Jose Garcia
Jose Garcia's JournalAlan Grayson files to run again but says its just paperwork, for now
Source: Florida Politics
Democrat U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson is downplaying prospects that his filing to run again for Congress means he’s going to run again for Congress — but he’s not ruling it out.
The Democrat from Orlando — who leaves office Jan. 3 because he did not seek re-election in Florida’s 9th Congressional District — has filed paperwork to run in 2018. And this time he filed to run in Florida’s 11th Congressional District, centered in Lake County.
Yet Grayson insisted Tuesday that the paperwork is simply a legal requirement because his campaign committee continued to raise money since the Nov. 8 election.
Federal law requires a candidate to actually be running for something if his campaign is raising money.
Read more: http://floridapolitics.com/archives/228862-alan-grayson-files-run-says-just-paperwork-now
Stephen Bittel quietly became a Miami-Dade Democratic precinct captain this week
In the latest twist in the political saga over who will be the next Florida Democratic Party chief, Miami fundraiser Stephen Bittel quietly became eligible earlier this week to potentially seek the position.
Bittel was one of 131 people formally sworn in as a member of the Miami-Dade County Democratic Executive Committee late Tuesday night when the local party approved a motion to accept applications submitted during the course of the four-hour meeting. Meeting minutes list Bittel as a new DEC member in precinct 586, which suggests he showed up at least briefly to the Miami Springs union hall to sign up. (Reporters didn't spot him inside the packed meeting room.)
Bittel declined to comment in any detail to the Miami Herald on Thursday.
"I hope I'll have more to say in the future," he said. "I care very deeply about the future of our community, state and country."
rest of story: http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2016/12/stephen-bittel-quietly-became-a-miami-dade-democratic-precinct-captain-this-week.html
Trump to name fast-food CEO as labor secretary
Source: New York Post
President-elect Donald Trump will name restaurant CEO Andrew Puzder to be the next labor secretary, a source said Thursday.
Puzder, who runs the parent company of Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s, supported Trump during his campaign, praising him as a “pragmatic centrist” and “negotiator.”
Puzder also served as one of the candidate’s economic advisers.
He was seen at Trump Tower on Wednesday.
Read more: http://nypost.com/2016/12/08/trump-to-name-fast-food-ceo-as-labor-secretary/
Dem vet lawmaker: Senate 'would be wise' to confirm Mattis
Source: The Hill
A Democratic lawmaker who served under retired Gen. James Mattis in the Marines says President-elect Donald Trump is misjudging his pick to be Defense secretary — and he says that’s a good thing.
In a Wednesday op-ed for USA Today endorsing the Pentagon chief selection, Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) argued Mattis is more than the bravado and bluster Trump finds attractive.
“The good news for our country is that Trump has Mattis all wrong,” Moulton wrote. “Before Trump realizes this himself, Democrats would be wise to have this debate and then grant an exemption to confirm him as our next secretary of Defense.”
Mattis retired three years ago, so Congress would need to pass a waiver to a law that requires the secretary of Defense be out of uniform for at least seven years before being confirmed for the job.
Read more: http://thehill.com/policy/defense/309223-dem-veteran-trump-has-mattis-all-wrong
Christie's approval hits record low; most say he should have been charged for Bridgegate
Gov. Chris Christie is just one point away from tying the record for worst approval rating of any New Jersey governor in memory.
And an overwhelming majority of New Jersey voters think the Republican governor should have faced charges over the Bridgegate scandal, a new poll has found.
According to a Fairleigh Dickinson University PublicMind poll released Tuesday morning, Christie’s approval has dropped to 18 percent among New Jersey voters — down from 21 percent in October.
“Governor Christie has been abandoned by virtually everyone, which is a far cry from where he once sat atop a field of aspiring presidential candidates who cut a more polarizing figure than he did,” poll director Krista Jenkins said in a release accompanying the results.
rest of story: http://www.politico.com/states/new-jersey/story/2016/12/christie-approval-at-record-low-18-percent-as-most-say-he-should-have-been-charged-for-bridgegate-107822
Congressman Meehan eyeing run against Casey
Fresh off an historic electoral victory, prominent Republicans are already painting a target on Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Casey in the 2018 election. The man they have been talking up to take out the two-term senator: Southeastern PA Congressman Pat Meehan.
“I’ve been talking to Pat in recent days and it sounds to me that he’s seriously considering a run against Casey in 2018,” said Charlie Kopp, a lawyer and longtime Republican fundraiser. “Being a senator was always something he’s had in his vision. So it’s not like something he decided yesterday; it’s been put on his mind for years.”
Meehan began his career as special counsel to the late U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, later working as a US Attorney and Delaware County District Attorney. He served as a campaign manager for former US Sen. Rick Santorum and ultimately ran successfully for Congress in 2010.
Kopp credited the results of the recent presidential election with energizing Republican ambitions to take out Sen. Casey, a popular – but, some would argue, unexciting – Democrat.
rest of story: http://www.cityandstatepa.com/content/congressman-meehan-eyeing-run-against-casey
Race for Miami-Dade Dem chief may complicate contest for statewide Dem chair
TALLAHASSEE — Tuesday's vote for a new Democratic party chair in Miami-Dade is steeped in political intrigue and infighting, and is likely to play a role in shaping the statewide party moving forward.
The intrigue stems from the last-minute decision by Juan Cuba, the county party’s executive director, to run for chair of the Miami-Dade Democratic Party against eight other candidates.
Cuba formally filed to run just this weekend, spurring rumors among Democratic operatives that he was in it to win and then step aside for Stephen Bittel, a large party donor who has expressed interest in being statewide chairman, to assume the job.
Bittel is currently ineligible to run for the statewide post because party rules require a candidate be the chair, vice-chair, or one of two state committee members from a local party.
rest of story: http://www.politico.com/states/florida/story/2016/12/juan-cuba-says-hed-serve-full-term-as-miami-dade-dem-chief-complicating-statewide-chairs-race-107838
Uproar at Hillsborough DEC meeting; City Council, School Board members leave in disgust
After a rough start, Hillsborough County Democrats re-elected Ione Townsend as party chair Monday night.
A raucous first 50 minutes of the group’s reorganization meeting culminated in five Tampa City Council members and two Hillsborough County school board members leaving the hall in disgust when they were not allowed to participate in the Democratic Executive Committee election for local officers.
In a related development that skewed the final tally of his race, Alan Clendenin, vice-chair of the Florida Democratic Party and a man considered a serious contender for party chair next year, lost his race for state committeeman to Russ Patterson, 42-30.
It was thought that many of those elected officials who were not allowed to vote supported Clendenin.
rest of article: http://floridapolitics.com/archives/228343-uproar-hillsborough-dec-meeting-city-council-school-board-members-leave-disgust
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