Allen West Hates His Coworkers

Congressman Allen West hasn’t been at his job for a month, and already he’s hating on his coworkers.In a letter to his supporters last Friday, West wrote that he was “appalled” at his co-Congressmen’s “arrogance, belligerence, and dishonest rhetoric filled with empty emotional platitudes.”  He wondered: “Have they no shame?”…

New Chief Judge Peter Weinstein No Political Novice

Peter Weinstein, the most political judge in Broward County, was rather fittingly elected the chief of the 17th Judicial Circuit yesterday to succeed Victor Tobin. After 14 years in the Florida Senate and a low-down and bruising loss to Robert Wexler in his bid to become a U.S. Congressman, the Queens-born Weinstein certainly…

Judge Bounces Berger Singerman From Rothstein Bankruptcy Suit

In a blow to the lead counsel in the Rothstein bankruptcy case, Judge Raymond Ray disqualified the Berger Singerman law firm from representing the trustee in a clawback suit against Qtask, a California company in which Scott Rothstein invested millions of dollars in alleged Ponzi proceeds. The ruling, more than anything, shows what a small world Rothstein operated in…

UPDATED: Dalai Lama’s Nephew Killed on A1A Walk to West Palm Beach

Before he was killed last night in the gathering darkness on State Road A1A, Jigme Norbu had walked or biked 7,800 miles to support his people in Tibet.Norbu, 45, the nephew of the Dalai Lama, lived in Indiana but traveled all over the country raising awareness about the suffering of…

Exposed: Judy Stern Played Secret Role In Mayoral Election

For years, campaign operative and erstwhile politician Dan Lewis has claimed that his 2006 run against incumbent Jim Naugle for mayor of Fort Lauderdale was undermined by a conspiracy led by his nemesis, super-lobbyist Judy Stern. For years, Stern has said she had nothing to do with that campaign, even making the claim…

Amerijet Says It Will Stop Shipping Monkeys

Amerijet, the Fort Lauderdale-based cargo shipping company, will cease transporting primates, according to a letter printed on Amerijet letterhead, addressed to the president of the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida. For months, local animal rights activists have targeted the company, writing letters, calling the company, and protesting both the Fort…

The Constitution Is Just For Christians: Allen West at CPAC

Rep. Allen West gave the keynote address at CPAC on Saturday, and was typically effective. Politico likened his performance to the throwing of “red meat” to the massed conservatives. It’s a good metaphor. His speech drew the loudest applause in its bloodiest moments — those moments in which West deployed…

Belle Glade Orders Concerned Citizen to Stop Picking Up Trash

Keep it trashy, Belle Glade.Try to pick up trash in this Palm Beach County city and you might be threatened by the long arm of the law. According to a story reported by News Channel 5, the efforts of a concerned citizen to clean up trash-infested neighborhoods in Belle Glade were…

Stacy Ritter to Run for Congress Against Allen West?

​ Facebook posting from Democratic guy Steve Beste from yesterday sent in by an astute reader. Ritter has made grumblings about running for Congress in the past, perhaps in part because her lobbyist/hubby, Russ Klenet, shifted his business to D.C. Of course, she also expected a position in the Obama administration at…

Allen West Backpedals, Challenges Me to a Debate

Did I call it, or did I call it? Last week, in this very space, I predicted Congressman Allen West would retract his feeble support of the pro-democracy Egyptian protesters when he learned how very, very much they were disliked by the conservative Israeli punditry. And lookit this! In his…

Gov. Rick Scott Sure Seems Like He Wants Pill Mills to Stay Open

Since his inauguration in January, new Florida Gov. Rick Scott has looked a lot like an Oxycontin addict.Twice now, Scott has come out in opposition to tough rules that would crack down on the South Florida pill mills that dispense pain pills like Pez. The first time came just two…

Broward Is Open for Business

Yes, Ilene Lieberman showed up at yesterday’s commission meeting. But was she really there? The AWOL commissioner was a veritable black hole, not participating in the least, except to cast votes with an “aye” and to decline adding anything else to the discussion. She spent much of the time on…

The Facebook Page of Egypt’s Protesters

As the Obama administration calls for an incremental transition of power in Eqypt and South Florida protesters join the rallying cry to overthrow President Hosni Mubarak, it’s becoming more and more difficult to understand what ordinary Egyptians think about the massive uprisings in their country.One Facebook page offers a unique…

South Florida Activists Choose Egypt Over Super Bowl

While millions of Americans get ready to watch the biggest sporting event of the year, today’s match up between the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers, more than a hundred South Floridians will be rallying outside the Federal building in Fort Lauderdale, showing their support for the revolutionaries in…

Chaz’s Last Stand

Broward County Commissioner Stacy Ritter, left, wants to engage in a high-heels contest with Hallandale Beach Mayor Joy Cooper, right. From Twitter yesterday:  “It’s clear that Ceasar et al. were targeting one candidate in particular: Jerry Fadgen. He’s the only Republican on the list. And that, in my opinion, is fair…

Allen West Versus Israel!

As Lisa Rab reported Monday, Rep. Allen West, of Florida’s 22nd district, loves freedom. He doesn’t love Muslims, but he does understand that they too may aspire to autonomy. “When you have these regimes that are autocratic, theocratic, dictatorial,” West explained, “they do tend to oppress the people, as far…

Barbara Bush Supports Gay Marriage; Isn’t It Time Charlie Crist Does Too?

When Dubya’s daughter feels confident enough to support gay marriage, you know the political tides must be shifting. Barbara Bush is making headlines today for appearing in a Human Rights Campaign video advocating the legalization of same-sex marriage in New York. She joins celebs such as Mayor Michael Bloomberg and…

Allen West Sounds Off on Protests in Egypt

The Middle East is a complicated place. Any academic expert will tell you that the region’s violent, historic conflicts don’t lend themselves to convenient soundbites.But that didn’t stop Congressman Allen West from trying. This weekend, Mike Huckabee interviewed him on Fox News about the massive protests in Egypt against President…

Animal Rights Activists Protest at Amerijet Executive’s Home

About 30 animal-rights activists gathered on the sidewalk outside the Plantation home of an Amerijet executive last night to protest the company’s policy of transporting monkeys for animal research and the fact that they do business with Primate Products, a controversial South Florida research facility…