| | | | |  | | By Gary Fineout | Good morning and welcome to Thursday. Where's it going — Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, one of the most strident and leading voices in opposition to Rep. Kevin McCarthy, went on Fox News late last night and predicted how the dysfunction underway in the nation's Capitol would end: either McCarthy "bows out" of his bid for speaker or "a fundamental" rewrite of House rules happens along with handing key committees over to conservatives. Tick, tick, tick — Gaetz pushed back against those who called the proceedings chaotic, suggested that the drama could take a few more days…or weeks, and said it was "worth the debate and deliberation." But he also made it clear that he would not change his vote even as media reports suggest McCarthy is trying to broker a deal to end the stalemate. Timing — Gaetz's comments came at the end of a second day of speaker votes where Republicans from the Sunshine State continued to play a leading role. An alternative — One key moment was when holdouts to McCarthy put up Rep. Byron Donalds, the Naples Republican and former state legislator, as an alternative to McCarthy. Donalds got 20 votes (three of which came from Florida conservatives) in the three rounds of voting that took place over the course of the afternoon. Unsocial media — (And along the way, the nomination of the Black Republican drew a sharp jab from Missouri Democrat Cori Bush. On Twitter, Bush called Donalds a "prop." "Despite being Black, he supports a policy agenda intent on upholding and perpetuating white supremacy," Bush wrote. Donalds responded on Twitter with "FWIW, nobody asked @CoriBush her opinion on the matter. Before you judge my agenda, let's have a debate over the policies and the outcomes. Until then, don't be a crab in a barrel!") Drawing attention — Also on Wednesday: During one round of voting, Florida Republican Rep. Kat Cammack nominated McCarthy and during her remarks suggested that Democrats were drinking as the turmoil churned onward. This led to jeers from Democrats who wanted her remarks stricken from the record. Coming to a future ballot near you? — No matter how any of this ends it's clear that Gaetz, Donalds, and Rep. Michael Waltz, who also gotten a fair amount of television time for criticizing the holdouts, have definitely increased their public profile …. Stay tuned for round three. — WHERE'S RON? — Nothing official for Gov. DeSantis. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for Playbook? Get in touch: gfineout@politico.com
|  | DATELINE D.C. | | AND ON TO DAY 3 — Increasingly desperate GOP calls it a night without picking a speaker, by POLITICO's Jordain Carney, Sarah Ferris and Olivia Beavers: Still, after temperatures spiked during multiple closed-door GOP meetings this week — and six rounds of failed ballots drew comparisons to "Groundhog Day" — multiple Republicans insisted they were feeling more optimistic as they left the Capitol on Wednesday night. But many members cautioned that it was impossible to know whether there were any compromises that would prompt [Rep. Kevin] McCarthy's most intractable opposition to change position. | 
Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) speaks with reporters during the second day of the House speakership election at the U.S. Capitol Jan. 4, 2023. (Francis Chung/POLITICO) | Francis Chung/POLITICO |
FLORIDA MAN REJECTED — Trump's spell over GOP breaks with McCarthy meltdown, by POLITICO's Meredith McGraw and Nicholas Wu: It was the second day of chaos on the floor of the House of Representatives when Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) took the previously unthinkable step of thumbing her nose at Donald Trump, the ex-president she otherwise venerates. "Let's stop with the campaign smears and tactics to get people to turn against us — even having my favorite president call us and tell us to knock this off. I think it actually needs to be reversed and the [former] president needs to tell Kevin McCarthy you do not have the votes and it's time to withdraw," Boebert said.
WEIGHING IN — "Led by Michael Waltz, House Republican veterans urge 20 holdouts to reconsider McCarthy," by The Daytona Beach News-Journal's Mark Harper: "[Rep. Michael] Waltz said the holdouts by [Rep. Matt] Gaetz and others are stopping Republicans' agenda, stopping Democrats from actions 'which we believe is destructive for this country,' such as holding the Biden administration accountable for the 'worst withdrawal since Saigon in Afghanistan,' fentanyl coming across the U.S.-Mexico border and causing deaths and 'crime out of control.' Waltz said McCarthy is responsible for that vision which, he said helped many Republicans get into office, including some that were voting against him." — "Gaetz, far-right GOP back Naples Byron Donalds for House Speaker as stalemate continues," by Palm Beach Post's Antonio Fins — "Who is Byron Donalds? The latest Republican nominee for House speaker," by Washington Post's Eugene Scott — "Byron Donalds pushes back on Democratic attacks: 'This is day two, not Day 100,'" by The Hill's Stephen Neukam — "Anna Paulina Luna, still opposing Kevin McCarthy, promises Republican will become speaker," by Florida Politics' Jacob Ogles TRANSITIONS — Sen. Rick Scott is promoting Clare Lattanze to deputy communications director and Madeline Holzmann to press secretary. Scott's office also announced that Hannah Payne is now digital director and Juan Arias will be a speechwriter. Rosa Perez and McKinley Lewis will continue in their roles as Hispanic press secretary and communications director.
| | ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... | | COLLEGE DAZE — DeSantis puts college diversity and CRT funding under the microscope, by POLITICO's Andrew Atterbury: Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration could be gearing up to propose possible higher education budget cuts this year based on college and university programs delving into diversity, equity and inclusion, and critical race theory. DeSantis officials on Wednesday revealed that Florida's Republican governor has asked every state college and university — 40 institutions — for a "comprehensive list" of all programs and initiatives that broach those topics as he prepares his policy and budget proposals for the upcoming Legislative session. — "Who's the Boss? Some agencies have no secretaries as Gov. DeSantis begins second term," by Florida Politics' Christine Jordan Sexton — "Florida lawmakers look to limit foreign ownership of farmland," by News Service of Florida's Jim Turner
| | CAMPAIGN MODE | | GOING ON OFFENSE — "Florida Sen. Rick Scott urges Senate Republicans 'to be bold…stop caving in,' in new nationwide ad blitz," by Fox News' Paul Steinhauser: "[Sen. Rick] Scott, who late last year launched the first ever challenge against longtime Senate Republican leader Sen. Mitch McConnell, is going up with a nationwide television ad in which he explains his unsuccessful bid to replace McConnell and warns that the GOP 'can't keep doing the same old thing.'" |  Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., speaks during a news conference on the budget bill, Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2022, on Capitol Hill in Washington. | AP |
— "Lakesha Burton files for possible rematch against T.K. Waters for Jacksonville sheriff," by Florida Times-Union's Steve Patterson
| | DESANTISLAND | |
THE PLAYBOOK? — "The secret to Ron DeSantis's success? Ignore Donald Trump — and attack business instead," by Bloomberg's Joshua Green: "But the enemy that drew the loudest applause in Sarasota was one that, until very recently, ranked as perhaps the GOP's greatest ally: corporate America. DeSantis is at the fore of a growing crowd of conservatives who insist that big business has fallen under the sway of perfidious liberal social reformers. He recounted how he went after Walt Disney Co., one of Florida's largest employers, when it criticized the Don't Say Gay law. DeSantis didn't just strip Disney of its special tax status. He also publicly demonized the company, claiming it had aligned itself with left-wing politicians bent on 'teaching a first grader that they could change their gender.'"
— "DeSantis enters new year in national spotlight," by The Hill's Max Greenwood TRANSLATOR — "A Democrat's unusual, up-close view of DeSantis," by The New York Times' Blake Hounshell: "The basic mistake Democrats have made in Florida, [Rep. Jared] Moskowitz said, was the same error Republicans committed everywhere else in 2022 — assuming they could simply attack President Biden's handling of the economy without putting forward a detailed policy agenda of their own. 'We never told people what we were for and what we wanted to do,' Moskowitz said. 'We just said: 'Ron DeSantis is terrible. All these things he's doing are terrible, terrible, terrible, terrible.' OK. But we never we never gave them what we would do with power.'" | | MAPMAKER, MAPMAKER | | MARK YOUR CALENDAR — One of two lawsuits challenging Florida's congressional map is now scheduled to go to trial in late September of this year. U.S. District Judge Allen Winsor signed off on a scheduling order just before Christmas after lawyers representing the state held a planning meeting with attorneys representing Common Cause Florida, Fair Districts Now and the others challenging the map pushed into law by DeSantis. Both sides said neither was "amenable" to a settlement. The planning meeting report also noted that "significant litigation" is expected over issues of "legislative, executive and attorney client privilege." A second lawsuit challenging the map that helped Republicans pick up four seats is proceeding in state court. | | THE GUNSHINE STATE | | NO GO — "Florida appeals court rejects Parkland parents' request for ruling on lawsuit against gun maker, seller," by News Service of Florida's Jim Saunders: "A state appeals court on Wednesday refused to assure the parents of a Parkland school shooting victim that they could sue gun maker Smith & Wesson without risking significant fees if they were to lose. A three-judge panel of the 4th District Court of Appeal upheld a circuit judge's decision to dismiss an attempt to obtain what the court called an 'advisory opinion' that could have helped Fred and Jennifer Guttenberg decide whether to pursue a lawsuit against Smith & Wesson and Sunrise Tactical Supply." — "Where is the Parkland school shooter? The state won't say," by South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Rafael Olmeda — "Man who threatened mass shooting against gay people at Florida State University arrested by FBI," by Tallahassee Democrat's Jeff Burlew
| | ...HURRICANE HOLE... | | "99 days after Hurricane Ian, hundreds of Florida students still without permanent classroom," by Jo Napolitano for The 74
| | PENINSULA AND BEYOND | | GATOR GROWL — "Fla. surgeon general used 'flawed' vaccine science, faculty peers say," by Washington Post's Jack Stripling: "Joseph A. Ladapo, a professor of medicine at the University of Florida and the state's surgeon general, relied upon a flawed analysis and may have violated university research integrity rules when he issued guidance last fall discouraging young men from receiving common coronavirus vaccines, according to a report from a medical school faculty task force. But the university says it has no plans to investigate the matter. Conclusions — "In its new report, a task force of the University of Florida College of Medicine's Faculty Council cites numerous deficiencies in the analysis Ladapo used to justify his vaccine recommendation. A summary said the work was "seriously flawed." The report's authors say Ladapo engaged in "careless, irregular, or contentious research practices." FOR YOUR RADAR — "Facing migration flood, US resumes services at Cuba embassy," by The Associated Press' Megan Janetsky: "Grappling with the biggest flood of Cuban migrants in decades, the United States reopened their long-closed legal pathway on Wednesday by resuming all visa services at its embassy in Havana. ... The number of Cubans detained on the U.S. southern border is now second only to the number of Mexicans, according to Customs and Border Protection figures." GENTLE GIANTS — "Dozens of Florida manatees in rehab amid ongoing starvation," by The Associated Press' Curt Anderson: "More than six dozen threatened manatees are currently in rehabilitation centers in Florida and elsewhere amid a chronic starvation problem caused by water pollution, wildlife officials said Wednesday. Most of the 79 manatees are being treated at three places: SeaWorld in Orlando, and zoos in Tampa and Jacksonville, said Teresa Calleson of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service during an online news conference." REVERSAL — "Law officer deaths on duty plunged in 2022 in Florida. There is one big reason why," by Miami Herald's Charles Rabin: "A year after COVID-19 infiltrated police departments from Key West to Tallahassee and drove on-duty deaths to previously unseen levels, there was upbeat news on the health front for law enforcement agencies. In 2022, only 10 law enforcement officers were killed at work in Florida — none of them succumbing to COVID, according to a website that tracks police fatalities. That's an enormous fall-off from the 63 on-duty statewide deaths in 2021, in which 85 percent were caused by COVID-19." SAME AS IT EVER WAS — "Sugar cane burn season still blankets Florida with smoke, even after study showing it kills people," by Palm Beach Post's Antigone Barton: "This season, however, is unprecedented in one regard. It is the first to be authorized in the face of scientific findings that smoke from each burning season in the Glades region harms people exposed to it. The findings, from a study led by Florida State University researchers, relied on multiple sources of data to track exposure to the smoke and rates of death across South Florida from illnesses linked to fine-particle pollution released by the fires from 2008 to 2018." — "Venezuelan opposition to choose new leaders following end of Guaidó's interim presidency," by El Nuevo Herald's Antonio Maria Delgado and McClatchy's Michael Wilner — "Citizens, Florida's property insurance of last resort, grew by 50 percent in 2022," by News Service of Florida's Jim Saunders | | ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN | | — "Seminole Tribe leaders look to expel trio for going to media about corruption," by Florida Bulldog's Dan Christensen: "The governing body of the Seminole Tribe of Florida is attempting to banish two tribal women in retaliation for talking to Florida Bulldog about allegations of corruption by Chairman Marcellus Osceola Jr. The Tribal Council wants to disenroll a third member of the tribe, too, for writing an article 'to expose Tribal Council corruption, self-enrichment and abuse of power' that was published in a Native American newspaper not controlled by the Seminoles." BIRTHDAYS: Adam Yeomans, regional director at The Associated Press | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Ottawa Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
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