csziggy
csziggy's JournalLeading Florida Republican says vote for Hillary or don't vote
Mac Stipanovich, Context Florida 1:01 a.m. EDT May 5, 2016
<SNIP>
On a personal level, Trump is a boor, a bully, a carnival barker and an embarrassment. Politically, by intent or instinct, he is a neo-fascist — a nativist, an ultranationalist, a racist, a misogynist, an anti-intellectual, a demagogue and a palingenetic (sorry) authoritarian to whom clings the odor of the political violence he encourages.
He appeals to our fears, preys on our anxieties and exploits our ignorance. A worse candidate to sit in the Oval Office for the next four years cannot be imagined.
And he is our responsibility. We spawned Donald Trump; now we must stop him. We must deny him the presidency by not voting in the presidential election at all or voting for Hillary Clinton if conscience permits.
<SNIP>
A drop of a few percentage points in the Republican vote for Trump will be enough, which is why the pressure to conform, to toe the party line, will be enormous. We cannot depend on our elected leaders to lead us. They, for the most part, will fold like cheap lawn chairs, cowed by fear and fueled by ambition.
MUCH more: http://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/politics/2016/05/04/mac-stipanovich-open-letter-my-fellow-republicans/32600059/
John “Mac” Stipanovich is a Republican lawyer and lobbyist who served as Gov. Bob Martinez’s chief of staff. Column courtesy of Context Florida.
Stopped by the Hillary campaign headquarters here today
One woman was walking out - no one else was there. 
It turns out that the entire office went to a fund raising event with Bill today! 
Since I haven't had time to contribute to the campaign I missed it. 
By Lynn Hatter • 2 hours ago
Tallahassee may be a lucrative stop for the Clintons. The campaigns biggest surrogate, former President Bill Clinton spoke to Democrats at the home of Florida Party chairwoman Allison Tant.
The fundraiser was closed to reporters and attendees were instructed not to record. Prices ranged from $500 per person to $2,700. That's the maximum campaign donation amount.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, the event drew about 200 people including outgoing Tallahassee Representative Alan Williams and former representative Loranne Ausley, who is trying to get her old seat back. Mayor Andrew Gillum was also on-hand, he’s campaigned for Hilary Clinton in other states.
It’s the third time this year a Clinton has come to Tallahassee. The former President addressed a crowd at Florida A&M University in March. Chelsea Clinton held court with a group of supporters that same month.
http://news.wfsu.org/post/bill-clinton-raises-money-tallahassee
Oh well, I won't be able to do anything with the campaign until June anyway. I just had a few minutes and was closer than ten miles. One MAJOR problem with their headquarters - the parking is ridiculous. There is no way I can get my Suburban in and out of the parking lot and there is no street parking. Unless I can convince my husband to drive 90 miles one way each week in the truck so I can use his Prius, I won't be able to volunteer.
Maybe after the convention the Democratic Party will get her a better location.
U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham announces potential run for Florida governor
U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham won’t seek re-election after redistricting
The Tallahassee Democrat is considering a bid for governor in 2018
She is the daughter of former governor and U.S. Senator Bob Graham
By Amy Sherman and Mary Ellen Klas
April 21, 2016 12:10 PM
U.S. Rep Gwen Graham put an end to speculation Thursday and announced that she won't seek reelection to Congress but is considering seeking the Democratic nomination for governor in 2018.
Graham of Tallahassee, who is in her first term in Congress, faced a tough reelection after her district was reconfigured to be less favorable for Democrats under a court-ordered redistricting plan.
"State government is just dysfunctional and this causes me to rethink how I can best serve the people of North Florida and our state. Floridians are hungry for new leadership and I’m so excited to tell you first I’m seriously considering running for governor in 2018," Graham said in a news release and video. She said the new map divided her district into "two partisan districts" and she promises to bring "common sense back to Tallahassee."
Gov. Rick Scott, a Republican, is term-limited so he can't run for reelection. Republicans considering the 2018 race include Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, whose political action committee raised more than $4 million in one year. U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio has also been rumored to be considering seeking the nomination, although he denied that a couple days after he lost the Florida presidential primary.
More: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/article73065412.html
The way the new redistricting plan has diced up the bluest county in her district I don't blame her for thinking about running for a different office. The redistricting means that there is a good chance the Panhandle of Florida will have another Tea Party idiot as stupid as Steve Southerland was, though since most of Leon County is in that district so maybe they can get someone sane in there.
Court rejects bid to throw out Florida congressional map
Bill Cotterell, Democrat correspondent 10:37 p.m. EDT April 18, 2016
A three-judge federal panel late Monday rejected U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown’s challenge to Florida’s new congressional district map, which splits Leon County between a heavily black region and a new Republican-leaning tract.
Aside from making Brown, a Jacksonville Democrat who has been in Congress since 1992, run in new territory across North Florida, the ruling poses a political quandary for first-term Rep. Gwen Graham of Tallahassee. She has been collecting campaign funds and working toward re-election in recent months, but the new map casts her into a conservative district that extends from Panama City around the Gulf Coast to western Marion County.
“I’m disappointed the Second Congressional District will be transformed from a fair, moderate district into two extreme partisan districts,” Graham said in a prepared statement issued from her office. “Dividing Tallahassee hurts North Florida and our community.
http://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/politics/2016/04/18/court-rejects-bid-throw-out-florida-congressional-map/83209764/
While this is good news for most of the state, the new districts really screw up Leon County and Tallahassee which are heavily blue. Part of the city and county will be lumped in with Jacksonville. The rest of the city and county will be in a very red section of Florida extending from Marion County to Bay County.
Gwen Graham, former Governor and Senator Bob Graham's daughter, is currently our Representative having beat out a Tea Party nutjob (Steve Southerland). With the reduction in the number of Democrats in her district by the splitting of Leon County, Gwen Graham may have to move to change districts. Or she might decide to run for the US Senate and take Rubio's seat.
It is going to completely change the balance of politics in Florida's state capital city, that's for certain!
UPDATED - Just saw a Rose Breasted Grosbeak on my seed cylinder - PICTURES
Unfortunately I didn't have a camera handy. 
I DID LATER!
So here is what they look like:
He must be migrating through since they don't live here year round.
Another bird for my life list! 
YouTube introduces SnoopaVision - announcement today, implementation someday!
New today - if you look at the bottom left corner of YouTube videos, you will see a new icon. Click on it and it will take you to a page with a video by Snoop Dog that explains what SnoopaVision is:
https://www.youtube.com/snoopavision?v=CfZE56E0Uts
There is a disclaimer at the top: "SnoopaVision is in beta and will be enabled ... by 1/20/2155."
Remember what day it is!
Why is it OK to post links to other forums as original sources?
While I don't consider it egregious enough to alert I am getting tired of clicking on a DU post on a subject I am interested in only to find that the only content of that post is a link to another forum site.
The most recent one I've seen is: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10027713434
The poster could have clicked through to the original story which is in that forum post and linked to it. I consider that the posts are click-bait to increase traffic at the other site.
If this is not against policy for them to do this I will just add that poster to my Ignore list - but they do have some interesting posts so I hate to do that.
We're planting trees!
They are tiny bare root seedlings from the Arbor Day Foundation they we got as a "gift" for donating money. They sent us:
3 white dogwoods
3 redbuds
2 Washington hawthornes
2 crabapples
+ "not trees" - 2 crape myrtles.
We're scattering them around the house, some along the driveway, some on the south side for a screen, and a grouping on the north side in front of the house.
When we first bought this farm we planted several thousand bare root seedlings - dogwoods, Southern red cedar, loblolly pines, and sawtooth oaks. Most of them survived and still growing. But that was almost forty years ago. About thirty five years ago we planted a bunch of sycamores and they are seriously huge and impressive.
We haven't planted many trees since - a few living "Christmas" trees, and an American holly for the front yard of the new house. The "Christmas" trees and holly were large when we planted them, unlike the bare root trees. So it is exciting to be planting these tiny little twigs and planning for them to get big.
I hope I live long enough to see these flowering trees reach their full maturity!
Pony Dressed as Unicorn Leads CHP on Wild Chase Near Fresno
Wednesday night, Juliette, a white pony adorned with a fake horn, was posing with kids during a children’s photo shoot in Madera Ranchos, California, near Fresno. She escaped twice during the festivities, while her owner was busy taking the photos.
The first time the pony escaped it was captured quickly by its handler.
The second time, Juliette didn’t mess around. She dashed for the streets of Madera Ranchos. The family hosting the photo shoot alerted the California Highway Patrol, which spent hours trying to find the runaway pony.
http://ktla.com/2016/02/26/pony-dressed-as-unicorn-leads-chp-on-wild-chase-near-fresno/
Video at link is well worth watching!
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Gender: Do not displayHometown: Leon County, Florida
Member since: Tue Feb 12, 2008, 10:18 PM
Number of posts: 34,133
