Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Guest AuthorSeptember 2, 2014

Post-primary punditry about low voter turnout in Florida (especially in Democrat-rich Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties) is as predictable and prolific as it is paltry. Adding up the numbers, analysts–I use the term loosely–have come to the unremarkable conclusion that Charlie Crist’s chances of defeating Rick Scott are in doubt. Henny Penny’s sky is […]

Adam WeinsteinAugust 4, 2014

I’ve been trying to catch up with Marion Hammer, the former president of the NRA and top lobbyist for the pro-gun group here in Florida, for years. I’m a lifelong gun owner, but she’s never accepted my offers to meet up for a range day. So I was glad to see she’s writing here at […]

Guest AuthorJune 29, 2014

If you think anti-abortion activists swarming around clinics are sweet, helpful Good Samaritans, you’ve sniffed a snoot-full of cockamamie pixie dust. Or you’re swooning over the perfectly coiffed spokesmen (and, why is it they are almost always men?) whose carefully modulated tones and messages reassure that protesters are simple caring folks handing out pamphlets and […]

Guest AuthorMay 18, 2014

Recently the resignation of former Mozilla CEO Brendan Eich stirred quite a controversy and rightfully so. That the left’s intolerance prompted the Mozilla board to force Eich from his job is an abomination and contrary to the freedom of expression America stands for. In case you missed it, Brendan Eich is an American technologist and […]

Guest AuthorApril 20, 2014

Out there on the West Coast, the courts seem to have a demented understanding of the Constitution. I refer especially to the most reversed appellate court in the country, The Ninth U. S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Often referred to as the “Ninth Circus Court of Appeals,” it has struck again. This is the same […]

Guest AuthorApril 1, 2014

The U.S. Supreme Court is set to rule soon in a case that will determine whether prayers at government meetings should continue to be allowed and if so, what kind. The court will rule on whether an upstate New York town violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, which prohibits the government from making […]

Bob SparksMarch 24, 2014

The right to express one’s opinion unhindered by the government stands at the top of the list of citizen rights. The founders thought it important enough to rank it first on the list of the Bill of Rights. With minimal limitation, people can pretty much say what they wish, no matter how distasteful, hurtful or […]

Guest AuthorDecember 23, 2013

Here’s my take on the Duck Dynasty controversy. I just do not care. We used to have the right as Americans to say and think as we please, and live with the repercussions of those statements. However, here’s the difference that often gets lost in the yelling over the First Amendment. It protects us from […]

Guest AuthorOctober 10, 2013

If ever you want to start a controversy, there’s no better way than to put the words “God” and “America” together on a sign and put it where everyone can see it. There’s sure to be a controversy about freedom of religion, freedom of speech, whether America is a Christian or a secular nation, whether […]

Tag: First Amendment
U.S. Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart spoke on a range of issues during a Friday luncheon in Pinecrest, from immigration and federal regulations to America's funding questionable United Nations operations. Image via Jesse Scheckner/Florida Politics.

Stephen Goldstein: Voters aren’t apathetic; They’re sick of political lies

Adam Weinstein: NRA and its “Docs vs. Glocks” law treat gun owners like children

Linda Cunningham: Protected by its buffer zone, court bans them at clinics

John Grant: Some liberals have no tolerance for conservative positions

John Grant: Court supports school officials who played ‘hide the flag’

Steve Kurlander: Overt Christian prayers have no place at government meetings

Bob Sparks: Government can foster, not define, civility

Henry Kelley: I just don’t care about the Duck Dynasty controversy

Cary McMullen: Here’s your sign: follow the rules