Peter Schorsch - page 460

The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office says roughly $7,000 is missing from an account established for the family of a man who was fatally shot during an argument inside a movie theater. The Tampa Tribune reports investigators are following leads after being alerted by an attorney for the family of 43-year-old Chad Oulson, who was shot Jan 13 during previews for “Lone Survivor.” Retired Tampa police Capt. Curtis Reeves is accused of shooting Oulson. He was released on $150,000 bail in…

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Following up on a post from earlier today about a Tampa Bay Times prize-chaser regarding Republican Party fundraising at King Ranch, I asked Brian Hughes, spokesman to Rep. Steve Crisafulli, if the two sentences the Times bothered to include in its original story was all the Speaker Designate had to say on the matter. Actually, it was not. Hughes sent to me Crisafulli’s five-paragraph statement, which is a meat-and-potatoes explanation of the Speaker D’s fundraising activities. To anyone even remotely familiar with…

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A morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics. Today’s Rise and Shine Fact-iversary is brought to you by Sachs Media Group, the state’s dominant public affairs PR firm: Construction of Florida’s Capitol Building was declared completed on this day in 1977, six months before its official dedication by Governor Reubin Askew. The gleaming building, which has 22 stories above ground and three below, was built for $43 million – practically pocket change by today’s standards. Funding for the high-rise structure was…

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If Congress wants exercise, they can go jogging, says U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy. As a staunch critic of questionable benefits that come with elected office, Murphy launched “Jogging,” the second television in his re-election bid for Florida’s 18th Congressional District. The 30-second spot follows Murphy’s recently announced $1.4 million ad reservation, backed by a significant network and cable TV buy in the West Palm Beach-Treasure Coast market. “Jogging” has Murphy discussing his battle against perks since arriving in Washington D.C.…

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“So in war, the way is to avoid what is strong, and strike at what is weak.” – Sun Tzu It’s not clear which part of “Art of War” the Charlie Crist campaign is taking a page from, but its  latest campaign ad is based on a Rovian strategy so bizarre, it’s doubtful Tzu would recognize it. Attacking Scott by emphasizing a point where it is weak, the Crist campaign is responding to a broadside from Rick Scott’s camp by…

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Three Florida House incumbents get thumbs up from the Florida Medical Association PAC, which announced endorsements Monday in the re-election efforts of state Reps. Jeanette Nuñez, Joe Saunders and Charles McBurney. Nuñez is the Miami Republican facing Democrat Milagro Ruiz for the House District 119 seat, covering parts of Miami-Dade County. Saunders, an Orlando Democrat, faces the winner of the Aug. 26 primary – either Rene Plasencia or Ed Rodriguez — in his re-election bid for Florida House District 49,…

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Your time is too valuable for me to waste it repeating why the Tampa Bay Times stories about Republican fundraising at King Ranch are overhyped prize-chasers. Reporters Craig Pittman and Michael Van Sickler are making the otherwise ordinary — political fundraising financed by a “special interest” — read like the scandal of the summer.  It’s not enough to say that no laws have been broken — that’s not a good enough standard for our elected officials — it’s that no one can…

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