HOW TO WIN DUMB FRIENDS AND INFLUENCE STUPID PEOPLE, RUBIO STYLE: Why is Marco Rubio taking time to take a shot at President Obama over whether or not art history is a good major to pursue? (Caravaggio for the win!) For the same reason that Rubio was one of the first people to join Texas Sen. Ted Cruz on the Senate floor during his nearly 24-hour protest of Obamacare. Or that he agreed to be the lead sponsor in the Senate of legislation that would install a 20-week abortion ban. Or that he went after Argentinian ambassadorial nominee Noah Mamet. Rubio badly wants to prove -- or re-prove -- to conservatives that he is one of them following his lead role in the passage of a comprehensive immigration reform proposal in the Senate. The political damage to Rubio was swift. In a WMUR Granite State poll conducted in April 2013, Rubio stood at a solid 15 percent in a hypothetical New Hampshire Republican primary ballot test. By August, that same poll showed Rubio at just 6 percent and in fifth place. (via Washington Post)
LOSER:
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TAMPA BAY TIMES WRITES PAM BONDI A FANTASTIC LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION, ADDRESSES IT TO FOX NEWS: “While it is true she does not have high name recognition outside of Florida, Ms. Bondi is making inroads nationally. For example, earlier this month she joined a lawsuit in a district appeals court in Philadelphia. It seems six states and the District of Columbia had joined with the Environmental Protection Agency to limit the amount of pollution being dumped in the rivers and streams of Chesapeake Bay. Some fertilizer and big-money farm interests want to overturn this clean water act and have filed a lawsuit. The case is 1,000 miles away, has nothing to do with Florida, and the states involved are all in favor of the clean water blueprint. Yet that didn't stop Ms. Bondi from trying to intervene. When it comes to appeasing potential campaign donors, she's just that conscientious. Ms. Bondi also has vast experience on a wide variety of topics that might be of interest to your viewers. Her office defended legislation that prevented pediatricians from asking potential gun safety questions. (She lost.) She also defended a legislative end-around to privatize prisons. (She lost.) She defended a state law requiring welfare recipients to undergo drug tests. (She lost.) She defended a law that denied state contracts to companies doing business with Cuba. (She lost.) She challenged the language of a ballot amendment for medical marijuana. (She lost.) And I don't know if your network has ever done stories on the federal legislation known as Obamacare, but she once flew all the way to D.C. to argue against it in front of the Supreme Court. (She lost.)” (via Tampa Bay Times)
SO, WAIT, A CORRUPT AGENCY IS ABOUT TO BECOME A LARGER CORRUPT AGENCY THAT WILL TOLL YOU TO DEATH?: “The bill would name the new entity the Central Florida Expressway Authority. The new board would be composed of the mayors of Orange County and Orlando, with six gubernatorial appointees -- two of whom must come from Orange County, with another three from each of the other counties and one at large appointee from any of the four counties -- and another three members appointed by the chair of the county commission in Lake, Osceola and Seminole counties. Assets, properties and liabilities of OOCEA would be assumed by CFX, including its tolling authority. The authority pulled in $298 million in tolls in the 2012-2013 fiscal year, according to its annual report, but the OOCEA also owes the Florida Department of Transportation $211 million in long-term debt. By state law, the OOCEA must pay FDOT $20 million each year until the debt is paid. Rep. Linda Stewart, D-Orlando, voted against the bill because of concerns there were too many gubernatorial appointees to the board, even though the appointments would not begin until 2015 -- after the gubernatorial race this year. ‘It just seems like it needs more local control,’ Stewart said.” (via The Florida Current)
ARIZONA IS ABOUT TO CODIFY BIGOTRY RIGHT BACK INTO THE LAW, YOU GUYS! YOU WILL NO LONGER BE PERSECUTED FOR YOUR RELIGIOUS BELIEFS!: “State senators voted Wednesday to let businesses refuse to serve gays based on owners' "sincerely held" religious beliefs. The 17-13 vote along party lines, with Republicans in the majority, came after supporters defeated an attempt to extend existing employment laws that bar discrimination based on religion and race to also include sexual orientation. Sen. Steve Yarbrough, R-Chandler, said that's a separate issue from what he is trying to do. But Sen. Steve Gallardo, D-Phoenix, said that's precisely the issue. ‘The bill opens the door for discrimination against gays and lesbians,’ he said. Yarbrough, however, said foes of SB 1062 are twisting what his legislation says. ‘This bill is not about discrimination,’ he said. ‘It's about preventing discrimination against people who are clearly living out their faith.’A similar measure is awaiting a vote in the House, probably later today. Arizona already has laws which protect individuals and businesses from any state action which substantially interferes with their right to exercise their religion. This bill extends that protection to cover what essentially are private transactions.” (via Arizona Star Net)
YOU GOTTA HAVE FAITH:
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