Lawton “Bud” Chiles III files for Florida Governor seat as NPA

By Chris Cillizza
The Washington Post

Florida now has not one but two independent candidates with well-known names running statewide as Lawton “Bud” Chiles III, son of the late Gov. “Walkin’” Lawton Chiles, officially kicked off his bid for governor yesterday — opting to run as a “no party affiliation” candidate instead of pursuing a primary challenge against Democratic frontrunner Alex Sink. Read more

Poll: More Than Half of Americans Say Health Reform Is Not Worth Increasing the Deficit

A Quinnipiac University poll found that fewer Americans approve of how the president is handling the health care issue and fewer believe health care reform is important enough to warrant increasing the deficit.

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Poll: More Than Half of Americans Say Health Reform Is Not Worth Increasing the Deficit

Iran Accuses West of Fomenting Violent Protests

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman says deadly clashes in Tehran are the work of a tiny minority, and he accused outside countries, including the U.S. and Britain, of “miscalculating” by siding with the protesters.

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Iran Accuses West of Fomenting Violent Protests

Obama Describes Nigerian As ‘Isolated Extremist,’ Despite Ties to Yemen

“This incident, like several that have preceded it, demonstrates that an alert and courageous citizenry are far more resilient than an isolated extremist,” President Obama said on Monday. But was the would-be bomber an isolated extremist?

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Obama Describes Nigerian As ‘Isolated Extremist,’ Despite Ties to Yemen

Fox News Channel, Obama Administration Talking

The meeting came a day after Fox anchor Shepard Smith apologized for a “lack of balance” following a political report where the Republican candidate for New Jersey governor was interviewed and the Democratic incumbent wasn’t.

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Fox News Channel, Obama Administration Talking

Stimulus Jobs Overstated by Thousands

An early progress report on President Barack Obama’s economic recovery plan overstates by thousands the number of jobs created or saved through the stimulus program, a mistake that White House officials promise will be corrected in future reports.

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Stimulus Jobs Overstated by Thousands

BREC passes resolution condemning primary endorsements

In a move bound to shock some party officials, the Brevard County Republican leadership voted May 14, on a resolution condemning the actions of the state and national organizations for interfering with state and local decisions.

The resolution comes on the heels of the announcement that the NRSC has already taken sides in the primary election to nominate a candidate to replace outgoing Republican U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez. The NRSC, National Republican Senatorial Committee, and arm of the Republican National Committee, has announced it will support Gov. Charlie Crist as Martinez’s replacement. There are at least two other Republicans announced in the primary election, including conservative former Speaker of the Florida House, Marco Rubio.
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Kottkamp to back McCollum for governor, likely run for attorney general himself

By Bill Cotterell

Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp said today he will probably run for attorney general, not governor, as dominoes continue falling across Florida’s 2010 political landscape.

That means Attorney General Bill McCollum, who won’t say officially that he’s running for governor, will probably go for the top prize next week. Kottkamp said he plans to be with McCollum for the announcement of McCollum’s gubernatorial candidacy expected next week in Central Florida.

Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson, who is term-limited out of his Cabinet seat next year, is still considering a bid for governor. Like McCollum, he has said he will announce his plans next week.

Florida Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer, who has been working for the past few months to have as few GOP primaries as possible, said Thursday his efforts are making progress. Gov. Charlie Crist’s long-expected announcement that he is running for the U.S. Senate Tuesday touched off the political chain reaction in GOP circles, as Democrats united around Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink.

“I anticipate being there on Monday to support this party,” Kottkamp said of McCollum’s plans. “I’ve been by the governor’s side for the last two and a half years and I’ve seen what it takes on a day-to-day basis to be governor, and I think Bill McCollum is capable of doing that.”

Pledges, endorsements fly in Crist v. Rubio

By Bill Cotterell

Both Republican candidates running for the U.S. Senate have now taken Grover Norquist’s anti-tax pledge.

Gov. Charlie Crist’s campaign announced this morning that he was the first candidate to sign the “taxpayer protection pledge” of the Washington-based group Americans for Tax Reform. Hours later, ATR announced that former House Speaker Marco Rubio, R-West Miami, had sent in his pledge, too.

By signing, they promise to “oppose any and all efforts to increase the marginal income tax rates for individuals and/or businesses … and oppose any net reduction or elimination of deductions and credits, unless matched dollar-for-dollar by further reducing taxes.”

Norquist, the nationally known president of ATR, has been offering politicians the pledge since 1987. So far, 34 senators and 172 House members have signed, along with six governors and over 1,100 state legislators.

But the governor also pulled off a bit of one-upmanship with another headline — announcing that Sen. Mel Martinez, the man they both want to replace, will serve as a co-chairman of his campaign, along with former U.S. Sen. Connie Mack, the man who gave Crist his start in politics as an office aide more than 20 years ago.

Crist meets with farm workers, promises help

Southwest Florida farm workers Wednesday urged Gov. Charlie Crist to act to eliminate slave-labor conditions in agriculture.

Crist said the injustice and arrogance of the situation has angered him, and that he would have a statement on the situation in a few days.

“That concerns me greatly,” Crist said after the meeting. “We want to be a continuing partner to help.”

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