Monday, June 15, 2015

Please consider giving a newspaper subscription as a gift and/or buying one or more subscriptions for delivery to your workplace; whenever you visit a newspaper site online, please click on one or more of the advertisements and make an effort to patronize newspaper advertisers. Our digest of, and commentary on today's Florida political news and punditry follows.


Jeb's media sycophants about to jump into the race

Jeb Bush's political career has been largely driven by a handful of media sycophants, eager to show that Florida - and by extension them - can play the presidential politics game.

With that, Jeb's right wing tendencies have been largely papered over to make him appear to be the "deep thinker" in the Bushco crew, as opposed to the right wing brat he really is. Well, Jeb's lapdogs in Florida's MSM - well most of them - are finally going to get what they want:

Bush enters the race as a top tier candidate. He's well known, thanks largely to his last name. Major donors, business leaders and the party establishment are all comfortable with him. He has the Right to Rise war chest. He's fluent in Spanish, something could help him appeal to Hispanic voters during a general election campaign. And he has a formidable campaign organization.
"Jeb Bush about to make it official, announce presidential run." See also "Jeb Bush prepares to launch candidacy, regain lost momentum."

To be sure, there are, and were, a handful of decent journalists and authors who held Jeb's feet to the fire during Jeb's reign. See e.g., "The governor plays rough," "Lance deHaven-Smith: Risking 2000 all over again," "How Jeb Bush Alienated African American Voters by Ending Affirmative Action, and "Jeb Bush’s Rush to Make Money May Be Hurdle" and "The Jeb Bush Era Ends in Florida" (former Sun Sentinel reporter discusses "Bush's shoot-first, take-no-advice method of governing.")

Expect the poodles to remain ascendant.


No longer "left for dead"

"Lawmakers are attempting to squeeze some education policies — including some left for dead after the regular session abruptly ended this spring — into the state’s 2015-16 budget." "Lawmakers try to slip education policies into new budget efforts."


More Jeb!

The pantywaist coverage continues: "How Miami made Jeb Bush and "Fact-checking Jeb Bush, the non-candidate candidate."


"Bush still with much to prove"

"Bush still with much to prove in leaderless GOP 2016 race."


"Medical Marijuana's Back"

John Morgan 's back with medical MJ:

Morgan was back in the news last week as he wrote a check for $150,000 to get another medical marijuana amendment on the ballot in 2016. Amendment 2 lost by a narrow margin, just failing to get 60 percent in a year when conservatives came out in droves to vote. Medical marijuana supporters hope they’ll have a better shot come 2016.

Florida voters back medical marijuana but they had concerns with Amendment 2. Opponents ran numerous ads pointing out loopholes in Amendment 2, leaving enough room for doubt in the voters’ minds.

"Medical Marijuana's Back."