Free Republic

The Republican National Committee will not support Newt Gingrich in his quest to add some Florida delegates to his count. The former Speaker's campaign argued it deserves some delegates out of Florida despite the state party's position that its contest is winner-take-all. But an RNC memo obtained by The Hill says that is not a possible scenario. "With regard to proportionality, the RNC does not have the authority to intervene in a state’s primary plans beyond the imposition of the Rule 16 penalties," the memo says, referring to the state's loss of half its delegates for moving its primary up...

Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum still has "serious questions" about gubernatorial opponent Rick Scott's "character, his integrity, his honesty," and he does not plan to endorse Scott as the GOP candidate for governor. McCollum confirmed to reporters Thursday that he called Scott Wednesday "to congratulate him and wish him well." Asked whether he would consider endorsing Scott, McCollum replied: “I still have serious questions and I have had them throughout the time that I’ve had the very brief acquaintanceship with Rick Scott about issues of his character, his integrity, his honesty, things that go back to Columbia/HCA.”

The Border: The Sunshine State's attorney general not only supports Arizona in court but has proposed a law tweaking the objections and going even further. Punishing criminals and protecting citizens sounds good to us. Florida attorney general and gubernatorial candidate Bill McCollum isn't waiting for the final word on Arizona's court-challenged SB1070. He's sponsoring a Florida version that deals with the legal objections while ending the concept of sanctuary cities and providing for enhanced penalties when illegal aliens commit crimes. McCollum will no doubt be accused of political motives and opportunism. He will be accused of being racist. But if...

Breaking from Newsmax.com McCollum Gains Big: 12 Points Ahead of Scott By Jim Meyers Bill McCollum has opened a 12 percentage-point lead over Rick Scott in his campaign for the Republican nomination for governor in Florida, according to a new poll released by the Florida Chamber of Commerce. The poll of likely Republican primary voters shows McCollum with 45 percent of the vote, Scott with 33 percent, and roughly 20 percent undecided. Attorney General McCollum has a comfortable lead over businessman Scott among moderates, 48 percent to 27 percent, as well as conservatives — 43 percent to 36 percent, according...

I have paid little attention to the race for Governor in Florida. But that race is getting more and more interesting. Friends of mine have been pushing me to weigh in on one side, then the other. Lately, however, a multitude of people have asked me to weigh in on this business with Rick Scott. He guest posted once here about Obamacare and I’ve defended him once from White House attacks. It did strike me as a bit odd to see him jump into the Florida Governor’s race. I got curious and started digging in. The field had been cleared...

Some legal scholars, including some who normally lean to the left, believe the states have identified the law's weak spot and devised a credible theory for eviscerating it. The power of their argument lies in questioning whether Congress can regulate inactivity -- in this case by levying a tax penalty on those who do not obtain health insurance. If so, they ask, what would theoretically prevent the government from mandating all manner of acts in the national interest, say regular exercise or buying an American car?

TALLAHASSEE – Republican Bill McCollum’s trigger-happiness to sue over the federal health care overhaul appear to be paying dividends with Florida voters. The attorney general and leading GOP candidate has swelled his advantage to double-digits over Democrat Alex Sink since early summer, garnering a 49-percent to 34-percent edge in the latest Mason-Dixon poll released Monday. Last June, McCollum, a 20-year congressman and three-time statewide candidate with far higher name-recognition than the relatively novice Sink, nonetheless held just a 6 percentage-point lead, fanning Democratic exuberance that the party had its best shot at re-taking the Governor’s Mansion in decades. Since then,...

If the state's 61-year-old star witness in defense of Florida's gay adoption ban looks laughable for vacationing with a 20-year-old gay male escort, Attorney General Bill McCollum looks pretty foolish himself. George Rekers got payments totaling $120,693 in 2008 and 2009 to testify as a supposed expert against Martin Gill, the Miami man who wants to adopt the two brothers in his foster care. When the Florida Department of Children and Families refused, citing the 1977 ban on adoptions by gays, Mr. Gill sued, and won. The state has appealed. After the embarrassing revelation two weeks ago about Mr. Rekers,...

Rick Scott jumped into the Florida GOP gubernatorial primary, calling himself “pro-life,” when he profited by running a hospital chain that performs abortions. Scott’s Republican rival, Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum, explains: “In his most egregious attempt yet to run from questions of his role in overseeing massive Medicare fraud, Rick Scott is now claiming he is a ‘pro-life leader’ who allegedly believes ‘every life is worth defending’. Unfortunately for some, this couldn’t be farther from the truth. “As the disgraced CEO of Columbia/HCA, Rick Scott profited from elective abortions performed at his hospitals. He can say he’s pro-life, but...

Attorney General Bill McCollum has had a dramatic change of heart on Arizona's new immigration law. Here's what he said on April 27: "I think Arizona has its own unique problems. I don't think Florida should enact laws like this -- quite that far out.' Now he says some amendments to the law -- which failed to mollify most critics, including, apparently, former Gov. Jeb Bush -- have made it palatable, and that he would support a similar measure in Florida. McCollum's statement: As state and local law enforcement officials in Arizona begin to implement the states aggressive new border...

Extensive higher taxes, federal mandates to purchase health insurance, tax penalties for non-compliance, nationalization of the entire student loan industry, subsidized Viagra for rapists and sex offenders and much more – what is not to like about ObamaCare? The wise President Obama must be dumbfounded as to why most Americans are opposed to his radical intrusions in their lives. After all he does know what is better for us, right? I am sure it is even more puzzling to him as to why 18 state attorney generals and even more state legislatures are challenging his sweeping health care reform. It...

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott announced on March 22, 2010, the State will be joining other states in challenging the health-care reform legislation that passed in the U.S. House last night 219-212. "The federal health care legislation passed tonight violates the United States Constitution and unconstitutionally infringes upon Texans' individual liberties," said Abbott. "To protect all Texans' constitutional rights, preserve the constitutional framework intended by our nation's founders, and defend our state from further infringement by the federal government, the State of Texas and other states will legally challenge the federal health care legislation," Abbott announced. Virginia's Attorney General Ken...

After the U.S. House's historic vote Sunday night passing the health care reform bill, South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster issued the following statement: "The health care legislation Congress passed tonight is an assault against the Constitution of the United States. It contains various provisions and federal mandates that are clearly unconstitutional and must not be allowed to stand. A legal challenge by the States appears to be the only hope of protecting the American people from this unprecedented attack on our system of government. The key question involved is whether personal freedom, state sovereignty and constitutional law will survive...

Sen. Mel Martinez's announcement Tuesday that he would not seek a second term immediately set off speculation about possible candidates for his seat. The following is a look at people who have indicated interest or are the subject of speculation: Republicans - Former Gov. Jeb Bush. He is seriously considering a run and party and elected officials from Florida and beyond are encouraging him, according to a former political adviser who spoke on condition of anonymity because Bush is not ready to publicly discuss his plans. But for now, the official word from spokeswoman Kristy Campbell is this: "Governor Bush...

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Former U.S. Rep. Bill McCollum, who has lost two straight U.S. Senate campaigns, said Tuesday he would enter a crowded Republican primary for attorney general. McCollum received national attention in 1998 as one of the House managers who prosecuted President Clinton during his impeachment. He spent 20 years in Congress. The name recognition he's built through the two previous statewide campaigns should make him the GOP front-runner to succeed Attorney General Charlie Crist, who is running for governor. "It's a responsibility that I feel to my children and my grandchildren and to the state: If I can...

As the Republican U.S. Senate primary heads into its final 10 days, many voters are now paying attention - just in time for a blast of critical ads aimed at undecided voters. Doug Gallagher, a wealthy Miami business executive, launched a radio ad calling himself a "successful businessman" and labeling rivals Bill McCollum and Mel Martinez "the M&M boys." He called McCollum "a lobbyist beholden to special interests" and Martinez the "president of the trial lawyers." "We've tried it their way. Now let's try it our way," says Gallagher, who is financing his campaign with nearly $6-million of his own...

TALLAHASSEE · Robust, early leads by the Democratic and Republican front-runners in the race to become the next U.S. senator from Florida have narrowed sharply, according to a new statewide poll that shows the 12-candidate race has tightened into a five-person sprint. With television advertisements for the race beginning to hit the airwaves, the survey of likely voters conducted for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and the Florida Times-Union newspapers puts Betty Castor ahead of Peter Deutsch among Democrats, and Bill McCollum over Mel Martinez and Doug Gallagher at the top of the eight-candidate Republican field. After months of quiet preparations...

The Miami Herald August 30, 2000 Wednesday SECTION: LOCAL; Pg. 3B HEADLINE: MCCOLLUM TOUTS NEED FOR HATE-CRIME BILL BYLINE: STEVE BOUSQUET AND DANIEL A. GRECH Republican U.S. Senate candidate Bill McCollum visited three major media markets across the state Tuesday and will visit one more today, carrying the same message: The need for a federal hate-crimes law to protect minorities, including gays and lesbians, from discrimination. McCollum, a congressman from the Orlando suburbs and chairman of the House Subcommittee on Crime, met with gays in Miami, including members of the largest gay GOP group, the Log Cabin Republicans. The Miami...

Mel Martinez is riding a wave of grassroots support. “It’s going great,” said the candidate – one of 18 people, nine of them Republicans – already in the running for the U.S. Senate seat being given up this year by Democrat Bob Graham. Though it’s early in the game, and Martinez is in the middle of a crowd of high rollers from both sides of the aisle, polls put him high on the list. A poll released by the St. Petersburg Times and Miami Herald put Martinez even with former Rep. Bill McCollum of Longwood, another GOP candidate for Graham’s...

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- He's listened to his friends and colleagues and talked with his family. Now U.S. Sen. Bob Graham has a decision to make. The 66-year-old lawmaker, who seems to have made a full recovery from major heart surgery in January, was expected to announce Monday whether he plans to run in one more campaign or retire from a political career that began 37 years ago when he ran for the Florida Legislature. Just four weeks ago, Graham dropped his presidential ambitions after longtime political contributors began to lose faith in the senator's ability to catch on with voters...