Florida politiX

The New Laura Bush attacks Hillary Clinton

2006-01-19T08:18:00.000-05:00

First Lady Laura Bush decided to partake in bare-knuckled politix by attacking her predecessor on Wednesday. The assault by Mrs. Bush was unprovoked and was very out of character for the First Lady who typically shows a very classy demeanor.

Laura Bush has spent the past five years serving as a polite and respectful First Lady. But since the beginning of 2006, she has changed. She is now acting as a partisan politician, and as we witnessed yesterday, she is engaging in Swift Boat-style attacks against her political opponents. According to most recent polls, Bush enjoys high approval by most Americans. It will be interesting to see how the country feels about the new Laura Bush.

Earlier this week, Laura Bush endorsed the idea of a woman as President of United States, but only if that woman is a Republican. Then yesterday, Mrs. Bush attacked Hillary Clinton's speech from a Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. event, calling Clinton's comments "ridiculous."

On Monday, Clinton was speaking to an African American crowd in Harlem when she said that the Republicans run the Congress like a "plantation." The former First Lady used the imagery to describe the way that the GOP in Congress exludes minorities from decisions and suppress free speech. Her words were almost identical to those used by Newt Gingrich in 1994, when the future Speaker of the House said he was leading a "slave rebellion" against the Democrats who "run the plantation."

This appears to be a non-story except for the fact that America is witnessing a transformation of Laura Bush. Most Americans have supported the dignified, classy First Lady who has stood by her man during a tough first term. What will America think of the new First Lady now that she is becoming a partisan attack-dog? Only time will tell.

Also posted at FLA Politics.

St. Pete Times mischaracterizes anti-gay amendment

2006-01-12T09:48:00.000-05:00

Today, Adam Smith (email) of the St. Petersburg Times reported that that Republican Party of Florida has contributed $150,000 to the controversial anti-gay amendment [PDF - 95 KB] sponsored by the group, Florida4Marriage.org. The Times' Smith, along with Jason Garcia (email) of the right-leaning Orlando Sentinel, has simply regurgitated the GOP's talking points which state the amendment only bans gay marriage. Unfortunately for the credibility of these two papers, this characterization is incorrect.

Ironically, only the conservative Tampa Tribune accurately describes the amendment by labeling it the "Antigay Measure," but even this depiction omits the issue of domestic partnerships for unmarried heterosexual couples which would be banned under the proposed law.

While the organization Florida4Marriage.org states that their amendment is intended to only ban gay marriage, it goes a lot further than just attacking same-sex nuptials. In addition to marriage, the amendment would also ban civil unions between same-sex couples and domestic partnerships between hetero- and homosexual couples. Sadly, Florida4Marriage.org and the Republican Party refuse to mention the total scope of this constitutional amendment and are purposely misleading the voters of Florida.

If this amendment were to pass, many domestic partnerships granted through various counties and cities around the state would likely be nullified. And while domestic partnerships offered by private organizations, such as Bank of America, Chevron Texaco Corp., and Disney Worldwide Services Inc., will probably continue, they would likely be unenforceable through civil actions in state courts, essentially leaving individuals who encounter problems with their benefits without any legal remedy. (It would be interesting to see if this violates the constitutional right of access to the courts as guaranteed under Art. I, Sec. 21 of the Florida Constitution.)

The language of the constitutional amendment reads as follows:

"Inasmuch as marriage is the legal union of only one man and one woman as husband and wife, no other legal union that is treated as marriage or the substantial equivalent thereof shall be valid or recognized." (emphasis added)

This language broadens the amendment to cover more than just marriage. Florida4Marriage.org says that it doesn't, but this is obviously a lie. While recent polls show a majority of Floridians oppose gay marriage, they also show that a majority supports equal rights for gay couples.

Florida4Marriage.org has obviously seen these polls, so they are only telling half of the story. Let's hope that in the future, the news media tells the rest.

Is the McInvale defection bad news for Democrats?

2006-01-10T07:54:00.000-05:00

As reported by the Orlando Sentinel, state Representative Sheri McInvale (D-Orlando) is expected to announce today that she is switching her voter registration from Democratic to Republican. According to the right-leaning Orlando newspaper, this should be seen as a blow to Florida Democrats, who only hold 36 out of 120 seats in the Florida House of Representatives. The McInvale switch would bring the minority party to 35, but one has to ask: Is this really bad news for Florida Democrats?

McInvale, who represents House District 36, has angered many Democrats in the Orlando area for her willingness to compromise what they see as Democratic values in a Legislature that is overwhelmingly controlled by extremely right-wing Republicans. While McInvale has been able to gain for herself the perks of being an elected official in Tallahassee (she is currently a Democratic vice chair of a House committee), she is often accused of forgetting the principles of those voters who sent her to the capital city.

The defection of McInvale may actually be good for Florida Democrats. The Party must start putting its members on notice that while it is fine to be independent, it is another thing to continuously stab your party in the back. Florida Democrats have forgotten this in the past. (The current leader of the House Democrats is state Representative Chris Smith (D-Ft. Lauderdale), whose rise to power followed his betrayal of the Florida Democratic Party and the endorsement of Jeb Bush for governor.) The removal of McInvale may actually signal that Florida Democrats are finally growing some backbone and abandoning their frat boy Yes sir, may I have another? attitudes.

McInvale's decision is not motivated by principle. Like most Florida politicians, McInvale is concerned with her own welfare, and it has been apparent for some time that her reelection in 2006 was less than assured. After facing opponents in the last two elections who had joined the races late, McInvale has been running against a young and energetic Democrat for months. Scott Randolph has been a candidate since October and has already raised $20,000 compared to McInvale's $30,000. McInvale has heard the footsteps, and her defection is simply the realization that the end is near. McInvale's decision should not be seen as a courageous act of principle. As I said before, self-preservation is her primary motivator.

By switching to the Republican Party, McInvale is likely ending her career as a politician. Due to reapportionment, the McInvale district is heavily lopsided, with Democrats outnumbering Republicans by a margin of 47 to 29 percent [PDF - 213 KB]. Republican voters literally have no say in choosing their state representative in District 36, and odds are that if McInvale switches her party registration, she is essentially writing her own political obituary.

Leon Democrat attacks Party's founder

2005-11-20T14:04:00.000-05:00

Today, the Tallahassee Democrat reported that a leader of the Leon County Democratic Party is looking to impose her extreme views on other members of the party in the name of political correctness. Acting party chair, Monica O'Neill, who was never elected to the position by Leon County Democrats, is attempting to force her beliefs on the party by denouncing the memory of Andrew Jackson, the former president, first military governor of Florida, and founder of the modern Democratic Party.

While Thomas Jefferson is commonly referred to as the founder of the Democratic Party, as well as the nation, no American in history has contributed more to the values of the modern Democratic Party than former President Andrew Jackson. Jefferson's Democratic Party, which ironically was known as the "Republican Party," was founded in 1792 and was the opposition to the soon-to-be failed Federalist Party. The Democratic Party, however, truly found its stride when a faction of the party emerged in 1828 with the election of Andrew Jackson as the seventh President of the United States.

Jackson's Democratic Party sought to establish a "party of the people," stating that the president should hold a national mandate from the voters. Jackson's populist message became the foundation for such leading progressives as Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt, Huey Long, Harry Truman, John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson and Bill Clinton.

Like most early Americans, Jackson has blemishes on his record. His aggressive miliary action against Native Americans, especially the Seminoles, has been judged harshly by history, but in hindsight, it was Jackson's leadership during the First Seminole War that allowed for Florida to join the Union.

Prior to the Florida engagement, Jackson had recruited free black men to serve alongside his white soldiers against the British during the War of 1812. The Battle of New Orleans in 1815 was historic, because the American forces under the command of Jackson were comprised of white and black soldiers, as well as some Native Americans. Such diversity in the U.S. military was unprecedented at the time.

Just as President George W. Bush is attemting to rewrite history in regards to the Iraq War, the unelected chair of the Leon County Democratic Party, Monica O'Neill, is now attempting to rewrite the history of the national Democratic Party. Democrats and those who respect their Party's grand history must stop her.

Today, extremists in the Democratic Party aim their hostility toward great men like Jefferson and Jackson. But who is next? Will extremists in the party go after Presidents Kennedy and Clinton or Dr. Martin Luther King, because of the perception by some that they degraded women? Will anti-war extremists attack Wilson and FDR because they were aggressive wartime presidents.? Will human rights activists attack the memory of Harry Truman because he oversaw the destruction in Japan caused by two nuclear bombs?

O'Neill's attacks on the founders of the Democratic Party are ridiculous and point out the party's fundamental problem, a lack of leadership. Florida Democrats should be focused on the future, not dwelling on the past. Additionally, Ms. O'Neill should not take it upon herself to serve as an apologist for the Democratic Party, when the party has done so much to make America the greatest country in the world.

Fortunately, Ms. O'Neill's interim period is quickly coming to an end. Let's hope that her successor concentrates his efforts on the positive instead of blaming Democrats for the country's shortcomings. Leon Democrats deserve a better leader than Monica O'Neill. Let's hope they get one.

Also published at Florida Politics and Daily Kos.

The fight for fair elections is now

2005-10-24T07:48:00.000-04:00

The bipartisan effort to create a fair process for drawing congressional and legislative districts in Florida has hit a bump in the road. Politicians in Tallahassee are pulling out all the stops to maintain their stranglehold on power in Florida. Opponents of fair districts have run to court, filing motions to prevent voters from deciding this issue next fall. And partisan members of the Florida Legislature are already using our tax dollars for their own political agendas. The Committee for Fair Elections has been successfully collecting signatures from Florida voters in order to place this issue on the ballot next year, but they still may fall short with the electorate. If the proponents of fair districts don't form a politically strong argument for this issue soon, they will lose this fight before it even begins.

The redistricting issue is a complex one. While readers of political blogs are familiar with the flawed process in Florida, most voters are not. Fair election advocates have failed to create a strong argument for their position, including preemptive strikes against their likely opponents. Now that the enemies of democracy in Florida have reared their ugly heads, the Committee for Fair Elections must not wait any longer. They must act now.

First, supporters of the amendments need to stop talking about redistricting or reapportionment. Talk about fair elections.

Voters don't know what the terms redistricting or reapportionment mean. This issue is about fair elections. The Committee for Fair Elections needs to circulate a memo instructing all supporters to refer to these initiatives as the Fair Elections Amendments, not the Redistricting Amendments. Voters will understand this.

Second, the Committee for Fair Elections must define its opponents.

A number of Congressmen and state legislators have joined forces to defeat the Fair Elections Amendments. The Committee should make them the issue. Voters must understand these politicians' motivations.

All but one of the opponents of the Fair Elections Amendments are Republican. Florida Democrats hold a registration advantage over Republicans, but the GOP holds just under two-thirds of the state senate, more than two-thirds of the Florida House, and nearly three-quarters of the Florida Congressional delegation. Of course, Republicans would like us to believe that this is because the voters agree with them on issues like high deficit spending, political corruption, and government intrusion in end-of-life decisions, but those who are honest will admit that the system is rigged. These Republican politicians only oppose the Fair Elections Amendments in order to preserve their own political power.

The only Democrat to officially oppose the Fair Elections Amendments, Senator Al Lawson (D-Tallahassee), represents a district where 65.04% of the voters are Democrats. Senator Lawson has a reason to oppose the amendments - his own self-preservation. Senator Lawson has put his own interests over those of the citizens of Florida, and proponents of fair elections should point out his true motivation.

Supporters of the Fair Elections Amendments have done an exceptional job in collecting signatures in order to place the issue on the ballot next fall. Unfortunately they have failed to create a coherent message for why voters should agree with them. The winner of this issue next November will likely be the one who successfully defines the issue. For the sake of Florida's future, let's hope that the Committee for Fair Elections gets moving soon.

I'm back ... sort of

2005-10-23T19:21:00.000-04:00

I've been away from the blogging scene for awhile. I frankly didn't see the need to simply report the news and duplicate the efforts of other good blogs like Florida Politics and Florida News.

I intend to post from time to time, but not on a regular basis - just when important issues arise. This blog will feature more editorial-type pieces instead of a listing of regular news events.

Welcome back and thanx for visiting!

Live Blogging: Presidential Address

2005-09-15T21:01:00.000-04:00

For live blogging of the president's address to the nation, go to: http://americanpolitix.blogspot.com/2005/09/live-blogging-presidential-address.html.

Compassionate Conservatism among casualties of Katrina

2005-09-09T23:21:00.000-04:00

As the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina unfolds on television, Americans are increasingly disgusted with the lack of leadership shown by the Bush administration. President George W. Bush has scored low marks with the American people, with an overwhelming majority saying that he botched the handling of the infamous category 5 hurricane that hit the Gulf Coast two weeks ago.

According to a recent CBS poll, only 38 percent of Americans approved of Bush's response to the hurricane, while Zogby found only 36 percent of Americans approved of President Bush's handling of Hurricane Katrina. The Pew Research Center had the worst news for Bush, showing only 28 percent of Americans approving of Bush's response to the hurricane [PDF - 84 KB].

The Bush White House is desperately trying to salvage their public relations nightmare. Today, the Brownie was out and the girl scout was in. Michael D. Brown, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, was ousted from his position overseeing the hurricane cleanup, and former Bush Communication czar, Karen Hughes was brought in as the Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy. If anyone can spin the White House out of this mess, it is the French-born Karen Hughes.

Unfortunately for Hughes, too many Republicans have gone off script and have given her more work than necessary. Republicans love to tell people that they care about average Americans, not just the rich ones. Sadly, no one's buying it. And this week, too many Republicans showed their true colors. Here are some memorable quotes by our favorite compassionate conservatives.

"And so many of the people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway, so this is working very well for them."

- Barbara Bush, showing that blue blood that has been a strong Bush family trait - 09/05/05

"While countless Americans are pulling together to lend a helping hand, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid are pointing fingers in a shameless effort to tear us apart."

- RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman, responding to the Democrats' call for accountability - 09/07/05

"The Senate needs to do its part by making tax relief permanent and burying the death tax (estate tax) forever."

- RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman, discussing the RNC's top priority as thousands of fellow Americans die in the South - 09/01/05 (only 3 days after the hurricane hit the Gulf Coast)

"Given the abysmal failure of state and local officials in Louisiana to plan adequately for or respond to the effects of Hurricane Katrina on the city of New Orleans, and given the long history of public corruption in Louisiana, I hope the House will refrain from directly appropriating any funds from the public treasury to either the state of Louisiana or the city of New Orleans."

- Congressman Tom Tancredo (R-Texas), writing Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Illinois) and calling for a halt to emergency funds to the areas hithard by Hurricane Katrina - 09/07/05

"We finally cleaned up public housing in New Orleans. We couldn't do it, but God did."

- Congressman Richard Baker (R-Louisiana), overheard speaking to a group of lobbyists.

"I mean, you have people who don't heed those (hurricane) warnings and then put people at risk as a result of not heeding those warnings. There may be a need to look at tougher penalties on those who decide to ride it out and understand that there are consequences to not leaving."

- Senator Rick Santorum (R-Pennsylvania) - 09-03 or 04/05

"Moral of the story: People were warned to get out. Those who stayed paid a price for that decision. If you rely on the government, you’re likely to be disappointed. No government can protect you or provide for you. You have to do it yourself. If a Category 5 story is headed your way, get out fast."

- Right-wing TV and radio commentator Bill O'Reilly - 09-02-05

"It looks like a lot of that place (New Orleans) could be bulldozed."

- U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Illinois) - 08/31/05

"Some people chose not to obey that (evacuation order). That was a mistake on their part."

- U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, blaming the victims of Hurricane Katrina

"Unfortunately, that's going to be attributable a lot to people who did not heed the advance warnings. I don't make judgments about why people chose not to leave but, you know, there was a mandatory evacuation of New Orleans. And to find people still there is just heart-wrenching to me because, you know, the mayor did everything he could to get them out of there. So, we've got to figure out some way to convince people that whenever warnings go out it's for their own good. Now, I don't want to second guess why they did that. My job now is to get relief to them."

- Michael D. Brown, DHS Undersecretary of Homeland Security for Emergency Preparedness and Response

BREAKING NEWS: Judge Roberts nominated for Chief Justice

2005-09-05T12:15:00.000-04:00

This morning, President George W. Bush nominated Judge John G. Roberts, Jr. for Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court. This nomination comes in the wake of the death of former Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, who died over the weekend from cancer at the age of 80 years old.

Visit AmericanpolitiX.com for a review of the winners and losers resulting from this recent announcement. This post is also featured on Daily Kos.

http://americanpolitix.blogspot.com/2005/09/scalia-and-thomas-are-big-losers-in.html

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/9/5/154344/7557

BREAKING NEWS: Chief Justice Rehnquist dies

2005-09-03T23:37:00.000-04:00

Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, the ultraconservative activist jurist on the nation's highest court, has passed away at his home in Virginia. Rehnquist was 80 years old.

"The Chief Justice battled thyroid cancer since being diagnosed last October and continued to perform his dues on the court until a precipitous decline in his health the last couple of days," said Supreme Court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg.

Rehnquist was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1971 by President Richard Nixon and was elevated to Chief Justice by President Ronald Reagan in 1986. During his time as head of the court, the Rehnquist Court proved to be the most activist court in U.S. history, striking down more acts of Congress than any other court.

The death of Rehnquist creates an opportunity for President George W. Bush to nominate another conservative jurist to the bench. But the death of the leading activist conservative doesn't give the president much room to move to the right.

With the confirmation hearings for Judge John G. Roberts, Jr. scheduled to begin on Tuesday, the whole situation may get flipped on its head. How will the extremist groups on the right and those groups on the left react? Will the fight intensify? My guess is yes.

UPDATE: Conservative pundit George Will, on ABC News' This Week, declared the Rehnquist Court to be the most activist in American history, striking down 30 acts of Congress. This number has not even been approached by any other court. The panel also noted the most activist decision of the Court's history, Bush v. Gore, which occurred under Rehnquist's watch.

Help the victims of Hurricane Katrina

2005-08-30T23:02:00.000-04:00

Hurricane Katrina is behind us, but for many the pain is just beginning. Whether you're a bleeding-heart liberal or a compassionate conservative, please give what you can to help our fellow Americans in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, and elsewhere.

Below is a post by DNC contributor Josh McConaha on the Democratic National Committee's blog. In order to be bipartisan, I checked the Republican National Committee's web site to include their message as well, but nothing was available.

The DNC blog posting provides very important information regarding the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Even after being hit by Katrina, the situation in the Gulf states continues to worsen...

In Mississippi, hundreds are feared dead.

Helicopters plucked frantic survivors from rooftops of inundated homes on Tuesday and officials said hundreds of people may have died in Hurricane Katrina's attack on the U.S. Gulf Coast, which sent a wall of water into Mississippi and flooded New Orleans.

The economic cost of the hurricane's rampage could be the highest in U.S. history, according to damage estimates.

"The devastation is greater than our worst fears," Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco told a news conference. "It's totally overwhelming."

New Orleans is filling with water. The mayor is saying 80% of the city is underwater.

The historic city of New Orleans was steadily filling with water from nearby Lake Ponchartrain on Tuesday after its defenses were breached by the ferocity of hurricane Katrina.

With the floodwaters rising in many areas, threatening the French Quarter, residents were plucked from the roofs of their homes, bodies were seen floating in the streets and rescuers searched the city in boats and helicopters.

"We probably have 80 percent of our city under water; with some sections of our city the water is as deep as 20 feet. Both airports are underwater," Mayor Ray Nagin told a radio interviewer.

Troops in Iraq are worried about what's happened to their homes and families...

"It's a significant emotional event. Their families are on the forefront of the disaster," said Lt. Col. Jordan Jones of the 141st Field Artillery of the Louisiana National Guard.

"They're all watching TV and some have seen their neighborhoods completely submerged in water."

Jones, from Luling on the west bank of Lake Pontchartrain, said he hasn't been in touch with his own family for three days because of clogged phone lines, but that his neighbors had helped board up their home.

"It's hard, a lot of soldiers are watching this play-by-play, they're having a hard time," said Lt. Taysha Deaton, a spokeswoman for the unit.

Take time now to visit the American Red Cross website and donate to the relief efforts. This is bigger than politics - so many have already lost so much, we as a country need to band together to help.

Well said Josh!

Smith takes fight to Crist, becomes the law and order candidate

2005-08-29T05:23:00.000-04:00

As Florida Attorney General and GOP gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist was knocking people over to apear on television during Hurricane Katrina, Senator Rod Smith (D-Gainesville) was pulling the rug out from under Crist's plans to be the "tough on crime" candidate for governor. Smith has gained the endorsements of seven North Florida sheriffs and promises that more are coming. While Crist is busy reserving the moving trucks for next November, the Smith campaign is saying, "Not so fast!" It looks like Crist may have a fight on his hands.

Senator Smith faces Congressman Jim Davis (D-Tampa) and former Tallahassee Mayor Scott Maddox in the Democratic primary. The victor will face the winner between Crist and Florida Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher in the GOP contest.

Most would expect the current attorney general to be the law and order candidate, but Smith, the former Alachua County State Attorney, is not ready to concede this terrain. Last week, Sheriffs Jerry Whitehead of Union County, Dewey Hatcher of Dixie County, David Turner of Gilchrist County, J. Harrell Reid of Hamilton County, Owen Carson McCall Jr. of Lafayette County, Dean Kelly of Putnam County and Joey Dobson of Baker County endorsed Senator Smith for governor and announced they are forming "Sheriffs for Smith." They intend to encourage more law enforcement leaders to back the former prosecutor who convicted and sentenced cold-blooded mass murderer Danny Rollings to death. Two of the sheriffs to endorse Smith, Gilcrest County Sheriff David Turner and Lafayette County Sheriff Owen Carson, supported Governor Jeb Bush in his 2002 reelection race.

This announcement has to hurt Charlie Crist. As the top law enforcement officer in the state, Crist should see this as a major snub. The state attorney general should automatically have the law and order crowd solidly in his corner. The fact that Smith has picked up so many defections is a sign that cracks are forming in Crist's race for governor.

It is also refreshing to see Smith taking the fight to Crist and the Republicans by venturing into an area where Democrats are normally timid. In recent years, Florida Democrats have refused to discuss law and order issues, instead limiting their focus to topics like education and ... education. The Democrats' silence has allowed Republicans to define them on other issues.

Rod Smith has decided to take the law enforcement issue back for the Democrats. He will also probably bring some so-called "soccer moms" back to the Democratic Party as well.

Congratulations to Senator Smith, and congratulations to Florida Democrats. It looks like you finally have a candidate who is unwilling to concede important issues, like law enforcement, to the Republicans and instead take the fight to the GOP.

Harris stumbles on abortion issue

2005-08-28T22:23:00.000-04:00

Read about Katherine Harris' recent blunder at AmericanpolitiX.com.

http://americanpolitix.blogspot.com/2005/08/harris-stumbles-on-abortion-issue.html

Raul Martinez for Governor?

2005-08-25T10:18:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, the Florida Democratic Party was saddened when one of their most successful elected officials announced his retirement from office. Of course, Florida Democrats could turn their lemons into lemonade by encouraging this iconic politician to run for higher office.

Late on Wednesday, Raul Martinez announced that he would not seek reelection as mayor of the City of Hialeah. Martinez has served as the chief executive in Hialeah for nearly three decades, first elected in 1981. The mayor has experienced ups and downs during his run as mayor and still remains enormously popular among the largely Republican Cuban American community. And he has done so as a Democrat.

Often when a Democrat is elected by a Republican-dominated electorate, he runs away from his party label. Not Raul Martinez. Martinez has always been proud of his party affiliation, and in 2004, he was a prominent member of the Kerry campaign. Martinez has been a great asset to the Democratic Party and should be credited for any progress the party has made among Cuban American voters. (Those gains may be small, but still significant.)

Martinez has not indicated what he intends to do next. He said that he wants to spend more time with his wife and family, but did not rule out the possibility of a run for higher office. Democrats would be wise to enlist Martinez for a future campaign. He has already served as chief executive for a major city. Would the next logical step be the chief executive for the state?

The Hispanic vote is essential in Florida and after snubbing Alex Penelas during last year's election for the United States Senate, Raul Martinez may be the Florida Democratic Party's last shot to secure Hispanic voters in Florida. Of course, Mayor Martinez will definitely be on the shortlist of candidates for Lieutenant Governor, but he may only provide a boost to Democrats by appearing on the top of the ticket.

Let's see what the future holds for Mayor Raul Martinez.

Is Chris Smith stupid? I don't think so.

2005-08-24T11:39:00.000-04:00

Today, news reports have taken the Democratic Leader in the Florida House of Representatives to task for his move to force the override of Governor Jeb Bush's veto of a good government bill. While the Democrats' effort may have likely doomed the legislation in any future special session, it has initiated a discussion that only will benefit Florida Democrats. Newspaper reporters may criticize the Democrats for this political move, but they are not thinking of the long-term effects of this tactic.

Yesterday, Democratic Representative Chris Smith, leader of the minority caucus in the Florida House, petitioned the Florida Secretary of State Glenda Hood to conduct a poll asking members whether they support a special session to override Governor Jeb Bush's veto [PDF - 14 KB] of Senate Bill 1146.

The legislation, sponsored by Republican Senator Nancy Argenziano (R-Crystal River), would have established a commission to approve state contracts of more than $10 million and to adopt accountability standards for contracting by state agencies. Reports have shown reckless procedures related to the privatizing of state services, resulting in unnecessary costs to Florida taxpayers. The governor, who pledges to leave no special interest behind, rejected this oversight of the state contracting system, opening the door to big government expenses passed along to taxpayers.

It was April 2003 when the St. Petersburg Times asked the important question, "Can Republicans Govern?" This effort by Representative Smith is an opportunity for Florida Democrats to point out that they can't.

SB 1146 received bi-partisan support last session and overwhelmingly passed both chambers of the Florida Legislature. Now, Republican leaders are flip-flopping on their position, allowing the governor's desire for big government and reckless spending to win.

Republican Leader Representative Andy Gardiner (R-Orlando) is the latest in the GOP to abandon the principles of former President Ronald Reagan. SB 1146 would have resulted in less government spending and more efficient government. Gardiner voted for the bill last session, but now he opposes the bill. Why? Good question. Democrats would be smart to provide their own answers. For instance ...

Gardiner and the House GOP Caucus now realize that they support bigger government.
Gardiner and the House GOP Caucus now oppose accountability of government agencies.
Gardiner and the House GOP Caucus now believe that the government knows better than the voters.

These are all logical conclusions drawn from Gardiner and his caucus' recent flip-flop on SB 1146.

Senator Argenziano and Representative Gardiner are already turning on the Democrats. Now, it will be interesting to see how the Democrats respond. Will they stick together and fight? Or will they cut and run, leaving Representative Smith to fend for himself? Unfortunately taking past events into consideration, I would expect the latter.

But Democrats should change their spineless ways and choose to fight the Republicans on this matter. Define the issue.

Any Republican who votes against the Secretary of State's poll has flip-flopped on this issue. (Every Republican voted for the original bill.)
Any Republican who votes against the secretary's poll now supports bigger government.
Any Republican who votes against the secretary's poll now opposes government accountability.
Any Republican who votes against the secretary's poll now supports reckless government spending.

Let's hope the Democrats in the Legislature grow a pair and join Representative Smith in his fight on behalf of Florida's taxpayers.

Davis, Smith go flat; Maddox flatlines

2005-08-22T06:38:00.000-04:00

With most Democratic politicos believing Congressman Jim Davis (D-Tampa) poised to handily win their party's nomination next fall, polls tend to show their confidence may be premature. This weekend, the Tampa Tribune reported of anxiety among Davis supporters over his inability to run away from the Democratic field, and polls and contributing factors tend to support their distress. To no one's surprise, the race for the Democratic nomination for governor is still wide open.

Polls by Strategic Vision, a Republican-leaning polling firm, over the past few months show Davis failing to increase his support among Democratic voters. Likewise, one of his opponents, Senator Rod Smith (D-Gainesville), has also remained flat in recent surveys. With the two leading candidates reaching a plateau in support, the real news is former Tallahassee Mayor Scott Maddox who has seen his campaign take a free-fall. All three candidates however are staying competitive, and the most recent poll shows a gubernatorial race that is anyone's to win.

A July Strategic Vision poll showed Davis with 26 percent of the Democratic vote. Smith was a distant second at 15 percent, while Maddox fell to dead last with 11 percent. While Davis and Smith's numbers were virtually unchanged from Stategic Vision's June poll, Maddox witnessed a drop of 9 points, numbers that should have raised concerns within his campaign.

In June, Davis and Smith received the support of 23 and 14 percent of the Democratic voters polled, respectively, while Maddox was the choice of one out of every five Democrats. Previously in April, Davis was supported by 21 percent of Democratic voters, Maddox earned 15 percent, and Smith garnered 13 percent in the poll.

Both the April and June polls were conducted prior to reports that the Florida Democratic Party, under the stewardship of Maddox, had failed to pay federal income and payroll taxes and faced a $200,000 lien from the Internal Revenue Service. The April poll by Strategic Vision was the first to limit the questioning to the three current candidates.

These polls are good news for Davis and Smith with both candidates realizing modest gains over the past four months. Davis has jumped five points while Smith has increased two points. Maddox saw a brief jump in June, followed by a steep fall in July.

Typically, these polling trends would indicate that Davis is strong, but unfortunately he may have failed to meet high expectations. Since the first poll was conducted, Davis received the endorsement of former Senator Bob Graham. Graham's support was expected to provide the Davis campaign with a boost, but it didn't. This means that either the Graham endorsement is not as valuable as some Democrats would like to believe or that Davis' plain and somewhat boring personality cut into any possible momentum the endorsement should have delivered. Davis' failure to gain steam is likely the result of a combination of both factors.

The Smith campaign should be pleased. Since the Legislature has not been in session since May, Senator Smith has been largely absent from recent news reports. Still, he managed to pick up a couple of points, showing slow but steady growth in his support.

Maddox's run for governor may be over. The former chairman has received negative press coverage over the state party's fiscal problems, and he has been engaged in a public feud with one of the largest labor unions in the state. On top of that, it recently surfaced that the City of Tallahassee may have engaged in illegal activities against workers' labor rights while Maddox served as the mayor. Maddox has denied any involvement with these activities.

Polls show that Maddox has lost nearly half of his support among voters, and he is also losing some of his biggest political supporters. The young candidate shouldn't be written off completely, but his speech writers still may want to start working on a eulogy just in case.

At the end of the day, the most important number in all of these polls is the percentage of undecided voters. In April, undecideds accounted for 51 percent of Democrats polled. In June, they were 43 percent, and in July, the number increased again to 48 percent.

With just over a year before Democrats choose their nominee for governor, this race is anyone's ballgame. Right now, Davis is playing the role of the hare, while Smith is the tortoise. And Maddox ... well he may just be a dead duck, but only time will tell.

Rod Smith declares support for Judge Roberts

2005-08-21T10:49:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, FloridapolitiX.com discussed the comments by Senator Rod Smith (D-Gainesville) where he said that he would consider raising taxes if elected governor. Now, Smith's diarrhea of the mouth continues.

In a follow up by the St. Petersburg Times, the paper now mentions that Smith would support Judge John G. Roberts, Jr. for the United States Supreme Court.

The paper stated that candidates typically "brush off hypothetical questions" and seemed surprised that Smith answered their question about Judge Roberts. (Nominees to the U.S. Supreme Court are approved by the United States Senate, not by any state governor.)

"I haven't seen anything that says . . . he is ethically challenged or that he's intellectually inadequate," said Smith. "Right now, I would have no reason to disqualify him other than I don't agree with positions he holds, and that doesn't drive me in judicial decisions."

As stated yesterday, Democrats will not win in Florida until they learn to control their message, to frame the debate. Answering the Judge Roberts question did nothing to help Smith, but the answer could hurt him with abortion rights supporters who he will need next year in the Democratic primary.

Rod Smith considers raising taxes

2005-08-19T10:15:00.000-04:00

While the Rod Smith campaign may state that this title is misleading and mischaracterizes what Senator Rod Smith (D-Gainesville) said in today's St. Petersburg Times article, I would respond with "too bad." What do you think the Republicans are going to say next fall?

Today's St. Petersburg Times devoted 622 words to the Smith campaign, focusing primarily on the campaign's argument that Smith is the most electable next fall. The piece, which was based on an interview between Smith and the St. Petersburg Times Editorial Board, was heavy on rhetoric and light on substance, but it was the last sentence that jumped out at readers. Asked if he would consider raising cigarette taxes, Senator Smith said that he would. Of course, he said that "you'd have to talk about it last." Still, I wouldn't wait for the Republicans to clarify Smith's position for him.

The point of this post is that the Democrats cannot win in Florida if they fail to control their message. Democrats should know that the GOP is only waiting for a mention of taxes, and they have to be smarter than this. (It was only three years ago when this same idea hurt Bill McBride's campaign for governor.)

Of course, I doubt that Smith volunteered his position on cigarette taxes to the editorial board. He was probably only answering a specific question. Still, Smith and the other Democratic candidates need to steal a page from George W.'s playbook. Don't answer the questions you don't like. Just repeat your talking points. Believe it or not, it works.

Smith's cigarette stumble is not a big deal. He is already on record raising cigarette taxes by supporting Senate Bill 2112 in 2004. Fortunately for Smith, the bill was pushed by the GOP, sponsored by Senator Paula Dockery (R-Lakeland) and in the House by Representative Frank Farkas (R-St. Petersburg). If Smith were to slip on taxes, this was definitely the way to go. The Republicans will have a tough time attacking a position that their own party has championed in recent years. (But don't worry. They'll try.)

Nevertheless, Smith and the rest of the Democrats should see this as a wake-up call. Charlie Crist and Tom Gallagher will be tough campaigners, and the Democrats cannot afford to get sloppy.

FSU Update: Trustee apologizes to the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma

2005-08-16T10:48:00.000-04:00

In the wake of embarrassing and offensive comments by some well-known FSU alumni, trustee Richard McFarlain has apologized to the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma for his "hostile and abusive" comments about the Native Americans that fled Florida in the early 1800s.

"I think I just should have shut up," McFarlain said. Of course, McFarlain had more to say last week went he went on the attack over the NCAA's ridiculous ban over the use of American Indians as mascots for major college sports teams.

Senator Jim King (R-Jacksonville) and FSU President T.K. Wetherell, a former Democratic Speaker of the Florida House, have yet to apologize for their despicable comments toward the Oklahoma Seminoles.

Senator King and Speaker Wetherell should be encouraged to apologize so this silly debate can be put behind us and FSU can continue being the Seminoles.

Senator King's email address is king.james.web@flsenate.gov.

Speaker Wetherell's email address is president@mailer.fsu.edu.

FSU battles the NCAA ... and its own alumni

2005-08-15T06:52:00.000-04:00

Last week, the NCAA announced new rules that would no longer allow teams, which use American Indian mascots, nicknames or imagery considered "hostile or abusive", to host NCAA championship events. The NCAA cited 18 specific teams that would be in violation of their new rules, but so far Florida State University is making the most noise over this half-baked plan.

FSU had the momentum to change the rule until some prominent alumni opened their mouths. The school will likely prevail in their fight with the NCAA, but not without suffering a public relations disaster of their own. Unfortunately, a few old Noles couldn't resist the urge to shoot off their mouths and to insult Native Americans in the process.

For the record, I think this whole issue is something about nothing. FSU has been working with the Seminole Tribe of Florida for many years to ensure that use of Chief Osceola is done with dignity. I think it is disgraceful that the NCAA issued their rule without consulting any of the interested parties. FSU and the Seminoles claim that they were not consulted.

The issue that led to the recent fracas was the NCAA's claim that the Seminole Indians of Oklahoma were offended by FSU's use of the tribe. It was later learned that the Oklahoma Seminoles never made any such statement, and the NCAA should have looked stupid yet again. Unfortunately, prominent Floridians beat them to it.

Former Republican Senate President Jim King (R-Jacksonville), who graduated from FSU in 1961 and is perhaps the biggest Nole fan in the Capitol, said that the Oklahoma Seminoles "gave up and went to the reservation" in the early 1800s. Of course, those Seminoles were run off their land and didn't simply leave on their own. King needs a refresher course in American history.

FSU Trustee Richard McFarlain said that the Seminoles from Oklahoma weren't even "real Seminoles." Apparently, McFarlain needs to join King in studying the history of the Seminole Indians.

Then FSU President T.K. Wetherell, former Democratic Speaker of the Florida House, issued the most devastating of the comments. Wetherell said that "maybe the Trail of Tears should have gone farther, I don't know."

Brief History Lesson

First, the Trail of Tears specifically referred to the removal of the Cherokee Indians from their homeland. The men, women, and children who were forced to follow the Trail of Tears endured great suffering, and it is believed that over 4,000 Cherokee Indians, or 25% of the entire tribe, died during this march.

The Seminole Indians of Florida, one of the "Five Civilized Tribes," were also forced to join the other tribes and move west, with most of the five tribes finding homes in Oklahoma and Kansas. In 1835, the Florida Seminoles refused to leave the Sunshine State, and their decision eventually led to the Second Seminole War. During this conflict, the Seminole leader Osceola employed guerilla-style tactics in battling the U.S. Army, by hiding in the Everglades and attacking the unsuspecting Americans. The Americans suffered numerous defeats at the hands of the Seminoles, but Osceola was eventually captured and died in prison. Most Seminoles were then forced to relocate to Oklahoma.

At the end of the day, Florida State University should be allowed to use the Seminoles as their official mascot. All interested parties agree, and the do-gooders from the NCAA should really just mind their own business and keep their political correctness out of Florida.

But the statements of King, McFarlain, and Wetherell must not be forgotten. While the statements clearly were not malicious, they were still racist statements that should not have been made. The people of Florida should not tolerate such conduct from our public officials.

The Seminole Caucus of the Florida Legislature (politicians who graduated from FSU) claims that they will be offering a resolution during the next session condemning the actions of the NCAA. I think they should. But only if they also condemn the hurtful comments of their own colleagues this past weekend.

Religious right group protests military funerals

2005-08-09T04:42:00.000-04:00

Why are members of the religious right protesting outside funerals of our fallen troops?

Learn more at AmericanpolitiX.com or go to:

http://americanpolitix.blogspot.com/2005/08/religious-right-group-protests.html

Nelson also victim of colorization scheme

2005-08-07T10:55:00.000-04:00

Over the past week, Congresswoman Katherine Harris (R-Sarasota) has accused Florida newspapers of using computer software to manipulate photographs of her during the 2000 presidential election recounts. Harris claims that she didn't actually wear as much make-up as the public was led to believe, and she said that the paper's doctored photos were hurtful to her. When asked which papers engaged in this unethical behavior, Harris was unable to name a single paper.

Granted, her story is a sad one. Harris' opponent in next year's election to the United States Senate has also been the victim of a similar scheme. In order to make Senator Bill Nelson appear more sympathetic to their readers, one newspaper doctored a photo of the senator for their publication.

The Smurf Times, a weekly publication aimed at members of the Smurf community, published a photo last year that was obviously doctored and gave Nelson's skin a bluish tint. Political commentator, Brainy Smurf, saw the move as a way for the paper to say to the Smurf-American community that Nelson was "like one of us." Brainy continued by saying that the action by the paper was misleading, and while their intentions may have been noble, the act itself was "wrong."

(Note to readers: I apologize to those serious readers who may be surprised by FloridapolitiX.com's use of humor and sarcasm on this site. FloridapolitiX.com will continue to be a reliable source of news and opinion, but the Harris story was just too good to resist.)

Florida discussion leads to Novak's suspension from CNN

2005-08-05T06:34:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, conservative columnist Robert Novak lost his cool during a debate with Democratic stategist James Carville and used profanity on the air. Immediately following the spectacle, CNN announced that Bob Novak would be temporarily suspended from the network.

Go to AmericanpolitiX.com to read the transcript and access the video footage online.

Bense will not run for United States Senate

2005-08-03T17:34:00.000-04:00

Today, Republican Speaker Allan Bense announced that he will not challenge Congresswoman Katherine Harris (R-Sarasota) in the GOP primary for the United States Senate. This news is devastating to Florida Republicans who have been hoping for Harris to leave the race, believing that she cannot defeat the moderate Democratic incumbent, Senator Bill Nelson. Most people believe that she will not only lose to Nelson but possibly drag down the entire GOP ticket.

Harris is still seen as an extremely polarizing individual over her role in the controversial 2000 presidential election. Harris, who that year served as secretary of state, oversaw elections in Florida, and during that time, also served as co-chair of then Governor George W. Bush's presidential campaign. Many people saw these dual roles as a blatant conflict of interest, and Harris has been unable to regain confidence with Florida's voters ever since.

Bense, a former Democrat himself, is seen as left-of-center politically, and many GOP operatives believed he had the best chance to defeat Nelson in a general election. Instead, Bense says that he will focus his efforts on leading the Florida House of Representatives.

Today, Bense issued the following statement:

“After much thought and prayer, and after extensive discussions with my family and friends, I have decided to remain focused on my responsibilities as Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives,” said Florida House Speaker Allan Bense. “When I was elected Speaker, I made a commitment to the other 119 Members of the Florida House and to the people of Florida, and it is a commitment I intend to uphold to the best of my ability.

“I greatly appreciate the sincere confidence so many have expressed in me, the enthusiastic encouragement they have given me as well as the candid counsel they have provided. However, I believe it would be extremely difficult to fulfill my duties as Speaker while also running for the United States Senate in a campaign that will attract national attention and require a huge commitment of time and energy.

“Therefore, I have decided that it is in my best interest, my family’s best interest and in the best interest of the Florida House that I do not run for the United States Senate at this time.”

This news is good for Nelson, but Harris shouldn't be ruled out just yet. She is tough and will not go down without a fight. Democrats should hold back on popping the champagne, but it might not hurt to start putting it on ice.

UPDATE (8:07 PM): The Associated Press reports on the Bense decision.

Senator Bill Nelson issued the following statement: "Regardless of who our opponent is, we expect it's going to be a tough race. Between now and election time, I'm just going to keep doing the best job I can for the people of Florida."

Congresswoman Katherine Harris issued the following statement: "Allan Bense is a living example of leadership, solidly grounded in character and integrity. I have long admired him, and deeply value his friendship."

St. Pete Times creates a Buzz with their new blog

2005-08-01T20:56:00.000-04:00

Every Sunday, Florida's Who's Who have become accustomed to reading the widely-acclaimed political column, The Buzz, on the St. Petersburg Times web site. Now the column has taken a life of its own and will be converted into a realtime blog, where the paper's staff writers contribute and readers are invited to comment.

St. Petersburg Times Blog - The Buzz

Check it out online now!

BREAKING NEWS: President Bush appoints John Bolton as United Nations Ambassador

2005-08-01T10:07:00.000-04:00

Read about the Bolton appointment at AmericanpolitiX.com .

The story can be found at http://americanpolitix.blogspot.com/2005/08/breaking-news-president-bush-appoints.html

DeFending DeFede

2005-08-01T08:33:00.000-04:00

Last week, the Miami establishment was shocked when former Miami City Commissioner Arthur E. Teele, Jr. entered the lobby of the Miami Herald building and shot himself in the head. The longtime Republican politician, who had served on both the county and city commissions, had recently been convicted of assault on a police officer and was facing federal and state corruption charges.

The morning of his suicide, a local tabloid, the Miami New Times, published a lengthy piece detailing personal affairs in Teele's life, including an alleged affair with a male prostitute. According to Miami Herald columnist Jim DeFede, who spoke with Teele on numerous occasions that day, the former commissioner was very upset about the article, particularly with the reports of the male prostitute. DeFede sensed that Teele was very upset, so he reached for a tape recorder and began to document the conversation.

While Teele lost his life, the events leading to this tragic event caused DeFede to lose his job. Following the suicide, DeFede went to his editors and confessed that he had recorded the conversation without Teele's consent. The columnist recommended that he face suspension for his conduct, since taping a conversation without one's consent may be a violation of state law. Herald management decided to immediately fire DeFede.

Now a blog and a website have been launched in defense of Jim DeFede. The blog, http://journalistsfordefede.com, is run by Peter Wallsten of the Los Angelese Times and Charlie Savage of the Boston Globe, both Miami Herald alumni. The host of the website is unknown.

The blog features an open letter to Herald Publisher Jesus Diaz and Executive Editor Tom Fiedler and criticizes the papers decision to fire DeFede. The website, http://www.savedefede.com, provides links to various news articles on the subject of DeFede's firing and to the aforementioned blog. Both sites discuss the Florida law that DeFede allegedly violated when he taped the conversation.

Now the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office is investigating DeFede's conduct. On Friday, prosecutors questioned the former Herald columnist over the taping of the journalist's last conversation with Art Teele.

While the state attorney's decision is still unknown, it is evidently clear that DeFede's fellow journalists are rushing to support him. The DeFede blog features a petition and is soliciting e-signatures from journalists around the country. As of now, the number has reached 361 names and that number is expected to grow. Only time will tell if these journalists can make a difference.

Common sense legislation on guns

2005-07-30T10:09:00.000-04:00

Read about the U.S. Senate's legislation protecting lawful gun owners' rights at AmericanpolitiX.com.

The story can be found at http://americanpolitix.blogspot.com/2005/07/common-sense-legislation-on-guns.html.

Republicans to abandon strict constructionism for slots legislation

2005-07-28T08:45:00.000-04:00

Republicans love to talk about how they are strict constructionists when it comes to interpretting the Constitution. Too bad they fail to back their words up with their actions.

Florida House Speaker Allan Bense, who may challenge Congresswoman Katherine Harris in the GOP Senate primary next year, has announced that the Florida Legislature may call a special session to address the unfinished business of slot machines. As you may remember, the 2005 Legislative Session ended in its usual train-wreck manner, and the implementation of the slots amendment, which was approved by the voters in November of 2004, was left undone. Now, legislative leaders are realizing that they dropped the ball and would like to correct their mistake. Unfortunately, they may be too late.

Strict constructionism is a philosophy of judicial interpretation and legal philosophy that holds to the meanings of words and phrases as used when they were written down. Adherents look strictly at the text in question rather than relying on metaphysical ideas such as natural law, or by trying to glean legislative intent from contemporaneous commentaries or legislative debate.

Associate Justice Hugo Black was the most famous of strict constructionists on the High Court, and he wrote in the landmark decision Reid v. Covert that "[t]he United States is entirely a creature of the Constitution. Its power and authority have no other source." 354 U.S. 1, 5 -6 (1957). Essentially, he was saying that the courts, as well as politicians, cannot act in ways that are not explicitly authorized by the Constitution.

The constitutional amendment regarding slot machines that was passed by the voters in November 2004 states that "the Legislature shall adopt legislation implementing this section and having an effective date no later than July 1 of the year following voter approval of this amendment. Such legislation shall authorize agency rules for implementation, and may include provisions for the licensure and regulation of slot machines. The Legislature may tax slot machine revenues, and any such taxes must supplement public education funding statewide." Art. X, s. 23, Florida Constitution (emphasis added)

Based on the strict interpretation of this constitutional language, the time for the Florida Legislature to act was prior to July 1, 2005. That time has passed. Under the theory of strict constructionism, the Legislature is unable to pass implementing language for slot machines because the Florida Constitution specifically expressed the conditions which they were to follow, and our elected officials refused to obey the constitution.

What Speaker Bense intends to follow is the theory of broad constructionism, which is the opposite of the theory revered by most conservatives. Broad constructionism, a term coined by Chief Justice William Rehnquist, is the view that more liberal jurists have used in order to justify judicial opinions establishing civil rights, criminal rights, and most recently to justify the state recognition of same-sex marriage. Republicans, especially conservative Republicans, detest broad constructionism ... unless it is convenient I guess.

Conservatives love to talk about strict constructionism. President George W. Bush has pledged to only appoint men and women to the federal judiciary who follow this legal theory. Now conservatives in the Florida Legislature want to throw strict constructionism out the window, because they screwed up.

They had their chance to do the right thing, but the Florida Legislature blew it. So, what will they do?

The Florida Legislature will call a special session, and they will pass implementing language. Simple. But remember, those same Republicans who vote for the upcoming slots bill will no longer be able to claim that they follow the doctrine of strict constructionism. There are consequences for ignoring principles.

Scandal-ridden politician commits suicide in Miami Herald building

2005-07-27T21:40:00.000-04:00

Just after 6:00 PM this evening, former Miami City Commissioner Arthur E. Teele entered the Miami Herald Building, located at 1 Herald Plaza in Miami, intent to end his own life. He succeeded by fatally shooting himself in the head.

Teele, a Republican and prominent individual in the African American community, had been a leader in local government longer than any other official in Miami today, having serving on both the Miami-Dade County and Miami City Commissions. Unfortunately, he has recently been the subject of numerous investigations related to public corruption. Today's shooting comes just four days after Teele faced 26 indictments on counts of federal mail fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering.

As Teele entered the Miami Herald Building, he approached a security guard and asked that a message be delivered to columnist Jim DeFede. Teele asked that DeFede tell his wife that he loved her very much. Teele then removed a handgun from a bag and shot himself once in the head. Teele was transported to the Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital, only to be declared dead at 7:50 PM.

Fineout reports of a possible blackout for Democrats

2005-07-25T08:49:00.000-04:00

This weekend, the Miami Herald's Gary Fineout wrote an article that should have scared the bejesus out of every Florida Democrat. According to Fineout's article, the Republican Party of Florida has mathematically calculated a way to destroy the Florida Democratic Party. Fortunately for everyone who cherishes a two-party democracy in the Sunshine State, the Republican Party's claims were greatly exaggerated and didn't portray an accurate assessment of the current political climate in Florida.

According to the Herald article, Florida Republicans believe that a pick-up of five percentage points among minority voters will destroy their opposition. This feat, however, may well be outside the GOP's reach.

The Black Vote

Florida Republicans are pleased that they increased their share of the black vote in Florida. In 2000, President George W. Bush received 9 percent of the black vote. In 2004, he received 11 percent. Bush actually received 13 percent of the black vote in the Sunshine State in 2004, nearly doubling his totals from 2000.

Florida is not a red or a blue state; it is a purple state, where political control is definitely up for grabs. These black vote numbers may not appear to be much call to celebration for the GOP, but Republicans know that the state is so narrowly divided that every vote counts. Democrats should be concerned, but Republicans do face some major hurdles.

Two weeks ago, Republican National Chairman Chairman Ken Mehlman made a shocking admission when he conceded during the NAACP's annual meeting that the Republican Party had in fact carried out a Southern Strategy. The Southern Strategy allowed Republicans to encourage "disaffected Southern white voters to vote Republican by blaming pro-civil rights Democrats for racial unrest and other racial problems." This admission by the head of the national Republican Party sent shockwaves throughout the country.

Most people knew that the Southern Strategy existed. It was started under President Richard Nixon, but perfected under President Ronald Reagan. In a show of disrespect toward African Americans and those who support civil rights, Reagan actually held his first major speech in 1980 in Philadelphia, Mississippi, making a reference to "state's rights" which is a code term aimed at white segregationists. Philadelphia was the city where civil rights workers James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner were brutally murdered by the Ku Klux Klan. This infamous crime was the subject of the 1988 film Mississippi Burning.

The Republican Party has never apologized for Ronald Reagan, and until they do, the Republicans will continue to have a credibility problem with black voters. Mehlman did however apologize for the Southern Strategy, so maybe he will also apologize for the actions of our 40th President.

The Hispanic Vote

This topic was the most curious of the Herald article. Fineout writes, "Republicans also say they picked up more Hispanic voters [in 2004]." This is a powerful statement that should have Democrats concerned, except for the fact that it is not true.

The NDN Political Action Committee, who conducted extensive Hispanic outreach in Florida in 2004, made the following observation. "Hispanics went for Bush 65% - 34% in 2000, but just 56% - 44% this time. With an estimated 1 million Hispanics voting in the 2004 election according to the exit polls, this represents a net shift of roughly 190,000 votes for Democrats." [PDF]

It's also important to note that the weakening of the hardline Cuban vote could spell trouble for the GOP in the long-term as younger Cuban Americans are willing to give the Democrats a chance. Non-Cuban Hispanics traditionally lean Democratic, so the GOP must play catch-up with this rapidly increasing demographic.

So the remark by the Florida Republican was misleading. He said that their party gained Hispanic voter, but the numbers show that the the GOP actually lost Hispanic voters. (Special shout out to Mike at the Florida News blog for pointing out this discrepancy.)

In the end, Democrats hold the edge with minority voters. As FDP Chairman Karen Thurman stated, Democrats share the values and principles of minority voters in Florida. But the Republicans are trying hard, and they will always have more money than their counterparts. There are no limits in what the GOP can afford to do. Democrats should expect to see much more.

Florida Democrats should not take the Herald article to mean that the sky is falling, but they should be concerned. The hiring of Luis Navarro as FDP executive director is definitely a great move for the party. Navarro is a veteran of minority outreach in other states and has a proven track record that Florida Democrats need right now. (Another shout out to Mike at the Florida News blog for mentioning the importance of the Navarro appointment.) Navarro's salary has been the subject of debate and criticism by some of Thurman's political enemies, but Navarro is exactly what the FDP needs right now.

If the Herald article shows anything, it is that the GOP is making a move for minority voters. Democrats should be able to counter it. The question is "Will they?"

BREAKING NEWS: Bush to announce Supreme Court nominee tonight at 9:00 PM

2005-07-19T13:02:00.000-04:00

CNN is reporting that President George W. Bush will announce his choice for the United States Supreme Court tonight at 9:00 PM.

UPDATE (4:51 PM): Sources confirm that Judge Edith Brown Clement, of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, will not be President Bush's selection to replace current Associate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.

Judge Clement, an ultra-conservative jurist, received a call this afternoon saying that the administration was choosing to go in a "different direction."

Does this mean the moderate-to-liberal Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez will get the nod?

Expect a Supreme Court nominee either today or tomorrow

2005-07-19T08:13:00.000-04:00

As the situation regarding Valerie Plame heats up, many expect President George W. Bush to change the subject by naming a nominee to the United States Supreme Court very soon.

Following an ABC poll yesterday showing that only 25% of Americans believe that the White House is cooperating with the investigation of the leak of a CIA operative and that 75% of Americans believe Karl Rove, Bush's Deputy Chief of Staff, should be fired if it is learned he leaked the name of a CIA agent, the Bush administration desperately needs a distraction. The White House hopes that a new headline will remove this scandal from the news.

Expect a major announcement regarding the U.S. Supreme Court very soon!

Smith campaign experiences setback

2005-07-19T07:49:00.000-04:00

State Senator Rod Smith, who is campaigning for governor as a tough on crime, law and order candidate, is now being forced to answer questions about an alleged rape that occurred on the University of Florida campus in 1999 that he refused to prosecute when he was the county prosecutor. Smith, who has made his tenure as a former Alachua County State Attorney a central theme of his campaign, now sees his most valuable asset possibly becoming his greatest liability.

In 1999, an exotic dancer named Lisa Gier King, along with another dancer, was paid to perform at the Delta Chi fraternity house on the UF campus. After the performance, the one woman left, but King stayed at the fraternity house. The following morning, King was found half naked in the front yard of another fraternity house, where she asked a student to ''hold me,'' because "they raped me.'' The police initially investigated the complaint, but eventually arrested King for filing a false report.

Rod Smith, then the Alachua County State Attorney, dropped the charge against King and charged six fraternity members with misdemeanors. The complaint from King and the campus chapter of the National Organization of Women is that Smith did not go far enough. No one was charged with the alleged rape of King.

Smith claims that the case was not one that any reasonable prosecutor would pursue. Following the accusation, a videotape emerged showing King in very provocative situations, including one where she attempts to shave the genitals of the man she later accused of rape, Mike Yahraus. The Delta Chi men titled the video, "The raping of a white-trash, crackhead bitch," but it is not clear if a rape actually exists on the video.

Smith refuses to dispute King's accusation. He simply says that the video creates enough reasonable doubt that a conviction against Yahraus would likely be impossible. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) agrees with Smith. The current State Attorney Bill Cervone, a Republican, and Jeanne Singer, who head the office's sex-crimes unit at the time of the alleged crime agree that Smith did the right thing by not bringing a rape charge.

Still, this issue may prove to be a major problem for the Smith campaign. King's version of events will be featured prominently in a new documentary, scheduled for release this November, entitled Raw Deal: A Question of Consent.

While the Republican Party is completely beholden to the religious right and big business, the Democratic Party in recent years has become a collection of various special interest groups, including feminists. While the experts claim that Smith was right in his decision to not prosecute Yahraus, the feminist groups may not be as easy to convince. Expect one of Smith's opponents to throw gasoline on this fire.

Mehlman reinforces GOP's poor record with black voters

2005-07-17T14:36:00.000-04:00

Read this post at AmericanpolitiX.com.

http://americanpolitix.blogspot.com/2005/07/mehlman-reinforces-gops-poor-record.html

Charlie Crist violates state election law

2005-07-14T08:29:00.000-04:00

Last week GOP gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist announced that he had shattered previous fundraising records by posting over $3.8 million in campaign contributions during the second quarter of 2005. Now, the campaign concedes that Crist failed to abide by state law.

Today, it was reported that the Crist campaign had accepted over two dozen contributions that exceeded the $500 cap set by state law. Additionally, an examination of Crist's report shows that more than 1800 contributors failed to list their occupations, a requirement for those who contribute more than $100. These violations and lack of oversight would typically be seen as harmless, except that it comes in the wake of similar problems by a Crist opponent.

Democratic candidate Scott Maddox has been plagued in recent weeks by horrible press documenting his poor stewardship as chairman of the Florida Democratic Party, a position Maddox relinquished on May 7th. With news reports criticizing Maddox's accounting errors and blind leadership as chair, some believe that Crist may have walked into a firestorm by making the same types of errors as Maddox.

Crist faces Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher in the GOP primary. Maddox faces Congressman Jim Davis and state Senator Rod Smith in the Democratic primary.

The problems with the Crist campaign may end up being harmless. Charlie Crist is often the teflon Republican, allowing nothing to stick to him, and this time may be no different. As of yet, no one has filed an official complaint against the Crist campaign for violating state election laws.

But it will be interesting to see if Gallagher or Crist's Democratic opponents start asking an important question pertaining to Crist's campaign finance irregularities. How can the top law enforcement officer in the state not follow state law, then expect voters to trust him with the governorship?

Florida mourns the loss of Robert Shevin

2005-07-12T18:37:00.000-04:00

Robert L. Shevin, a man who served in all three branches of the state's government, died last night from cancer of the esophagus at the age of 71. Florida has lost a great public servant.

Shevin, a Democrat, was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 1964, representing Miami-Dade County. Two years later, he was elected to the Florida Senate, where he served for four years.

In 1970, Shevin left the Senate and was elected Florida Attorney General. As the top law enforcement officer for the state, Shevin was a champion of consumer rights and open government. As a member of the Supreme Court Workload Commission, Shevin urged the Florida Legislature to require unanimous or at least "super-majority" (9-3) votes before a death sentence could be imposed.

A highlight of his career was when Shevin signed a pardon for two men who had been wrongly convicted of murder. Freddie Pitts and Wilbert Lee were convicted and sentenced to death in 1963 for the murder of two gas station attendants. It was later discovered that the confessions by the two men were coerced, and this discovery ultimately led to the apprehension of the real killer and the release of Pitts and Lee.

Shevin ran for governor in 1978, but lost to former Senator Bob Graham in the Democratic primary. The election did not sour their relationship, and in 1982, Shevin served as the South Florida campaign coordinator for Graham's reelection.

In 1996, Shevin was appointed to the Third District Court of Appeal, where he served honorably until last December.

Funeral services will be held on Thursday, July 14th at 1:30 PM at Temple Solel, 5100 Sheridan Street in Hollywood.

Shevin is survived by the his wife, Myrna, three children, and six grandchildren.

BREAKING NEWS: O'Connor may accept Chief Justice if offered

2005-07-10T10:46:00.000-04:00

Read this breaking news at AmericanpolitiX.com.

http://americanpolitix.blogspot.com/2005/07/breaking-news-oconnor-may-accept-chief.html

UPDATE: AmericanpolitiX.com is now featuring a link to the transcript from today's Face The Nation. Be sure to read the discussion between Senators Specter and Leahy for yourself.

BREAKING NEWS: London hit by coordinated attacks

2005-07-07T07:28:00.000-04:00

Less than 24-hours after being awarded the 2012 Olympic games, London was rocked by six coordinated explosions, aimed at London's underground subway, or "The Tube," and a separate explosion aimed at a double-decker bus during their rushhour. At this time, police confirm that the seven explosions have claimed two lives with approximately 95 people injured.

Prime Minister Tony Blair cited that these terrorist attacks were planned to coincide with the beginning of the G8 summit in Scotland. Blair declared that the G8 summit would continue and that the world's leaders would not waiver from their greater goals.

Blair plans to leave the summit and return to London.

No responsibility for the attacks has been assigned or claimed.

UPDATE (7:39 AM): Scotland Yard now reports that the number of attacks was four - three on the underground and one on a double-decker bus.

UPDATE (7:43 AM): Emergency Services in London is now announcing that the number of fatalities has reached double-digits. CNN now reports that their efforts are no longer rescue, but instead recovery. The number of deaths is expected to increase.

UPDATE (8:24 AM): Prime Minister Tony Blair leaves the G8 summit for London.

UPDATE (8:29 AM): President George W. Bush makes statement decrying the terrorist attacks in London.

UPDATE (8:35 AM): Radical islamist web site claims responsibility for attacks in London. Analysts are unfamiliar with both the terrorist group claiming responsibility and the web site where the claim was made. Terrorist statement cites revenge against England as the motivation for the attack.

UPDATE (10:23 AM): Metropolitan police department and representatives of other emergency services convene press conference in London.

UPDATE (10:38 AM): Sources confirm at least 33 people dead and more than 350 people injured by this morning's terrorist attacks in London.

UPDATE (11:52 AM): Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff holds press conference and raises Homeland Security Advisory System to HIGH (orange) for only the mass transit sector of the country's transit system. Chertoff encourages Americans to continue using mass transit, but stresses we remain alert and report any suspicious activities.

Dennis upgraded to category 2 hurricane

2005-07-07T07:02:00.000-04:00

At 8:00 AM, Hurricane Dennis was upgraded to a category 2 storm, and experts believe it should reach category 3 by Friday. The current projected path travels through the Gulf of Mexico, but the cone of error does extend over the west coast of Florida. Officials in the Sunshine State are asking residents to prepare for the storm.

Bush warms to Kyoto Treaty

2005-07-07T07:01:00.000-04:00

Read it at AmericanpolitiX.com.

http://americanpolitix.blogspot.com/2005/07/bush-warms-to-kyoto-treaty.html

Maddox hit with official complaint

2005-07-05T21:04:00.000-04:00

Today, an official complaint was filed with the Florida Elections Commission against gubernatorial candidate Scott Maddox for his leadership of the Florida Democratic Party. The complaint comes on the heels of reports that Maddox had failed to pay federal social security and payroll taxes during 2003 and 2004.

The complaint was filed by the Florida Police Benevolent Association, a longtime opponent of Maddox and his father, Charlie Maddox. The senior Maddox founded the state's largest police union, but was ousted in 1994. The PBA has already endorsed Florida Attorney General Charlie Crist for governor.

The complaint questions why Maddox used a cashier's check instead of a party check to pay a fine for the Leon County Democratic Party. David Murrell, the PBA's executive director, alleges that Maddox's motive for using a cashier's check may have been to hide the real source of the money. "Someone went to a lot of trouble to cover up the source of these funds," said Murrell.

Maddox continued his hear no evil, see no evil defense by issuing a statement through a campaign spokesperson. "[Maddox] was never made aware that there was a fine or that the fine was somehow paid," campaign manager Sallie Stohler said Tuesday. "We don't know where this money came from. We want to get to the bottom of this, too."

But Stohler fought back and deflected the criticism by questioning the motives of her candidate's opponents. "There is no surprise given that this is a group that has a political and personal ax to grind against Maddox," she said. "Last week it was Jeb Bush issuing personal attacks on Scott Maddox and this week it's allies of Charlie Crist. There is nothing new here."

Maddox faces Congressman Jim Davis and state Senator Rod Smith (D-Gainesville) in the Democratic primary election next fall. The winner will challenge either Crist or Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher in the general election.

Davis supports freedom for the Cuban people

2005-07-04T11:42:00.000-04:00

On this 229th birthday of our great country, all Americans should commend Florida Congressman Jim Davis (D-Tampa) for his attempt to promote freedom among the Cuban American people and to those on the island itself. Sadly, it was the three Cuban American congressmen from Miami, who by opposing Davis' amendment did more to keep Fidel Castrol in power.

Last Thursday, Davis, who is running for governor, introduced an amendment to an appropriations bill that would have eased restrictions on Cuban Americans who wish to visit family members in Cuba. Davis' amendment would have reversed a widely unpopular policy implemented by the Bush administration just one year ago to the day. Unfortunately, the Davis amendment failed 208-211.

Davis faces former Democratic Party Chairman Scott Maddox and state Senator Rod Smith (D-Gainesville) in next year's primary election for governor. The victor will go on to face the winner of the GOP primary race between Attorney General Charlie Crist and Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher.

On June 30, 2004, the Bush administration implemented a policy that would significantly limit travel by Cuban Americans who wish to see their families on the island located just 90 miles off the coast of Florida. The policy, which prompted outrage within Florida's Cuban American community, also limits the amount of money that Cuban Americans can send to family on the island. The changes were spurred by a 2004 Report to the President [link to table of contents for HTML version or complete report in PDF format - 4.4 MB] of the Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba.

Since the administration of President John F. Kennedy, the United States has imposed an embargo against the communist island, but it has failed to topple the country's brutal dictator. Fidel Castro continues to enjoy great power, the Cuban people remain oppressed, and recently Castro was listed as one of the wealthiest individuals in the world, with an estimated worth of $550 million, by Forbes magazine. Still, the embargo issue has been a rallying cry for right-wing Cuban American politicians whose own success depends on that of Fidel Castro.

Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-Miami) argued that Davis' amendment would weaken the 40+ year embargo, but Davis shot back that Diaz-Balart was misleading. "This is not a debate over the embargo," Davis said. He insisted that the amendment was about "family values," intent on reuniting families who have been separated due to the Castro regime.

Davis was unsuccessfully, but no one can argue that he lost. The closeness of the vote should motivate the congressman to continue his fight for freedom in Cuba. Davis only needs two members to change the vote in order to win next time. The empty rhetoric of members like Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Miami), Congressman Mario Diaz Balart (R-Miami) and his brother Lincoln is growing old and stale. More and more Cuban Americans realize that the policies of the hard liners in Miami have only made Castro stronger.

Davis took a chance, and his political opponents may try to use the issue against him next fall. Still, he did what is right for this country and what was best for the Cuban people. The Cuban patriot Jose Marti said, "Con todos y para el bien de todos." ("With all the people and for the good of all the people.") There's no doubt that Marti would have approved of Davis' act of courage last Thursday.

UPDATE: In response to a comment stating that Davis' approach will not work in South Florida, I have issued the following response:

This is technically not correct. A 2000 poll by FIU shows that the majority of Cuban Americans in South Florida favor allowing "unrestricted" travel to Cuba (52.8% - 47.2%).

The poll is here:

http://www.fiu.edu/orgs/ipor/cuba2000/3samples.htm

And the executive summary is here:

http://www.fiu.edu/orgs/ipor/cuba2000/exsumm.htm

Davis' bill does not address the embargo. It simply allows free travel, so Cuban Americans can visit their families. Again, this position is supported by the majority of Cuban Americans.

The reason people believe that Cuban Americans oppose policies like this is because the right-wing faction of the Cuban American community is the loudest. It's just like the Schiavo incident. The right-wingers are always the loudest but not necessarily the majority.

Davis could be making a great move. The hard liners will always vote Republican. Now the more moderate Cuban Americans will not only have a reason to vote for a Democrat, but more importantly, start to question the wisdom in voting Republican at all. The real issue is whether Democrats can use this as an effective wedge among Cuban American voters.

AP: Potential Candidates for Supreme Court

2005-07-01T14:40:00.000-04:00

Read about possible replacements for Justice Sandra Day O'Connor at AmericanpolitiX.com.

http://americanpolitix.blogspot.com/2005/07/ap-potential-candidates-for-supreme.html

Bense flip-flops on eminent domain issue

2005-07-01T08:29:00.000-04:00

As the Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives prepares to challenge Congresswoman Katherine Harris (R-Sarasota) in the GOP primary for the United States Senate, Representative Allan Bense (R-Panama City) is pronouncing himself a strong defender of private property rights. In the aftermath of the horrific United States Supreme Court opinion, Kelo v. City of New London [PDF], which grants local governments the right to seize any person's home through eminent domain and transfer the land to a large corporation, Bense and other politicians are rushing to the rescue of the average homeowner. Unfortunately, Bense may have trouble convincing voters of his new position, especially considering his strenuous support of legislation that would have displaced homeowners in Miami-Dade county through eminent domain this past spring. Bense's inconsistency on this important issue may hurt him if he decides to run for higher office.

Last Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court delivered the now infamous Kelo decision, dealing a devastating blow to private property rights and the American dream. The opinion, issued by Justice John Paul Stevens, addressed the Takings Clause of the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and expanded the power of the government to take homes from private citizens. Justice Stevens, a Republican appointee, was appointed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit by President Richard Nixon and to the United States Supreme Court by President Gerald Ford. Justices Anthony Kennedy, David Souter, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Stephen Breyer joined the majority opinion, while Chief Justice William Rehnquist and Justices Sandra Day O'Connor, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas dissented.

Under the U.S. Constition, government has the authority to seize privaty property if it is to be used for a public purpose and adequate compensation is provided. The 5th amendment reads, in part, "nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation." Traditionally, local governments have interpreted the term "public use" to justify taking property to build roads, airports, etc. The issue in Kelo, however, was whether "promoting economic development" qualifies as a public use. The Court now says that it does. Additionally, the Court held that the local government has the authority to determine the meaning of the phrase "promoting economic development" absent any standards established by state legislatures.

Bense has now declared his opposition to the Kelo opinion. "I am extremely concerned by the United States Supreme Court’s ruling yesterday in the case of Kelo v. City of New London," Bense said last Friday. "Private property rights are a fundamental principle upon which our nation was founded, and government should only be allowed to deny a United States citizen those most basic rights under the most extraordinary circumstances." And last week, the Speaker announced the formation of a select committee to "review" Florida law and determine how it will be affected by Kelo. Bense chose Representative Marco Rubio (R-Miami) to serve as chairman of the select committee.

The Speaker's new position on eminent domain conflicts with his stance during the 2005 Legislative Session. House Bill 173, which was pushed through by Speaker Bense and received his vote on final passage, was the legislation that would have subsidized the Florida Marlins' move to a new baseball stadium. The bill also would have provided for local governments to remove residents, by eminent domain, from approximately 100 homes in the Miami-Dade County. Rubio was a major supporter of this bill.

Bense is now trying to have it both ways. During session when no one was looking, he opposed the protection of private property rights in support of big campaign donors. Now that the issue is in the spotlight, Bense has changed his tune. The fact that the man he hopes to unseat in Washington, U.S. Senator Bill Nelson, has already sponsored legislation to protect homeowners has only complicated matters for the Speaker.

Nelson fights offshore oil drilling

2005-06-28T08:31:00.000-04:00

Following a flip-flop earlier this year by his senate colleague, Republican Senator Mel Martinez, who voted for an expansion of oil drilling and weakened the ban on drilling off the Florida Gulf Coast, Democratic Senator Bill Nelson is now taking his fight directly to the people of the Sunshine State.

On his senate web site, Nelson allows Florida citizens to sign an online petition that sends a clear message to the federal government and the Bush administration that Floridians "don't want big oil companies setting up rigs or using seismic explosions off Florida's coast."

Nelson, a former astronaut, congressman, and state insurance commissioner, has been a leading critic of the Bush administration's goal of increased oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. While Martinez has changed his position and says that he now opposes oil drilling off Florida's coast, Nelson has been consistent in his opposition.

It's the coverup, stupid!

2005-06-25T09:25:00.000-04:00

Frankly, does anyone believe that a bunch of criminals breaking into the Democratic National Committee's headquarters at the Watergate Hotel was that big of a deal? No, not really. It was a crime, but not one worthy of bringing down a president who was probably not directly involved. Well, what about a president and an intern having a sexual affair? Also, not a big deal. CEOs at big corporations do that kind of thing on a regular basis.

In the first case, President Richard Nixon, who probably did not deserve to resign the presidency, did so because he had been caught in a lie. He had known of the Watergate break-in after the fact, but he said that he didn't. In the latter case, President Bill Clinton was also caught in a fib. He denied the affair, and then the blue dress surfaced. Fortunately for him, he was a teflon president and survived impeachment.

If there is one thing that any aspiring politician needs to learn, it is that if you screw up, admit it and move on. Don't lie about it and don't cover it up. Unfortunately, Scott Maddox never learned that lesson.

Maddox is on the ropes, and Democratic activists are already placing bets on whether his race for governor can continue. This week it surfaced that while Maddox served as chairman of the Florida Democratic Party, the party failed to pay federal payroll and social security taxes. Including penalties, the party owed the Internal Revenue Service in excess of $200,000 and was eventually hit with an IRS lien. A member of the Democratic National Committee also alleged that $900,000 may have been missing from the party's bank accounts.

Democratic activists are expressing feelings of betrayal, and many of the state's editorial boards are demanding that Maddox abort his candidacy for governor. The Maddox camp is hoping that the issue goes away and that their candidate survives this dustup. Afterall, the state party, with the help of the DNC, has paid the IRS all of the money it was owed, and it turns out that the allegation about the missing money was made by a political enemy of Maddox. So, the problem is gone, right? Not necessarily.

Earlier this week when the story of the IRS first surfaced, Maddox issued a statement through a campaign representative that he unaware of the party's problems with the IRS and that the lien came as a "total surprise." When confronted with this statement, current party chairman Karen Thurman refuted it, instead saying, "I have in my possession documents that say that [Scott Maddox] was informed about this, but I am not ready to release anything." Just as Nixon and Clinton discovered, it may be the coverup that does the most damage.

What did he know and when did he know it? These are the questions that Nixon and Clinton had to answer, and sadly so will Maddox. It just depends on who will do the asking. Maddox's opponents in the race for governor, Congressman Jim Davis and State Senator Rod Smith, are wisely dodging the issue. They realize that there's no point in rushing over to hit a guy when he's down on the ninth count. The media, however, needs to ask these questions. There have been critical editorials of Scott Maddox by the St. Petersburg Times, Tampa Tribune, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Online Journal, Lakeland Ledger, Buddy Nevins, and Lucy Morgan, but most have avoided this issue. They are instead focused on the former chairman's competence, or lack of it. When they eventually turn to the issue that most voters care about when choosing their politicians, honesty and credibility, that may just be the final nail in Maddox's coffin.

The primary issues at hand, the IRS lien against the party for unpaid taxes and the alleged "lost" money, are serious, but may simply fade away. The biggest problem for Maddox, however, may become his credibility. If Thurman does in fact have documents showing that Maddox had prior knowledge of the party's delinquency with the IRS, he should probably start packing up the campaign office. Voters can forgive incompetence; they rarely forgive dishonesty. Just ask Dick Nixon and Bill Clinton.

Permanent Open Thread

2005-06-23T08:52:00.000-04:00

As recommended, I have started a new open thread to discuss what one email described as "Maddoxgate."

Please post your new comments here!

Poll puts Crist and Davis way out front

2005-06-22T08:49:00.000-04:00

The latest Mason-Dixon poll has the leaders of each party's primary way out in front. In the end, the Republicans look likely to hold onto the governor's mansion in Florida.

In the GOP primary, Attorney General Charlie Crist is the big winner, leading Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher by a margin of 41 to 23 percent. Lieutenant Governor Toni Jennings, who has not declared for the race, trailed at 7 percent. Undecided voters account for 29 percent. With Jennings out of the race, Crist leads by a 19-point margin, 43 to 24 percent.

On the Democratic side, Tampa Congressman Jim Davis holds a healthy lead in his party's primary, getting 23 percent over former Democratic Party Chairman Scott Maddox who registers at 12 percent and Alachua County Senator Rod Smith who distantly trails with 4 percent. The number of undecided voters dwarf those on the Republican side, accounting for 61 percent of the vote. The poll was done prior to yesterday's news that the Florida Democratic Party, under the leadership of Maddox, had failed to pay $200,000 to the IRS in federal payroll and social security taxes.

In the general election matchup, the Democrats fall short. Crist defeats Davis 41 to 28 percent, with 31 percent undedided. And Gallagher beats Davis 38 to 29 percent, with 33 percent undecided.

The poll should not be treated as gospel, and no candidate should yet be declared the winner. The sample size in the Mason-Dixon poll was small, 625 registered voters, so the margin of error is quite large. In the general election matchup, the MoE is 4 percent. In the primaries, where 400 Republicans and 400 Democrats were surveyed, the MoE is a whopping 5 percent. Additionally, polls this early are primarily a guage on name recognition. The only candidate who should be concerned by this fact is Maddox, who as chair of the state party enjoyed high media coverage and should have registered higher.

The poll is good news for Crist and Davis, because it is a tool that they can use to raise funds. Campaign contributions always come easier for a candidate who has a good poll to share with friends.

Katherine Harris may face fundraising scandal

2005-06-22T06:03:00.000-04:00

She's been in the United States Senate race to challenge Bill Nelson for just about a week, but Katherine Harris (R-Sarasota) is already under the microscope for possible fundraising irregularities. Her opponents have called her many names over the past few years. Now here's a new one: The Bundler.

Bundling is the practice of rounding up contributions from various contributers. The act is technically legal, but the loophole is frowned upon by those who seek real campaign finance reform in American politics. Both parties exploit the rule, but Republicans do it much more effectively. Corporate executives are in a much better position to coerce subordinates, who will then write checks to the candidate of the executive's choice. This firsthand report from the Washington Post explains the process well:

[C]orporate executives often tapped their subordinates, both managerial and professional, for contributions to political action committees sponsored by the executives. I know because I, along with my colleagues, got sealed envelopes in interoffice mail requesting a political contribution of an amount determined by position and salary. We all cooperated because the checks were to be sent to the executives initiating the request.

[T]hese money raisers do "the dirty work of politics" by soliciting contributions from contractors, vendors and corporate subordinates, all people who depend on the executives for their economic sustenance. This borders on extortion -- not a pretty way to raise political money.

According to the Talking Points Memo, three former senior officials from a prominent defense contractor firm have described the process from which they were pressured to contribute money to Republican candidates. One of the employees described being rounded up along with other employees one afternoon in the company's Washington headquarters and told to write a check with the political recipient standing by. The company contributed to Katherine Harris, among other prominent Republicans, but this employee would not reveal the name of the specific candidate who was in the room. We do know that the company, MZM, Inc., did in fact make 14 separate contributions on March 23, 2004 in the amount of $2000 each, the maximum amount allowable under the law, to Katherine Harris' reelection campaign. The MZM PAC also gave large amounts of money to Republicans, including $10,000 to Harris.

These events would not be a major story except when you look at the story behind the story. Who is the CEO of MZM, Inc.? His name is Mitchell Wade, and he is known around DC as being a major political player. Recently Republican Congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R-California) has been under the microscope for his dealings with MZM. Apparently, Cunningham sold his Del Mar, CA home to Wade for the inflated amount of $1,700,000. About one year later, Wade put the house back on the market and lost $700,000 in the sale. That's quite a profit for Congressman Cunningham. Following this generous sale to the Congressman, real estate records show that Cunningham paid $2.55 million in cash for a five-bedroom home at 7094 Via Del Charro in the upscale Rancho Santa Fe area of North County. Unfortunately for Congressman Cunningham and Mr. Wade, local law enforcement officers and the FBI are curious over this deal and are investigating the sale. We'll see what they find.

Ties to Harris? We don't know yet. We do know that she was one of the select few Republicans who met with Wade and took bundled funds from his firm. The Cunningham-Wade debacle is sure to blow up and take down some bad Republicans. But will Katherine Harris be one of them? She's close enough to the scandal, so only time will tell. Stay tuned ...

BREAKING NEWS: Florida Democrats face IRS lien

2005-06-21T17:07:00.000-04:00

Just when Florida Democrats thought things couldn't get worse ... they have gotten worse.

The Internal Revenue Service has slapped the Florida Democratic Party with a lien for unpaid payroll and social security taxes in 2003. Also according to a party official, the FDP is missing more than $900,000 from the past year.

News broke this afternoon that the Florida Democratic Party, under the leadership of current gubernatorial candidate Scott Maddox, failed to pay approximately $200,000 in federal taxes. Additionally, a member of the party's Budget and Finance Committee, Jon Ausman of Leon County, has reported that over $900,000 may have mysteriously disappeared from the party's accounts during Maddox's tenure as chairman. Ausman, who is also a member of the Democratic National Committee, has raised concern that the audits for 2003 and 2004, conducted by Carr, Riggs and Ingram, may have been flawed. Ausman also hinted toward possible legal action against the accounting firm in the event it is found at fault.

This latest news may not be the final nail in the party's casket, but the news is devastating. The possible repercusions of this report are unknown, but the news could potentially destroy the Maddox campaign. More significantly, the report could significanty limit the party's ability to raise funds due to the lack of confidence among potential donors. While current party chair, Karen Thurman, is not to blame for this debacle, she did inherit a party in crisis and contributors may hold her accountable by withholding money in the future.

Recess appointment of Bolton is good for Democrats (AmericanpolitiX.com)

2005-06-20T19:26:00.000-04:00

See my post on AmericanpolitiX.com regarding the Bolton nomination and President Bush's threat to exercise a recess appointment.

Read it here.

FDP blog closes shop

2005-06-20T17:11:00.000-04:00

Farewell to the "Official Blog" of the Florida Democratic Party. Today Chris Sands, the IT Director for the FDP, announced the end of the party's official discussion site.

While it saddens all bloggers to see a fellow site fall by the wasteside, it is very understandable in this case. As Sands points out, anything with the party's name on it, like a blog, must be vetted by the party chair and cannot simply be a collection of interesting political opinions. Since blogs are popular due to their ability to post breaking news, the vetting process at the FDP made the blog unable to reach its full potential. It was a great attempt, but in the end, it just couldn't happen. Read the FDP's final post here.

Goodbye Mr. Sands ... and thanks for the plug!

Johnnie Byrd, Part II?

2005-06-17T08:57:00.000-04:00

The GOP's romance with Katherine Harris is about to have an ugly breakup. Word on the street is that national and state Republicans are recruiting a former Democrat to challenge Congresswoman Harris in the GOP primary for United States Senate. Florida Democrats should be licking their chops. They need a break if U.S. Senator Bill Nelson (D-Florida) is going to retain his seat, and this may be it.

According to news reports, Governor Jeb Bush and state Republicans lack confidence in Harris' ability to defeat Nelson and are encouraging current House Speaker Allan Bense (R-Panama City) to run against Nelson. The White House claims that President George W. Bush is not involved in the GOP's intrastate conflict. Republicans should be wary and remember the last time the head of the Florida House ran for the U.S. Senate.

In 2004, former Speaker Johnnie Byrd finished an embarrassing fourth place in the GOP primary after members of his own party joined Democrats and turned against him for the strong-armed tactics he used during the legislative session. Governor Bush assured reporters that Bense would not become a Byrd for Senate, Part II, but how can he be so sure? With a statewide candidate heading the Florida House, everyone can pretend that there is no conflict of interest, but Bense will obviously be the elephant in the room. (No pun intended.)

Following a particularly bad session, most notably the Senate and House's inability to pass implementing legislation for slots at parimutuels, a Bense run for Senate would clearly be stumbling out of the gate. (OK - I intended that pun.) The Republican Legislature held its annual train wreck this past May, but this year was worse than year's past. Most bills that were important to the people of Florida were left undone as the two chambers engaged in petty disagreements and unsuccessful horse trading in the state capitol. Bense will not be able to escape the criticism that he was unable to successfully negotiate with other state legislative leaders. Ironically, Bense's nemisis in the past session, Senate President Tom Lee (R-Brandon) has also be encouraged to run against Harris in the GOP senatorial primary.

Regardless of what happens, Democrats should be pleased. In a time when they rarely have much to smile about, Florida Democrats should be encouraged by the type of infighting within the GOP that has plagued their own pary for years. (Is it just me, or is this starting to feel like Reno vs. McBride in 2002?) Still, Senator Nelson is a weak general election candidate, so planning a victory party should not be a high priority right now. Nevertheless, it is rare to see the GOP misstep. Democrats had a good day.

Sorry Charlie! Gallagher wins major endorsements

2005-06-10T07:55:00.000-04:00

The buzz in political circles is that Florida Attorney General Charlie Crist is unbeatable in the GOP primary. Apparently no one told Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher or three former prominent Republican party officials.

Former GOP chairmen Al Cardenas of Miami, Tom Slade of Jacksonville, and Van Poole of Tallahassee officially endorsed Gallagher for governor on Thursday. Recent polls showing Crist and Gallagher running neck-and-neck. On the Democratic side, Congressman Jim Davis (D-Tampa), former Democratic Party Chairman Scott Maddox, and state Senator Rod Smith (D-Gainesville) are all vying for their party's nomination.

Governor Jeb Bush is prohibited from running again due to term limits.

BREAKING NEWS: Katherine Harris to run for U.S. Senate

2005-06-07T16:01:00.000-04:00

As reported by CNN's Inside Politics, the Miami Herald, and the Associated Press, it's official! Congresswoman Katherine Harris (R-Sarasota) will run against Democratic Senator Bill Nelson for the United States Senate.

The race will be one of the hottest in the country. Harris, most known for her role as the Florida Secretary of State in the controversial 2000 presidential election, is seen by most as a political moderate who has access to a lot of campaign money. Senator Nelson will surely have the most difficult campaign of his career in 2006.

Crist botches Jeb's veto of crime bill

2005-06-06T08:39:00.000-04:00

This past session, the Florida Legislature unanimously passed a bill that would have provided enhanced penalties for crimes committed during states of emergency and would have extended prison sentences for those who commit burglary following a natural disaster, with some sentences reaching 30-year terms. The legislation was prompted by looting during last year's busy hurricane season. House Bill 207, sponsored by Representative Holly Benson (R-Pensacola) passed the House 111-0 and the Senate 40-0. The Senate sponsor of the bill was Senator Dave Aronberg (D-Greenacres). Unfortunately for law-abiding citizens, Governor Jeb Bush vetoed the bill last week, stating that it was too broad. Ironically, Attorney General Charlie Crist, who strongly supported the bill during the 2005 session because it allowed him to look tough on crime to news reporters, was unaware of the governor's veto and issued a statement praising the "new law." Woops! That's pretty sloppy investigative work from the state's top law enforcement officer.

At 9:41 AM on Thursday, June 2nd, the Attorney General's office issued a statement by Crist praising Governor Bush for signing the anti-looting bill. Crist said, "This legislation sends a strong message to those depraved enough to steal from disaster victims. There is only so much we can do to limit nature's ability to create victims, but this new law shows we are committed to making sure criminals don't revictimize our citizens."

Apparently Crist's office was unaware of the veto message, issued by Governor Bush to Secretary of State Glenda Hood, which stated that the governor had vetoed the bill because it was too broad and could inadvertently enhance penalties for all burglars. "I am vetoing the bill because I am concerned that the scope of the bill is overly broad. The enhanced penalties would have application beyond just looting in the days following a disaster," wrote Bush. "Although the bill is well-intentioned, it creates a significant unintended consequence."

Crist's office learned of the mistake and sheepishly issued a retraction. At 1:49 PM on the same day, Crist's office distributed a release entitled "Regarding Action on Legislative Bills". The statement shifted the blame to the Governor's office by saying, "Please disregard and retract the earlier statement from this office regarding HB 207, the anti-looting bill. The Governor's Office has recently issued a revised list of Bill Actions taken over the past 24 hours."

The Governor's office later admitted to sending out word that he had approved the bill, blaming the mixup on a computer glitch. Crist refused to state whether he disagreed with the governor's veto of HB 207.

Pentagon flushes previous denials regarding the Koran

2005-06-03T20:32:00.000-04:00

BREAKING NEWS at AmericanpolitiX.com

Read about the Pentagon's shocking admission regarding mishandling of the Koran by visiting http://americanpolitix.blogspot.com/2005/06/pentagon-flushes-previous-denials.html

Permanent Open Thread

2005-06-03T08:43:00.000-04:00

Feel free to use the comment feature on this post to freely discuss the political issues of the day.

Bush wants special session to clean up GOP mess on slots

2005-06-01T08:49:00.000-04:00

Last month, Florida legislators departed Tallahassee with a great deal of the people's work left undone. One issue that was derailed during the annual GOP legislative train wreck was new regulations on slot machines in South Florida, which were required to be passed by the state constitution. Now, Governor Jeb Bush wants state legislators to return to Tallahassee to handle the slots issue. Whether this will happen is unknown at this time.

Last November, voters narrowly passed a constitutional amendment that allows voters in two South Florida counties to decide if their pari-mutuels may install slot machines. Amendment Four was billed as the knight in shining armor for education, with proponents claiming that Florida's public schools would gain hundreds of millions of new dollars per year. The governor, the religious right, and anti-gambling groups opposed the initiative, but it eventually passed with 50.8% of the vote. The amendment then required that the two affected counties hold separate referenda to decide whether the slots could be installed. Governor Bush again campaigned heavily against the issue. Broward County approved the installation of slot machines, but Miami-Dade voted against. The next step was for the Florida Legislature to create necessary regulations for slot machines, but intra-party bickering within the GOP prevented anything from passing.

Following his efforts during the session to obstruct any meaningful slots legislation, Governor Bush is now calling for a special session so that the Florida Legislature can meet their constitutional requirement by setting standards for slots in pari-mutuels in Broward and Miami-Dade counties. Section 23 of Article X of the state constitution requires that the Legislature pass implementing legislation "no later" than July 1, 2005. Since the Republicans in Tallahassee dropped the ball last month, pandemonium is now breaking out in South Florida.

First in order to pander to religious conservatives, Representative Ellyn Bogdanoff (R-Fort Lauderdale) called for the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation to revoke the license of any pari-mutuels who installs slot machines before implementing legislation is passed by politicians in Tallahassee. Then three pari-mutuels from Broward County have gone to court in order to get the green light on slots, while opponents have also filed lawsuits.

Florida Republicans have caused a mess in the Sunshine State, and as usual, it will be the state's citizens who pay for it. Special sessions have been estimated to cost $40,000 per day, so a week in Tallahassee could cost Florida's taxpayers nearly a quarter of a million dollars. This fiscal irresponsibility is the result of special interest groups gaining too much control in the capitol. The religious right, who has become the tail that wags the GOP dog, strongly opposes gambling, even when it would benefit education. This extreme wing of the party has forced the Grand Ole Party to abandon the principles of Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan and instead embrace big government solutions for social problems. It's a shame for the Republicans, but more importantly, it's a shame for Florida. Let's just hope that if Governor Bush does call a special session, he can get his party to do the right thing this time.

Senator Katherine Harris? It's very possible!

2005-05-30T21:29:00.000-04:00

Republicans are waiting. Democrats are waiting. Will Congresswoman Katherine Harris (R-Sarasota) challenge Senator Bill Nelson (D-Florida) for his seat next year? Republicans appears to be discouraging her from running, likely out of fear that her candidacy would be too polarizing and could hurt GOP candidates down the ballot. Democrats are salivating at the thought she will run, hoping to retaliate against the former state secretary of state who they feel handed the presidency to George W. Bush in 2000. A Harris campaign appears to be a lose-lose situation for everyone. So, will she run? Conventional wisdom says that she won't, but conventional wisdom may just be wrong. Don't be surprised if Katherine Harris is the next junior senator from the Sunshine State.

Harris has positioned herself well. She brings a lot to the table, and many of her liabilities are greatly outweighed by her assets. First, she comes from one of the most famous families in Florida. Ben Hill Griffin, Jr., the citrus and cattle magnate and former Democratic state senator, is Harris' grandfather, therefore the name itself is a hot commodity.

Harris also has incredible access to GOP contributors. After the 2000 election debacle, she was vilified by those on the left, but the right-wing base of the Republican Party still consider her a hero. Many on the right credit her with the Bush victory, and they will not forget her when it comes time to run. Harris herself says that she would have no problem raising the necessary $25 million to beat Nelson.

The Democrats are already starting to label Harris as an ultraconservative Republican who is out of step with average Floridians, but that accusation may not stick. Harris has quite successfully taken a page from Senator Hillary Clinton's (D-New York) playbook on moving to the middle. Just as Senator Clinton is one of the more conservative Democrats in the Senate, Harris has adopted some liberal and centrist positions which would help her tremendously along the I-4 corridor and with swing voters in general. Two weeks ago, Harris hosted a Summit on Pornography: Obscenity Enforcement, Corporate Participation and Violence Against Women and Children. This role allows Harris to position herself on the side of soccer moms and all parents who are starting to wonder why Florida has seen so many sex crimes against children recently.

Harris also lists her priority issues, which include Homeland Security and the War on Terror, Honoring our Veterans, Housing, Liberty in Iraq, Medicare and Prescription Drugs, Protecting our Children, Retirement Security, and Revitalizing our Economy. Harris' list is very similar to that on Senator Clinton's web page.

Perhaps Harris' greatest strength is not of her doing, but rather that of the Democrats. When you mention Harris' name to a hardcore Democrat, they take it very seriously - often too seriously. There are still Democrats in Florida who honestly believe the 2000 election was stolen, and they hold Harris directly responsible.

Senator Nelson should be concerned by a Harris candidacy, because it would surely draw out the looniest of all the left-wing groups. MoveOn.org, Democracy for America, and similar groups funded by George Soros would be moving to the Sunshine State just to attack Harris fulltime. Just like in 2004, the Republicans would be able to flip the table and turn the discussion away from the attacks and toward the attackers. The Bush campaign did this beautifully, and I would expect a similar tactic in Florida next year.

Democrat calls Bush on redistricting flip-flop

2005-05-24T22:43:00.000-04:00

For years, Governor Jeb Bush has opposed the idea of an independent commission drawing the districts for the state's congressmen and legislators. Instead, the governor supports the politicians drawing their own districts - essentially the elected officials choosing their voters instead of the voters choosing their elected officials. Now, it appears the governor has a change of heart.

Last weekend, the Orlando Sentinel and FloridapolitiX.com reported that Governor Jeb Bush now supports an independent commission for redistricting. The only catch ... he only supports it in California. Governor Arnold Schwartzenegger, who like Bush is a Republican, is pushing a ballot initiative in the Golden State that would require an independent commission to draw congressional and legislative districts instead of the politicians themselves. The difference between the California and Florida plans? California has a Democratic legislature, while Florida's legislature is controlled by the GOP.

Now a Florida Democrat is calling the governor on his redistricting flip-flop. Representative Tim Ryan (D-Dania Beach), a co-founder of the Committee for Fair Elections which is pushing the constitutional amendment creating the independent commission in Florida, has written a letter to the governor, praising him for his change in position and inviting him to join his effort to provide fair elections in Florida. The text of the letter follows.

Dear Governor Bush:

I was thrilled to hear that you had embraced the idea, and even held a fundraiser here in Florida, to support the concept of having an independent redistricting commission, not politicians, draw the boundaries for state legislative and congressional districts – until I realized you were only supporting the idea for California, and not for Florida.

Both our states have seen one party use gerrymandering to unfairly dominate their respective state legislatures. In Florida, the Republicans have used squiggly lines on district maps to give themselves a 2-to-1 advantage in both the state legislature and Congressional delegation, despite the fact that there are more registered Democrats than Republicans in the state. In California, Democrats have pretty much done the same. But just because both parties do it, that doesn’t make it right.

So how about it, governor? I’ll endorse an independent redistricting commission in California – even though it’ll mean fewer legislative seats for my fellow Democrats – if you’ll join AARP, Common Cause, the League of Women Voters and a host of other good-government groups and endorse the idea of taking redistricting out of the hands of politicians with a vested interest in the process here in Florida

I look forward to joining you and Governor Schwarzenegger at a future fundraiser in support of reforming Florida's redistricting effort, along with Attorney General Charlie Crist, Lieutenant Governor Toni Jennings and Members of Congress Ander Crenshaw, Mark Foley, Mario Diaz-Balart, Ginny Brown-Waite, who all voted for independent redistricting as members of the State Senate in 1993.

Sincerely,

Tim Ryan
State Representative, District 100

P.S. I hope this little note won’t make you veto any bills you might see with my name on them.

Just Read, Maddox!

2005-05-24T20:43:00.000-04:00

Scott Maddox has been in the state governor's race for just about a week, and his web site is now up and running. ScottMaddox.com is a great looking site - very professional and sleek. The only problem is that the opening message has a spelling error.

"I" before "E", except after "C." Apparently, the Maddox team missed that day in elementary school. Unfortunately for the campaign, the opening paragraph of the web site reads, " For more information about the campaign and Mayor Maddox, sign-up to recieve updates or email info@scottmaddox.com." (emphasis added)

Governor Jeb Bush started a program in the Sunshine State, entitled "Just Read, Florida!" Maybe Scott Maddox should sign up his campaign staff.

Senate reaches deal on filibusters - Winners & Losers

2005-05-24T00:07:00.000-04:00

Go to AmericanpolitiX.com and read a summary with feedback from the right and left regarding the filibuster deal.

The story can be found at:

http://americanpolitix.blogspot.com/2005/05/senate-reaches-deal-on-filibusters.html

Should Butterworth stay in school?

2005-05-23T00:07:00.000-04:00

Florida Democrats are falling all over themselves, prematurely declaring victory in next year's race for state attorney general. Former officeholder Bob Butterworth, who is currently the dean of the St. Thomas University School of Law, is considering another run for the office he held for sixteen years. Party's leaders are already implying that they would clear the primary if Butterworth decides to run, and Republicans are already salivating at the chance to run against him. Instead of leaving the halls of St. Thomas, maybe Butterworth should consider just staying in school.

Butterworth has been an exceptional public servant for Florida. He has served as the Broward County sheriff, the mayor of Sunrise, an assistant state attorney, and the secretary of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Butterworth was elected to the office of attorney general in 1986 and served until 2002.

Most expected Butterworth to retire from public service in 2002, but he was instead encouraged to run for the Florida Senate. Sadly, he was humiliated in the general election by a relatively unknown Republican, current state Senator Jeffrey Atwater (R-North Palm Beach). Butterworth lost by nearly 15,000 votes, a defeat of over 10 percentage points. Like the once great Muhammad Ali losing in 1980 to Larry Holmes, Butterworth lost because he didn't know when to walk away. He decided to fight that extra bout, and unfortunately his political reputation went down for the count.

Now, Butterworth is weighing whether he can resurrect his legacy. Republicans don't think that he can. When hearing of Butterworth's possible return to the political arena, former House Speaker John Thrasher said, "That's good news for the Republican nominee. When you try to dust off old folks, that is good for us. He couldn't even win his home Senate district the last time he ran."

Regardless of Butterworth's decision, the Democrats are in a quandary. After years of ignoring the problem, Florida Democrats lack a pool of young leaders who can run for office. Former party chairman Scott Maddox failed to recruit candidates for next year's statewide races, instead focusing entirely on his own run for governor. Now the Democrats are up against the wall.

If Democrats were smart, they would start thinking outside the box. A good candidate for attorney general might be former Miami-Dade mayor Alex Penelas. Penelas, who unsuccessfuly ran for the United States Senate, is an attractive, energetic progressive Democrat and a lawyer by trade. Another good candidate for attorney general would be current Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle. Rundle is an extremely photogenic and articulate prosecutor with a strong record who has held office for over twelve years. Her law enforcement resume would help her in the general election.

Democrats would also benefit by the fact that both Penelas and Rundle are Cuban Americans. While they love to preach about diversity, Florida Democrats continue to be a party dominated by white males. A Penelas or Rundle candidacy would help Democrats back up their empty rhetoric on diversity by showing that minorities in the Democratic Party aren't simply relegated to the back of the party's bus.

Santorum compares McCain, others to Adolf Hitler

2005-05-21T00:22:00.000-04:00

This column has been moved to AmericanpolitiX.com.

Jeb Bush supports independent redistricting

2005-05-20T17:27:00.000-04:00

In a stunning reversal from prior statements, Governor Jeb Bush now supports an independent commission to draw congressional and legislative districts. While Bush previously opposed such efforts in Florida, he is now actively campaigning for the concept of fair elections by joining California Governor Arnold Schwartzenegger to raise money for his California Recovery Team, a committee formed to pay for ballot initiatives in the Golden State. Bush's newest position is surprising, yet encouraging. This is the kind of flip-flop that is good for democracy and good for Florida.

In Florida last year, not a single incumbent for Congress or the state legislature was defeated for reelection. Those same incumbents would like you to believe that this is because they are doing such a great job, but in actuality it is because the districts are rigged. Due to new state of the art computer software, the districts can now be drawn so precisely that the voters no longer choose their representatives. Instead, the representatives now choose their voters. Fortunately, there is a statewide effort to change this great injustice.

Common Cause Florida, the nonpartisan government watchdog group, is leading a petition drive to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot in 2006 that will create an independent commission to draw congressional and legislative districts. The petition is also being pushed by former senatorial candidate Betty Castor, now founder and president of Campaign for Florida's Future. The current plan is modeled after a proposal first set in motion by state Representatives Anne Gannon (D-Delray Beach) and Tim Ryan (D-Dania Beach) through their Committee for Fair Elections. The effort needs over a half million signatures before the voters can decide, so Common Cause is still seeking signed petitions. (You can download a petition here. [PDF] Then mail it in.)

FloridapolitiX.com applauds the governor for choosing democracy over the good ole boys system of yesteryear. With the work of good Floridians like Jeb Bush and Betty Castor, the state's voters just may finally get the districts and the representation they deserve.

Permanent Open Thread

2005-05-20T08:31:00.000-04:00

Sorry if you couldn't find the site earlier. Blogger was having trouble, and the site was down. Things look to be working well now.

Use today's open thread to freely discuss the day's happenings. New candidates, Maddox's "lobbying" situation, Bush & Schwartzenegger, Butterworth for Attorney General, etc.

Check back over the weekend.

Gallagher enters the race for governor

2005-05-19T08:52:00.000-04:00

Hoping that his fourth try will be a winner, Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher officially entered the race for governor yesterday. He joins Attorney General Charlie Crist in the quest for the Republican nomination. Lieutenant Governor Toni Jennings is also expected to join them. On the Democratic side, Congressman Jim Davis (D-Tampa), former Democratic Party Chairman Scott Maddox, and state Senator Rod Smith (D-Gainesville) are all vying for their party's nomination.

Gallagher has begun the race to the far right. He launched his campaign by setting out his vision which includes ending "judges legislating from the bench," more tax cuts, and a constitutional amendment opposing gay marriage. He announced his candidacy with his wife and son by his side, stressing family values and thereby differentiating himself from his two GOP opponents who are both unmarried. Gallagher's strategy of running to the right is quite pragmatic and may be the only way he can beat a somewhat popular Charlie Crist in the Republican primary. Crist is seen by most to be an extremely liberal attorney general, continuing much of the legacy of his predecessor, Democrat Bob Butterworth. Additionally, Crist is plagued with rumors that he is gay and is still unpopular with religious conservatives because he refused to become involved in the Terri Schiao saga, so Gallagher embracing the conservative base of the party may be a winning prescription.

Gallagher is also expected to be the biggest fundraiser in the party. As the chief executive at the Florida Department of Financial Services, he oversees the operations of the state's insurance, accounting, financial, and banking companies, as well as other big money industries. The governor's race in the Sunshine State is well on its way to be the most expensive race in Florida's history, and Gallagher is expected to lead the way.

Governor Jeb Bush is prohibited from running for reelection due to term limits.

Check back to FloridapolitiX.com in the coming days for an analysis of the Republican and Democratic races for governor.

Maddox jumps in the governor's race

2005-05-17T08:07:00.000-04:00

As expected, former Democratic Party chairman Scott Maddox officially entered the race to be Florida's next governor. Maddox faces Congressman Jim Davis (D-Tampa) and Senator Rod Smith (D-Gainesville) in the Democratic primary. Attorney General Charlie Crist is the only Republican who has filed as of yet, but news reports indicate that Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher will enter the race by the end of the month. Lieutenant Governor Toni Jennings is also considering the contest to succeed Governor Jeb Bush, who is prohibited from running for reelection because of term limits.

In 2002, Maddox ran for state Attorney General, but was defeated in the primary. Buddy Dyer went on to win the nomination, but lost to Charlie Crist. Since then, Maddox has been a controversial leader for the Democrats. Just after the election, former chair Bob Poe was ousted from office, and Maddox was elected to lead the Democratic Party, promising to bring them back to relevance in Florida. Maddox was not shy in using his position in the party to advance his own career, and his record with the party brought mixed reviews. He was successful in creating an online presence and recruiting volunteers, but failed to deliver at the polls last November. Last November, Senator John Kerry lost Florida by five percentage points to President George W. Bush, House Democrats lost three more seats in the legislature, and the U.S. Senate seat held by Bob Graham for eighteen years was lost to the Republicans.

Friends and foes of Maddox do agree that he is probably the best public speaker in the party. He has a reputation of being able to rile up Democrats, throwing red meat to his partisan audiences. "One of Scott's strengths is he is an excellent speaker and motivator," said Mitch Ceasar, chairman of the Broward Democratic Party. For that reason, it is not surprising that Maddox attracks a lot of the same Democrats who supported Howard Dean in the presidential primary.

The race is still too early for predictions. The three Democrats running for governor are all starting from square one, but each enjoys his own advantages. Maddox has the support of local parties; Smith has the support of state legislators and law enforcement; and Davis has the support of former Senator Bob Graham and the party establishment. Right now, Davis is leading in the polls, but those numbers simply reflect name recognition. Maddox has the momentum and has caused the most excitement within the party. His campaign is already morphing into a Sunshine State's version of the Dean campaign. Let's just see if Scott Maddox has an "Iowa moment."

Conservatives win, conservatives lose on wine issue

2005-05-16T18:11:00.000-04:00

The United States Supreme Court issued a widely anticipated opinion today regarding state prohibitions on direct shipping of wine from out-of-state, ruling such laws unconstitutional. The Court held, as most expected, that the laws in New York and Michigan, which were challenged in the cases before the high court, violated the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution. Article I of the federal constitution defines the role of the U.S. Congress, and Section 8 of Article I establishes powers vested to the congress. The provision in section 8, which is applicable to the wine case, states, "[The Congress shall have Power] To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes[.]" The court's opinion appears to strike down the Florida law that prohibits shipments of wine from outside of Florida.

Today's decision was a huge win for vineyards that wish to cut out the middleman and get their products directly to consumers. The big losers are the industry lobbying groups, like Southern Wine and Spirits, who represent liquor retailers and fought to keep the protectionist laws because they helped local wine distributors at the expense of wine connoisseurs.

The ruling causes mixed reactions among Republicans. Traditional Republicans, who actually believe in less government, celebrate the ruling. The most vocal on this issue is Justin Sayfie, a GOP activist in Broward County who hosts the conservative website Sayfie Review. On the flip side, the religious right, who has gained greater control of the GOP over the last decade, supported the archaic law, because of their general opposition to drinking alcohol and other enjoyable activities. (Think of John Lithgow's character in Footloose.) The differing views within the GOP, which are evident in the wine issue, can best be described by labeling the two competing camps: Reagan Republicans versus Bush Republicans - two very different ideologies. (Of course like everything else, Democrats have no real position on the wine issue.)

Republicans may disagree over the merits of today's decision, but the Supreme Court has just issued a decision that made ordering wine from out-of-state the law of the land. So next time you feel like a good California chardonnay, go online and order it. The religious right may not like it, but now they have no way of stopping you. All they can do is complain, or shall I say ... whine.

Palm Beach high school students choose the Democrats

2005-05-16T08:51:00.000-04:00

In an embarrassing defeat for the Palm Beach GOP, the Palm Beach Post reported that 1,871 high school students who recently registered to vote during a school event overwhelmingly chose the local Democratic Party.

The registration was part of a program overseen by county Supervisor of Elections Arthur Anderson. While the event carries little significance in the grand scheme of things, the registration numbers were good news for a local Democratic Party that longs for something positive to report. The local GOP consistently outperforms their counterparts in fundraising and organization, and the Palm Beach Democrats continue to receive embarrassing coverage in the local press.

During the school program, the Democrats gained 898 new voters (48%), the Republicans signed up 300 (16%), and 673 (36%) students chose no party affiliation. Democrats hold a 45% to 32% advantage in voter registration over the GOP in Palm Beach County.

Permanent Open Thread

2005-05-15T11:39:00.000-04:00

No post today. Feel free to use the comment feature on this post to freely discuss the political issues of the day.

Florida icon backs Jim Davis for governor

2005-05-14T09:22:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, former U.S. Senator Bob Graham announced that he "enthusiastically" supports Congressman Jim Davis (D-Tampa) in his run for governor. The announcement by the former governor and presidential candidate advances Davis into the frontrunner position among Democrats in the race for chief executive of the Sunshine State.

Davis currently faces state Senator Rod Smith (D-Gainesville) in the Democratic primary, and state Attorney General Charlie Crist is the only Republican who has yet filed. Former Democratic Party Chairman Scott Maddox is predicted to join the field, and many expect Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher and Lieutenant Governor Toni Jennings to jump into the race on the Republican side. Republican Jeb Bush currently holds the state's top position, but is prohibited from running for reelection because of term limits.

The Graham endorsement is a major feat for the Davis campaign. Bob Graham is revered by Floridians of all party persuasions and receives the respect of political leaders from throughout the country. The former senator brings with him an impeccable reputation and an impressive list of contributors. Graham and his wife Adele will be hosting a fundraiser in Coral Gables on June 1st, and the senator plans to actively campaign on behalf of Davis.

Other prominent players in the race for governor include former Attorney General Bob Butterworth, who has endorsed Smith, and Congressman Robert Wexler (D-Boca Raton), who has indicated that he would throw his support behind Maddox if he enters the race.

The timing of the endorsement is quite interesting, because it comes very early in the campaign. The Graham announcement comes days after the entrance of Crist into the race and within a week of Maddox resigning from the state party to prepare for his own run. Following the Crist announcement, some pundits were quick to declare the race over. The Graham endorsement may be the elder stateman's way of saying, "Not so fast." And while Maddox is widely expected to run for governor, the Graham announcement may have been intended to steer the former party chairman into a different cabinet race.

While overlooked for months, Jim Davis is now the candidate to beat in the Democratic primary. Let's see if the former senator can help put him in the governor's mansion.

Karen Thurman to lead Florida Democrats

2005-05-13T17:39:00.000-04:00

Last Saturday, Florida Democrats elected a former congresswoman to lead their party back to political relevance in the Sunshine State. Karen Thurman, of Dunnellon, was overwhelmingly elected to the state chair position by the party's State Executive Committee. Scott Maddox resigned the party chairmanship in order to run for statewide office, presumably for governor, and Thurman will complete his term until December 2008. Thurman was defeated in 2002 by Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite (R- Brooksville) after Republicans gerrymandered the district during reapportionment so Brown-Waite could win.

Karen Thurman inherits a party in crisis. Florida Democrats suffered devastating losses at the polls last fall, and recent finance reports show the party in horrendous financial shape. After the party's disappointing results in 2002, no one thought that the state Democratic Party could sink any lower. They were wrong. Under the leadership of Maddox, Florida Democrats saw Senator John Kerry lose by five percentage points to President George W. Bush, House Democrats lost three more seats in the legislature, and the U.S. Senate seat that had been held by Bob Graham for eighteen years was won by the Republicans. The icing on the cake was an act of cronyism reported by the Tallahassee Democrat when the former chairman offered a $100,000 party contract to Maddox loyalists, essentially sticking his successor with the bill.

Now, the party that once held all positions of power in Florida has a steep hill to climb. Most agree that it will take the star power of someone like Karen Thurman to bring the Democrats back to political relevance in Florida. FloridapolitiX.com expects great things from Thurman and wishes her the best of luck.

From Florida Politics: The Tamiami Trail

2005-05-12T00:47:00.000-04:00

Derek Newton, president of The November Group, has started writing editorials for the blog, Florida Politics. His piece is very informative and a definite must-read for all party activists and candidates who want to win statewide.

Here is a sample:

Monday, May 09, 2005

The Tamiami Trail by DerekTNG

For years, state and national pundits have blathered on about the so-called I-4 corridor between Tampa, Orlando and Daytona Beach being the key to unlocking Florida elections.
The candidate who wins I-4, the old wisdom was, wins Florida. But the 2004 elections paint a different picture: namely that winning the Tamiami Trail may be more politically important than I-4.

Unlike I-4, the Tamiami Trail runs, as the name suggests, from Tampa to Miami. And Tampa Bay is, as John Kerry learned, Florida’s unquestioned electoral king-maker.

Of George Bush’s top six “most improved” counties from 2000 to 2004, four of them encircle Tampa Bay. Together Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco and Polk gave the Bush campaign a comfortable winning margin of 81,000 in 2000. But the 2004 Bush outfit nearly doubled that margin in whipping up on Kerry by 161,000 votes in those same four counties. Those four Tampa counties alone accounted for nearly 20% of Bush’s entire winning margin statewide and instantly dashed Kerry’s hopes of stealing Florida.

Farther south along the Tamiami Trail are four overlooked but important counties along the lower western coast. Bush carried Sarasota, Manatee, Collier and Lee Counties by a combined 81,000 votes in 2000. In 2004, he pushed that advantage to 127,000 – a 54% increase. The difference, 46,000 votes, accounted for another 12% of Bush’s total Florida victory margin.

For those scoring at home, those eight large counties along Florida’s west coast accounted for about one third of Bush’s Florida winning margin.

But while the top of the Tamiami Trail was a walk in the park for Republicans, the last leg is more a bright spot for Democrats. It is Miami-Dade County – Florida’s largest. With little fanfare, Miami-Dade County gave a 49,000 vote edge to John Kerry when it mustered a 39,000 vote margin for Al Gore four years earlier. Even though it’s only an increase of 10,000 votes, Miami-Dade is one of just three large counties in Florida to actually increase its vote margin for Democrats.

To read more, go to:

http://flapolitics.blogspot.com/2005/05/tamiami-trail-by-derektng.html

FloridapolitiX.com to return later in the week

2005-05-10T17:37:00.000-04:00

As a result of some computer hangups and other unforeseen complications, FloridapolitiX.com has been forced offline for the last few days.

I hope to have FloridapolitiX.com up and running by the end of the week.

My sincerest apology!

L.G. judge target of harrassment

2005-05-07T16:13:00.000-04:00

Over the last few week, Florida witnessed another spectacle that was fueled by the extremism of the religious right. L.G., a thirteen year old girl under the care of the Florida Department of Children & Families who was seeking an abortion, was sued by Governor Jeb Bush and his political appointees who sought to stop the procedure. The judge who oversaw the case ruled against the governor, stating that the girl was exercising her constitutional right to control her own body. Current Florida law supported his decision. Of course, a judge who follows the law is many times the enemy of activists within the religious right. Now, one in particular is taking action.

Remember the words of Congressman Tom Delay. "This loss happened because our legal system did not protect the people who need protection most, and that will change. The time will come for the men responsible for this to answer for their behavior, but not today." These words were meant to threaten the judiciary after the Terri Schiavo saga, but this quote could easily be applied to the case of L.G. Unfortunately, one religious extremist in Florida has taken Delay's words literally.

Don Kazimir, who heads the Respect Life Office of the Palm Beach Diocese, apparent doesn't wish to respect the life of Juvenile Judge Ronald Alvarez. Judge Alvarez ruled in favor of L.G. last week, granting her, instead of the government, the right to make decisions pertaining to her own body. News reports have not indicated whether Judge Alvarez supports abortion rights or not. They do however clearly state that the decision was firmly rooted in Florida state law.

Now Mr. Kazimir is attempting to contact Alvarez's priest and convince him to deny communion to the judge. Alvarez was outraged by the phone call, stating "This isn't a religious state yet." Obviously embarrassed, the diocese was quick to distance itself from Kazimir's harrassment and denounced his activities. "The Diocese of Palm Beach has never made any statement in regard to the recent action of Judge Alvarez," wrote Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito.

Kazimir has since backed off his crusade against Alvarez, but one should expect similar behavior in the future. He has a history of such activism. In 2003, Kazimir attacked Florida Atlantic University for their intention to conduct stem cell research.

This recent story seems to have died down, but it does show that Delay's words have motivated some extremists in our community. Religious leaders claim to support a "culture of life." Let's hope that they don't inadvertently create a "culture of crazy."

Democratic Party's rules cannot be waived

2005-05-06T07:11:00.000-04:00

The individual who forwarded the email from the Democratic Party email list followed up last night with answers to questions regarding the ability of the Florida Democratic Party to waive its rules this Saturday in Orlando. The short answer is that the rules cannot be waived. On the condition of anonymity, the author has permitted FloridapolitiX.com to publish portions of the email. I have added links (and corrected a couple of typos) for the readers' convenience:

I read your blog about the rules today and I thought I would follow up. The email about waiving the rules is troubling and could result in another violation of the FDP Rules. I personally am rooting for Karen Thurman to be the next chair and I feel strongly that if she were elected under questionable circumstances it could hurt her ability to do the job of chair. There is no doubt in my mind that she will be the next chair. I think a lot of us would just like to see her get it the right way so the Party can just unite behind her instead of the infighting continuing into her term.

Regarding the waiving of the rules, the FDP Charter does not list a set of rules except for some basic procedural stuff. When the charter or bylaws don't specify the rules, it is best to consult Robert's Rules of Order to fill in the gaps. Robert's Rules clearly state that rules cannot be waived for things issues of substance like eligibility of candidates, who calls a meeting, which meeting is called, and other similar issues, unless the charter or bylaws says that these specific requirements can be waived. The Executive Committee could waive the rules dealing with procedure only if they get a 2/3 vote, but this would not be the case here. If the FDP State Executive Committee waives the rules, charter or bylaws on Saturday, they would be creating more controversy and undercutting the legitimacy of the Party's election.

I found the rules dealing with waiving of bylaws on the Internet. Robert's Rules of Order, Rule 67 (Article 11) state that "By-laws should include all the rules that are of such importance that they cannot be changed in any way without previous notice, except those placed in the constitution and the rules of order." The same rule also states, "If it is desired to permit the suspension of any by-law it should be specifically provided for. By-laws, except those relating to business procedure, cannot be suspended, unless they expressly provide for their suspension. By-laws in the nature of rules of order may be suspended by a two-thirds vote, as stated in in 22.".

Now, we'll have to see what Chairman Scott Maddox and the state party does. Be sure to read your Sunday newspaper for the results or visit Sayfie Review which provides a daily list of stories around the state.

Students saved; Jeb humiliated

2005-05-06T06:57:00.000-04:00

During his 2002 reelection campaign, Governor Jeb Bush claimed that if the class size amendment was passed by the voters, he had "devious plans" of how he would deal with it. The class size amendment was meant to limit the size of Florida's overcrowded classrooms. This year, Bush revealed those plans, and yesterday Democrats in the Florida Legislature dealt the governor his most humiliating defeat since taking office.

Just prior to the legislative session, Governor Bush announced his education plan that would have raised teachers salaries, which is long overdue, but only if the increase were coupled with a repeal of the class size provision in the Florida Constitution. The plan was brilliant yet despicable, pitting the teachers against the students they devote their lives to teaching.

The "bait and switch" constitutional amendment, House Joint Resolution 1843, was filed by Representative John Stargel (R-Lakeland) and passed the Florida House with a vote of 76-34. While the vote appears lopsided, this is simply because the Democrats are greatly outnumbered. House Democrats however were extremely aggressive in fighting against the governor's "Devious Plans" bill and are probably ultimately responsible for its demise.

Because of the House Democrat' efforts, a number of GOP Senators joined a unified Senate Democratic Caucus yesterday morning in shooting the legislation down in flames. Since it would have been a constitutional amendment, the resolution needed 24 out of 40 votes to pass, but the governor didn't even get a majority vote. The governor's "devious plans" legislation was defeated with by vote of 19-21.

While this vote was a big victory for Democrats in Tallahassee, it was a bigger victory for Florida's school children.

Will Florida Democrats ignore their own rules?

2005-05-05T18:15:00.000-04:00

Following reports in the Tallahassee Democrat and the St. Petersburg Times regarding the disagreement within the Florida Democratic Party, concern is growing regarding Saturday's election for a new state chair. Current chairman Scott Maddox intends to resign following the legislative session and is expected to announce his candidacy for governor or some other statewide office. His smooth ride to the governor's mansion however has hit some bumps in the road after reports have emerged that the rules of the party are not being followed.

Numerous members, including three Florida members of the Democratic National Committee, are expressing their irritation over the lack of professionalism involved in the handling of this weekend's meeting. The latest bombshell regarding this issue involves a message sent to a Democratic email group this morning. A member of the party's State Executive Committee has stated that he/she believes the rules can be waived and the body can vote on whatever they deem appropriate.

The Florida Democrat who forwarded this email to FloridapolitiX.com expressed great concern over the willingness of a member of the state party's executive committee to simply ignore their rules when they are inconvenient. The text of the email, with personal information omitted, is as follows:

From: name omitted

Sent: Thursday, May 05, 2005 10:53 AM

To: name omitted

Cc: Dec-florida@yahoogroups.com, LCDEC@hotmail.com, name omitted

Subject: [dec-florida] Re: Fw: Meeting Sat.

If I were a betting man, I'd give you 100 to 1 odds that (the Rules Chairman) will tell us that, as an Executive Committee, we have a right to waive the rules established by Constitution, Charter or Bylaws, particularly when as here, even accepting everything (a different executive committee member) says, the Central Committee's action is intended only as a temporary (30+ day) solution until the next meeting of the Executive Committee. I would further bet that, if (the Rules Chairman's) ruling is challenged, the Executive Committee will vote overwhelmingly to sustain (the Rules Chairman).

The sender of the email, who claims to be a Thurman supporter, questions whether the rules may be waived simply by motion without any notice.

Parliamentarians are encouraged to send their input to floridapolitix@yahoo.com or comment below.

BREAKING NEWS: Thurman ineligible for FDP Chair

2005-05-05T07:56:00.000-04:00

According to this morning's article in the Tallahassee Democrat, state chairman of the Florida Democratic Party, Scott Maddox, declared that the meeting scheduled for this Saturday in Orlando is an "organizational conference." By this statement, Maddox may have just forced former congresswoman Karen Thurman out of the race for state chair of the party.

According to the anonymous former rules chair, who emailed FloridapolitiX.com last week and has provided a digital copy of the party's rules for verification, Maddox has called an "organizational conference," which does not exist in the party's rules. The former chair speculates that Maddox meant to say that the meeting on Saturday is an "organizational meeting," which is actually defined under Article II of the party's charter. Additionally, he/she points out that under the rules related to organizational meetings, the eligibility requirements for chair candidates are clearly spelled out. Article II, Section 3 of the state charter reads in part:

Officers: The State Executive Committee, at its organizational meeting, shall elect a Chair, a First Vice Chair, who shall be of the opposite sex from the Chair, a Secretary, and a Treasurer, who shall be of the opposite sex from the Secretary, each of whom shall be elected from among the county chairs, state committeemen and state committeewomen.

The former chair writes, "As Scott has made clear, Jeff Ryan is ineligible under Article II, Section 3 of the state charter, because he is currently not a local chairman or a local party's state committeeman. If Scott is to disqualify Jeff under this rule, he must also disqualify Karen for her failure to meet the requirements established in the very same section. The rules clearly state that the chair and first vice chair elected by the state executive committee's organizational meeting must be of the opposite sex. Since Diane is currently the first vice chair of the party, only a male candidate is eligible to run for the position."

The email continues, "Karen's campaign could make the argument that the meeting on Saturday is not an 'organizational meeting,' under the state charter. If this argument is made so that Karen would be eligible for chair, then Jeff would also be eligible to run . The bigger problem, however is that the wrong meeting has been called by Scott."

No official announcement regarding these inconsistencies. Stay tuned ...

Democratic Party election blowing up!

2005-05-05T07:23:00.000-04:00

As reported this morning by the Tallahassee Democrat, the election for state chair of the Florida Democratic Party , planned for this Saturday in Orlando, appears to be unraveling. The article confirms that party Chairman Scott Maddox has failed to follow the rules of his party and may have improperly called a meeting to elect his successor. These technical problems were first reported by FloridapolitiX.com.

First Vice Chair Diane Glasser, of Broward County, voiced her concerns that Maddox was not following the rules. According to the Tallahassee Democrat, Glasser cites those rules specified in Article II, Section 2.7 of the FDP Bylaws, which states that one, the election may only be called in the event of a vacancy, and two, that she was the only one authorized to call the meeting. Glasser also noted that since Maddox still holds the office of state chair, the meeting should not have been called. "I couldn't sign papers to call an election because no vacancy exists," said Glasser.

The outcome of this debacle is still in limbo. Whether Maddox will follow the rules of the party or simply go ahead with the election is still an unanswered question. Stay tuned ...

Rod Smith fixes flawed election law

2005-05-04T07:38:00.000-04:00

Democrats are still fuming over the partisan witch hunt in Orlando that landed Mayor Buddy Dyer in jail and led to his suspension by the governor. The prosecution, which was overseen by State Attorney Brad King who was appointed by Governor Jeb Bush to investigate Dyer and others, came to an end last month and Mayor Dyer was returned to office. Democrats and Republicans agreed that the law that King used as the basis of his prosecution was vaguely written, and yesterday Senator Rod Smith (D-Gainesville) proposed language that would fix it.

Senator Smith, who is a Democratic candidate for governor, proposed an amendment to Senate Bill 2176 which would require a prosecutor to prove a candidate intentionally hired someone to commit fraud when collecting absentee ballots. Smith said, "You'd have to have the intent to hire someone who is going to alter, modify or do something wrong. Hiring somebody in and of itself to do something is just simply not unlawful."

In the case of Dyer, he was found to have hired an individual during his reelection campaign who collected absentee ballots in the African American community. No allegation of fraud was ever made. It was also noted that Republican Senator Mel Martinez and Florida Secretary of State Glenda Hood, a Bush appointee, had also committed the same act as Dyer.

Maddox's party problems continue

2005-05-03T07:38:00.000-04:00

Following reports of good news yesterday regarding endorsements in Palm Beach, Florida Democratic Party state chairman Scott Maddox is continuing to draw criticism from members of his own party. Bill Cotterell of the Tallahassee Democrat wrote a devastating piece this weekend over the sad shape of the party under the leadership of Maddox, and now it appears as if the news may get worse.

This Saturday, the Florida Democratic Party's State Executive Committee is scheduled to meet at the Plaza Theatre, located at 425 N. Bumby Avenue in Orlando. The purpose of the 11 AM meeting is to elect a new state chairman, because Scott Maddox is resigning to run for governor or some other statewide office. Maddox's plans to exit the party appear to be well choreographed; however, according to one party insider, the move may not be permitted under the Florida Democratic Party's rules.

According to a former rules chair of a local party, who sent an email to FloridapolitiX.com and wishes to remain anonymous, the planned election for state chair may be a blatant violation of the Florida Democratic Party Bylaws. The anonymous chair points to Article II, Section 2.7 of the Florida Democratic Party's Bylaws, which reads:

In the event of a vacancy in the office of State Chair, the First Vice Chair shall call a meeting of the Central Committee within thirty (30) days for the election of a new State Chair who shall serve until the next regular meeting of the State Executive Committee.

"The election next weekend has three major problems," writes the former rules chair. "First, the special election for a new state chair may only be called in the event of a vacancy." He/she continues, "The March 16 release by the party states that Scott's resignation will not take effect until after the legislative session, therefore no vacancy currently exists. Therefore the meeting call was not authorized."

The email continues, "Second, the bylaws only authorize the First Vice Chair, or Diane Glasser in this case, to call the meeting. Scott called the meeting for this Saturday, therefore another violation has occurred."

"Third and most important, Scott called a meeting of the State Executive Committee, not the FDP Central Committee. Section 2.7 establishes a clear procedure for replacing a state chair who resigns in the middle of his term and that section says that the central committee must act first." He/she continues, "The Executive Committee is authorized to vote for state chair in two cases: one, during their organizational meeting that occurs immediately following the presidential election or two, when the vote follows an election held by the central committee. Neither of these cases apply here."

The email admits that the party election may occur regardless of the bylaws. "There are no real leaders on the executive committee and I can't see any of them trying to stop this," says the anonymous chair. "They are mostly just sheep who go along with what they are told." Still, this information may be greeted with hard feelings after reports this week that Maddox ran the party on a $200,000 deficit during the past quarter and has arranged for a fat party contract with a company owned by Maddox loyalists.

Stay tuned ... Cotterell said that this is a roller coaster, so be ready for it to take us for a wild ride.

Maddox takes lead in Gov. race, not even running yet

2005-05-02T07:55:00.000-04:00

Despite an embarrassing tenure as state chair of the Florida Democratic Party, Scott Maddox remains the Democratic frontrunner in the race for the governor. The irony is that he isn't even a candidate ... well, not yet. Most party insiders expect him to announce his candidacy after stepping down as chair this weekend, when party leaders meet in Orlando to elect Maddox's successor.

As today's Palm Beach Post reported, Congressman Robert Wexler and various local Democratic Party leaders have decided to back Maddox to be their nominee for governor. Of course, one may easily dismiss this endorsement since in Palm Beach County, the Democrats are considered to be somewhat of a joke. For the past few years, Palm Beach Democrats have played the part of the Washington Generals while the local GOP has assumed the role of the Globetrotters, dancing around and playing games with the Democrats almost at will. Still, it would be unwise for state Senator Rod Smith (D-Gainesville) or Congressman Jim Davis (D-Tampa) to ignore this move, because Congressman Wexler does carry some weight in the county. Whether they want to admit it or not, this endorsement is a major coup for Maddox.

The primary election for governor is almost a year and a half away, but Maddox has already positioned himself to take the nomination. Most believe that Maddox is unelectable in the general election, especially if Charlie Crist is the GOP nominee, but that is not Maddox's concern right now. He knows that his first hurdle is in September 2006, and he appears poised to clear it with room to spare.

L.G., Rush Limbaugh and our right to privacy

2005-05-01T15:23:00.000-04:00

This past week, the media reported gross violations of the constitutional rights of two Floridians. L.G. is a young girl in the care of the Florida Department of Children & Families who is seeking an abortion but is being denied this right by Governor Jeb Bush. The other is Rush Limbaugh, the right-wing radio host who is the subject of a criminal drug investigation, whose constitutional right to privacy may have been violated by the state when his medical records were seized. Unfortunately, Floridians are so engulfed in raw partisanship that those who stand with L.G. are gleeful over the misfortunate of Limbaugh and those that decry the acts against Limbaugh refuse to voice their concerns over the state's treatment of L.G. Only the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida has shown any consistency and sided with both parties in defending their rights under the law. It is a shame that more Floridians don't exercise the same consistency and choose to not necessarily side with either L.G. and Rush Limbaugh, but join both in the fight over protecting the constitutional rights of all Floridians.

L.G. is a 13 year old girl who has been in the care of DCF for many years. During this time, DCF lost L.G. five times, a pattern that reminds Floridians of the tragic Rilya Wilson case. The last time that L.G. was lost by DCF, she was gone for approximately one month. DCF never made any significant effort to find L.G. during that time, and unfortunately during this time, L.G. became pregnant. When L.G. returned and discovered that she was pregnant, she consulted her DCF case worker. Together, they decided that it would be in L.G.'s best interest to terminate her pregnancy. Under Florida law, a female patient, regardless of her age, has the right to decide whether to carry a pregnancy to term or not. Even under the parental notification legislation that is currently being debated by the Florida Legislature, a minor patient would never need consent before terminating a pregnancy. If the pending legislation were in effect today, L.G. would have satisfied its requirements because her guardian, the DCF case worker, has been notified.

Governor Bush, who adamently opposes a woman's right to reproductive freedom, has decided to ignore Florida law and has sued 13 year old L.G. to stop her procedure. Regardless of how one feels about the issue of abortion, all Floridians must recognize that the governor is violating the law in order to push his own political agenda. Just as he used Terri Schiavo as a political pawn last month, Governor Bush appears to have no qualms with using a 13 year old girl for his own political purposes as well. The silence by conservatives, who typically oppose frivilous government intervention into private affairs, is absolutely deafening.

The issue with Rush Limbaugh is slightly different, but still should cause concern to those Floridians who believe in protecting the constitutional right to privacy. In October 2003, Limbaugh's former housekeeper revealed that she had been supplying her boss with large quantities of prescription pain killers. Shortly thereafter, Limbaugh admitted that he was addicted to drugs and underwent treatment for his addiction. Subsequently, the Palm Beach County State Attorney's Office began an investigation into whether Limbaugh violated Florida law. Limbaugh is accused of violating the Florida statute which prohibits doctor shopping, the act when one visits numerous doctors to fill the same prescription. Upon commencement of their investigation, State Attorney Barry Krischer's office obtained a warrant and seized Limbaugh's medical records. Limbaugh was never given the opportunity to challenge the validity of the warrant. On this basis, Limbaugh's attorney filed a motion to exclude the medical records, stating that the prosecutor's action violated his clients right to privacy under Article I, Section 23 of the Florida Constitution. Last October, the Fourt District Court of Appeals ruled against Limbaugh, and this week the Florida Supreme Court upheld the decision.

If the facts show that Limbaugh violated the law, he should be given some type of punishment for his crime. However, law abiding citizens should also recognize that violating Limbaugh's constitutional rights was not the proper way for the prosecutor's office to proceed with this investigation. Liberals tend to strongly support the right to privacy; therefore, while they may gain some satisfaction over the downfall of Limbaugh, they should be up in arms over the far reaching ramification posed by the courts' flawed decision. Howard Simon, Executive Director for the ACLU of Florida said, "The consequences of this ruling affect the privacy of medical records for every person in Florida. Some of the most personal things in our lives are contained in our medical records and if they're not related to what a government agency is investigating, then it should remain nobody's busines."

Unfortunately, the extreme partisanship that have taken over this country has prevented liberals and conservatives from realizing that they have a great deal in common. As more and more Americans hope to see bipartisan cooperation on issues that matter most to the country, liberals and conservatives should join one another in denouncing the abuses of Jeb Bush and Barry Krischer and fighting to preserve freedom from government for all Americans.

Democracy to be abolished in Florida

2005-05-01T10:58:00.000-04:00

According to politicians in Tallahassee and the Florida Chamber of Commerce, who carries great influence in the state capitol, the Florida Constitution is being destroyed by "special interests" who have hijacked the state document for their own purposes. The example that those who oppose direct democracy continue to cite is the "pregnant pigs amendment," the provision that passed in 2002 which prohibits the use of improper confinement of pregnant pigs. Now in order to prevent unnecessary provisions from finding their way into the state's governing document, big business is pushing their own series of amendments that will make it extremely difficult for voters to change the state constitution.

In reality, these restrictive measures are being advanced by the business community as retaliation for the minimum wage and the smoking ban amendment, as well as those high-priced items like class size and universal pre-kindergarten, which will interfere with corporate tax cuts and business subsidies. The Chamber and other business lobbyists have convinced a number of politicians that these drastic steps are necessary in order to protect the people of Florida from themselves. Let's see if the voters fall for it.

Senate Joint Resolution 4, sponsored by Senator Jim King (R-Jacksonville), would limit constitutional amendments that are proposed by citizens groups to only those issues already addressed in the state constitution. It is important to note that the majority of constitutional amendments that have been voted upon by the people of Florida have been placed on the ballot by the Florida Legislature themselves. Of course, those amendments advanced by the Legislature would not be affected by SJR 4. Only the amendments that originate with the people would face these unreasonable limits. How would this affect the people of Florida? If this standard had been in place in 2002 and 2004, the class size, universal pre-K, and minimum wage amendments would not have been eligible for the ballot and the voters would not have been allowed to make a decision on these important issues. The companion in the lower chamber, House Joint Resolution 1727, is sponsored by Representative David Simmons (R-Altamonte Springs). The Senate is scheduled to hear SJR 4 this Monday, May 2nd, and the House has already passed their version of the legislation with a vote of 88-27.

Senate Joint Resolution 6, again sponsored by Senator King, is another proposed amendment that would limit the voice of Florida's voters . This legislation would require a super-majority vote of sixty percent to pass a constitutional amendments instead of the current requirement of a simple majority vote. Like the previously discussed legislation, SJR 6 would have a negative affect on important issues in Florida. If this standard had previously been in place, the class size and universal pre-K amendments, along with the recent slot machines initiative, would have failed. The companion across the rotunda is House Joint Resolution 1723 and is also sponsored by Representative Simmons. The Senate will be considering SJR 6 on Monday, May 2nd, and the House has already passed HJR 1723 with a vote of 86-30.

These items, along with other legislation that would consolidate more power with the politicians in Tallahassee, are top priorities of the Republican leadership in the Florida Legislature. The Democrats, however, have not taken a position. Quite frankly, they should.

The initiative process, i.e., direct democracy, is the only opportunity for the voters of Florida to decide their future if they are saddled with an ineffective or unresponsive legislature. The Republican leadership has essentially locked out the issues that matter to middle-class voters and instead focused on the annual wish list from big business associations and corporate lobbyists.

Democrats are supposed to embrace the issues that empower the working people who make Florida great. Any Democrats who support these joint resolutions will not only disrespect the middle-class that they claim to represent, but they will dishonor the great Andrew Jackson, the Democratic Party's founding father who made them the Party of the People. When it comes time to vote, let's see if the Democrats remember their history.

L.G. - The new Terri Schiavo

2005-04-29T07:43:00.000-04:00

Last month, Florida Republicans reached an alltime low. Polls consistently showed that the American people were disgusted with how the GOP manipulated the tragedy surrounding Terri Schiavo and tried to use it for their own political gain. Most Americans agreed that the situation with Terri should have been treated with respect and compassion and not used by some as a political game. With the Schiavo saga less than a month behind the nation, Governor Jeb Bush and his extremist cohorts have found a new, vunerable person to exploit for their own selfish purposes. Her name is L.G., and she is 13 years old.

The young woman's true identity is being kept confidential for her own protection, and court records only use the initials "L.G." This young woman has been under the state's care and has recently been living in a foster home. Two weeks ago, L.G. learned that she was pregnant, and after careful consideration and consultation with an adult, she decided to have an abortion. In an unprecedented move, the Florida Department of Children & Familie (DCF) went to court and asked the judge to stop the procedure. (You may remember that it was DCF that pandered to the religious right last month when it threatened to remove Terri Schiavo from her hospice "by force.") The court issued a temporary injunction, and the girl, with the assistance of the America Civil Liberties Union of Florida, is now appealing that decision.

Yesterday, the juvenile court judge expressed his outrage toward Governor Bush and the DCF regarding their irresponsible care of L.G. Apparently, she had run away from state homes five times in the past and was gone for one month during the time that she became pregnant. Considering the Rilya Wilson debacle, this shameless lack of responsible care by the State of Florida is unfortunately becoming a pattern.

Florida law is clear in this type of case. A minor female has a basic right to privacy and ultimately has the right to decide whether she will have a child or not. The state has no legal right to compel a woman, even when she is a minor, to have a child against her will. Even under a parental notification law that is currently pending in the Florida Legislature, the state would still have no legal standing. The future law is for "notification," not "consent," and in 1989, the Florida Supreme Court ruled that a minor female shall never be required to obtain consent prior to terminating a pregnancy. In a case such as L.G.'s, DCF may have the right to be notified, but they would never have the right of consent.

Unfortunately, this case has nothing to do with the law. And in respect to Governor Bush and the religious right, it has nothing to do with the welfare of L.G. This is raw politics at its worst. Richard Wexler, executive director for the National Coalition for Child Protection Reform said it best: "DCF has engaged itself in another naked political ploy, the same way they acted in the Schiavo case and their position is absurd and morally reprehensible." This is just another case of the religious right playing extremist political games without any care for who is hurt in the process.

Priceless

2005-04-28T07:21:00.000-04:00

ExxonMobil's quarterly profits - $7.86 billion

BP's quarterly profits - $6.66 billion

Royal Dutch Shell's quarterly profits - $5.54 billion

A love affair with an oil-rich dictator ... PRICELESS!

Send me your news tips

2005-04-27T07:57:00.000-04:00

If you know of a hot political story that isn't being reported by the mainstream media, email me. I require two or more sources in order to report something as fact. Anything less than that will be reported as rumor or not reported at all.

Send your tips to floridapolitix@yahoo.com.

Thank you to those who have sent tips in the past, and I'm looking forward to working with those who will email me in the future.

Maddox's Democrats: The Fix Is In

2005-04-26T07:52:00.000-04:00

On May 7th, Florida Democrats will elect a new state chairman, since the current office holder, Scott Maddox, is resigning with plans to run for governor. With his resignation taking effect after session, one would believe that those eligible to vote for the new chairman would actually be able to choose the best possible candidate to lead the party.

The Florida Democratic Party has an outdated rule in its charter, which only allows members of the FDP Central Committee to run for the state party's top position. The Central Committee, not unlike the College of Cardinals in Rome, is composed of party elites. Unfortunately this rule places strict limitations on eligible candidates, creating a "good ole boy" network of power brokers and influence peddlers within the party. This archaic rule essentially denies Florida Democrats the ability to find the best qualified man or woman to lead their party.

The leading candidates for the top post have been former Congresswoman Karen Thurman and longtime party activist Jeff Ryan. Thurman was elected to the state committeewoman position in her home county last year in order to be eligible for the state party chair position. Ryan does not hold a party position that will make him eligible. Rumors hold it that Ryan had an agreement with the leadership of the Leon County Democratic Party to assume the position of state committeeman to validate his eligibility as a state party candidate. The rumor also holds that Maddox, who chairs the Leon County Democratic Party, would resign his local position, and the current Leon County State Committeeman would step down from his post. The committeeman would be bumped into the chair position, and Ryan would then become state committeeman. This game of musical chairs is similar to the one Maddox played in 2002 to be eligible for the chairman post.

Maddox apparently no longer wishes to play these political games, and yesterday, he unilaterally decided to cancel the Leon County Democratic Party's monthly meeting. While one may not infer his true motives, it can be inferred that since the meeting was the only opportunity for Ryan to be elected state committeeman, Maddox's timing is certainly suspect. His action essentially hands the state chairmanship to Ryan's only real opponent, Karen Thurman.

Upon first glance, it is hard to determine the motives behind Maddox's decision to cancel yesterday's meeting, since he stands little to gain from helping either candidate. U.S. Senator Bill Nelson, on the other hand, has been a strong backer of Thurman and has been campaigning on her behalf throughout the state. A cursory analysis of the relationships involved draws few conclusions other than this was a backroom deal between an ambitious young politician and an embattled United States senator who will be fighting for his political survival next year.

Regardless of who one might have favored to the next state chairman, all Florida Democrats were dealt a serious blow yesterday. Anyone who believes that the Democratic Party is truly the party of the people should be outraged that democracy was trounced by cronyism.

Unfortunately, the Democrats' current leader acted with heavy hand and decided to pursue a forgone conclusion similar to that in Rome last week. Of course, when the new chairman is elected, don't expect to see white smoke. You can expect, however, Chairman Maddox to be blowing smoke like he's been doing for the past two years.

Pope Benedict XVI: Liberal or Conservative?

2005-04-24T14:49:00.000-04:00

Considering the way American conservatives have been carrying on since the announcement of Pope Benedict XVI, one would think that Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was their candidate who was just selected by the United States Supreme Court to serve as pope. In perhaps the most obscene example of trying to claim the pope as one of their own, Daniel Henninger, Deputy Editor of the ultra-conservative Wall Street Journal Editorial Page attempts to compare Pope Benedict XVI to both Ronald Reagan and Antonin Scalia, ridiculously claiming that our new pope may be the "soul-brother" of the radically conservative justice. One cannot honestly believe that the new spiritual leader of the Catholic Church would support the Nicaraguan death squads or the state execution of children, positions held by Reagan and Scalia, respectively. But then again, this is the Wall Street Journal Editorial Page. Of course, these weak attempts follow the typical pattern of American conservatives who attempt to claim some connection to anything that is positive, while arguing that everything bad is somehow part of an elaborate liberal conspiracy against humanity.

Much has been written about the man now known to the world as Pope Benedict XVI. He was considered extremely liberal during the Second Vatican Council, then became more conservative during the papacy of John Paul II. He was however considered by most to be positioned well to the left politically of his predecessor. Nevertheless, everyone knew that the new pope would be a traditionalist. (I am yet to find anyone who expected the new pope to appearing on the balcony holding a "Keep Abortion Legal" placard.) Still, conservatives desperately try to claim Cardinal Ratzinger as one of their own. They may, however, be wrong. Honestly, we cannot say whether Pope Benedict XVI will be a liberal or conservative pontiff. Only time will tell. His chosen name, however, may indicate the direction that he wants to lead the church.

The Two Pope Benedicts and War

Giacomo della Chiesa was elected pope in 1914. His time as head of the Catholic Church was important because it took place during and immediately following the First World War. Pope Benedict XV advocated a strict policy of neutrality by the church. He offered numerous proposals for peace and became known to the world as a true opponent of war. During his papacy, he led various charitable efforts for war victims and founded the Vatican bureau which assisted prisoners of war in contacting their families. Pope Benedict XV was most known for his unsuccessful Papal Peace proposal of 1917, but he also developed policies within the Vatican to deal with the new global environment that emerged following the world war.

Today with a war against terrorism raging around the globe, the choice of the name "Benedict" is quite telling. At the offset of America's war on terror, President George W. Bush declared that his country was engaged in a crusade. Of course, this unfortunate rhetoric was not well received by Muslim nations, and it created unnecessary obstacles to America's efforts. Pope Benedict XVI may have chosen his name to declare to the world that the Catholic Church will stand for justice for all of God's children, not simply Christianity over the interests of other faiths. It is important to recognize that the radical Islam which embodies the global terrorist movement is not reflective of the Muslim faith as a whole. Our new pope may be trying to send a message to all people of the world that the Catholic Church will stand with good against evil and will embrace a position of neutrality regarding religion in this struggle.

The new pope may have also selected his name in response to the War in Iraq. Many American conservatives seem to forget that the Catholic Church was a leading opponent to our nation's conflict in Iraq. Pope John Paul II spoke out against President Bush's foreign policy and became a voice for the victims of war which are rarely mentioned by the American media, including the approximate 100,000 innocent Iraqis who were killed by our country's initial attacks on the country. The Catholic Church spoke out for those victims, while most Americans saw their deaths as an unfortunate result of "collateral damage." Pope Benedict XVI, like his predecessor, has seen the evils of war firsthand, and he may have chosen to follow in the footsteps of Benedict XV in order to advocate peace during a time of war in the world.

The Two Pope Benedicts and Philosophy

Pope Benedict XV also sought to calm the excesses of the fundamental traditionalists within the Catholic Church. During the tenure of Benedict XV's predecessor Pope Pius X, ultra-conservatives sought to control the agenda of the church. Benedict XV, then Giacomo della Chiesa, was a pupil of Cardinal Mariano Rampolla, a leading opponent of the racially conservative wing of the Catholic Church, and della Chiesa served as the secretary to Cardinal Rampolla. In 1903, Rampolla was the unsuccessful liberal candidate during the conclave that elected Pius X. Rampolla voiced the modernists views which began to emerge in the church, and his positions contributed to the conflict that existed among Catholic scholars. Upon his election in 1914, Pope Benedict XV sought to settle this conflict, and while respecting tradition, he actually moved the Catholic Church to the left of the political spectrum.

During the papacy of John Paul II, Cardinal Ratzinger was commonly seen as the dogmatic bulldog of the church. The media, especially in the United States, tends to report almost entirely on the positions of the Catholic Church which deal with sex and sexuality. If one were to gain all of their knowledge of the Catholic Church from American media, they would think the Vatican was only concerned with abortion and gay marriage. Those of us who know the church recognize that this opinion is absurd and that it is just the result of a media that is completely driven by their pursuit of ratings, not finer journalism. One can reasonably believe that Cardinal Ratzinger chose his name in order to follow the direction of Benedict XV who was also forced to deal with the tension between conservatives and liberals of the church. Benedict XV recognized that the conservatives of the church had gone too far, and the selection of this name may be a way for the new pope to say that the church has drifted too far to the right on some issues. Of course the issues of abortion, gay marriage, women in the clergy, and others may not be the issues he had in mind, our new pope may have been making a statement to the world that applying a uniform, conservative litmus test on all issues is not the way of the church and is not his vision of Catholic Church.

The Two Pope Benedicts and Wealth

In his November 1, 1914 encyclical appealing for peace, Pope Benedict XV made a clear statement that directly contradicts the views held by most modern conservatives. The pope declared that "a deeper root of the evils we have hitherto been deploring, and unless the efforts of good men concentrate on its extirpation, that tranquil stability and peacefulness of human relations we so much desire, can never be attained. The apostle himself tells us what it is: 'The desire of money is the root of all evils' (I. Tim vi. 10). If any one considers the evils under which human society is at present laboring, they will all be seen to spring from this root." The pope's words are not necessarily a ringing endorsement of unbridled capitalism and clearly place his ideology to the left of where many revisionist historians of today claim.

Pope Benedict XVI has expressed similar positions on economic issues important to the church. As stated on this morning's Meet The Press by Joseph Bottum, contributing editor to the conservative Weekly Standard, Cardinal Ratzinger made many statements on economic issues which placed him in the liberal camp of political thinking. As a German citizen, Ratzinger recognized that both socialism and unregulated capitalism presented potential threats to man, and as cardinal, he strongly supported his predecessor's plight for those living in poverty. For those who recklessly label Pope Benedict XVI a conservative, they selectively view his service to the church and fail to consider his embrace of the church's teachings as a whole.

Only time will tell who is right on the direction Pope Benedict XVI. Conservatives will likely continue to attempt to view his acts as pontiff as support to their ideology, while liberals, especially those in the United States, will probably embrace extreme secularism and attempt to distance themselves from the Holy Father. As a result of both extreme approaches, we face the threat of revisionists rewriting history and attempting to shape the future by claiming the Catholic Church is a conservative institution. All people of the world, Catholics and non-Catholics alike, should see the church for what it is and simply set their political agendas aside. The church will likely prove to not serve as a conservative institution or a liberal institution. It will continue to stand as an institution of Christ, which stands as a hybrid of all political ideologies in an attempt to best serve all of God's children.

Florida Democrats campaign for Republican

2005-04-23T15:16:00.000-04:00

Last month, the Florida House of Representatives lost one of their own. Representative David Coley (R- Marianna) died from liver cancer at the age of 43. Sadness overcame the capitol, because Coley was a well liked young man. He became a legislator after serving as a legislative aide to members of both political parties, serving for state Representatives Jamey Westbrook (D-Bascom) and Rob Trammell (D-Marianna), former Republican Congressman Bill Grant, and current House Speaker Allan G. Bense (R-Panama City). Coley's seat was previously held by former GOP Representative Bev Kilmer, who unsuccessfully challenged Congressman Alan Boyd (D-Panama City) last November.

Governor Jeb Bush is required to call a special election, but as of last week, no date had yet been set. Coley's District 7 leans Republican, but remains competitive. With a strong candidate, Florida Democrats could possibly retake the seat. Now before you comment that it is too soon to even discuss campaigning for this House seat, keep in mind that the Republicans have already begun their efforts. David Coley's widow, Marti, has been recruited by the Florida GOP to run for the seat, and their party is lining up behind her candidacy. Carl Joaquin Duncan, the Democratic nominee against David Coley last November, is still deciding on whether to run again. Unfortunately, he probably won't have his party's support.

The state party has been alarmingly absent and missing in action during the legislative session, so it is fitting that Chairman Scott Maddox would be silent on this race as well. Even worse is the fact that Democratic members of the Legislature are already jumping ship and supporting the GOP. Senator Al Lawson (D-Tallahassee) is scheduled to attend some of Marti Coley's campaign kickoff rallies and to show his support. "Marti is very bright and worked with her husband a long time," stated Lawson. "Not only are they friends of mine, but she'll do a good job politically."

Senator Lawson is not alone. Democratic State Representatives Loranne Ausley (D-Tallahassee), Curtis B. Richardson (D-Tallahassee), and Will S. Kendrick (D-Carrabelle) have also pledged their support to Marti Coley's campaign. Ausley declared, "I think it's a very noble gesture that she'll step forward and complete David's term."

I commend the Democratic members who believe that a high degree of respect is owed to Marti Coley. Her loss was sudden and obviously painfully. All Democrats, Republicans, and Independents should pray for Marti and her family and wish them well. David Coley was close to a great number of Democrats, and they too will sincerely miss him.

This next Monday, however, Marti will no longer be just a widow. She will be a candidate for the Florida Legislature, launching her political campaign. Florida Democrats need to make a choice. They can either campaign for Marti Coley's Democratic opponent, or they can just sit it out. Democrats campaigning for Coley would be a betrayal to their party and a violation of the loyalty oath that they signed in order to become candidates.

Still, expect to hear Democrats say that it would be insulting to run a candidate in this race. I would say they are dead wrong. We have a democracy in this country. The voters deserve a choice, so they can elect the man or woman that they believe would best represent their interests. If the Democrats don't give the voters of District 7 that choice, then that would be real insult.

Dyer Debacle: Where's the outrage?

2005-04-21T07:11:00.000-04:00

It was bad enough that practically no one in the Florida Democratic Party voiced their disgust and outrage regarding the witch hunt of Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer. But now that this frivilous prosecution is behind us, the Democrats are willing to just let this abuse of power go unchecked. This is just another example of Florida Democrats having no backbone and failing to stand up for what is right.

This politically-driven prosecution was overseen by Republican State Attorney Brad King, who was appointed by Governor Jeb Bush. Legal experts from around the state have voiced their disbelief over the indictment of Mayor Dyer, Circuit Court Judge Alan Apte, Dyer campaign manager Patti Sharp, and African-American outreach coordinator Ezzie Thomas. The original sponsor of the law that Dyer and others were accused of violating stated that King was misinterpretting the law. Still, the silence from the state party and Democrats in the Florida Legislature was absolutely deafening.

Now that the legal wrangling is behind Dyer, the Democrats are quick to pat themselves on the back and declare victory. Victory for what? The Republicans, with Governor Bush pulling the strings, manipulated the system and used the state's judicial system for their own political gain. Democrats, on behalf of all Florida citizens, should be outraged and demand that those who abused their power be held accountable. The Democrats need to stop running scared everytime the Republicans play hardball.

Dyer Witch Hunt Ends

2005-04-20T18:10:00.000-04:00

As reported by the Orlando Sentinel, Governor Jeb Bush's hand selected special prosecutor, fellow Republican and State Attorney Brad King, who oversaw the election prosecutions in Orlando, has decided to dismiss all charges against Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and others.

Mayor Dyer, Circuit Court Judge Alan Apte, Dyer campaign manager Patti Sharp, and African-American outreach coordinator Ezzie Thomas were indicted last month for allegedly violating a state law that prohibits payments for the collection of absentee ballots. Many experts, Republicans and Democrats alike, agreed that Mr. King was misinterpreting the statute and that the law was inappropriately being applied to Mayor Dyer. Even the original sponsor the bill, former Republican Senator Jack Latvala has disagreed with the charges and felt that Mayor Dyer should be reinstated.

Governor Bush has immediately issued an Executive Order of Reinstatement, returning Mayor Dyer to his rightful place in the Orlando City Hall.

Congratulations to Pope Benedict XVI

2005-04-19T12:44:00.000-04:00

As of a few minutes ago, the Vatican has announced that Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger of Germany has been elected pope of the Roman Catholic Church.

Cardinal Ratzinger has chosen the name Pope Benedict XVI.

Florida GOP: Ethics rules don't apply

2005-04-19T07:51:00.000-04:00

Senate President Tom Lee (R-Brandon) has made cracking down on the influence of money in the legislative process one of his top priorities. Under a number of new rules, he has stiffened the penalties on members of the Florida Senate who violate the chamber's rules pertaining to fundraising and accepting gifts from lobbyists. One change to an existing rule is that Senate members can no longer raise money for political parties during the legislative session. Unfortunately, one GOP member has violated this rule, but apparently, the new rules don't apply to Republicans.

As first reported Saturday by the Palm Beach Post, Senator Carey Baker (R-Eustis) violated Senate rules by allowing his name, along with Representative Larry Cretul (R-Gainesville), to appear on a fundraising letter for the Republican Party of Alachua County. On Friday, April 22nd, the Alachua County GOP is holding its annual fundraiser, the Lincoln Dinner. Senator Baker stated that he didn't intend to violate the rule and was awaiting a ruling from the Senate General Counsel on how to proceed.

Senate Rule 1.361(1) states that "[d]uring any regular legislative session, extended session, or special session, a Senator may not directly or indirectly solicit, cause to be solicited, or accept any contribution on behalf of either the Senator's own campaign, any organization described under section 527 or section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code, any political committee, any committee of continuous existence, any political party, or the campaign of any candidate for the Senate[.]" (emphasis added)

According to today's Palm Beach Post, Senator Baker will not be appearing at Friday's Alachua County GOP Lincoln Dinner, and he will not receive any punishment. Still, the senator authorized his name to appear on the invitation, and money was raised. The rule has clearly been violated, and nothing is being done. This would not be a big deal if this were an isolated case. Unfortunately, the rules have been enforced when the guilty member has been a Democrat.

Last Thursday, the Florida Senate reprimanded one of its members for a violation of the chamber's rules. Senator M. Mandy Dawson (D-Fort Lauderdale) was publicly rebuked and stripped of a committee assignment for violating rules pertaining to fundraising. She too claimed that her violation was not intentional.

Senator Lee should be commended for his desire to clean up the political process in the Florida Legislature. He should, however, consistently apply these rules to all members of the senate. Republicans should not get any special privileges, and they should never be treated as if they are above the law.

Read Jeb's lips: NEW TAXES!

2005-04-18T06:58:00.000-04:00

If you have ever driven on a Florida highway and noticed that a drive which used to take 10 minutes a decade ago now takes 45 minutes, then you are not going to be surprised by this next statement. Florida's growth is out of control! It doesn't matter if you are in South Florida, Orlando, Jacksonville, the Tampa Bay area, or any other area in Florida, development is rampant and local elected officials throughout the state are finding it increasingly difficult to meet the needs of their new residents. According to USA Today, Florida is home to the fastest growing county in the country. Unfortunately, the State of Florida is not prepared for this growth.

In the movie Field of Dreams, Kevin Costner was told to "build it and they will come." Unfortunately, this has not been the case in the Sunshine State. The people came, but the State didn't build anything. We didn't construct new roads, adequate water systems, proficient schools, satisfactory infrastructure, etc. Instead, we have been caught with our pants down, and that definitely makes for an awkward welcome to the newest residents of Florida. What can be done?

Well first of all, this is a time when Florida needs a strong leader who will tackle this problem head-on. Unfortunately, we have Jeb Bush. Providing a statewide growth management plan is necessary, and the State must be willing to pay for it. Governor Bush is not willing to make those funds available, because this plan could interfere with possible tax cuts. The governor is also unwilling to require that developers, who are making a fortune on Florida's growth, pay their fair share. Instead Governor Bush is proposing that the Florida Legislature pass an unfunded mandate along to the local governments and require that they raise the additional funds themselves. Since current law establishes that these new local taxes be authorized by a vote of the people, the governor is suggesting that the requirement for a referendum be eliminated and instead county and city commissions would be able to raise taxes without the approval of the voters.

Local governments are not happy. The governor is essentially mandating that they provide the necessary infrastructure for a worthy growth management plan, but then failing to provide any money. Bush gives them the "choice" to raise taxes, but for all practical purposes, the local governments don't have a choice at all. This legislation would essentially be an enormous tax increase levied by the governor himself, no matter how much distance he tries to put between himself and the local tax collectors.

The St. Petersburg Times reported that this legislation by the governor appears to violate his 1994 pledge to not raise taxes. The governor's office claims that the pledge is still being upheld. According to Bush spokeswoman Alia Faraj, "[Bush] has said very clearly he will never raise state taxes. He's offering flexibility to local governments to address taxes that already exist." (Emphasis added.) The Times writes that Faraj argues that the "governor's push for local tax increases without voter approval is not the same as supporting higher taxes[.]"

The governor's soundbite is starting to sound a lot like he "did vote for the $87 billion before [he] voted against it." Anyone with a brain in their head recognizes that the governor is proposing a massive tax increase, and his effort to keep the blood off his hands doesn't change that fact. The time has come for leadership. If the governor is unwilling to require developers to pay their fair share or to provide state funding for this proposal, then the governor's growth management plan should be recognized for what it is ...

A huge tax increase on Florida's taxpayers by Governor Jeb Bush.

Social Security: Bush plan dead, Clinton plan resurrected

2005-04-17T11:08:00.000-04:00

Typically, I devote my blog to state issues in Florida. Today, I have chosen to discuss the president's social security privatization plan. Since Florida has perhaps the greatest number of social security recipients in the nation, I think that this discussion is warranted. Unfortunately, a troubled social security program is definitely a Florida issue. So here it is ...

News broke this week that President George W. Bush has flip-flopped on his idea of private accounts within Social Security and instead may focus on "add-on" accounts outside of the New Deal program. Unfortunately, the president refuses to address the solvency problems; however, the recent declaration by one of Bush's aides shows that the administration is willing to take an important necessary step in saving Social Security which is to first do no harm. This shocking retreat by the president on private accounts may be bad news for partisan Republicans, but it is clearly good news for those who wish for a strong, solvent Social Security program for America.

Allan Hubbard, director of the National Economic Council, stated at a breakfast last Thursday that the president was willing to take a drastically different approach toward social security. Instead of diverting portions of the payroll tax into private investment accounts as he has made part of his proposal, Bush may now favor investment accounts through a new, separate entitlement program. "It really comes down to what the proposal is," stated Hubbard. Unfortunately, President Bush has spent the past few months campaigning on various policies, but has failed to actually introduce a plan like his predecessor did in the late 1990s.

The add-on accounts plan, you may remember, was the brainchild of President Bill Clinton, which was introduced following his 1999 State of the Union speech and later was endorsed by Vice President Al Gore during his 2000 campaign. The Clinton plan has now been mimicked by Republican Congressman E. Clay Shaw (R-Florida) through legislation that his office has drafted, and Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) has also proposed a plan similar to that of our 42nd President. Clinton's plan, which involved his Universal Savings Accounts, commonly known as USA accounts, was more than just private accounts tacked onto social security. Clinton's overall plan involved steps to ensure the solvency of social security, which followed the Democratic Party's principle of fiscal responsiblity.

Clinton proposed on January 19, 1999 that "we commit 60 percent of the budget surplus for the next 15 years to Social Security, investing a small portion in the private sector just as any private or state government pension would do. This will earn a higher return and keep Social Security sound for 55 years." His plan was brilliant. It involved taking the enormous budget surplus that we enjoyed in the late 1990s and invest nearly 2/3 of the funds in the social security trust fund. Then 25% of the surplus would be invested in the private market in order to maximize our profits on this money. On top of investment income's contributions to the social security crisis, President Clinton would introduce his USA accounts as a way to empower Americans to invest their earnings in the stock market.

The choice is clear: Clinton's plan was one that empowered investors and maximized their freedom. Bush's plan on the other hand, is a big government plan, where the amounts each investor is entitled to invest and what companies they choose would be controlled by the government. Clinton's plan encouraged freedom and empowerment, while Bush's plan pushes for more government control over people's lives. We are glad that President Bush has decided to follow the Clinton model and abandon his big government plan.