Subject: Rod Blagojevich

• News Roundup

  Maybe we're just heading for disappointment if we get caught up in the fact that the Dolphins could win their division, but it feels so good. [USA Today]Unscientific Odds of survival for The Miami Herald: "2-1. If you do not consider a two-page weekly digest of Dave Barry and Carl Hiaasen columns to be 'survival,' we lower its odds to 3-1." [Gawker]Sun-Sentinel meanwhile says they'll be just fine while their parent company Tribune Co. goes through bankruptcy. [Sun-Sent]A local band needs help to

  December 9, 2008

• What Blagojevich Teaches Us About Political Appointments

  Welcome to biggest blatant political scandal in years starring Illinois Governor Rod R. Blagojevich. Basically the dude tried to leverage his power to be able to select the successor to Obama's Senate seat for money (note to wingnuts: There's no evidence that the Obama camp is involved in this at all). Oh, political appointments. That seems to be a topic Riptide has been harping on for a while. To recap: The Hialeah City Council appoints Katherine Cue, a 21 y/o ex-beauty queen and aid to Mayor

  December 9, 2008

• Richardson Is Out, and Manny Diaz Supporters See an In

  New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson withdrew from his commerce secretary appointment over the weekend owing to allegations that a company which donated to his presidential run was unfairly awarded a hefty state contract. Damn you, Rod Blagojevich, you've gone and made everyone extrasensitive about political taint. Richardson was Obama's highest-profile Hispanic cabinet pick, and some groups are eager to see another Latin American get the nod. The League of United Latin American Citizens quickly

  January 5, 2009

• Why Was Batali Even Up There?

  We're referring to Mario Batali being "up there" on stage at the SBWFF's Wines and Food of Spain dinner. You've probably heard that he dropped a couple of F-bombs in front of the royal company. And speaking of F-bombs: What the fuck was he even doing on that platform welcoming the King and Queen of Spain to our city? We've got more than enough great chefs that could have done so, and in the process given Miami's culinary scene a boost. It is nothing less than a slap in the face to our local culi

  February 22, 2009

• Honduras Does Not Want To Deal With Any Crap From Miami's Resident Antichrist

  via Art Lung's flickrJose Luis de Jesus Miranda, the locally based Antichrist behind the Growing in Grace Church/Cult, just wants to find a couple more followers to sport "666" on their foreheads and worship him as a Jesus-like figure. Isn't that what we all want? He's had lots of success with that mission here in Miami (where the church is headquartered), and in Columbia, and Puerto Rico. He's also  aggressively branching out into other Latin American countries. Legislators in the Honduran

  March 25, 2009

• News Roundup

  Miami Beach hires  one of the world's most well known architects, Frank Gehry, to design a new home for the New World Symphony. then it seriously asks him to reduce his fee. Gehry may leave the project. [Architect's Journal] Former Miami Beach Mayor and former jailbird Alex Daoud was excluded from a speaking engagement at University of Tampa. It is all Rod Blagojevich's fault. [Herald]Miami Beach finally, finally had its first official gay pride parade. [SunSent] We are doin

  April 20, 2009

• Who Will Charlie Crist Appoint to Replace Mel Martinez?

  Charlie Crist has the power​As long as I live, I don't think Florida will see a more chaotic election cycle than 2010. Now, Mel Martinez has thrown in another twist by resigning early, leaving the decision to pick his appointment to Gov. Charlie Crist, who is running to replace Martinez himself. Let's take a look at some of the names being floated around complete with our odds, which we calculated through the magic of "picking numbers at random that sounded sensible." Himself: I

  August 7, 2009

• Should Governors Really Have the Sole Power to Appoint Replacement Senators?

  ​Counting Charlie Crist's announcement today that he's chosen his former Chief of Staff to fill out the remained of Mel Martinez's senate term, in that past year alone six United States Senators have entered office through being appointed by a Governor. Depending the outcome of a debate over a law change in Massachusetts that number could rise to seven. Aside from the relatively low key choice of Michael Bennet in Colorado to succeed Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, five of those ap

  August 28, 2009

• Even Blagojevich Criticizes Crist's Senate Pick

  Rod Blagojevich criticizing anyone for making a shady appointment to a Senate seat is sort of like Kanye West chastising someone for awards-show misbehavior. But then again, egomaniacs aren't really that self-aware. Blago went on Fox and Friends this morning to pimp his upcoming book and argued he wasn't trying to sell Barack Obama's empty seat but rather, according to The Hill, "he was merely trying to use his state's open Senate seat as leverage to create new jobs and prevent a futu

  September 14, 2009