Building: That big stadium with red seats on Dale Mabry where they play football
Corporate sponsorship name: Raymond James Stadium
Old-school handle: Tampa Stadium. OK, technically it’s always been Raymond James Stadium, but it was built next door to, and replaced, Tampa Stadium.
Reason to switch back: It’s The Great Recession folks, and you want some investment bankers slapping their logo feces all over the local altar to the biggest sport in America? (On a personal note: I think Raymond James had a hand in the Loaf 401(k) program last year. Fell free to label me bitter in the comments.) Tampa Stadium is an excellent name, a simple-but-solid description of the place the moniker represents. Tampa Stadium sounds tough. Not to many players want to travel to Tampa Stadium, a blistering sand pit where opposing teams get the life suffocated out of them. Raymond James Stadium, on the other hand, is the type of place that sees cash from the hometown squad’s retirement account vanish quarterly for as long as they’re in the league.

Cross-posted from The Daily Loaf. To read the rest, go to Take back our stadium names: No more St. Pete Times Forum, Raymond James Stadium or Tropicana Field.

Since my election in 1980, as part of the Reagan Big Tent, the Republican Party has moved far to the right. Last year, more than 200,000 Republicans in Pennsylvania changed their registration to become Democrats. I now find my political philosophy more in line with Democrats than Republicans.

When I supported the stimulus package, I knew that it would not be popular with the Republican Party. But, I saw the stimulus as necessary to lessen the risk of a far more serious recession than we are now experiencing.

Since then, I have traveled the State, talked to Republican leaders and office-holders and my supporters and I have carefully examined public opinion. It has become clear to me that the stimulus vote caused a schism which makes our differences irreconcilable. On this state of the record, I am unwilling to have my twenty-nine year Senate record judged by the Pennsylvania Republican primary electorate. I have not represented the Republican Party. I have represented the people of Pennsylvania.

I have decided to run for re-election in 2010 in the Democratic primary.

This announcement, plus the addition of Sen. Al Franken will give the Democrats a fillibuster-proof 60-seat majority in the Senate. Of course, Specter addresses this point as well:

My change in party affiliation does not mean that I will be a party-line voter any more for the Democrats that I have been for the Republicans. Unlike Senator Jeffords’ switch which changed party control, I will not be an automatic 60th vote for cloture. For example, my position on Employees Free Choice (Card Check) will not change.

Which makes you wonder, what’s the point Arlen? You’re leaving the Republican party because you have no hope of re-election there, only to join the Democrats with the announcement that you won’t be much help or get in line on major Dem initiatives like the Employee Fair Choice Act? Why not just go Independent like Lieberman did? In any event, expect major fallout throughout the day on conservative talk radio and Fox News.

“We are America! I don’t give a rats ass if it helps! We do not fucking torture!”

Can you really blame Shep for losing his cool? He’s surrounded by sycophants and morons of the worst kind. (Hello, Hannity!) I couldn’t take the studio tour at Fox News without losing my cool and getting Tazered by security.

On a side note, the banging on the desk was a nice touch. Video after the break …

By Joe Bardi and Wayne Garcia

The top editors knew on Friday, but the rest of the staff weren’t clued until earlier today. By 3 p.m., however, the newsroom at the St. Petersburg Times was filled with reporters and editors awaiting the formal announcement of the news: the Times had picked up two Pulitzer Prizes.

It is a gigantic coup and shot in the arm for Florida’s largest daily. Although the paper has won the award in the past (most recently for Jeff Good’s editorials in 1995 and Tom French’s feature writing in 1998), winning two in one year was unprecedented for it. The two awards: one for national coverage for its Politifact.com fact-checking website and the other for feature writing for Lane DeGregory’s “The Girl in the Window.”

They are the seventh and eights Pulitzers for the Times. (Here’s a full list of them.)

The Times John Barry was also a finalist for the feature writing award. And former prominent Times reporter David Barstow, now a staple at The New York Times, won a Pulitzer for his work exposing how former generals and other military leaders pimp themselves out as TV and media “experts” while still getting talking points from the DOD.

The newsroom celebrated with champagne and cake. We congratulate the Times on a job well done. After all, one Pulitzer is golden, but two in one day? Incredible!

Here is the Times‘ own Eric Deggans’ coverage. And for the full disclosuristas among us, let’s put on the record that Times‘ CEO, president, top editor etc. Paul Tash is a member of the Pulitzer Board, although no board member is allowed to judge their own newspaper’s work.

For a complete list of this year’s Pulitzer Prize winners, go here.

UPDATE: Fund-raising numbers for all the candidates appeared toay. As Mr. Schorsch points out in the comments, it’s not fair or balanced of me not to include the others in this post. So, after the jump you’ll now find Wagman’s press release and a rundown of all the candidates finances …

The following paragraph will appear in next week’s print edition of Creative Loafing in The Week That Was column:

Money in the bank: St. Pete’s mayoral candidates reported their first quarter fund-raising numbers last week. Per the St. Pete Times, the big winner was Deveron Gibbons, who raised $117,000 from January to March. Scott Wagman issued a press release reporting donations of $74,097.25, with 90% of the contributions coming from locals, though the Times points out he loaned himself $20,000 of that haul. Jamie Bennett’s website reports the candidate managed $30,918.47 “in cash and in-kind contributions.” Bill Foster had yet to report at press time, but he told the Times his first quarter report will show he raised between $23,000 and $24,000. Rounding out the field, Kathleen Ford reported $9,325 in donations plus another $3,242 in in-kind contributions (she blames her late entry into the race), Sharon Russ reported no activity and Paul Congemi loaned his campaign $10.

And now, the Wagman press release:

ST. PETERSBURG: Mayoral candidate Scott Wagman released his first-quarter fundraising report today with great pride and optimism about his candidacy.

“In these tough economic times, being able to receive this kind of financial support at this early stage is very encouraging,” said first-time candidate Scott Wagman. “As I have traveled the city on my ‘mission to listen’ I have heard a resounding call for change and action. Our city and its residents are hungry for strong new leadership and these early results are a great indication that our message and my candidacy are resonating with voters,” stated Wagman.

For the first financial quarter the Scott Wagman campaign will report revenue of $74,097.25 with $54,097.25 donated by 204 contributors. Of these early supporters an impressive 90% are local residents.

“In just three months we have seen our candidate go from virtually no name recognition to becoming a serious contender to be elected the next mayor of St. Petersburg,” said campaign co-manager Mitch Kates. “Think about it: In three months Scott Wagman has been able to put together a fully functioning political organization from the ground up, blow away the field with our online communication platforms, and complete door-to-door field efforts by volunteers in over 40 city precincts. All in all, we are very confident in our ability to win in November,” stated Kates.

For more information about Scott Wagman and his campaign, go to his website at www.scottwagman.com <http://www.scottwagman.com>  or follow us on Facebook and Twitter for-up-to-date information.

I’m confused. Was Joe ever in the military? I find no record of his service, yet he’s such a booster that he feels shooting congresspeople is OK if they dis the troops. (And let’s be honest: Can you name ANY elected official who has been stupid enough to say something derogatory about the military and remained in office? Yeah, me neither.)

And another question for Joe: If you’re so gung-ho for America’s armed forces, why not join up and do some good? I hear we’re going to send another 17,000 husbands/wives/sons/daughters to Afghanistan in the coming months. Perhaps you’d like to enlist and join our fighting men and women on the front lines? It’s put up or shut up time, Joe. Enlist. Or, if you choose not to, please seek counseling. There’s clearly some violence in you that needs to be addressed.

• Now the car companies want $34 billion!
• Verizon’s service is so bad it gets fined millions by the state.
• Tampa City Council OK’s 25-year Tampa Electric deal without renewable energy or anti-coal provisions.
• If India bombs Pakistan, this might be the target.
• Deeson: Top Hillsborough fire brass get paramedic pay bonus even if they don’t work as paramedics.
• Controversial Ed Helm edged out for Democratic State Committeeman in Pinellas.
• Controversial St. Pete middle school principal suspended with pay during internal investigation.
• Wanna buy a money-losing daily newspaper with a great view?
• Ahhh, it’s the first sighting of a “Grinch” headline in the MSM for the holiday season. Won’t be the last.
• Tampa Tribune releases news that has no news.
• “Hello, this is Barack Obama.” Click.
• November was terrible for retailers. Can December be much better?
• Facebook Connect just might change the world (wide web).
• This Christmas, support a worthwhile cause by helping Stephen Colbert humble Kanye West.
• R.I.P. Knight Rider.

• Blame for the Mumbai terror attacks creeps closer to Pakistan.
• Speaking of Mumbai terrorists: Them boys was on some drugs!
• And now the new Secretary of Commerce.
• Will voters ever like Bush again?
• Obama breaks a campaign promise.
• Mortgage rates to hit 4.5%?
• Hot high-school trend: Self-embedding.
• The Bucs bounce Charlie Brown from ABC.

• Republican Saxby Chambliss wins in Georgia’s Senate runoff.
• Jeb Bush for Senate?
• The Big Three return to Washington for another round of begging.
• The new Secretary of State might not even be eligible for the office.
• Pinellas Hope’s plan for wood shelters for the homeless hits a permit snag.
• Plaxico Burress suspended for the season by the NY Giants.
• Wallace/Howard.
• Jet lag is so 20th century.

• Obama unveils team of Superfriends to fight crime around the globe.
• First up for the Superfriends …
• Politico: Alex Sink won’t run against Sen. Martinez.
• …but Martinez is vulnerable.
• Pat Kemp wins Hillsborough Democrat chief’s job.
• Crist’s plan to suspend foreclosures through the holidays hits Time magazine.
• Breaking news! Breaking news! We’ve been in a recession since December 2007.
• The stock market takes a shit.
• The Pentagon plans 20,000 troops stationed in the U.S. by 2011.
• And the new host of Meet the Press is …
• The stars aligned. Did you miss it?