"Let's see. Florida weakens Everglades cleanup rules and postpones the deadline for meeting them, at the urging of Gov. Bush and the sugar industry. The sugar industry complains and gets a tough federal judge removed from overseeing the cleanup. But as it turns out, U.S. District Judge Federico Moreno is every bit as tough. He demands that the state and the sugar growers keep their promises.

What to do?

If you're Gov. Bush, you lobby your brother's administration to end federal court oversight of the $1.1 billion cleanup altogether. You pressure the Justice Department and the Interior Department and regulators. In short, you try to cut the judge out of it.

This tactic, which The Post reported last week, gets seamier. One of the parties in the 1988 lawsuit, out of which came the cleanup plan, is the Miccosukee Tribe of Florida. The governor, who professes to dislike increased gambling, also is lobbying the Miccosukees. If they drop the suit, perhaps the governor would allow expanded operations at their casino near Miami? But why stop there? How about a really big casino in the Everglades? Call it the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Casino, after the woman who first championed Florida's unique "river of grass.""

Get the Story:
Editorial: Retain federal oversight of Everglades cleanup (The Palm Beach Post 2/7)

Earlier Story:
Gov. Bush urges end to U.S. oversight of Everglades cleanup (The Palm Beach Post 2/7)

Relevant Links:
Miccosukee Tribe - http://www.miccosukeetribe.com

Related Stories:
Miccosukee Tribe sues over endangered species (11/23)
Miccosukee Tribe ordered to give up Everglades land (05/27)
Miccosukee Tribe still fighting state on Everglades (5/26)
Supreme Court Roundup: 2003-2004 Term (07/08)
Miccosukee Tribe challenging Everglades cleanup law (06/18)
State seeks to limit Miccosukee Tribe's role in case (05/20)
Miccosukee Tribe plans to sue EPA over Everglades (05/06)
Scalia springs pleasant surprise in tribe's case (3/24)
Supreme Court could rule on Miccosukee Tribe's case (02/23)
Miccosukee Tribe's case tests Supreme Court justices (01/15)
Miccosukee Tribe's case draws national attention (1/14)
Miccosukee Tribe sees lands slowly polluted (1/13)
Miccosukee Tribe gets day before Supreme Court (1/12)
Special master in Everglades case issues first report (12/02)
Judge names special master in Everglades case (11/07)
Special master to increase oversight of Everglades (10/31)
Judge to appoint special master for Everglades (10/30)
Miccosukee Tribe still won't sell Everglades land (10/15)
Tribe seeks special master for Everglades (10/07)
Federal judge in Everglades case disqualified (09/24)
Bush brief backs Fla. agency over Miccosukee Tribe (09/11)
Fla. water managers filing brief in tribe's case (9/10)
Miccosukee Tribe challenges state on Everglades (08/08)
Supreme Court to hear Everglades cleanup case (06/27)
Supreme Court docket shaping up (06/04)
DOJ brief backs tribe in Everglades cleanup suit (6/2)
Fla. governor signs Everglades cleanup bill (05/21)
Fla. governor may not sign Everglades bill (05/14)
Judge promises to stick by Everglades agreement (05/05)
Judge to hold hearing on Everglades cleanup (5/2)
Fla. governor expected to sign new Everglades bill (5/1)
Miccosukee Tribe opposes new Everglades bill (4/29)
Jeb Bush won't seize tribe's property for now (03/25)
Gov. Bush to vote on whether to seize tribe's land (03/12)
Everglades buyout revived in spending bill (02/17)
Miccosukee Tribe's case up for Supreme Court review (02/07)
Fla. moves to condemn tribe's land (12/13)
Supreme Court Docket: 2002-2003 (12/04)
Fla. tribe fights for court oversight (09/18)
Fla. tribe wins another Everglades suit (9/5)
Corps halts Everglades restoration work (8/15)
Enviros wanted Interior role boosted(7/24)
DOI stripped of Everglades provisions (7/17)
Court blocks forced Everglades move (7/10)
Fla. tribe wants clean Everglades (6/24)
Miccosukee Tribe launches ad campaign (6/21)
Fla. tribe happy with court ruling (2/5)
Fla. tribe wins Everglades suit (2/4)
Fla. tribe happy with court ruling (2/5)
Fla. tribe wins Everglades suit (2/4)
Norton trying to buy mineral rights (1/17)
Who is Gale Norton? (1/14)
Bush, brother sign Everglades agreement (1/10)
Miccosukee Tribe protests water policy (11/8)
Bush promotes green self (6/5)