In new ad, Miami Commission Chairman Francis Suarez backs Adam Kravitz for Florida House

The four hopefuls vying to represent the new Miami Beach-based District 113 in the Florida House also have to appeal to largely Hispanic voters in the mainland enclave of Little Havana.

So candidate Adam Kravitz recruited a friend to introduce himself to Spanish speakers: Miami City Commission Chairman Francis Suarez. Suarez is a Republican, albeit in a nonpartisan post. Kravitz is a Democrat. The two share a campaign consultant, Jeffrey Garcia.

In a new television spot, Suarez appears at the window of a Cuban coffee shop urging viewers to support Kravitz, who appears typing in front of a computer. As Suarez talks, an image of Rebecca Towers, an affordable housing facility, fades onto the screen.

"Adam Kravitz is a successful businessman," Suarez says. "But more important is his commitment o guarantee funds for the programs that have sustained our community. As a commissioner who works every day for your interests, it's good to know he will too."

Kravitz then appears standing next to Suarez and says, in Spanish, "Thank you for your vote."

Federal judge to hold hearing in Miami-Dade state attorney's race write-in lawsuit

The showdown is set: A federal judge could decide on Thursday whether more than 700,000 voters are allowed to vote in the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s August election that will effectively decide who is the county’s top law enforcement officer.

Longtime State Attorney Katherine Fernández Rundle will square off against fellow Democrat Rod Vereen on Aug. 14, a race that would have been open to all voters because no Republicans or independents filed to run.

But just before the April filing deadline, two write-in candidates, Michele Samaroo and T. Omar Malone, filed to run. Neither will appear on the ballot.

Under a controversial and much-criticized state elections opinion, their entry served to close the primary race to just 525,890 Miami-Dade Democratic voters, making Aug. 14 the defacto winner-take-all race.

Enter independent Vincent J. Mazzilli, a former Drug Enforcement Administration’s Miami special agent in charge, and Republican Armando Lacasa, a former Miami commissioner.

They filed a lawsuit last month against Miami-Dade’s elections supervisor, saying the “gimmick” candidates have disenfranchised them from the right to vote for the important post.

Thursday’s hearing is before U.S. District Judge William J. Zloch at the federal courthouse in Fort Lauderdale.

More from David Ovalle here.

Rep. Alan Williams praises embattled FAMU president

State Rep. Alan Williams praised Florida A&M President James Ammons for his bold leadership and for putting university students first.

Ammons resigned Wednesday after the family of Robert Champion, the band major who died in a hazing incident, named FAMU in their lawsuit.

Williams, who graduated from FAMU, has consistently defended Ammons, even as the university's board of directors rebuked him with a 'no confidence' vote last month.

Here's the statement from Williams.

“As a state lawmaker and graduate of Florida A&M University, I am saddened by the announcement of President Ammons’ resignation. From the outset of his tenure, President Ammons has shown strong leadership and has worked to ensure that FAMU remains a beacon of academic excellence.

Rasmussen poll: Connie Mack leads Bill Nelson, 46%-37%

Looks like the tough ads by outside groups attacking Bill Nelson may be taking a toll on the Democratic incumbent. From Rasmussen Reports:

Republican Congressman Connie Mack draws his highest level of support yet against incumbent Democrat Bill Nelson in Florida’s 2012 U.S. Senate race.

A new Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey of Likely Voters shows Mack earning 46% of the vote to Nelson’s 37%. Seven percent (7%) prefer some other candidate, and 10% are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.) 

The numbers were flipped back in April when Nelson held a 47% to 36% lead over Mack. At that time, Mack still had heavy competition for the GOP nomination and was being heavily criticized for a lackluster campaign. The contest was closer in earlier surveys.... 

Mack draws 86% support from voters in his own party, while Nelson is backed by just 66% of the state's Democrats. But the incumbent leads Nelson leads by nine points among Florida voters not affiliated with either major political party.

The Republican leads 43% to 37% among male voters in Florida and by an even wider 48% to 38% margin among female voters.

Nelson is viewed Very Favorably by 17% of Florida voters and Very Unfavorably by 25%. The latter finding is up from the previous poll.

For Mack, ratings are 18% Very Favorable and 14% Very Unfavorable. Both ratings have inched up slightly from April.

More here

--ADAM C. SMITH

Criminally-charged former aide accuses Jennifer Carroll of "sexual escapade," illegal taping

The Associated Press is reporting that a former aide to Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll has accused her former boss of having an improper relationship with an assistant and secretly taping several conversations.

In an explosive press release last month, Carletha Cole--a former aide who is facing criminal charges for allegedly secretly taping a conversation with Carroll's chief of staff--accused Carroll of a number of wrongdoings, including "misuse of office for sexual escapades."

Carroll has flatly denied the allegations.

The AP has the story: 

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- An ongoing criminal case against a former top aide to Florida Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll is transforming into a swirl of allegations about improper relationships, widespread illegal taping and other incidents inside Carroll's office.

The allegations, which Carroll denies, were included in a court filing made late last week by the attorney representing Carletha Cole, who was arrested last October on charges that she gave an illegally taped conversation with another Carroll aide to a newspaper reporter.

The court filing was made in response to a push by prosecutors to keep confidential information that Cole's attorneys wanted to use as possible evidence in the case.

In the filing, Cole contends that she witnessed Carroll and a top aide in a "compromising position" inside Carroll's office, that Carroll's chief of staff secretly recorded conversations routinely at the direction of those working for Gov. Rick Scott, and that the trash can at Cole's desk might have been deliberately set ablaze following an argument between her and the aide.

Read more here:

@ToluseO

 

FAMU President James Ammons resigns

The Associated Press is reporting that Florida A&M President James Ammons resigned. Here's the story.

Florida A&M President James Ammons has resigned the same day parents of a drum major who died after being hazed added the university to a wrongful death lawsuit.

Ammons resigned Wednesday in a letter to the university governing board.

Robert Champion died in November after being beaten by fellow band members during a hazing ritual aboard a bus parked outside an Orlando hotel following a football game against the school's archrival.

Eleven FAMU band members face felony hazing charges, while two others face misdemeanor counts for alleged roles in the hazing.

They have pleaded not guilty. Champion's death put a spotlight on hazing at the school and led to the suspension of the band until at least next year.

The lawsuit brought by Champion's parents claims FAMU officials didn't take enough action to stop hazing.

--Gary Fineout, The Associated Press

ADL asks Jewish house candidate to retract email. He says: "ADL is a despicable organization"

The Anti-Defamation League asked state house candidate Sheldon Lisbon to retract an email he wrote with the subject line "A vote for Shelly Lisbon is a vote for the Jewish Community."

Lisbon, who is Jewish and white, is running in a Democratic primary against State Rep. Joe Gibbons (Hallandale Beach) who is black. The newly drawn District 100 has more Miami-Dade than Broward voters which is why it poses a challenge to Gibbons. The district is overwhelmingly white and heavily Jewish.

The ADL in Florida sent a letter to Lisbon June 27th following a blog about Lisbon's email posted in Naked Politics. "Appealing to voters along religious lines is divisive...," states the ADL letter signed by Andrew Rosenkranz, Florida ADL Regional Director. "A candidate's religious beliefs -- or lack thereof -- should never be used as a test for public office or as a shorthand summary of a candidate's qualifications."

Lisbon told the Miami Herald editorial board today about receiving the letter from the ADL.

"The ADL is a despicable organization," Lisbon told the editorial board. "It's entirely proper to go to your base. You can go to anyone you want to to ask for help. This is called Freedom of Religion. Freedom of Speech."

When an editorial board writer asked Lisbon if he had reached out to African-American voters he responded: "There aren't that many. ... Not yet." Lisbon said that he had been first reaching out to his base to get donations to his campaign.

Candidates often pander to voters who share their race, ethnicity or religion but it's typically not as blunt as Lisbon's email which stated "This district is primarily a Jewish district composed of residents like us."

In Broward, Jewish candidates (and sometimes non-Jewish ones) will appeal to Jewish voters by posting photos of themselves in Israel or listing involvement in local synagogues or Jewish organizations.

Lisbon was elected to the Surfside City Commission earlier this year but has to announce his resignation to run for state house.

Mitt Romney calls Obama comment on Venezuela 'disturbing'; Marco Rubio calls it 'naive'

UPDATE: Read full story here.

Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney reacted on Wednesday to President Barack Obama's comment to a Miami TV anchor last night that Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez does not pose a "serious" national security threat to the United States.

In a statement, Romney called Obama's comment "stunning and shocking" and said they sign of "a pattern of weakness" in the president's foreign policy."

"It is disturbing to see him downplaying the threat posed to U.S. interests by a regime that openly wishes us ill," Romney said. "Hugo Chavez has provided safe haven to drug kingpins, encouraged regional terrorist organizations that threaten our allies like Colombia, has strengthened military ties with Iran and helped it evade sanctions, and has allowed a Hezbollah presence within his country's borders."

It's worth noting that, in 2005, then-Gov. Romney was grateful that Chávez's government sent discounted heating oil to Massachusetts in a deal brokered by then-U.S. Rep. William Delahunt, a Massacusetts Democrat. Venezuela later also provided discounted heating oil to the Bronx, in New York City.

Earlier on Wednesday, Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio issued a statement of his own saying Obama "has been living under a rock" when it comes to Chavez.

"Hugo Chavez is not only a threat to the Venezuelan people's freedom and democratic aspirations, he has also supported Iran's regime in its attempts to expand its intelligence network throughout the hemisphere, facilitated money laundering activities that finance state sponsors of terrorism and provided a safe haven for FARC narco-terrorists, among many other actions." Rubio said.

"President Obama continues to display an alarmingly naïve understanding of the challengesand opportunities we face in the Western Hemisphere."

Read their full statements after the jump.

Florida Chamber of Commerce issues legislative endorsements

The Florida Chamber of Commerce today released the following legislative endorsements:

Gloria Romero Roses, a Democrat vying to challenge David Rivera, releases first TV ad

Gloria Romero Roses, one of several Democrats vying for her party's nomination to challenge Miami Republican Congressman David Rivera, is going up on television.

The 30-second ad, titled "Progressive," tries to appeal to Democrats who will vote in the Aug. 14 primary, which pits Roses against three other hopefuls: Joe Garcia, Gustavo Marin and Lamar Sternad. It also makes a pitch to Hispanics: Roses, who was born in Colombia but raised mostly in Hollywood, briefly speaks in Spanish. The newly redrawn Congressional District 26 runs from Southwest Miami-Dade to Key West.

The ad mentions Roses' experience as a parent dealing with past overcrowding in Miami-Dade public schools and describes Roses as someone who would "stand with President Obama to guarantee equal pay for equal work and protect Medicare from Tea Party extremists." (The ad does not mention labor unions, including one that has expressed concerns over Roses' previous work for a condo-management company.)

In a statement, Roses' campaign manager, Vlad Gutman, cast Roses as "a refreshing change from the career politicians we're all used to."

"She knows firsthand what families are going through," he said. "That’s why she’s earning the support of voters in every part of the district, and this TV ad is the next step in communicating her background and values to people from Westchester to Key West."