Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Mitch PerryApril 28, 2015

“Banning the Box” on job applications for companies who contract with the city of Tampa was a bridge too far for the City Council to consider back in February, but it’s good enough for the Koch Brothers and other major corporations. In February, the Council declined to pass a law that would have “banned the box” […]

Mitch PerryApril 28, 2015

The Democratic National Committee’s oppo research team enjoyed poking fun at Jeb Bush Monday, sending out an email after he was quoted in one setting over the weekend as saying, “I don’t think you need to spend $1 billion to be elected president of the United States.” Another quote attributed to him Sunday night while […]

Mitch PerryApril 24, 2015

Last week it was Nashua, New Hampshire. Tomorrow, Waukee, Iowa. Waukee is the site of the next GOP presidential cattle call, where Marco Rubio will make his first appearance in the Hawkeye State since officially declaring his candidacy for president earlier this month. He’ll be joined by at least seven other presidential hopefuls who will speak […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 24, 2015

Surveying the crowd before his Wednesday evening speech about Jeb Bush at the Main Library in Downtown Jacksonville, Matthew Corrigan surveyed the crowd of 20 or so political junkies and brought up former Florida Gov. Reubin Askew. When Askew got to New Hampshire to give the first speech of his doomed presidential bid in 1984, there […]

Mitch PerryApril 24, 2015

Running for president means sometimes having to alter your brand, and sometimes your integrity. Case in point: Rand Paul. Nobody has been more prominent in U.S. politics being critical of drone strikes, particularly against American citizens, such as Anwar al-Awlaki, an Al Qaeda operative killed by a U.S. drone strike in Yemen in 2011. In […]

Mitch PerryApril 23, 2015

The Senate voted 56-43 Thursday to approve the nomination of Loretta Lynch as U.S. attorney general, ending a more than five-month-long political impasse that had stalled her bid to become the first black woman to lead the Justice Department. Three Republicans senators running for president next year — Marco Rubio, Rand Paul and Ted Cruz […]

Phil AmmannApril 21, 2015

As the 2016 presidential race gears up, candidates turn to Internet commerce to boost coffers, widen the small-donor base, collect personal data on supporters, and get their campaign message out. Online stores selling all kinds of merchandise is also a good way to get in digs at opponents. Among the items sold on the Rand […]

Mitch PerryApril 20, 2015

Although he’s hardly breaking away, Jeb Bush leads the GOP 2016 presidential field in a new CNN/ORC International Poll released Monday morning. And Marco Rubio appears to finally be gaining traction. However, both would be crushed by Hillary Clinton if the election were to be held now. Bush tops the GOP field with 17 percent, followed by […]

Mitch PerryApril 20, 2015

Happy 420 Day. There have been some interesting stories being produced by our friends over at the Tampa Bay Times over the past week. The paper returned to their coverage of Doug Hughes yesterday. Hughes is the Ruskin postal worker who hoped to raise awareness about the influence of big money in politics by violating […]

Mitch PerryApril 17, 2015

121106_florida_election_day_reuters_328-300x300-1024x1024.jpg

Although he hasn’t been dominating the headlines like some of the other so-called GOP presidential front runners, Rick Perry made a credible case for himself Friday at a Republican Party forum. He’s much healthier than during the race four years ago when he was recovering from back surgery. In an extremely energetic, intense, focused and […]

Tag: Rand Paul
Golf ball and golf club in bag on green grass

Koch Brothers latest to seize on “ban the box” movement; is Tampa next?

Mitch Perry Report for 4.28.15 — Jeb Bush. And his money.

Marco Rubio returns to Iowa for the first time as a declared presidential candidate

Matt Corrigan talks “Conservative Hurricane,” Jeb Bush 2016

Mitch Perry Report for 4.24.15 — The politics of convenience

Loretta Lynch loses Marco Rubio’s AG vote over civil forfeiture stance

Campaigns increasingly turn to online stores for revenue, targeting voters

Jeb Bush tops new GOP poll, trails Hillary Clinton by 17 points

Mitch Perry Report for 4.20.15 – Tampa’s Bicycle Blitzkrieg

Rick Perry makes case for GOP presidential run, but remains undeclared