Florida Dems

Rep. Ricardo Rangel of Kissimmee; Sen. Joe Abruzzo of Wellington, Sen. Darren Soto of Orlando and Rep. Daphne Campbell of Miami did not bother to vote on whether to hold a special session on Stand Your Ground. A non-vote is the same as a “no” vote, so those four lawmakers, by not voting or having their votes recorded, joined seven other Democrats who voted against the special session. Those Democrats who did bother to let their constituents know that they were breaking with their party were: Rep. Mark Danish of Tampa; Rep. Katie Edwards of Plantation; Rep. Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda of Tallahassee, Rep. Michelle Rehwinkelof Orlando; Rep. Carl Zimmermann of Palm Harbor; Rep. Mike Clelland of Lake Mary, and Rep. Dwight Dudley of St. Petersburg. That meant that of the 58 Democrats in the Legislature, only 47 voted for a special session to repeal or change a 2005 law that has sparked some protests in the wake of the Trayvon Martin shooting......more

Tampa Bay Cameros

Right Wing Bloggers’ Acting Like Nazis

A top House Democrat blasted conservative Internet bloggers for spreading lies and “manufactured controversies” about President Obama, equating their actions to Nazi propagandists......more>
Here is their latest, Obama Does Not Have Any White Dogs!

Nick Ruiz for Congress 2014: "Florida

“As a professor of philosophy and humanities, my commitment to the health, education and well-being of Americans dently progressive and Democratic constituency that is not being adequately represented by the Democratic Party as it stands today. Constituents on the Left are hungry for the real thing.  

What Stogie Had For Breakfast

French Toast with Blueberries.

$4.95 at 3 Coins Diner in Seminole Heights

How much was your last value meal?

John's Pass

 more at Tampa Colada

Democrat Allie Braswell To Challenge Florida CFO Jeff Atwater

Allie Braswell, a Sanford native is head of the central Florida Urban League. He said,

"I’m not a politician. But what we’re getting out of politician Jeff Atwater is a go-along to get-along style that is hurting Floridians. Under his watch, billions in no-bid contracts have been given away and people with insider connections are getting rich off taxpayer money. We need a leader who will help protect taxpayers by cracking down on huge contracts that politicians are handing over to their supporters and political allies. I’ll be a fiscal watchdog who will hold our government and politicians accountable and fight to shift the focus of our leaders away from helping their friends and back to attracting good jobs to Florida.".....more>

Dream Defenders: 31 Days 30 Nights

The Hillsborough County Republican Party

Is developing a ground game for the 2014 election cycle. Brian Swanson, the political director for the Republican Party of Florida who identified himself as the biggest Libertarian in the world said Scott has done a phenomenal job. 
"That's what a conservative governor can do with a phenomenal conservative legislature." What we have to do is look at what we can control and what we can do, and what we can do is organize. Organize early, get involved in your communities, bring new folks into the RNC, strengthen the party from inside. Our grassroots organization is very poor.  We want to bring more minority groups into our party." 
Good luck with that.  Then he blames us. We are the ones making them look like fools all over the country.  
"The left right now is declaring us as something we are completely not, they are saying the Republican party is made up of racists and evil people and that we hate minorities, and they're trying to brand us with that. We can't let them do that."
Swanson summed up his talk with the HCRP by insisting on the importance of the Tampa Bay region in the upcoming election........more>

What Stogie Had For Lunch

Carne con Papa with yellow rice and black beans.

$7.99 at The Cuban Sandwich Café on N. Florida ave in Tampa.

more

Protest In Ft. Lauderdale

Supporters of whistleblower Private First Class Bradley Manning gathered at the Federal Building in downtown Ft. Lauderdale for an emergency protest. They demanded a presidential pardon for the 25-year old whistleblower.......more

2014 Florida Progressive Candidates

U.S. CONGRESS

District 1: Jim Bryan (D)

 District 2: Gwen Graham (D)

 District 5: Corrine Brown (D)

District 6: David Cox (D), Andrew Scott (D)

District 7: Nick Ruiz III (D)

District 8: Gabriel Rothblatt (D), Corry Westbrook (D)

District 9: Alan Grayson (D)*, Michael McKenna (D) 

District 13: Jessica Ehrlich (D)

District 14: Kathy Castor (D)*

District 18: Patrick Murphy

District 19: April Freeman (D)

For more info visit Politics 1

Osama bin Laden In Cuba

Since the right wing is always starting rumors about Obama I thought I would start one of my own. Obama never had bin Laden killed, it was all a show. Castro granted him asylum. He has been living in Cuba. Here he is at a local beach having a mimosa. Pic was taken by a Canadian tourist. The Canadian said he also likes mojitos.

What Stogie Had For Lunch

Philly cheesesteak with New England Clam Chowder

At The Hut in John's Pass.

Stay Local, Eat Local visit Tampa Bay Locavore. 

the Race Factor

I got on an elevator the other day with a group of young people. It looked like they were very good friends. It made me think about what Pres.Obama said about his kids and future generations. Times are changing and for the better.

"The nation shouldn't lose sight of its progress on issues of race and equality. When I talk to Malia and Sasha, and I listen to their friends and I see them interact, they're better than we are,"....President Obama 

scott Reality Check

Rick Scott wants you and other Florida voters to think our schools are better off with him in the governor's office. Tell that to students who lost their teacher last year, or had their favorite class cut, or their after school program eliminated. Rick Scott’s rosy education rhetoric just doesn’t match up with the reality experienced by our teachers and students. Help  get the truth out? Click to SHARE the truth on Facebook or Twitter.

Gov. Scott has been touring the state promoting the fact that he is putting funding back into public education after cutting more than $1.3 billion in 2011. Scott is hoping to wipe his abysmal education record clean with Florida voters but the reality in local communities still doesn’t match up with the governor’s rhetoric.

Help us get the truth out today.

Dark Skinned People Don’t Need To Tan

More great stuff from Florida's Right Wing.
Rep. Ted Yoho Florida's Dumbest Politician told an appreciative crowd at a recent town hall meeting in Florida "Obamacare’s 10% tax on tanning bed services is racist against white people because darker-skinned people don’t need to tan." Allen West added,  “You want to talk about something that’s really racist? They have a tanning tax. I’m not tanning.”.......here
Who the hell votes for these people?

In Florida Life Is Always A Beach

 That is why we live here. Clean beaches and the view void of oil rigs.

The Mafia Tour

Cigar City Magazine Presents: The Mafia Tour
September 21, 2013 and October 19, 2013

The tour will take you to old gambling palaces, street corners and alleys where some mobsters met their demise, and restaurants where wise guys like famed boss Santo Trafficante Jr. held court.....info

Liberals Scream for Howard Dean

Howard Dean today became the latest Democrat to head to Iowa. He spoke at an Iowa Federation of Labor event about an effort by the liberal group Democracy For America to elect more Democratic state legislators. Asked by Iowa radio whether he would run if Hillary doesn't, Dean answered, "We're not going there, I'm supporting Hillary." If Dean were to run, he'd probably have to do it by heading straight for Clinton's (or Vice President Joe Biden's) left flank. That would mean a more populist message, focused on expanding, not "reforming" entitlements and Wall Street reform, which some liberal Democrats feel the mainstream of the party has largely abandoned for the sake of political expediency. "If no candidate endorses these positions there's absolutely room for a Howard Dean type of candidate," said Matt Wall, press secretary for the Progressive Change Campaign Committee........more>

In Defense Of Kathleen Ford

The Stogie had too many pints of Yuengling one night and desided to parody Ms. Ford's comment about making potato salad.  This brought a response from someone we all admire very much around here local blogger and activist Tom Tito of Bartlett Park. He wrote,
"Ford has worked very hard for south St. Pete residents. The newspaper won't say anything good about her due to their bias toward their business advocate Rick Baker (who is loved by Rick Kriseman.) Check out this story, it was honored by the Columbia Journalism Review."
I read the story he is talking about and if you live in St. Pete you should too before you go to the polls.  Check it out here.

Tallahassee's Pay-To-Play Culture

In 2011 Scott vetoed state money for a Sarasota rowing center. Then the money started rolling in.  Scott's "Let's Get To Work" committee received $125,000 in donations from Benderson Development, which owns the land for the rowing center. He received another $85,000 from Pat Neal, the nearby Lakewood Ranch developer who would benefit from the project. Scott also has received $1,000 from Diane Bennett, the wife of former state senator and current Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Mike Bennett, who helped lead the effort in the Senate to secure state funding for the rowing center. Bennett is a consultant for an electrical contractor on the facility bidding for work on the project, which could run from $200,000 to $2 million. Benderson Development president Randy Benderson even got an extra bonus for his generosity — a Business Ambassador Award medal from the governor. He clearly earned it. Scott says supporters of the project convinced him of the economic benefits and tourism allure of the rowing center. Now The $40 million rowing center project is under construction and scheduled for completion in 2015.......more>

Equal Marriage FLA HD3

Ybor Paparazzi

Charlie and Bob of A-List Steaks.

Cuba

The Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce traveled to Cuba in May 2013 to support Tampa International Airport's nonstop service to Cuba.

Stogie Exclusive

We worked hard over here at the Stogie and found this pic of Kathleen Ford making  potato salad at Campbell Park.

Tampa Bay Insiders: Kevin Beckner

Darden Rice For St. Pete City Council

Endorsements

U.S. Congresswoman Kathy Castor
Former Governor Charlie Crist
State House Rep. Dwight Dudley
State House Rep. Darryl Rouson
Pinellas County Commissioner Janet Long
Pinellas County Commissioner Charlie Justice
Pinellas County School Board Member Linda Lerner
St. Pete City Council Chairman Karl Nurse
St. Pete City Council Member Charlie Gerdes
St. Pete City Council Member Jeff Danner
Largo City Commissioner Mike Smith
State House Rep. Carl Zimmerman
State House Rep. Mark Danish
Hillsborough County Commissioner Kevin Beckner
here

Miami Cubans Feud With Fidel

The Chamber of the Americas’ upcoming cultural mission to Cuba is generating substantial interest but also some scorn. The outrage comes from the stereotypical suspects — the aging and politically potent but attenuated Cuban-American émigrés engaged in an interminable feud with Fidel Castro that’s more psychological than political or practical. The Cuban-American political cachet has diminished — but not their fury. Engaged in activism that isn’t altogether altruistic, their ongoing mission resembles a personal vendetta rather than suffrage or liberation.......more
Help, end the war on the Cuban people, they are being held hostage by a small minority in South Florida.
Stop The MCM.

Ybor Paparazzi

Tea Cup with friends at Hamburger Marys.

Howard Dean 2016

Great news! Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, who says he's open to making another bid for president, will travel next week to Iowa. The former presidential candidate will speak Wednesday at the Iowa Federation of Labor convention.  A spokesman for Dean's independent group, Democracy for America, said Dean will be talking next week about the organization's "Purple to Blue Project," a plan aimed to help Democrats win state House and Senate seats. Dean told CNN earlier this year that he would consider another presidential run if he didn't think other candidates were taking on progressive issues......more>

Flower Salesman

 Ybor City

More Trouble For Kathleen Ford

One of the Florida’s biggest lobbying groups The Council for Stronger Neighborhoods, a group connected to the Florida Realtors, recently sent glossy mailers city voters denouncing Kathleen Ford in her third quest to lead the city.One side of the ad calls Ford “unfit to lead” and says she “is making a mockery of a yet another election.” more>  And a  a straw poll taken Wednesday night after the mayoral debate at  Bethel Community Baptist Church Of the 116 people who participated, Kriseman won 64.7 percent. Mayor Bill Foster followed with 16.4 percent. Kathleen Ford only garnered 10.3 percent......here. At St. Petersblog.
.

Tampa Bay Homeless

Ybor City
 more

What Stogie Had For Dinner

Found this place late at night. Great wings and Rum Runner, they call it a Dunk Tank. At

Florida Lanes, 10400 N Florida Ave, Tampa. There are local places "Open Late".
Visit Tampa Bay Locavore. Stay Local, Eat Local!

Florida Progressives Agenda 2014

I’m often critical of Gov. Rick Scott but there's one good thing I can say about him: he's done more than anyone to focus Floridians on the need for a big change in the direction of our state. The question is, when Floridians turn to progressives for answers to our most pressing problems now and in the years ahead, will we be ready with answers? Join progressive activists from around the state on Saturday, August 24th in West Palm Beach for the Agenda 2014 Conference, as we assemble a progressive agenda to move Florida forward.......here

Ybor City Beach Blanket Bar Crawl

Ybor Paparazzi

Friends at Hamburger Marys. 

Did They Really Say That?

St. Petersburg mayoral candidate Kathleen Ford told a black audience at the Bethel Community Baptist Church that she once made potato salad and served it in Campbell Park back in the 1990s. This was after she was asked what has she done for the poor residents in Midtown.....more
 Looks like she is after Ted Yoho's spot as Florida's Dumbest Politician. And while we are on the other side of the great pond,  Right Wing extraordinaire David McKalip calls local blogger Peter Schorsch a"political terrorist. At Pushing Rope,  Here is what Mitch Perry had to say.

Florida's Indian River Lagoon

Once a lush and healthy estuary, the Indian River Lagoon is now an enigmatic death trap. Running along 40 percent of Florida’s Atlantic coast, the lagoon’s brackish waters harbor a mysterious killer that has claimed the lives of hundreds of manatees, pelicans, and dolphins......more

Rep. Ros-Lehtinen and Rep. Diaz-Balart

Immigration Reform is in the hands of the House of Representatives. Even though the majority of Floridians support immigration reform with a path to citizenship, we still have nothing: no bill, no vote and no progress in the House. Some parts of our state are represented by politicians that have very few immigrant or Latino constituents. In South Florida, we are lucky. We have two Representatives, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Mario Diaz-Balart, that have always supported immigration reform and fought to keep our families together. But now they are letting the anti-Latino and anti-Immigrant voices in their party speak louder than them and hurt any chance of immigration reform.We need them to stand up and speak louder for their people.......here

What Stogie Had For Lunch

The Buffy with fries
At Hamburger Mary's in Ybor City

Hillsborough County Commissioner, Dist. 5

Looking for candidate. Is anyone going to challenge Ken Hagan?

here

Susan's Little Piece of Heaven

Susan Dunavan and her family fell in love with their home – a little slice of heaven in York, Nebraska. 35 years later, a massive oil conglomerate called TransCanada wants to run their Keystone XL pipeline right through their land. Susan's family is in the path. Watch the video and stand with her today.

Congratulations To Sen. Marco Rubio

He won the Climate Denier award.
The group Organizing for Action handed out trophies beset with silver unicorns to members of congress who have denied or dismissed the problem of climate change. The “Congressional Climate Denial Awards” were given out to some of the most vocal climate deniers in Congress, including Mr. Rubio. more, Via Pushing Rope

Stogie's Gift Shop

Now open, please visit.
here

A Personal History of America's Radical Right

Dunedin resident Claire Conner's new  memoir, Wrapped in the Flag: A Personal History of America's Radical Right. Conner grew up in the inner circles of extreme right wing American politics. Wrapped in the Flag deftly combines Conner's autobiography with an insider history of the John Birch Society and the extreme right over more than half a century.....here
Ms.Conner will discuss and sign her memoir at 7 p.m. Thursday at Inkwood Books, 216 S Armenia Ave., Tampa. She will also be a featured author at the 21st annual Tampa Bay Times Festival of Reading on Oct. 26 at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg.

What Stogie Had For Lunch

Boliche
With black beans and yellow rice.
$7.99 at Cuban Sandwich Shop, 10434 N Florida Ave, Tampa

Friends Of Stogie

Steven and katie at Bobalouie's Grille in Tampa

Rep. Ted Yoho Florida's Dumbest Politician

Right Wing Whack-A-Mole: Why You Cannot Change A Wingnut’s Mind

This is the core of the right wing movement: You cannot prove them wrong because they don’t care. Even when you do and they admit it, they will simply go somewhere else and tell the very same story they just admitted was false. The truth is completely irrelevant, the only thing that matters is spreading right wing propaganda......here

Florida teenager killed after Tasering by police

What Stogie Had For Lunch

Ham and Cheese sandwich  with Wedding Soup.
At Bobalouie's Grille in Tampa

Slap Hillary’ Game

Friends Of Stogie

Jamie in Tampa
Visit Stogie's Gift Shop here

Compassion and Action in Pasco

Local Views: The Florida Legislature

The Times continues to publish stories about our Florida Legislature that should make us stand up and take action. Legislators let Progress Energy (now Duke) collect billions of dollars for something that will never be built. These are the same people who scream about taxes. Is this not a tax on the poor to give money to the rich? Then there are the articles about the House speaker. It seems that Will Weatherford has done extremely well on his paltry state salary while denying any income from a myriad of shell companies that he seems to be involved with. Many of these involvements were not disclosed. What do the voters do? Like lemmings they just re-elect these people. It is time to say enough is enough, throw the bums out and start with a new slate of representatives who have morals and standards above reproach and are not "in bed" with big business.
Phil Altus, Tampa
Visit Mr. Weatherford's countdown clock at www.willweatherford.info

What Stogie Had For Lunch

Pot steak with red beans and rice.
$6.50 at Supersaver Supermarket, 2001 E Fletcher Ave, Tampa
Check out Tampa Bay Locavore

Hillsborough County Commissioner Dist. 4

Who is running,
Republicans Rick Cochran and Stacy White and Democrat Donna Lee Fore.