GIVEN THE TIMING, A MEETING CAN BE INTERPETED DIFFERENTLY...

Governor Jeb Bush plans to spend Monday in his hometown of Miami, and part of that time will include a meeting with Frank J. Bolanos, whom he appointed to the Dade County School Board nearly five years ago. Sounds like a simple half-hour sitdown to discuss education, eh? At least, that's what the governor's communications director says it is.

The speculation is already flying, according to The Buzz, the political blog of the St. Petersburg Times. You see, Bolanos announced less than a week ago that he would challenge State Senator Alex Villalobos in a GOP primary for his Miami-based seat.

Now, remember that Villalobos has been one of the main players in the 2008 race for Senate President which became quite bitter this past legislative session when several senators who had previously supported him switched their pledges to the more conservative Senator Jeffery H. Atwater (R - North Palm Beach). Bush blames that controversy for the loss of two key votes on proposed constitutional amendments in the Senate during the last days of the recently completed session: one which would have asked voters to relax the requirments of the previously passed class size amendment, and another to ask voters to put private school vouchers in the constitution . Those votes caused Senate President Tom Lee (R - Brandon) to remove Villalobos as majority leader.

It is the first time in 14 years that Villalobos has drawn opposition. Bolanos will have to resign his seat on the Miami-Dade school board once he qualifies by the Mid-July deadline, according to state law. The resignation would take effect following the September 5 primary.

According to the Miami Herald:

As a School Board member, Bolaños championed school safety and anti-bullying programs and has been the board's most passionate voice for removing a controversial children's book on Cuba from school library shelves.

Bolaños suffered a political setback last fall when he lost the board chairmanship after only one year, instead of the two or three traditionally served by board chairs.

Bolaños had antagonized some colleagues by trying to expand the profile and powers of the chairmanship and for advocating on behalf of the governor's class-size amendment, even though the board had decided not to take a position on the issue.

As the governor has already taken the unusual step of endorsing a candidate in a GOP primary (he did so this past week by endorsing Lee in his primary race for state Chief Financial Officer), people will be undoubtably watching his meeting with Bolanos Monday to see if it may be a precursor for a similar move in this race.