Ileana Ros-Lehtinen

Jay-Z, Beyonce in Cuba: Treasury Department Confirms the Trip Was "Authorized"

When you're the Carters on vacay in Cuba .... You've gotta expect to get slammed by South Florida's exilio Cubanos. Even if you dress like Maya Angelou and her bagboy on a humanitarian mission circa '64. So it was probably no surprise to Jay-Z and Beyonce when Republican politicos Ileana Ros-Leht ... More >>

Jay-Z, Beyonce in Cuba Was Approved by U.S. Treasury as "People-to-People" Cultural Visit

The Carters were officially OK-ed to vacay in Castro's Cuba. According to "a source familiar with the itinerary," Jay-Z and Beyonce's controversial fifth-anniversary trip to the island, Reuters reports, was fully approved and licensed by the U.S. Treasury Department as a "people-to-people" cultural ... More >>

Jay-Z, Beyoncé in Cuba "Funds Machinery of Oppression," Say Ros-Lehtinen, Diaz-Balart

As supercouple Jay-Z and Beyoncé prep for World Humanitarian Day ("I'm doing something good," Mrs. Carter tweets, "somewhere, for someone else. Join me!"), they're also getting slammed by South Floridian members of Congress Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Mario Diaz-Balart for helping to "fund the machiner ... More >>

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen One of Only Two Current Republicans in Congress to Sign Brief in Favor of Gay Marriage

Seventy-five prominent Republicans have signed a legal brief backing the idea that gay people have a constitutional right to get married according to the New York Times, but to give you an idea of how contentious (and possibly electorally damaging) the issue still is within the party, only two of th ... More >>

That Fiscal Cliff Deal Is Going To Cost Florida Billions; Here's How Much More You'll Pay

Chances are, when you heard that the GOP-controlled House had finally relented on a deal that kept the nation from plunging Wile E. Coyote-style off a fiscal cliff, you popped a little mental champagne. But even though the compromise prevents huge tax increases and keeps unemployment benefits in pla ... More >>

"Whereas... LeBron James Decided to Take His Talent to South Beach": The Awesome Congressional Resolution Congratulating The Heat

It seems that Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen went all fan girl when drafting up a Congressional resolution to congratulate the Miami Heat on their NBA championship, because the thing is actually the rare Congressional measure that's a pleasure to read. It's basically a manifesto on why the Heat are just s ... More >>

Marco Rubio Used to Throw Up Drunk on People, Go to Foam Parties

Before he was a Tea Partier, Marco Rubio was just a plain old hard partier. His new memoir, An American Son, is out today, and while reviews seem to indicate it's what you might call sort of boring and politically safe, Florida's junior Senator does admit to drinking and partying in his past. In fac ... More >>

Connie Mack, 179th Most Conservative Member of Congress, Claims to Be "One of the Most Conservative" Members

Today, Rep. Connie Mack IV announced his "Social Conservatives for Mack Coalition" in a bid to shore up some far-right-wing support for his troubled Senate campaign. In the press release, his campaign declares that Mack "is one of the most conservative and hard-working members in the United States C ... More >>

Gloria Romero Roses, Random Person, to Run Against David Rivera as Democrat

Democrats have finally found a candidate to take on vulnerable Republican incumbent congressman David Rivera. Her name is Gloria Romero Roses. She has no electoral experience, no name recognition, and doesn't even live close to the district. Oh boy.

Connie Mack, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, and Other Florida Politicians Chided by Watchdog Report

Fudge your expenses at work and you could get fired. Fudge them when you're in Congress and you'll probably get away with it.A new anti-corruption report spells out how hundreds of U.S. representatives use their positions to enrich themselves and their families. According to the report, those engage ... 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.

U.S. Inspectors Approve Cuban Oil Rig 70 Miles Off Florida Coast, Ros-Lehtinen Slams Obama

When it comes to Cuba, President Obama can do little right in the eyes of exilio politicians. When he eased travel restrictions to the island, for example, Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen accused him of undermining democracy on the island. Now she's slamming Obama for his decision to order U.S. inspectors ... More >>

Crazy Anti-Gay Group Targets Ileana Ros-Lehtinen

​The National Organization for Marriage, the sometimes fumbling and controversial anti-gay marriage group, is targeting Miami-area Republican Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen in its latest publicity stunt. Last week, Ros-Lehtinen became the first and so far only Republican to sponsor a bill that ... More >>

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Becomes First and Only Republican to Back the Repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act

​Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen is boldly breaking away from the rest of the Republican party to become the first and likely only Republican to co-sponsor a bill that would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act. Ros-Lehtinen, currently the most senior female Republican member of the house and chairwoman of ... More >>

Should We Cut off Aid to Pakistan? Allen West Says Yes, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Says No Way

​The Pakistani government and military is facing tough criticism after Osama bin Laden was found living rather comfortably in a large city in their country just minutes from Pakistan's top military training academy. Rep. Allen West of Broward and Palm Beach, ever the reactionary Republican, is lea ... 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 >>

Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen to Give GOP Response to State of the Union in Spanish

​President Obama will deliver his second annual State of the Union address tonight. Ah yes, the State of the Union address -- Washington's most annoying and pompous tradition. Along with the seemingly never ending applause, the traditional opposition party response ranks right up there as the sing ... More >>

Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Leads Us Into Annoying New World of Live Tweets from House Floor

​Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen made history yesterday by making the first (semi-) authorized Tweet from the House Chamber of the U.S. Congress. The Republican congresswoman, whose Twitter is usually full of rooting for local football teams, live Tweeted a picture of former Speaker Nancy Pelosi handing ... More >>

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen's Call to Assassinate Castro Haunts Her as She Takes Charge of Foreign Affairs Committee

​After nearly 22 years in the House and becoming the Republican's longest serving female member of that body, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen is about to get her biggest taste of power yet in DC. When the GOP assumes control of the House in January, Ros-Lehtinen will become the chair of the Committee on Forei ... More >>

News Roundup

Manny Diaz sent letters to a hundred Miami Police officers informing them they'd be let go unless the police union agrees to pay cuts. [Herald]Doctors at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine were able to use a portion of a woman's tooth to restore her eyesight. [ABCNews]Yet another Miam ... More >>

News Roundup

An appeals court in Miami today will take up Florida's gay adoption ban. [AP]Michael Beasley's stay in rehab was planned; in fact, he had already been in Houston attending therapy for two weeks beforehand. [Herald]After seeing so many wackos storm Democratic congressman with accusations of ... More >>

Ros-Lehtinen Helps Reintroduce ENDA with Protection for Transgender Individuals

It's quite ironic that so many so-called liberal politicians still have such a hard time talking about or defending the rights of transsexual people. Why should it be such a struggle to pass legislation that ensures people won't be discriminated against by potential employers on the basis of gen ... More >>

Ros-Lehtinen Debates Rangel over Whether Young Americans Should Play Their Hip-Hop in Cuba

Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY) has a dream about Cuba:"I can imagine American tourists, our young kids, playing their hip-hop and letting the world see what America stands for."He was on CNN last night debating Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen in Campbell Brown's "The Great Debate" segment about the Cuban em ... More >>

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Angry at Statistics

Every month it seems Forbes puts out some dumb list of city rankings. Riptide always notes how dumb the list is, but posts about it anyway. Forbes appreciates any extra page views it gets, because that's half the reason they do it, but at the end of the day, these lists don't really mean all that mu ... More >>

News Roundup

Your Miami Dolphins did it! Some how! Some way! They took their division, are heading to the play offs, and made the greatest season to season turn around in NFL history. Not only that but to get their they beat the Patriots, who last year came ridiculously close to joining the '72 Dolphins in per ... More >>

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 >>

Obama Snubs Taddeo Too

Sorry, Annette Taddeo, you're not going to Washington either, apparently. This afternoon Obama tapped venture capitalist Karen Mills as head of the Small Business Administration. There was some buzz earlier in the week that Taddeo, who ran for Congress against Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, might get the nod ... More >>

Ros-Lehtinen Swears She Won't Hang Up On You

Congratulations to Ileana Ros-Lehtinen who moved her Washington, D.C. offices this weekend, and as is her custom, she sent out a release about it, with lots and lots of exclamation marks!Starting today Monday, December 15, 2008, this will be our new home away from home. If you have recently sent a p ... More >>

Hey, Miami, You're Stupid

Public figures offer comic relief.

Oh, How Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Is Dumb, Let Us Count The Ways

If Ileana Ros-Lehtinen ever got an important 3am phone call of national importance, apparently she would hang up, and then put out a press release about it. Riptide has already written up Ileana's now infamous Obama hang up, but let's use the magic of bullet points to painstakingly detail just how ... More >>

Ileana Mistakes Obama for Fauxbama, Hangs Up On the Real Prez

Oh snap! So apparently Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen never really got over the shock or hilarity of Sarah Palin getting totally punked by those Canadian DJs pretending to be Nicholas Sarkozy.Because when the President-elect tried to call her yesterday, she hung up on him quicker than you can say "No norm ... More >>

Electorial Money Makers, Part I

With the election season wrapped up, Banana Republican sifted through federal campaign financial reports, including those of Barack Obama and John McCain, to see who got paid. We begin with the companies that made money working for Mario Diaz-Balart, Lincoln Diaz-Balart and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, t ... More >>

Annette Taddeo Wants Ileana Ros-Lehtinen's Job

The Colombian-American is gaining momentum on the Cuban-American in the race for Congress.

Just a Reminder: Your Congressmen are Weak

News Roundup

Bailout Is In

Joey Porter's Solution To The Financial Crises: Grab A Shovel

News Roundup

Castro Is Dead. Or Not.

Dire Emergency for Internet Radio!!

Blog of the Day

BEST SMALL-TOWN PARADE

Three Kings Parade

Letters from the Issue of April 25, 2002

The Everglades, dead fish, and dictators

Letters from the Issue of April 18, 2002

Is the only good fish a dead fish?

Heretics in the House

They came to Miami. They gathered publicly. They showed no fear. And they trashed the Cuba embargo.

Should These Three Firemen Go Back to Work?

Plus: Ros-Lehtinen's strange name game

Voice of a Nation

Radio and TV Martí are supposed to remain above politics and provide Cubans with unbiased news. This is not a joke; it only seems like one.

True Colors

Alex Penelas gets in touch with the inner Alex Penelas

Broadcast Blunder

When the feds snatched Elian, Radio Martí should have been first with the news to Cuba. Instead its director quit in protest and chaos reigned.

Fesity Is As Fesity Does

Another House Democrat gets stung by Miami's Cuban-American congressional twosome -- and swats back