Four House Republicans ask for investigation into Sink’s use of state planes

A group of four House Republicans Chris Dorworth of Lake Mary, Steve Crisafulli of Merritt Island, Mike Horner of Kissimmee and Matt Hudson of Naples is asking state CFO Alex Sink to call an independent investigation of her use of the state plane.

Sink has ordered her office to conduct a thorough and immediate review into whether she misused the state plane to pick up and drop off family members. Sink reimbursed the state for the cost of those flights before questions were raised. But the lawmakers say the review might not be good enough. In this letter, they cite a story in which Sink reacts to a Miami Herald investigation of financier Allen Stanford, who struck a deal with state regulators to sell investments and move vast amounts of money offshore without government oversight.

Sink said the Office of Regulation should not investigate itself and the lawmakers are asking Sink to apply the same criteria to her office. If its good for the goose, it should be good for the gander, Dorworth said in an interview.
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Four House Republicans ask for investigation into Sink’s use of state planes

Statement on Governor Sarah Palin

Tallahassee - Republican Party of Florida Chairman Jim Greer released the following statement today regarding Alaska Governor Sarah Palins decision to not to seek re-election and to resign her position as Governor. On behalf of the Republican Party of Florida and Republicans across the state, I would like to thank Governor Palin for her service to our Party. She worked tirelessly to defend Republican principles throughout her service in state and local government and demonstrated tremendous courage as a historic candidate on the Republican presidential ticket in 2008. We respect her decision and wish Governor Palin and her family the very best as she moves forward.

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Statement on Governor Sarah Palin

The Right’s Pathetic Opposition to the Auto Bailout

Washington, D.C. – Republican opponents of the auto bailout are being accused of putting ideology ahead of the economy’s well-being. They are accused of having an ideological animus against bailouts.

“That criticism pays Republicans a compliment they don’t deserve,” said Yaron Brook, executive director of the Ayn Rand Center for Individual Rights. “The Republican opposition to the auto bailout was not a matter of principle, but of pragmatic nit-picking.

“A principled opposition to the auto bailout would have denounced as immoral any attempt to use taxpayer money to prop up failing companies. It would have insisted that such attempts at central planning are destructive and un-American. It would have said that the government’s proper function is not to engineer the economy, but to protect individual rights and otherwise leave the economy free. That is not what the Republicans claimed.

“In his floor statement opposing the bill, leading Republican senator Mitch McConnell’s ‘stinging’ criticism consisted of finding that the bill ‘does not’ lay out ‘an effective strategy for securing the long-term viability of these companies,’ that it did not give the proposed ‘Car Czar’ enough power, and–the ultimate deal-killer for Republicans–the bill would have adjusted auto worker wage rates at ‘too slow’ a pace.

“The tragic fact is that Republicans do not regard central planning as objectionable–they merely disagree with the Democrats’ central plan.”

Florida early voters favor Dems; GOP leads state in absentees

Nearly 2 million Floridians cast ballots in the first week of early voting, and the partisan breakdown gives a slight edge to Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.
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Florida Attorney General McCollum: Election will be ‘knock-down, drag-out fight’

ST. PAUL — They watched the meteoric rise of an obscure Alaska governor and the ascendance of a presidential campaign that pundits pronounced dead just eight months ago.
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Convention off to rocky start amid hurricane

AP – Republicans set aside the agenda to focus on hurricane relief in the opening hours of their national convention, only to see the scaled-back program for Day One overshadowed by jarring disclosures about the family and work life of John McCain’s running mate, Sarah Palin. Read more…

Bush cancels, GOP weighs shorter convention

AP – President Bush, Vice President Cheney and prominent GOP governors are all skipping the Republican National Convention, and the party is considering shortening its big four-day event as Hurricane Gustav approaches the Gulf Coast with potentially deadly strength. 
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Crist weighs in on McCain’s VP pick of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin

Gov. Charlie Crist, himself chatted up as a possibility for the spot, is the latest Republican to weigh in on the vice-presidential pick.

“Senator John McCain has made a great pick in Governor Sarah Palin,” Crist said in a statement circulated by the Republican Party of Florida.

“She has demonstrated tremendous leadership as the chief executive of her state, working to bring Republicans and Democrats together to do what’s right. I congratulate both Senator McCain and Governor Palin on this historic choice for our people.”
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Candidates say tough budget choices require some creative thinking

Leon County legislative candidates agreed Wednesday that Florida’s fiscal crisis requires government to make tough choices about budget priorities and look for new revenue sources.
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Poll: Obama leads McCain nationally 47 percent to 41 percent

AP – Solid margins among women, minorities and young voters have powered Barack Obama to a 6 percentage point lead over John McCain in the presidential race, according to a poll released Tuesday.
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