Tampa, The City Of Nose Pickers

To Borrow A Phrase From Neil Rogers

After reading the local blogs all week i thought for sure Mr. Redner would win this election. What Happened? Where were all the progressive democrats, is this the best we can do? I have nothing against Gwen Miller but Mr. Redner would of given this city a voice it has needed for along time. Maybe blogs and the people that read them are not as influential as they think they are.

Other Thoughts @ Dont You Hate It When, @ Nite Cricket, @ Tampa's Back Door Ways

Go To Church Win A Falcon
@ The Church Of You

World On Fire

Good Luck Joe

Smugglers Toss Africans Overboard

Smugglers taking illegal migrants from Somalia to Yemen forced hundreds of Africans overboard in stormy seas in an effort to make a fast getaway. Passengers who resisted the smugglers were stabbed or beaten with wooden and steel clubs, then thrown into the water where some were attacked by sharks.......more

Bush And Political Theater

George W. Bush has always despised "political theater," as you can see from these photos which were recently re-discovered by members of DU.

Meet Christopher Brevard he didn't believe in Bush's War
As a kid growing up on Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Christopher Brevard dreamed of military glory. As an adult, he spent the last months of his life fighting a war he didn't believe in. 'Mom, I would lay my life down in a heartbeat fighting for America. But if I lose my life over here, I will not feel like I died for my country," said the soldier's mother, Michele Brevard, 51......more

Emerging Republican Minority

Remember how the 2004 election was supposed to have demonstrated, once and for all, that conservatism was the future of American politics? I do: early in 2005, some colleagues in the news media urged me, in effect, to give up. “The election settled some things,” I was told.....more

How I Planned To Kill Tony Blair

The Largo 5

Meet Rep. John Lewis

"Not Another Dollar" for the Iraq War

President John F. Kennedy once said, ``Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.'' My greatest fear is that the young people of Iraq and of the Middle East will never forget this war. My greatest fear is they will grow up hating our children and our children's children for what we have done. Mr. Speaker, the Bible is right. Even a great nation can reap what it sows......more

A Comment By Mark Ferguson
Largo(City of Regress, not Progress)

All I could do after seeing this is shake my head and cry. Its sad that here we live in country that offers freedom to those who seek it. But yet when it comes to beliefs, views, or differences that freedom is easily taken away. Brandon Pride started because Hillsborough County faced similar bigotry, and hatred 2 years ago when commissioners passed a policy that Gay Pride was no longer allowed, or recognized. The question still remains to this day...Are we truly free to live our lives the way we want to live them, or not?

Former Hillsborough County Commissioner, and newly elected Tampa City Council member Tom Scott once said quote "Civil rights, and Gay Rights are not the same." But this is not about Gay Rights. This is about Equality, nothing more, nothing less. By what Hillsborough County Commissioners, and Largo Commissioners have done is a great injustice to our county by spiting on the Declaration of Independence, and the US Constitution. Most of all they do not represent the districts they serve. Many people in both Hillsborough County, and Largo have stated that they are supportive of the GLBT community. But those commissioners have put their own interests ahead of their constituents, and that is wrong. I have decided I will no longer be confined to a prison camp created by those who spread bigotry and hate. I will continue fighting for Equality by speaking out, and standing my ground. If anyone discriminates against me for who I am my warning is this: "DON'T TREAD ON ME!" I am who I am and I will fight for my freedom and independence to my last breath.

Mark Ferguson
Brandon Pride President

Largo, Florida

The City of Progress or The City of Bigots?

The third largest city in Pinellas County, Florida, USA and is part of the Tampa Bay Area. Centrally located, it is the crossroads of the county. The City of Largo is governed by a commission of 7 people elected at large to staggered, three year terms. The mayor acts as a member and presiding officer of the Commission. The Commission's role encompasses the setting of city policy, exercising those duties imposed by the charter and law, and striving to ensure the health, safety and welfare of the public within the corporate bounds of the City of Largo........Wikipedia

Good Luck, Mr. Stanton

@ Shakespeare's Sister, @ Creative Loafing, @ The Delightful Yank, @ Daniel Ruth

Standing Up In D.C.

"A time comes when silence is betrayal." - Martin Luther King Jr.

It was in important day to be in Washington, DC. And while many Americans busy themselves with their own personal lives, whether the kids have done their homework, or whether the car will be out of the shop on time, or even ponder what plan for season tickets they want for baseball season, too many still are only barely conscious that their country started it’s fifth year in Iraq......more

Idiocracy

Stupid people have outbred intelligent people

Americans Support The Troops

Private support for US soldiers looks as strong as ever

Not all care packages come from Americans who support the war, but many soldiers don't seem to mind. "I would still accept it," says Pvt. David Bounds from the 610 Brigade Support Battalion in Baghdad. "They may not support the reasons why we are here, but it's good that they still care in some aspect.".......more

ExxonMobil Risks Valdez-like Oil Spill in Alaska

Eighteen years after the most devastating oil spill in U.S. history, ExxonMobil still has not paid the punitive damages owed to the victims of the Exxon Valdez oil spill and is operating the largest, most dangerous oil tanker in the area -- the Exxon Valdez sister ship, Sea River Long Beach.........more

Revolution is a Moment

It’s hard to imagine a bright future for the Cuban revolution when you see a Havana trapped in a time warp. Everything seems a contradiction. Cubans come up to me and start a friendly conversation that ends in a business transaction of some kind; colonial building in decay but that still look royal, and the deafening Studebakers, Chevys, Fords and Cadillacs from the 40s and 50s move among the modern cars that carry a tourist license plate.......more

Let's End The Cuban Embargo, Only With The Free Exchange Of Ideas With The Cuban People Will We Bring A End To This Disaster They Call A Revolution. This Embargo Has Done Nothing But Divide Families And Bring Hardship To The People Of Cuba.

In Cuba, Fidel Castro is the last person to feel the pain caused by the U.S. measures...Cato

Sunsara Taylor takes on Bill O'Reilly

DISHONORING A NATION'S HISTORY
The US Prepares its First Guantanamo Trials

The Pentagon is launching its first trials of long-term detainees at Guantanamo. The trials will take place before military tribunals, which grant very few rights to defense attorneys. Ironically, it became clear long ago that the overwhelming majority of the prisoners at Guantanamo were not terrorists......more

Chavez vs Bush in Latin America: No contest

From Buenos Aires

US President George Bush has been touring Latin American countries this March with two goals in mind: keep the continent divided and keep it subservient to US imperialist interests. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has also been visiting his neighbours. His goals are the opposite: to unite the countries of Latin America and to encourage and support the continent’s independence from US imperialism.......more

Re-Elect Gore in 2008!

Attorney General Gonzalez

The Shame Of The Latin Community

In a community so desperate for good role models, the ascent of Gonzales represented a double triumph: Not only would he be the first Latino Attorney General, but in addition, he would also be the first Latino to occupy one of the four positions of greatest influence in the presidential cabinet.....more

Fredo

The nickname Bush gave Alberto Gonzales is Fredo - from Wikipedia: in Mario Puzo's novel, Fredo was always thought of in the Corleone crime Family as the weakest and most foolish of the three Corleone brothers, and so was given its unimportant businesses to run......ahnc

I know it was you, Fredo....

Embattled Bush

During President Bill Clinton's final six years, the Republican-led majority in Congress issued more than 1,000 subpoenas to the White House; during Mr. Bush's first term, the Republicans issued none. Of course, this is the same Republican majority that took 140 hours of sworn testimony about alleged misuse of the Clintons' Christmas card list but a mere 12 hours on the Abu Ghraib prison scandal.......more

Buddy Johnson is a Buffoon

Or worse, he is manipulating local elections. Either way, he should be fired, suspended or otherwise relieved of his duties.......more

Troops in Iraq want out

"Bush can come fight here. He can take my 1,000 dollars a month and I'll go home."

A poll commissioned by the BBC, ABC News, ARD German TV and USA Today, showed only 18 percent of those questioned had confidence in US and coalition troops, while 78 percent opposed their presence.......more