Steube raised more than $150K for campaign in '09 (UPDATED)

The Florida Division of Elections has begun posting the latest campaign finance reports from candidates running for state offices this year.

Here is what we know so far about the Manatee County races:

• In the Florida House District 67 race - the seat is now held by the term-limited Ron Reagan, R-Bradenton - Greg Steube raised $26,625 during the final quarter of 2009, bringing his fund-raising total for the year to more than $150,000. Steube finished the year with almost $130,000 in the bank, as he so far has spent a little more than $21,000 on his campaign.
  
• Also in District 67, Robert McCann reported collecting $3,075 in contributions during the final quarter of 2009, bringing his fund-raising to a total of more than $68,000 for the year, not including $25,000 he loaned his campaign. McCann had a little less than $32,000 in the bank. Jeremiah J. Guccione reported collecting $10,500 in the fourth quarter, bringing his total take so far to a little more than $50,000 and had more than $42,000 in the bank. He also has loaned $50,000 to his campaign. A fourth candidate, Marie Nisco, reported no financial activity by her campaign last year.
• The lone Democrat in the District 67 race, Z.J. Hafeez, reported collecting $30,840 in contributions during the final three months of 2009, and spending only $85.43.
• In House District 68, the sole candidate, Republican Jim Boyd, reported collecting $10,100 during October-December, bring his total for the year to $81,420. So far, he has spent more than $37,000. (Incumbent Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, is term-limited, but we will be interested to see how much he has raised for his 2012 campaign for Florida Senate from District 21.)
  
• In House District 69, incumbent Rep. Keith Fitzgerald, D-Sarasota, collected more than $17,500 in contributions during the fourth quarter, bringing total for the year to more than $52,400. He had more than $47,000 in the bank. Republican challenger Ray Pilon reported collecting $5,645 in contributions during the final three months of 2009, bringing his total haul for the year to almost $27,000. He had about $19,000 in the bank.
• In House District 55, Democratic challenger Martha Allen reported no activity. The report from incumbent Darryl Rouson, D-St. Petersburg, had not been posted.
  

The deadline to file the latest quarterly finance report is today so keep checking back here or at the Division of Elections Web site for the latest filings.

2 Fla. congressmen want Venezuela on terror watch list

Two members of Congress from Florida want Venezuela added to the list of countries that require closer monitoring because of possible ties to terrorism.

In separate statements, Florida's Reps. Connie Mack, R-Ft. Myers, and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Miami, cited, among other reasons, the relationship between Venezuela and Iran, and Venezuela's ties with communist rebels in neighboring Colombia.

A practical effect of such a designation is that airline passengers traveling from Venezuela to the United States would have to undergo heightened screening procedures enacted after an attempted bombing of a U.S.-bound jetliner on Christmas day.

Currently, the U.S. designates four countries - Cuba, Iran, Sudan and Syria - as state sponsors of terrorism; and an additional 10 as "countries of interest": Afghanistan, Algeria, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Yemen.

El Nuevo Herald has more on the anti-Venezuela sentiment.

Buchanan to Obama: Demand open health care debate

U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Sarasota, has drawn considerable national publicity this week for leading calls for final negotiations over health care reform to be conducted in the open for all - well, at least those Americans with C-SPAN on their TVs - to see.

Buchanan last year sponsored a "Sunshine Resolution" demanding that all debate over health care reform be held not in a smoke-filled back room but before the glare of television cameras and public scrutiny.

This morning, Buchanan took his efforts straight to Barack Obama, imploring the president to keep to his campaign promises and allow television cameras to witness as lawmakers and the White House hash out a final version of health care reform before it is voted on by Congress.

"Open and honest government is the backbone of democracy," Buchanan wrote in a letter to the president. "Excluding the public and the press from this process sends a disturbing message. A government that is secretive and inaccessible cannot maintain the trust and confidence of the people it serves."

Buchanan urged the president to follow the example set in Florida, which has one of the toughest sunshine laws in the nation.

"It has served Florida well," Buchanan wrote. "The American people deserve the same - an open, honest and accountable government."

You can read all of Buchanan's letter here.

Buchanan to appear on Hannity's radio show

Vern Buchanan is set to appear on Sean Hannity's national radio talk show just after 4 p.m. today, according to the congressman's Facebook page and Twitter feed.

Presumably, they will be talking about Buchanan's campaign to force President Barack Obama and congressional Democrats to make final negotiations over health care reform open and visible to the public.

Buchanan has offered a resolution calling for the health care talks to take place in the sunshine.

You can listen to Hannity's program, here.

Commissioner Hayes appointed to state medical examiners panel

Manatee County Commissioner Donna Hayes has been appointed by Gov. Charlie Crist to a spot on the Florida Medical Examiners Commission, according to the governor's office.

Hayes' term started today, and runs through July 1, 2013. She is succeeding former Columbia County commissioner Elizabeth Porter.

The medical examiners commission oversees the medical examiners system in the state. One of the spots on the 9-member panel is reserved for a county commissioner, according to a state government Web site.

Hayes' appointment requires Senate confirmation.

Buchanan: Put sunshine on health care talks

U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan is getting some national publicity for his call that negotiations over the final version of the health care reform bill being considered by Congress be open to the public.

Lesley Clark, the Bradenton Herald's reporter in Washington, D.C., reports:

Bradenton Republican Rep. Vern Buchanan, who has filed legislation to open up health care talks to the public, is calling on House and Senate leaders to accept C-SPAN's offer to publicly broadcast final health care negotiations.

In a letter to House leaders, C-SPAN today offered to cover the sessions live -- following President Barack Obama's pledge to publicize all health care talks on C-Span.

"As your respective chambers work to reconcile the differences between the House and Senate health care bills, C-SPAN requests that you open all important negotiations, including any conference committee meetings, to electronic media coverage," C-SPAN CEO Brian Lamb wrote in a letter to Obama and congressional leaders. News reports suggest a final version will be hammered out in talks between a handful of people, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and White House officials.

"I applaud C-SPAN for offering to provide this important public service and urge House leaders to grant its request," Buchanan said. His legislation got a plug in today'sWashington Times.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said at today's press briefing that he hadn't seen the letter from C-SPAN.

Florida emergency chief to resign

From the Miami Herald's Naked Politics blog:

The Buzz is, interim state emergency management director Ruben Almaguer will resign his post later today, marking the first announced departure of 2010 from the Gov. Charlie Crist administration. (Dale Brill, head of the Tourism, Trade and Economic Development, announced last month that he's heading to the Florida Chamber Foundation, starting today.)

The governor's office confirmed to the Times/Herald that Almaguer will resign, but the reason for his leaving is unclear and he has not yet submitted an official resignation letter. A source says Almaguer was told to resign amid allegations -- not yet substantiated -- of misconduct and improper spending.

Almaguer has been interim director since May, when Crist moved him up from the No. 2 deputy director spot to fill in for longtime emergency management leader Craig Fugate, a Jeb Bush appointee who now serves as head of FEMA under President Obama.

“Ruben has been a strong team member within Florida’s emergency response team for more than two years,” Governor Crist said. “His vast experience responding to both domestic and international disasters qualifies him to step into the leadership position.”

No word yet on who will fill in for Almaguer, a former high-ranking county emergency management official in Miami-Dade. The deputy director for emergency management under Almaguer is now David Halstead. Six months to go until the 2010 hurricane season...