Interstate4Jamming

2007-10-13T10:25:00.000-04:00

HERE IS WHERE I STAND NOW

First, let me once again thank everyone who visits this spot for dropping by, and let you know that I sincerely appreciate your patience with my recent absecnces from this space.

Apparantly, the hard drive on my computer went south a couple of months ago, and is no longer functional. As I have a severely tight budget (you think local governments are having it rough...), it may be some time before I have another computer in my apartment. Until then, the only online access I will have will be a weekly visit to the Lakeland Public Library where I will have one hour to post and take care of other online business.

Most weeks my posts here will be on Saturday, but that may change occasionally due to work and other obligations. I will not be posting the weekend of October 26-27 as I will be at the Florida Democratic Party Convention at Lake Buena Vista. Again, my budget will keep me out of the ticketed dinners and such, but I'll at least get to party to the music of the 70's era band Orleans.

Thanks again for coming by, and please keep checking he each weekend.

2007-10-13T10:09:00.000-04:00

WILL HE, OR WON'T HE? THE ANSWER IS...

Congratulations to former Vice President Al Gore on being a co-recipient of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with the United Nations Intergovernmential Panel on Climate Change for their work over at least the past two decades to educate America and the world on the issues of global warming and related climate change.

This being a presidential campaign season, there are those who would like to see Gore to use the opportunity that the related press coverage brings from winning one of the world's most prestegious awards to announce his entry into the Democratic race for the White House.

Friends, trust me...it ain't gonna happen.

First, I honestly do not believe that at this point in time Gore has the heart to dive back into the cesspool of presidential politics. He seems to have found his true calling as the public voice warning about our planet's future unless we do something now.

Secondly, I believe that Gore realizes that it is too late now to put together a top tier team (most have already committed to one of the other candidates) and raise the amount of money required to make a serious run at the nomination.

Finally, as a true believer in the global warming/climate change issue, Gore likely realizes that his entry into the presidential campaign would 1) make the issue a polarizing point and 2) make people question Gore's sincerity and motives, thus likely damaging the work he has done.

2012, perhaps?

2007-10-03T13:31:00.000-04:00

MY FRIEND "SMITTY"

Last month, Winter Haven and Polk County lost a truly remarkable human being in former postmaster, city commissioner, and mayor Robert "Smitty" Smith when he passed away. Closer to home, I lost a good friend.

"Smitty" gave his all for family, especially his wife of 50-plus years Nancy, and was active in organizations and activities too many to mention here. Regardless of whatever burdens he happened to be saddled with, he always had a smile and a kind word for anyone who came across his path.

When I came to this area in the autumn of 1990, it took a few months before I became ready to start attending meetings and get active. At the Winter Haven City Commission meetings, "Smitty" was the first person who introduced himself and made me feel welcome. A loyal Democrat, we crossed paths at local party meetings and events.

It was very touching to hear relatives and friends talk about Robert during his funeral service, but the words were simply confirmation of the type of man he was. Someone like "Smitty" doesn't come very often, and our friend will be --- already is --- truly missed.

RIP, my friend.

2007-09-27T10:24:00.000-04:00

I'LL BE BACK SOON, OR, WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO DONATE A COMPUTER?

Apoligies to everyone again for my absence. I've been working six day weeks for the past month-plus, restricting my access to the Lakeland Public Library's computer centre while my own computer's hard drive has apparantly gone south for good. I'm back, at least on a once-a-week basis for now until I have a new computer to use.

2007-09-24T18:03:00.000-04:00

ADVICE FOR JANUARY 29: LEAVE THE DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL PART OF THE BALLOT BLANK!!!

So, the train wreck has taken it's next step. The battle between the Florida Democratic Party and National Democratic Committee has gone forward like a virtual game of chicken following last weekend's expected announcement that the FDP would not change plans to hold it's presidential preference primary vote from the January 29 date approved earlier this year by the overwhelmingly Republican legislature.

What's done is done, so we have to be prepared for whatever consequences regarding the seating of our state's delegation to the national party convention next summer.

My anger now is directed toward the Democratic candidates for president. With the lone exception of Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), they have surrendered to pressure from the four early primary/caucus states (Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Nevada) by signing a pledge saying they would not campaign in Florida (or any other state which leapfrogs the accepted calendar - Michigan has recently done so). However, in a move that I can only consider highly hypocritical, they and their surrogates continue to trek to the Sunshine State to raise money. In effect, the candidates are figuratively giving Florida's four million-plus Democrats the finger...thus sending the message that they don't give a rat's ass about our state and it's people, unless, of course, you have a fat checkbook.

Florida is an important state for our candidates, regardless of wheather our delegates are seated at the national convention next summer. Whoever wins in the January 29 voting will have huge bragging rights heading into the following week's "Sunumai Tuesday", where 15 states will hold primaries or caucuses. Florida will be vital to any candidate who truly wants to win next November. So it is important that our candidates know that their attitude toward our state through their agreement to sign the pledge is totally unacceptable.

So, what do we do? Simply take it up the backside and say all is forgiven? Certainly, we are loyal Democrats, and we will fully support our nominee in the general election. However, IMHO a bit more than talk needs to take place to let the candidates know they screwed up big time by giving Florida short shrift.

Therefore, I am strongly urging my fellow Florida Democrats to do two things:

First, it is important for all of us to participate in the January 29 election...show up and vote! There are simply two many local and statewide issues to be decided that day to use the current controversy as an excuse not to cast your ballot. However, I encourage you to leave the presidential preference portion of the ballot blank. Do not vote for ANY of the presidential candidates. If the DNC has it's way, which I fully believe that it will to escape looking weak and unable to maintain discipline withing the ranks, the vote will not count, anyway. But mainly, if enough Florida Democrats withhold their votes from the presidential preference primary, it will send a profound message to all the campaigns that our state should be respected and simply not taken for granted.

Secondly, all Florida Democrats should withhold all donations to any of the presidential candidates during the primary season. This would show the campaigns that our state will not serve as a virtual ATM while they refuse to come and state their cases to Floridians face-to-face as they are doing everywhere else. Instead, I would encourage my fellow Democrats to give that money to their local Democratic Party organization. We need to rebuild our party from the grass roots up, not from the top down. That means finding candidates for local offices and getting them elected, eventually building the base to where we can take back the state legislature. So instead of giving money to the presidential campaigns which will simply be used elsewhere, let's put it to better use here at home!

It's time to act, friends!

2007-08-23T20:08:00.000-04:00

FLORIDA DEMOCRATS READY TO FIGHT FOR IT'S CONVENTION DELEGATION

As everyone knows by now, the decision by Florida's legislature to change the date of our presidential preference primary to January 29 is in violation of rules agreed upon by both major political parties to protect the status of Iowa as the nation's first caucus state, New Hampshire's first primary, and South Carolina as the first primary in the South. Both parties have threatened to cut the size of our state's delegation in half, and the Democrats have additionally promised that any candidate who campaigns or raises money in Florida will not be entitled to any of it's delegates, regardless of how he/she fares in the January vote.

On the Democratic side, there are two items related to this of note:

Lesley Clark reported in the Miami Herald Wednesday that Florida Democratic Party chairwoman Karen Thurman is prepared to argue before the Democratic National Committee's rules committee when it meets in Washington on Saturday that it is sticking with the January 29 date for a variety of factors; among them, a number of municipalities have decided to move their elections to that date as well...''So when we go up to Washington to fight for all our delegates, it will be the Democratic National Committee who chooses to penalize us.'' Thurman is encouraging all Florida Democrats to send a message to the DNC opposing any possible cut in the delegate strength, and has a page set up on the state party's Web site to do so.

Also, the Florida Democratic congressional delegation has sent a message to DNC Chairman Dr. Howard Dean, threatening that if the state's delegation to the national convention is cut, it would call for a voting rights investigation. The St. Petersburg Times political blog The Buzz printed the letter's content this afternoon. Click here to check it out.

2007-08-23T18:52:00.000-04:00

THIS SUNDAY ON THE CHAT SHOWS

ABC / This Week with George Stephanopoulos: U.S. Senators Jim Webb (D - VA) and John Cornyn (R - TX) will appear to discuss Iraq, President Bush's troop surge, and his strategy in the Middle Eastern nation. The "Voices" segment will feature Good Morning America co-host Robin Roberts talking about her battle with breast cancer. And the roundtable will have ABC News' Cokie Roberts, Newsweek International editor Fareed Zakaria, and conservative syndicated columnist George Will talking about the week's top political news. Nightline co-anchor Terry Moran fills in for George Stephanopoulos this weekend.

CBS / Face The Nation with Bob Schieffer: The guests and topics have not been announced as of Thursday evening. Please check back for further updates.

CNN / Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer: The guests and topics have not been announced as of Thursday evening. Please check back for further updates.

FOX / Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace: The guests and topics have not been announced as of Thursday evening. Please check back for further updates.

NBC / Meet the Press with Tim Russert: U.S. Senator John Warner (R - VA), President Bush's previous close ally on Iraq who recently returned from there and Thursday s , will be on to talk about his visit and break with Bush on the way. Also, former pro bicyclist and seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong will appear to discuss his battle with cancer and his Livestrong Presidential Forums. The roundtable will feature NBC News Middle Eastern correspondent Richard Engel, Washington Post Pentagon reporter Thomas E. Ricks, and New York Times Chief Military Correspondent and author Michael Gordon.

Syndicated / The Chris Matthews Show: The questions for the week: Just how religious do we want our president to be? And, will 2008 be the year that a sitting senator win the presidency, the first time since JFK that would happen? Pondering those issues will be NPR's All Things Considered co-host Michelle Norris, Michael Duffy of Time magazine, columnist Kathleen Parker of the Washington Post Writers Group, and David Brooks of the New York Times.

Bay News 9 / Political Connections: The guests and topics have not been announced as of Thursday evening. Please check back for further updates.

WFTS-TV 28 / Flashpoint with Brendan McLaughlin: The guest and topic has not been announced as of Thursday evening. Please check back for further updates.

2007-08-23T18:44:00.000-04:00

WANNA KNOW WHERE (OR IF) YOUR FAVOURITE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE WILL BE IN FLORIDA???

Click here to access the newly updated Florida Presidential Candidate Appearance Calender!

2007-08-23T16:40:00.000-04:00

A SAD DAY FOR AREA TRADITIONAL JAZZ FANS

A touch of the cultural panorama of Lakeland and Polk County has apparantly been lost...for now, at least.

The Child of the Sun Jazz Festival is the victim of cost cutting measures being taken by it's host and primary financial donor for nearly two decades, Florida Southern College. The festival, which kept it's focus on traditional jazz sounds while similar events began mixing in more pop and so-called "smooth jazz" influences, was the brainchild of FSC music instructor Larry Burke with a lot of help from the late cornetist and longtime Lakeland resident Nat Adderley.

Adderley's global fame as one of the premier musicians of the genre helped to attract other well known players to Lakeland each spring for what has grown into a weekend long event.

It's always disappointing for a community to lose a piece of it's cultural life, and I would certainly think that there are enough businesses throughout Lakeland and Polk County that would be willing to be associated with an event such as Child of the Sun. Hopefully, it won't take long for a local company or group of companies who want to keep events such as this part of the area variety to step up and provide the necessary funding to keep this event going.

2007-08-23T06:04:00.000-04:00

WHO DID THIS??? CAN YOU HELP ME FIND OUT?

Last night after 9:00 I was lying in bed, halfway paying attention to the TV still on, when an advertisment came on. It ended before I could get my reading glasses on to clearly identify the sponsor.

The ad asked viewers to contact their U.S. Senators and Representatives in support of our involvement in Iraq, and used the terms "surrender" and "defeat" in reference to any withdrawal. It also ended with the phrase (not exact, but similar) "Victory is the only option". I can say it was not on one of the religious channels, but one of the independent stations in Tampa (33/38/44).

It was the first time I had seen this ad, and am simply curious as to who sponsored it.

Kinda reminds me of growing up in south Mississippi. My grandmother was loyal to one of the local country music stations in Hattiesburg during the mid and late 1960s, and listened to a preacher every morning who came on that station. He was the New Jersey-based Dr. Carl McIntyre, and this was during the Vietnam conflict. McIntyre spent probably 22-23 minutes of his daily half-hour programme ranting about the growing protests over our involvement there, and was a cheerleader for victory there.

So much for "Thou Shall Not Kill"...

2007-08-22T18:58:00.000-04:00

A SONG FOR THE BUSH/CHENEY/ROVE ERA

I usually have my CD player with me to hear the latest news from NPR and some favourite music heading to and from work...a nice way to relax before and after the pressure of working in a call center answering strange questions and taking orders from customers. This morning I had Chicago's Overtime --- a greatest hits compliation released mainly in Canada --- as they are one of my all-time favourite groups, and I came across their political anthem Harry Truman. I tend to pay more attention to the lyrics, and while it was written in the latter days of the Vietnam War it comes across perfect for today's political enviroment.

America needs you, Harry Truman
Harry could you please come home
Things are looking bad, I know you would be mad
To see your favorite men prevail upon the land you love

America's wondering how we got here
Harry, all we get is lies
We're gettin' safer cars, and rocket ships to Mars
From men who'd sell us out to get themselves a piece of power

We'd love to hear you speak your mind in plain and simple ways
Call a spade a spade like you did back in the days
You would play piano, each morning walk a mile
Speak of what was going down with honesty and style

America's calling Harry Truman
Harry you know what to do
The world is turnin' round and losin' lots of ground
Oh, Harry is there something we can do to save the land we love...

America needs another Harry Truman...too bad there doesn't seem to be one on the horizon.

2007-08-22T17:47:00.000-04:00

OH, HOW THE MIGHTY HAVE...FALLEN??? IN SOME MINDS, A LEAST

As the new school year begins across Polk County, prep football fans are wondering just how good the Dreadnaughts of Lakeland High School will be. When last season ended, the LHS crew had achieved it's second straight national championship and third straight state championship (of seven overall, currently in class 5A), not to mention a running win streak of 45 games. What a way for a high school to begin it's 100th year of football tradition, so you would expect the team at the top of last year's heap with the record it has to begin the new season having to defend it's top ranking.

Think again.

One of the most read high school football polls, the USA Today Super 25, appeared in today's edition, and the Dreadnaughts not only are out of the number one spot...they don't appear at all in the national Top 25 rankings. Afficinados will not only notice that, but that the 'Naughts aren't even in the top ten among teams in the South! There is a Florida team at the top of the USA Today elite, 6A champion Miami Northwestern at number two (the will play top ranked Southlake (TX) Carroll September 15), with Pahokee of Palm Beach County at number 14 (seventh in the regional rankings). Also noted among top teams in the South is another Miami school, Booker T. Washington at ninth.

With the loss of several key players to graduation, Head Coach Bill Castle will have a challenge on his hands, but still with considerable talent. One can presume Castle won't need to use today's news to get his players ready for the opening game, an unofficial "kickoff classic" this Friday.

2007-08-22T05:43:00.000-04:00

SOME FOLKS WILL SAY "AMEN!" TO THIS NEWS

The new school year began Monday in Polk County --- a number of parents probably said "Amen!" to that --- with a new enrollment record being set. The Lakeland Ledger reported that 89,215 students reported for the first day of classes, an increase of 2.2 percent from last year's numbers.

At least one administrator at Polk County School District headquarters in Bartow suggested that the enrollment numbers could reach as high of 93,000 within two months. The first day figures, however, will have at least some people thinking that it marks the beginning of a slowdown in overall countywide growth.

The 2.2 percent first day hike compares with 3.5 percent from last year, 3.3 percent in 2005, and 4.0 percent in 2004.

So, what's happening? More homeschooled kids? More students being enrolled in private or parochial schools? Or are we seeing more folks leaving the area, joining the reported parade of people leaving Florida in the face of higher property taxes?

Hmmmmmmm...has some of you scratching your heads.

2007-08-21T17:26:00.000-04:00

WINTER HAVEN LOSES A LEADER

One of Winter Haven's best known and respected citizens, former mayor/commissioner Richard "Dick" Dantzler, passed away over the weekend after a long battle with the condition known as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. He was 76.

Dantzler, born and raised in Winter Haven, was a longtime businessman who led or otherwise involved in a number of civic organizations over the years. In addition to heading two area banks, his accomplishments included being active --- and for a time chairing --- the trustee board of Winter Haven Hospital, as well as heading the Winter Haven Area Chamber of Commerce. His business interests included real estate, and he was named chairman of the Florida Real Estate Commission in 1984.

He was elected to the City Commission in 1961-67, serving as mayor from 1962-64. During his tenure, Dantzler was credited with helping make Winter Haven the spring training home of the Boston Red Sox, as well as helping guide the city through the difficult periods of racial intergration.

Dantzler's sons have all followed in their dad's footsteps well. All have become active in a variety of civic organizations, and one, Rick, is a former Florida State Senator who resigned in 1998 to run for governor. Rick told the Lakeland Ledger that their father stressed the importance of community service and that should be a guiding principle for any responsible citizen.

Dick Dantzler was a man who obviously loved his home area, and worked hard to make it a better place for all. He set an example that all of us should strive for. Mr. Dantzler will be missed, but he can rest in peace now with the knowledge that he has the thanks and respect of many throughout Winter Haven and beyond.

2007-08-19T07:59:00.000-04:00

THREAT TO U.S. COAST GREATLY DIMINISHED, BUT NO CHANCES BEING TAKEN

As you can see from the forecast track bubble above, the threat from Hurricane Dean to the U.S. coast is reduced greatly. It seems as though the combination of a mid-to-upper level system shifting ahead west of Dean and a deep level high pressure system taking hold over the Southeastern U.S. will keep the powerful Catagory 4 storm (still predicted to reach Catagory 5 before reaching the Yucatan) well south.

The forecast track and bubble, which takes into consideration the National Hurricane Centre's margin of error, only shows a small possibility of the centre of Dean making landfall on the coast near Brownsville, Texas. The higher likelihood is that after clipping the Yucatan Penisula, the hurricane will make final landfall over the northeast Mexican coast.

That's not stopping the folks at NASA's Mission Control from bringing Space Shuttle Endeavor home a day early, on Tuesday instead of the original return date Wednesday. Mission Control, located at the Johnson Space Centre in southeast Houston near Galveston Bay, made the decision so that should Dean change course and become a threat, it would allow personnel --- many of whom live in the neighbouring suburban communities such as Clear Lake City and Webster --- time to shut down and possibly evacuate. Having lived in the area some time ago, I know that one reality of the area is that drainage is not the best. Even a decent afternoon thundershower during summer can cause water to reach bumpers in many areas, and with all the flooding they have had in much of south Texas they certainly don't need a Catagory 4 or 5 hurricane dropping a whole bunch of additional water.

2007-08-19T07:47:00.000-04:00

WELCOME HOME, SOLDIERS, WELCOME HOME

One of my favourite blogs across Florida is the Miami-based Bark Bark Woof Woof, created by "Mustang Bobby", who works for the Miami-Dade School District. He usually has something interesting to say or just pass along, and one of his posts Saturday afternoon will get many choked up. It did that to me.

Mustang Bobby passes along an experience from a flight from Chicago to Toledo while enroute to a theatre festival that also included several USAF soldiers on their last leg home from Iraq. Click here to check it out.

2007-08-17T20:57:00.000-04:00

CHECK OUT THE UPDATED POSTS!

The list of upcoming visits by the presidential candidates, both Republican and Democratic, has been updated with a few new events having been announced or confirmed. Click here to view.

And the Sunday chat shows have announced their guests and topics. Karl Rove will be featured on three different programmes following the announcement of his upcoming resignation, and one show will be an extended version featuring the Democratic candidates for president in a 90 minute debate from Des Moines, Iowa. And I've added another local Sunday programme to the list. Click here to check it out.

BTW: Just scroll the the post below this to view the latest Florida poll results regarding the candidates for president and a couple of more interesting results.

Thanks for visiting, and in the words of the late Houston comsumer reporter and personality Marvin Zindler...

"Have a GREAT weekend...Great golf, great tennis, or WHATEVER makes you happy!"

2007-08-17T09:23:00.000-04:00

THE LATEST FLORIDA POLL NUMBERS...NO GREAT SURPRISES

Strategic Vision has released the results of it's most recent poll of 1,200 likely Florida voters conducted August 10-12. The margin of error is plus/minus 3%. The numbers in parentheses next to their current percentages is the comparison upward or downward to the last poll taken in mid-June

Democrats only: Who is your first choice for the Democratic nomination in 2008?
Hillary Rodham Clinton 40% (+3)
Barack Obama 20% (-1)
John Edwards 16% (-4)
Bill Richardson 9% (+5)
Joseph Biden 3% (0)
Christopher Dodd 1% (-1)
Dennis Kucinich 1% (0)
Undecided 10% (-2)

Senator Clinton continues to increase her lead, and my impression is that many Floridia Democrats, as seems to be the case across the country, are ready to give her the nomination.

Republicans only: Who is your first choice for the Republcan nomination in 2008?
Rudolph Giuliani 34% (+4)
Fred Thompson 18% (-6) (Not yet officially announced candidate)
Mitt Romney 10% (+2)
John McCain 8% (-3)
Newt Gingrich 3% (-1)
Tom Tancredo 3% (+1)
Mike Huckabee 3% (+1)
Ron Paul 2% (0)
Sam Brownback 1% (-1)
Tommy Thompson 1% (0) (Has withdrawn from the race)
Duncan Hunter 1% (0)
Undecided 16% (+5)

It seems to me here that the swooning over a possible Fred Thompson candidacy has cooled somewhat. This was, of course, before this week's announcement that Republican Party of Florida communications director Jeff Sadosky was stepping down to join Thompson's team in a similar role. McCain is out of double digits as his campaign continues to freefall. And there are more GOP undecideds this time, so people are either having second thoughts or are just still shopping.

Governor Charlie Crist's job performance still enjoys an exceptionally high approval rating, 71% among those interviewed. As for the state's two U.S. Senators, Bill Nelson (D) has a 53% approval rating compared to Mel Martinez's (R) 43%. As for their opinion of President Bush's job performance, the approval numbers are slightly higher here than the national ratings, with 37%.

And one other interesting question asked of the 1,200 likely voters across the Sunshine State:
Do you favour an immediate withdrawl of the United States military forces from Iraq within the next six months?

Yes 51%
No 38%
Undecided 11%

2007-08-16T21:18:00.000-04:00

THIS SUNDAY ON THE CHAT SHOWS

This week I am pleased to add another programme to the list, Flashpoint from Tampa Bay ABC affiliate WFTS. It is hosted by Brendan McLaughlin, who is one of the best television anchors in the market. It has been on for awhile, but the guest(s) and issue(s) had not been previously announced on it's Web site. The link to the programme is actually to it's newly established blog, which McLaughlin posts regularly. It's a good programme, and much of the time is an interesting view.

ABC / This Week with George Stephanopoulos: From Des Moines, Iowa the Democratic candidates for president will debate the issues in this special 90 minute edition, with host George Stephanopoulos serving as moderator.

CBS / Face The Nation with Bob Schieffer: Karl Rove, White House Deputy Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to President Bush,will appear to talk about his decision to resign effective at the end of this month as well as the 2008 presidential election, and politics in general.

CNN / Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer: Following the deadliest attack of the war in Iraq this week, two U.S. Senators will debate the next step for America, Robert P. "Bob" Casey (D - PA) and Christopher S. "Kit" Bond (R - MO). A member of the Iraqi Parliment, Mahmoud Othman, will also appear to discuss the crisis in his country...and maybe justify why his legislative body is taking the entire month of August off while the fighting continues?

FOX / Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace: Karl Rove, White House Deputy Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to President Bush, will be the lone guest to speak about his resignation, the 2008 presidential race, and his involvement in the various Bush Administration scandals.

NBC / Meet the Press with Tim Russert: Karl Rove, White House Deputy Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to President Bush, will discuss his years in Washington, his decision to leave the Bush Administration at the end of this month, and the future of the Republcan Party. Also, a political roundtable featuring Los Angeles Times columnist Ron Brownstein, Conde Nast Portfolio Washington Editor Matt Cooper, John Harwood of CNBC and the Wall Street Journal, and National Review Washington Editor Kate O'Berine.

Syndicated / The Chris Matthews Show: Where did Karl Rove's plan for a permanant Republican majority in Congress go wrong? And with Hillary Rodham Clinton's strong lead in the polls, can Democratic opponent Barack Obama still be the agent of change? Pondering these questions will be co-anchor Michelle Norris of National Public Radio's All Things Considered, Dan Rather of HDNet, Kathleen Parker of the Washington Post Writers Group, and Washington Correspondent Ryan Lizza of The New Yorker.

Bay News 9 / Political Connections: The guests and topics have not been announced as of Friday evening. Please check back for updates as they become available.

WFTS-TV 28 / Flashpoint with Brendan McLaughlin: Matt Woolsey of Forbes magazine will be the guest to discuss his listing of best cities for young professionals, on which Tampa is at the bottom among 40 cities for keeping and attracting highly education, single professionals from the best universities.

2007-08-16T19:49:00.000-04:00

SHOULD DON IMUS GO BACK ON THE AIR? LET THE LISTENERS DECIDE!

Just over four months ago, national broadcast personality Don Imus was fired from his simulcast radio/cable morning show after he made, to say the least, insensitive remarks regarding the Rutgers University women's basketball team following their appearance in the NCAA Division I national championship game. Imus' unscripted comments were stupid and bordered on racist, and his employers at CBS Radio and MSNBC were correct in sacking him.

Now there are reports that Imus has been in negotiations with New York talk station WABC-AM and other broadcast organizations to revive his Imus In the Morning show. Needless to say, the possibility has stirred up controveresy over wheather he should ever return to the business which has been his trade for nearly four decades.

Personally, I am not a fan of Don Imus. I believe that he is an old, bitter man whose on-air persona is the way he is off the air, and that he should retire to his New Mexico ranch. That said, I also believe in giving a person the opportunity to redeem themselves and allow the people a chance to accept or reject him.

It's always possible to turn oneself around. The best example of that we've seen recently is Greg Mathis. A serious drug user/dealer and gangbanger in Detroit during his youth, Mathis had numerous run-ins with the law. Thanks to the support of his mother and several key mentors, Greg not only earned his GED, but his college and law degrees. However, after graduating from law school the State Bar of Michigan refused to issue him a license to practice law for several years due to his juvenile background. Mathis finally received his license, and as many people now know became the youngest person in Michigan history to be elected as a Superior Court judge and is now the host of one of America's most popular "judge" shows.

While I probably would not listen to Imus, I would not deny the people a chance to accept or reject his return to the airwaves on their own. The station's management would certainly be aware that signing the "I-Man" would be a risk.

That said, let me add here that I generally don't like the idea of nationally syndicated radio programmes in morning or afternoon prime time anyway. Radio stations should concentrate on serving and supporting the communities and areas that they are licensed to serve. Sadly, since deregulation of radio in the 1980s under Ronald Reagan, a lot of good, talanted air personalities are out of the business, and a lot of communities are without local news and entertainment.

2007-08-16T06:08:00.000-04:00

DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT A COUPLE OF UPDATES

Just a little FYI: There are a couple of posts from earlier that have been updated.

If you want to know where your favourite presidential candidate will be appearing in Florida, click here. Some changed information, as well as a new date or two, is noted.

And if you care about the future of mass transit in Polk County, and all local residents should care about and support it, click here to learn about how you can tell those who directly deal with the issue what you think and learn about what is being considered. I attended the meeting Tuesday in Lakeland, and it was really interesting to hear what's on the table...if the funding is there.

2007-08-16T05:27:00.000-04:00

PINELLAS AREA GOP RISING STAR BUSTED

He was a rising star on the Pinellas County Republican political scene, a Yale graduate, and an Eagle Scout. He narrowly lost a race for State House 52 last year, counting among his contributors the city's fire chief, and even then-Tampa Bay Devil Rays owner Vince Namoli. Some were even saying that he could become the next mayor of St. Petersburg.

Today, Angelo Cappelli faces serious jail time.

Cappelli, a wealth and investment advisor for SunTrust bank, was arrested Wednesday at his attorney's office and charged with grand theft and perjury for allegedly stealing more than $100,000 from the trust of a deceased client. Authorities say he returned the funds, and a police spokesman reported that Cappelli was "emotional" and that he made a "complete confession" to the crimes.

The late client, Mario Granata, passed away in February and had no spouse or children. His assets at the time of death were allocated to be left to the Pinellas County Community Foundation. So not only did Cappelli allegedly steal from a dead person, he stole from a charity.

Yesterday's Lakeland Ledger had an editorial entitled Tallahassee As a Holding Cell, noting the two state legislators who are or have experienced legal trouble, State Representative Bob Allen (R - Merritt Island) for offering to perform oral sex on who turned out to be an undercover police officer in a park restroom, and State Senator Gary Siplin (D - Orlando), who was convicted last year for grand theft. On a side note, what I want to know is...Why the hell is a convicted felow still allow to serve in the Florida Legislature???

It's getting to where, in the words of former Arkansas governor and GOP presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee, "the five most feared words for a...politician were 'Will the defendant please rise?'".

2007-08-15T19:48:00.000-04:00

LOCAL LEGISLATOR RETURNS TO POSITION OF INFLUENCE...SORT OF

Earlier this year, Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio (R - Coral Gables) punished Lakeland Republican Representative Dennis Ross by stripping him of his influential chairmanship of the Safety and Security Council after he bucked the majority GOP leadership on a vote dealing with property insurance reform. Ross was demoted to vice-chairmanship of the panel.

Today, he regains at least a small bit of his former influence.

Rubio today names the Lakeland attorney as chairman of the Courts Committee as one of a number of council and committee assignments made for the 2007-08 year. He replaces Representative Mark Mahon (R - Jacksonville), who was recently appointed by Governor Charlie Crist to become a Circuit Judge effective September 1. Ross retains the vice-chairmanship of the Safety and Security Council, under whose jurisdiction the Courts Committee falls.

The moves were due to the fact that under House rules, all such appointments made by the Speaker expired August 1.

Small steps toward redemption, I guess. Probably had to promiss to tow the line from now on...

2007-08-15T17:42:00.000-04:00

PLENTY OF PRESIDENTIAL WANNABEE NEWS ACROSS FLORIDA TODAY

Sorry we missed out on a couple of events that occured today which apparantly we didn't find out about until it was too late.

In Winter Park, the presidential campaign of former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani opened it's Florida headquarters today. Leading the celebration was the candidate's national campaign manager, Mike DuHaime, who touted the importance of Florida to the St. Petersburg Times political blog The Buzz:

"Clearly it is among the first four states, it's where we're the strongest and it's the closest to Feb. 5 where you could have potentially 20 states (voting).'

Buzz writer and Times political editor Adam C. Smith also reports that only a few miles away from the Giuliani HQ opening, Republican presidential rival Mitt Romney was holding one of his occasional "Ask Mitt Anything" events. He also has a privite fundraising event planned this evening in Orlando.

And on top of that, Republican Party of Florida communications director Jeff Sadosky is stepping aside to fill a similar post for the Sunshine State team of actor and former U.S. Senator Fred Thompson's exploratory committee.

2007-08-14T19:38:00.000-04:00

IN CASE YOU HAVEN'T HEARD...OR CARED...THERE'S ONE LESS PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE

Former Wisconsin governor Tommy Thompson officially ended his Republican presidential campaign Sunday after finishing a distant sixth in the Ames, Iowa straw poll. He had said that it would take a first or second place finish in the event Saturday for him to remain as a candidate.

He was generally an unknown entity to most people, focusing his campaign on improving health care and welfare in America. Thompson said he would return to the private sector and do some non-profit work.

One thing Thompson can say about his finish in the Ames straw poll: He still came out ahead of John McCain.