Good Monday morning.
Situational awareness — Florida’s three NFL teams — the Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers — all made the playoffs. It’s the primary time since 1999.
Remember Florida Democrats?
Time flies— It’s been two months since Democrats were roundly defeated within the 2022 elections and plenty of among the many party faithful are still smarting over their losses: Gov. Ron DeSantis got reelected, a Republican supermajority was swept into the Legislature and several other traditionally blue counties, including Miami-Dade, flipped red. (See below.)
Shh— Florida Democratic Party Chair Manny Diaz has been relatively quiet since then but he’s apparently made it clear he has no plans to step down from his post despite a terrific deal of dissatisfaction from each the progressive and moderate wings of the party.
Mark your calendar— The party is scheduled to carry a gathering of its executive and central committee on Jan. 21 in Maitland and Diaz might be in for a rough reception. Several Democrats have told Playbook they foresee that there might be a push to at the least to call for a vote of no confidence in Diaz. (Diaz didn’t reply to requests for comment.)
Next up— But a key query has emerged through all of the behind-the-scenes hand-wringing. If not Diaz, then who? A part of Diaz’s appeal to Democrats after their 2020 losses was that he would establish everlasting infrastructure and have the cash to achieve this. Well, while Diaz managed to repay some debts, national interests largely wrote off Florida this cycle. But one Democratic operative said, “I feel a whole lot of persons are concerned that we are able to’t just keep churning through leadership.”
On the list— Some operatives and other high-ranking Democrats have mentioned that several folks — including former Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried — have said they weren’t eager about taking the difficult job. Other names have bubbled up, similar to former state Rep. Sean Shaw or former state Sen. Annette Taddeo, but can they unite the party? There are sharp disagreements between the moderate and progressive wings. One progressive party official told Playbook that a “progressive reformist takeover of the party is the one option besides suicidally remaining permanently irrelevant.”
State of play— Republicans entered the 2022 election with the hope that they may deliver a near-death blow to Democrats within the state. The party is trailing in voter registration, money and resources, and now not has a single statewide elected Democrat who could function a rallying force. Irrespective of who guides the party, that might take a protracted time to repair.
WHERE’S RON? — Nothing official for Gov. DeSantis.
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WHAT’S GOING ON? — Miami Democrats face internal feud after disastrous 2022 midterms, by POLITICO’s Matt Dixon: Ten party officials in Florida’s most populous county are asking the statewide Florida Democratic Party to audit the county party over alleged campaign finance “improper activity.” The request comes after Republicans won nearly every race within the county, which Hillary Clinton won by nearly 30 percentage-points just six years ago. The county has long been held up as an awesome Democratic home turf.
Jab— “Many signers of this letter have been raising the alarm for a lot of months that Robert Dempster was unfit to steer our Party,” former Miami-Dade County Democratic Chairman Juan Cuba said during a Friday interview. “And even after losing every race in Miami-Dade this November, there was zero accountability and little or no self-reflection.”
— “Hillsborough County Democrats assess what went flawed Nov. 8,” by Tampa Bay Times’ William March
LATE-NIGHT DRAMA— ICYMI, the drama over the number of a recent House speaker in Washington reached its climax late Friday/early Saturday with a complete lot of crazy moments before it was over. Before the ultimate resolution, there was a near brawl between holdout Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz and Alabama Rep. Mike Rogers where Rogers supposedly told Gaetz that “you’re finished.” There was also an apparent sharp exchange between Gaetz and eventual winner Rep. Kevin McCarthy captured by cameras. As well as, there have been some late-night calls from former President Donald Trump to Gaetz and others telling them to back McCarthy. Gaetz voted present. …
Gaetz would go on Fox News on Sunday and downplay the altercation while on the time insisting to Fox News anchor Mike Emanuel he was a serious member of Congress who wasn’t just eager about creating chaos to get more attention. “It’s an odd criticism to say I’m doing this for media hits,” Gaetz retorted.
After the vote— Newly sworn in Florida Rep. Cory Mills, near 3 a.m. on Saturday, tweeted out a joke in regards to the attack on Paul Pelosi — the husband of former Speaker Nancy Pelosi: “Finally one less gavel in Pelosi’s house for Paul to fight with in his underwear.” Mills deleted the tweet, but not before Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell demand Mills apologize.
Notable— And Rep. Byron Donalds, who was a rival to McCarthy at one point in the method but then flipped his support back to the California Republican, got a plum spot on the Republican Conference Steering Committee, the panel that helps pick chairs and rating members for many committees. The committee is slated to satisfy Monday to select the Ways and Means chair, a spot being sought by Florida Rep. Vern Buchanan.
Here’s among the coverage over the past two days:
— Republicans defend speaker votes: Messy, but it surely worked, by POLITICO’s Olivia Olander: Rep. Chip Roy, who was one among the primary anti-McCarthy holdouts to flip after days of negotiations, also addressed the altercation on the House floor Friday night, wherein Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), lunged at Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) after a 14th try and elect McCarthy speaker had come up just short. “Whenever you saw among the interactions there between Mike Rogers and Matt Gaetz, a few of that’s — we want just a little of that. We’d like just a little of this kind of breaking the glass as a way to get us to the table,” Roy said to host Jake Tapper.
— “Rep. Mike Rogers apologizes to Matt Gaetz for losing temper during chaotic speaker votes,” by NBC News’ Julie Tsirkin, Fiona Glisson and Summer Concepcion: “Reps. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., and Mike Rogers, R-Ala., publicly resolved their differences Sunday after tensions boiled over on the House floor late Friday through the votes for House speaker. Rogers was restrained after he charged toward Gaetz. The lawmakers appeared to fix fences in tweets Sunday. Gaetz said Rogers had his ‘forgiveness’ and shouldn’t face ‘any punishment or reprisal simply because he had an animated moment.’”
— “GOP Rep. Nancy Mace blasts Matt Gaetz as a ‘fraud’ for fundraising off McCarthy speaker votes,” by The Hill’s Stephen Neukam
— “After dramatic 14th vote, Trump calls holdouts who refused to back McCarthy,” by The Recent York Times’ Maggie Haberman
— “Trump claims credit for McCarthy winning speaker’s gavel,” by Washington Times’ Ramsey Touchberry
— Two lawmakers nearly come to blows — and other crazy moments from McCarthy’s final speaker votes, by POLITICO’s Nicholas Wu and Meredith Lee Hill
— “After 15 ballots and near GOP Gaetz brawl, Frost gets sworn in,” by Orlando Sentinel’s Steven Lemongello
COLLEGE DAZE — DeSantis overhauls leadership at Recent College, Florida’s liberal arts university, by POLITICO’s Andrew Atterbury: Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday revealed plans to remake Recent College of Florida, the state’s liberal arts university, right into a more conservative or “classical” school. Florida’s Republican governor appointed six recent trustees to the board at Recent College who’re expected to bring about major changes, including Christopher Rufo, a conservative activist who has advised DeSantis on critical race theory. … The campus might be “refocused” within the image of Hillsdale College, a personal conservative religious school in Michigan, in line with DeSantis officials.
TOY STORY— “DeSantis desires to take control of Disney World’s Reedy Creek district,” by Orlando Sentinel’s Skyler Swisher and Jeffrey Schweers: “Gov. Ron DeSantis wants Florida lawmakers to strip Disney World of its self-governing powers and put the state answerable for the Reedy Creek Improvement District. A notice published on Osceola County’s website on Friday states that lawmakers will take up laws ‘increasing state oversight, accountability, and transparency’ of the district, which provides Disney quasi-government control over its theme park properties in Florida.”
— “DeSantis is GOP’s early front-runner. That could possibly be an issue,” by The Hill’s Alexander Bolton
— “As legal bills mount, Florida paid about $35,000 for every migrant in Martha’s Vineyard flights,” by Tallahassee Democrat’s Douglas Soule
— “DeSantis aides resign before lobbying restriction kicks in,” by Orlando Sentinel’s Jeffrey Schweers
PRETZEL LOGIC?— “Mike Lindell’s recent conspiracy theory: DeSantis’ Miami-Dade win can prove Trump was cheated,” by Miami Herald’s Douglas Hanks: “[Gov. Ron] DeSantis was the primary Republican gubernatorial or presidential candidate to win Miami-Dade in 20 years, and polls show he’s the highest challenger to Trump’s 2024 campaign for the GOP nomination. ‘I don’t think they did any cheating like they did in 2020,’ Lindell told the Miami Herald on Friday evening, referring to Miami-Dade election results. He said the 2022 results could prove rigged tallies from 2020. ‘Here’s Miami-Dade County in 2020 once they cheated, and here’s Miami-Dade County in 2022 once they didn’t. We could finally have an A/B example.’”
But then — “The interview didn’t last long, with Lindell reacting angrily when pressed to clarify how “machine manipulation” occurred in Miami-Dade in 2020. ‘You’re a stuffed with crap journalist,’ Lindell told a Herald reporter who called. ‘Have a pleasant day.’”
RESPONSE — DeSantis prompts National Guard as lots of of Cuban migrants arrive in Florida, by POLITICO’s Matt Dixon: Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday activated the Florida National Guard to answer an influx of lots of of mostly Cuban migrants arriving by boat to southern Florida, increasing long-running tensions between the GOP governor and Biden administration over immigration. The choice comes at a moment complicated by broader, border-focused immigration fights that DeSantis, a possible 2024 presidential candidate, has long-used to attack the Biden administration.
RESPONSE TO THE RESPONSE — “State police in Keys for migrant landings as Coast Guard ships Cubans back home,” by Miami Herald’s David Goodhue, Syra Ortiz-Blanes and Douglas Hanks: “On Sunday, the Biden administration responded with a press release from the Department of Homeland Security that touted a ‘comprehensive’ response underway since August and tighter rules for Cuban migration. ‘Unfortunately, we have now seen several governors play political games,’ the administration statement read.”
GETTING OUT— “Ana Montes, former U.S intelligence analyst who spied for Cuba, is released,” by Washington Post’s Leo Sands and Shane Harris: “For nearly 17 years, [Ana] Montes gathered secret U.S. government information and passed it on to intelligence officers in Havana. She disclosed the identities of at the least 4 U.S. officers covertly operating in Cuba, provided classified photos and documents, and divulged details about eavesdropping technology covertly installed on the island, essentially compromising every method the US used to surveil the Castro regime, in line with current and former U.S. intelligence officials. That makes Montes one of the damaging spies of her time, they said.”
UF’S NEW LEADER — “Relationship with ‘needy’ Trump a fancy a part of Sasse political legacy,” by Omaha World-Herald’s Henry J. Cordes: “He didn’t back the Republican standard bearer either time he ran, and was one among only a handful of GOP senators in Trump’s second impeachment trial to vote to convict the president of inciting riot against the Capitol. ‘I’m just sad for him as a human because obviously there’s a whole lot of complicated stuff occurring in that soul,’ [Ben] Sasse said of his relationship with Trump. ‘Just at a human level, I’m sad for him to be that needy and desperate. But at a policy level, I at all times loved that he kept his word on the judges. … And so we set to work closely on judges.’”
— “Florida COVID hospitalizations skyrocket as case counts change into unreliable,” by Palm Beach Post’s Chris Persaud
— “Broward school district asks for external review on data breach concerns,” by South Florida Sun-Sentinel’s Scott Travis
— “Unanswered questions remain at Disney World, Universal and SeaWorld for 2023,” by Florida Politics’ Gabrielle Russon
— “Court rejects Jacksonville’s second appeal in ongoing redistricting case,” by Florida Times-Union’s Hanna Holthaus
— “FAU searches for brand new president – but it surely could possibly be secretive,” by South Florida Sun-Sentinel’s Scott Travis and Anthony Man
— “Jacksonville highschool cancels performances of ‘Indecent’ over play’s ‘mature content,’” by Florida Times-Union’s Steve Patterson
BIRTHDAYS: McClatchy’s Alex Roarty … Lisa Miller, former deputy insurance commissioner and CEO of Lisa Miller & Associates …
(Birthdayweek — was Sunday) Senior U.S. District Judge Alan S. Gold … Florida International University’s Brian Van Hook