With Republicans gaining control of the U.S. House of Representatives, the Obama administration knows it is a whole new ballgame.
Reminding them of the new reality is Florida Republican U.S. Rep. Cliff Stearns. Stearns, who easily turned back a challenge from NPA candidate Steve Schonberg, was calledon Wednesday for the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission (FCIC) to investigate former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson regarding conflicts of interest with his former employer, Goldman Sachs. If Stearns has an official from the Bush administration targeted, Obama appointments should being feeling uncomfortable Having defeated Democratic challenger Heather Beaven, U.S. Rep. John Mica is lobbying hard to head up the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, where he served as the ranking Republican. Mica is pledging to reauthorize the FAA and the Coast Guard while cutting expenses Mica is not the only Florida Republican looking to chair a committee. U.S. Rep. Bill Young wants to wield the gavel on theappropriations subcommittee handling defense. While he will need a waiver to do it, due to the pledge on term limits for committee chairs in the Republican ranks, Young, the dean of House Republicans, insists he has the backing of incoming U.S. House Speaker John Boehner
Outgoing Attorney General Bill McCollum is showing no signs of letting go of his constitutional challenge to the federal government over new health-care laws backed by President Barack Obama. McCollum filed for summary judgment on behalf of the states that joined his lawsuit ... Speaking of McCollum, he attended Pam Bondis victory party Tuesday night, praising his successor as attorney general. It was the party he chose instead of the event staged by Rick Scott, who beat him in a divisive Republican gubernatorial primary. Bondi did have one Republican governor with her -- Bob Martinez, who was a Bondi backer from the start of her campaign Having successfully defeated conservative independent Troy Stanley at the polls, Republican U.S. Rep. Ander Crenshaw honored 145 veterans at a ceremony Friday at Mayport
With Rep. Nancy Pelosi announcing Friday that she plans to continue to lead Democrats in the U.S. House, keep an eye on U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz. The South Florida congresswoman, a rising star in national Democratic circles, could end up heading up the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee now that U.S. Rep. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland is stepping down. There were whispers -- but only whispers -- that Wasserman Schultz would challenge U.S. Rep. Stanley Hoyer of Maryland to lead the Democrats in the House had Pelosi stepped down Bud Chiles has re-emerged. While the son of iconic former Gov. Lawton Chiles had spent the summer running for governor with no party affiliation, he endorsed Democratic candidate state CFO Alex Sink and watched the returns come in with her on Tuesday night. Chiles has also weighed in on the problems plaguing the Florida Democratic Party, arguing things need to change, but he's not quite ready to call for Chairwoman Karen Thurmans head Andrew Pat Pattillo, former president of the Florida Bar Foundation and the Marion County Bar Association, passed away at the age of 81. Pattillo once practiced law with former Gov. Buddy MacKay
While its not getting much play, Peter Allen, the gubernatorial candidate of the Independence Party, carried 2.3 percent of the vote -- far more than the difference separating Republican winner Rick Scott and Democratic candidate Alex Sink. Interestingly enough, Allens percentage was close to the amount won by presidential candidate Ralph Nader in Florida in 2000, though Allens reform platform would not draw as much from one party or the other as Naders progressive stances Lost amid the election news on Tuesday was St. Augustine Mayor Joe Boles winning a third term as mayor of the nations oldest city. Boles won 64 percent of the vote, easily enough to defeat Don Heine As one election closes, another one looms on the horizon. Jacksonville residents will hit the polls in March and, in all likelihood, a runoff election in May to choose a new mayor. City Councilman Kevin Hyde, who dropped out of the race last month, is supporting Audrey Moran, a fellow Republican.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
