"Blowin’ Bob" Allen is Outraged

Remember Florida Rep. Bob Allen (R-Merritt Island)? The hypocritical legislator and McCain campaign co-chair earned himself a trip to the pokey, along with no small degree of notoriety and a heaping helping of schadenfreude here, for offering to fellate an undercover cop in Titusville for the princely sum of $20.

Well, as Sunny tells us over at Smashed Frog, Blowin’ Bob sent an e-mail to all his colleagues in the Florida Legislature telling them that he’s working hard to overcome this “unbelievably troublesome” situation.

Bob Allen wants to know if his fellow Florida legislators still “like” him. On Monday, each received an email–the equivalent of a modern day note passing– from the disgraced state rep indicating his innocence and intent to “vigorously pursue the plea of Not Guilty.”

Bob would like to get the whole thing over with immediately–imagine walking into the Special Session with this mess on your dance card–but stated he “must work through my legal counsel and the judicial system”.

In other words…this bathroom thing ain’t going away that easy.

The full e-mail Rep. Allen sent conveniently is available at The Buzz:

Dear Fellow Colleague,

All of our lives we have heard that “Innocent Until Proven Guilty” is the foundation of our judicial system. It is what makes America unique. As lawmakers, I know more than anyone you understand and appreciate this important principle.

You never realize how important that is until you are accused of something terrible and you have to defend yourself. It is my nature never to hide, but to straightforwardly answer the obvious general and specific questions about these charges. However, our judicial process requires me to work through my legal counsel and the judicial system.

I am vigorously pursuing the plea of Not Guilty. This is an outrageous accusation that I intend to disprove through the judicial system.

I want each of you to know how much I appreciate the many calls of encouragement and support I’ve received. The situation before me is unbelievably troublesome on many levels. My family has grown stronger and is ready to face the challenge of receiving justice.

As a member of the Legislature, I look forward to continuing our working together to improve our State for all Floridians.

With Kind Regards, I Remain,

Sincerely,
Bob Allen

Other than saying he “intend[s] to disprove” the “outrageous accusation,” I don’t see a whole lot of denial in there, do you?

That’s because it’s going to be awfully tough for Allen to beat this rap. What other explanation can there be for him furtively going into and out of a restroom at a Titusville park late at night? And what did he really mean when he (allegedly) said (and I’m paraphrasing here), “I’ll blow you for $20?”

Okay, let’s let him “work through … the judicial system.” Fine. But around here, you’ll always be “Blowin’ Bob” to me.

UPDATE (9:58 am 8/1/07): Upon further reflection, maybe I shouldn’t have used the term “pokey.”

Pelosi’s priorities

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi remains firmly opposed to impeachment. Here’s why:

“The question of impeachment is something that would divide the country,” Pelosi said this morning during a wide-ranging discussion in the ornate Speaker’s office. Her top priorities are ending the war in Iraq, expanding health care, creating jobs and preserving the environment. “I know what our success can be on those issues. I don’t know what our success can be on impeaching the president.”

Democratic Party leaders do not have the votes to pass an impeachment resolution. And Democrats could be judged harshly for partisan gridlock, just as the American people turned on Congressional Republicans in the 90s for pursuing the impeachment of President Clinton.

In the first question of the morning, Pelosi was asked if she supported a proposal by Washington Rep. Jay Inslee to impeach beleaguered Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

The Speaker looked down and rubbed her temples wearily. “I would like us to stay focused on our agenda this week,” she said. Today the entails finalizing ethics and lobbying reform. Tomorrow it will mean expanding children’s health care and boosting Medicare benefits. By the end of the week the House will likely pass an energy bill and legislation will be brought to the floor that reins in the Bush Administration’s warrantless wiretapping program.

Now, it’s not like Nancy doesn’t see what the rest of us see; she knows that the Bush crime syndicate is full of scofflaws and sycophants. But, like the concern trolls who infest the blogosphere, she doesn’t seem to care all that much:

She is greatly disturbed by the lawlessness of this Administration and its contempt for checks and balances. “I take an oath to defend and protect the Constitution, so it is a top priority for me and my colleagues to uphold that.” She notes the vigorous oversight hearings held by committee chairman like John Conyers and Henry Waxman.

But Pelosi sees impeaching Gonzales and his superiors as a distraction from the ambitious agenda she has crafted for the House. “If I can just hold my caucus together,” she says, “I can take them to this progressive place.”

Nancy, I’ve always liked you, but you’re being completely inconsistent. I appreciate your priorities, but isn’t “defend[ing] and protect[ing] the Constitution” not just “a top priority,” but the top priority?

See, letting the Bush crime syndicate continue to deface and defile the Constitution is, by definition, a violation of your oath to defend and protect the Constitution. And that’s true of every member of Congress. Be “greatly disturbed” all you want, but I don’t see how that protects the Constitution.

You say, well, you don’t have the votes. I call bullshit. An impeachment trial, be it for Gonzales or “Dick” or even Drunky McStagger himself, would bring to light all of the “high crimes and misdemeanors” committed by this “administration.” Even people on the GOP side of the aisle are suggesting that impeachment is beginning to make sense, at least for Gonzales.

I have news for you, Nancy: the country already is divided — 70/30 in favor of impeachment, last I looked. Your priority ought to be making sure the division — you might even call it a cleavage — doesn’t get any worse … and the best way to do that is to remove the dividers from office. Uphold your oath, Madame Speaker. Impeach the criminals, and let’s begin to restore dignity to America.

(h/t watertiger)

Today’s Daily Schadenfreude: Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska)

I’m smiling from ear to ear today. The Biggest Asshole in Washington™ (and that’s saying something) is in deep doo-doo:

Agents from the FBI and the Internal Revenue Service raided the Alaska home [left] of Sen. Ted Stevens (R) yesterday as part of a broad federal investigation of political corruption in the state that has also swept up his son and one of his closest financial backers, officials said.

Stevens, the longest-serving Republican senator in history, is under scrutiny from the Justice Department for his ties to an Alaska energy services company, Veco, whose chief executive pleaded guilty in early May to a bribery scheme involving state lawmakers.

[...]

This spring, Republicans and Democrats celebrated on the Senate floor when Stevens became the longest-serving Republican in the chamber’s history. He has said he plans to run in 2008 for another six-year term.

A few weeks after that celebration, one of Stevens’s closest political allies, Bill Allen, formerly the chief executive of Veco, pleaded guilty to bribing several members of the state legislature. One was an unidentified former state senator whose consulting payments cited in the plea agreement matched payments reported by Ben Stevens, a state lawmaker who is the senator’s son. He left the state Senate last year.

The Alaska investigation has centered on Allen’s efforts to bribe lawmakers by handing out wads of hundred-dollar bills in an effort to win favorable tax legislation in Alaska for a natural gas pipeline long sought by the energy industry and leaders of both political parties there.

I covered my personal feelings about Sen. Stevens when he last won the coveted Daily Schadenfreude award, so I’m just tickled blue about this latest development. What’s that they say about “power corrupts, but absolute power corrupts absolutely?” You think 39 years as a U.S. senator might appeal to the lesser virtues of a man with few virtues to begin with? So it would appear …

If Stevens is indicted (and convicted, presumably), I hope they have to take his besmirched name off of Anchorage International Airport. I’ve been to Anchorage once … but I’d gladly go back, even in the dead of winter, all the way from America’s Glans™, to witness the removal of the offending appellation from the facility once and for all.

So, Sen. Stevens, congratulations! Because now you’re finding out why karma is such a bitch, today’s Blast Off! Daily Schadenfreude is for you!

Hitting Floridians in the wallet — again

And people wonder why I keep saying Florida is on the verge of economic disaster …

USAA, Florida’s fourth-largest insurer of homeowners, has filed a request for a statewide average rate increase of 53.9 percent, another indication that the plan to bring rate relief to hard-pressed policyholders by lawmakers and Gov. Charlie Crist is not working.

USAA, which filed the request Friday, becomes the 36th insurer to seek a rate increase in its so-called “true-up” filing. The true-ups were supposed to reflect the final tally of rate cuts resulting from changes in the property insurance law in January, once costs of reinsurance – insurance for insurance companies – were factored in.

The filing is likely to heat up the battle between state Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty and insurers over changes lawmakers made during a special session in January. Those changes were expected to result in rate cuts averaging 24 percent.
McCarty’s office revealed Monday that it has served subpoenas on top officials of Florida’s second-largest insurer, State Farm Florida Insurance Co., which recently announced plans to drop the policies of 50,000 homeowners. The subpoenas ask State Farm to explain why its approved rate increases shouldn’t be reduced, among other issues addressed.

I’ve already ranted about how Rubio and Crist’s precious tax cuts actually hurt Floridians severely. Now we find that the insurers, unsurprisingly, don’t give a rat’s ass about the Legislature’s alleged attempts to lower insurance rates.

Insurance companies are, you know, for-profit enterprises. They lost their collective shirts in Florida during 2004 and 2005 and, being shrewd and intelligent business people, they have to recoup their losses somewhere, plus recognize that the risk of further losses is still significant, if not increasing. The Florida Legislature’s pie-in-the-sky attitude that they can mandate cuts in insurance rates is not only foolhardy, it may be an unconstitutional restriction on the companies’ freedom to do business under the Commerce Clause.

Despite Gov. Crist’s moderate-to-liberal stands on social issues, he’s falling flat on his face with his economic policy, and the GOP-dominated Legislature is only too happy to go along with the scheme. Mark my words: one more catastrophe — probably a hurricane, but even a tornado outbreak or a terrorist strike — will decimate Florida’s economy in a way that we can’t even comprehend now. I wish the governor and the Legislature would worry less about giving us our $100 and $200 tax breaks and, instead, protect the state … for all of us.

Love may mean never having to say you’re sorry …

… but it also means saying “fuck you” to racist scumbags.

Before Boise State running back Ian Johnson married the girl he proposed to on national television, the couple prayed to end prejudice.

Johnson and Chrissy Popadics [right], the cheerleader he proposed to after scoring the winning points in the Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma, were married Saturday in a traditional ceremony at Cathedral of the Rockies First United Methodist Church.

Johnson, who is black, has said he received phone calls and about 30 letters, including personal threats from people who objected to his plans to marry his white fiancee. Johnson has not described the threats, and it is unclear where they came from.

The ceremony began with the prayer and ended with the couple jumping over a broom — an African tradition signifying the couple jumping into a new life together.

Mazel tov to the happy couple.

Today’s Daily Schadenfreude: Jim Naugle

The well-publicized anti-gay comments of Fort Lauderdale asshole mayor Jim Naugle haven’t had much of an effect on tourism, on which the city relies heavily.

“The Fort Lauderdale business community is strong enough to weather this,” said David Paisley, with San Francisco-based Community Marketing Inc., which tracks gay tourism and marketing.

In the past month, Naugle has charged the city has a problem with gay sex in public restrooms, said gays are unhappy and contended the gay Stonewall Library should not be housed in a city building because its collection contains pornography.

In follow-up comments shortly before last week’s demonstration against him, he said the county should stop marketing itself to gay tourists because of the high rate of HIV infections in the area.

Fort Lauderdale ranks as the most popular resort destination for gay tourists, ahead of both the Palm Springs and Napa Valley areas of California, according to Community Marketing’s most recent travel survey. The area was sixth among overall leisure destinations.

Nicki Grossman, president of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau, acknowledged angst among tourism-related businesses about the Naugle blowup, but she said there has been no effect.

But that’s not to say there aren’t other proto-humans out there who share Naugle’s narrow-minded bigotry:

Jerry Newcombe, senior producer of the Coral Ridge Hour at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church [in Fort Lauderdale], said Naugle’s concerns about gay tourism, HIV and public sex should be taken seriously. He said out-of-town tourists could be returning home infected with HIV after having anonymous sex in Fort Lauderdale.

“Mayor Naugle is standing for common sense and decency,” Newcombe said. “He is a profile in courage and I respect him a great deal for that.”

Well, I think it’s nice that Fort Lauderdale is open to all people — not only sensible, open-minded people who appreciate diversity, but also batshit crazy fundie nutjobs like Newcombe and Naugle. Truly, where do you begin with the load of crap that Newcombe spewed?

Ultimately, though, it seems Naugle’s protestations may well have precisely the opposite effect from what he wanted:

Richard Gray, owner of the gay Royal Palms resort off Fort Lauderdale’s beach and a member of the county Tourist Development Council, said none of his guests have raised concerns about Naugle. Nor has he had any cancellations. He said publicity about Naugle could boost gay tourism.

“If anything,” he said, “it will remind people that Fort Lauderdale is one of the gayest cities in the United States.”

And that, more than anything else, is why today’s Blast Off! Daily Schadenfreude is for you, Mayor Naugle! Congratulations on your second DS award! I’m sure it won’t be the last, either …

Blast Off! Radio: Purging the technical demons

Finally, I got the show to work correctly! It’s archived online if you’d like to hear it.

Special thanks to Wes and to Atta J. Turk for calling in.

Tune in next Monday at 12:30 pm for the next edition Blast Off! Radio, and be sure to catch Florida Progressive Radio throughout the week: 12:30 pm weekdays (except tomorrow’s special 7:00 pm show) and Sundays at 2:00 pm (all times Eastern).

We now return you to your regularly scheduled blog …

Blast Off! Radio, TODAY at 2:30 Eastern

Okay, I had some technical difficulties, and I’m embarrassed to say that I discovered it was my fault. All right, all right, I’ll tell you what happened.

I saw that I had a caller on the show right when I signed on. It was from the 850 area code, which is the Florida panhandle (I guessed Tallahassee). So, I clicked on it, and nothing. I muted it and went on with the show.

Well, it turns out that “caller” was me! I muted myself for the entire show! My phone number, which should have been a 561 area code, showed up as an 850 area code (for reasons that I know, but would rather not reveal).

Soooooo … I’m rescheduling. Here is the new information:

TIME: 2:30 pm Eastern TODAY

Click here to listen

Call in number: (646) 715-7543

AIM: blastoffradio

E-mail: blastoffradio-at-gmail-dot-com

Many apologies, especially to Kenneth Quinnell and the Florida Progressive Radio bunch, for the error. It won’t happen again!

Abu G comes to America’s Glans™

Yes, His Embattledness spoke to the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives in Fort Lauderdale this morning.

Embattled U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales made a trip to Fort Lauderdale Monday morning but steered clear of the controversy surrounding his recent congressional testimony in his speech to law enforcement officers.

Just days earlier, four U.S. senators asked an independent special prosecutor to look into perjury charges against Gonzales.

Instead, in his short speech to the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, Gonzales talked about federal efforts to curb violent crime, posing for photographs with law enforcement officers but taking no questions from reporters.

[...]

Gonzales received a warm reception in Fort Lauderdale, where he was asked to address the crowd of more than 300 law enforcement officers about six months ago.

“It’s a safe haven out of Washington,” said Elsie Scott, president of the Congressional Black Caucus. “It’s a place where he can be comfortable and not be booed.”

How much worse can it get when you’re a Cabinet member who has to find a place where you won’t be booed?

No word on whether Gonzales hooked up with Jim Naugle. I don’t know whether they’ve ever met, but I’m sure they’d get along smashingly.

The Political Whore

No, I’m not talking about Fred Thompson’s wife. I mean Wayne Garcia’s blog.

Wayne writes for Creative Loafing, Tampa’s alternative weekly newspaper. He e-mailed me last week when I was on vacation to say he was blogrolling me, but I was out of the country and, besides, I didn’t recognize his name right off …

Well, I do now. He even linked to me today. So, with apologies for the delay, I’m pleased to add The Political Whore to the blogroll.

Of course, as a long-time cigar aficionado myself and a Bucs season ticket holder to boot, I can always use another cigar-smoking pal in Tampa.