Category: Uncategorized

* The U.S. House has approved legislation designating lynching as a hate crime under federal law. It passed, 410-4. Among the four “nays”: North Central Florida, Tea Partying Republican Congressman Ted Yoho, who likely saw a law steeped in moral atonement as merely another example of federal government “overreach.”

* Gunshine update: Over the years, Coachman Park in Clearwater has been the site of various events and festivals attended by locals with concealed carry permits. It’s legal in a state with a gun culture, fealty to the NRA and legislation that prohibits local governments from regulating the possession of guns. Hell, Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn couldn’t even get the state to agree to a temporary ban around Amalie Arena for the 2012 Republican National Convention.

But this just in. Clearwater’s plans to build a 4,500-seat amphitheater at the historic public park could be problematic withthose who do not want to perform in a venue where some of the crowd is packing. But on the other hand, Ted Nugent, Kid Rock and Sarah Palin wouldn’t mind.

* As of late last week, more than 750,000 vote-by-mail ballots had been returned for Florida’s March 17 primary. Wonder how many were for Amy Klobuchar and Pete Buttigieg? It’s a reminder of why early voting during the protean primary season can be a fraught affair. In-person, early voting at designated county sites began this week.

* Iran has the dubious distinction of being the country with the highest number of government officials infected by the coronavirus. That includes Vice President Masoumeh Ebtekar. The reason: China, which has close–sanction-skirting–economic relations with the Tehran government.

* The Olympics are scheduled to open July 24 in Tokyo–although postponement or cancellation remain distinct possibilities. The last Olympic cancellation was during World War II. Elsewhere in Japan, the country’s professional baseball league said it would play all remaining pre-season games in empty stadiums because  of the coronavirus threat.

* We know that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is “BoJo.” Now we have “ScoMo,” the prime minister of Australia, AKA Scott Morrison. Thanks again, J.Lo.

* “This relationship is the most important partnership of the 21st century. How Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi characterized the relationship between India and the U.S.

* “It’s our wits versus their genes.”–The late Joshua Lederberg, geneticist and Nobel Prize laureate, in referencing the struggle against new diseases.

*  “Falling markets appear to worry the administration more than the prospect of, you know, people dying.”–Paul Krugman, New York Times.

* “Congress should seriously consider making the Justice Department into an independent agency. … In a free society, dedicated to the rule of law, does it really make sense to say that the attorney general of the United States serves at the president’s whim?”–Harvard law Professor Cass R. Sunstein, the author of “How Change Happens.”

* “Investors, who worried when Trump began to rise in politics, soon realized that he had their backs. He was just a corporate vessel pretending to be a populist; the stock market was his sugar high.”–Maureen Dowd, New York Times.

* “My responsibility is to make sure that those we elected last time return to Congress, keep the majority and add to our numbers.”–House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

* “I am sorry it took us 50 years to do this.”–University of Mississippi Provost Noel Wilkin, in apologizing to African Americans who were arrested in 1970 for protesting racial inequality.

* “Disney Parks have an unwavering commitment to providing an inclusive and accessible environment for all our guests.”–Walt Disney Co. statement, in response to lawsuits in Florida and California challenging how Disney allows disabled people to access theme park attractions.

* “That the Sunshine State is not the world leader in solar is a travesty and illustrates the lack of vision and leadership we’ve had in Florida over the last two decades. … Addressing climate change and the threat that it poses to our state isn’t just a political issue, it’s a moral imperative.”–Sean Shaw, founder of People over Profits and recent Democratic nominee for Florida attorney general.

* “One million more Floridians wanted to pass Amendment 4 than wanted Ron DeSantis in our governor’s mansion. Yet he is desperate to subvert their will and silence not only their voices, but the voices of people Floridians resoundingly said deserved one. It begs the question: What is he afraid they’ll say?”–David Ballard, communications manager for Poverty to Prosperity at the Center for American Progress.

* “I think we just continue to information gather as much as possible, so that we are as prepared as possible.”–Rob Higgins, executive director of the Tampa Bay Sports Commission on preparations for next month’s Wrestlemania in the context of the coronavirus outbreak.

* “We all know how to handle the flu and colds, and I’m told coronavirus is no different. Wash your hands often, use hand sanitizer, avoid people who are sick, and if you are, stay home.”–Hillsborough County Commission Chairman Les Miller.

* “For All, From All.”–What St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman’s affordable housing plan is called. It calls for up to $60 million in city funds to be spent over 10 years for the “construction and preservation of 2,400 affordable multi-family units.”

* “In order for (Juul) to keep their business going, they’ve got to have a market for it. And that market, unfortunately, has been our students.”–Pinellas School Board member Rene Flowers. Pinellas County is looking to become the fourth school district in Florida to join a federal class action lawsuit against Juul Labs Inc., which manufactures vaping devices.

* “This step is regrettable but necessary because revenues are falling short, a little in circulation and more seriously in advertising.”–From a Tampa Bay Times note informing all full-time staffers of a temporary (three-month) 10 percent pay cut. Key executives, including chairman and CEO Paul Tash, will take a 15 percent pay cut in that time period. 

 * “A republic, if you can keep it.”

* “Congratulations, Bernie, & don’t let them take it away from you.” That was the Dissembler-in-Chief  “congratulating” the one he wants most to run against. The Joe McCarthy playbook could make a comeback if the democratic socialist caricature and author of “Our Revolution” goes mano a mano with this democracy-demeaning, pathologically lying autocrat.

* Donald Trump, of course, has pushed back against U.S. intelligence reports that Russia is working to help re-elect him–but kind of finds it credible that the Russkies would help nominate the fellow-traveling Bernie Sanders. He trashed the re-election-related reports and then summarily replaced Director of National Intelligence Joseph McGuire–who had been overseeing the nation’s 17 spy agencies–with Richard Grenell, a Trump superfan and former Fox News regular.

This goes to the core of Trump’s outsized ego; it calls into doubt his legitimacy. As if it’s a “witch hunt” scenario that the Russians would really want to sew more political chaos in America, help position Trump for re-election and further alienate America’s European allies.

* “I’m actually, I guess, the chief law enforcement officer of the country.”–President Donald Trump’s response when asked if he had crossed a line by interfering at the Justice Department. The answer is still “yes.”

* “Not political or in any way intended to help bolster Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign.” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s response when asked if his busy domestic schedule had anything to do with presidential politics. The answer is still “yes.”

* The Trump Administration got a favorable ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court on the government’s implementation of a new “wealth test” rule making it easier to deny immigrants residency or admission to the U.S. if they might depend on public assistance programs. The ruling was 5-4 and another reminder that the re-election of Trump will likely lock in a conservative, Federalist Society-fawning Supreme Court for another decade or two. Nobody lives with that sobering scenario more than Justices Stephen Breyer and Ruth–you go, RBG–Bader Ginsburg, 81 and 86, respectively.

* So Trump has been endorsed by Irish UFC champion Conor McGregor. No surprise. Nobody plays to the Trump base quite like a punk, Mick brawler.

* “Barack Hussein Obama.”–How Trump referenced his predecessor at his Vegas rally.

* America loves the lore of the “Miracle on Ice” Olympic hockey team that upset the Soviet Union on the way to winning a gold medal in 1980. A number of those players, sporting MAGA caps, joined Trump–on stage–at his recent Las Vegas rally. Nothing will change that memorable “Miracle,” but being an enabling prop for this authoritarian menace will diminish their patriotic renown forever.

* Yes, Hope Hicks, Ivanka Trump’s former fashion-brand adviser who became Donald Trump’s communications director, has returned to the White House. She’ll be serving as a counselor to the president. Prior to this, she had been the chief communications officer at, yes, Fox. Talk about a seamless transition.

* A man recently won a lawsuit against the state of Kentucky over his “IM GOD” vanity license plate. A federal judge ruled that vanity plates are private speech protected by the First Amendment, no less, presumably, than a Mitch McConnell “IM GOP” plate.

* “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.”–What Michael Bloomberg is hoping for.

* There are no second first impressions. What Michael Bloomberg is hoping to overcome.

* Some things money can’t buy. What Michael Bloomberg is hoping is overstated.  

* “(Bloomberg’s) was the worst performance (in Vegas) in recent debate history–but if he can turn it around, it will be the biggest comeback in modern primary history.”–Peggy Noonan, Wall Street Journal.

* Yes, that Las Vegas presidential debate was contentious and at times snarky (until you compare it to the antics we saw from the Republican candidates in 2016). It also had its chaotic moments as candidates necessarily talked over each other, worked in gotcha lines or just vied for the attention of the panel of journalists.

Speaking of, it didn’t help that NBC’s questioners (five, including moderator Lester Holt) were barely outnumbered by the candidates (six). It was a reminder that this is performance art and this is a high-profile network show that showcases its own. Seemingly, no effort was made to rein in partisans in the audience.

A couple of days later I watched the C-SPAN primary debate between Democrats vying for the Senate in Massachusetts: the incumbent Sen. Edward Markey, 73, the original champion of the Green New Deal, and the challenger, Rep. Joe Kennedy III, 39, the grandson of Robert F. Kennedy. The debate focused on foreign policy, campaign finance, health care, immigration and climate change. There were only two panelists. No gotcha optics and a compliantly reserved crowd. Civility reigned. According to polls, this one is still too close to call.

I miss Jim Lehrer and Tim Russert.

* It’s probably not a good idea to vote early–unless logistics necessitate it–in a primary. Too much can happen in a relatively short time span that is a de facto vetting process. More than 220,000 Florida Democrats have already voted by mail in the March 17 primary.

* Too bad Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., can’t define himself as a socialistic Democrat instead of a “democratic socialist.” It’s more than grammatical arrangement and nuance; it’s about connotation and identity as well as priorities. In short, don’t make it overly easy for the duplicitous  opposition to disparagingly define you–whether as a Castro (Fidel not Julián) fan or a reference to that back-in-the-day “Moscow honeymoon.” And while rallying “revolutionaries” can be a primary hustings winner, it’s more likely a loser with this general election electorate.

* What’s beyond obvious is that for the Democratic moderates, it’s either consolidate or concede to  Sanders, the only one with a “movement.” There is also the matter of whoever is at the top of the ticket will matter mightily to down-ballot candidates, notably in the Senate. There are 23 Republican-held seats up in 2020, compared with 12 Democratic-held seats.

* Bloomberg will sell his company, Bloomberg LP, valued at some $60 billion, if elected president. The point is likely moot.

* “I’ve never much liked political parties. I’ve always believed that we should put country before party. Too many politicians practice the reverse, with terrible consequences for the American people.” That was Mike Bloomberg, in explaining why he was supporting Democrats in their efforts to win control of the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018.

* “I ain’t a socialist. I’m not a plutocrat. I’m a Democrat.”–Joe Biden.

* “In the end, Mr. Bloomberg’s billions may be worth less than Mr. Sanders’ millions. Attracting small donors both signals and cements a loyal following. Spending your own fortune doesn’t.”–Republican strategist and fundraiser Dan Palmer.

* “The ground has shifted for everybody. People believe the taxes are too low on the very wealthy. That’s become a cornerstone belief.”–That was Neera Tanden, president of the liberal Center for American Progress, underscoring that wealth taxes were hardly the exclusive domain of Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.

Tampa’s Cigar City roots hearken back to Havana. A significant part of our proud, pluralistic DNA is Latino. Good for Mayor Jane Castor for making the effort to find more ways to make Tampa, which is more than a quarter Hispanic, more welcoming to Spanish speakers. It started with a Spanish translation of the city’s website so newcomers could more easily learn about city services. It’s also noteworthy that the mayor is on familiar terms with the local Univisión and Telemundo channels. She has an Hispanic Advisory Council and her partner, Ana Cruz, is Hispanic with deep ties in the community. But there is, somewhat ironically, another diversity box still unchecked. No one–nadie–on Castor’s office staff is fluent in Spanish.

*Espo update: Alex Ovechkin, now in his 15th year with the Washington Capitals, recently became the eighth player in NHL history with 700 career goals. If he gets 18 more this season, he would move into sixth place by passing Lightning-founder Phil Esposito, whose statue greets Lightning fans in front of Amalie Arena.

* The Rays were No. 1 in Baseball America’s annual ranking of MLB minor league talent.

* Defending Class 6A state baseball champion Jesuit High School is ranked No. 1 in the country by Collegiate Baseball and the scouting service Perfect Game.

* “Using the word pandemic now does not fit the facts, but it may certainly cause fear.”–Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, head of the World Health Organization.

* “An extreme-right trail of blood has run through our country.”–German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer, in the aftermath of an immigrant-hating gunman killing nine people in a suburb of Frankfurt.

* “More than principle, the presence of threat and an enemy is the most important driver of right-wing energy, and since the end of the Cold War, the hunt for enemies has become ever more desperate.”–John Ganz, The New Republic.

* “It was Trump’s genius to sense how pervasive is the moral rot within the GOP. … Reactionary, isolationist, protectionist, nativist, small-minded, mean-spirited and redolent with racism, the Trump GOP is better suited to the 1930s then to tomorrow, right down to the America First slogan borrowed from that era.”–Mac Stipanovich, Republican strategist and former chief of staff to Gov. Bob Martinez, who recently re-registered as a Democrat in order to vote for the candidate who can defeat Trump.

* “Some white supremacist extremists argue that participating in mass attacks or creating other forms of chaos will accelerate the imminent and necessary collapse of society in order to build a racially pure nation.”–A warning from New Jersey’s “Terrorism Threat Assessment” report.

* “Continued financialization of local news will destroy our democracy. It’s time for communities across America to stand up and fight to save local news.”–Jon Schleuss, president of NewsGuild, the union that represents journalists at six McClatchy newspapers. The McClatchy Company, the publisher of 30 daily newspapers in 14 states, including the Miami Herald, has filed for bankruptcy and is expected to be run by a New York hedge fund, Chatham Asset Management.

* “I worry about what will happen eight to 10 years from now when the entitlement time bomb goes off. We’re not at all prepared for the increase in costs associated with Social Security and Medicare. There are going to be consequences.”–Richard Moody, chief economist for Regions Bank.

* “Racial disparities remain a profound problem within our justice system, and Florida is no exception. Our state fits in with the national pattern: Black defendants spend more time behind bars than white defendants for the same crimes. … In Florida, we must shift our correctional approach to focus more on public safety than punishment.”–Florida State Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Criminal and Civil Justice.

* “Our vote is our voice.”–Lydia Medrano, local director of the League of United Latin American Citizens.

* “We consider this a Trojan horse of a bill … intended to open the door to many, many, many other anti-abortion policies.”–Amy Weintraub, reproduction rights director of Progress Florida, referencing the bill passed by the Florida House to require minors seeking abortion to obtain parental consent.

* “It’s hard to  imagine better teamwork between the military and civilian spheres. I am looking forward to another  year of great partnership in Tampa.”–Gen. Rich Clarke, commander of U.S. Special Operations Command at MacDill AFB.

* “It would be our strong preference that the (Rays) and the players remain in Tampa Bay, and that they’re identified with playing in one market.”–Tony Clark, executive director of the MLB Players Union.                                                           

* “A republic, if you can keep it.”

* When it comes to Department of Justice dysfunction, let’s put the blame where it belongs. The self-serving, impeached demander-in-chief is a given, but so is his quisling, presidential-vendetta tool,  Attorney General William Barr. In short, so much for the post-Watergate tradition preventing White House influence on DOJ investigations, especially the kind that involve administration insiders or POTUS cronies.

Barr–whether it involves Robert Mueller, Roger Stone or Michael Flynn–is responsible for “making it impossible” for him “to do (his own) job.” That happens when your first priority is not justice and the rule of law, but fealty. That happens when you’ve allowed yourself to become the president’s personal attorney. Barr’s declaration that he was “not going to be bullied,” seems more like a cynical, face-saving feint of independence.

Ultimately, karma will be the end game for enabling Trump insiders. Barr need only ask his predecessor. 

* The comparisons between Trump and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson are ongoing. Now this: Johnson has found it advantageous to criticize the press as a political tactic that impresses his Brexit base. Most recent example: BoJo has accused the BBC of biased reporting and has threatened it with legal changes that could dry up its sources of funding.

* Baseless gathering. President Trump managed to work in a fund-raiser during his weekend stop at his Mar-a-Lago resort. The event is believed to be his most expensive fund-raiser ever–$580,000 per couple–which reportedly included Keep America Grating caps.

* “America is very rude. They are so rude.” Ironically, that was the take of Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, who has given notice that Manila will be terminating the Visiting Forces Agreement with the U.S. But “rude”? It speaks volumes when an authoritarian finds this Administration “rude.”

* “Westlessness.“ That was the era-of-Trump-and-Brexit theme of the recent gathering of Western diplomats and business leaders in Munich. The restless, ripple effects of Trump’s unilateralism continue to manifest themselves.

* “Never argue with stupid people. They will drag you down to their level and then beat you with their experience.” That was Mark Twain, never more relevant–or prescient.

* As Bernie Sanders well knows, labels matter. Exhibit A: “Socialist.” And in this politically polarized era, “socialist” makes it too easy for the Trump base and their cult leader to mischaracterize and mislead. But Bernie is Bernie; he wants to be the Democratic nominee without actually being a card-carrying “Democrat.” He’s a socialist-Democrat–in that order. And he’s the guy to stick it to the one-percent greed heads.

But that works better in the partisan abstract than in the alternate-facts reality we’re living with. A universe that equates “socialism” with Communism and “free stuff” for the “lazy.”

At some point, Sanders will have to present himself as something other than a Larry David-like socialist messiah that the other side can too easily demean to a too-easily seduced base. America, lest we forget, is still largely a center-left nation.

At some point, Sanders needs to look into a debate camera and say: “When I say ‘socialist,’ I mean somebody who prioritizes the common good. That’s all of us. Nobody is left behind. Because I will defend and protect Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid and improve the Affordable Care Act, doesn’t mean that I favor nationalizing our major industries or replacing markets with central planning. I’m neither stupid nor a Communist. I’m all about a customized capitalistic–yes, I actually just used that term–demand economy. Not a command economy. But it needs safety nets. All societies do. I like the Denmark model, if you will, not the North Korean, Cuban or Venezuelan models my Republican opponents disingenuously try to associate me with. That’s an insult–as well as a lie.

“If this were Europe, I’d be called a social democrat. But this is America, and I call myself a Democratic socialist–in that order. I’m proud to be a Democrat, and I would be proud to be the nominee of a party that puts common good before not uncommon political self interest. We deserve better. All of us.”

* “The world has changed, and my views have changed.” That’s Bernie Sanders candidly acknowledging that he’s no longer against most gun-control legislation. In fact, he’s no longer opposed to the Brady Bill. Yeah, he once was. Vermont can be like that. It’s a reminder that every presidential candidate has some back-in-the-day, constituent-influenced positions that don’t resonate a generation later.

Like Barack Obama on gay marriage, it’s best to acknowledge–and underscore–that you’ve changed your mind without any parsed equivocation. It’s also a sign that you’re open to changing times and, ultimately, what matters most is getting it right, whatever the timing.

* “We know some of the same people in NY. Behind your back they laugh at you & call you a carnival barking clown. They know you inherited a fortune & squandered it with stupid deals and incompetence. I have the record & the resources to defeat you. And I will.”–Michael Bloomberg’s response to Trump’s “Mini Mike” tweets.

* Speaking of the former NYC mayor, it’s not surprising that implausible reports that Bloomberg was considering Hillary Clinton as a possible running mate came from the Drudge Report. Just surprising that Breitbart or Rush Limbaugh didn’t get it out first. Should Bloomberg get the nomination, hardly assured, and be in requisite need of ticket balance, he’ll not be option challenged. That would include Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, California Sen. Kamala Harris and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

* It’s telling that Joe Biden, the former consensus favorite, has had less money to spend than most of his rivals. Name recognition opens check books; a precipitous drop from front-runner status can close a lot of them.

* Biden could have gotten by with competitive showings–shy of victory–in Iowa and New Hampshire. That didn’t happen. Now he has to win. A non-win in South Carolina, where black voters make up about 60 percent of the Democratic electorate, would be devastating–or worse.

* Pete Buttigieg has gone from one media-forum extreme to another. He was recently on HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher” as well as a Fox News town hall hosted by Chris Wallace. He showed well. He also showed that those running to be president of all the American people should take their message–and their principles and rhetorical skills–to diverse forums, including the de facto opposition. The best candidates know they can’t just preach to the converted and then glibly pivot for the general election.

* The Florida Democratic Party has launched a “Democrats of Faith” outreach throughout Florida. It is promoting voter registration before the Florida primary and speaking to core Democratic values and policies that are in stark contrast to the personal actions and policies embraced by Trump and the Trump-groveling Republican Party. The outreach smartly is aimed at all denominations.

Everything helps, of course, including a possible outreach to cult-leader averse agnostics, whose skepticism likely includes everything that has been unconscionably unfolding during the Trump Administration.