Debbie Wasserman Schultz

The Impeachment Gang Gets Together Tomorrow

Live Blogging the Barack Obama Rally

Just a Reminder: Your Congressmen are Weak

War Between Obama Mamas and Palin Pretties in Lake Worth

Pelosi Power

Top 10 Sexy Political Halloween Costumes That Aren't Sarah Palin

Election Night Live Coverage

Looking Forward to 2010

Where Are Dubya's Miami Balls?

The official White House Christmas tree this year is festooned with ornaments from more than 369 artists chosen by senators and representatives. Conspicuously absent are any ornaments selected by our local dream team of Cuban-American Republicans. Did they not get the memo? Even disgraced sex fiend ... More >>

Debbie Does the DNC

It's not often that Republican reps Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and the Diaz-Balarts must be happy about announcements of new Democratic leadership, but the buzz today that congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz will be elected vice-chair of the Democratic National Committee must have them smiling. As co ... More >>

News Roundup

Oh, look, an update from our old friends the sex offenders under the bridge. It's nice to hear from them every once in a while. [NBC6]It is going to get really, really cold this weekend. [CBS4]Fidel Castro wants Obama to give back Guantánamo Bay. [NBC6]Some dumb kid accidentally shot his friend in ... More >>

Live From The Barack Obama Stimulus Tour

Riptide is live today from Ft. Myers, Florida for Barack Obama's first visit to Florida as President of the United States of America. He'll be continuing the themes from his stop in Elkhart, Indiana and his first press conference last night, talking up the need for a stimulus package. The event ... More >>

Bill Nelson Caught up in PMA Mess

Last week, ABC News broke news that the FBI had raided PMA Group, a lobbying firm, this past November. PMA, which specialized in lobbying for earmarks for defense contracts, had close ties to Democratic Rep. John Murtha, but also donated heavily to other politicians -- many of them Democrats, but so ... More >>

No One Wants To Watch Politicians Sing On YouTube, Let Alone Talk Politics

Here is one of our local state House members, Republican J.C. Planas, belting out "Walking in Memphis" at Disney's new American Idol attraction, as first seen on Naked Politics about a week ago. So far it only has 898 views. Which by YouTube standards is paltry, but by politician standards is d ... More >>

Local Legislatures On Both Sides Get Good Grades on Poverty Issues

The National Center of Poverty Law put out their annual Poverty Scorecard, and while scrolling through it we started seeing a pattern. Democrats were all getting As and A s, while Republicans were all getting Cs, Ds and Fs. Take our Senators for example: Democrat Bill Nelson got an A , Republican Me ... More >>

Ros-Lehtinen's Constituents Happy and Healthy, Meek's Not So Much

Gallup, Healthways, and America's Health Insurance Plans have teamed up to create a state by state, and congressional district by district well-being index. The index is based on the World Health Organization's definition of health as "not only the absence of infirmity and disease, but also a state ... More >>

Dear Politicians, Please Exploit Your Family Dogs

The liberal, elitist media would like you to think that Barack Obama is the first ever dog-owning politician in history. Charles Beauregard "Bo" Hussein Kennedy-Obama (yes, we've made that joke today but we will continue to call him that until the Obama administration produces his birth certificate. ... More >>

When SoBe Was Kosher

Pay homage to Miami Beach’s Jewish legacy

Letters from the Issue of August 31, 2006

"This movie was refreshing and poignant, and I had to go back twice"

News Roundup

Yesterday we broke some sort of heat record, and today we may do it again. [CBS4]Our five favorite congressmen (Wasserman Schultz, Meek, Ros-Lehtinen, and the Diaz-Balarts) will be heading off to meet with the president of Haiti. [USAToday]You know those charter schools that some politicians think a ... More >>

News Roundup

Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez might have to increase property taxes to bolster the county's budget. [CBS4]Swine flu claimed a sixth life in Miami-Dade, a 53-year-old woman. There are now 716 confirmed cases of the H1N1 virus in the county. [NBCMiami]Jim DeFede is none too pleased with Cindy Lederm ... More >>

News Roundup

Over the weekend, pretty much every newspaper editorial board in the state wrote mean things about new Sen. George LeMieux. [Buzz]Oh, and word on the street is LeMieux might be interested in running for U.S. Senate against Bill Nelson in 2012, or for attorney general. [Buzz]Debbie Wasserman Sch ... More >>

Florida: 47th Most Powerful State in DC

​Florida ranks 47th our of the 50 states in terms of influence and seniority in the US Congress according to an analysis by The Sarasota Herald-Tribune. A dismal ranking by any means, but even more so considering we're the 4th most populace state. Our legislators have less swagger on the hill than ... More >>

When It Comes to "Government Waste," Ros-Lehtinen and the Diaz-Balarts Might as Well Be Democrats

Cover art from CAGW's Waste Watch​The Citizens Against Government Waste's name pretty much says it all. The fiscally conservative think tank hates pork and government waste, which apparently includes programs such as expanding health care to kids in low-income families, providing low-interest loan ... More >>

News Roundup

WTVJ has found a replacement for Julia Yarbough. Meet Kevin Corke, former national correspondent for NBC as well as a SportsCenter anchor. [SFLTV]Should we save Miami Marine Stadium, or should we let it be a cute place for raccoons to hang out? [AP]President Obama will be in town Monday attending a ... More >>

News Roundup: Mayor Diaz's Last Day; Heat Off to Hot Start

As of noon today Manny Diaz will no longer be Mayor of Miami. The Herald paints him as a "a sober, patient reformist up to his elbows in the minutiae of turning around a troubled city" who enacted "an agenda of a scope unmatched by any other Miami mayor in decades." One likely, for better or wo ... More >>

Alan Grayson For President in 2012 Movement Exists

via this store where you can stock up on your Alan Grayson for 2012 gear​According to a recent survey of "Washington Insiders," South Florida's Debbie Wasserman Schultz is the house member with the brightest political future (as in prepare for Speaker Wasserman Schultz someday), but a gr ... More >>

Health Care Reform Passes, No Thanks To Your South Florida Politicos

If you're half as cool as the staff here at Riptide, you were flipping between March Madness and C-SPAN last night like your life depended on it. Which to pick?photo by Sage Ross, via Wikimedia CommonsThe power of cardboard signs and megaphones was not enough to derail health reform.On CBS, Korie Lu ... More >>

A Man Who Became a Woman Who Can't Marry a Man is Running for Congress

Uncle Luke, the man whose booty-shaking madness once made the U.S. Supreme Court stand up for free speech, gets as nasty as he wants to be for Miami New Times. This week, Luke tries to understand how a transsexual running for Congress can be against gay marriage.​A few weeks ago, I came across som ... More >>

Donna Milo: Sex-changed and bound for Congress

Uncle Luke, the man whose booty-shaking madness once made the U.S. Supreme Court stand up for free speech, gets as nasty as he wants to be for Miami New Times. This week, Luke tries to understand how a transsexual running for Congress can be against gay marriage.​A few weeks ago, I came across som ... More >>

Rep. Wasserman Schultz: Republicans' Effort to Redefine Rape is "A Violent Act Against Women"

​With Republicans now back in control of the US House of Representatives one of their first orders of business seems to be a drastic legal redefinition of rape. The proposal has been met with outrage by many anti-rape activists, including South Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz who says she "c ... More >>

Ros-Lehtinen, Diaz-Balarts Deemed Not Conservative by American Conservative Union

​The American Conservative Union, the group now headed by Miami lobbyist Al Cardenas, has released their 2010 ratings of congress and they've deemed the three Cuban-American Republicans who represented much of Miami-Dade county not conservative. In fact, Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Mario and Lin ... More >>

Tea Party Claims Victory in Alvarez Recall ...Uh, Wait, What?

Fox News declares a Tea Party Revolt​"Tea Party Revolt: Miami Mayor Recalled," proclaims Fox News' Fox Nation website, while other Tea Party segments of the world wide web take glee in the ousting of Carlos Alvarez. True some of the politics involved share similarities: raising property taxes was ... More >>

Miami-Area Congressional District is the Most Suffering in America

via Firehouse2District 17's Liberty City​Gallup-Healthway's annual "Well Being Index" takes a wide-ranging reading of physical, emotional, and mental health of political districts on the state, metropolitan and congressional levels. The just-published statistics for 2010 don't give such a healthy ... More >>

Is Debbie Wasserman Schultz the Next Chair of the Democratic Party?

​Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine is expected to resign in order to run for Senate from his home state of Virginia, leaving one of the most important posts in the party -- and by extension Washington, D.C. -- up in the air. Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who represent ... More >>

Allen West, uncut

A candid conversation with South Florida's rising Tea Party star.

Jacksonville Elects First Democratic Mayor in 20 Years: What Does It Mean for Florida Politics?

Jacksonville Mayor-elect Alvin Brown​Conservative Republican Mike Hogan was expected to walk away with the Jacksonville Mayoral race. He comes from a family so entrenched in the area, there's several streets that bare the Hogan name. He ran on a campaign promising no new taxes, smaller government, ... More >>

How Anthony Weiner Almost Became a South Florida Congressman

​Whether or not Rep. Anthony Weiner manages to hold onto his congressional seat by either surviving ethics investigations that could force him to resign or the possibility of a primary challenge come next fall, something seemingly far more important to Weiner than the chance to serve his const ... More >>

Republicans' Inevitable "Debbie Downer" Attack Ad on Debbie Wasserman Schultz

​Well, it's only been about seven years since Saturday Night Live first unveiled Rachel Dratch's Debbie Downer character, and Republicans are finally getting around to using it to spoof DNC chair and Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz. 

Allen West Tells Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Shultz to "Shut the Heck Up"

​Republican Congressman Allen West, everyone's favorite Iraqi-torturing politician from the 22nd district, has given us another lesson in the statesmanship he holds so dear.West sent an email to fellow Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Shultz late yesterday after she made remarks on the House floor th ... More >>

Allen West Actually Lives in Debbie Wasserman Schultz's District

​In a situation only slightly less perplexing than being your own grandfather, it turns out that Rep. Allen West is not his own congressman. In fact, the Republican who represents the 22nd District actually lives in the neighboring 20th District represented by Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schu ... More >>

Stephen Colbert Takes on Allen West and Debbie Wasserman Schultz Feud

​The spat between Rep. Allen "Black David Letterman" West and Rep. Debbie "home perm after model" Wasserman Schultz rocked the political world yesterday, so of course it wound up on The Colbert Report last night. And being the faux right-winger he is, Stephen Colbert had to wonder "what kind of th ... More >>

David Rivera Accused of Abusing Congressional Privilege With Medicare Mailer

Rivera's taxpayer funded flier​One of the perks in Congress is the right of "franking" -- no, it has nothing to do with Barney Frank, tequila shots and a dark alley. It's the ancient right to send constituents heaps of unwanted glossy fliers plastered with your grinning face at taxpayer expense. F ... More >>

Miami's Top 10 Political Bloggers Rank Dade's Worst Politicians

Miche Ratto​This week, Miami New Times profiled the ten hardest-hitting blogs that make life miserable for public officials in South Florida. At a time when the Miami Herald and other media outlets are shaving back coverage of civic and public affairs, bloggers are filling the void to investigate ... More >>

Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Comes Out Against SOPA, Too

​Miami-area congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen has finally made her position on SOPA clear: she's against it. Unlike Marco Rubio, who changed his position on SOPA's Senate companion, PIPA, earlier today, Ros-Lehtinen had never been a co-sponsor of the bill.

Javier Manjarres: This shark eats politicians

​Miami-area congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen has finally made her position on SOPA clear: she's against it. Unlike Marco Rubio, who changed his position on SOPA's Senate companion, PIPA, earlier today, Ros-Lehtinen had never been a co-sponsor of the bill.

Debbie Wasserman Schultz Breaks Down in Tears While Reading Gabrielle Giffords' Resignation Letter

​South Florida Representative and Democratic National Committee chief Debbie Wasserman Schultz is one of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords closest friends in the House. Giffords, who is still recovering after being shot in the head during a meeting with her constituents last year, offered her official resig ... More >>