Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Jac VerSteegMay 8, 2016

Donald Trump wants the Hispanic vote so badly he can taste it. On May 5, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee tweeted a picture of himself celebrating Cinco de Mayo by digging into a huge, meat-filled taco bowl. “I love Hispanics,” Trump tweeted. Presumably in a Twilight Zone, “It’s a cookbook!” kind of way. Our advice […]

Jac VerSteegApril 18, 2016

As a preacher’s kid who grew up in the South, I value politeness. Yes, sir. Yes, ma’am. Let me get that door for you. It is a given that, when you encounter a governor in a coffee shop, you do not yell, “You are an a**hole!” Nevertheless, Cara Jennings’ crude outburst in a Gainesville Starbucks […]

Jac VerSteegApril 5, 2016

It’s bugging me that Florida, now the third-most populous state, never has managed to get a Floridian elected president. It looked like there was a great chance this year, with Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio starting out as strong possibles. Even Ben Carson looked like he had a shot at one time. But each saw […]

Jac VerSteegApril 4, 2016

It’s bugging me that Florida, now the third-most populous state, never has managed to get a Floridian elected president. It looked like there was a great chance this year, with Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio starting out as strong possibles. Even Ben Carson looked like he had a shot at one time. But each saw […]

Jac VerSteegMarch 1, 2016

Marco Rubio and Donald Trump are slinging mud by spraying water. Perhaps this results from the unconscious influence of their ties to Florida, a vast peninsula surrounded by the sparkling aqua stuff. Trump himself is master of an estate whose name – Mar-a-Lago – derives from its proximity to two bodies of water. Rubio’s persona […]

Guest AuthorFebruary 26, 2016

Marco Rubio poses as a national security expert. Perhaps among the Republican contenders, he’s the closest thing they’ve got. In which case, God help us all. A Washington Post story over the weekend indicates that Rubio’s interest in national security was just a pose from the beginning. As a rising star in the Florida House, […]

Jac VerSteegFebruary 25, 2016

Marco Rubio poses as a national security expert. Perhaps among the Republican contenders he’s the closest thing they’ve got. In which case, God help us all. A Washington Post story over the weekend indicates that Rubio’s interest in national security was just a pose from the beginning. As a rising star in the Florida House, […]

Jac VerSteegFebruary 17, 2016

Sen. Joe Negron’s SB 832 declares that “fantasy contests” — meaning endeavors such as DraftKings and FanDuel — “involve the skill of contest participants and do not constitute gambling, gaming or games of chance.” Negron, R-Stuart and a Senate-president-to-be, would regulate this non-gambling via a newly created Office of Amusement. It’s not “gambling,” it’s an […]

Jac VerSteegFebruary 7, 2016

What do Hillary Clinton, Jeb Bush and some Florida lawmakers have in common? They’ve all said some pretty disturbing things recently about the use of military power. Hmmm. I guess I also should add Donald Trump, Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio to the list. Start with Jeb. By now you’ve probably seen his latest cringe-worthy […]

Jac VerSteegJanuary 26, 2016

What happens if the Florida Legislature refuses to ratify the Seminole Compact that Gov. Rick Scott negotiated with the Tribe? No one really knows, of course, but state Sen. Joe Abruzzo, a Boynton Beach Democrat, offered a tantalizing hint toward the end of a recent workshop by the Senate’s Regulated Industries Committee. Addressing Jim Allen, […]

Tag: Jac VerSteeg
A nice warm evening in Tallahassee on a very busy street while taking this shot.

Jac VerSteeg: Donald Trump develops a taste for Mexicans

Jac VerSteeg: GOP devolving into the party of, um, jerks

Jac VerSteeg: Want a president from Florida? Don’t send Rick Scott to the Senate

Jac VerSteeg: Want a president from Florida? Don’t send Rick Scott to the Senate

Jac VerSteeg: Bladders, sweat, Flint and tears

Jac VerSteeg: Marco Rubio is a national security shirker

Jac VerSteeg: Marco Rubio is a national security shirker

Jac VerSteeg: Fantasy sports aren’t gambling? How amusing

Jac Wilder VerSteeg: Hold your applause for Jeb Bush, Hillary Clinton

Jac VerSteeg: Sen. Joe Abruzzo’s “wide-open” alternative to the Seminole Compact