U.S. Senate

Las Vegas Gazillionaire Sheldon Adelson Tossing Pocket Change at Florida Races

UPDATE: George LeMieux announced this morning that he's dropping out of the race.A Las Vegas billionaire who has said he could dump as much as $100 million into the 2012 elections has donated $1 million of that chump change to a super PAC backing Republican Rep. Connie Mack in his race for U.S. Sena ... More >>

Frankel and Hasner Running for Allen West's Seat; Who Knows Who Else Will?

​Now that Allen West has announced his intent to ditch the 22nd to run in a more Republican district farther north, there's no telling who's going to come out of the woodwork to snag the open seat in the November election.Right now, the only sure candidates are Republican Adam Hasner, who was runn ... More >>

Connie Mack Enters U.S. Senate Race With 23-Point Lead Over Other GOP Hopefuls

FlickrConnie Mack​Whereas "someone else/not sure" was the overwhelming leader in previous polls for the Republican nomination in next year's U.S. Senate race, Rep. Connie Mack's entrance into the race changes things a bit.Mack enters with the support of 32 percent of Republican voters, according t ... More >>

Village Voice Media Asks for Your Support of Senate Bill 596

Mitt Romney Leads New Florida Poll; Ron Paul Most Unfavorable Candidate but Places Fourth

​With this afternoon's release of Public Policy Polling's survey of Florida Republican voters, Florida became the first Southern state polled by the firm that didn't select Texas Gov. Rick Perry as its front-runner for the GOP presidential nomination.Instead, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney ... More >>

Voter Suppression Back in Style; Let's Party Like It's 1869

Screw the 15th Amendment. This is Florida.​Florida's legislative attack on voter rights easily passed the House last week and looks like it will surely sail through the Senate to become law. We're not alone, though. Our state's attempt to disenfranchise a massive amount of its citizens is actuall ... More >>

Adam Hasner Joins West in Mindless Bashing

With the rhetoric coming from Allen West and Adam Hasner, it seems only a matter of time before they start talking about protecting our precious bodily fluids against the Muslim "infiltration." Hasner​Hasner, likely U.S. Senate candidate and former Florida House majority leader who represe ... More >>

Mexican Macro-Economics

Do undocumented migrants steal jobs from American workers?

Marco Rubio Gets Big Campaign Bucks From Oil Giant Koch Industries

Rubio, a darling of Big Oil.​Four months ago, as oil from the Deepwater Horizon disaster gushed into the Gulf of Mexico and threatened Panhandle beaches, Republican U.S. Senate candidate Marco Rubio stubbornly defended his support for offshore drilling."The issue of offshore drilling is not going ... More >>

Marco Rubio Has Risen With Lightning Speed, but Conservatives Alone Can't Carry Him to the White House

At Century Village in West Palm, Jeff Greene Ducks Gay Marriage Question

During a recent campaign stop, U.S. Senate candidate Jeff Greene told a member of South Florida's gay community "I haven't formed an opinion yet" on gay marriage. That seems doubtful. Rather, Greene's shrewd enough to give himself some wiggle room on that question if it makes it to the general elec ... More >>

Republican Woman Swoon Over Marco Rubio; "Like Listening to Newt Gingrich Except Younger With a Cuban Accent"

The date on this video is June 16. So what's Marco Rubio doing giving speeches for Republican women in San Diego during the heat of the Senate race? Don't tell me that this young whippersnapper would win the U.S. Senate only to leave his term early to run for president. Because that sounds like som ... More >>

Morning Juice: Prison for Bev Gallagher; Oil Nears Panhandle

​Here's a glance at what's in the local headlines:It's not quite the Miracle on the Hudson, but a small plane made a safe emergency landing in a field just short of the Fort Lauderdale airport's runway. It narrowly missed hitting a home. [WPLG-5]Broward County School Board member Beverly Gallagher ... More >>

Morning Juice: Perp Walk Coming for Rothstein Cohorts; Heat Playoff Run Gone in a Flash

​Let's see what's in the headlines this morning in South Florida:Six weeks after she was beaten nearly to death at a Deerfield Beach school bus stop, 15-year-old Josie Lou Ratley has been released from the hospital. She now heads to a rehabilitation facility to get physical therapy and speech ther ... More >>

After Anti-Drilling Press Conference, No Suspense Left in Crist Campaign Announcement

Crist's independent candidacy for U.S. Senate began two weeks ago, with his dramatic veto of Senate Bill 6. And calling a press conference Tuesday to announce his opposition to drilling for oil off the Florida coast was just populist posturing in advance of tomorrow's announcement in St. Pete.From ... More >>

Morning Juice: Crist Veto May Signal Indy Run; Life for Killer in Sunrise

​A glance through the Friday-morning headlines:Charlie Crist's veto of Senate Bill 6 has touched off conflict with fellow state Republicans, leading to more speculation that Crist will declare as an independent in the race for U.S. Senate. [Sun-Sentinel]The tea partiers did their tax-day thing out ... More >>

Disgraced Politicos Who Should've Stayed Hidden

Mark Foley is baack.​Now that former U.S. Congressman Mark Foley has begun his unembarrassed return to Republican politics, it's tempting to recall the many other disgraced Floridians who perhaps should have stayed hidden longer. Blithely ignoring the infamy of their scandals, these public figures ... More >>

Morning Juice: Deerfield Teen's Mother Meets the Media; Bill Targets Sexting

​A glance at the local news: Josie Lou Ratley's mother talked to the media yesterday about her daughter's condition following the brutal beating that occurred last week at a bus stop on the campus of Deerfield Beach Middle School. [WPLG-10]The Broward County auditor says that if the Broward Sherif ... More >>

Morning Juice: Ryan LeVin Surrenders to Police; Gallagher to Plead to Bribery Charge

​While you enjoy your Irish coffee, a few local headlines:Accused hit-and-run driver Ryan LeVin was arrested last night by Fort Lauderdale police. He's been charged with vehicular homicide in the February 13, 2009, deaths of Kenneth Watkinson and Craig Elford, two British tourists. [Sun-Sentinel]A ... More >>

George LeMieux Talking Points Get Mangled on Cable News Show

Is there anyone out there besides George LeMieux and his fellow Republicans in Congress who think that this health care issue hasn't been debated to death? To someone who was appointed to the U.S. Senate this past fall, it may seem like health care reform has sneaked up on Congress, but it's been p ... More >>

Morning Juice: Another Broward Commissioner Investigated; Kim Rothstein Gives Interview

​Let's see what's in the papers and on the TV news this Wednesday morning:Prosecutors are finally getting 'round to issuing subpoenas in the long-overdue investigation of Broward County Commissioner Diana Wasserman-Rubin, who voted for some $11 million in grants for parks in Southwest Ranches -- g ... More >>

A Sneak Peek at the Candidates for Broward Health Board

davidmaymon.comDavid Maymon​The list of candidates for the Broward Health board is full of attorneys, contractors, politicians and health-care business owners. They are vying for at least one open seat -- the one formerly belonging to Maureen Jaeger, who left this fall to join George Lemieux's U.S ... More >>

Rubio Reaches Out to Parking Lot Loiterers

If you're running for U.S. Senate like Marco Rubio, it's hard to break the habit of speechifying, even if you're just stepping outside your car and walking into a new campaign office in Clearwater. But just stick with it a few minutes. A few sympathetic people are bound to stop and listen. Maybe th ... More >>

Morning Juice: Salesman Not Buying FBI's Case; Embattled Palm Beach School Official Stripped of Duty

​Here's what in the local news this morning:Local targets of the FBI corruption sting were apparently unimpressed by the case that was made against them. The same day that former Broward County School Board member Beverly Gallagher entered a not guilty plea to selling her office, former Miramar Co ... More >>

Charlie Crist Ducks Questions From Conspiracy Theorists

There's Charlie Crist trying to warm up an otherwise frosty crowd in Clearwater. None chillier than the men behind the camera, who (judging by the herky-jerky camera) are quivering in anticipation of rubbing elbows with the governor and U.S. Senate candidate.Awesome intro music, by the way. I thoug ... More >>

High-Ranking Jeb Bush Associate Offers Candid Critique of Crist

Flickr: Linnette Alissa​The wild card in the race for the Republican nomination to U.S. Senate is the endorsement of Jeb Bush. To get a read on whether he's leaning toward Charlie Crist or Marco Rubio, I consulted a source who -- in exchange for his or her candor -- we will simply call a high-rank ... More >>

The LeMieux-Crist Master Plan Revealed: Senate Dominance by 2012

Yes, you heard right. In the closing moments of that Capital News Service video, the reporter says that Broward County trailblazer George LeMieux "is leaving open the possibility that he'll run for U.S. Senate in 2012," when that darned Democrat Bill Nelson is up for reelection. Which means if his ... More >>

During Broward Visit, Rubio Daydreams of Roller Coasters

Screen grab: Google MapsThe freeway view of Boomers in Dania Beach, from which a speeding Marco Rubio sent his latest Tweet.​Anyone got Shatner's number? Because isn't he the guy to call when looking to unlock the poetry contained within a true conservative's Twitter posts? So please channel the v ... More >>

Shameless: Crist Taps LeMieux for Senate

It seemed too nakedly cynical to be possible -- and yet it just happened. Pass the smelling salts.We warned Charlie Crist this could be his Harriet Miers moment. He didn't listen -- to us or to the people in his campaign who must have had the same anxieties. If Crist gets just half the public backla ... More >>

Meek Lambastes Crist for LeMieux Appointment; Rubio, When Will You Tweet?

U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek​Congressman Kendrick Meek, the leading Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate just released a statement about Charlie Crist's announcement that he was appointing former chief of staff George LeMieux to the Senate seat vacated by Mel Martinez.From the moment Senator Martinez a ... More >>

Sotomayor Confirmed for Supreme Court

As was widely expected (and dreaded, in conservative quarters) the U.S. Senate gave its approval to Barack Obama's appointment for U.S. Supreme Court, Sonia Sotomayor. Florida's Sen. Mel Martinez was one of just nine Republicans to cast a vote in favor of the appointment. That's because he fell head ... More >>

Conservative Blogosphere Stokes Mutiny After GOP Snubs Rubio

Flickr User: Americans forProsperityRubioMoments after Charlie Crist announced his candidacy for U.S. Senate last week, he received the endorsement of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, with endorsements from leading Republican Senators like Mitch McConnell soon to follow. The intent wasn ... More >>

Marco Poll-O: Rubio Unfazed by Unpopularity

twitter.com/marcorubioSure, Charlie Crist landed some big endorsements in his first week as a U.S. Senate candidate -- the National Republican Senatorial Committee for one. The Senate Minority Leader, Mitch McConnell, for another. And there were reports Crist might get the early endorsement of the R ... More >>

But Does Charlie Like Fish Sticks?

In picking the week's best quotes for its "Verbatim" page, Time magazine prizes drama (a quote from the co-pilot killed in the plane crash near Buffalo), candor (Jesse Ventura saying what he'd do with a waterboard and Dick Cheney), and gaffes, especially the kind that reveal more truth than they int ... More >>

Florida's 2010 Races Taking Shape; Meek Looking Strong

Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate Kendrick Meek, of Miami,continues to tear up the fund-raising circuit -- an article in today's Roll Call says Meek will report $1.5 million in campaign dollars in the year's first quarter, which ended March 31. His primary competition for that nomination, Florida ... More >>

Karen Thurman Talks About Gubernatorial Race

The St. Pete Times political blog, The Buzz, just posted this interview with Florida Democratic Party Chair Karen Thurman: At about the 90-second mark, Thurman responds to criticism that the party lacks a "bench" by touting Jack Seiler's victory in the Fort Lauderdale mayoral race. If a Democrat win ... More >>

Local Head Lice Experts Scratch Heads Over The Onion; Catholic Church Discovers Legal System

The staff of The Onion might have had a good laugh about this fake story about lice infecting the U.S. Senate, but Lice Solutions Resource Network Inc. of West Palm Beach says the article makes light of a very serious problem. Katie Shepherd, the resource network's executive director, says she once ... More >>

Teflon Charlie Rules Lauderdale Stage

The big punchline in Washington D.C. these days is "bipartisanship." Barack Obama wants to be friends with Republicans but they don't want to be friends with him. Of course, it's all politics. The Republicans have nothing to gain from jumping on the Obama bandwagon and everything to gain if that wag ... More >>

Crist and Martinez May Endorse Quitting, Gamblers with Fold 'Em Problem Fund Expansion

Today, The Juice officially endorses quitters, from those of us who ran out of chips during the Super Bowl and were unable to finish the cheese dip, to those who choose to bravely walk away from the state's highest offices. Here's to you, Charlie Crist and Mel Martinez, two men big enough to say "en ... More >>

Crist Gives Tepid Denial to Senate Rumors

The governor says it's "more than likely" he will run for reelection as governor rather than seeking the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Mel Martinez, as has been rumored. Weak, Charlie! You've left yourself acres of wiggle room. And the attempt at changing the subject to your chat with Obama ... More >>

The Stage Is Set: Katherine Harris, Will You Please Run for U.S. Senate?

Man, I turn my head for one day (to work on some print edition goodies) and all hell breaks loose in that 2010 Senate race. Democratic Rep. Allen Boyd is out. Democratic State Sen. Dan Gelber is in. Attorney General Bill McCollum is out. It's such a free-for-all that even Tampa's Democratic mayor is ... More >>

Florida Is Cleaner

No sale!

My Lunch With Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz

On Wednesday I met Florida Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz at Jaxson's Ice Cream Parlor on U.S. 1 in Dania Beach for a wide-ranging discussion -- including my paranoid delusions about the sinister deal-cutting that must take place when voters aren't watching.The congresswoman insists that she ... More >>

Now That's What I Call Malfeasance!

Every now and then, a news story will come along and remind us that South Florida did not invent the phenomenon of public corruption. In Chicago they've been doing it longer and better than anyone else. Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich is the latest example for his breathtakingly audacious scheme to sh ... More >>

Is Republican Cannibalism Afoot in Florida?

Being a trafficker in rank speculation and flimsy rumors, I can't help but admire the science-based speculation and rumor creation available on FiveThirtyEight.com, which I checked approximately 642 times daily in October. The captain of this vessel is Nate Silver, who crunches poll numbers in a way ... More >>

Lantana-Based White Rights Group Says It's Not Racist, Really; It's Just Lookin' Out for Whitey

The American Association of White Americans is using the election of the first black president to tell the country a few things about its American organization of Americans. In America. In two open letters addressed to the "Internal Revenue Service and U.S. Senate Wash, DC," the Lantana-based a ... More >>

Hallelujah and Praise E & P

Post's Mark Foley Policy Backfires

Taking Stock of Bob Graham

The South Florida senator and presidential candidate wheels and doodles

Impeachment as Cache

If there's anyone who can feel Bill Clinton's pain, it's ousted-judge-turned-congressman Alcee Hastings