Tied to Rubio and Obama, consultant who lost job amid Miami ballot-fraud case is consummate insider

Fired from one campaign and chastised by another, veteran Miami political consultant Al Lorenzo finds himself in a position where no political operative wants to be: in the news.

Lorenzo, 60, lost his lucrative post in Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez’s reelection campaign Monday for failing to disclose that one of his subcontractors has a lengthy criminal record. Lorenzo remains on Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernández Rundle’s reelection payroll, but she asked him to keep the subcontractor and career felon, Gerardo Judas “Jerry” Ramos, away from her race.

The moves capped a tumultuous week in local politics, following an investigation into absentee-ballot fraud in Hialeah.

The probe rippled across the county, with chatter that Lorenzo was somehow linked to Deisy Cabrera, a suspected Hialeah ballot broker, and that he had created a potential conflict of interest for Fernández Rundle. She recused herself from the case after Cabrera was arrested last week, citing unconfirmed reports that linked her campaign to Cabrera.

Lorenzo has flatly denied any connection to Cabrera, and Fernández Rundle has not clarified which person working on her campaign was allegedly seen with Cabrera.

“There’s an old saying that any press is good press,” said Screven Watson, a consultant for former Democratic candidates Rod Smith and Dave Aronberg. “That’s true — unless it’s about a staff person or campaign consultant ... Most consultants understand that and take themselves out.”

Lorenzo is not just any consultant.

A mainstay of Miami-Dade politics, he has earned about $5 million in fees from 148 campaigns since 2000. A registered Democrat and lobbyist, he has also worked for top Republicans like former Gov. Jeb Bush, Sen. Marco Rubio and Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, while also pulling in $50,000 from the state Democratic Party in 2008 to help President Obama get out the vote. His firm, Quantum Results, earned nearly $1 million from back-to-back efforts to persuade county voters to approve Las Vegas-style slot machines.

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Rep. Ana Rivas Logan says rival campaign worker is defaming her by telling voters she's 'bad mother'

A lawyer for state Rep. Ana Rivas Logan has sent a letter to her Aug. 14 Republican primary opponent, Rep. Jose Felix Diaz, asking him to stop someone allegedly working for Diaz's campaign from "making malicious and false defamatory statements" about Logan.

The two incumbent Miami Republicans are vying for the same Kendall-based seat following once-a-decade redistricting.

Diaz said Tuesday he received the letter, which he dismissed as an attempt by Logan to get attention.

"This is Ana's tactic to get free press," he said, adding that his campaign workers have not defamed her, as she alleges. "I would denounce anybody that would talk poorly to a voter about anything personal."

Logan's attorney, Joe Geller, drafted the letter Monday saying that "several different observers, including independent persons" have heard at least one Diaz worker at the West Dade Regional Library early voting site saying "words to the effect 'that Ana Rivas Logan is a bad mother and had her kids taken away from her.'"

CNN: Obama Super PAC ad slamming Romney is "heart-wrenching... But it's not accurate."

The Priorities USA Super PAC ad that implicates Republican candidate Mitt Romney's business background in the death of a woman who lost her health insurance isn't accurate, according to CNN.

"It's a heart-wrenching story, but it's not accurate," said CNN White House correspondent Brianna Keilar.

Environmental groups launch amendment drive to create enviro protection fund

A coalition of the state's top environmental organizations on Tuesday launched a petition drive to put an amendment on the November 2014 ballot that would guarantee a stable source of money for environmental protection.

The effort, organized by a group calling itself the Florida Water and Land Legacy Campaign, aims to end the years of eroding funding for environmental perservation and protection programs prompted by legislative budget cuts and shifts in priorities away from environmental protection.

Since 2009, legislators have cut funding for the state's Florida Forever program by 97.5 percent to $23 million for land management and ecological restoration, including the Everglades. This year, the Legislature reduced water protection and conservation funds dropped to $8.5 million.

“This will be the most significant vote in Florida for our environment in our lifetimes,” said Will Abberger, the campaign’s chair and the director of conservation finance for the Trust for Public Land in a statement. “We are launching a grassroots effort to let the people decide if clean water and natural land are a legacy we want to leave for our children and grandchildren – and generations to come.”
 

ALF panel hammers out small changes

After legislators and special interests shut down sweeping proposals to protect the elderly and disabled in assisted living facilities, a 15-member panel stepped forward with the hope of implementing small changes.

And, although the committee's bureaucrats, resident advocates and ALF administrators have a history of strife and vastly different interests, they did have some success.

The panel, which met six times, will submit a full report of their suggestions to the Florida Department of Elder Affairs by Aug. 22. If the recommendations survive public hearings and other rulemaking procedures, they will be written into statute.

Saunders v. Bullard matchup: a contest between legacies

The race for the Democratic nominee for Senate District 39 has come down to a contest between legacies.

Dwight Bullard, a member of the House of Representatives and son of the current state senator in the post, hopes to continue carrying the family mantle while Ron Saunders, currently the House Democratic leader, is hoping to become the first senator from the Keys in 40 years.

The race is a rematch of sorts. In 2004, Saunders lost the race against Dwight’s mother, Larcenia Bullard. Dwight Bullard had served as her campaign manager.

But there’s one more major change this time around: Redistricting has condensed District 39 from six to four counties: Monroe, Miami-Dade, Collier and Hendry. It still remains one of the largest districts in the state.

Also on the ballot is James Bush III, a former state representative who has served two terms in the Florida House; Sal Gutierrez, who formerly lived in Key Largo and now lives near Tampa (he would have to relocate if elected); and John “JJ” Johnson of Miami.

The winner of the Aug. 14 primary will face Republican Scott Hopes of Homestead in the general election. Story here.

Bondi and Legislature both claim authority over $300 million in foreclosure money

Florida attorney general Pam Bondi clarified Tuesday that she was not feuding with the Legislature over how to spend $300 million in cash earmarked for Florida as part of a $25 billion national foreclosure settlement.

But it’s abundantly clear that Bondi’s office and the Legislature have two very different views on what the law says about how the money should be processed.

The Associated Press reported Monday that Bondi has not been able move forward on the funds because the Legislature wants to have a say in how the money is spent. An official in the Florida House said Bondi has two options for how to appropriate the money, and both options involve getting approval from state lawmakers (which might not happen until next spring).

Asked if she believed she had to get legislative approval to spend the cash, Bondi said: “My opinion? No. I have the authority to distribute it.”

Rick Scott on FPL rate hike: not my issue

Gov. Rick Scott appeared last weekend at the RedState 2012 gathering in Jacksonville and proclaimed to the conservative crowd there that "anything that comes out of your pocket I want to reduce. I want to reduce every fee and tax I can."

Does that include utility bills? The state's largest electric company, Florida Power & Light, for example, is seeking a base rate increase of $5.23 per month beginning next year on a 1,000 kilowatt hour monthly bill for residential customers. The rate case begins this month. 

Scott, whose job it is to appoint the commissioners to the PSC and whose political committee accepted a $250,000 check from FPL on June 4, answered: “That’s a totally different issue. What I’m focused on is if we can control the cost of government. If we can make sure we leave as much money in a family’s pocket (so) they can afford -- whether it's the house, the apartment, their car -- things like that."

He will be asked later this year to appoint a commissioner for the post now held by Commissioner Lisa Edgar, who is also seeking a third term.

Gov. Scott on embattled Lt. Gov. Carroll: 'She's done a great job'

It has been a rough few weeks for Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll. But Gov. Rick Scott said today that she handled those recently controversies appropriately and is focused on the right things. The governor also indicated that he still plans to keep Carroll as his running mate when he campaigns for re-election in 2014.

“She’s done a great job, why wouldn’t I?” he said.

Last month, Carroll apologizes to the gay and lesbian community after making remarks to a TV station that were labeled as anti-gay. She said the comments while defending herself against former aide Carletha Cole's allegations that she caught Carroll in a "compromising position" with another female staffer.

Scott said he didn't talk to Carroll about the statement she made to the TV crew -- "usually black women that look like me don't engage in relationships like that," she said -- but he believes she responded correctly.

"She apologized, and she did the right thing," the governor said.

Mitt Romney campaign tries to make President Obama into the welfare president

Above is a TV ad that's part of Republican Mitt Romney's heightened effort to transform President Obama into what Republican Newt Gingrich called "the welfare president." Bottom line: the Romney campaign says Obama rolled back welfare reforms that essentially gives people a check even if they're not looking for work. Obama's campaign said it's not true and that the waivers in question have been longstanding and Romney had requested one for his state when he was Massachusetts governor.

Here's the memo from Mitt Romney policy director Lanhee Chen titled "The Rise And Fall Of Welfare Reform."