Freshman Republican U.S. Rep. Steve Southerland had his first moment of the national spotlight on Sunday when he appeared on This Week with Christiane Amanpour on ABC News as part of a round-table discussion. Southerland weighed in on federal spending cuts and the showdown in Wisconsin between Gov. Scott Walker and public worker unions Florida Republican U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller will be holding a Coffee with the Congressman event in Crestview on Thursday at the citys Chamber of Commerce. Miller, the chairman of the U.S. House Veterans Affairs Committee, will be meeting with constituents and talking with them on a number of issues Florida Right-to-Life went to bat this week to support HB 501, a measure continuing the Choose Life license plates, which is being considered in the state House Transportation and Highway Safety Subcommittee
Allen West 2012? Its doubtful the fiery Republican congressman will make a stab at the GOPs presidential nomination, but his recent speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) won him enough national attention that there are activists hoping he jumps in -- or more realistically, if still unlikely, be considered for the vice presidential spot for whoever emerges with the presidential nomination While his supporters may be dreaming of West on the national ticket, its becoming increasingly clear that he is a top target for the Democrats in 2012. On Saturday, after West joined Republicans in the U.S. House to cut $100 billion from the federal budget in a spending measure, Americans United for Change fired away at the Sunshine State congressman, arguing his vote would mean Florida would lose more than 4,000 jobs Endorsements are flowing in the battle to be Jacksonvilles next mayor. Concerned Taxpayers of Duval County backed Mike Hogan while Jacksonville Beach Mayor Fland Sharp backed Audrey Moran. The Jacksonville Association of Firefighters also backed Hogan and he split the backing of the North Florida Building & Construction Trades Council with Alvin Brown
Gov. Rick Scott will be making the rounds across the Lincoln Day dinners held by Republican organizations across the Sunshine State next month. Scott will be speaking at Lincoln Day dinners in Broward, Charlotte and Martin counties come March Early voting began on Monday in the special election to replace Frederica Wilson in the state Senate, who was elected to Congress. Former Rep. Oscar Braynon, the Democratic candidate, is a heavy favorite over former North Miami Mayor Joe Celestin who has the Republican nomination. The seat represents parts of Miami-Dade County. The election closes on March 1, a week before the Legislature convenes Speaking of Celestin, he has been going out of his way to differentiate himself from Scott, noting that he backed then-Attorney General Bill McCollum in the heated Republican gubernatorial contest last year
The Florida Association of Nurse Anesthetists (FANA) reached out to Scott during last week, hoping that he continues backing the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) which, they argued, would help in the fight against pill mills Brian Moore, who ran for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination against Alex Sink last year and ended up taking more than 20 percent of the vote, led liberal activists at an event this past weekend in Hernando County, calling for ending American military operations overseas and backing unionized public-sector employees in Wisconsin in their showdown with Gov. Scott Walker Four candidates have emerged to serve as the next chairman of the Libertarian Party of Florida. Char-Lez Branden, who currently serves as vice chairman, is looking to move up but he faces three rivals. John Wayne Smith, currently part of the state party leadership board and a former gubernatorial candidate, is also in the mix. So are talk-show host Adrian Wyllie, who has the backing of 2010 Libertarian U.S. Senate candidate Alex Snitker, and former GOP activist Austin Parris who made a brief run at a state House seat in 2010. The contest will be decided when the Libertarians hold their convention at the end of April.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
