Last Call for 9.7.22 — A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics

Last Call — A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.

First Shot

In a new editorial published by El Nuevo Herald, Charlie Crist lambasted Gov. Ron DeSantis’ plan to bus Cuban migrants from Florida to Delaware.

The editorial focuses on statements made by Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez during a radio interview, in which she said that the Governor is going to send undocumented immigrants from Cuba, “frankly speaking, to Delaware, the President’s state.”

Crist’s campaign seized on the interview, quickly producing a radio ad highlighting it and claiming the DeSantis administration is using immigrants as political pawns.

The editorial, written in Spanish, treads similar ground, with Crist demanding that the Governor “immediately and affirmatively reject this plan” and “issue a clear and unequivocal apology to the Cuban community.”

He writes, “Gov. DeSantis’ blind political ambition has led him down an ugly path. In his quest to be competitive in the next Republican presidential primary, he is making common cause with those who would mistreat, humiliate and endanger people who are fleeing repression, cruelty, and misery.”

The DeSantis administration has said Crist is mischaracterizing the plan, noting that the busing program is directed toward people entering the country illegally and not those who are fleeing a dictatorship, such as Cuba’s, and seeking asylum in the United States.

Evening Reads

—“In voter fraud, penalties often depend on who’s voting” via Michael Wines of The New York Times

—”Latest poll of Florida Governor race: Ron DeSantis 50%, Charlie Crist 47%” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics

—“Survey shows health care isn’t a priority issue in Governor’s race, but is it?” via Christine Jordan Sexton of Florida Politics

—“Gov. DeSantis wants tolls cut in half for frequent commuters next year” via Gray Rohrer of Florida Politics

—“‘It concerns me a lot’: Republicans anxious about cash-strapped NRSC amid Rick Scott’s feud with Mitch McConnell” via Manu Raju and Alex Rogers of CNN

—“Annette Taddeo’s leap of faith” via Matthew Kasel of Jewish Insider

—”The right-wing war on free speech could backfire” via Adam Serwer of The Atlantic

—“After arriving in the United States, thousands of Cuban migrants face new legal hurdles” via Nora Gámez Torres and Syra Ortiz Blanes of the Miami Herald

—”Florida has a secret ‘black list’ to spy on highway drivers. Officials won’t say how it’s used.” via Dan Gluan of the Fort Myers News-Press

—“Inside the academic-freedom crisis that roiled Florida’s flagship” via Emma Pettit and Jack Stripling of The Chronicle of Higher Education

—“Grand jury leads to school scrutiny in Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties” via Scott Travis of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel

—“One night, one concert: Fort Lauderdale forked over $432,000 in taxpayer dollars” via Susannah Bryan of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Quote of the Day

“It shows that they’re afraid of her. She’s a strong woman. She’s Hispanic. She’s from Miami-Dade. She’s bilingual. She’s brilliant. She was a special ed teacher. That’s a lot of greatness for what she can do. So, they’re trying to poke holes in it. It’s all junk.”

— Charlie Crist, pushing back on Republican criticism of his running mate.

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