Crist rakes in cash for his Senate campaign

Look for an eye-popping number when Charlie Crist next month releases the first fundraising report of his campaign for the Senate. Crist has been holding fundraisers at a furious clip lately, and is expected to have a money-raising reception virtually every day until the end of the month, in and out of Florida.

The maximum contribution to a federal campaign is $2,400, but Crist in many cases is reeling in $4,800 donations — $9,600 per couple — with half the money set aside for the primary and half for the general election.

As a sitting governor, Crist has a massive fundraising advantage. And looking at the last session, the governor earned chits with virtually every big money group except trial lawyers. Developer and Realtors? Check — the growth management bill. Business community? Check — capping workers' compensation attorney fees. Doctors? Check — the bill requiring insurance companies to make payments to out-of-network doctors.

And if Crist signs the insurance deregulation bill, maybe insurance companies will even forget about his old populist, anti-insurance corporation rhetoric and cough up some campaign checks.

Foster on gay rights

Should the city of St. Petersburg follow the lead of Tampa and the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office and offer health benefits to domestic partners of gay and lesbian employees?

"Absolutely, I would be open to that," St. Petersburg mayoral candidate Bill Foster, known as a staunch social conservative, said in a Political Connections interview airing today on Bay News 9. "Under my administration, there would be no discrimination based on sexual orientation. Now, would I do it in my first year? Probably not, because I'm trying to get a handle on this budget."

Foster also talked budget woes, the Police Department and his letter to the school board suggesting that teaching Charles Darwin's theory of evolution helped contribute to the Holocaust and Columbine massacre.

"If I had to do it over again, I probably would have toned it down. I don't regret writing it," Foster said of the 2008 letter in the interview airing at 11 a.m. and 8 p.m.

Betting on Rubio

So I tweeted (adamsmithtimes) last week about betting a prominent Florida politician a beer that Marco Rubio would NOT jump from his Senate campaign into a campaign for attorney general. The other fellow was convinced that Rubio would ultimately succumb to intense pressure from Republicans eager for a strong candidate for AG.

Via Twitter, Rubio said I made the safe bet. Too safe: "Adam, you know I am anti-gambling but this is one bet you should have wagered more than a beer on!"

Kottkamp competition?

Indeed, the odds are steadily increasing that Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp will avoid a Republican primary in his expected campaign for attorney general. Potential Republican candidates in the state House, Bill Galvano of Bradenton and Tom Grady of Naples, have taken their names out.

State Rep. Kevin Ambler, R-Tampa, is talking about running, but the likeliest candidate to challenge Kottkamp sounds like Orlando lawyer Will McBride, who ran for the Senate against Katherine Harris in 2004. McBride said the main thing he needs to iron out is how he would deal with his personal injury law practice.

Adam C. Smith can be reached at asmith@sptimes.com.