Gov. Charlie Crist, who is running for the U.S. Senate without party affiliation, was in Quincy Thursday to highlight a change in the Florida Discount Drug Card program. There will now be greater access to the program through tear-off brochures with cards attached as well as a virtual card program
Crist also got a boost Thursday when Democratic Senate Leader Al Lawson of Tallahassee endorsed his campaign. Lawson challenged U.S. Rep. Allen Boyd in the Democratic primary but lost by the skin of his teeth to the incumbent Attorney General Bill McCollum, fresh from his loss to Rick Scott in the Republican gubernatorial primary, spent time Thursday briefing former Assistant State Attorney Pam Bondi, the Republican attorney general candidate, on matters in his department. McCollum, who is backing Bondi, also plans to brief Sen. Dan Gelber of Miami Beach, the Democratic attorney general candidate, via phone
Bob Graham, who served as both governor and as a U.S. senator, continues to remain very active on the commission circuit in the Beltway. Besides serving as co-chair of the commission investigating the oil spill in the Gulf, Graham is now serving on the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission. At a hearing Thursday in Washington, Graham asked questions of Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke who was giving testimony as to why the federal government bailed out banks and investment companies deemed too big to fail Despite losing to Hernando County's Rich Nugent in the Republican primary to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite, conservative activist Jason Sager has not ruled out running for office down the road. Sager said that he was not planning to do anything for Nugent besides vote for him in November U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis introduced a bill in the House levying penalties for anyone charging a veteran who is filing for veterans benefits for the first time
With two men facing criminal charges in a Miami court on Tuesday for killing horses, Rep. Luis Garcia, D-Miami, will be in attendance. Garcia has led the fight in the House to push the Horse Protection Act to punish Floridians who abuse horses Last week, Rep. Doug Holder, R-Sarasota, and his Democratic opponent, former Maine Assistant Attorney General Nancy Feehan, both talked at an event in Sarasota County put on by the South County Tiger Bay Club. The candidates agreed on some issues but had different views on how to get Floridas economy back on track. Rep. Ken Roberson, R-Port Charlotte, was also in attendance and spoke. Robersons Democratic challenger Andrew Saltman was not at the event David Bishop has been named to head up the communications team for incoming Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island. Bishop had been with Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamps campaign team in his unsuccessful bid for the Republican attorney general nomination
Fresh off his fourth place finish in the primary for the Democratic nomination in the U.S. Senate race, former Miami Mayor Maurice Ferre offered a withering take on the states civic health in Wednesdays Miami Herald Baker County commissioners have started eying applicants to replace retiring County Manager Joe Cone. There have been more than 60 seeking the position Rep. Ellyn Bogdanoff, R-Fort Lauderdale, sent a letter to FDOT Secretary Stephanie Kopelousos on Thursday, asking the state to reject a bid from French company SNCF to work on the high-speed rail project. Bogdanoff, who is running for the Senate seat that President Jeff Atwater, R-North Palm Beach, is vacating, argued that SNCF profited off transporting Jewish victims of the Holocaust.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
