The Political Whore

New name for this post each day, and a new feature: I’m going to update the day’s best and breaking political stories in Tampa Bay and beyond throughout the weekday. So check back with Daily Roundup 2, 3, even 118 times a day for new headlines. It’s not like you’re doing anything else at work or flying around the state in a private plane:

last updated: 12:10 p.m.

• Crist needs $672 million to plug budget hole.
• It’s a woman for McCain.
• And the supply-siders like her.
• Remember Rielle Hunter? John Edwards’ mistress? Former University of Tampa student? Turns out that she grew up in South Florida with a dad just as, umm, colorful as she is.
•  Has there ever been a TV camera that Gov. Charlie didn’t find a way to get in front of?
• State Rep. Luis Garcia in Denver: “Howard Dean must go.”
• Progress Energy plans 300 layoffs.
• Tampa Democrat Ana Cruz becomes part of Jamie Foxx’s entourage. Yeah, that’s how she rolls.
• Pushing Rope live blogs the speech last night.
• Sen. J.D. Alexander: Keep growing sugar on US Sugar property.
• Blast from the Past: Bartlett Park leader at the 1984 DNC.
• Olbermann rips AP’s review of Obama’s speech.

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In advance of the reviews of tonight’s acceptance speech, here are the reviews of Barack Obama’s 2004 convention speech:

•  An ABC News reporter is arrested trying to take pictures of the fat-cats in Denver.
• Just another sign of how effed-up this state is.
• Oh, and we’re broke, to boot.
• Developers oust two Sarasota Manatee County commissioners.
• He’s getting grumpy again.
• Another journalism innovation: news to the highest bidder.
• Gainesville and Ocala dailies merge operations.
• 15,000 scribes in Denver; half aren’t doing much.

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“Ladies and Gentlemen, we take pride in presenting a thoughtful address by Mr. Ronald Reagan:”

• Notice how at the 2-minute mark of the address Reagan alludes to evolution as a given?
• Fox aired just 2 minutes of Warner’s keynote speech; about 1 minute more than its viewers wanted.
•  Did the evil Don Young just barely hold onto his US Senate seat from Alaska?
• Chuck Todd tells it like it is re: Charlie Crist.
• Only one real reporter in the bunch.
• F U, AP.
• Turns out that an Orlando deputy was screwing the mother with the missing baby.
• It’s the one-year anniversary of Gonzo hitting the bricks.
• Any chance Clinton starts his speech tonight with the words, “Fuck all y’all”?

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Our fave former Times critic-Ronda Storms’ mockin’-coffee shop owner-former Weekly Planet contributor Gina Vivinetto takes the Newseum to task after a visit in which she found very little evidence of the alternative press. Here’s a sample:

The alternative weekly [industry] was summed up behind a glass display with exactly one cover of the Village Voice and a paragraph saying alt-weeklies were born in the turbulent 1960s to cover news outside of the mainstream press.

That’s it! It made me sad for the men and women who made their live’s work at alt-weeklies. Apparently, you weren’t really in the business of news distribution. Oops!

Damn. I feel so, well, useless now.

Of course, I am leaving aside the issue of just who in their right mind would even go to a museum devoted to the dying industry of the news.

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Breaking new ground for campaign tomfuckery, Team McCain impresses with its genuine concern for the plight of Democrat Hillary Clinton:

• The big Obama assassination plot unravels.
• Nobody gives a shit about the election today in Orlando.
• Nobody gives a shit about the election today in Sarasota.
• Vote today or else.
• Crazy liberal writer Cockburn: Barr’s my man!
• The cables are blowing the convention coverage.
• Pouring Gasolina on the campaign fire.
• Fla. Chamber: McCain 42 percent, Obama 39 percent in FLA
• Who better to pimp Michael Moore’s new, opportunistic election guide book than … Michael Moore!

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Any chance that one of the 24-hour cable news weasels will get sucker-punched in the gut at this year’s Democratic National Convention?:

•  Our next storm?
• Sinfonian blogs from Denver.
• A sneak peek at Pelosi’s Denver speech; for the strong of stomach only.
• The swift-boating of Obama begins … literally.
• Special Interests fete Florida Dems in Denver.
• Florida Dem delegation gets lousy hotel rooms in Denver … waaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!
• Embedded in the Polk County GOP e-mail loop.
• Inside the GOP War Room in Denver.
• Johnnie Byrd’s blog is quoting Jay-Z (if misspelling his name).
• An interview with Hooters co-founder and GOP fundraiser Ed Droste.
• Channelside’s tenants hate each other … waaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!

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The text message went out at 3:26 a.m. “Barack has chosen Senator Joe Biden to be our VP nominee. Watch the first Obama-Biden rally live at 3 p.m. Eastern on www.barackobama.com. Spread the word.”

We’ll have much more on the Democratic ticket on Monday.

As for that text message, the Obama campaign blew a prime opportunity. By sending the message at 3:26 a.m., they gauranteed that the recipients would almost all be asleep. Had they sent it on Friday, say right before lunch on the east coast, they would have caused a ruckus throughout offices across the country. My guess is that was the original plan, but the campaign didn’t want to knock John “I don’t know how many houses I own” McCain from the headlines.

(more…)

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Missing your fix of Joe Bardi each morning? PoHo misses it, too, like a phantom limb. “Short List” has moved over to our new news blog, Daily Loaf.

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Dubya reportedly has no plans to watch W., but after seeing this trailer for the new Oliver Stone film, you gotta wonder if anybody will have plans to watch this flick:

• Obama drops veep hints to Time; the conclusion? He will pick somebody.
• Missing White House e-mails still … missing.
• Click-through Journalism.
• Nader wants into the debates; no, that is not an 8-year-old headline.
• Orlando GOP evangelical rethinks accepting DNC invocation invitation.
• Pumpkins show was great; Pumpkins show was annoying.
• South Florida candidate drops out: “”I can’t do the backstabbing shit they do.”
• Florida goes (more) whacko: record number of perfect scores for legislators on Christian Coalition report card.
• Partying with Rachel Burgin.
• Worth the click just for the shot of the latex-clad nun.

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Tampa Tribune City Hall reporter Ellen Gedalius is leaving 200 S Parker for the warm and comfy confines of politics. Ironically, she replaces Agustina Guerrero, who left for PricewaterhouseCoopers, the destination for nearly a dozen other Trib scribes.

Here’s the Castor news release:

U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL) announced today that Tampa Tribune journalist Ellen Gedalius will serve as Castor’s new Press Secretary effective September 8, 2008.

Gedalius has a familiar byline to Tampa Bay area residents as a primary reporter on Tampa City Hall, the Hillsborough County Commission and government for The Tampa Tribune since February 2002. Gedalius also served as the Tribune’s South Tampa bureau education reporter and covered the Florida Legislature and politics, including the 2004 Florida U.S. Senate race. Her primary assignment since April 2005 has been Tampa City Hall. “Ellen Gedalius is a talented writer and communicator. Her work ethic, experience and knowledge of the Tampa Bay area will serve the community well as we advocate for a change in the direction of the country, high quality affordable health care and access to education,” noted Castor.

Before joining the Tribune, Gedalius was the county government reporter for The Courier News in Bridgewater, N.J. She has graduate and undergraduate degrees from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism with a minor in Spanish.

Castor’s former press secretary, Agustina Guerrero, joined the accounting firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers in Tampa as a Communications Senior Associate. Guerrero’s hard work, creativity and zeal for public service helped get Castor off to a strong start from her first day in Congress. “Agustina Guerrero is a true professional,” said Castor. “Her communication skills helped bring hope to our neighbors by communicating the efforts and accomplishments of the New Direction Congress and tackling the many challenges that face families today.”

Before joining Castor’s staff, Guerrero, was a reporter in her native Argentina, in Chicago, New York and with the Tampa Bay Business Journal. Guerrero also hosted programs on Bay News 9 En Espanol.

Ellen Gedalius, like her predecessor, will be based in the Tampa Bay District Office. She will begin working with Castor on September 8.

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