By Yaël Ossowski | Florida Watchdog TAMPA — Delegates from 56 U.S. states and territories have come to the Republican National Convention here to represent the desires of millions of GOP voters who participated in presidential primaries in 2012. But party activists, delegates and influential observers allege the national party is using rule changes and sleight of hand […]
FL: RNC power brokers work to shut out insurgent candidacies
By Yaël Ossowski | Florida Watchdog TAMPA — Billed as a national gathering of passionate Republicans unified to support their nominee for president and vice president, Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan, the Republican National Convention has, of late, shed that image, playing host to a high-stakes rules battle that could change the future of the party itself. The central […]
FL: As rain douses protests, cops keep strong grip on Tampa
By Yaël Ossowski | Florida Watchdog TAMPA— As delegates and suit-clad Republican Party officials were busy rewriting the nominating rules for the Republican Party on Monday at the Tampa Bay TimesForum, detractors and protesters were getting their message out three blocks away at the Lykes Gaslight Park. Seemingly undeterred by the growing mass of police officers dressed head to toe in […]
FL: Inevitable Romney faces week of unknowns at RNC
By Yaël Ossowski | Florida Watchdog TAMPA— After a year and a half of the Republican presidential nomination process, it seems that the inevitable nominee will be nominated at the Tampa Bay Times Forum next week. Clinging to the title of presumptive nominee, former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney will take to the floor at the Republican National Convention to shed that […]
FL: New Black Panthers still angry with ‘conservative whites,’ but won’t be appearing at RNC
By Yaël Ossowski | Florida Watchdog TAMPA— People expecting stiff resistance from the New Black Panther Party at the Republican National Convention in Tampa next week can breathe a sigh of relief. Speaking exclusively to Florida Watchdog, Michelle Williams, chief of staff for the local chapter of the New Black Panther Partyin Tampa-St. Petersburg, said her group has no more plans to appear alongside […]
FL: Voter ID still going strong, ensuring ‘one person, one vote’
By Yaël Ossowski | Florida Watchdog TAMPA — As county election officials thumbed through the 2 million ballotscast during the Aug. 14 party primary election in Florida, a state judge nearly 1,000 miles away was preparing his ruling on a law closely mirroring the voter identification requirements in the Sunshine State. The next day, Aug. 15, Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court Judge Robert Simpson rendered […]
OSSOWSKI: Good business — barring lawyers from legislatures
By Yaël Ossowski | Florida Watchdog TAMPA — In the business world of today, there is much more to worry about than just the bottom line. Entrepreneurs are forced to not only appeal to consumers, but they must also comply with federal, state and local regulations, keep an eye out for upcoming laws that will […]
FL: ‘Activist judges’ set to face the music in merit retention fight
By Yaël Ossowski | Florida Watchdog TAMPA— Ceding to the hot temptations of democracy, three Florida judges will shed their traditional black robes for chance to enter the political boxing ring of merit retention elections this November, putting their records on the bench up for popular scrutiny at the ballot box. The measure, adopted by […]
FL: Stearns finally bows out after newcomer Yoho imposes term limit
By Yaël Ossowski | Florida Watchdog CORAL GABLES—It took only a margin of a few hundred votes to topple a powerful 24-year incumbent of Capitol Hill. That was the fate of U.S. Rep. Cliff Stearns, of District 6, by political newcomer and large-animal veterinarian Ted Yoho ofGainesville on Tuesday night in the 3rd district’s GOP primary. The latest returns showed Yoho […]
FL: Nelson, Mack and the Floridian quest to reign over the U.S. Senate
By Yaël Ossowski | Florida Watchdog CORAL GABLES — As the words of praise and accomplishment were handed down from the podium, expectations rose at Connie Mack IV’s campaign headquarters in Coral Gables on Tuesday night. The four-term Republican congressman from Naples, fresh off his easy victory in the GOP U.S. Senate primary win over three […]