U.S. Politics

Everett Wilkinson: Tea Party Extremist, Media Darling

Jim Greer: Racism and Dead Bodies Ahead

New Florida Rep. Trey Radel Hints at Obama Impeachment Over Gun Control Executive Orders

Rep. Trey Radel, the former improv actor and conservative radio host who won Connie Mack IV's seat in Southwest Florida, is not impressed with the executive order President Obama unveiled today concerning gun control. In fact, he's already hinting at impeachment.

Is Charlie Crist Florida's Next Governor?

Poll: Rick Scott's Approval Rating Is "Awful," Charlie Crist Has Best Chance To Beat Him

Maybe it was the bungled Election Day, or the Stand Your Ground backlash, or the drug testing programs gone awry, or just the fact that he still looks like a cyborg sent from the future to slash entitlement programs. Either way, Gov. Rick Scott continues posting historically bad poll numbers.A new Q ... More >>

Debbie Wasserman Schultz Blocks Miami Democratic Leader Annette Taddeo-Goldstein's Bid for State Chair

There's a big battle brewing between the Old Guard and the New Guard for the top leadership position of Florida's Democratic Party. Several South Florida Hispanic Democrats are voicing their displeasure with Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz's move to support Tallahasee's Allison Tant in next m ... More >>

GOP Chair Reince Priebus Sued for "Underfranchising" Hispanic Voters

After last month's electoral loss, the Republican Party is desperately trying to make it self over as a Hispanic friendly group, but the fact that a group representing Hispanic Republican voters in Florida has now filed a lawsuit against  Reince Priebus, the national GOP chair with a name that ... More >>

Florida Republicans' Ballot Fraud 2012

A Huge Majority Of Dems Want Crist As Gov., According to Poll No One is Sure Whether to Trust

Should Charlie Crist return to politics as a Democrat his biggest roadblock may be, well, Democratic voters. After all, one would figure that a man who has a pretty solid Republican political history (despite what Tea Partiers might have had you believed) would have a hard time winning in a Democrat ... More >>

Mitt Romney Had Virtually No Convention Bounce in Florida

National polls are showing that President Barack Obama definitely sustained a significant post-convention bounce after last week's DNC, but what about ol' Mitt Romney? One would figure that by virtue of hosting the Republican National Convention right here in Florida, that the GOP candidate would at ... More >>

Miami Beach Elects Florida's First Openly Gay State Legislator, David Richardson

Until last night, Florida was the largest state in the union to have never elected an openly gay candidate to its state legislature. Yes, even Texans elected an openly gay representative all the way back in 1991.That changed last night as voters in Florida 113th House district, which encompasses par ... More >>

Poll: Senator Bill Nelson Continues to Crush Connie Mack IV

Barring any sort of crazy scandal or shakeup, you might as well refer to Rep. Connie Mack IV as the GOP's presumptive senate nominee in Florida. He continues to poll heads and tails above his Republican primary competitors (and is now refusing to show up to debates, as he's already considered himsel ... More >>

Poll: Charlie Crist Would Beat Rick Scott 48-34 in Hypothetical 2014 Governor Race

It's actually kind of hilarious how far Republican candidates try to flee from any connection to Charlie Crist considering that the former Governor remains modestly popular among Floridians who are not true believers in the Conservative moment. In fact, he's a lot more popular than our current, stri ... More >>

Rick Scott's Taxpayer Waste Czar Got $400,00 No-Bid Contract in Taxpayer Money

Abraham Uccello, the man appointed by Gov. Rick Scott to head a task force to reduce waste in state government, once received a $400,000 no-bid contact from the state to provide "technology consulting." Uccello, by the way, is close friends with Steve MacNamara, Scott's chief of staff.Here's a good ... More >>

State Sen. Nan Rich to Run Against Rick Scott in 2014

Florida's next gubernatorial election is more than two years away, but if Gov. Rick Scott's popularity remains below sea level, there's a good chance a Democrat could emerge victorious for the first time since 1994. The question is, of course, which Democrat?State Sen. Nan Rich, the top Democrat in ... More >>

Tea Party Disappointed Rick Scott Hasn't Been a Bigger Tea Party Wingnut

Reality, or something sort of like it, has finally caught up to Gov. Rick Scott. The Tea Party activists that help elect him? They're apparently not so enamored of Scott any longer. The leaders of what remains of the movement are not too pleased with Scott's performance as governor thus far, even th ... More >>

Mitt Romney Wants You To Know He's Really Good Friends with Dolphins Owner Stephen Ross

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has a habit of reminding everyone just how very, very rich he is, and lately, just how very, very rich and powerful all of his friends are.About a month ago while discussing NASCAR, he mentioned how he was friends with several team owners. This morning, ... More >>

Poll: Obama Will Crush Any Republican in Latino Vote, Unless Marco Rubio Is VP Nominee

​A new poll, commissioned by Fox News Latino, suggests that whichever Republican candidate emerges as the presidential nominee has very little hope of capturing the Hispanic vote. Seventy-three percent of Latino voters say they approve of Obama's job performance, and in head-to-head match ups ... More >>

Strippers Skrawberry and Tip Drill evaluate the Republican contenders

Newt Gingrich Robocall Claims Mitt Romney Took Kosher Food Away From Holocaust Survivors

​Newt Gingrich is all but certain to lose today's Florida Primary, but he's not going out without a fight. In a last-ditch effort to secure the Jewish vote, Gingrich's campaign is running Robocalls in Florida claiming that as governor of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney literally took Kosher food out of ... More >>

Drunk Miami Republicans Rally For Santorum and Rick Scott

Jacob KatelRick Santorum vs Victor Gonzalez​Alcohol impairs your judgment? Screw it, we'll have a shot of whiskey, a beer, and a Latin Builders Association membership application.Starting early Friday morning in downtown Miami, the LBA invited guests to drink their way to Decision 2012, offering 2 ... More >>

Quiz: Can You Spot the Real Republican Tweet?

​We'd been obsessively tracking the Republican presidential candidates on the campaign trail for weeks when something strange happened. The words coming out of their mouths started to sound like, well, a joke. From statements at debates to sound bytes on CNN, each politician seemed to be subtly pa ... More >>

Newt Gingrich Calls for New Cold War With Cuba, Ron Paul Says One Was Enough

15 years out of government and Newt's still crazy​The 3 a.m. phone call has struck again. In tonight's GOP primary debate, NBC anchor Bryan Williams asked the candidates what they would do if told that Fidel Castro had finally died and "half a million Cubans" were on their way to the United States ... More >>

Five Freaky Republican Presidential Candidates' Doppelgängers

​The nationwide comedy tour known as the Republican presidential race is in Florida this week. Over several months, rich candidates have perfected the game of politics in their quest for the Republican Party's nomination and the chance to go up against President Barack Obama in November. Pr ... More >>

Mitt Romney Retakes Big Lead in Florida, Floridians Really Don't Like Ron Paul

​After a brief spell where Florida Republicans seemed to favor Newt Ginrgrich as their GOP flavor of the month, Mitt Romney is firmly back on top in the Sunshine State after his Iowa caucus victory. Gingrich remains second, while Rick Santorum has seen his fortunes rise somewhat but is still a dis ... More >>

Mitt Romney Takes the Slightest of Leads in Latest Florida Poll

​The story of the 2012 presidential primary seems to be one of surging candidates quickly falling down to earth, with one, Mitt Romney, remaining consistently stable. It's beginning to look like Newt Gingrich might join Michelle Bachmann, Rick Perry, and Herman Cain as a discarded frontrunner. Aft ... More >>

Rick Perry: Awful politician, genius campaigner

Former Florida Gov. Claude Kirk, "a Tree-Shakin' Son of a Bitch," Dies at 85

​Former Florida Gov. Claude Kirk has died at the age of 85. Taking office in 1967, Kirk was Florida's first Republican governor since Reconstruction and the first Republican governor elected in a Southern state in modern times. Kirk is remembered for his outsize personality and flair for controver ... More >>

Supposed Tea Party Leaders Support Resorts World Miami Casino

​Recent research seems to suggest that the Tea Party is just the old, trusty religious right wrapped up in a shiny new package. Apparently, South Florida Tea Partiers didn't get the memo. Two Tea Party leaders in the area, which neither appear to be very powerful, have voiced their public support ... More >>

Poll: Romney and McCallister Lead Florida GOP Primaries; Debt Deal Hurts Obama

​We're still in that uncertain season of the 2012 election cycle where every poll will show some different and somewhat surprising result. Quinnipiac is the latest to crunch the numbers and shows that Mitt Romney is the favorite to get the presidential nod from Republican voters in Florida. Meanwh ... More >>

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 >>

Rick Scott's dirtiest deeds

Florida Tea Party Group Thinks Saving Manatees Is Part of Mass Godless Conspiracy

​Members of Florida Tea Party groups are so upset with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's efforts to save manatees that they are claiming that new rules to possibly be imposed in famous Kings Bay would not only go against the Bible, but also are part of a vast United Nations conspiracy ... More >>

Poll: Rick Scott's Unpopularity Could Help Obama in Florida

​Fresh off of its Republican primary poll yesterday, Public Policy Polling, a democratically-aligned polling firm, has released new numbers showing that large numbers of Florida voters are less likely to vote for a Republican presidential candidate in 2012 thanks to the actions of Rick Scott. ... More >>

2012 Poll: Mitt Romney Leads Republicans in Florida, Bachmann and Palin Tie for Second

​Mitt Romney is the man to beat in Florida as the 2012 Republican primary horse race heats up. Romney holds a ten-point advantage over second place finishers Michele Bachmann and Sarah Palin. Romney also benefits from incredibly low support for similar candidates like John Hunstman and Tim Paw ... More >>

Could Charlie Crist Take on Rick Scott in 2014 As a Democrat?

​Gov. Rick Scott's leadership hasn't given Floridians much to celebrate. He's the most unpopular governor in America, and his poll numbers don't appear to be getting any better. But Democrats see a silver lining in the dark cloud. Scott's deep unpopularity gives them renewed electoral hope. I ... More >>

Marco Rubio tricked the Tea Party into thinking he was part of the clan

Marco Rubio Tricked The Tea Party

​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 reassesses Sen. Marco Rubio's Tea Party credentials.I need to thank Marco Rubio. He really stuck it to the Tea Party. He ... More >>

Neither Gimenez nor Robaina Has Much Nice to Say About Rick Scott

​No matter who becomes Miami-Dade's next mayor, don't expect him to have the rosiest of relationships with deeply unpopular Florida Gov. Rick Scott. The race is nonpartisan, but both Carlos Gimenez and Julio Robaina are registered Republicans. However, at a debate this morning, both made it clear ... More >>

Rick Scott's Plummeting Popularity: 57 Percent Disapprove

​Gov. Rick Scott's popularity continues to plummet after the legislative session. Only 29 percent of Floridians approve of the way he's handling his job according to a new Quinnipiac poll. While a whopping 57 percent disapprove. That's down from an already dismal 35/48 split back in April. Mos ... More >>

Will Any GOP 2012 Candidate Even Want Rick Scott's Endorsement?

​Here's a fun game to watch play out as several announced and potential candidates for the Republican's 2012 presidential primary start visiting Florida: will any of them meet with Governor Rick Scott let alone seek his endorsement? Former Utah Governor and ambassador to China John Huntsman is ... More >>

Florida's Attempt at Arizona-Style Immigration Bill is Likely Dead

​It generated one of the most controversial and heated debates of the legislative session and is a key agenda item for Governor Rick Scott, but it seems likely that conservatives' efforts to pass an Arizona-style immigration bill in Florida is dead, despite the fact both houses are controlled by R ... More >>

Rick Scott's Administration Really Hates Sunshine Laws

​"Are there things we don't want you to know? Yes," Brian Burgess, Rick Scott's communication director (or misdirector in many cases) tells the Times/Herald's Tallahassee Bureau. "There are things we don't want to broadcast to our opponents."Florida's Sunshine Laws are supposed to foster an o ... More >>

Rick Scott Had His Facts Wrong When He Trashed High Speed Rail

​Perhaps Rick Scott's biggest action during his first 100 days in office was the killing of Florida's federally-funded high speed rail project. It would have revolutionized our transit system and had an effect on the economy like no other project in recent Florida history. So, you would have hoped ... More >>

Conservatives Outraged as Hispanic Republicans Water Down Florida's Arizona-style Immigration Bill

​Florida's so-called Arizona-style immigration bill, which Governor Rick Scott campaigned on, is looking less and less Arizona-style as it makes it way through the state legislature. Republican state Senator Anitere Flores, who had authored the original Senate version of the bill, helped approve a ... 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 >>

You Can Now Buy Mike Haridopolos' Crappy Book for $9.99 on Your Kindle

​So, this weekend the Associated Press published a story on some crappy book Florida Senate President and likely US Senate candidate Mike Haridopolos got $152,000 in taxpayer money from Brevard Community College to write. Besides being of questionable quality, only one copy of the book existed. We ... More >>

Marco Rubio Doesn't Really Want to Join the Senate's Tea Party Caucus

​Last year, Marco Rubio ended up on the cover of The New York Times magazine with the headline "The First Senator from the Tea Party?" Well, there's no question anymore about whether or not he's a Senator, but now that he is, he's not so sure he wants to join the actual Tea Party caucus. It's not ... More >>

Palin and Beck killed 'em in Tucson

Will Gay Voters Save the Republican Party?

​After their success in the midterm elections, many Republicans probably think their party is in pretty good shape and doesn't need to be saved. But one local GOP group is thinking long term. It argues that the party needs to moderate itself on social issues and attract gay voters in order to rema ... More >>