Best Political Gaffe

Back in the year 2000, this newspaper reacted with well-justified righteous indignation when Judie Budnick, vice chairperson of the Broward County School Board, came out with her campaign slogan: "This Bud's for Us." She also threw in a play on the Budweiser frogs: "Bud... Nick." We asked her if aping beer ads was appropriate for a leader in public education. Angry that we would dare raise the issue, she said it was simply a good way to market her name to the voters. We wondered if she'd had a few too many King of Beers herself. This past February 6, while addressing students at Plantation High School, Budnick's tacky streak reared its ugly head once again. In front of the kids, she blurted out curses like a sailor at a Tourette's syndrome conference. She "damned" a bunch of people, said some school administrators were "spewing shit" (helpfully spelling "s-h-i-t" for the assembled youth), and compared her opponents to Hitler. We have an idea: Let's pour this Bud down the drain.