News & Public Affairs

Pat Kemp and Deborah Cox-Rousch at Tiger Bay listen

01/16/09 Seán Kinane
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Tags: Politics, Deborah Cox-Rousch, Pat Kemp

The newly elected Republican and Democratic Party chairs for Hillsborough County faced off this afternoon in front of the Tiger Bay Club of Tampa.

Deborah Cox-Rousch is the new Republican Party chair and Pat Kemp is her Democratic counterpart.

Deborah Cox-Rousch owns a catering business and told the Tiger Bay audience that there was a simple reason why she decided to run for Republican chair.

“The one thing that really changed my mind was on Fox News ...

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ACLU lays out its legislative goals for 2009 listen

01/13/09 Mitch E. Perry
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Tags: ACLU, politics, legislative agenda

As the 111th Congress begins its work this week, the ACLU today listed its legislative goals on a nationwide conference call this morning.

Yesterday, Barack Obama's transition team announced plans to close the prison detainee camp at Guatanamo Bay immediately, though what they will do with those prisoners still housed there is unknown.

Caroline Frederickson, director of the ACLU’s Washington Legislative Office, said that is one of their goals as well. On a nationwide conference call, s...

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Ayres visit to FSU campus stirs controversy listen

01/12/09 Mitch E. Perry

Tags: Bill Ayres, education, politics

Bill Ayers, the 1960s anti-Vietnam War activist, is scheduled to speak tonight at Florida State University, but his appearance is creating controversy.

State Rep. David Rivera, vice chairman of the Education Appropriations Committee, has condemned the invitation to Ayers, calling it "a disgrace." And members with the student organization College Republicans plan to protest.

Ayers is being paid $5,000 for the speech, which will be strictly about education reform, though he will take ques...

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Nelson proposes amendment to abolish Electoral College listen

01/08/09 Seán Kinane
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Tags: 2008 election, politics, Barack Obama, Bill Nelson, electoral college

Members of Congress today formally read off the Electoral College votes from each state and officially declared Barack Obama the 44th president of the United States.

The outcome was 365 votes for Obama and 173 for John McCain.

Later, Florida’s senior senator, Democrat Bill Nelson proposed a constitutional amendment to abolish the Electoral College and elect the president by a simple popular vote. “That’s going to be a lengthy process.”

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Local Democrat files second ethics charge against Sansom listen

01/07/09 Mitch E. Perry
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Tags: Politics, Ray Sansom, Northwest Florida State College

The St. Petersburg Times is reporting tonight that North Florida State Attorney Willie Meggs says he will turn over complaints he has received about House Speaker Ray Samson to a Leon County Grand Jury later this month.

Also today, a second ethics complaint has been filed against House Speaker Ray Sansom, and again it’s somebody from the Tampa Bay area. Hillsborough County Democratic Party activist Susan Smith filed the complaint.

On Monday, Sanson resigned from his controversial new ...

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Jeb Bush will not run for U.S. Senate in 2010 listen

01/06/09 Mitch E. Perry
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Tags: Politics, Jeb Bush, Senate

Democrats and Republicans throughout Florida who fantasize about becoming a U.S. senator will now seriously contemplate a run after Jeb Bush announced today that he will not run for Senate in 2010 to replace the retiring Mel Martinez.

Bush made the announcement today, saying "now is not the right time to return to elected office."

After the former governor said he was considering running for the seat last month, most political analysts said the seat was his for the taking, despite criti...

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Politifact.com starts checking Obama's campaign promises

01/01/09 Robert Lorei
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Tags: Politics, Truth-o-meter; Barack Obama campaign promises

Good afternoon, welcome to WMNF’s Radioactivity. I’m Rob Lorei. Coming up an interview with one of the Politifact reporters from the St. Petersburg Times.

But first a lot of comments about the aims of President Barack Obama after his first day in office. Keep in mind as you listen to this long section of comments that some people who call use humor and sarcasm.

PolitiFact.com is a project of the St. Petersburg Times that helps determine what’s true, par...

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The case for big government - Part 2 listen

12/23/08 Mitch Perry
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Tags: Economy, politics

Big Government is back and it is not only effective, but necessary. That’s the premise of a new book by renowned economist and former New York Times columnist Jeff Madrick. His new book is called The Case for Big Government.

WMNF spoke with Madrick and began the second half of his interview by asking if the "Republican Revolution" of the 1980s is the cause of so many Americans accepting the fact that they will not be able to rise in socioeconomic status.

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Franklin Sands on Florida's budget woes listen

12/19/08 Mitch E. Perry
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Tags: Politics, Florida Legislature, Franklin Sands, Jeff Atwater

According to a draft document approved by Gov. Charlie Crist, Florida legislators can cope with a $2.3 billion budget deficit by slight cuts in virtually all government spending, nearly emptying savings accounts and approving a gambling agreement with the Seminole Tribe of Florida.

But as the Miami Herald reports, that document omits anything about raising taxes. Other Republicans aren’t sounding so rigid about touching a third rail of Florida politics.

Senate President Jeff Atwater ...

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Hillsborough Commissioners lambast outgoing elections supervisor listen

12/17/08 Mitch E. Perry
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Tags: Hillsborough County Commission, politics, 2008 election

After Democrat Phyllis Busansky defeated Republican Buddy Johnson for Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections office last month, it was thought that the many controversies that occurred under Johnson were now a thing of the past.

Not exactly.

A representative from Johnson’s office came before the County Commission today to request $2.3 million to cover "unanticipated expenses" for last month’s election.

The fact that Johnson did not attend did not endear him to the board.

Kath...

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