Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Martin DyckmanOctober 24, 2016

It’s in our genes here in America that the losers of an election congratulate the winners and we all move on. That’s more than good manners. It’s the survival instinct of any democracy. Donald Trump‘s contempt for that disgusts Republicans as well as Democrats and independents. But look closer. There are 54 members of his […]

Mitch PerryAugust 26, 2016

Nationally and in Florida, there are many, many Republican elected officials who seem to equivocate when asked whether or not they’ll support Donald Trump for president. Jack Latvala is not one of those Republicans. The always-irascible Pinellas County lawmaker made it clear Friday morning that while the Manhattan real estate developer is hardly his cup of […]

Mark FerruloJune 8, 2016

Before the ink on newspaper headlines had even dried about the Feb. 13 passing of Justice Antonin Scalia, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said that the Senate should not consider any U.S. Supreme Court nominee until 2017, after a new President is sworn in. Since then, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio has joined McConnell in […]

Mitch PerryJune 7, 2016

A Florida-based activist group is blasting Marco Rubio for blocking a former Miami-Dade judge from a federal judgeship, especially after the fact that he initially supported her. In February of 2015, the White House announced that Mary Barzee Flores had been chosen as a district court judge in South Florida. The lifetime post requires Senates […]

Mitch PerryMay 11, 2016

Marco Rubio appears to be in free fall in Florida when it comes to how the voters feel about him, according to a Quinnipiac poll released Wednesday. Less than two months after registered Republicans repudiated his presidential candidacy in the state’s presidential primary, 49 percent of all Floridians disapprove of his performance in the Senate, […]

Mitch PerryApril 27, 2016

Hillsborough County Commissioners unanimously approved increasing what used to be call impact fees but are now dubbed mobility fees. It’s actually a pretty big deal by itself, considering that they hadn’t done so since Ronald Reagan was still president. The fees are designed to have developers pay for the increase in construction to roads needed […]

Mitch PerryApril 26, 2016

David Jolly was criticized by his GOP senate opponents for agreeing to debate Democrat Alan Grayson when Monday night’s event was announced. They criticized him during the event. And one of them is now taking him to task for one of his responses, nearly 24 hours later. When asked if Merrick Garland, President Obama’s choice […]

Ryan RayApril 18, 2016

When U.S. Senate candidate Carlos Beruff stopped by the state capital on Monday, he mostly kept it personal. The Manatee homebuilder and close political ally of Gov. Rick Scott spoke to reporters before a brief appearance at the Republican Women’s Club of Tallahassee, but didn’t say much beyond the standard GOP boilerplate. Perhaps that’s to be expected in a tight […]

Mitch PerryApril 8, 2016

Florida’s Congressional District 13 seat based in Pinellas County has received a lot of attention in recent years. The special election to replace the late C.W. “Bill” Young in 2014 was one of the most expensive congressional elections in U.S. history. After the Florida Supreme Court ordered the state Legislature to redraw the district last year which […]

Associated PressApril 3, 2016

Congress increasingly is being defined by what it’s not doing this election year. The Senate returns this week with a strong majority of Republicans saying no to any consideration of President Barack Obama‘s nominee to the Supreme Court. No hearings, no vote and, for some lawmakers, not even a meeting with federal appeals court Judge […]

Tag: Merrick Garland
Golf ball and golf club in bag on green grass

Martin Dyckman: Supreme Court vacancy makes GOP Senate just as bad as Donald Trump

Jack Latvala says Michael Bay’s ’13 Hours’ one of two reasons he’s voting for Donald Trump

Mark Ferrulo: Crippling the Supreme Court

Activist group blasts Marco Rubio for opposing a federal judge after he initially supported her

49% of Floridians disapprove of Marco Rubio’s Senate performance

Mitch Perry Report for 4.27.16 – Time for Hillsborough BOCC to make a decision

Carlos Lopez-Cantera takes David Jolly to task for saying that Merrick Garland deserves an up-or-down vote

Carlos Beruff coy on 2016 presidential support in Tallahassee visit

Mark Bircher: I wouldn’t run if I couldn’t win CD 13

GOP Congress’ incomplete: Stalled bills, no court nominee