Subject: U.S. Congressional News

• Protestors Agitate Outside Rubio's Empty Office

  April 20, 2007

• News Wrap Up - Governor Solicits Sex, More Gambling for Florida, and Droopy Pants

  March 14, 2008

• Pelosi disses Obama in the Gables

  August 7, 2008

• Raul Martinez Leads Lincoln Diaz-Balart

  August 28, 2008

• Dan Gelber "Steps Back" From Senate Race

  The notion of any real divisive, state-wide primaries in Florida seems to be dead, as state Sen. Den Gelber has announced that he's "stepping back" from the US Senate Race. Which more or less means he's out. He made the annoncement on his blog: It makes little sense -- when we do face the prospect of real change in Florida -- for me to participate in a potentially divisive primary for U.S. Senate that will only serve to diminish our chances against a very formidable and well-known R

  June 1, 2009

• House GOP Goes Right Again, Leaving Miami's Moderates in the Cold

  All three of Miami's Republican representatives staved off Democratic challengers in the election, but the brand of Republicanism they represent is losing influence in their own party. While last week's Republican Governors Association conference didn't come to a clear conclusion on which ideological shifts the GOP should make, the Republicans in Congress selected staunch conservatives for new leadership roles. Conservative John Boehner will continue as minority leader, but his two deputy chi

  November 19, 2008

• Florida Democrats Lacking Latino Candidates

  Absent from the list of possible candidates for the Democratic nomination for either governor or senator in 2010 are Latinos. It's nothing new. The Democrats have never run a Latino for governor or the Senate, and they've never elected one to the U.S. House of Representatives. In fact, one would be hard-pressed to name a high-profile Hispanic Democrat to ever come out of Florida. Meanwhile, Republicans have found electoral success with Mel Martinez and Bob Martinez (no relation, and, yes, Bob

  January 7, 2009

• The Perfect Resumé for a Florida Senate Seat

  Political math god Nate Silver put together a handy pie chart showing that the career stop for a majority of current U.S. senators is a U.S. House seat. Good news for Kendrick Meek, Connie Mack IV, and the handful of other representatives who might be angling for the seat, but don't expect to see a Meek vs. Mack matchup anytime soon. Looking back on our senators of the past 50 years, which comes out to a nice even number of ten individuals, we found only three have come directly from U.S. H

  January 13, 2009

• McCollum or Boyd Won't Be Your Next Senator

  Both sides of the Senate 2010 fray just lost significant rumored candidates. Republican Attorney General Bill McCollum and Democratic Congressmen Allen Boyd have both said they won't seek the open seat. McCollum has sought a Senate seat twice before. He claimed his party's nomination in 2000, but lost to Democrat Bill Nelson. He tried his luck again in 2004, but lost in the primary to Mel Martinez and got called "the new darling of the homosexual extremists" as a parting gift. Instead McCollum w

  January 28, 2009

• Florida Probably Doesn't Want New Hampshire's Leftovers

  Considering most runners in the 2010 Senate race haven't held a position higher than congressman, it might behoove anyone with a stronger resumé to think about entering the fray, and what better job to have in your past when seeking a Senate seat than senator? Reportedly, former New Hampshire Sen. Bob Smith, who now lives in Sarasota, is at least thinking about throwing in his name. But the Buzz makes a good point in that "winning a statewide election in New Hampshire is akin to winning a count

  January 30, 2009

• Oh, Look, We Already Have Front Runners for 2014

  They don't share political idealogies, but they do share a hair stylist. It's a sign of just how much dominance Charlie Crist has in Florida politics that both races he could conceivably run in 2010 - Governor or, less likely, Senator - are having a hard time attracting big name candidate, but the next open race in Florida - for Governor all the way in 2014, barring Bill Nelson's retirement - already have front runners on both sides. After Democratic CFO Alex Sink decided not to seek the senate

  January 30, 2009

• Manny and His Marry Band of Mayors Get Snubbed by Obama

  Mayor Manny Diaz is in D.C. exercising his duties as president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, and hoped to get some face time with another president. You know, that President Obama one. Flanked by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and others, Diaz is running around our nation's capital in support of the proposed stimulus package, and the mayors went to the White House yesterday. They met with top aides such as Valerie Jarrett and Cecelia Muñoz, but according to Politico were hoping to m

  February 5, 2009

• Death and Profits

  June 16, 1993

• Mr. Diaz-Balart Goes to Washington

  July 14, 1993

• Tube or Not Tube

  July 20, 1994

• The Limp Blimp Also Rises

  August 24, 1994

• With Friends Like These ...

  Bruce Hornsby gets by with a little big-name help.

  October 23, 2008

• Speak on It, Nancy

  July 31, 2008

• Welcome to Fabulous Tallahassee

  April 22, 2004

• Freedom-Fried Brains

  March 27, 2003

• The Will Adams Embargo

  January 9, 2003

• The Money Trail

  October 31, 2002

• Politics & Parties & Power

  October 31, 2002

• Heretics in the House

  April 11, 2002

• The Enigma

  March 8, 2001

• The Untold Story

  November 30, 2000

• Plowing Under the Cuba Embargo

  June 29, 2000

• News of the Weird

  July 15, 1999

• The Catalyst

  November 5, 1998

• Dog Fight

  July 16, 1998

• Ack-Ack Over Washington

  June 25, 1998

• Secretary of Limbo

  March 19, 1998

• There Oughta Be a Law!

  March 21, 1996

• Double Jeopardy

  September 28, 1994

• Hats The Musical Starring Senator Frederica Wilson

  State Senator Frederica Wilson has Practical hats. She has dramatical hats. She also has pragmatical hats, fanatical hats, oratorical hats, delphioracle hats, skeptical hats, dispeptical hats, romantical hats, pedantical hats, critical hats, parasitical hats, and so on and so forth.Herald/Times Tallahassee bureau just put up a 731 word article on her hats! Which is probably not as many words as Wilson has hats.Though, not everyone likes her hats, because not everyone is a wonderfu

  May 8, 2009

• Senate Withholds Funds to Close Guantanamo Bay

  Barry BlandPrisoners in Guantanamo BayThe Senate voted against providing $80 million to shut down Guantanamo Bay 90 to 6 today. The move comes a day before President Obama is scheduled to outline his plans for what to do with the 240 terrorism suspects held in Cuba. The provision also temporarily barred the transport of the suspects to American soil. "Guantánamo makes us less safe. However, this is neither the time nor the bill to deal with this. Democrats under no circumstances will

  May 20, 2009

• Marco Rubio Takes a Swipe at Sonia Sotomayor

  May 28, 2009

• Gitmo Terrorists Are Coming to Your Back Yard! And to the Tiny Island Nation of Palau?

  As we reported in February after a visit to Guantánamo Bay, President Obama faces some pretty damn thorny decisions as he tries to close the notorious prison camp in southeastern Cuba, none tougher than what the heck to do with all the prisoners. via Wikimedia Commons.Soon coming to a backyard near you.The logical solution -- bring them to the U.S. for a fair trial -- has been destroyed by an idiot Congress kowtowing to ignorant hometown concerns about terrorists coming to the States. Bowi

  June 10, 2009

• Manny Diaz Endorses Kendrick Meek for Senate

  Rep. Kendrick Meek added another impressive entry to his list of endorsement of US Senate today as City of Miami Mayor, and president of the US Conference of Mayor, Manny Diaz announced his endorsement. The press release came with equal amounts of back patting on the part of both men. "Congressman Kendrick Meek is a leader in Congress who knows that placing unfair financial burdens and unfunded mandates on our cities is a practice that must end. Cities are being asked to do

  June 11, 2009

• Palin and Crist Played Phone Tag

  via Wiki CommonsCould Charlie Crist have been tempting Sarah Palin to through her two cents into the Republican primary for senate? Records show that the two tried to speak on the phone a few days before Crist announced his Senate bid, and ABC seems to think Charlie might have been seeking an endorsement from America's favorite hockey mom:  "GOV: Telephone Call Into Governor Crist," reads a May 4 entry in Palin's schedule. A spokeswoman for Crist said she did not know who had initiated con

  July 7, 2009

• Marco Rubio Gets Support of the Dick Armey

  I know it's so easy to make fun of Dick Armey's name (Vagina Coastguard, thanks Family Guy), that even Dick Armey has done it himself. Dave Barry, of all people, once asked Armey if that was really his name. "Yes, I am Dick Armey. And if there is a dick army, Barney Frank would want to join up," Armey replied. Frank, of course, is the openly gay congressman from New York. He also likes making fun of other people's names. He once said Barack Obama's name could "give people concerns that he

  July 14, 2009

• Yolly Roberson Kicks Off House Bid Against Crowded Field, Including Her Ex-Husband

  With Kendrick Meek resigning to seek a Senate seat, Florida's 17th congressional district will have its first non-Meek representative since 1993. District 17, with a Cook pvi of D 34, is one of the most Democratic leaning districts in the entire nation, so the real race is poised to take place in the Democratic primary. State Sen. Frederica Wilson has already thrown her many, sparkling hats into the ring. Activist Marliene Bastian has officially filed, as have

  July 17, 2009

• Kendrick Meek Opposes Using Federal Funds to Pay for Abortions

  Rep. Kendrick Meek has joined a small group of house Democrats asking that any health-care reforms not lead to federal funding of abortion, according to the Washington Post. The possibility of taxpayer money being used to pay for abortions is becoming a hot-button issue in the health-care reform debate -- one that Republicans might use to completely derail the purpose. Meek joined four other centrist Democrats who sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi saying they are "increasingly conc

  July 22, 2009

• Miami City Commission Urges Obama To Repeal Don't Ask Don't Tell

  via Jilly McJillerson's FlickrIn an unanimous vote yesterday, the City of Miami Comission passed a resolution condemning the military's anti-gay "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. Introduced by Joe Sanchez, the resolution cited the dismissal of translators, inability to meet recruiting levels, and the blatant discrimination. The measure even went as far as to call some of the effects of D.A.D.T. "insidious." If signed by Mayor Manny Diaz, which is pretty likely, a letter will be

  July 24, 2009

• Lincoln Diaz-Balart Won't Pursue Senate Seat

  Lincoln Diaz-BalartRep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart has announced he won't pursue Mel Martinez's open Senate seat. Gov. Charlie Crist had sent Diaz-Balart an application of sorts for the job. His announcement also puts to rest any crazy political musical chairs rumors his open House seat could have set off."It was a great honor to be considered by Governor Crist for appointment to the United States Senate. After giving the governor's request serious consideration and deliberation, I have decided to rema

  August 18, 2009

• Dan Webster Added to Senate Shortlist

  Charlie Crist has added former state legislator Dan Webster to his ever-growing shortlist of possible Senate appointees. The Central Florida political vet has already said he'd be open to the job, because "it would be prety cool." Webster served in the Florida House for 18 years and became the first Republican speaker of the house in 122 years. He then sought a state Senate seat and served in that arm for ten years, including a stint as majority leader. He flirted with running for

  August 20, 2009

• Marco Rubio and Kendrick Meek Simply Do Not Care for This LeMieux Character

  ​Marco Rubio and Kendrick Meek have only a few things in common: They're both running for Senate. They'll both likely face Charlie Crist. They'll both likely lose to him. And now they both don't very much like George LeMieux's status as newly minted senator. Politically, this is just about the only thing you could ever expect them to agree on. Here's Rubio's reaction, in which he calls LeMieux Charlie Crist's BFF: "This is a disappointing appointment for Florida. George LeM

  August 28, 2009

• 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 those from tiny states like Vermont and Rhode Island -- States where the total population is less than half of all of Miami-Dade County. The Herald-Tribune took into account Roll Call's annual i

  September 9, 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

• Obama Addresses Congressional Hispanic Caucus Gala; Sings Happy Birthday to Marc Anthony

  via CHCI​President Obama addressed the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Gala last night where he touted the number of hispanics he's appointed to high level positions, his nomination of Sonia Sotomayor, and stressed that the problems that face Hispanics are the problems that face America as a whole. An excerpt from his speech (full remarks available here):  Now, we face enormous challenges as a nation. Many of those challenges are felt far more acutely by Latinos. But our ab

  September 17, 2009