Here’s my favorite all-time description of Stone, from Jeffrey Toobin in The New Yorker earlier this year:

While the Republican Party usually claims Ronald Reagan as its inspiration, Stone represents the less discussed but still vigorous legacy of Richard Nixon, whose politics reflected a curious admixture of anti-Communism, social moderation, and tactical thuggery. Stone believes that Nixonian hardball, more than sunny Reaganism, is John McCain’s only hope for the Presidency.

Now, The Daily Beast’s Bejamin Sarlin has an interview with Stone in which the GOP operative says he is sorry for his role in pushing FLA over to the W column:

“There have been many times I’ve regretted it,” Stone told me over pizza at Grand Central Station. “When I look at those double-page New York Times spreads of all the individual pictures of people who have been killed [in Iraq], I got to think, ‘Maybe there wouldn’t have been a war if I hadn’t gone to Miami-Dade. Maybe there hadn’t have been, in my view, an unjustified war if Bush hadn’t become president.’ It’s very disturbing to me.”

Stone voted for Bush in 2004 as well (“John Kerry was an elitist buffoon”) but he pulled no punches in his assessment of the last eight years. Stone’s own political philosophy is libertarian, and he says it conflicts with Bush’s penchant for expanded executive power.

“I think across the board he’s led the party to its current position, which means losing both houses of congress and now the White House,” Stone said. “How can you be conservative and justify wiretapping people without a warrant? We’re supposed to be the party of personal freedom and civil liberties. Big brother listening in on your phone calls—I got a problem with that.”

Ya think, Roger?

Bookmark It

• Attorney General Michael Mukasey collapses while on stage in D.C.
• The stock market collapses in late-day trading in New York.
• How you feel about telecom immunity now, Barack?
• Hillary announcement after Thanksgiving?
• I hope you already sold your Citibank stock.
• Hal Steinbrenner takes control.
• Surprised by the NFL season? You’re not the only one.
• The New York Times doesn’t like Chinese Democracy as much as Rolling Stone does.
• … but its release will get you a free Dr. Pepper!
• Fred Thompson is going back to a job with unlimited power, willing young girls, and all the money you want. (No, he’s not going back to the US Senate)
• “Taxes are anathema.”
• The answer to this question is: No.
• I’m surprised to not find Irwin Mainway’s “Bag o’ glass” on this list.
• RIP Ybor City the nightclub district.
• The time has come to forge a real “liberal media.”

Bookmark It

Young likes to spend much of his money with well-known local consultants. Rocky Pennington’s Direct Mail Systems was paid $102,000 for printing, design and mailing services; Jack Hebert’s Mallard Group got $13,000 for brochures and online work.

More than just consultants did OK by Young. The Tampa Bay Rays got $7,500 for a luxury box rental for a fundraiser. The Hilton Carillon Hotel was paid $40,000 for a fund-raising event. The Pinellas County Republican Party got a solid $10K donation from the congressman. And Clear Channel Outdoor, a billboard company, was paid $42,000 so that Young’s message could beam down from on high into cars traveling the highways of the district.

Democratic challenger Bob Hackworth had less money to dole out, just $148,000. Alabama-based pollster Anzalone Liszt Reserach got $17,500. St. Petersburg Democratic general consultant Gregory Wilson’s Politicus/Parsons-Wilson was paid nearly $30,000 for consulting, printing and a variety of other campaign services. La.-based consultant Steve Verzwyvelt, Jr. was paid $17,500 to manage the race.

Bookmark It

He got that job, in addition to being speaker, cuz (as the Palm Beach Post reported)

Sansom helped push through a bill to give the school its state college desgination this year, according to the Northwest Florida Daily Herald. He attended the school when it was known as Okaloosa-Walton Junior College.

Today we learn that Sansom, a Republican from Destin (near where the GOP legislators are having a posh getaway this week) did even more for his alma mater:

House Speaker Ray Sansom got $200,000 into the current fiscal year budget to help Northwest Florida State College, his new employer, build a “leadership institute.”

In an interview today, Sansom confirmed his involvement in the appropriation, which caused a behind-the-scenes stir with the Rubio administration since it was not discovered until late in the process.

Of course, that had noooooooothing to do with his getting the gig:

But Sansom said his involvement ended there. “None of that has anything to do with me or how I’m paid,” he told The Buzz.

Bookmark It

Check it out here.

Bookmark It

Here’s the worst kept secret in politics: Presidential campaigning never ends. For periods of time it becomes quieter–a little subtler–but it never stops. Every morning 100 senators, 50 governors, quite a few grandees in the House of Representatives, and an assortment of corporate titans all hear their Rice Krispies shouting “2012!” “FORM A PRESIDENTIAL EXPLORATORY COMMITTEE!” and “RUN … YOU’RE THE ONE!”

Democrats will shush Snap, Crackle, and Pop, pleading with them to instead say, “2016!” Republicans on the other hand, will pour another bowl, and ask the three sirens of Battle Creek, Michigan, to repeat what they just said.

Of course, Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee are already doing battle for the hearts and minds of the social conservatives for 2012. (Kee-rist, you can’t even turn on the TV without seeing Mitt comment on the auto bailout or anything he is asked.) And Sarah Palin, La. Gov. Bobby Jindal, and Tim Pawlenty from the 2008 Veep race are mentioned, of course. Newcomers to the GOP list include Miss. Gov. Haley Barbour and SC Gov. Mark Sanford. Bubbling under is Cong. Eric Cantor, a darling of the right. Others: Former Md. Lt. Gov. Michael Steele (also seeking the RNC chair), New Jersey’s Chris Christie, and Va.’s Bob McDonnell.

Not a very inspiring list, huh Republicans? Where’s the great white hope that will lead the GOP out of the woods and back into the hearts of centrist voters?

Bookmark It

• Who will Bush pardon before he leaves office? Scooter?
• Tampa Bay lawmaker Wil Weatherford in line for Florida House speakership in 2012.
• Adultery hookup site Ashley Madison looking to buy TV time locally.
• FLA says, gimme some sugar!
• Charlie to students: cough it up!
• Talking budget cuts, while living it up at a Panhandle resort. That’s the GOP in Florida for ya.
• Iran blocks millions of Internet sites from its citizens.
• We’re not missing this for all the egg nog in Publix.

Bookmark It

I’ll start with a look at the Tampa Bay U.S. congressional races, and our beginning point is the District 9 race between incumbent Republican Gus BIlirakis and Democratic challenger Bill Mitchell.

BIlirakis raised $1.3 million and spent $922,000, according to FEC campaign finance reports filed through mid-October, the latest available.

Media consultant Stevens Reed Curcio & Potholm of Alexandria, Va., (the same folks who brought us those the Vern Buchanan TV ads) did Bilirakis’ television production and buying, at a total tab of nearly $172,000. EM Campaigns, Randy Enwright’s national consulting firm in Tallahassee that has strong connections into both the state GOP and Jeb!, was paid $16,000. (Enwright was political director of Fred Thompson’s slow-motion train-wreck of a presidential effort.) The The Catalyst Group RW, LLC, out of D.C. was paid $10,000 for fund raising and fundraising events.

On the direct mail side, the work went to Ponte Vedra Beach over near Jacksonville, with Sam Van Voorhis’ Majority Strategies getting $42,000 in fees and printing costs. (For those with long or conspiratorial memories, Voorhis was caught up in an investigation into kickbacks in Ohio politics, but the Department of Justice dropped the probe and no charges were filed. Some have suggested that the probe was dropped as part of partisan meddling in the Alberto Gonzalez DOJ.)

Pollster The Tarrance Group made $10,000.

Locally, Mark Proctor’s MPA Consulting out of Brandon was paid $4,000 ($1,000 a month). Sunrise Consulting of Trinity in Pasco County got $33,000 for consulting and direct mail.

Over on the Democratic side, Mitchell’s top paydays went to D.C.-based media consultant Laguens Kully Klose Partners ($14,000), pollster Momentum Analysis $22,500, Fairfax, Va.-based Media Strategies for TV advertising ($75,800), and direct mail firm The Strategy Group ($43,000).

Mitchell raised $146,000 and spent $249,000, leaving a $100,000 debt, according to FEC records.

Bookmark It

The board of directors of the Nathan B Stubblefield Foundation is
pleased to announce that Jim Bennett, formerly of KPFA, Berkeley,
California, is the new station manager of WMNF Community Radio 88.5 fm
in Tampa, FL.

Jim brings a wealth of Public and Community Radio experience and we
expect that he will be a vital addition to the Tampa Bay cultural
landscape.

WMNF is an independent grassroots media organization that entertains,
educates and unites the community around our shared values.

Here’s more info on Bennett. He replaces longtime station director Vicki Santa, who resigned in June, citing her health.

Bookmark It

These are horrible, scary times in most newsrooms, with recurring rumors of cutbacks and open speculation about the future of the business and journalism. Newsroom morale, chronically bad in most places, is even worse these days–if that’s possible. Fear and loathing is at a record pitch.

So there’s no excuse for management to add insult to injury by humiliating staff members. Nonetheless, there are a couple of ugly examples today of exactly that happening:

• At the Newark Star-Ledger, two newsroom veterans have been reassigned to the mailroom.
• At the Longmont, Col., Times-Call, staffers have been invited to work as parking valets at the publisher’s holiday party–albeit at full pay. How generous.

And this is on the heels of the Raleigh News & Observer’s silly two-slice limit on election night pizza. (Yeah, it was called off. But the morale-killing damage was already done.)

A two-piece limit on pizza?!? How bad can things get? Stay tuned.

Bookmark It