There was an extremely busy weekend in the political realm in Florida this weekend, so I have a ton for you today. First off, if you are thinking of attending the Florida Democratic Party State convention, we will be having a series of Netroots/blogging workshops. We want your feedback as to the content of those workshops, please go here and participate in a survey about the workshops. Make sure to do this, because it really will influence the content of our presentations.
Now, let’s go with the categorized stories:
The Democratic Primary: Tally’s diary – Primary Candidate, Left Side Out – dnc leaves florida flappin’ in the wind, Tally’s diary – Primary Meaning, March on Politics – Dem Delegation Reinforces Lawsuit Threat, Independent Report – DNC strips Florida of delegates, Blast Off – The primary controversy heats up, Broward’s Blog – Tell the DNC we do not need 30 days, the seminole democrat – DNC Plays into GOP Hands in FL Primary Move, Reidblog – Florida kicked in the a… donkey, Florida Kossacks – Let’s All Take a Deep Breath, Pushing Rope – FDP Punished, Pensito Review – DNC Leaps Ever Closer to Irrelevancy as It Pledges to Stay the Course and Aikane Leo – DNC to Florida voters: Drop dead.
The Budget Shortfall: Naked Politics – Three year outlook has grim news for budget and Central Florida Political Pulse – Florida’s budget hole isn’t going to disappear soon.
Republican Criminal Watch: Central Florida Political Pulse – Rep. Allen’s statement tossed out, Incertus – My Email to Naugle, Broward’s Blog – Broward County Commission to Remove Naugle from Tourism Board Over Bigoted Comments, Incertus – Talking to the Mayor, Smashed Frog – Mark Foley Walks-Deliberately Leaked?, Smashed Frog – Mark Foley Walks?, Talk To Me – Two Tiers of Justice, Incertus – “The miscreant fringe”, Change in Tallahassee – Gay Florida mayor hopes Mayor Naugle will come to his senses, Pushing Rope – Jim Naugle: Obsessed With Public Restrooms, Pensito Review – Murder-Suicide Claims Prominent GOP Strategist; Gaydars Going Wild, and Incertus – An Open Letter to Gay Vacationers from a Straight Guy and a Random Ten. (And yes, I know that Jim Naugle is a Democrat, but with the way he talks and acts, he might as well be a Republican, so I’m including him here).
And single-post stories:
1. litbrit – Violence is Violence is Violence: “But what Joe Scarborough says is true: women are raped and beaten, abused and imprisoned and murdered all the time, by professional athletes as well as men in every profession and plenty of unemployed ones, too–in every state of this nation. Yet when was the last time we saw video of people outside courthouses carrying signs and banners, demanding that these abusers and murderers be held accountable under the law?”
2. Talk To Me – Public Exposure: “It’s interesting that Florida’s Sunshine Law was used to the full extent regarding disgraced state Rep. Bob Allen, but in the case of 29-year-old Aaron Zylstra–shot dead by two Palm Bay police officers– the general public is provided no copy of the assistant attorney general’s findings that called the shooting justified.”
3. Blast Off! – FCAT: the “F” isn’t really for “Florida”: “One of the enduring legacies of Jeb! Bush’s destruction of education here in America’s Wangâ„¢ has been the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, or FCAT. According to the website, the test ‘is part of Florida’s overall plan to increase student achievement by implementing higher standards.’ Unfortunately, ‘higher standards’ generally means ‘teaching to the test.’”
4. BeThink – August 26, 1920; Women’s Suffrage. Election Day; Women Exercise Right: “August 26, 1920 is a date that lives large in history. Those of the female persuasion may be more familiar with the day; however, few mark it on their calendars.”
5. Naked Politics – PIP politics: State spells out how end of PIP will impact drivers: “The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles has come out with yet another legal analysis of the Oct. 1 sunset of Florida’s no-fault auto insurance laws in order to answer questions about what happens once personal injury protection goes away.”
6. Blast Off! – Today’s Daily Schadenfreude: Randy and Paula White: “Divorce, no matter what the circumstances, is tough. Believe me, I know from experience that it’s no laughing matter. Unless, that is, the divorcing couple is one of the most prominent and hypocritical fundie pairs in Florida. Welcome to the club, Randy and Paula White, founders and pastors of Tampa’s Without Walls International Church!”
7. Ybor City Stogie – Kennedy Blvd. Over I275: “Another Tampa Bay Structurally Deficient Bridge.”
8. the 13th juror – One paycheck away: “We all hear the phrase “one paycheck away …” and nod our heads solemnly. But you really don’t believe it, do you?”
9. BeThink – The Sacrifice; Children’s Health Insurance Program [SCHIP] Costs: “When I consider the circumstances of children I weep. Their health and welfare do not seem to fit into our adult plans or our budget. I am concerned when I hear whispers and discussions; the State Children’s Health Insurance Program [SCHIP] costs too much.”
10. Blast Off! – Fuck Kumbaya!: “Okay, that title ought to get me blocked on a lot of servers … but that’s basically what a couple of south Florida Democrats are saying today about getting along with their fellow state senators. Well, at least that’s my uncivil interpretation …”
11. Miami-Dade Dems – Sneaky: “Thank goodness for technology. We have our ways … wasn’t that a line that Peter Lorre would utter in the old black-and-whites? Ve haf our Vays … Now we have our ways to catch sneaky Republicans trying to white-out the truth. Truth lies in Wikipedia, and now there’s a scanner that shows who made changes in this user-edited, on-line sorta encyclopedia.”
12. Ybor City Stogie – FEMA Leaving Florida For… Alaska?: “Right in the middle of hurricane season, the Federal Emergency Management Agency is shutting its doors and moving out of Florida – the state ranked third nationally for the number of natural disasters. Where are they headed? Alaska.”
13. the 13th juror – An attitude you may not understand: “Tony says: ‘You know, I used to think that anybody who was out to help me was actually trying to screw me. I’ve come round a bit on that one. I think I’m better now.’â€
14. Talk To Me – Public Records and You: “Florida has a new hobby. Putting people on lists. The list movement may have started with Deb Lafave, convicted for lewd and lascivious battery of a student. The former teacher is far too notorious to feature on just two lists, the Florida Sex Offender Registry and the Corrections Offenders Network. Let’s create yet another list. She was a teacher. Let’s do a Teacher list, featuring disciplinary actions against teachers. List number Three for Ms. Lafave.”
15. the 13th juror – Arrested again for begging without a license: “The homeless man who is challenging Marion County’s panhandling ordinance in federal court has again been arrested and charged with begging without a license.”
National blogs taking a look at Florida: Pam’s House Blend – Anti-gay Florida fundie D. James Kennedy steps down, Pam’s House Blend – Blender’s letter to Fort Lauderdale City Commission about Naugle, Daily Kos – DNC to Florida: Move It Or Lose ‘Em, Shakesville – GOP Activists Found Dead in Florida Double Murder-Suicide and AMERICAblog – Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle continues gay-bashing campaign.
Here are the sites in our Candidate Watch Network that have been updated: The Putnam Report, Guswatch, The Bill Young Dispatch, Florida House Watch and Florida Senate Watch.
Also check out the blogging Florida roundup at Florida Netroots.
For more, as always, go to the FLA Politics daily round-up.
