PARTY NEWS

My Word: Closing Prisons would hurt communities [Orlando Sentinel OpEd by Chairman Rod Smith] “The real reason for these prison closures, as well as the governor's move toward privatization — which would have already privatized 29 South Florida prisons had the courts not ruled it unlawful — is to award taxpayer dollars to a big political contributor. As a former stateattorney and senator, I've seen firsthand the families and communities in rural towns across Florida that will bear the consequences of Scott's extreme privatization agenda. Many of the correctional facilities slated for closure are the largest employers in these communities, and the governor's plan would shatter economies and force families to sell their land. Most important, the state would put more prisoners in fewer facilities, returning to the days when we minimized the officer population in a way that made prisons less safe for inmates and correctional officers. The result would put Florida's hardworking officers in greater danger and unjustly award political contributors with the taxpayers' money."

Chairman Rod Smith on the GOP Debates [MyFox Tampa] "'For Democrats, it's great to watch, said Rod Smith, chairman of the Florida Democratic Party. He said he hopes Republicans continue to clash in debates, because the more the candidates debate, 'the less presidential they look.' The longer they talk about one another, I told my wife this morning, each one convinces me that the other one shouldn't be president,” he said. 'I think the president actually does better the longer they keep this debate going.”

Rod Smith: Romney doesn't connect well with people [Orlando Sentinel] "Florida Democratic Party Chairman Rod Smith told reporters that Romney likes to play by different rules. Tuesday, DNC Executive Director Patrick Gaspard picked apart Romney's newly released tax returns. And Smith critiqued Romney's performance in Monday night's Republican debate.

"I don't think he connects well with people," Smith said. "In North Florida, I don't think he'll connect. I think in South Florida he has a problem with the immigration issue." 

Florida Democratic Party to Hold Our Voice, Our Vote Rally [FLA DEMS] On Friday, the Florida Democratic Party will hold a large rally to protest the GOP's unfair voter suppression bill in Tampa — join the Florida Democratic Party and protect your voice!

GOVERNOR AND CABINET

Florida's hospitals bracing for more cuts [Tampa Bay Times] “Gov. Rick Scott's plan to cut about $2 billion in public funding to hospitals that care for the poor is devastating and even ridiculous, say hospital leaders who predict patient care will suffer if it is enacted. Scott's fellow Republicans in the Legislature say they don't like his plan, either. But they admit that the hospitals — which took a considerable hit last year — will face another swipe of the ax. Scott wants to cut Medicaid spending by nearly 10 percent this year to free up funds for education. He says health spending is a fair target because it has grown far more rapidly than other government spending.”

LEGISLATURE

Florida lawmakers file new round of anti-abortion bills [Palm Beach Post] “After passing five anti-abortion measures last year, lawmakers are again considering measures that opponents say would make it more difficult for women to get access to the procedures. Voting on party lines, a House committee approvedthree anti-abortion measures late Tuesday afternoon after an emotionally-charged hearing, with four Democratic Palm Beach County lawmakers opposing each of the bills.”

House Reviews Cuts to Florida Health Budget [Lakeland Ledger] “The House released an initial health and human-services budget proposal Tuesday that would chop hospital Medicaid rates by $291 million next year and trim a series of benefits for low-income Floridians. … A key issue in the negotiations likely will be hospital Medicaid rates, which were cut by $510 million to help balance the current fiscal year's budget. The House proposal rejects a plan by Gov. Rick Scott to overhaul — and more deeply slash — hospital funding, but it still calls for a 7 percent rate reduction" 

House looks to increase university tuition — again [Palm Beach Post] “Florida university students could face another round of 15 percent tuition hikes next fall, under a spending plan unveiled Tuesday by the House Higher Education budget committee”

2012 RACES

Quinnipiac: Gingrich and Romney tied in Florida [Quinnipiac] " Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich wipes out a 12-point lead by Mitt Romney to tie the former Massachusetts governor in Florida, according to a Quinnipiac University poll release today."

Obama leads with Latinos [Miami Herald] "Latino voters — the nation's fastest-growing voting bloc — favor President Obama over all the Republican candidates by a wide margin, according to a new poll conducted by Latino Decisions for Univision News and ABC News"

President urges fair shot for everyone [Washington Post] "President Barack Obama warned the nation Tuesday that the decades-old promise of a secure and rising middle class is under threat because of growing disparities between the rich and everyone else in America."

Gingrich, Romney disagree over debate audience participation [Tampa Tribune] “Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich said today he doesn't want to continue debating his Republican rivals if the audience isn't allowed to participate. His campaign said later that he would participate in upcoming debates, regardless of the audience rules. Gingrich, whose rise in the polls and come-from-behind victory in the South Carolina followed well-received debate performances, complained that people were admonished by NBC News anchor anddebate moderator Brian Williams not to applaud during Monday night's debate in Tampa. The candidates were to debate Thursday night in Jacksonville. …  Disagreeing with his rival, Mitt Romney told reporters that the rules for general-election debates are much stricter and that Gingrich would have to be willing to follow the rules of the Presidential Debate Commission.”

Marco Rubio: Mitt Romney is no Charlie Crist [Tampa Tribune] “Newt Gingrich's decision today to bash Mitt Romney for hiring former Charlie Crist loyalists and employees doesn't seem to be sitting well with Sen. Marco Rubio, who drove Crist out of the Republican Party before beating him at the polls in 2010. Said Rubio: ‘Mitt Romney is no Charlie Crist. Romney is a conservative. He was one of the first national Republican leaders to endorse me. He came to Florida, campaigned hard for me, and made a real difference in my race.'”

Pro Gingrich SuperPAC announces $6 million ad buy typing Obamacare to Romney [Miami Herald] “Flush with $5 million in new cash from the family of gambling czar Sheldon Adelson, the pro-Newt Gingrich SuperPac, Winning Our Future, has announced it's buying $6 million in air time in Florida. Quoting the Wall Street Journal and Forbes, it ties Romney to President Obama's health plan and features a clip of the president smiling as he credits Romney.”