding aligns with the community’s targeted approach to solving the opioid epidemic.
“Community health centers, which offer high-quality primary, mental health, and dental services to patients on a sliding scale basis, are a natural fit to help augment the work of existing providers,” Bilirakis said.
Buchanan constituents really don’t want Sessions fired
One of Trump’s favorite targets within his own administration is Sessions. He often blasts the Attorney General for his role in creating the Mueller investigation, which Trump describes as a “witch hunt.”
Most recently, the President reacted to the controversy surrounding Rosenstein (see above) by blaming Sessions for hiring his number two. Republicans have urged Trump not to fire Rosenstein and call for caution on any action toward Sessions, but how do regular people think?
Republican Rep. Vern Buchanan of Longboat Key decided to ask his constituents in a nonscientific online poll. District 16 is a Republican-leaning district.
The question asked was “Should U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions resign, be fired or remain in office in light of President Trump’s criticism of his job performance?”
As of Monday, 57 percent responded by saying Sessions should stay, while 34 percent believe he should resign. Only 9 percent said the Attorney General should be fired.
Will the mood be the same after the midterms?
Frankel leading group seeking to elect more women
The 1992 elections were dubbed the “Year of the Woman” with several prominent women candidates winning election to the Senate and House. Among those were current Senators Feinstein, Washington Democrat Patty Murray and Maryland Democrat Barbara Mikulski.
A group of Democrats led by Frankel is looking to make 2018 as the next Year of the Woman. Frankel is serving as the chair of Elect Democratic Woman, a group that will help raise money and campaign for candidates included in the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s “Red to Blue” program.
“Diversity is a cornerstone of our democracy, and right now, only 20 percent of Congress is female,” Frankel said. “We need our elected officials to better reflect our country and we can do that by electing more women who will bring different perspectives and experiences, thus making better decisions for American families.”
Florida female candidates included in “Red to Blue” are Nancy Soderberg in District 6, Kristen Carlson in District 15, Lauren Baer in District 18, Mary Barzee Flores in District 25, and Debbie Mucarsel-Powell in District 26.
Democrats believe they have an opportunity to have similar success to that which they enjoyed in 1992. Those elections came not long after the controversy regarding the confirmation of Clarence Thomas to the U.S. Supreme Court.
This year, a similar political firestorm is playing out with Kavanaugh with barely one month remaining before Election Day.
Baer labels Mast as ‘toxic,’ gains Kerry endorsement
Congressional District 18, currently represented by first-term Republican Brian Mast, is made up of residents who have shown their sensitivity to environmental issues. Algal blooms victimized the district, brought on by the release of polluted water from Lake Okeechobee.
Mast has expressed pride in his effort on this and other environmental issues, but his opponent, Democrat Lauren Baer, believes he has something to hide. She has launched a new website to tell the other side.
The site, called “Brian Mast Is Toxic,” launched on Saturday. Baer’s campaign says each day it will list a new “anti-environmental” vote cast by Mast during his time in Congress.
“Florida 18 can’t afford an election-year environmentalist who panders to the big polluters who line his campaign coffers and only pays attention when his poll numbers are down,” said Baer. “Our environment is on life support, and our water has gotten worse on Mast’s watch. It’s time to elect a representative who doesn’t only fight for our water when there’s something personal to gain.”
The first issue cited by Baer was Mast’s support of last year’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Along with tax cuts and a revamp of the tax code, the bill signed by Trump in December also contained a provision allowing oil and gas drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
While Mast is still slightly favored to win re-election the most recent survey by Public Policy Polling puts Baer within three points of the incumbent.
Over the weekend, Baer received the endorsement of former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. Baer previously served as an adviser in the State Department during the presidency of Barack Obama.
“Lauren provided trusted counsel on a range of critical national security issues,” Kerry said, “and I witnessed firsthand her fierce advocacy for our values on the world stage.
EMILY’s List, Planned Parenthood supporting Mucarsel-Powell
Earlier this year, Mucarsel-Powell received the backing of EMILY’s List in her campaign to defeat two-term incumbent Republican Rep. Carlos Curbelo. Mucarsel-Powell’s campaign has also been bolstered, by the Planned Parenthood Action Fund.
That support is beginning to show off in the mailboxes of voters.
According to Axios, Planned Parenthood will invest $4 million in 24 house races, with Florida’s 26th Congressional District the only in Florida. The nonprofit organization has long been in the crosshairs of conservatives because it offers, among various other services, abortion services. According to Open Secrets, Mucarsel-Powell has received $3,000 in donations from Planned Parenthood.
An extensive direct mail campaign began earlier this month with one mailer touting her commitment to health care for Floridians. The issue is polling at or near the top of voter concerns across the country.
The mail piece proclaims her commitment to “improving the lives of our community’s most valuable residents, including expanding access to health care for thousands of Floridians.”
EMILY’s List has also pledged to conduct a negative campaign against Curbelo in the coming days. The incumbent is slightly favored in the Democratic-leaning district but a recent poll showed Mucarsel-Powell with a one-point lead.
As reported by Florida Politics, a recent poll conducted by Public Policy Polling and commissioned by pro-healthcare Protect Our Care has her leading by a point.
Planned Parenthood has endorsed all U.S. Congressional members from Florida, as well as candidates Soderberg and Barzee Flores.
(Updated. An earlier version omitted Donna Shalala from the Planned Parenthood endorsement list.)
On this day in the headlines
September 25, 1957 — President Dwight D. Eisenhower, addressed the nation explaining why he ordered federal troops to Little Rock to enforce an order to integrate Central High School. “Mob rule cannot be allowed to override the decisions of the courts,” the President said.
Less than two months before, Eisenhower had said he could “not imagine any set of circumstances that would ever induce me to send federal troops … to enforce the orders of a federal court …” Florida Gov. LeRoy Collins said Eisenhower’s action might drive some moderates “to the extreme” on the issue of civil rights, but it “also may have the effect of bringing home the futility” of fighting the changing views on segregation.
September 25, 2015 — Pope Francis used a historic address to a joint session of Congress to implore lawmakers to show compassion toward immigrants and seize the moment to address climate change, stepping firmly into contentious political issues even as he urged a “renewed spirit of fraternity and solidarity” for the common good.
While he challenged Republicans on those issues, he also strongly advocated the pro-life position championed by the GOP. “The Golden Rule also reminds us of our responsibility to protect and defend human life at every stage of its development,” prompting previously silent Republicans to stand and cheer.
CD 17 nominee dies suddenly
Democratic U.S. House candidate April Freeman died unexpectedly Sunday night, according to her family. She was running in Florida’s 17th Congressional District against Republican nominee Greg Steube to succeed retiring Republican Rep. Tom Rooney.
“It’s with great sadness that I feel I must inform all of you that my beloved wife April passed away suddenly last night,” husband Jack Freeman wrote on Facebook. “To all of her family and friends here on Facebook, my heart aches with you.”
Freeman previously worked in TV production, including on HBO’s “Hemingway and Gelhorn,” and she ran her own political consulting firm, Freeman & Associates. She ran against Rooney in 2016 and sought Florida’s 19th Congressional District seat in 2014 after the resignation of Republican Rep. Trey Radel.
Steube has canceled all campaign appearances for one week out of respect. He tweeted a message of condolence.
“My thoughts & prayers are with April Freeman’s family in the wake of her tragic passing,” Steube said. “I respect her service to our community and admire her commitment to the causes she cared about.”
Decisions on a replacement candidate will be made in the coming days.
