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Associated PressOctober 20, 2017

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Electrical linemen descend from helicopters, balancing on steel girders 90 feet high on transmission towers in the mountains of central Puerto Rico, far from any road. At the same time, crews fan out across the battered island, erecting light poles and power lines in a block by block slog. A month after Hurricane Maria rolled […]

A.G. GancarskiSeptember 20, 2017

Wednesday saw House Speaker Paul Ryan stop briefly in Jacksonville, as part of a three-stop tour of Irma damage in Florida. A corollary, equally important story: the Florida Delegation setting aside partisan concerns to meet the post-storm needs of the Sunshine State, while discussing the way forward. In Jacksonville, Ryan saw the Duval Emergency Operations Center, […]

Associated PressJuly 19, 2017

It was a far cry from “The buck stops here.” President Donald Trump, dealt a stinging defeat with the failure of the Republican health care bill in the Senate, flipped the script from Harry Truman’s famous declaration of presidential responsibility and declared Tuesday, “I am not going to own it.” He had tweeted earlier, “We […]

A.G. GancarskiJune 15, 2017

Jacksonville Rep. John Rutherford, new to D.C., told Roll Call he was surprised by both ideological and strategic divisions in the GOP caucus itself this week. The caucus, said Rutherford, could be more unified: “to come from the executive side, or at least what feels like the executive side, to the legislative branch, is a […]

Mitch PerryMay 25, 2017

Like most Americans, Gus Bilirakis was repulsed after seeing footage last week of bodyguards for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan beating up peaceful protesters in Washington D.C. State Department officials expressed “concern to the Turkish government in the strongest possible terms” and summoned the Turkish Ambassador for a visit. That was pretty much it. Now, Bilirakis is […]

Associated PressMay 17, 2017

Surrounded by multiplying questions, President Donald Trump complained Wednesday that “no politician in history” has been treated worse. Democrats demanded an independent commission to dig into his firing of FBI Director James Comey, but Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan cautioned against “rushing to judgment.” Ryan said Congress needs to get the facts, but “it is […]

Mitch PerryMay 7, 2017

Three days after House Republicans passed a repeal of the Affordable Care Act, a group of St. Petersburg residents, joined by Congressman Charlie Crist, is organizing some voter pushback against the “horrible bill.” Approximately 70 citizens met up with the St. Petersburg Democrat in North Straub Park Sunday afternoon to announce that they intend to “stand up and […]

Associated PressMay 3, 2017

Washington policymakers have a time-tested method for rolling out new ideas: float a trial balloon. Spread rumors of a policy change or selectively leak it to the press, then see how it plays and proceed only if it looks doable. President Donald Trump has flipped that script. Big and startling ideas fly out of his […]

Bill RuftyMay 2, 2017

Many Floridians are unable to answer simple questions about how government works, says a new survey of residents by Florida Southern College. Even those with college degree missed some of the answers from questions included on exams administered to those becoming new citizens of the nation. For example, only 65 percent could name Rick Scott […]

Mitch PerryApril 30, 2017

Democratic hopes to retake the House in 2018 received a boost Sunday, with the announcement that longtime South Florida Republican Ileana Ros-Lehtinen will not run for re-election. “There was no epiphany. There was no moment, nothing that has happened that I’ve said, “I’ve got to move on,’” Ros-Lehtinen, who represents Florida’s 27th Congressional District, told […]

Tag: Paul Ryan

What Puerto Rico is doing to get the power back after the storm

For Florida Delegation, Irma aid trumps partisan politics

Analysis: Donald Trump unlikely to avoid blame for health care loss

Divisions in House GOP ‘frustrating’ John Rutherford

In letter, Gus Bilirakis demands justice for American attacked by Turkish security detail

Worst treatment ever, Donald Trump grumbles; Dems demand deep probe

Charlie Crist: ‘Horrible’ GOP health care bill ‘like they don’t care about people’

No trial balloons: Donald Trump flips script with startling ideas

New polling shows alarming trend, many Floridians unaware how government works

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen will not run for re-election in 2018