Tuesday E-News Brief, 7/17/07, Staying Up All Night

In This Issue

• Staying Up All Night To Do What's Right
• Legendary Senator to Step Down, House Leader to Run for Seat
• "Democratic Reunion" July 28th To Focus On The Environment
• Convention Rooms Are Selling Out Fast, Book Yours Now!
• CFO Sink Fights For Homeowner's Insurance Relief
• Mel Martinez Allows White House Email Scandal To Continue

Staying Up All Night To Do What's Right

With Democrats in Washington staying up all night to demand a new direction in Iraq, Florida Democrats today join them in calling on Republicans in Washington to stop standing in the way of change. While Senate Democrats are demanding a straight up-or-down vote on the Levin-Reed Amendment (which would begin to responsibly redeploy our troops in Iraq by April 2008 so they can refocus on protecting Americans from terrorism), Republicans like Florida's Mel Martinez are blocking a vote on the amendment. Tonight, Democrats are keeping the Senate in session all night to debate this critical bill. Meanwhile, veterans groups and activists are holding a vigil outside the Congress to demand change.

Let's send Mel Martinez a message. Visit www.democrats.org/IraqObstruction now to tell Mel to stop obstructing the new direction in Iraq that Floridians demand.

Legendary Senator to Step Down, House Leader to Run for Seat

After more than two decades of service to the citizens of South Florida, former Senate President Gwen Margolis announced she will not run for reelection in 2008. Since 1974, Margolis has proudly and strongly represented her South Florida constituents. The good news for voters of District 35 is that they will have a familiar face to vote for in 2008 as House Democratic Leader Dan Gelber, who is term-limited out of his House seat, announced his intentions to run for the seat. "He understands the community and they know him,'' Margolis said of Gelber. "I'm really pleased to be able to give a guy like that the opportunity to run." The Florida Democratic Party salutes Sen. Margolis for her years of service and wishes Rep. Gelber the best of luck in '08.

"Democratic Reunion" July 28th To Focus On The Environment

The 2nd annual "Democratic Reunion" has been scheduled for Saturday, July 28. This year we will focus on the fight for a cleaner environment and energy independence. Democrats from all over the country will be planting trees, cleaning up local parks and beaches, and kicking off local recycling programs. Democrats are also planting the seeds of something a lot bigger: the field organization we need to take back the White House in 2008. Check out www.democrats.org/democraticreunion to find out you can improve the environment in your community.

Convention Rooms Are Selling Out Fast, Book Yours Now!

Due to the overwhelming demand, the Party has completely sold out of the hundreds of hotel rooms we reserved at Disney's Yacht & Beach Club Resort, the host hotel for the 2007 State Convention, Oct. 26-28. However, because so many more convention-goers still want to book rooms, the Party has made arrangements for additional rooms at the nearby Caribbean Beach Resort. For only $139 a night, Florida Democrats can stay down the road from all the action and take special shuttle buses to the convention center all weekend long. The festivities kick off Friday night with Chairwoman Thurman's Reception. Be sure to book your rooms soon. Once the Caribbean Beach Resort rooms sell out, there will be no more rooms available at a discounted rate.


CFO Sink Fights For Homeowner's Insurance Relief

Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink wants to know why the insurance rate cut promised to homeowners hasn't materialized yet. CFO Sink discussed the issue in a recent interview with the Miami Herald. "My question is - and I'm going to bring this up to the [Florida] Cabinet - we heard 20 percent and we got 10 percent. What happened? We took on an enormous amount of extra risk (in the CAT Fund) because we all agreed our policyholders were hurting, our economy was hurting and we needed rate relief. We should always go back and find out whether it was a miscalculation, bad information or whether in fact the insurance companies aren't doing what they were supposed to be doing," Sink said. She continues to work hard to make sure that Florida homeowners get the rate cuts that they were promised.

Mel Martinez Allows White House Email Scandal To Continue

The Tampa Tribune editorial board went after U.S. Senator and Republican National Committee Chairman Mel Martinez for continuing to allow Karl Rove and friends to use RNC computers to subvert the Presidential Record Act. By using RNC email accounts, instead of government email, Martinez enables GOP operatives to hide emails that have been requested by the House Oversight Committee. These emails, many of which are suspected of having information about the firing of eight federal prosecutors, have been conveniently "lost." "...it certainly appears as though the administration created a back-door channel to skirt the law and then conveniently lost the e-mails. It's an embarrassment for the party. Martinez should set a higher standard." the Tribune wrote. Unfortunately, Floridians have come to expect a lower standard from Martinez, whose approval rating in a recent poll dropped to a perilously low 23 percent.