U.S. State Politics

Rick Scott Trying to Steal Jobs From Democratic States, Which is Pissing Off Their Governors

Rick Scott is personally reaching out to businesses in other states to try and get them to relocate to Florida. Which, OK, sure, we're all for, but because Scott is apparently and almost comically incapable of doing anything without controversy, it seems he's only trying to poach companies from stat ... More >>

Poll: Only a Third of Floridians Think Rick Scott Deserves to Be Reelected

Another day, another poll with bad news for Florida Governor Rick Scott. This time it's from Quinnipiac.The poll seems to show a case of too little too late for Scott. While Floridians largely agree with Scott's latest high profile decision to expand Medicare, less than one-third feels he deserves t ... More >>

Pro-Rick Scott Satanists Are Actually Part of a Mockumentary

So remember when we pointed you to a press release touting members of a Satanic church rallying for Gov. Rick Scott and wondered if it was a real or some high level trolling? Turns out it was the later. Florida's Satanic Temple is only slightly less real than Manti Te'o's girlfriend.

Rick Scott Silent on Gun Laws; Marco Rubio Supports Comprehensive Study of Gun Laws

Florida Gov. Rick Scott -- a man who has signed laws forbidding doctors from asking about patients' gun ownership and forcing municipalities to stop enforcing stricter local gun laws  -- was silent today about gun laws when asked about  the Sandy Hook massacre. 

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 >>

Rick Scott on Florida's Election Debacle: "The Right Thing Happened"

Facing criticism that his voter reforms and refusal to extend early voting hours lead to Florida's election debacle on Tuesday, Rick Scott told a radio station today, "Well, I'm very comfortable that the right thing happened."Hmm, let's just check the definitions of "right" from Merriam-Webster.

Florida Socialist Workers Party Denied Spot on State Ballot, Blames Rick Scott's Election Law

If Fox News anchors are right (they're not) and Barack Obama is secretly a socialist (he isn't), the president sure is doing a pretty shitty job spreading his collectivist creed in the Sunshine State. On Friday, for instance, Florida's Secretary of State informed the Socialist Workers Party that it ... More >>

LeMieux: Now You're Not The Charlie Crist That I Used to Know

Charlie Crist is getting awfully cozy to the Democratic party by endorsing Obama and planning to speak at their convention. It's been awfully uncomfortable for George LeMieux. Crist employed LeMieux as his campaign manager and chief of staff, and then appointed him to the Senate.Now, LeMieux has spo ... More >>

Dear Dems, Please Do Not Run Charlie Crist for Governor

Dear Democratic Party of Florida,Rumors have been swirling that Charlie Crist would be joining your party ever since he got his ass handed to him Tea-Party style in the 2010 Senate race. Now there's very specific gossip going around that he'll announce his official membership in your party in a Sund ... More >>

Florida's Unemployment Rate Rises for First Time in 12 Months

Hey, the Florida unemployment numbers are in for July, and -- oh no! What's this? A rise? We haven't seen one of these in 12 months.Yes, Florida's unemployment rate rose from 8.6 percent in June to 8.8 percent in July, the first increase after a steady stream of declines in the past 12 months.

Attorney General Pam Bondi Mysteriously Canceled Her Cayman Islands Wedding This Weekend

By all accounts, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi was supposed to fly this weekend to a lavish luxury resort with a couple dozen of her closest friends, family and colleagues (including Gov. Rick Scott) and tie the knot with her fiance, Dr. Greg Henderson. Then something happened. No one is actual ... More >>

Poll: Marco Rubio Is Second Most Popular Pick Among Potential Romney Running Mates

Two separate polls now have shown that Florida's junior senator, Marco Rubio, wouldn't give Mitt Romney much help in his home state against President Barack Obama in November, but that hasn't stopped voters in the rest of the nation from thinking he'd be a pretty decent Republican running mate. He c ... More >>

Senate Bill Would Make it Easier to Move Miami's Urban Development Boundary

​Republican State Senator Ellyn Bogdanoff represents Fort Lauderdale, but during this year's legislative session she seems to be really intent on introducing bills that could forever alter Miami-Dade County. First she was behind the now-failed bid to legalize destination casinos in South Florida, ... More >>

George LeMieux Continues Connie Mack/Charlie Sheen Attack with "Two & a Half Macks" Ad

​Instead of talking about salient issues, the two contenders for Florida's GOP Senate nomination have spent the better part of the last week arguing over a dumb Charlie Sheen joke. Former Sen. George LeMieux cracked last week that rival Rep. Connie Mack IV was the "Charlie Sheen of Florida Politic ... More >>

Connie Mack Gets Called "Charlie Sheen of Florida Politics" by George LeMieux

According to polls Rep. Connie Mack IV is currently "#Winning!" when it comes to Florida's Republican Senate primary, but his campaign has hit quite a few snags this week. Sensing an opportunity to pounce, Mack's last serious remaining challenger, ex-Senator George LeMieux, called Mack the ... More >>

Rick Scott Won't Be Paying for All of His Re-Election Campaign This Time

​Florida Governor Rick Scott sunk about $70 million of his own money in his successful bid for election in 2010. He won't be up for election again for more than two years, but he's already gearing up his campaign. However, this go-around he won't be paying for it all out of his own pocket. A polit ... More >>

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 >>

Newt Gingrich Decides He's the Marco Rubio to Mitt Romney's Charlie Crist

​No former speaker of the House knows better how to turn the tides against a well-funded, establishment-backed governor in a Republican primary in Florida than Marco Rubio, so it's no surprise that Newt Gingrich is now publicly drawing parallels between his own campaign and Rubio's 2010 victory. G ... More >>

Could Jeb Bush Still Enter the GOP Presidential Primary?

​The Confederacy of Dunces that emerged to vie for the GOP presidential primary certainly must have some could-have-been candidates rethinking their decision. After the swift, and often surreal, rises and eventual falls of Michele Bachmann, Rick Perry, and Herman Cain, the race is pretty much down ... More >>

Rick Scott Is Spending the Day Working at the Port of Miami

An excuse to use this image again? Yes, please. ​As part of his "Let's Get to Work" publicity stunt, Florida Governor Rick Scott will be spending the day working at the Port of Miami. Scott was spotted in a hardhat, orange vest and work gloves at the port early this morning, and will spend time wo ... More >>

Former First Lady Carole Crist Apparently Cut Off Communication With Her Kids

​Even though her husband has been out of office for nearly a year, former first lady of Florida Carole Crist still makes the gossip pages. First there was the news that she was registered as a Democrat and was openly asking top Democrats if her hubby Charlie Crist had any chance of reclaiming ... More >>

Rick Scott Still Trying to Figure Out Exactly What His Campaign Promises Meant

Back when he was running for Governor, Rick Scott promised that he'd add 700,000 jobs in Florida over seven years in addition to what the economy would produce regardless of who was Governor. It seemed like a simple enough promise at the time, but now ten months into his term he's still ap ... More >>

Carole Crist Privately Asked if Charlie Should Run for Governor As a Democrat

​Florida's own Lady Macbeth, Carole Crist, apparently isn't a big fan of being just a simple trial lawyer's wife. She married a superstar politician after all, so maybe it's no surprise she's privately asking about the possibility of hubby Charlie Crist making a return to politics -- this time, ho ... More >>

Florida Senate Creating a Casey Anthony Committee

​Florida's economy still sits in the dumpster. A recent study shows that Sunshine State ranks fourth in the nation for percentage of children whose parents can't afford to feed them. Yet the Florida Senate has announced plans to form a committee to tackle the fallout from the tabloid-friendly ... More >>

Should Florida Veterans Hall of Fame Include Rick Scott and Six Confederate Soldiers?

​We all know the Rick Scott administration isn't big on creating new government programs, but Scott's former chief of staff, Mike Prendergast, who now heads the state Department of Veterans Affairs, wants to institute a Florida Veterans Hall of Fame. Scott signed off on a bill authorizing the crea ... More >>

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 >>

Florida Senate Passes First Round of Anti-Abortion Bills

​The major issue of the 2010 election was the economy, and Florida voters chose to further entrench Republican power in Tallahassee. Of course, you can't put a bunch of Republicans in a legislative chamber and not expect them to pass a bunch of anti-abortion, anti-woman legislation. It's just what ... More >>

Now You Too Can Incorporate Your Uterus!

​Last week, Democrat state Rep. Scott Randolph made House Republicans uncomfortable when he dared to say the word uterus on the House floor. He suggested that his wife "incorporate" hers to get Republicans to stop mandating what she and other woman do with it. Although Florida Republicans are ... More >>

Florida Lawmakers Want to Close Schools on Veteran's Day

​State agencies close every year on Veteran's Day, yet schools remain open. Some Florida lawmakers want to change that with the altruistic day that kids will spend the day visiting veterans and watching parades. Note to politicians: kids who get the day off from school just play Wii and watch Wiza ... More >>

State Legislators Want to Take Away Some of County Commissioners' Powers

​With an election set in a week to recall Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez and County Commissioner Natacha Seijas the air of reform is steadily streaming through County Hall, but two state lawmakers don't just want a change in leadership. They want to see the powers of Miami-Dade County Comm ... More >>

Rick Scott Flip Flops on Collective Bargaining

​In a stunningly speedy political flip-flop, Florida Governor Rick Scott has completely changed his stance on whether or not unions should have collective bargaining rights. He's fallen in step with Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker's anti-union stance. What made Scott change his mind so fast? Well, ... More >>

Rick Scott's Budget is a Political Mess

​Rick Scott introduced his budget this Monday to cheers at a Tea Party event inside a Eustis, Florida, church. Back in the reality of Tallahassee, though, the new governor's plans haven't been greeted with much enthusiasm. Even Republican lawmakers aren't sure it's a workable budget. Scott is faci ... More >>

Rep. David Rivera Paid Himself $60,000 in Unexplained Campaign Reimbursements

​Newly elected Rep. David Rivera's ethics troubles continue to be a source of shame for both his Republican party and his Miami-Dade constituency. The Associated Press has added more charges to his ever-growing list of suspicious dealings with money. The news wire reports that over the eight y ... More >>

What would immigration reform look like if the Feds got off their duffs?

Alex Sink Campaign Named Worst of 2010 by MSNBC

With an election cycle filled with such odd candidates as Alvin Greene, Christine O'Donnell, and Carl Paladino, who did MSNBC chose as the worst candidate of 2010? Florida Democratic Governor nominee Alex Sink. The channel's Chuck Todd and Savannah Guthrie handed out the award this morning on The Da ... More >>

Near-sighted Monkeys

Lt. Gov-elect Jennifer Carroll May Have Falsified Documents to Scam Government Program

Lt. Gov-elect Jennifer Carroll's ethics record may have looked squeaky clean compared to Gov-elect Rick Scott and his former company's record setting Medicare fraud, but it appears that Carroll's company may have been involved in scamming a government program too. The Florida Times-Union reports tha ... More >>

Florida Democratic Party Chair Karen Thurman Resigns

​Florida Democratic Party Chair Karen Thurman has offered her resignation letter. Even though she had reportedly been telling several folks even before this month's elections that she was preparing to retire, the election results drove home the fact that the state party desperately needed a shake ... More >>

Alex Sink Leads Rick Scott By One Point on Day Before Election

Quinnipiac University's latest Florida poll numbers are significant because, well, it's a day before the election. It is also one of the first polls taken after "debate gate." The Governor's race remains super tight with Alex Sink leading Rick Scott by only a single point. It's a completely differen ... More >>

The Amazing Non-Story of Kendrick Meek Not Dropping Out of the Senate Race

When we signed off with our last post here on Riptide last night Kendrick Meek was still running a campaign to be elected to the United State Senate as the candidate of the party with the most registered voters in Florida. When we woke up this morning that was still the case. So what happened in bet ... More >>

Rick Scott acts like a drug addict

Dem CFO Candidate Loranne Ausley Will Now Bike 400 Miles To Get Some Attention

"Bike Lane" Loranne Ausley​Ever since Lawton Chiles embarked on a 1,003 mile walk across Florida and ultimately became the state's Senator in an upset victory, some candidates in the state have had a habit for folksy campaign stunts. There was Bob Graham's working days, Kendrick Meek's&n ... More >>

Marco Rubio to Appear with Sarah Palin This Weekend

Tea Party dreams do come true! Two stars of the conservative movement, Florida's Republican senate candidate Marco Rubio and right wing queen bee Sarah Palin will share a stage this weekend in Orlando. Somewhere an eagle is surely weeping with joy.

DNC Member Wants Bob Graham To Hammer Out Deal Between Crist and Meek

Bob Graham, the deal maker?​Jon Ausman is a representative for Florida on the Democratic National Committee, and boy does he have a good idea on how to prevent Marco Rubio from winning the senate race. He wants former Governor and Senator Bob Graham to sit down with Charlie Crist and Kendrick Meek ... More >>

Supreme Court Considers Vaccine-Autism Case While New Times Probe Draws Ire

Dr. Gary Kompothecras, an influential political donor to Gov. Charlie Crist, is at the center of a controversial study.​The U.S. Supreme Court today is scheduled to hear a case that could have a wide-ranging impact on hundreds of lawsuits that claim there is a direct link between autism and vaccin ... More >>

Mel Martinez Stands Up to Jim DeMint and the Tea Baggers

Despite the fact the outrageous fight for his former seat, former Senator Mel Martinez has been relatively quiet on the political front. Though Martinez, who also had brief stints in George W. Bush's cabinet and has chairman of the Republican National Committee, is now speaking out against his party ... More >>

Mario Diaz-Balart Lies About Alex Sink's Stance on Arizona Immigration Laws

​Rick Scott, now the official Republican nominee for Governor, has made Arizona-style immigration laws a main issue in the election. The controversial laws are none-too-popular amongst Hispanic voters (in fact, some are theorizing that Bill McCollum's hard right flip-flop in favor of them may have ... More >>

State Reps Juan Zapata and Esteban Bovo Slam Arizona Immigration Law

via myfloridahouse.govRep. Juan C. Zapata, the first Colombian-American in Tally, pledged to fight Arizona-style reform.​While Bill McCollum and Rick Scott tussle daily on the airwaves over who will be meaner to immigrants, a diverse group of state leaders -- including Tallahassee's first Colombia ... More >>

Rick Scott and Bill McCollum want to turn Miami into an immigration prison

Rick Scott and Bill McCollum Are Florida's Grand Wizards

​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 claims Democrats are missing in action in the governor's race.The Democratic Party is out of sight and out of mind in the ... More >>