Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Associated PressFebruary 20, 2017

It was an ugly, highly personal presidential election. An unvarnished celebrity outsider who pledged to represent the forgotten laborer took on an intellectual member of the Washington establishment looking to extend a political dynasty in the White House. Andrew Jackson‘s triumph in 1828 over President John Quincy Adams bears striking similarities to Donald Trump‘s victory […]

Associated PressFebruary 15, 2017

The Republicans’ ardor for investigations and oversight, on display throughout the Obama administration, has cooled off considerably with Donald Trump in the White House. Each day seems to bring a new headache or near-crisis from Trump, the latest being the departure of his national security adviser under questionable circumstances involving Russia. Yet if there is […]

Mitch PerryFebruary 8, 2017

Democrats skeptical about President Trump‘s repeated claims of voter fraud in last November’s election are now challenging him to add voter suppression and disenfranchisement to his administration’s pending investigation. On Super Bowl Sunday, Trump told Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly that Vice President Mike Pence will be in charge of a commission to probe what he believes was voter fraud in the election, despite a […]

Associated PressFebruary 1, 2017

Republicans jammed two of President Donald Trump‘s top Cabinet picks through the Senate Finance Committee with no Democrats in the room Wednesday after suspending a rule that would have otherwise barred them from taking the vote. The tactic seemed a warning shot that they might deploy brute political muscle in the upcoming fight over the […]

Martin DyckmanJanuary 30, 2017

An open letter to House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell: Gentlemen: It was wisdom rather than whim that guided the founders of our nation in separating the powers of government with a system of checks and balances. As James Madison remarked in The Federalist 47, “the accumulation of all powers … […]

Mitch PerryJanuary 20, 2017

Approximately three dozen Donald Trump supporters cheered incessantly at a Beef O’Brady’s in North Tampa on Friday morning, before, during and after the longtime New York real estate mogul was sworn in as the 45th President of the United States. “We did this,” exclaimed Terry Castro, a co-chair with the Trump campaign in north Hillsborough County, immediately […]

Associated PressJanuary 17, 2017

Insurance premiums would soar and some 18 million Americans would lose health coverage if Republicans partially repeal President Barack Obama‘s health care law without a replacement, Congress’ nonpartisan budget office estimated Tuesday. The Congressional Budget Office analyzed a GOP 2016 repeal measure, which Republicans have cited as a starting point for their 2017 drive to […]

Associated PressDecember 31, 2016

Fed up with Europe’s union across borders? Reject it. Disgusted with the U.S. political establishment? Can it. The news in 2016 was filled with battles over culture and territory that exposed divisions far deeper than many realized. But people confronting those divides repeatedly rejected the prospect of middle-ground solutions and the institutions put in place […]

Associated PressDecember 26, 2016

Congressional Republicans are planning a massive overhaul of the nation’s tax system, a heavy political lift that could ultimately affect families at every income level and businesses of every size. Their goal is to simplify a complicated tax code that rewards wealthy people with smart accountants, and corporations that can easily shift profits — and […]

Martin DyckmanDecember 1, 2016

Aiming to regain some relevance in the Republican Party, Jeb Bush argues that it should show voters that it stands “for a few a big ideas” rather than only for things to vote against. Regrettably, four specific ideas that he proposed in a Nov. 24 Wall Street Journal op-ed are not simply big but bad. […]

Tag: Mitch McConnell

Donald Trump embraces legacy of Andrew Jackson

For GOP, a dimmed zeal for investigations in Donald Trump era

Charlie Crist wants Trump administration to look into voter suppression, disenfranchisement

GOP pushes 2 top Cabinet picks through to full Senate

Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell — why are you enabling Donald Trump?

At Inauguration watch party in North Tampa, great expectations for a Trump presidency

18M more Americans would be uninsured under 2016 GOP repeal

Year’s top news filled with division — and no middle ground

GOP: Cut taxes, change brackets; but what about deficits

Martin Dyckman: On Jeb Bush’s relevance