Let’s interrupt this string of blogs about alleged corruption to un-allege some corruption. Specifically, Juice hereby calls for a period of media moderation following the binge of stories that would scandalize politicians for traveling. This is the kind of rant that deserves a soundtrack and some video, and the relevant…
If you’ve noticed that Sen. Bill Nelson has an extra spring in his step lately, it’s because this week his friends in the Obama administration flushed the agency chief who has long held the top spot on Nelson’s List of People to Fire. That would be Nancy Nord, who had…
No kidding. We’ve got a deal for gambling! I’m not even inclined to be critical of its terms. Like a lot of other Floridians, I’m just so bloody sick of this issue drifting back and forth between possible and impossible. This was like teeing off on a par-five hole against…
Sure, it’s unfair to focus entirely on what did not happen in a legislative session, and with all the economic troubles, this one was going to be grueling no matter what. But even grading against a curve of extremely low expectations this past session was a disgrace. Again and again,…
Reflecting on the long-rumored entry of Marco Rubio into the race for U.S. Senate in 2010 against the inevitable candidacy of the formidable Florida governor, one can’t help but recall that opening scene of Apocalypse Now: An underwear-wearing Martin Sheen doing drunken judo chops in some squalid hotel room in…
Last week, I sparked a little feud after I questioned the motives and judgment of Rep. Adam Hasner, the House majority leader, for making public appearances with anti-Islam agitator Geert Wilders, a member of Dutch Parliament. At week’s end, I posted this letter to Hasner, seeking clarification on where his…
During this dramatic week in Tallahassee, Delray Beach Rep. Adam Hasner starred as either the House Majority Leader or an evil “robot,” depending on your perspective. It’s astonishing that during pressure-packed negotiations, an eminent statesman like Hasner found time to bolt back home to huddle with one of the Western…
I s’pose the guy who recently accused House Majority Leader Adam Hasner of “race-baiting” (and that would be me) should resist giving lectures about decorum. But I did not question the legitimacy of Hasner’s membership in the human race. Not like some Democrat who called him a “robot” after the…
Vern Buchanan has been a name bandied about in discussions over those two big political job openings in 2010 — U.S. Senator and Florida Governor. But the Republican congressman from Sarasota is not very familiar to voters across the state, and for the last few months he’s looked a bit…
When House Republicans caucus, I’ll bet it looks something like this: Star Wars-Imperial March – Click here for more amazing videosAmid all the other state budget crises, it’s not getting nearly enough attention, but the Florida Legislature is on the brink of giving the heave-ho to $444 million in federal…
Now I wish I hadn’t got my hopes up about these amazing Florida license plates. Here I was all ready to ask whether displayers of the crucified Christ plate would be forgiven for not obeying the new law for wearing one’s seat belt (because Jesus is riding shotgun, natch). But…
Among the many and varied indulgences that South Floridians must forgo in this era of financial dieting, the least of them, I would guess, is junk mail. Like the piece pictured at the left from Congressman Ron Klein, the Fort Lauderdale Democrat.Not that people in Klein’s district aren’t interested in…
At first, it seemed like Delray Beach Rep. Adam Hasner just had one of those typical, post-9/11 freakouts, panicking at the prospect of a Muslim group’s lobbying trip to Tallahassee. Then two weeks ago, we learned that Hasner had agreed to participate in the “Free Speech Summit” headlined by Geert…
Now that Gov. Crist has signed a bill removing the term “shylock” from Florida’s law books, he’s opened the door to a host of other possibilities. “Shylock” had to go because it was offensive to Jewish people. It dates all the way back to Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice, in which…
Last month, when Florida Sen. Gary Siplin of Orlando proposed the “Trinity” automobile license plate to be draped with the crucified torso of Jesus Christ, it seemed worth filing in the old “Crazy Shit That Could Never Happen” file. After all, as FlaBlog points out, this idea never caught on…
That’s the just-released trailer for Outrage, by provocative documentary filmmaker Kirby Dick, which debuted this past week at the Tribeca Film Festival. We told you how outed Palm Beach Congressman Mark Foley was going to be a character in the film and hypothesized (without consulting Bob Norman, I swear) that…
It’s Friday, and I can’t with a clear conscience inflict the kind of stress on you that will surely come with describing the current condition of the state budget — at least not without the proper caveat. So if you have high blood pressure, or if there’s a history of…
Last week I joked how maybe this upcoming documentary by director Kirby Dick about closeted gay Republicans should toss a scene to Charlie Crist, and it looks like that’s exactly what happened. An article in showbiz mag Variety confirmed that Crist stars — unwittingly, I guess — in Outrage, which…
Florida Republicans celebrated Earth Day by moving the state one step closer to lifting a ban on oil-drilling off the coast. Hear that, Galt Ocean Mile residents? How loudly you cheered when the governor came to your condo to tell you that another potential environmental hazard, the Calypso natural gas…
Don’t call it a comeback, but disgraced Republican instant-message seducer Mark Foley has a tidy $1.2 million to spend on a campaign to take back his congressional seat, as you can see from the FEC filings (oops, link doesn’t work but just use the search engine… or trust me). Compare…
This blog has neglected the 2010 mid-term elections that are only 18 (eighteen!!) months away. It is the longest game of musical chairs. Ever.In the race for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, Kendrick Meek has surged to frontrunner status, raising $1.8 million in the first quarter — roughly five…
I know that Crossfire was killed and that this is right and good because there was too much yelling on cable anyway; but shouldn’t there be some conflict? Democrats go on MSNBC, Republicans go on Fox News, and at the end both interviewer and interviewee agree about what is Right…
