Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Mitch PerryJuly 1, 2015

Envy is considered one of the seven deadly sins in Christianity. It’s something that would be ideal if we didn’t occasionally suffer from, but it’s all too human for us to do so. I don’t know if it’s something I read or heard years ago, but when it comes to money (like sex), I always […]

Mitch PerryJune 30, 2015

Outraged by media reports that U.S. workers are being displaced by employees being brought to America through H-1B visas, U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida said Tuesday that unless he gets satisfactory answers, he’s prepared to call for Congress to actively reduce the number of such visas in the future. “I’m afraid that this visa program […]

Brendan FarringtonJune 13, 2015

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For now, U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy is the only prominent Democrat in the race to replace Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, and he took advantage of that Saturday at a Florida Democratic Party fundraising event where he portrayed himself as a moderate who isn’t going to please everybody all the time. Murphy spent the day racing […]

Daniel TilsonJune 11, 2015

“Leadership Blue Gala” weekend is here for the Florida Democratic Party (FDP). Saturday night is its biggest fundraiser of the year, while the rest of the weekend features party officials and activists from across the state conferencing together in specific caucus meetings, and other more collective and casual configurations. Allow me to take a look […]

Mitch PerryJune 9, 2015

Good morning, Tampa Bay readers and beyond. It’s good to be back after taking a few days off to enjoy a lot of great music (the Governors Ball), theatre (“Skylight” and “The Flick,”) and art exhibits in New York City (including taking in the brand- new Whitney Museum in the meatpacking district of Manhattan). I […]

Diane RobertsJune 7, 2015

OCCUPIED TALLAHASSEE – The not-remotely-special special session limps along, costing taxpayers about $75,000 a day. The bars in Tallahassee are making out pretty well. The rest of us, not so much. The Senate wants to expand Medicaid, but can’t call it “Medicaid,” because, you know, Obama. The House won’t call it anything other than “Medicaid!” […]

Phil AmmannJune 4, 2015

U.S. Reps. Gwen Graham and David Jolly introduced bipartisan legislation in Congress on Thursday to extend the prohibition on oil drilling in the eastern Gulf of Mexico through 2027. HR 2630, which seeks to amend the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006, extends the drilling ban — 125 miles off much of Florida’s Gulf […]

Mitch PerryMay 26, 2015

The left-leaning senior advocacy group Alliance of Retired Americans has released its congressional voting record for every member of Congress for 2014, and Marco Rubio gets a zero rating for his votes that the group highlighted in the past year. That’s the same grade the organization has given the junior Florida Republican Senator in past […]

Phil AmmannMay 18, 2015

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson filed legislation Monday that will aid the victims of last week’s deadly Amtrak derailment outside of Philadelphia. Nelson’s bill seeks to remove the two-decade-old cap on damages, set by federal law at $200 million, for passenger rail liability after such accidents. If passed, Nelson’s bill would increase the cap to $500 […]

Guest AuthorMay 12, 2015

As we all know, Florida is an odd state for politics; one where Republicans control the Cabinet, House and Senate, but where voters have supported a Democratic presidential candidate the last two cycles. On the important topic of energy, Florida’s red politicians get very purple. Traditionally, Republicans have supported the notion of offshore energy exploration, […]

Tag: Bill Nelson
Mike Johnson. Image via AP.

Mitch Perry Report for 7.1.15 – The politics of envy and being relatable

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson threatens to cut number of H-1B visas

Patrick Murphy works Democratic Party event to build Senate campaign

Daniel Tilson: Can Florida Democratic Party task force avoid giving us the 'Leadership Blues'?

Mitch Perry Report for 6.9.15 — Jeb does Europe

Diane Roberts: Florida's presidential hopefuls have forgotten about Deepwater Horizon

Gwen Graham, David Jolly lead bipartisan fight to ban oil drilling off Gulf beaches

Liberal-leaning Alliance for Retired Americans gives Marco Rubio 0 rating on 2014 votes

Bill Nelson files Senate bill to help Amtrak crash victims

Barney Bishop: Florida should take head out of the sand, allow offshore seismic surveying