Category: Uncategorized

• “There is a reason James Madison put freedom of speech and freedom of the press in the very first Amendment. If we can’t speak out, if we cannot challenge those in power, there is no guaranteeing the rights that follow.”—ABC News correspondent Jonathan Karl.
• Fox Founding Father Rupert Murdoch, 92, has stepped down. His legacy: Converting highly-charged, right wing-nut political talk radio to TV, even if he turned on Trump.
• Gavin Newsom will debate Ron DiSastrous on Nov. 30. It will be moderated by Fox News host Sean Hannity. It’s billed as a “red vs. blue state debate.” Newsom must be confident; he’ll be outnumbered in a home-game for his opponent.
• “Country-Threatening Treason”: What NBC News and MSNBC “should be investigated for,” according to truth Social Misfit Donald Trump.
• “I have no obligation to be honest with the media, because they’re just as dishonest as anyone else.” That was former Trump campaign manager Cory Lewandowski in 2019.
• “At the end of the day, polling is only a snapshot into a moment and cannot predict anything. Things change all the time in politics.”—Democrat consultant Simon Rosenberg.

• In a perfectly logical world, a new Rays stadium would go in Tampa, the business hub of an asymmetrical, mass-transit-challenged, imperfect market. It’s always been noteworthy that downtown redevelopment catalyst Jeff Vinik has never gotten behind a Tampa option. Maybe it was more complicating than complementary.

Regardless, it’s still the Tampa Bay Rays, not the Gas Plant Redevelopment Rays.

• The Rays, with one of the best records in MLB, saw its attendance increase nearly 28 percent this season. That’s the good news. The Rays finished with an average attendance of 17,800—or 27^th among the 30 MLB franchises.
• Florida ties: Ben Shelton made it to the semifinals of the U.S. Open. Last year he won the NCAA Men’s Singles Championship at the University of Florida. Delray Beach’s Coco Gauff, 19, won this year Women’s U.S. Open.
• Bradenton ranks second in the country (to Detroit) in the number of high school players now on NFL rosters. Yes, IMG (International Management Group) Academy, a “private athletic school,” has everything to do with it.
• It’s now a familiar cliché: Good teams win, great teams cover (the spread). It comes with, alas, a sports-betting-frenzy era.
• Deion Sanders has made a big “Prime Time” splash with his University of Colorado debut. The Fort Myers native was a great two-sport athlete and now seems to be a great transfer recruiter. Enough to overlook the embarrassing “Deion Sanders Rule.”

That goes back to his FSU days. He played in FSU’s 1989 Sugar Bowl win over Auburn, even though he had quit going to classes or taken any final exams the previous semester. Now all college players have to have successfully completed the previous semester in order to be eligible for a bowl game. Chances are, none of his UC players have ever heard of the “Deion Sanders Rule,” but some administrators have.

• “UNLESS YOU GET EVERYTHING, SHUT IT DOWN!”. Trump’s unnuanced, unconscionable message for House GOPsters.
• Country First? Party on!
• The more Trump indictments, the bigger his political rallies—and the more concern for meaningful democracy.
• While Trump doesn’t have as many big donors as in past cycles, he still has his share, including the former developer Charles Kushner, father of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, who recently anted up $1 million. Trump pardoned the senior Kushner on his way out of office.
• Speculation abounds that a Florida jury pool (in the classified documents indictment) could give Trump an advantage. Indeed. He has more than his share of would-be “peers.”
• “No matter how powerful you are, and no matter how much money you think you have, no one is above the law.”—New York Attorney General Letitia James. The state’s lawsuit accuses Trump of fraud.
• For the record, Richard Nixon—not Donald Trump—holds the all-time record for Time magazine covers with 55. Trump was on 14.
• The press as “the enemy of the people.” Trump is in select company: Robespierre, Goebbels, Hitler, Stalin.
• “When I can, I tell the truth.”—Another day at the office for Agent Orange.
• Encouraging decals: “Veterans Against Trump.”
• “Axis of Adults”: That’s what Trump cabinet members John Kelly (chief of staff), James Mattis (secretary of defense) and Rex Tillerson (secretary of state) were known as.
• “If Republicans want to restore and re–embrace real conservatism, optimism, vision, answers and solutions—we can’t continue to follow Trump and his series of defeat, losses, conspiracies and anger; we must abandon him.”—Alfredo Rodriguez, founder and president of Dyce Communications, a Republican consulting firm.
• Trump Vice President Mike Pence is now a primary competitor. He now refers to President Trump as his “former running mate.”
• “What is the former president afraid of?” The Wall Street Journal on Trump’s refusal to join GOP-candidate debates.
• “Donald Duck.” How Chris Christie referenced Trump for skipping the second debate.
• Let’s not forget that Trump added $7.8 trillion to the debt. Ron DiSastrous remembered to remind all debate participants and viewers.
• Mitt Romney says he belongs to the “wise man wing” of the Republican Party. Too bad he is grossly outnumbered by the “wise guy wing.”

• “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.”—Ronald Reagan.
• “The main advantage of being famous is that when you bore people at dinner parties, they think it is their fault.”—Henry Kissinger.
• “We generally see increases in hate crimes in election years and around catalytic events.”—Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism at California State University.
• “…Ideologies replace faith…”—Pope Francis’ warning about a “reactionary attitude” that opposes him within the Roman Catholic Church in the U.S.
• “Putin Republicans and their enablers will end up on the ash heap of history.”—Former Wyoming Republican Rep. Liz Cheney.
• “We don’t have a House that represents voters, because most voters don’t participate.”—Karen Tumulty, Washington Post.
• “From Donald Trump to Elon Musk to Tucker Carlson, our society is being deformed by egomaniacs.”—Mona Charen, The Bulwark.
• “Georgia has faced the cottage industry of election denialism and shut it down.”—Brad Raffensperger, Georgia’s Republican secretary of state.
• “We can increase confidence. We’re working on that.”—Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, on ethical concerns surrounding SCOTUS.
• “Government shutdowns are bad news.”—Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell.
• “When you’re young, you’re getting high, and when you’re old you’re using plant medicine.”—Author Ann Patchett.
• “The idea that my car is the only way for me to get where I need to go is being challenged by a new (high speed) product.”—Brightline CEO Mike Reininger.
• “I don’t think the relationship (between school districts and the state Department of Education) has ever been as poor.”—Pinellas County School Board member Carol Cook.
• “It’s in a great location. And it’s survived more than 100 years for a reason.”—Dylan Desai of My Hospitality Hotels, which is converting Balbin Bros. Cigar Factory on N. Howard Avenue into a boutique hotel.
• “If we do a great job, I think we’ll be getting a lot of word-of-mouth referrals.”—Avi Brosh, founder of the small hotel chain Palisociety, which will open a boutique hotel in Hyde Park Village next month.
• “(The Riverwalk) is a jewel, and it’s just going to further expand there while also respecting maritime properties.”—Tampa City Council Chairperson Guido Maniscalso, on concerns about extending the Riverwalk near cruise ship terminals.
• “Developers by their nature are optimists. … They promise things that are outside of their control.”—Former Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn.

“We are all going to start slitting throats on Day One.”

No, that wasn’t some ISIS monster declaring what looms for helpless hostages. That was presidential candidate Ron DiSastrous, underscoring his priority to clean up the “deep state.”

Words, of course, do matter, especially when they’re spewed—not spoken. Sure, it’s only rhetoric, but it’s abhorrent, dangerous and disgusting—especially at a time when this country needs healing from hateful divisiveness—not a rhetorical doubling down on our worst instincts.

“Carnage” never sounded so benign.

Rarely does a presidential-candidate debate turn into a, well, debate. It’s a lowest common denominator performance-art exercise that no forensic society would ever countenance. Now let’s see who drops out. Vanity or an audition for Fox News hosting can keep some candidates on stage longer than political viability would suggest.

Trump, the serially indicted huckster, of course, was a no-show. He’s ahead, still has an alarmingly hefty cult following and awaits coronation, not incarceration. The GOP, as we’ve seen, is now more nativist, tribal movement than party.

The pro-Trump Milwaukee debate crowd loudly booed any unflattering references to Trump—especially by Chris Christie. “Booing is allowed,” responded Christie, “but it doesn’t change the truth.”

Takeaways: Nikki Haley never seemed so reasonable. Mike Pence still showcases his pious, evangelical chops. Ron DiSastrous still hopes no one notices when he looks for cues and tentatively raises his hand in response to a moderator question for all and then avoids a direct question and immediately pivots to his platitude agenda. He spoke in stump speech argot and even worked in a George Soros reference. Is there a Trump-Ramaswamy ticket coming our way?

• The welcome reality from the Ohio vote that rejected attempts to weaken voters’ voices and further erode a woman’s right to choose: Abortion remains a highly motivating issue for voters.
• Speaking of motivating, President Biden needs to make more headway and drum up more support from young voters, voters of color and women. The pressure is on for VP Kamala Harris, who’s better at fund-raising than popularity, to make a high-profile difference on the hustings.
• And head’s up for Gavin Newsom and his challenge to debate Ron DiSastrous. A lot of political tea leaves to read. Is he doing what a good surrogate does in defending Biden against a would-be opponent? Is he running a shadow 2024 campaign? Or is he positioning himself for 2028? Just ask VP Harris.
• Joe Manchin an Independent? What else is new for the swing-vote-enamored West Virginia Demopublican.
• No diplomatic concessions. Proper response to North Korea over the soldier who defected: “Keep him.”
• “I don’t know for a fact what happened, but I’m not surprised.”—President Biden, on the plane crash that killed Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, who had led a brief armed rebellion against the Russian military.
• The U.S. has had the fastest recovery from the pandemic recession among the Group of Seven industrialized Western economies. That won’t be mentioned in Iowa.
• Reminder: Not a single Republican voted for the Inflation Recovery Act, the one Nikki Haley called a “communist manifesto.”
• Reminder: The unemployment rate is 3.5 percent. A record 13 million jobs have been added during Biden’s first term.
• How did Nikki Haley alter the GOP candidates’ pledge to “Beat President Biden”? She wrote in “Beat President Harris”—to keep an octogenarian incumbent in partisan context.
• The White House is prepping for an impeachment inquiry in the fall. That means, alas, Kevin McCarthy and Hunter Biden will dominate some news cycles.
• “Apportionment … has been either deliberately rigged or shamefully ignored so as to deny the cities and their voters that full and proportionate voice in government to which they are entitled.” That was John F. Kennedy back in 1958.
• No, it’s not a reset of Obama policy, but it was encouraging to see that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is reopening its Havana office.
• Remember “No drama Obama”? Seems like ancient history.

• License plates are about more than vehicle I.Ds. Typically, they also carry a brand slogan. Ad hoc marketing on the road. Such as the “Sunshine State” (Florida) or “Dairy State” (Wisconsin). Then there’s the “Empire State” (New York) as well as “Virginia Is For Lovers” (but celibates are allowed). And North Carolina, of course, still has those “First in Flight” plates. Given Americans’ notorious ignorance of history, including our own, it probably includes the Wright Brothers historic role in aviation. Too many Americans wouldn’t know the Wright Brothers from the Everly Brothers. And to non-North Carolinians “Flight” can also mean flee, not just fly. Imagine, North Carolina: The “First in getting the hell out of here” state. Just sayin’.
• Animal yoga. Naked yoga. Nightclub yoga. Laughter yoga. What would the Maharishi say? Hopefully, “Do you really need gimmicks?”
• Saw the George Foreman bio-pic on Netflix. He’s a former champ, turned preacher, who makes an unlikely comeback in the ring to reclaim the crown at age 45. But boxing, where the credo is first do some harm, is an ironic, unholy metaphor. What would Jesus say: “Maybe: “Do unto others as you would never allow them to do unto you—or else you lose.”
• Assault on common sense: Banning books—not assault weapons.
• Miami Mayor Francis Suarez quits, oops, “suspends” his presidential bid.
• San Francisco has approved robotaxis. What could possibly go wrong with that?

• Gubernatorial/presidential priorities: Gov. Ron DiSastrous has appointed his Tallahassee chief of staff, James Uthmeier as his new presidential campaign manager. Uthmeier, ironically, is a former senior adviser in the, yes, Trump Administration.
• “Be Likable, Ron!”: A snarky message for the Florida governor on a banner being pulled by an airplane flying over the Iowa State Fair.
• “I will be able to destroy leftism in this country and leave woke ideology on the dustbin of history.”—Gov. DiSastrous.
• Twenty-three and counting: Since 2019, Gov. DiSastrous has suspended 23 elected officials.
• “Another illegal and unconstitutional attack on democracy by a small, scared man who is desperate to save his political career.” That was former Hillsborough State Attorney Andrew Warren, on the governor’s suspension of Monique Worrell, the elected state attorney for Orange and Osceola counties.
• “This is a political hit job.”—Monique Worrell.
• State law allows taxpayers to pick up all costs for travel and security for its governor, even when they are engaged in political campaigning. Exhibit A: Florida’s governor, who has spent considerable time running for president and promoting his memoir.
• This state collects about 25 cents a gallon in gas taxes. Those collections, of course, will decrease as electric vehicles increase in popularity.
• Low-caliber priorities: The Florida Legislature approved bulletproof windows at the Capitol complex, while still making it easier for people to carry weapons into public areas.
• Banning “And Tango Makes Three” but not “Art of the Deal”?

• No, Shakespeare has not been excluded from Hillsborough’s high school curriculum. Imagine that was even up for discussion. What would The Bard say? Maybe “When we are born, we cry that we are come to this great stage of fools.”
• The city of Tampa’s median household income: $60,000.
• Mess Transit update. The (2020) state DOT grant money—worth some $67 million—is intended to help modernize the streetcar and extend the line north into Tampa Heights—remains unused. Tampa has been unable to produce a local match that is required to secure the hefty state funding.
• Tampa has launched the HEATSAFE text alert system. To sign up: text HEATSAFE to 888-777.
• Trump attorney John Lauro of Tampa will never live this down. Although Pam Bondi might not agree.