Gov. Charlie Crist is endorsing Democratic president Barack Obama

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Former Gov. Charlie Crist is endorsing President Barack Obama. Crist left the Republican Party in 2010.

Former Florida Republican Gov. Charlie Crist is endorsing Democratic president Barack Obama this fall, according to anop-ed in the Tampa Bay Times.

Crist said he is supporting Obama because of how he responded the the economy after taking office, including pushing for a federal stimulus bill to pay for infrastructure and schools. From the piece:

The president's response was swift, smart and farsighted. He kept his compass pointed due north and relentlessly focused on saving jobs, creating more and helping the many who felt trapped beneath the house of cards that had collapsed upon them.

He knew we had to get people back to work as quickly as possible — but he also knew that the value of a recovery lies in its durability. Short-term healing had to be paired with an economy that would stay healthy over the long run. And he knew that happens best by investing in the right places.

Broward County is Under a Tropical Storm Warning

Broward County is currently under a Tropical Storm Warning. The Broward County Emergency Operations Center is 

closely monitoring Tropical Storm Isaac and will advise residents of protective actions to take as conditions warrant. Broward residents are urged to closely monitor media reports for updates from Emergency Management officials.  The Broward County Hotline will be activated at 11:00 a.m. today. Residents, visitors and businesses can call 3-1-1 or954-831-4000 for tropical storm preparedness information and for information regarding advisories from the Emergency Operations Center. Residents should complete their preparations as early as possible as weather conditions are expected to deteriorate beginning Sunday morning. Tropical storm conditions are expected at approximately 11 a.m. Sunday and will continue for approximately 24 hours. Sustained winds of 34-45 miles per hours with gusts up to 60 miles per hour are expected across Broward County. There is the potential for tornados, and moderate coastal and inland flooding. Broward County Transit is continuing to operate on its normal schedule today. If you are traveling, please check with your airline or cruise line for up to date information. Broward County Public Schools is expected to make a decision regarding school on Monday later today. Residents are reminded that the "cone" depicted in National Weather Service advisories is not an indication of the areas where tropical storm impacts may be experienced. Tropical storm force winds are expected up to 200 miles from the center of the storm. Recommended Preparedness Activities Beginning at 11 a.m. today, call the Broward County Emergency Hotline at 311 in Broward or 954-831-4000 for information on tropical storm and hurricane preparedness. Check your emergency kit supplies. You should have sufficient food, water and other supplies to sustain yourself and your family for three to five days. Include any special items needed for elderly family members, infants, children, and pets. Verify that your generators and other emergency equipment are operating properly. Assess your home for vulnerabilities in the event protective actions are required, but do not trim trees and vegetation at this time. Keep gas in your car and have a supply of gas for your generator. Have cash on hand in case of power outages. Refill important medications. If you have travel plans, check with your airline or cruise line for up to date information. Stay Informed Residents and businesses are encouraged to monitor media for up-to-the-minute information and public safety advisories. There are a number of ways to “stay connected” and receive important information from the Broward County Emergency Operations Center before, during and after an emergency event, including news about hurricane watches and warnings, evacuation orders, recommended protective actions and other related public safety information.   Follow Broward County on Twitter.com/ReadyBroward Subscribe to Broward County Emergency Updates via email “Like” us on Facebook.com/BrowardEMD Visit broward.org/hurricane for more information and an extensive A-Z Hurricane Guide to Preparedness.

MEDIA CONTACT: Judy Sarver, Director Office of Public Communications PHONE: 954-357-6931 EMAIL: jsarver@broward.org

Biden and Longoria to Bracket GOP Convention in Florida

ABC/RON TOM One’s a Hollywood star, the other the vice president of the United States, but they’re uniting next week in Florida to not only campaign for President Obama’s reelection, but also to attempt to steal some of the spotlight from the Republican National Convention.

Vice President Joe Biden and actress Eva Longoria, who is a national co-chair of President Obama’s campaign, will take the stage together in Orlando on Tuesday as part of a series of events the vice president is holding to bracket the Republican convention taking place in Tampa next week.  Additionally, Biden will hold events in the Tampa area on Monday and in St. Augustine on Tuesday.

Longoria was named an “ambassador” to Obama’s campaign in February, leading efforts to reach out to women and Hispanic voters.  The former Desperate Housewives star has held high-dollar fundraisers for Obama and is set to speak at the Democratic Convention in Charlotte the week after she stumps with Biden.

But with Tropical Storm Isaac threatening to hit Florida, the vice president and Longoria’s schedule for next week comes with a caveat: “subject to change due to weather-related precautions.”

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

The latest Zogby poll puts Obama 6 points up on Romney (47 to 41) in Florida, in general. It also says Obama leads Romney amongst Young, and Hispanic, voters, and that with Florida women, Obama has a 51 to 39 edge over Romney. According to Zogby estimates, Obama has 239 Electoral votes without Florida, and that a win in Florida will put Obama within 3 votes of becoming POTUS. Zogby also says they estimate Romney to have just 191 Electoral votes...so even winning Florida would not help Romney much. Being now linked to Ryan, who is so firmly linked with Akin, will pretty much finish Romney's Presidential run...and political career.

President Barack Obama has taken a six-point lead in the crucial swing state of Florida while GOP challenger Mitt Romney has a two-point edge in North Carolina, two new polls by pollster John Zogby and JZ Analytics show.

The Florida online poll of 600 likely voters, taken August 15-17, shows Obama ahead 47 to 41 percent. The president’s position is helped by a 51 percent to 39 percent lead among women and a strong showing with younger voters and Hispanics.

The latest Zogby poll puts Obama 6 points up on Romney (47 to 41) in Florida, in general. It also says Obama leads Romney amongst Young, and Hispanic, voters, and that with Florida women, Obama has a 51 to 39 edge over Romney. According to Zogby estimates, Obama has 239 Electoral votes without Florida, and that a win in Florida will put Obama within 3 votes of becoming POTUS. Zogby also says they estimate Romney to have just 191 Electoral votes...so even winning Florida would not help Romney much. 

Being now linked to Ryan, who is so firmly linked with Akin, will pretty much finish Romney's Presidential run...and political career.

Read More....

CLIMATE CHANGES THE GOP CONVENTION

August hasn't been too kind to Mitt Romney. He started the month trying to recover from a summer jaunt abroad at the end of July, which was supposed to be an easy string of photo-ops but turned into a Griswoldian comedy of errors. It all might have been forgotten if the running-mate rollout went well. But that didn’t happen, with Paul Ryan receiving the lowest approval rating among voters since Dan Quayle.

The bad news didn't stop there. Missouri Senate candidate Todd Akin, a former nobody, caused a stir on Sunday by saying that rape did not lead to pregnancy, forcing the Romney campaign to tread into abortion politics—territory Mitt typically shies away from. To top it all off, major newspapers have finally starting to take note of Romney's lies on policy matters. Add it all up, and it explains why the former Massachusetts governor still can't  break the 45 percent barrier in national polls. Nate Silver puts Obama as a 67 percent favorite in November, and the Prospect's own polling guru thinks Obama will take 297 Electoral College votes.

Given all this, no one would fault Romney if he wasn't exactly in the partying mood for the Republican National Convention in Tampa next week. Wait, what's that? The Republican convention might be canceled? Tropical Storm Isaac looks like it might turn into a hurricane just in time to hit Tampa next week. The mayor of Tampa told CCN that he is “fully prepared” to shut it down if need be, while everyone's favorite governor Rick Scott reassured the public that officials have planned for the possibility of a hurricane. Four years ago, a hurricane also threatened the GOP convention in Minnesota, which led party planners to  reconfigure the schedule a bit. Natural disasters are awful and our hearts go out to anyone who suffers on account of them. That said, there is something poetic about an angry storm threatening the festivities of a party that denies global warming and plugs its ears anytime a scientist suggests that imminent climate change carries an increased risk of severe weather.

HOW RICK SCOTT WILL CLAIM HE SAVED FLORIDA'S ECONOMY - By kicking people off unemployment, of course. "When 65-year-old Raymond Togyer isn't polishing his resume or cold calling potential employers, he's spending hours trying, unsuccessfully, to navigate Florida's labyrinthine unemployment compensation system. Togyer -- who was laid off for the first time in his adult life from a high-paying civil engineering job in June -- has spent the last seven weeks sending and resending letters, staying on hold for hours and checking state websites, all to no avail. He is one of hundreds of thousands of out-of-work Floridians flummoxed by what has become the most tightfisted unemployment compensation system in the nation. 'They told me that I was eligible and that I was going to be getting $275 a week,' said the Togyer, of Fort Lauderdale. 'That was seven weeks ago. To this day I have not received anything. I'm draining my savings to pay my bills.'" READ MORE....

New Radio Ad That Details Impact of Romney-Ryan Budget on Floridians

Obama for America-Florida released a new radio advertisement, “Already Talking,” detailing the impact of the extreme Romney-Ryan budget on Medicare and health care services for Floridian seniors. Under the Romney-Ryan budget, Medicare would transform to a voucher program that would increase health costs for seniors by $6,350.

America can’t afford to go back to the same policies that crashed our economy and punished the middle-class – we need to continue moving forward toward an economy built to last that strengthens the middle-class by paying down our deficit in a balanced way while making the investments critical to a growing economy.  

Please click HERE to listen to the ad.

Governor Scott Should Halt Early Voting Limits in All Counties

Deutch:  Governor Scott Should Halt Early Voting Limits in All Counties Federal Court Declares That Early Voting Limits will Dramatically Reduce African American Voting Participation

 
Congressman Ted Deutch (D-FL-19) today released the following statement regarding the Federal Court decision striking down the new Florida laws restricting early voting days.
 “A federal court has confirmed that the Florida law restricting early voting hours will dramatically limit African  American participation at the polls. By striking down this law in the five counties covered by the Voting Rights Act, we will now protect the rights of a select number of Floridians, but now Governor Scott must go further and halt implementation of this law throughout all of Florida’s 67 counties.

"If nothing changes we will now have two sets of voting rules in Florida on election day. One would think that when a court rules that the constitutional rights of a minority group will be in serious jeopardy that the Governor would immediately step in to protect the rights of the citizens. Unfortunately, the Governor appears intent on pressing forward to enforce this law in a manner that continues his dangerous pattern of blatant voter suppression."

Toast Of Hope With Rep. Debbie Wassermann Schultz

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Florida's First Elected Out Gay Representative

Openly gay Miami Beach resident David Richardson won today's Democratic primary for the state legislature. As Richardson will run unopposed in the general election, in November he will become the first* openly gay state legislator in Florida history. SAVE Dade celebrates via press release:

David Richardson was elected to the State Legislature to represent District 113. This marks a tremendous victory for the LGBT community not only in Miami-Dade County but also throughout the State of Florida. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for all that you did to help make David’s victory possible. Whether you donated to our PAC or David’s campaign, worked on one of our phone banks, worked at the polls, or voted for David, SAVE Dade’s unwavering support was a major factor in making his victory possible. Florida’s journey to total equality, including marriage equality, is far from over. But David’s victory is a big step forward for our community.

*Davidson may have some gay company come November as Brevard County John Alvarez won His Primary to run against his opponent in Florida House 53 , and Orange County candidate Joe Saunders also won his Democratic primary. Saunders faces stiff GOP opposition in the general, however. In Key West, openly gay Democrat Ian Whitney also advanced to the general as he ran unopposed today. Gay Miami Herald reporter Steve Rothaus exults: "Florida has not only broken the lavender ceiling, we could shatter it entirely."

Host for Romney event in Miami is a convicted drug dealer

Romney will do anything to get elected and if Obama had done this the Republican party would have put this as the front line story every night on Fox News and the rest of the media would have jumped right on board.

Mitt Romney held a campaign event Monday evening at a Miami juice shop owned by a convicted cocaine trafficker.

Romney appeared at El Palacio de los Jugos, which is owned by Reinaldo Bermudez. Court records show that Bermudez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine in 1999 and served three years in federal prison.

Appearing with Romney was Sen. Marco Rubio. Both men handed out juices to an excited crowd after making brief remarks. Romney was filming a campaign ad at the juice shop, aides said.

In media reports in November 1997, Bermudez was identified as one of 12 people accused in a Colombian drug smuggling operation. The arrests followed a seven-month investigation led by the FBI and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Agents seized about 2,850 pounds of cocaine at three South Florida ports over several months.

Agents first seized 430 pounds of cocaine at the Port of Palm Beach in July 1997 and then 117 pounds in late September at the Port of Miami. Those shipments were concealed in containers filled with fish imported from Trinidad, an island in the south Caribbean. The largest and final seizure came in late October at Port Everglades, where officials found 2,304 pounds of cocaine in a container of soap imported from Venezuela.

Authorities learned of all three cocaine shipments through court-authorized wiretaps on four of the suspects' home, office and cellular telephones, according to media reports.

As a convicted felon, Bermudez wouldn't be eligible to vote in Florida unless the governor and the Cabinet restore his rights.

A phone call placed to the restaurant wasn't answered. The Romney campaign didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Will Ryan Cost The GOP Florida

The high number of retirees may make a Romney-Ryan ticket a tough sell in Florida, the Miami Herald reports.

According to Naked Politics, the Herald's political blog:

"Ryan, a Wisconsin congressman, is the architect of the Ryan budget plan that makes big changes to Medicare and Medicaid and could allow for some privatization of Social Security.

"And that’s widely seen by Democrats and most analysts as a politically risky stance in Florida, a must-win state for Republicans, where retirees cast a suspicious eye on changes to the three major  government-entitlement programs that pump about $96 billion yearly into the hands of the elderly, the infirm and the hospitals, doctors and other providers who give them direct care."

Naked Politics also noted some early tweets by gleeful Fla Dems on the VP nominee, in its article, titled "Why Paul Ryan Could Be a Drag in Florida":