The Spencerian

Rick Kriseman and a St. Petersburg We Can Believe In

by Benjamin J. Kirby

Rick Kriseman has been running for Mayor of St. Petersburg for just a couple of weeks now, and already there's a lot of news -- good news -- to report.  But first...

Please go visit his Twitter feed (@Kriseman) and give it a follow.  Head over to his Facebook page here, and give it a "like", too.

Most important, head over to his website and donate whatever you can.  It's important.

Before we get to the new and interesting stuff, let's all agree that it was at the very least an eventful week in St. Petersburg.  The big announcement around the new St. Petersburg Pier came this week.   The Columbia Restaurant -- a favorite of mine -- is going to be a prominent feature of the new Pier.  

It was welcome news for a project that hasn't exactly been welcomed with open arms in all quarters of St. Petersburg.

Mayor Foster took the opportunity to wring everything he could out of the good news.  He needed it.

There is some interesting polling news to share, but before I put it out there, a few caveats.  Yes, I've called into question the methods of St. Pete Polls before -- and I maintain it was for good reason.  And though we'll point out the results, there are some other, more unconventional pieces I find just as interesting.

So the St. Pete Polls crew has some relatively new stuff out.  From this month, take a look at their general St. Petersburg survey.  Notice anything interesting?  The first question is only sort of about the race for mayor.  It's not even about Mayor Foster or Rick Kriseman -- it's about the Pier.  

Now, the results are interesting enough:

In this year's city election, will a candidate's position on the Pier be an important factor in who you vote for? 
    Yes:           69.7% 
    No:            19.7% 
    Unsure:    10.6%    

Forget the actual numbers.  By virtue of the fact that this is the very first question, I think it's pretty obvious that what the candidates for mayor say about the Pier matters... a lot.  You can go read some more of the results.  What you'll find are four more questions about the Pier.  To give you a little perspective, there's one question about the Tampa Bay Rays and one question about red light cameras.  

So if I'm Mayor Foster, I might feel good about the Columbia deal this week, but there'd better be a lot more good news stories lined up going forward.  A lot.

As a quick aside: I like the new Pier design, called The Lens.  Modern is not usually the way I go with stuff, and if it were up to me, I'd have gone in a different direction (something retro, with a nod to our namesake in Russia; they figured out minarets at the University of Tampa.  Why not here?), but that's okay.  

Moving on.

Peter at SaintPetersBlog commissioned a poll from St. Pete Polls looking a little more closely at the race for St. Petersburg Mayor.  How about that first question?

If the election were held today, would you vote for Bill Foster or Rick Kriseman for Mayor?
Foster: 37.9%
Kriseman: 33.8%
Undecided: 28.3%

Valid polling outfit or not, those numbers ought to make Mayor Foster's stomach churn.  

Peter had them ask two more questions about former St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker.  I honestly couldn't tell you why.  My understanding -- and please know that this is the "understanding" of just about the least informed guy you could hope to find -- is that Mayor Baker is very happy in the business world.

The last question about Mayor Baker sticks in my craw a bit, too -- If Rick Baker were to run for Mayor this year, would you vote for Rick Baker or Bill Foster or someone else?  --  because they didn't ask about Kriseman specifically.  Why not?  Why wouldn't you ask that question?  I'm not asking snarkily.  I'd genuinely like to know.

Peter said it in his own assesment of the numbers.  I'm just asking the question.  If "much of those who do not want to see Baker run again are voters who would support either Ford or Kriseman," but those same voters "do not want to see former City Councilwoman and two-time mayoral candidate Kathleen Ford give it a third try," then why not ask a question pitting Baker against Kriseman?  If the numbers (ostensibly) show incumbent Foster not getting out of a primary, then why not Baker and Kriseman head to head?  I'm just curious.  

Anyway, I'm not so sure the numbers look all that good for a Rick Baker Comeback Act.  40% would vote for Baker?  (Basically) 40% would vote for someone else?  That says an awful lot more about the less-than-25%-getting Foster than anything else.  The other question, which showed a pretty even split between those that would like to see Baker run again and those who wouldn't, wasn't all that hot in my estimation, either.  None of it came off as the public begging for a Rick Baker Renaissance.

So there is a lot to talk about with respect to issues in St. Petersburg.  The Pier, obviously.  The installation of red light cameras.  Whatever in the hell is going to happen with the Rays.  

And more, much more.  So much that it'll take wiser political minds than mine to sort it all out.  But I do know that Rick Kriseman's campaign is two weeks in, and he's getting a visit from newly-elected State Democratic Chair Allison Tant for a high-profile fundraising event.  (I always like to say after a sentence like that, that donors like you and me matter too, so please do contribute something -- even ten bucks -- to Rick's campaign; it makes a difference, and I know Rick appreciates it.) 

Changes are coming to St. Petersburg.  You don't need a pollster to tell you that -- just look around.

Changes are coming to City Hall, too.  You don't need a pollster for that, either.  Just follow Rick's campaign.  Come election time, it'll be a great day in St. Petersburg once again.

Water

by Benjamin J. Kirby

Mama never understood what it's like for a losin' man
when her number one son goes bad playin' cards with the Devil's hand

 -- Eddie Money, Gimme Some Water 

Can I tell you how unimpressed I am with the Marco-Rubio-drank-water-during-the-SOTU-rebuttal thing this week?  

It looked bad at the time, but with the idea of giving donors a bottle of water with each donation to his PAC, the guy turned a made-for-TV-fumble into a win.  

This is a man who knows well how to work the media.  After all, it was during his run for Senate here in Florida that he ran what I maintain is one of the best political ads of all time.

But the truth is, Rubio is a retrograde Generation X version of the crusty old tea party freaks running the show right now.  This Marco Rubio who gluggingly rebutted the State of the Union is the same Marco Rubio who voted against the Violence Against Women Act.  Oh, and he's got a history of scandal and corruption.  

In essence, he is nothing more than a repackaging of the same Republican principles, the same Republican values that have been losing elections and will continue to in the future.

I'm usually reluctant to link to a piece I've only read half-way, but the New York Times piece by Robert Draper is already a must-read:

Nonetheless, the focal point of Proximus’s mission is not policy formulation but salesmanship: how to bring new voters into the fold while remaining true to conservative principles.

"Proximus," by the way, is the name of a group of conservative friends and activists who sit around a snooty Russian bar and drink weird import beer from Moscow and talk about "how to bring new voters into the fold while remaining true to conservative principles."  

When was the last time you sat in a bar with your friends and said, "Hey!  Let's name this group... I'm thinking something Latin!"  Who does that?  (Let's not even mention the Russian beer...)   

Out of touch idiots, that's who.

This is the Marco Rubio world.  Salesmanship... "not policy formulation."  They are what they are and they are not changing.  They're just going to make their face a guy my age with good hair and an unfortunate predisposition for dry mouth.  

In closing, let me just send out a warning shot to liberals and Democrats.  We caricature the Marco Rubio water comedic hardy-har moment at our own peril.  Marco is a right-winger, and he'll stay right-wing as long as he's running for President (and let's please not pretend that he's not) in an attempt to appeal to the base.  But he is more media and tech savvy than any of the last batch of contenders who sought the GOP nomination in 2012 -- and that includes Mitt Romney (I would sort of hope it would go without saying).  

Marco will jiu-jitsu his weaknesses into strengths, and it'll happen fast.  We need to stay focused not on the fact that he got thirsty, but on the fact that he's bad for Florida.  As a President, he'd be worse for America.  And when he's standing behind the podium giving the State of the Union, not rebutting it, I bet he'll drink all the damn water he wants.

Rick Runs: Kriseman Runs for Mayor of St. Petersburg

by Benjamin J. Kirby

I am incredibly excited about Rick Kriseman running for Mayor of St. Petersburg.  Check out his announcement video:

This is fantastic news for the City of St. Petersburg.  Yes, I'm a resident of Gulfport, but we're just blocks away from St. Pete, and we spend an awful lot of time there.

This is a political blog.  Always has been, and though I find myself wanting to write more about my family and my children, it always will be a blog about local and national public affairs and politics.

This campaign is a rare -- and joyous -- instance of the personal intersecting with the political.

I like to think of Rick Kriseman, my former State Representative, as something of a friend, but he's a good enough politician that I bet a lot of people feel that way about him.  With respect to my blogging efforts, he has been more than generous, granting me an exclusive two-part interview (part I here and part II here).  

Look, sometimes politics is complicated.

Sometimes, it's pretty easy.  St. Petersburg is at a special place in time.  And the residents of the fourth largest city in Florida are not getting the leadership they deserve in Mayor Foster.  From his failure on the Tampa Bay Rays and Tropicana Field, to his failure on the St. Petersburg Pier, to other failed issues that should be easy for a progressive city.  The curbside recycling mess.  Implementing red light cameras... then halting them.  The police station debacle.

These things -- and more -- are the reasons Mayor Foster's popularity is tanking.

But this isn't about Bill Foster.

This is about a guy who will lead the City of St. Petersburg.  This is about a guy who stood with Hands Across the Sand.  This is about a guy who took on big business in the name of keeping the residents of his community safe and healthy.  This is about a guy who was a leading voice on the St. Petersburg City Council.  This is about a guy who was a leading -- and much needed -- voice trying to slow the freight train of conservative extremism in the Florida Legislature.

It's going to be a great campaign, and I'll try to keep you updated as best I can. 

In the meantime, I hope you'll contribute to Rick Kriseman's campaign.  And I hope you'll visit his Twitter feed and follow it.  And I hope you'll go to his Facebook page and like it.

Let's go to work for Rick... and for St. Petersburg.

Sam Henderson for Mayor of Gulfport

by Benjamin J. Kirby

We got our ballots in the mail yesterday, and I am about to break one of my own rules... sort of.

I have said in the past that I wouldn't write an endorsement of a candidate on this blog without first meeting that candidate.  Seems like a common-sense rule to me.  I'm not saying they have to come have dinner at my house and follow me around for a day.  I am just saying that it's nice to meet someone in person before you give them something as sacrosanct as your vote.

I will be voting for Sam Henderson for Mayor of Gulfport, and I'll tell you why in a moment.  

But first, I should clarify that I have met Sam, but it was only in quick passing -- at the Fourth of July parade in Gulfport.  He was, like the rest of us, hot, sweaty and distracted.  There was so much to see and do, so many people to meet.  Hi, how are ya' was about as much as either of us could get out before being dragged in opposite directions.  

I would also note that of either candidate running for Mayor of Gulfport, only Sam's campaign has knocked on my front door.  We weren't home, but they left a nice flyer and note about an upcoming event.  I say close enough.

So, why am I voting for this guy that I only met quickly in passing as half the town of Gulfport tromped by in a parade?   

Because when you look at his priorities, they're just what we need:

• Maintain our police and emergency service to ensure the safety of our residents


• Install user-activated crosswalks at critical intersections.


• Complete major infrastructure improvements, such as the improvement of storm water conduits draining to Clam Bayou and Boca Ciega Bay and the repair and replacement of wastewater lines that are currently costing our city money.


• Reliably fund redevelopment plans for the city’s waterfront and 49th Street corridor.


• Continue to preserve and improve our parks, waterways and greenspaces, and protect those urban ecosystems for wildlife and the current and future residents of Gulfport.


• Maintain our level of service to residents, while keeping our taxes and user fees as low as possible.


• Improve and extend our spur to the Pinellas Trail in order to enhance connectivity between this outstanding walk & ride parkway and our unique waterfront downtown.


• Maintain the Old Florida character of our city, while still keeping us in line with our changing times.

Yes.

Yes to all of that.

And the list of what he has helped accomplish as a Member of the City Council is even more impressive.

It would be easy to write off Gulfport as a weird, small town that doesn't need a lot of hands-on governing.  I don't think that's true.  I think Gulfport wants to be a lot of things -- and sometimes those things are at odds.

We relish the weird label -- we want to be small and quirky and fun.  And we want to keep the small-town charm.  That is huge for everyone we know in Gulfport, and it's really important for me and for Duncan.  We love the proximity to St. Petersburg and to Tampa and to the other communities (and to the beaches and beach communities) -- but we are not Tampa, for sure, nor are we St. Petersburg.

Yes, we are a part of the larger Tampa Bay community, and in many instances, are leading the way with respect to public policy.  Because of our proximity to a large body of water, and to a regional natural treasure, our leader have to think in creative and innovative ways -- not always the kind of thinking associated with small towns.  

In a number of ways, though, all of this gets to the issue at my heart: working with across boundaries to bring the region closer together.  Who is going to extend a hand to our friends in St. Petersburg?  Spend half a minute on 49th Street -- the border between Gulfport and Florida's fourth largest city -- and you'll see the work we need to do together.  Who is going to work best with other community leaders like Mayor Buckhorn in Tampa?  Pinellas County Sherrif Gualtieri?  The Members of the School Board?  

I think the answer is Sam Henderson, and if you're one of our Gulfport neighbors, I hope you'll join me in voting for him for Mayor of Gulfport.

The Enterprise of Integrity

by Benjamin J. Kirby

Buckle up, kids: this one is complicated.

First, make yourself familiar with a fantastically-named organization called Integrity Florida.  This is "a nonpartisan, nonprofit research institute and government watchdog whose mission is to promote integrity in government and expose public corruption."

Excellent!  We could use one of those here in Florida.  

Our vision is government in Florida that is the most open, ethical, responsive and accountable in the world.

No matter what side of the political spectrum you call home, I think we can all agree that these are noble missions and goals.  I think we can also agree that these guys have their work cut out for them.

Ethics in government isn't always as straightforward as we think it should be.  Hey, it's easy to point a finger at the guys on the other side who do wrong -- obvious wrong.  But, as they say in the comic books, who watches the Watchmen?   

In other words, who ensures the... well, integrity of Integrity Florida? 

It is a reasonable question, and one brought into stark relief as they released a scathing report on an organization called Enterprise Florida [read the full report here], "the official economic development organization of the State of Florida."

The report is tough on this Legislature-created entity designed to support the business presence in the state and boost the economy.  For example:

1. Enterprise Florida has failed to meet its job creation objective: In 1992, the Florida Legislature created Enterprise Florida with an initial objective of creating 200,000 highwage jobs by 2005. After operating for twenty years and despite negotiating more than 1,600 transactions involving economic development incentive agreements worth more than $1.7 billion, Enterprise Florida reports that only 103,544 jobs have been delivered since 1995 – half of their original target and eight years beyond its original target date. 

2. Enterprise Florida has failed to obtain its required level of private sector support: As a public-private partnership, Enterprise Florida is expected to obtain private sector support to help pay for its costs of operation. The Florida Legislature required Enterprise Florida to obtain 50% private sector contributions by Fiscal Year 2000-01. As of Fiscal Year 2010-11, more than 85% of Enterprise Florida’s funding comes from government and less than 15% comes from the private sector.

3. Enterprise Florida has the appearance of pay-to-play: Enterprise Florida, while subject to the dominion and control of the Florida Legislature, collects on average $50,000 each from corporate members for about half of the seats on the organization’s board of directors. Several Enterprise Florida board member companies received incentive agreements and vendor contracts following negotiations with Enterprise Florida staff during  the 2012 fiscal year giving the appearance of pay-to-play.

4. Enterprise Florida has apparent conflicts of interest: The Enterprise Florida Board of Directors and the organization’s staff have a relationship that may be a conflict of interest. Enterprise Florida staff bonus pay of nearly $500,000 ($427,500 for staff, $70,000 for President/CEO) in 2012 was provided by Enterprise Florida board member companies that were also Enterprise Florida vendors and others that were recipients of incentive deals in the 2012 fiscal year.

5. Enterprise Florida is picking winners and losers: A number of executed agreements detailed in the 2012 Enterprise Florida Incentives Report demonstrate clear state government favoritism of some companies and industries. Enterprise Florida issues unnecessary benefits packages to entice businesses that should already be attracted Florida’s business friendly environment. These benefits are not necessarily enjoyed by competitors across an industry or all businesses moving to or expanding in Florida.

All pretty bad stuff, right?  Sure, it's awful.  

Are you outraged that your tax dollars support this scheme?  Sure you are.

But what if I told you that the information you just read was funded in part by the Florida branch of Americans for Prosperity?  

Americans for Prosperity, you'll recall, is the Koch Brothers outfit designed to do just a handful of things, as long as the top thing remains defeating whatever happens to be at the top of President Obama's policy agenda.  One of the most chilling profiles I've ever read was Jane Mayer's account of these basically evil men who will stop at nothing until America is rendered a libertarian cesspool, where guys like them spend their days and nights lighting cigars with hundred dollar bills, and suckers like me and you duke it out for survival in some kind of modern-day Ayn Randian Thunderdome.

It remains a little bit of a mystery to me why the Koch Brothers would fund something that essentially attacked a pro-business operation like Enterprise Florida.  After all, I thought sucking public dollars and funneling them to private organizations was the name of the game.  Who knows, maybe they needed a touch of street cred for something else down the road.  

More important, why would Integrity Florida partner with such a blatantly partisan group as Americans for Prosperity?  This is how the very first sentence on the AFP "about" page reads:

Americans for Prosperity is a grassroots movement of over 2.3 million activists nationwide who advocate and promote limited government, lower taxes, and more freedom. 

Well, sure they're going to fund a study that says we should cut the knees out of a government-founded organization.  Surely Dan Krassner, the Executive Director of Integrity Florida, understood this.

This is all a fairly big deal -- big enough that Integrity Florida board member Martin Dyckman, a retired associate editor for the Tampa Bay Times as well as a columnist and reporter, resigned his spot on their board. 

Dyckman said he asked Krassner to indicate on the report that not all members of the board agreed with the sponsorship of the report. He said was disappointed in the decision by Integrity Florida head, Dan Krassner, to refuse that request and to accept the financing but "it is a step too far for me."

Why wouldn't Krassner take that simple step, I wonder?

It's a little bit like me starting a gun control organization and getting the Brady Campaign to fund a study saying we need universal background checks on all guns.  Of course we need universal background checks on guns.  But wouldn't my study have had more validity -- or at least be taken more seriously -- if I'd partnered with, say, the National Science Foundation, or maybe something like local hospitals?  Maybe the Census Bureau?  Department of Justice?  Local law enforcement?    

What am I saying?  What does all of this mean?  

It means we need to actually do ethical things in government, not talk about doing them.  In my view, government leaders should set those benchmarks, not organizations whose hearts may (or may not) be in the right place.  

In the end, I regard it largely as I do things like PolitiFact and the Washington Post's Fact Checker.  All the Pinnochios and Pants-on-Fires can be useful to you when you're talking about the other guy.  But mostly they serve as distractions -- and when they're downright wrong, it's hard to set things right.  Once the story has been told, well... it's a done deal.  

Often, like the fact-checkers, too, things that sound above politics are used as political cudgels.  And then, when the actual truth comes out, it's too late: the story has been told, and it has the imprimatur of this "above politics" kind of organization or group.   

It's true.  We need a more ethical Florida -- we all agree on it.  After this, you can't help but feel we've taken a step back. 

Equality Fail: Hillsborough as Scourge of the Bay

by Benjamin J. Kirby

I was so proud when my town of Gulfport became the first in Pinellas County to approve a domestic partner registry.  We're a small town, but it was a big moment for equality.

A few months later, our neighbors in St. Petersburg figured it out for themselves.

Just a few days ago, Pinellas County itself followed suit: 

A proposal to create a domestic registry in Pinellas County passed on Tuesday, giving unmarried couples — gay or straight — legal recognition of their relationships.

The law will allow couples to register as domestic partners, granting them the right to visit each other in hospitals, make medical decisions for each other in a crisis and, depending on their employers, share health insurance coverage. The Pinellas County Commission passed it by a 6-1 vote, with Commissioner Norm Roche dissenting.

Hey, equality in Tampa Bay, right?  

I mean, if "the 'Burg" can do it, and us weirdos in Gulfport can do it... surely the Big Dogs of the Tampa Bay area -- Hillsborough County -- can do it... right?

Apparently not.

By a 4-3 vote, the Hillsborough County Commission on Thursday rejected a domestic partner registry for unmarried couples.

And by a vote of 4-3, Hillsborough County proved it is still governed under the dark shadow of longtime hate-monger (and former Commissioner) Ronda Storms:

The Hillsborough County Commission stripped discrimination protections for gays and lesbians in the 1990s. It has blocked efforts to restore them. In 2005, then-Commissioner Ronda Storms got fellow board members to ban government support of gay pride displays or events after seeing one at a library.

The Hillsborough County Commission should not only be ashamed of itself today, it should recognize that it has a lot of work to do to catch up to those of us leading the way in places like Gulfport, St. Petersburg, Tampa, and Pinellas County. 

For the record, the breakdown for and against went like this: Commissioners Mark Sharpe (the guy who proposed the issue, and, it should be noted, a Republican), Kevin Beckner and Les Miller voted in favor of creating the domestic partnership registry.  Commissioners Victor Crist, Al Higginbotham, Sandy Murman and Ken Hagan voted against equality.

Just this past Sunday, Robert Trigaux wrote in the Times about how this area lacks a "brand".  

When researchers at Tampa marketing firm Spark last year started digging deep into what comes to people's minds for this area, what did they find?

A blank slate.

"We do not have a brand," says James Robbins, Spark's brand director. And places without a brand end up with consumers conjuring one of their own, he warns, showing an image of a local strip club that too often stands in as Tampa's identity in the national media.

A domestic partnership registry is not a brand.  Nor is gay marriage.

But the active opposition to our gay and lesbian friends and neighbors can begin to brand us in a way -- a negative way.  We can look to the top for the way on this issue: President Obama himself made history by openly discussing gay rights and equality in his Inaugural address.  

And it that seems like too much, too aspirational, that Washington, D.C. is too far away, well -- you can always look and see how we do here in Gulfport.

Learn more about the good work they're doing on these issues at Equality Florida -- click here.

Almost Friday Priceless Collection Edition

by Benjamin J. Kirby

The race for a job you could not possibly pay me enough to take is heating up: Chair of the Florida Democratic Party.

Please don't get me wrong: I love Florida and I love the Democrats here.  We have so much in which to take a great deal of pride.  Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz is the chair of the national Democratic Party.  Here in the Tampa Bay area, Congresswoman Kathy Castor is on the Budget Committee as well as the Armed Services Committee -- both those committees are powerhouses in Congress.

Oh, yeah -- Florida Democrats delivered our 29 Electoral Votes to Obama... twice.

You may not have noticed, but the current occupant of the Governor's Mansion -- hospital grifter Rick Scott -- remains one of the most unpopular governor's in the entire country.  

There are opportunities for Democrats in the Sunshine State. 

That said, there is much work to do in the back rooms of the party structure and elsewhere.  Indeed, Scott is the Governor and though his poll ratings remain low, anyone who thinks he won't put up a fight against whoever Democrats nominate is smoking something.  

We also have a sort of inmates-running-the-asylum deal in the Republican-lead State Legislature.  Even if Democrats are successful in defeating Scott, there will be considerable obstacles on the way to cleaning up a considerable mess.

So, now we have Allison Tant (read her letter and plan outline here) and Alan Clendenin seeking to lead Florida Democrats.

Mr. Clendenin is from the Tampa Bay area, and so I like him already.

Ms. Tant is from Tallahassee, is a former lobbyist and advocate for children's issues, and so I like her, too.

Mr. Clendenin, in his plan, said this -- which is right on:

We must build a farm team bench to ensure our viability and future success.  You don't build a house from the top down.  You start by laying a strong foundation that will support the structure as it grows.  High visibility, high profile elections attract a lot of attention.  But if we continue to neglect our political entry-level positions, we will never enjoy statewide success.

I have long been an advocate for grooming the bench.  You have to start with the farm team -- the state legislature races, the mayorships, the city councils and county commissions.  Get folks elected there, and winning the larger races will come.

Ms. Tant has said, this, and it is also exactly right:

Cultivate & Engage Obama Donors – Having spent years raising funds for President Obama’s 2008 & 2012 campaigns, I know there are many donors who contributed to President Obama, but have not invested in the Florida Democratic Party. As Chair, I will spend time cultivating these donors and bringing them on board as Florida Democratic Party donors so we can grow our donor base and fundraising capacity.

I also agree with that... a lot.  There is work to be done there, and I'm glad to see a potential leader of the Florida Democratic Party acknowledge it.    

Who's going to be the next leader of the Florida Democrats?  I don't know.  Who am I going to support.  Don't know that, either.  I'll give them both a serious look and let you know.

# # # #

Well, Congressman John Boehner is still Speaker of the House... barely.

House Speaker John A. Boehner narrowly won re-election Thursday to a second term overseeing a chamber that has proved most difficult for him to manage, surviving a rebellion from his most conservative wing of the GOP caucus.

The vote followed several recent insurrections from rank-and-file Republicans that left Boehner (R-Ohio) in a less powerful posture heading into critical negotiations this year.

He survived the defections of 12 Republicans, with the opposition coming from the most conservative wing of the caucus. The final vote tally was 220 for Boehner to 192 for House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

Very much insdie baseball, but the fact that the vote was as close as it was is a fairly big deal.  What it means, basically, is that Boehner still has a fractured coalition of Republicans with whom to work -- and a whole plate-full of "fiscal cliff"-type deals to look forward to in the year ahead.

# # # #

Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner is leaving at the end of January.  

I noted last week that Lisa Jackson was leaving as head of the EPA. 

None of this is surprising.  Secretary Clinton will be leaving soon enough to make room for John Kerry.  The personnel floodgates are opening, and the political musical chairs will begin soon enough... and the political who's-going-where stories will, too.

# # # #

Good news for Google in the anti-trust world.

The Federal Trade Commission on Thursday found that Google had not violated antitrust or anticompetition statutes in the way it structures its Web search application — handing a big victory to the search giant in its ongoing dispute with regulators.

I am not a lawyer, as I've said many times on this blog, and I'm definitely not an expert in anti-trust, but I really had a hard time ever understanding the case against Google.

And no, it's not just that I have a Chromebook that I love.

# # # #

Check this out if you want to see all the good stuff you should have read in 2012 and didn't.

# # # #

This ain't no place to be if you planned on bein' a star. 

It's almost Friday.

Get on the Bus

by Benjamin J. Kirby

For most of my tenure in D.C., I rode the Metro to work every day.  The Court House stop to Farragut West -- four stations in total -- was my commute for many years.  When I moved back to D.C. for a few years in 2003, I rode the bus most days.  

I loved the Metro, and I loved the bus.  They were cheap, easy, clean, and reliable.  The only real times I ever had any problems where when we got tons of snow and ice -- not that often -- or when there was a huge event happening.  Sure, you'd get the occasional breakdown, or a maintenance delay, but it was never too bad.   

My experience with the Metro system in D.C. sold me on mass transit.  I honestly have no idea why every medium to large metropolitan area in this country doesn't have it in some capacity.  You can literally see the economic impact as throngs of people commute to jobs across town, or head to events they might to which you might not normally drive.

Why wouldn't everyone do this?  Political stupidity is the best I can figure.  I cringe whenever I see the "Stop the Rail!" signs the tea party types put up the minute someone breathes a word about light rail in this area.  The indelible image for me is the whacko at the podium, addressing the Pinellas County Commission and throwing his cars keys around, pointing at them and saying, "That's my freedom!"   

But the tables may finally be turning on the tea party-driven propaganda campaign.  There's some new polling data out, and it shows surprising support for publicly financed light rail in the area.

The poll found a comfortable majority of residents in Hillsborough County would support using tax money for light rail. The question had even stronger support in Pinellas County, where officials are pondering whether to place a referendum on public spending for mass transit on the 2014 ballot.

"I don't know many metropolitan areas this large that don't have something in the way of light rail," said Ron Hosner, 74, a retired schoolteacher from Redington Shores, who answered the poll conducted from Dec. 5 to 13. "I would love to see light rail and I would be willing to have my taxes spent on that.''

The poll results seem to run counter to conventional wisdom, particularly since voters in Hillsborough rejected that very proposition by a 58 to 42 percent margin in 2010. The poll, conducted by Braun Research, a national firm based in Princeton, N.J., found almost the opposite result in Hillsborough two years later.

Couldn't agree more with Mr. Hosner.  

Almost better than the actually polling results -- which are just great -- is the mention in the article that there is a new group forming to advocate for light rail in the area.  It's called Connect Tampa Bay, and they're just getting started... so go "like" them, tweet it out and all that good stuff.  

Sure, from a simple transportation point of view, light rail in this area is a no-brainer.  But it also makes sense from an economic point of view, too.  Building the infrastructure would takes years, and would cost a few billion.  But it would mean jobs.  

Of course, getting hundreds or even thousands of cars off the road would help the environment we all care so much about (the funny side-story there is that awhile back someone was going to a Hands Across the Sand event to protest drilling off the coast of our beaches and rightly noted that everyone had to drive to get there).  

Yes, we have a mass transit system now, and yes, I know it doesn't work.  This is about utilizing what we know works, not about retro-fitting a system than doesn't.

This is common sense all the way around -- and increasingly, it would seem, the will of the people.

Are our leaders listening?

The Neverending Story: The Charlie Crist Party-Switch Media Spectacle Breakdown

by Benjamin J. Kirby

I had to look -- it was last Friday when I posted the story about former Republican and former Governor Charlie Crist's party switch, nearly a full week ago.

Indeed, the Tweet Seen 'Round the (Political) World was sent on December 7...

...making my own post unusually timely.

But I was ready to post my quick story on Friday and let it go, to wait for the inevitable next step from Governor Crist, which is almost assuredly to announce his candidacy for Governor.

Never in a gajillion years did I think he would be able to stretch out the story of what amounts to filling out a form that takes five minutes into a week-long media event.  

But Charlie Crist is a more able, indeed, more talented political actor than I had given him credit for, and I should have known better.

And we can start with the Tweet.

I've been to White House holiday parties.  They are nice events.  They are beautiful, and spectacular.  The staff at the White House do an incredible job of turning the most important house in the known universe into a gorgeous holiday display.  

They are also stuffy and a little awkward and sometimes scary.  After all, there you are in, say, the Blue Room (the location of the official White House Christmas Tree), or maybe my favorite, the Green Room (I've always loved that picture of Benjamin Franklin by David Martin), or perhaps you're standing in the East Room -- right where it appears Governor and Mrs. Crist are standing -- and there might be any number of dignitaries, officials, appointees... or former Governors.  You know how hard it is to eat a shrimp the size of your hand, sip a cocktail and still look respectful? 

I digress.

The point of the White House Holiday Parties is for the Washington and political set to mingle (when I was there, at least, there were several parties for different groups and constituencies over the course of the month).  It is the kind of place where you at least try to eat the giant shrimp and puff pastries and relax just a bit, despite the VIPs all around.

It is not the kind of place you bring... your voter registration form.

It is not the kind of place you bring your voter registration form and hold it up for a picture with you and your wife.  

To wit:

Me.  President Clinton.  I'm going to say 1996, maybe 1997.  Possible it was 1998, but I don't think so -- my hair isn't gray enough yet.  

You may notice something missing in this White House holiday picture.  That's right.  It's my voter registration form!  

Charlie Crist wanted to create an indelible image, and let's all just assume that the image he wanted to creat was not Mrs. Crist in a lovely but quite form-fitting red dress.  

Charlie is at the White House.  Becoming a Democrat.  

Even the language of his tweet has been called into question: Proud and honored to join the Democratic Party in the home of President @BarackObama!

As someone (sorry; I lost track of who) said, it's not really the "home of President Barack Obama" -- it's the home of the American People.  A President just serves there for four or eight years.  

The semantics and vagaries of Twitter, you may say.

I say a direct and purposeful tie to President Obama.

And one we would be reminded of again this week as Charlie Crist held a "media availability" outside the Supervisor of Elections' office, conveniently held at the same time a poll was released showing that Crist would completely obliterate Alex Sink in a theoretical Democratic primary for Governor.

Charlie knows how to make news.  He knows how to keep a story alive.  He knows how to build on it -- his statement of regret on signing the anti-gay marriage petition during the media availability was no accident.

My guess -- and it's not a very brave or bold guess -- is that this is Charlie Crist just getting started, just coming out of the gate.  Watch for more Charlie over the next weeks and months.  

Lots more.

Why the Conflagration with Protesters May (or May Not) End Well for Congressman Bill Young

by Benjamin J. Kirby

Eighty-one year-old Republican Congressman Bill Young (FL-10) is serving his twenty-second term in the United States House of Representatives.

He began his career in the House the year I was born -- 1971.  

He first served in elective office -- the Florida Senate -- eleven years before that.

The point is not to demonstrate Congressman Young's considerable age, though there is that to consider.  He is, after all, the longest serving Republican in the U.S. House.  The point is that the guy has been around for awhile -- he's seen it all.    

And at this point, he should be used to folks with, well, a different point of view.  

Apparently this may not be the case.  From Tampa Bay's Creative Loafing:

As the office closed, Young arrived, flanked by St. Pete College police officers as well as staff members, including Glenn. One particularly persistent activist loudly asked Young about his stances, getting into close proximity of the 81-year-old congressman. It did not end well. Young grabbed the activist by the arm and raised his cane, largely looking like he was attempting to strike the protester until both were separated by the police officers present.

Repeating that the activists were trespassing on federal property multiple times, Young did engage one constituent, saying that he “was the middle class” but largely didn’t address the questions on cuts. The congressman was escorted into the building as the protesters discussed taking legal action against Young.

The police were rather nonplussed by the situation, pointing out that the young man did aggressively confront the congressman. However, due to the confusion during the actual incident, it’s unknown currently whether or not the young man will pursue legal action. Soon after, the group dispersed in order to avoid being arrested for trespassing.

Here's the picture, because you knew there'd be one:

Seems to me, every time I've seen something like this, ten times out of ten there's video, so we'll wait for that.

According to the HuffingtonPost, Congressman Young is considering "legal action" against the protester, though if Young grabbed him first and indeed threatened him with a cane, it's hard for me to see what that "legal action" might be.  I'm not sure how it works with "trespassing" on federal property -- and, by the way, Congressman Young was apparently at his office housed on the campus of St. Petersburg College, which, as the name suggests, is a college, open to students and faculty -- but even if there is some tenuous legal standing, the optics alone are bad.  It just can't look good.

We're in the midst of a heated debate about tax cuts for the wealthy and deeply crippling austerity measures.  Does Young really want to become the poster boy for wealthy old men (walking out of giant buildings named for themselves, by the way) caning protesters out of frustration because the marginal tax rates for them and their wealthy political donors may modestly increase?  I doubt it.

It's been mentioned -- notably on Talking Points Memo -- that the protester in question is Kelly Benjamin, a guy who ran for Tampa City Council.  Based on a comment or two over at Peter's site from Twitter feeds (would "@CWBilly2" be the son of C.W. "Bill" Young?  I dare not guess) of questionable origin, the online hit pieces against Benjamin are being formulated.  

That strategy won't work for Team Young, either.  

Of course, "work" is a relative term.  Young, like I said, has been serving in the House for forty-one years, as long as I've been alive.  He has forgotten more about being politically adept than I'll ever learn.  Will he survive the brewing firestorm -- and the possible legal action Kelly Benjamin may take against him?  The signs -- and long history -- sure point to "yes." 

The Changing Face of Politics in Gulfport

by Benjamin J. Kirby

I do not write enough about Gulfport politics.  

Right now, there is a high-level debate taking place in Washington, D.C. about whether we'll cut bloated defense spending, make the poor and middle class work for longer with less benefit, or modestly raise taxes on the wealthiest Americans.  Another national conversation taking place somewhat in the background (though it is no less important) is what the national Republican Party will actually represent in the future, given that its electoral model is clearly unsustainable going forward.

Here in Florida, the discussion of the party-switch by former Governor Charlie Crist is the hot topic du jour.      

It's been easy to write about the big stuff.  But in my own backyard, Gulfport, Florida -- population 12,041 -- our own leadership is morphing before our very eyes.

Cathy Salustri at the Gulfport Gabber has the news from Ward Two: incumbent City Councilwoman Barbara Banno will not run again:

“I take this job very seriously and I think it’s important for anybody on council to give 100% of themselves, especially me,” she [Banno] says. “When we are fortunate enough to start our family, my priorities will shift. I won’t have the time to devote to the city council and to the citizens that they both deserve.”

An emotional Banno said that nothing other than her desire to focus on starting a family factored into her decision.

“It is sad,” she says, her eyes misting over. “Serving on city council has been an honor and a pleasure. I am so proud to have served, in my opinion, some of the greatest people in the whole world.”

Councilwoman Banno says she intends not only to finish her term, which expires in March, but to remain involved in the city.

To be fair to me, I wrote a fairly lengthy piece on the Gulfport election in Ward Two back in 2011 when there was a little dust kicked up around then-Representative Rick Kriseman's endorsement of Ms. Banno's opponent.  It was largely around my frustrations with non-partisan elections and people's general dislike of pre-primary endorsements.  

But I also mentioned I'd be voting for Ms. Banno's opponent, and recall that I did (elections in Gulfport are city-wide).

I also said that if she were elected, I had "every confidence she'd do a fine job on the City Council."

She has -- most notably when Gulfport lead the way with a domestic partner registry -- and I wrote about that, too.  And so I would say that I wish her well, and hope her replacement -- a woman named Christine Brown appears to be the only qualified candidate to register in Ward Two, effectively making her the newest member of City Council -- does as well as she did.

And that's not even the whole story.  

Vice Mayor and Ward Four Councilman Sam Henderson has declared his candidacy for Mayor.  He'll be facing Bob Worthington, a former City Councilman. 

Why, in a town of just over 12,000, does this matter?  Why does it matter, even if it is my town?  

Because this is where the politics of the future are seeded.  This is the headwaters.  This is where it all starts.  City Council today, maybe the Pinellas County School Board tomorrow.  Maybe the County Commission after that.  Maybe the legislature after that, and after that... who knows.  

What they talk about in Washington and in Tallahassee may change, but it will always be important.  It helps to know who may have those conversations on our behalf.

Photo Courtesy: City of Gulfport

The Converted and the Faithful

by Benjamin J. Kirby

The political news in Florida for the next few days will be the party-changeover by former Republican, former no-party-affiliation, now-Democrat Charlie Crist.

The Facebook posts and tweets from loyal, long-time Democrats have all been roughly the same: an enthusiastic welcoming of the former Florida Governor to the Democratic Party.  Many instruct me to welcome Governor Crist with "open arms."  

I've been a Charlie Crist critic for long enough to have earned a little street cred with those same folks who would so vigorously welcome a guy we called "Empty Chair Charlie" not all that long ago.  

I would hope the Democratic faithful might maintain just a hint of skepticism about the newest member of our Party.  And by "faithful," I mean those who just finished walking neighborhoods for Obama... and who walked those same neighborhoods in 2008.  I mean those who campaigned for Kendrick Meek when Charlie Crist was telling Republicans he would caucus with them if elected (and then followed that by saying "who cares!" when asked who he would caucus with, giving Marco Rubio a too-good-to-miss entree into one of the best political ads, maybe ever).  I mean the Florida Democratic faithful who poured their souls into a failed recount effort in 2000.  I mean the faithful who still remember the Bob Graham days, the Lawton Chiles days.  

I hope we Democrats can maintain just a touch of skepticism, even as we, in true Southern form, welcome Governor Crist to the Party.  

Because there's a difference between filling out the form and doing the work. 

And Charlie Crist has some work to do.  

Hey, I get it:

He has been a strong supporter of higher pay for teachers. He works for a leading trial lawyer. He was a leading advocate for civil rights as governor and attorney general. And though he describes himself as "pro-life," his voting record in the legislature was mostly in favor of abortion rights. He has long been more of a populist than a pro-big business Republican.

[snip]

The Obama administration has long had a strong relationship with Crist, who was one of the few high-profile Republicans to enthusiastically endorse the $700-billion stimulus package that he said helped keep Florida teachers and emergency workers employed and could have funded a high speed rail initiative in Florida had not Gov. Scott rejected the money.

Frankly, there could be worse Democrats than Charlie Crist.  There have been worse Democrats than Charlie Crist.  

That said, he's been just a mess on some critically important issues.  The Amendment 1 tax cap here in Florida has been particularly devastating in a state already hit hard by the housing bust and recession.  Then-Governor Crist was the Amendment 1 champion.  With our beaches being not only an environmental treasure, but the economic life-blood for many Floridians, off-shore drilling is an understandably hot topic -- Charlie Crist has flipped and flopped on it.  I'm glad the Obama folks like him, but he was back and forth on health reform, too.  Crist also changed his position on gay marriage.

He'll have to answer for those things.  He must know that.  

And when the faithful -- those good Democrats who continue to work so hard -- ask those questions, he must know, too, that if he wants to be welcomed with open arms, the answers better be right.

Um, Yeah... It's Racist

by Benjamin J. Kirby

First of all, the news from the Palm Beach Post today on how Florida Republicans engineered voter supression is neither surprising nor is it anything any person who follows politics even a little bit didn't already really know.

It's just that now it is backed up by comments from the disgraced former head of the Florida GOP, Jim Greer:

A new Florida law that contributed to long voter lines and caused some to abandon voting altogether was intentionally designed by Florida GOP staff and consultants to inhibit Democratic voters, former GOP officials and current GOP consultants have told The Palm Beach Post.

Also, breaking news: the sky is blue, water is wet, and the sun will rise in the east.

Anyway, here's my favorite part.

About inhibiting minority voters, Greer said:

"The sad thing about that is yes, there is prejudice and racism in the party but the real prevailing thought is that they don’t think minorities will ever vote Republican,” he said. “It’s not really a broad-based racist issue. It’s simply that the Republican Party gave up a long time ago ever believing that anything they did would get minorities to vote for them."

"...not really a broad-based racist issue."  

I don't care if Greer is disgraced or not.  That right there is why Republicans will be out of power for a generation, maybe more.  Or at least until Republicans actually figure out that trying to disenfranchise an entire race of people from one of their most sacred civil rights is, in fact, a "broad-based racist issue."

The former Republican and former Republican Governor Charlie Crist was interviewed for the article as well.  The ill-formed response from GOP spokesman Brian Burgess -- who, I swear, no sentient human being who is currently conscious and able to make adult decisions should ever pay one lousy dime to for communications and/or spokesperson services -- was this:

"Charlie Crist speaks out of both sides of his mouth."

Of Jim Greer, he had this to say:

"Jim Greer has been accused of criminal acts against this organization and anything he says has to be considered in that light."

You know, I'd actually feel better about Burgess -- and about the entire Florida Republican Party -- if they'd just own it.  If, on the record, he'd just admit that they were trying to disenfranchise poor and African American voters, because they wanted Florida in the "Romney" column.

That, and that even after their yes, racist, and borderline-criminal efforts, they lost.

Images from the RNC: More from Monday and the RGA

Editor's Note: I have a friend who is doing some work behind the scenes at the Republican National Convention here in Tampa.  This friend has agreed to snap a few cool photos as Convention events unfold, and I have agreed to post those images here for your enjoyment.

Off the Radar The Breeze Edition

by Benjamin J. Kirby

Well, the plans at the Republican Convention are getting all turned around, thanks to Isaac.  

I have to say, I genuinely feel bad for the delegates and Convention attendees.  They thought they were going to get this, and instead, they got this:   

All due respect to the late Karen Carpenter, I'd take Lynyrd Skynyrd, who canceled their appearance at the Convention, any day.  

Like I said the other day, the safety of the attendees preempts politics, and the RNC planners made a tough call, but the right call... even if Isaac is turning west, largely leaving us alone.

If there is a silver lining to be had, the Conventioneers are seeing some of the best of the Tampa Bay area and of Florida.  Folks here know how to take a (potential) storm seriously, and with the exception of our governor, (who seemed milquetoast-ey and squishy in his remarks to the people of Florida about Isaac, though he, too, made the right call in canceling his Convention remarks and participation) people seemed really ready to hunker down, and help out however they could.  It's not the face we expect to show the world, but it is a good one, nonetheless.

# # # #

Former Republican Florida Governor Charlie Crist endorsed President Obama in an op-ed exclusive to the Tampa Bay Times yesterday.

As America prepares to pick our president for the next four years — and as Florida prepares once again to play a decisive role — I'm confident that President Barack Obama is the right leader for our state and the nation. I applaud and share his vision of a future built by a strong and confident middle class in an economy that gives us the opportunity to reap prosperity through hard work and personal responsibility. It is a vision of the future proven right by our history.

We often remind ourselves to learn the lessons of the past, lest we risk repeating its mistakes. Yet nearly as often, our short-term memory fails us. Many have already forgotten how deep and daunting our shared crisis was in the winter of 2009, as President Obama was inaugurated. It was no ordinary challenge, and the president served as the nation's calm through a historically turbulent storm.

Now Governor Crist will be speaking at the Democratic Convention in Charlotte.

This is all fine and good.  I'm glad, really glad that there are Republicans (technically, in Crist's case, voters registered as "no party affiliation") who are supporting President Obama.  I think it speaks not just to Obama's leadership style, but to which party really is the "big tent" party in this nation, despite what the grifters, crooks and fiction writers at FOX News say.

Here's my position on Governor Crist's change of political heart, which most folks openly assume he's making as the first steps in a run for Governor, this time as a Democrat: I'm happy to have him on-board, but he's got some work to do with me.  After all, this is the man who in 2006, came out in support of a complete constitutional ban on abortion, similar to the draconian law enacted in South Dakota.  "I encourage a culture of life," he said.  He did veto the equally draconian "ultrasound bill," which was helpful, but it only serves to muddy the waters.  Indeed, he was given a "zero" from the Florida Alliance for Planned Parenthood Affiliates.

He supported a ban on same-sex marriage, but then later backed off.

He supported the ban on same-sex couples adopting, which is really unforgivable.

He got a some great scores from the conservative Cato Institute, and an "A-" from the NRA.

He flipped -- the the wrong side -- of the off-shore drilling debate during his run for the U.S. Senate seas in 2010.

Finally, in a state with one of the lowest tax burdens in the nation, he championed the awful Amendment 1 of 2008, a massive tax cut which choked off revenue to state government just when we needed it most: at the precipice of the current economic downturn.  

Okay, here's the deal: I understand that in politics you can change, evolve, grow.  I get it -- I really do.  And I'm glad Governor Crist has done the right thing.

But if he wants to be Governor of this great state once more, he's going to need to do some explaining of his previous positions -- and he's going to need to make some promises.  Some of those promises may be tough, because it will likely involve him undoing some of the work he previously supported. 

As for me, I'll make Governor Crist this deal: if he is willing to evolve, I'm willing to listen, and maybe evolve as well.  Keep talking, Governor.  

And if you ever need a blog space to share something, well, you know where to find me.

# # # # 

We got a little rain, some wind, some dark skies, but nothing too awful from Isaac.  Nothing like what I fear the folks up in New Orleans and that way are in for, just at the anniversary of Katrina.  Maybe it is on everyone's mind -- it's on mine.

Keep the folks of the Gulf Coast in your good thoughts and prayers, friends and neighbors.

# # # #

If I shared this already, sorry.  It's pretty damn good -- and it's true.  

Via the New New Journalism Tumblr.

# # # #

Wasn't Meg Whitman a collosal failure at HP?  

She would be a cabinet member in the Romney Administration, gang.  Scary.

 -- More later --