Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Guest AuthorOctober 2, 2013

Colin Powell was quoted as saying to President George W. Bush and company, “If you break it, you own it.” During the last session in Tallahassee, a common talking point from the Republicans was that “Medicaid is a broken system”, and that expanding it would be folly. Medicaid is by no means perfect, nor was […]

Julie DelegalOctober 2, 2013

Did the Team Bush response to Gov. Rick Scott’s order on education seem a little too restrained last week? Former Gov. Jeb Bush and his Foundation for Florida’s Future, after all, have been at this education-reform biz for years. Until recently, the foundation’s work appeared destined to culminate in the implementation of the national Common […]

Daniel TilsonSeptember 30, 2013

GOP government shutdown shenanigans aside, the launch of Affordable Care Act health insurance exchanges this week shows that Florida is lurching along on the rocky road to health-care reform. It’s high time Floridians understood that the congressional melodrama in DC has little to do with actually blocking health reform and everything to do with conservative […]

Guest AuthorSeptember 25, 2013

The growing conventional wisdom is that former Gov. Charlie Crist is a shoo-in to become Florida’s next governor. Conventional wisdom is wrong. The mainstream media in Florida is going to endorse Charlie. They love him because he loves the press and knows how to whip up a crowd with his rhetorical talents. There certainly is […]

Guest AuthorSeptember 24, 2013

Here’s where we are, Florida. Gov. Rick Scott has cut taxes five times in the last three legislative sessions: property taxes, business income taxes, sales taxes on manufacturing equipment and machinery. Almost 370,000 private-sector jobs have been created. Our unemployment rate has been dramatically reduced to 7 percent, below the national average, surpassing economists’ expectations. […]

Martin DyckmanSeptember 22, 2013

There are 45 synonyms for “outrageous,” most of which Attorney General Pam Bondi has brought to mind by having an execution postponed to accommodate a campaign fund-raising event. To toy with a life for politics? How inhuman. To delay “justice” for politics? How gross. Gov. Rick Scott had set the execution of double murderer Marshall […]

Peter SchorschSeptember 19, 2013

Even though my last guess — I won’t call it a prediction — about when Charlie Crist would announce his plans for 2014 turned out to be very wrong, I’m ready to make another bold prediction, err, I mean guess: Charlie Crist will announce he is running for governor … later rather than sooner. I can […]

Guest AuthorSeptember 19, 2013

The governor of Florida is making it abundantly clear he will stop at nothing to sabotage the new federal health care law. And in so doing, he’s putting at risk some of the very residents he was elected to serve. Earlier this year, the governor decided to sign legislation that eliminated the Florida insurance commissioner’s […]

Daniel TilsonSeptember 17, 2013

In a move some will see as vain, in vain, or both, Gov. Rick Scott Monday sent a letter to U.S. congressional leaders sounding the identity-theft alarm that only opponents of Obamacare seem to find in any way alarming. The letter addressed to Republican House Speaker John Boehner and Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid […]

Guest AuthorSeptember 15, 2013

After being elected governor as a Republican, he came to Tallahassee as a businessman who had not held public office before. His first term was filled with blunders and controversy and it appeared that his re-election was in doubt when a prominent Democrat appeared likely to run against him. But Jeb Bush became the first […]

Tag: Rick Scott
Special Needs Shelters. Image via Hillsborough County Department of Health.

Gary Stein: If Medicaid is broken in Florida, the state is responsible

Julie Delegal: Scott and Bush: Educational division or collaboration?

Daniel Tilson: New ‘public option’ at heart of health reform: Pressure

Barney Bishop: Scott has delivered on promise to create jobs

Lenny Curry: Rick Scott’s tax cuts continue his record of helping Florida’s economy

Martin Dyckman: To delay execution for Pam Bondi fundraiser is outrageous

Peter Schorsch: When, oh when, Charlie?

Sen. Bill Nelson: Gov. Scott trying to disrupt new health care law

Daniel Tilson: Scott ups anti-Obamacare ante with letter to Congress

Jamie Miller: Bush re-elected after tough first term; Scott will do the same