Category: Uncategorized

* “(Boris) Johnson’s Brexit would leave Northern Ireland more integrated with Ireland than with the rest of Britain. And as religion becomes less important on both sides of the border, pressure for Irish unification will grow.”–Nicholas Kristof, New York Times.

* “I now do recall.”–Pay-to-play diplomat Gordon Sondland’s CYA reversal in corroborating testimony about the quid pro quo with Ukraine pushed by Trump and Rudy Giuliani.

* “The best argument against Trump is simply this: We can’t tolerate another four years like these. We can’t wake up to crazy tweets and gratuitous taunts. That gets in the way of solving problems that affect people’s lives.”–David Axelrod, former Obama strategist.

* “Under Donald Trump, Republicans have chosen to abandon the American center and its moderates. It would be utterly foolish for Democrats to make the same mistake and move the Democratic Party further leftward. With Trump on the ballot, any semblance of moderation will appeal to these valuable voters in swing states in the general election.”–Justin Gest, George Mason public policy professor.

* “The hyper-focus on Obama voters who defected to Mr. Trump in 2016 obscures the fact that more Obama voters stayed home or defected to the Green Party and Libertarian Party than switched to the Republican Party.”–Melanye Price, political science professor at Prairie View A&M University and author of “The Race Whisperer: Barack Obama and the Political Uses of Race.”

* “There is general agreement that black voters, while a small percentage of all voters, could again play an outsized role in determining the Democratic presidential nominee and the outcome of next year’s election. Blacks are concentrated in important primary states, such as South Carolina, as well as the cities of key battleground states like Michigan and Wisconsin. Perhaps taking them for granted, Hillary Clinton failed to mobilize enough black voters in 2016, when black voter turnout fell in a presidential election for the first time in 20 years.”–Jason Riley, Wall Street Journal.

* “The big picture is that Trump remains unpopular and Democratic voters are energized to kick him out. The Democratic standard-bearer has to be someone who can harness the passion that already exists to move beyond Trump. Primary voters should be confident enough to vote not out of fear but out of hope.”–Jeet Heer, The Nation.

* “Single-payer health care is, in certain ways, the liberal-activist equivalent of the conservative dream of a flat tax.”–Ross Douthat, New York Times.

* “The Florida Democratic Party is seeing an unprecedented amount of volunteer engagement for an off-year. Democrats have completed 1,221 percent more volunteer shifts  than we did in 2015.”–Juan Penalosa, executive director of the Florida Democratic Party.

* “The Hispanic electorate is not a cohesive vote and never has been.”–Susan MacManus, Florida political analyst and USF professor emerita.

* “I’ve done my public service, and I’ll never run for office again in my life. I don’t have elected official’s disease.”–Ed Turanchik.

* “I’ve been so touched throughout this whole journey with your love, your kindness, your generosity, your loyalty. I will never forget you. You’re in my heart, you’re in every fiber of my being. How could I ever forget?”–Elton John, at his farewell-tour concert at Amalie Arena.

* “Donald Trump is trying to interfere in Britain’s election to get his friend Boris Johnson elected.” That’s been the take of British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn. It was made all the more credible when Trump recently called in to a London radio show–hosted by Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage–to weigh in on British politics and heap praise on Bo Jo. Interfering in another country’s general election is beyond ironic. Wonder if there’s any post-Brexit quid pro quos?

* “Whimpering and crying and screaming all the way.” That was President Trump ad-fibbing about the last minutes of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s evil life on earth. Actually, it might be a more fitting description of what post-impeachment-conviction optics might look like. 

* “He is not the first person to move to Florida to retire.”–Florida Democratic Party Chair Terrie Rizzo’s response to the announcement that President Donald Trump had declared that his permanent address will now be in Palm Beach County. You go, Terri. Political zingers don’t have to be in poor taste.

* Trump moving to Florida: No income or estate tax. We get it. We also get that Trump’s New York popularity is nearing nil among those who have known him over the years. Recall that Trump, a Queens native, didn’t even win his “home” (Manhattan) district in 2016.

* For the record, each time Trump visits Mar-a-Lago, which will become Trump’s permanent address, security costs to taxpayers run around $3 million.

* President Trump has named Chad Wolf to be the next acting head of Homeland Security. Kevin McAleenan resigned last month. Wolf becomes the fifth person in the job in three years. How’s that for a secure feeling?

* The Keystone pipeline recently leaked nearly 400,000 gallons of tar sands oil in North Dakota. The company, TC Energy, is seeking to build the Keystone XL pipeline from Alberta, Canada to refineries in Texas. The project has drawn opposition from those fearing harm to the environment. That’s why it had been rejected by the Obama Administration. That was then. President Trump issued a federal permit for the expansion project in 2017.

* As of this week, the Trump Administration has formally notified the United Nations that it would withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Agreement on climate change. That means global diplomats will have to forge on without the cooperation of the world’s largest economy. It’s also a reminder that some campaign promises are easier to keep than others. Just ask Mexico.

* Most of us still go to the movies for escape. Maybe now more than ever. The documentary “Where’s My Roy Cohn?”–while interesting and all-too-relevant–won’t enable escapees. There’s a reason it’s out now, and it has everything to do with the Donald Trump presidency and its corrosive, chaotic impact on America.

Cohn was an unethical, ruthless manipulator who only cared about “winning,” as he defined it. From Sen. Joseph McCarthy to Donald Trump to mafia dons. He was Trump’s personal lawyer as well as mentor and wise guy role model. BTW, the title refers, revealingly, to something President Trump was quoted saying as federal investigators were looking into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Cohn died more than 30 years ago. So, Rudy Giuliani notwithstanding, it could actually be worse.

* Trump’s recent take on Meghan Markle’s relationship with the British media is that the Duchess of Sussex takes it all too “personally.” What Trump really meant to say: “It’s no big deal if you’re not a narcissist. Just enjoy the spotlight, the suck-ups, the fame and the freebies.  By the way, Sussex sounds like some Nevada brothel. Cool.”

* “Mathematical gymnastics.” How Joe Biden characterized Elizabeth Warren’s plan to pay for “Medicare for All.” All’s fair in a primary scrum, but you know a line like this will be at the ready for Trump if he’s opposed by a hard-core progressive.

* “You can be committed to the U.S.-Israeli alliance without being supportive of any individual choice by a right-wing government over there. It shouldn’t be hard to be against bad policies and to be against anti-Semitism.”–That was Mayor Pete Buttigieg weighing in on U.S. policy on Israel–and underscoring the growing criticism of Israel by the political left, once thought an untenable position for liberals. An awkward bromance between Trump and Bibi Netanyahu–in the context of land annexation and JerUSAlem as the Israeli capital–has altered the equation.

* Speaking of Mayor Pete, his eloquence, military service, generational status and gayety have been well noted. On the generational front, it’s easy to forget that at 37, Buttigieg is but two years past the constitutional minimum of 35. We tend to want more real life experience–not just generational perspective–from our candidates. We haven’t seen someone making a serious presidential run this young since Jerry Brown. He was also 37 when he declared his candidacy for the 1976 Democratic presidential nomination. But he was already governor of California. Buttigieg is mayor of South Bend, Ind.

But there is not a better speaker–or galvanizing presence–among the candidates. If he doesn’t get the nomination, here’s hoping that Buttigieg’s compelling, inspiring rhetoric on the 2020 hustings can help rally the Democratic demographic–from age, gender and sexual persuasion to nationality, race and progressive bona fides. And if the nominee happens to be a septuagenarian, look for Buttigieg to be positioned as an even higher-profile, de facto candidate for upcoming election cycles. Sooner than later.

* “My service to the country will not be as a candidate or as the nominee.” That was Beto O’Rourke as he formally ended his presidential campaign. “This campaign does not have the means to move forward successfully.” That was O’Rourke’s more candid take.

When it comes to e-scooters, we’ve seen the issues–from clueless riding to careless littering–playing out around here. Now a North Carolina State University study has added another element to the controversial, however hip, mobility means. Driving around to pick up, recharge and release scooters accounted for 40 percent of a scooter’s total greenhouse gas emissions.

* A Pasco County high school student posted a request for “a guy who could kill someone” on his Instagram account. “No joke, I need him eliminated as soon as possible.” He later said it was, indeed, a joke. Sheriff Chris Nocco wasn’t amused. “It doesn’t matter what the intent was,” he stressed. “When you do it and post it on social media, the crime is committed.”

* A 21-year old male walked into a Springfield, Mo., Walmart wearing body armor and carrying a loaded weapon. He was, he explained, merely testing his right to bear arms.    

* Despite a job relocation to Anaheim, Joe Maddon is no less committed to his Tampa ties, including “Thanksmas,” his Tampa restaurant Ava, and his Bayshore Boulevard home and Gasparilla Party. He’s also no less optimistic that baseball can ultimately succeed here with a modern Rays stadium on the Tampa side of Tampa Bay. “The Trop is not a major-league facility; it has nice air-conditioning,” says Maddon. “You’ve got to put the ballpark on the Tampa side, close to the population. … The right ballpark in the right location with real baseball fans, which I think exist here, you’ll find the folks to show up.”

* At the mid-season point, there is only one undefeated team in the NFL–and it’s not the New England Patriots, the defending Super Bowl champions. Surprisingly, it’s the San Francisco 49ers, who were 4-12 last year and haven’t had a winning season since 2013. A key factor is general manager John Lynch. Yes, THAT John Lynch, the popular, former Buccaneer All-Pro and Hall of Fame candidate, who’s now half way through his 6-year contract.

* “This is not about competing Republican versus Democratic visions of American foreign policy. This is about whether our foreign policy should be made in the national interest or in the personal political interests of the president.”–Rep. Tom Malinowski, D-N.J.

* “Democrats KNOW they can’t beat @realDonaldTrump so they seek to remove him through an ILLEGAL COUP!”–Recent tweet of Kayleigh McEnany, national press secretary for the Trump re-election campaign.

* “Every member should support the American people hearing the facts for themselves. That is what this vote is about. It’s about the truth. And what is at stake in all of this is nothing less than our democracy.”–House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on the resolution for the impeachment procedure.

* “People say to me, ‘If you’re critical of the president, you’re hurting the party.’ No I’m not–I’m laying out a path for the party post the president.”–Sen. Mitt Romney.

* “Corrupt politicians, Pelosi and Schiff, are trying to take down the Republican Party. It will never happen. We will take back the House!”–Donald Trump.

* “We need to stand up and be counted. This is probably not the time for anonymity.”–“Primary Colors” author Joe Klein.

* “America’s national security is paramount. … Trump put his personal political interests above America’s national security interests, and he must be held accountable. No one is above the law. The American people deserve to know the full story.”–Florida Congresswoman Kathy Castor, D-Tampa, on her vote in support of the presidential impeachment inquiry.

* “(Impeachment) received a powerful push forward when the House voted Thursday for a new, public phase in the inquiry. This means among other things that the Democrats think they have the goods. They wouldn’t go live unless they did.”–Peggy Noonan, Wall Street Journal.

* “We’re going to see a lot of attempts to demean and cast doubt on the religious faith of presidential candidates, because of the Christian right’s primary conflict of interest: Donald Trump. The same president who spews racism from the most powerful position in the world and has bragged about being a sexual predator is also the adopted sweetheart of self-proclaimed Christian evangelicals.”–Connie Schultz, Creators Syndicate.

* “I believe people should be able to see for themselves what politicians they may or may not vote for are saying and judge their character for themselves.”–Mark Zuckerberg.

* “The law hasn’t been written yet–yet–that holds carriers of user-generated internet content responsible for the user-generated content they carry, just like movie studios, television networks and book, magazine and newspaper publishers.”–Aaron Sorkin, the screenwriter who won an Academy Award for “The Social Network.”

* “The bases are controlling both parties.”–U.S. Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y.

* “You just want to tell these Republicans that at some point you are going to have to face the facts. You can decide that it is not impeachable behavior, or it will draw the country through a process we shouldn’t go through. But to defend the president and to support him for re-election when you know what you know is just beyond the pale.”–Jeff Flake, former Republican senator from Arizona.

* “To be clear, the decision will be made by the market telling us where we should focus. We will continue to maintain print if consumers are asking for it, and the economics make sense. Our goal is to hold as steady as we can on print while focusing on transforming our digital business.”–Gannett CEO Paul Bascobert.

* “Democrats don’t have to go through Florida to win the presidency, but Republicans do. Republicans can’t lost Florida, so everything’s on the table. The governor is essential in raising the funds you need in a presidential election year.”–Al Cardenas, former chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, on Gov. Ron DeSantis stepping in to head up state party financing in support of Donald Trump.

* “The past 12 months have been Tampa Bay’s time to shine as a destination for visitors from across the country and around the world.”–Visit Tampa Bay President and CEO Santiago Corrada, on data showing that Hillsborough County’s tourism tax hit a record $35.4 million during the recent fiscal year–topping last year’s record by nearly $1.5 million.

* “Economic development is evolving, and economic development organizations have to evolve with it.”–Craig Richard, CEO of the Tampa Bay Economic Development Council, formerly known as the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corp.

* “The single most important, overarching issue facing our community today.”–Mayor Jane Castor, in reference to transit priorities.

* “The most Democratic of Republicans.”–How Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister describes his politics.

* “With Jane Castor, you have a lot more dialogue happening than you had with Mayor Buckhorn.”–Tampa City Council Chairman LuisViera.

* “We are helping each other out. We’re figuring out this synergistic way that we help each other to grow.”–Florida Aquarium president and CEO Roger Germann, on the Aquarium’s collaboration with Sparkman Wharf at Water Street Tampa.

* “We’re much more aware of how we police.”–Tampa Police Chief Brian Dugan, on the steep decline in racially-skewed stops and citations for bicycle violations.

* At some point we’re going to know who “Anonymous” is. And it won’t span more than a generation as with “Deep Throat’s” Mark Felt. Word will get out. Times are vastly different, and the stakes much higher. De-Trumping America–and the rest of the planet–means that much.

Certain CIA insiders and journalists already know. But when there’s  a published book, “A Warning,” it’s no longer Whistleblowing 101. The author, with access to the most influential media forums, has to personally step up, speak out and eliminate unfavorable anonymity connotations advanced by Donald Trump, Kellyanne Conway, Sean Hannity & Co. And that hopefully will propel the intelligence community and all patriotic elected officials to make it clear that they have his or her back because they have America’s back.

And then the floodgates open.

* Left unsaid, but blatantly implied, with the presidential announcement and accompanying White House Situation Room photo announcing the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi: “Take that, Obama.”

Speaking of al-Bagdadi, he died by detonating his suicide vest while being chased into a tunnel by American special ops soldiers. In so doing, he didn’t just kill himself; he also killed three of his children. That’s doubling down on a definition of evil.

BTW, the U.S. bounty on the head of al-Bagdadi was $25 million. Wonder if it will be reallocated to U.S. troop support–or to “The Wall”?

* “Human scum.” That’s how the occupant of the Oval Orifice recently described the “Never Trumpers.” After such vulgar vilification, you have to wonder if such demonized GOPsters, affronted by white nationalism, angry populism and chaotic foreign policy, might consider an alternate party as the best way to express presidential outrage and patriotic concern.

* “Afghanistan is a safe place by comparison.”–That was the aforementioned occupant comparing Afghanistan to Chicago.

* “I don’t want to see the Republican Party ride to political victory on the four horsemen of calumny–fear, ignorance, bigotry and smear.” Too bad that wasn’t Lindsey Graham, Mitch McConnell or Matt Gaetz. But it was a Republican: Sen. Margaret Chase Smith in 1950 speaking out against the onerous implications of McCarthyism.

* It was more than another day at the orifice. Just when we thought the antics and stunts that pass for Washington partisan politics couldn’t get any more absurd, embarrassing or worrisome, we get the charge of the alt-right brigade. House Republicans, determined to undermine and divert attention from Trump’s Ukrainian shakedown, stormed into a secure room where an impeachment inquiry was being held. Some had electronic devices, a major security violation.

With Trump sycophant congressman Matt Gaetz, R-Panhandle, as point man and Florida Rep. Ross Spano of Dover tagging along, more than three dozen GOPster storm troopers pushed past the Capitol police and entered–and effectively occupied–the room. Chaos ensued in the disingenuous name of transparency. As if Republicans were not among the House members hearing classified depositions. As if this were not a familiar closed-door tactic to ensure that future deposed witnesses weren’t privy to what these witnesses were saying in the preliminary stages. There’s plenty of precedent–as well as common sense.

Call it a sham and a total disgrace.  Also call it another historical metaphor for the age of Trump.  

* “I’m glad they did it.” That was White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham’s Fox News response to Republicans storming that aforementioned secure room. “It’s about time that somebody made a very bold stand, which is, I guess, a sit-in, which is what they did. And it was great.”

Grisham also took her fealty act to a Washington Examiner political conference, where she took on former White House Chief-of-Staff John Kelly. “I worked with John Kelly,” she said, “and he was totally unequipped to handle the genius of our great president.”

With responses like these, it’s obvious why she prefers cherry-picked forums to WH press conferences. Remember those?

* “Mark Esperanto.” That’s how Trump referenced Secretary of Defense Mark Esper in a recent tweet about Syria. But to be fair, that’s still pretty close.

* The federal budget deficit: It’s now $984 billion, up more than 25 percent in the last year. It’s also up nearly 50 percent since Trump came into office.  Next year it’s projected to pass $1 trillion.  Remember when deficits were a Republican priority, if not obsession–and the inspiration for the Tea Party? Those were the days.

* “Lock him up!” That was part of the World Series crowd response upon seeing Donald Trump on an in-stadium video screen after the third inning of Game 5. Timing, of course, is everything. The Nats home crowd, dejected at seeing their team fall behind again for the third straight game, had a chance to vent. It was also a graphic reminder that a Washington World Series crowd is not to be confused with a Wheeling, WV rally.

* “Lincoln was a Republican, people forget that, we need to start bringing that up (because) the Democratic policies have let African-Americans down and taken them for granted.” That’s what Trump said in his recent speech at Benedict College, a historically black college in Columbia, S.C. Then he reprised an African-American-friendly line from his 2016 campaign: “What the hell do you have to lose?” Watch for cropped photos and selective optics to show up later in the campaign as part of the hypocritical Trump outreach to black voters.

But more context is required, however, for the invitation-only, Benedict event. Trump spoke to an audience of about 300, of which fewer than 10 were students. The attendees were mostly guests and allies of Trump, an audience not given to criticism of “white nationalism” and all its deadly dangerous, societal ripples.

* Guess what turns 10 yrs. old next year? The Affordable Care Act. Somehow it’s made it through a decade of imperfection, infighting, and partisan targeting as socialistic, eponymous “Obamacare.”

* It can’t be encouraging to Dems that there is still some sentiment about a possible Hillary Clinton candidacy. It’s a frustrating function of a party that–minus a silver bullet candidate–could splinter over its nomination process. It should also be concerning that speculation regarding a Tulsi Gabbard third-party run is making the rounds. And it’s a still a given that hard-core progressives supporting Elizabeth Warren and, especially, Bernie Sanders might not be all in with a more moderate nominee. And what if the ticket doesn’t have a candidate of color? Will the we-still-miss-Barack black vote decline again? It was a difference maker in the swing- state cities of Detroit, Milwaukee and Philadelphia last time.

The message to Democrats: No (more) unforced errors. The Trump base–for all of its White House and Fox News bully pulpits, is still outnumbered.

* It hardly helps the Joe Biden campaign, which has been off message more than on with inconsistent debate performances and the Hunter Biden embarrassment, that it no longer opposes–let alone denounces–Super PACs. “To speak to the middle class, we need to reject the Super PAC system,” said Biden in the spring. But that all changed when the campaign’s fund-raising, a barometer of viability and popularity, fell notably behind his leading rivals.

Facebook, as we’ve been noticing, has been a key factor in imperiling democracy. Just ask Vlad Putin. Mark Zuckerberg keeps trying to perfume the free speech pig as if he weren’t monetizing misinformation while benignly enabling millions to share vacation photos and look-at-me moments. False speech, free speech? Ask the Winklevoss Brothers. And while Facebook has ramped up efforts to rein in hoaxes and hate speech, it still permits partisan political ads that are hardly avatars of veracity.

But this just in. Facebook News. It’s a new section of its mobile app that is dedicated to news content. It involves a mix of respected publications–including the New York Times, Washington Post and Wall Street Journal–as well as digital-only outlets such as BuzzFeed and Business Insider. And Breitbart. When Steve Bannon is a player, it’s still Zucked up.