| | | | |  | | By Gary Fineout | Hello and welcome to Wednesday. Dropping by — President Joe Biden touched down into south Florida in a last-minute show of support for Democratic candidates, including Charlie Crist and Rep. Val Demings, that included a successful fundraiser for Crist as well as a get-out-the-vote rally in crucial Miami-Dade County. What's at stake — Biden also took a swipe at Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, telling a crowd of roughly 70 people at the fundraiser that Crist is battling "Donald Trump incarnate" and included DeSantis among the "extremism" that affects the GOP. At one point, he added, "it's really important for a state the size of Florida and the consequence of Florida — it gets on the right side of history again." Context — It was an interesting comment to make given the lack of attention national Democrats and donors have given to Florida as many have written off the state as a lost cause. Biden's decision to come in Florida was apparently done primarily as a favor to Crist, who asked for the help after an earlier rally was scrapped due to Hurricane Ian. What does it mean? — Biden kept his promise ("He's a man of his word" Crist told POLITICO) but it's all too little, too late and will likely motivate Republicans who view this year's election as proof that Florida is no longer a battleground state. Response — DeSantis held his own campaign rally in Pensacola on Tuesday and relished the presence of Biden in his state. The governor routinely slams Biden in his campaign speeches on everything from the economy to immigration, and barely mentions Crist. "I think we all should thank him for coming to Florida because less than a week before the election he's reminding every voter in Florida just how poor his policies have been." He added: "Look at every issue. … In Florida, we have gotten it right and Biden has gotten it wrong." Note this — Biden provided quite a contrast to the campaigns of both Crist and Demings. His closing message was about how Republicans pose a threat to Social Security and Medicare and health care — and how giving them control of Congress could potentially cause economic unrest. Both Crist and Demings in their remarks to a crowd at Florida Memorial University focused on abortion. Wondering — Of course, the key question is whether the events on Tuesday were a prelude of what's to come in 2024. But there was a split-screen moment for about 20 minutes where both Biden and DeSantis were talking at the same time. It could be happening… — WHERE'S RON? — Nothing official announced for Gov. DeSantis. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for Playbook? Get in touch: gfineout@politico.com
| | | | NEW AND IMPROVED POLITICO APP: Stay up to speed with the newly updated POLITICO mobile app, featuring timely political news, insights and analysis from the best journalists in the business. With a fresh look and improved features, the sleek and navigable design offers a convenient way to access POLITICO's scoops and groundbreaking reporting. Don't miss out on the app you can rely on for the news you need, reimagined. Already a POLITICO app user? Upgrade today! DOWNLOAD FOR iOS – DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID . | | | | | |  | CAMPAIGN MODE | | SUNSHINE STATE SHOWDOWN — Biden rallies Florida Democrats despite signs of red wave , by POLITICO's Gary Fineout: President Joe Biden promised Charlie Crist he would boost Democrats in Florida this year. And Biden showed up a week ahead of the election even as the state appears increasingly out of reach for the party. Biden's visit to the state Tuesday, his third trip since becoming president, comes after more than 3 million voters have already cast ballots, with more Republicans voting early than Democrats. Biden's message — a warning that Republican control of Congress will jeopardize Social Security and Medicare — is tailored to the state, where older voters play a pivotal role in elections. But it's different than the closing message of Florida Democrats, who have focused primarily on abortion and gun control. OOPS — " Biden verbally fumbles, twice, during campaign trip in Florida ," by The New York Times' Peter Baker: "President Biden verbally fumbled during a campaign swing in Florida on Tuesday, confusing the American war in Iraq with the Russian war in Ukraine, and then he fumbled again while he tried to correct himself, misstating how his son Beau died in 2015. In defending his record on inflation, Mr. Biden was trying to blame rising costs on President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia for his invasion of Ukraine, which has roiled international energy markets. It's a point that he makes regularly in public speeches, but this time he mixed up his geography and history."
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President Joe Biden speaks about Social Security, Medicare, and prescription drug costs, Nov. 1, 2022, in Hallandale Beach, Fla. | Evan Vucci/AP Photo | 'RUBIO'S OK' — " Rubio 'thrilled' to rally with Trump, shrugs off 2016 feud and disagreement on 2020 election ," by USA Today Network-Florida's Zac Anderson: "Dawn Malmquist arrived at a Republican rally in Sarasota Tuesday eager to see Gov. Ron DeSantis so she could 'say I saw the next president in person.' Malmquist was misinformed, though. DeSantis never was scheduled to appear at the event. When told that U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio was headlining the rally, Malmquist sighed and said: 'well, Rubio's ok.' Malmquist, a Longboat Key resident, said Rubio "wasn't first on my list" when he ran for president in 2016 because she liked other candidates who were 'more conservative.' — " Marco Rubio at Tampa rally: Democrats 'will destroy this country ,'" by Tampa Bay Times' Kirby Wilson AD SPENDING DOWN FROM 2018 — What a difference four years can make. The amount of spending on broadcast and cable ads for Florida's marquee races this season has dropped significantly. An AdImpact analysis shows that in 2018 more than $100.7 million was spent in the governor's race eventually won by DeSantis, compared to $71 million this time around. And a whopping $171 million was spent in the extremely tight Senate race between Sen. Bill Nelson and then-Gov. Rick Scott, while, this cycle, a little more than $51 million has been spent in the contest between Sen. Marco Rubio and Rep. Val Demings. Context — The 2018 race for governor featured contested Republican and Democratic primaries so that likely pumped up some of the spending overall. But the drop in spending this year in that race is also a reflection that Democrats — including Crist — have not raised anywhere near the amount of money that they did just four years ago. The Senate race likewise was a contest between a Democratic incumbent and Scott, a multimillionaire, who was able to use much of his own money on the race. Top spending overall — A breakdown by AdImpact shows that the governor's race and Senate race are the most expensive contests in Florida this year. They are followed by Florida's 13th Congressional District in Pinellas County ($12.7 million), state Senate District 14 in Tampa ($5.7 million), Florida's 27th Congressional District in Miami ($3.9 million), state Senate District 38 in Miami-Dade County ($3.5 million), state Senate District 10 in central Florida ($3.38 million), the race for Florida's agriculture commissioner ($3.3 million) and state Senate District 3 in north Florida ($2.99 million). NEW POLL — " Florida's Latino voters favor DeSantis, Rubio over Democratic opponents, Univision poll shows ," by USA Today Network-Florida's Sergio Bustos: "Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and Republican Sen. Marco Rubio are leading their Democratic opponents with less than a week to go before the November 8 election, according to a new poll of registered Florida Latino voters that included a breakdown of the state's diverse Latino groups. The poll released Tuesday afternoon also found that Florida's Latinos viewed the cost of living/inflation (47%) and the cost of health care (24%) as the most important issues for Congress and President Biden. Other top issues: wages/jobs (23%) and mass shootings/gun safety policy (18%). Abortion, an issue Democratic candidates are pushing hard in Florida and nationwide, fell lower in the list of priorities at 13%." CAMPAIGN ROUNDUP — The reelection campaign of Ron DeSantis on Tuesday released its closing message ad: A 60-second ad called "Keeping Florida Free." The spot features images of both DeSantis and first lady Casey DeSantis as "America the Beautiful" plays. It is also one of the few ads released this cycle by the DeSantis campaign that includes audio of the governor, who says "aren't you glad to live in the free state of Florida" at the end. … The DeSantis campaign announced that it will hold a "Don't Tread on Florida" tour in the final days before Election Day that will feature Gov. DeSantis, the first lady, Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez , all three Republican candidates for Cabinet posts, and country artist Parker McCollum. The tour has 13 stops between Friday and Monday, including three on Sunday. That's the same day that former President Donald Trump is holding a Miami rally with Sen. Marco Rubio. ... The Crist campaign says it pulled in $1 million dollars as a result of the fundraiser and rally held with Biden on Tuesday. … Crist is continuing his "Choose Freedom" bus tour on Wednesday, with stops in Broward and Palm Beach counties. … Demings will hold a "Right to Choose" press conference in Tampa with Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.), Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) as well as state Sen. Lauren Book and Janet Cruz. … Rubio on Wednesday is holding a "Getting Things Done" rally in Naples. SPEAKING UP — " Central Florida election leaders warn of voter intimidation ," by Orlando Sentinel's Steven Lemongello: "Lake County supervisor Alan Hays criticized election deniers such as Mike Lindell, the MyPillow CEO who is being sued by Dominion Voting Systems for $1.3 billion for alleged defamatory statements about its voting machines. 'My question is, why would you believe a pillow salesman who's never administered one election in his life, rather than this group of professionals who know what they're doing?' Hays asked. Hays said misinformation 'is just a long word for a lie. And I think it's playing a significant role because the confidence of voters is being grossly undermined by these individuals and these organizations that are out there spreading all these lies." BY THE NUMBERS — More than 3.02 million people have voted ahead of the Nov. 8 election, according to the latest information on the state Division of Elections website. Nearly 2 million people have voted by mail so far. Of those, 857,010 have come from Democrats and 742,353 have come from registered Republicans. Overall, there are more than 2.33 million mail ballots that have been requested but not yet returned. Of those, more than 1.02 million are held by Democrats and more than 691,000 are with Republicans. Nearly 1.04 million people have voted early. That includes 552,963 Republicans and 300,942 Democrats. Republicans have a more than 137,000 vote lead over Democrats. — " USF survey: FL voters less focused on abortion than on inflation and the economy ," by Florida Phoenix's Issac Morgan — " Civil rights groups urge better access to polls for Lee County communities of color, " by Fort Myers News-Press Bill Smith — " Biden campaigns for Democrats in South Florida. Is he too late for it to matter? " by Miami Herald's Bianca Padró Ocasio
| | DATELINE D.C. | | HMM — " Rick Scott says he has no 'plan' to challenge Leader McConnell ," by Florida Politics' A.G. Gancarski: "U.S. Sen. Rick Scott continues to downplay rumblings of a rumored challenge to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell for leadership of Senate Republicans. 'I don't have a plan to do that right now. The election is generally one week after this election, so we'll see what happens,' Scott said Tuesday on the New Hampshire Today radio show, when asked directly if he intended to challenge the Kentucky Republican's standing to possible become Majority Leader if Republicans regain Senate control."
| | | | DON'T MISS POLITICO'S 2nd ANNUAL DEFENSE SUMMIT ON 11/16: The United States is facing a defining moment in the future of its defense, national security and democratic ideals. The current conflicts and developments around the world are pushing Washington to reshape its defense strategy and how it cooperates with allies. Join POLITICO for our second annual defense summit, "At a Crossroads: America's Defense Strategy" on November 16 in person at the Schuyler DC or join online to hear keynote interviews and panels discussing the road ahead for America's national security. REGISTER HERE . | | | | | | | TRUMPLANDIA AND THE SWAMP | | DRESS REHEARSAL? — " Prosecutors look at Florida election protest as a model for Jan. 6 ," by The New York Times' Alan Feuer and Michael S. Schmidt: "The time was 2018, the setting was southern Florida, and the election in question was for governor and a hotly contested race that would help determine who controlled the United States Senate. Now, four years later, the Justice Department is examining whether the tactics used then served as a model for the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. In recent months, prosecutors overseeing the seditious conspiracy case of five members of the Proud Boys have expanded their investigation to examine the role that Jacob Engels — a Florida Proud Boy who accompanied Mr. Stone to Washington for Jan. 6 — played in the 2018 protests, according to a person briefed on the matter."
| | THE GUNSHINE STATE | | MAKING THEIR VOICES HEARD — " Families unleash grief and anger on Parkland school shooter, " by The Associated Press' Terry Spencer : "Families of the 17 children and staff members Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz murdered cursed him to hell, wished him a painful death and called him a coward Tuesday as they got their one chance to address him directly before he is sentenced to life in prison. For hours, parents, wives, siblings, children and some of the 17 Cruz also wounded at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Valentine's Day 2018 stood 20 feet from him. They looked the shackled killer in the eye and gave vehement, angry and sometimes tearful statements. Most decried that his jury voted 9-3 for death but did not reach the unanimity required under state law for that sentence to be imposed."
| | PENINSULA AND BEYOND | | NO SURPRISE — University of Florida approves Sasse as new president amid student protests , by POLITICO's Andrew Atterbury: University of Florida leaders on Tuesday unanimously backed Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) as the flagship school's next president, a move that was heralded by school trustees but opposed by faculty members and students who protested his selection. The appointment of Sasse gives the University of Florida a new conservative leader as Florida's GOP continues to fight against the perceived liberal bias in higher education. He joins several other former Republican lawmakers to take on leadership roles in Florida, including former state Senate President John Thrasher, who led Florida State University and state Sen. Ray Rodrigues, who was recently named chancellor of the state university system. | 
Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) attends a Senate Select Intelligence Committee hearing in February 2021 on Capitol Hill. | Pool photo by Tom Williams | — " Federal judge slaps down Jacksonville's request to halt order to redraw City Council map ," by Florida Times-Union's David Bauerlein — " Nikki Fried, Donna Deegan condemn antisemitism in Jax ," by Florida Politics' A.G. Gancarski — " New video shows beating of Republican canvasser in Hialeah. He may soon testify in open court ," by Miami Herald's David Ovalle
| | ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... | | 'A COMMON SCHEME' — " Federal prosecutors want Andrew Gillum, Sharon Lettman tried together on corruption charges ," by Tallahassee Democrat's Jeff Burlew: "Federal prosecutors are trying to block attempts by lawyers representing Andrew Gillum and Sharon Lettman-Hicks to secure separate trials for the pair on public corruption charges involving his 2018 bid for governor. The former Tallahassee mayor and his co-defendant both asked for their own trials in motions filed earlier this month. Gillum's lawyer said individual trials were necessary for Lettman-Hicks to testify on his client's behalf, while Lettman-Hicks' lawyers argued she wasn't involved in the FBI's investigation into Gillum's dealings with undercover agents."
| | ...HURRICANE HOLE... | | — " FPL customers could see monthly bills hiked $4 or more to pay for Hurricane Ian restoration ," by South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Ron Hurtibise — " Ian ruins man-made reefs, brings algae bloom to Florida ," by The Associated Press — PSC's Clark wants FPL to spread past hurricane costs as it seeks $1.1B for Hurricane Ian , by POLITICO's Bruce Ritchie — " Naples City Council won't seek any immediate changes to home construction rules post-Ian ," by Naples Daily News' Laura Layden
| | CORONAVIRUS UPDATES | | 'IT'S OBVIOUS WHAT HAPPENED' — " Florida's seniors lead nation in COVID deaths since April 2021; population can't explain it ," by Palm beach Post's Chris Persaud: "State health officials have logged 30,060 fatalities among seniors ages 65 and older between April 2021 — when adults 18 or older could readily get the shots — and September, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The disease has killed at least 82,065 Floridians overall since the pandemic began. The size of Florida's elderly populace — 4.3 million — alone does not explain this. Californians 65-and-older outnumber those Floridians by about 1.3 million; its 85-and-older count is about 187,000 higher, U.S. Census Bureau estimates show. California, third behind Florida in elderly deaths, is the only state with more senior residents, but the virus killed fewer of them, more than 24,000." REMEMBER THIS? — " Commissioner Vanessa Baugh settles Lakewood Ranch COVID-19 pop-up clinic ethics case ," by Sarasota Herald-Tribune's Jesse Mendoza: "Manatee County Commissioner Vanessa Baugh settled an ethics case over her involvement in planning a pop-up vaccine clinic that only served residents of Lakewood Ranch. The Florida Commission on Ethics found probable cause in December that Manatee County Commissioner Vanessa Baugh abused her office when she organized the pop-up vaccine clinic. Baugh's settlement went public on Monday, just a day ahead of the scheduled public hearing on the matter. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed."
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