How true, how true, Peter Brown. In trying to explain the governor's pre-election predicament during a Wednesday morning press conference, the Quinnipiac University polling guru so hit the nail on the head.

Too soon old, too late schmart -- a German saying I just bastardized, but it fits the cagey customers negotiating in Miami for Genting.

State Rep. Clay Ford, who in November won his fourth term to the Florida House, has died, House Speaker Will Weatherford said today.

Ford, a Republican who represented Pensacola and Gulf Breeze, lost his battle with cancer Monday night. He was 74.

The consummate gentleman of the House, Clay Ford was a friend, a mentor, and a tender conscience to all those who served with him," Weatherford said in a written statement. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Carol, his three sons David, Doug, and Clay, and his nine grandchildren.

Cafe operators, senior-citizen customers, veterans, even a soup-kitchen priest from Fort Lauderdale pleaded with the Senate Gaming Committee on Monday not to ban Internet cafes in Florida. But the committee voted 11-0 to advance SB 1030, a bill that changes its version of a moratorium on the gaming-arcade businesses to an out-and-out ban.

Committee Chairman Garrett Richter, R-Naples, set the pace when he began the meeting, "Internet sweepstakes have wiggled their way through loopholes long enough."

Another week, another couple of panhandling emails from Patrick Murphy. This is getting ridiculous.

Trust me, you might not want to be one of Charlie Crist's friends. They seem to have such bad luck.

Free-market proponent though I am, I want the best for Florida. Internet cafes are not the best, and I'm frankly thrilled to see Sen. John Thrasher making good on his promise to get thuggy with these storefront sleazeries.

Tip for all you House reps: On Tuesday when you repeal last year's half-baked CS/CS/HB 1223, dumbest Florida law in decades -- dumber even than our constitutional protection of pregnant pigs -- invite the international media in to see you do it.