Sunday, May 17, 2015

Our digest of, and commentary on today's Florida political news and punditry.


Jeb's stumbles are familiar to Floridians

Seeing that "Jeb Bush’s Iraq stumbles set off alarms in GOP"is not surprising to most Floridians. Indeed, Jeb "Bush’s history of politically unfortunate rhetoric goes back to 1994," although it has largely been papered over by Florida's media.

If one looks hard enough, Jeb!'s record can be found to include these gems: his self-proclaimed "devious plan" to evade a constitutional mandate, his internationally embarrassing "slips on Spanish history, bragging that he would do "probably nothing" for minorities if elected, his having "marked he was 'Hispanic' on his Florida voter form," his infamous "throw their asses out" order, and then there is his penchant for "lesbian jokes".

Jeb Bush's "shoot-first, take-no-advice method of governing" lead one journalist to describe him as an "arrogant, power-hungry ruler who acted as if he had been elected king, rather than governor." As another columnist put it, Jeb's "idea of diplomacy is to throw their asses out, whoever they are."


Lt. Gov. Lopez-Cantera considers Senate Run

"Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera declared he was seriously considering running for the United States Senate in 2016 and then solicited local Republican leaders gathered in Orlando to invite him over to talk." "Lopez-Cantera delivers "strongly considering" campaign speech." See also "Lopez-Cantera 'Strongly Considering' Senate Bid."


Same old, same old

"RPOF Will Mobilize Minorities to Shape 2016 Success."


Scott provides "poor — or no leadership"

"It takes poor leadership — or no leadership — to push a state to the brink of a government shutdown when the governor and strong majorities in both legislative chambers come from the same political party. Unfortunately for Floridians, that's just what Gov. Rick Scott has provided." "Blame health care mess on governor's leadership: Editorial."


"Offering blunt advice"

"The 41-year-old Jeanette Dousdebes Rubio, as poised in public as she is shy, has privately played a major role in Marco Rubio’s rise, offering blunt advice and bearing the responsibilities of raising four children, often as if a single mother." "Marco Rubio’s wife long an unseen presence in his career."


Rubio's book royalties

"Sen. Marco Rubio’s latest financial disclosures show added wealth from book royalties."


Privatization follies

"More than 19 months after CONNECT’s troubled launch, the computerized network serving Florida’s unemployed remains problematic." "As technical difficulties with Florida’s unemployment system persist, state seeks more money."


Senators noticeably absent from FlaGOP quarterly meeting

"Four months have passed since Blaise Ingoglia took over as chairman of the Republican Party of Florida in an upset over party favorite Leslie Dougher, but wounds between the Senate and the rest of the party are slow to heal. . . . Not this weekend. Senators were noticeably absent from the party's spring quarterly meeting." "Where Have All the Senators Gone?."


"Honor Roll"

Ed Dean: "Tom Lee, Rick Kriseman Make the Honor Roll; Jeb Bush, Alan Grayson Don't."


Bush, Rubio: Dumb and Dumberer

"Marco Rubio Struggles To Explain Whether He Thinks Invading Iraq Was A 'Mistake'."


Polling place redistribution

"Under the proposed plan, the county’s nearly 1.3 million voters will find out by September if they’ve been moved to a new polling place — a redistribution Miami-Dade has delayed for years." "Miami-Dade plans to finish redrawing voter precincts in advance of 2016 presidential election."


Weekly Roundup

"Weekly Roundup: Whose Special Session Is It Anyway?."