FLORIDA POLITICS
Since 2002, daily Florida political news and commentary

 

UPDATE: Every morning we review and individually digest Florida political news articles, editorials and punditry. Our sister site, FLA Politics was selected by Campaigns & Elections as one of only ten state blogs in the nation
"every political insider should be reading right now."

E-Mail Florida Politics

This is our Main Page
Our Sister Site
On FaceBook
Follow us on Twitter
Our Google+ Page
Contact [E-Mail Florida Politics]
Site Feed
...and other resources

 

Welcome To Florida Politics

Thanks for visiting. On a semi-daily basis we scan Florida's major daily newspapers for significant Florida political news and punditry. We also review the editorial pages and political columnists/pundits for Florida political commentary. The papers we review include: the Miami Herald, Sun-Sentinel, Palm Beach Post, Naples News, Sarasota Herald Tribune, St Pete Times, Tampa Tribune, Orlando Sentinel, the Daytona Beach News-Journal, Tallahassee Democrat, and, occasionally, the Florida Times Union; we also review the political news blogs associated with these newspapers.

For each story, column, article or editorial we deem significant, we post at least the headline and link to the piece; the linked headline always appears in quotes. We quote the headline for two reasons: first, to allow researchers looking for the cited piece to find it (if the link has expired) by searching for the original title/headline via a commercial research service. Second, quotation of the original headline permits readers to appreciate the spin from the original piece, as opposed to our spin.

Not that we don't provide spin; we do, and plenty of it. Our perspective appears in post headlines, the subtitles within the post (in bold), and the excerpts from the linked stories we select to quote; we also occasionally provide other links and commentary about certain stories. While our bias should be immediately apparent to any reader, we nevertheless attempt to link to every article, column or editorial about Florida politics in every major online Florida newspaper.

 

Older posts [back to 2002]

Previous Articles by Derek Newton: Ten Things Fox on Line 1 Stem Cells are Intelligent Design Katrina Spin No Can't Win Perhaps the Most Important Race Senate Outlook The Nelson Thing Deep, Dark Secret Smart Boy Bringing Guns to a Knife Fight Playing to our Strength  

The Blog for Wednesday, September 02, 2015

So much for that "joyful" campaign

    Kevin Derby: "It’s easy to dismiss the Bushes as patrician, prep school kids but the nice guy images serve to hide the fact that all of them are political brawlers with a killer instinct. That’s something to keep in mind as Jeb Bush gets ready to turn up the heat on Trump in the weeks to come."
    Jeb Bush has followed the family legacy. In 1994, he showed no problem in throwing inside on Lawton Chiles and, in 2002, had no problem dismantling Bill McBride. When he threw his hat in the ring, the former Florida governor said he hoped for a “joyful” campaign. But now, way behind Trump in the polls at the national level and in key states, Bush is planning to go on the attack.
    "Following Family Tradition, Jeb Bush Gets Ready to Go All Out Against Donald Trump."

    More: "Jeb Bush escalates war of words with GOP front-runner Donald Trump."


    "Hot, crazy or shady"

    Marc Caputo: "Scott’s admin scrubbed press release clearing Planned Parenthood; high-energy Jeb v. Trump; Biden’s mini-Miami tour; Murphy gives back fraudsters contribs." "Florida Playbook." See also "Grayson calls on Murphy to return contributions from fraudsters." More: "Alan Grayson Calls on Patrick Murphy to Return Contributions."


    Medical MJ

    "Petitions are hitting the streets soon for a new proposed constitutional amendment that would fully legalize marijuana use, possession and cultivation by adults in Florida." "Group seeks to legalize marijuana in Florida."


    "Environmental fight looms"

    "Scott, cabinet update land buy list as environmental fight looms."


    Scott’s scrubbed PP press release

    "Regulators found ‘no evidence of the mishandling of fetal remains’" "Scott’s office scrubbed release that cleared Planned Parenthood."


    "Another meager year for state employees"

    The Orlando Sentinel editors: "It's another meager year for state employees in Florida. The average full-timer represented by AFSCME in the state earns less than $35,000 a year, according to the union. Yet state legislators failed to include an across-the-board raise for state employees in the 2015-16 budget, despite having a surplus of more than $1 billion to work with."

    For a lucky few employees at a pair of public-private agencies, however, it's another bountiful year. In recent weeks, boards overseeing Enterprise Florida and Space Florida, two economic-development organizations, green-lighted bonuses for their executives and other staff members.

    Under any notion of fairness, those bonuses are difficult to defend. Why single out a couple of agencies and ignore the rest?

    "State agencies' bonuses defy fairness, rationale."


    Dunn agin' Graham

    Kevin Derby: "Former Florida House Speaker Will Weatherford announced on Wednesday he was backing Dr. Neal Dunn to run against U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham, D-Fla." "Will Weatherford Backs Neal Dunn to Take on Gwen Graham."


    "Like vultures on road kill"

    Nancy Smith: "If just-announced state Senate candidate Lauren Book was anybody but the daughter of one of the most influential lobbyists in Tallahassee, the media would be over her like vultures on road kill." "Senator Lauren Book: How Will She Serve in Daddy's Shadow?."


    "Cynthia did a good job"

    "Gov. Rick Scott ignored questions Tuesday about Florida Lottery Secretary Cynthia O’Connell, who is resigning after reports about missed work and excessive travel bills. 'Cynthia did a good job,' Scott said after a Cabinet meeting in St. Augustine." "Scott: Resigning lottery secretary did a ‘good job’."


    Top brass must reapply for jobs

    "The move is part of an effort to realign the agency and may result in layoffs." "Prison chief makes top brass reapply for jobs."


    "Emasculating" Jeb

    "Donald Trump is "emasculating" former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush with his attacks and his performance in state and national polling, prominent Republican strategist Steve Schmidt said Monday." "Steve Schmidt: Donald Trump 'emasculating' Jeb Bush."


    "Not gonna happen"

    Michael Putney: "The two times Rick Scott ran for governor he made one key promise: To put people to work and run the state like a business. "

    He's had more success with the former — although he takes more credit than he deserves — than the latter. And he’s had no success at all at making himself a beloved or even likeable figure in Florida politics. To do that, Scott would have to take some risks, stand firm on some tough issues and explain why. As Bush 41 would say, not gonna happen.
    "Rick Scott, man of mystery."



<< Home