Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Guest AuthorJuly 21, 2014

Newspaper stories and blogs continue to document the coming battle over the state constitutional amendment that would permit the use of medical marijuana. However, most reporters write pro-marijuana stories, giving little coverage to the other side of the story. For example, several recent stories say that polling shows Amendment 2 passing handily. In fact, nothing […]

Guest AuthorJune 11, 2014

Reporters and political operatives breathlessly tell us almost daily what the polling numbers are in the all-important governor’s race. Interestingly, the numbers are always bouncing around — and they should. That’s because essentially what we are seeing in the collective sense are tracking polls that provide us with an almost daily barrage of numbers. Well-funded […]

Guest AuthorMay 27, 2014

Last week word leaked out that one of the first agency heads Gov. Rick Scott selected was leaving state government. Wansley Walters, Secretary of the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, had signed up for a state pension program that required her to leave state employment after five years. So, her time ran out before the […]

Guest AuthorMay 13, 2014

The 2014 legislative session may go down as a watershed year for Smart Justice initiatives that were passed and are now on their way to Gov. Rick Scott for his signature. After a decade or more of tough love for criminals, which has no doubt helped to decrease Florida’s crime rate, the Republican-led Legislature wisely […]

Guest AuthorApril 2, 2014

On March 31, three legislators representing several ideological stripes attended a forum to discuss medical marijuana. Unfortunately, the one-sided discussion did little more than serve as a platform to promote passage of the issue in the Legislature and on the ballot in November. Democratic strategists hope that this initiative will bring young Dems to the […]

Guest AuthorMarch 10, 2014

Florida is firing the first cannon in a battle to convince veterans across the country and around the world to retire here. Today in Tallahassee is Military Day when the Legislature honors the deeds of men and women who have committed themselves to the defense of our country. So placed around the Capitol Courtyard will […]

Guest AuthorJanuary 5, 2014

As the political winds are turning to presidential politics in 2016, now is the time for Republicans to start thinking about their ticket. I know it’s early, but the top of the Democratic ticket has already been pretty much decided by the mainstream media. It’s Hillary and whoever she wants as her veep. For the […]

Guest AuthorNovember 21, 2013

As everyone now knows, former Gov. Charlie Crist wants to be Governor, again. As I have reported before, there are many Democratic officials who fear a Crist nomination because of all of the baggage that comes with him. Charlie, as I’ve said before and will again, is one of the nicest people you will ever […]

Guest AuthorNovember 20, 2013

Obamacare is an unmitigated disaster. It has been from the beginning. Any time that Congress passes something along strictly partisan lines, it probably is not a good thing. To rush the vote so that a then-newly minted GOP senator, Scott Brown, couldn’t vote was just the last straw in the first act of this dark […]

Guest AuthorOctober 22, 2013

Florida Democrats have not had a winning gubernatorial candidate since the late Lawton Chiles won a second term in 1994. Whether the outcome will be different next year is debatable because it appears the party will choose a candidate who is not a true Democrat but a former Republican-turned- Independent-turned-Democrat. Suffice it to say that […]

Tag: Barney Bishop

Barney Bishop: Most media reporting on medical pot unfairly supports it

Barney Bishop: If Crist is governor, expect to see D.C. antics in Tallahassee

Barney Bishop: Wansley Walters: A visionary leader in juvenile justice

Barney Bishop: Recognizing benefits of Smart Justice, legislators adopt smart changes

Barney Bishop: Medical marijuana forum is all smoke and little substance

Barney Bishop: Legislation designed to make Florida more attractive to veterans

Barney Bishop: Jeb Bush is best presidential candidate for GOP in 2016

Barney Bishop: Charlie Crist is nice guy, but can you believe him?

Barney Bishop: ‘Nanny Government’ knows what’s best for you

Barney Bishop: Democrats finally have a stronger backbench