By Yaël Ossowski | Florida Watchdog ST. PETERSBURG — As one of only three lawmakers to fly in space, U.S. Sen.Bill Nelson is the first to admit he has a special relationship with the government’s space program. In 1986, Nelson joined the crew ofColumbia as a payload specialist and has been a stern advocate of the space shuttle […]
FL: Debbie Wasserman Schultz sinks to new low, say fact checkers and media critics
By Yaël Ossowski | Florida Watchdog ST. PETERSBURG — South Florida’s most prominent congresswoman, Democratic National Committee chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz, has not been held in high regard following her party’s nominating convention in Charlotte, a fact that ultimately could trouble her re-election campaign at home. In just a matter of weeks, Wasserman Schultz has received criticism from media critics and […]
FL: Do unions invoke memory of 9/11 to stave off reforms?
By Yaël Ossowski | Florida Watchdog ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — After the horrific events of Sept. 11, 2001, much attention and dedication was given to the professionals who rushed to save victims in the burning towers. Firefighters, police officers and emergency personnel were duly recognized across the nation as the “heroic first responders,” receiving renewed […]
FL: Scott’s school tour puts education reform on front burner
By Yaël Ossowski | Florida Watchdog ST. PETERSBURG — Not stymied by the efforts of national and state teacher unions, Florida Gov. Rick Scott is picking up on last year’s significant changes to merit-pay for educators. The governor is making the rounds on a listening tour this week, aimed at introducing more wide-scale reforms in schools across […]
OSSOWSKI: Political parties are no longer engines of democracy
By Yaël Ossowski | Florida Watchdog ST. PETERSBURG, Fl. — Twice now, visible to all on national television, Americans have witnessed a democratic process snuffed by inner political party elites. First came the complaints of grassroots conservative activists in Tampa, Fla., at the Republican National Convention, upset by the national committee’s maneuvering granting future presumptive nominees the […]
FL: Charlie Crist auditions for Democrats in Charlotte
By Yaël Ossowski | Florida Watchdog ST. PETERSBURG — Seizing the opportunity of a lifetime,Democratic politicians from all parts of the country are taking to the well-lit podium at theDemocratic National Convention in Charlotte, hoping to play the audience’s heartstrings and secure their own political futures. They have historical reasons to be hopeful: It was at the 2004 […]
DNC: Charlotte ‘convention bump’ enough to help Democrats’ uphill battle in NC?
By Yaël Ossowski | Watchdog.org CHARLOTTE — The whole point of a Democratic Convention in North Carolina was to support President Barack Obama‘s effort to capture the state’s critical 15 electoral votes. But a funny thing happened on the way to Charlotte: the popular local Democrats who might show up at the president’s side — lending him their credibility […]
De carré rouge à arc-en-ciel: Pourquoi les étudiants doivent voter pour la CAQ
Quand j’ai vu mes compatriotes dans les rues de Montréal le printemps passé, il n’y avait jamais un doute que ces jeunes révolutionnaires jouaient un rôle pertinent. En pleine conscience, mes anciens collègues se battaient pour un avenir libre d’intimidation, d’incertitude et d’identité imposée par l’état. Quant à moi, si le boycott étudiant avait été […]
FL: Critics say Boehner used RNC rules committee to quash internal dissent
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 […]