FSU Faculty Senate Rejects John Thrasher

The Florida State University’s Faculty Senate voted 2 to 1 against John Thrasher's candidacy for presidency.

“Be it resolved that we, the members of the Florida State University Faculty Senate, call upon the Presidential Search Advisory Committee not to recommend Senator Thrasher as a candidate for President of FSU. We further call upon the Board of Trustees not to hire Senator Thrasher as the next President of FSU. Senator Thrasher lacks the stated qualifications required for the position, whereas the other three finalists meet those qualifications. We encourage all faculty members to participate fully in the interview process and to submit comments.”

Thrasher's history of bringing pork to Florida State as a member of the legislature made it appear the job was his to lose. Other potential candidates didn't bother applying.

Search consultant Bill Funk told advisory committee members to give Thrasher a prompt “up or down” vote. Rumors that a powerhouse Republican lawmaker with deep ties to FSU is a shoo-in have deterred “premium potential candidates” from applying.

“We are not endorsing John for the role,” Funk said. “But we are saying that John is casting a long shadow. It’s limiting our opportunity to put together the kind of pool that this committee and that this university deserves.”

Thrasher is ethically challenged. Thrasher was reprimanded by the Florida House for lobbying on the floor for the Florida Board of Medicine. Thrasher had a clear conflict of interest as an elected representative and as a lobbyist.

This old post of mine details how Thrasher puts profit above education.

John Thrasher fought against the Florida Hometown Democracy amendment at the behest of developers. In the Florida Senate, Thrasher sponsored an education bill that required year end assessment tests. Thrasher's lobbying firm Southern Strategy was paid by testing firms to get more testing in k-12 education.

Thrasher is the wrong choice for FSU.

Stay Classy Peter Schorsch

Javier Manjarres and I don't often agree on politics. I do think Manjarres is one of the best conservative bloggers around. Manjarres as been writing a lot about how Peter Schorsch makes money. Manjarres wrote that Schorsch has been posting highly positive posts about Southern Strategy Group after the lobbying firm advertised on SaintPetersblog. Southern Strategy Group is being audited after their accounting came into question. You wouldn't know that from reading Peter Schorsch's blog.

In 2012, white-shoe lobbying firm Southern Strategy Group rang in an impressive $2.54 million in lobbying fees during the second quarter. Fast-forward a year and add nearly $1 million to that figure for a total of $3.41 million in quarterly compensation. The increase over last year represents more than what most other lobby firms generate in full.

Of course, Schorsch fails to mention that those numbers may have been blown up by Southern Strategy Group. Hence the reason for the audit. Schorsch even posted the hard hitting news story on Southern Strategy's Christmas card. I kid you not.

Here is this year’s Christmas card from powerhouse lobbying firm Southern Strategies Group.

Each year, SSG commissions and delivers the most talked-about Christmas card in Tallahassee, typically with a political theme making hay out of one of the year’s top stories. This year is no different as the card pokes fun at the scandal surrounding President Obama and the aggressive surveillance programs of the National Security Agency. There’s some good photoshop work of President Obama dressed in a Santa outfit and a reveal line of, “He sees you when you are sleeping/He knows when you are awake/In 2014, be good for goodness sake.”

Powerhouse lobbying firm? Seriously? How can anyone take Schorsch seriously?

Apparently, Manjarres blogging has gotten to Schorsch. Schorsch fired off this racist tweet.

By the way, @THESHARKTANK1, the redesign of your website looks like shit. An illiterate lawn boy could have done better. Oh wait...

— Peter Schorsch (@SaintPetersblog) January 6, 2014

Schorsch will defend himself by saying that Manjarres once ran a lawn care service. Make no mistake. Schorsch is attacking Marjarres' Hispanic heritage. If someone leveled that kind of attack on Schorsch he would threaten a libel lawsuit. For someone who makes his living as a political hit man Schorsch can't seem to take a shot.

New Tone In Tallahassee

Florida Senate President Don Gaetz and House Speaker Will Weatherford are wisely steered away from inflammatory rhetoric against their Democratic colleagues. After the defeats suffered by Republicans around the country it is smart politics for Gaetz and Weatherford not to sound like Allen West or Joe Walsh. Both men are stressing bipartisanship. However Weatherford himself pointed out that he will still push for conservative legislation.

There is a glimmer of hope from Gaetz and Weatherford.

Along with Gaetz, Weatherford wants to eliminate fundraising committees used by lawmakers. Weatherford said they aren’t transparent.

It’s unclear how exactly Weatherford could enhance transparency, but his shift has nevertheless impressed League of Women Voters of Florida president Deirdre Macnab.

The fundraising committees have been used to help get certain members enough influence to gain leadership positions in the Florida legislature. Gaetz and Weatherford will be term-limited out and don't have to worry about gaining leadership posts. They are free to eliminate the fundraising committees. Lobbyists are granted access and no transparency. Not that it matters, both Florida political parties host galas for lobbyist to come and hand checks to them.

There is no guarantee that Gaetz and Weatherford will follow through. That will be up to activists. This Franklin D. Roosevelt quote to Sidney Hillman sums up what activists must do.

ROOSEVELT: "I agree with you, I want to do it, now make me do it."

Triangulation Man: Education Edition

President Barack Obama has said he wants to listen to ideas from all sides. It seems the side that Obama listens to has powerful lobbyists. Technically, SKDKnickerbocker is not a lobbying firm or a basketball team. It seems the law lets you get away with lobbying if you call yourself a consulting firm or a historian. SKDKnicker brings in conservative groups to the White House. How conservative? How about conservative enough to be funded by Rupert Murdoch.

SKDKnickerbocker represents consulting for Students First, a lobbying group aimed at destroying collective bargaining, and replacing public education with a mix of charters, private schools, and online learning companies. According to documents revealed the blog At The Chalk Face, Students First helped craft bills in Michigan to break teachers unions by severely limiting collective bargaining.

SKDKnickerbocker is run by former Obama communications director Anita Dunn. Hillary Rosen also is employed with SKDKnickerbocker. The only question is how much lobbying did Dunn and Rosen had to do for a President who thinks bashing unions is good politics.

But Rhee couldn't have done it alone. Then-candidate Barack Obama endorsed Rhee in a 2008 debate as a "wonderful new superintendent" and later applauded the firing of every single unionized teacher at Central Falls High School in Rhode Island. (The teachers were later rehired.)

The Washington D.C. teachers were rehired because Rhee violated their contract. I often think Obama must have been a terrible law professor. Students First is run by conservative education darling Michelle Rhee. Gov. Rick Scott hired Rhee to work on his transition team. I would love to hear Obama supporters defend or deny that Obama has supported Rhee's education agenda. Any claim that Obama is progressive on education is a blatant lie.

Side note: A local Students First employee, Catherine Robinson, has taken her blog Out In Left Field offline. Litbrit and I have been having a blast using Way Back Machine to read Catherine's past literary masterpieces. Since Way Back Machine is down you can read the description of Robinson's book Learning Curves.

At first, Carolyn found meaning as an educator, helping students who grew to appreciate her enthusiasm and passion for learning. Carolyn's caring and dedicated co-workers also became her closest friends. But she noticed a certain trend. Many teachers turned to drugs i order to deal with the stress of low pay and impossibly high demands. Others lost themselves in illicit affairs, conducted in unused or empty classrooms, and a few risked it all by seducing their own students.

Carolyn tried to ignore the sexually charged atmosphere and cling to her happy marriage, but when an attractive and flirtatious teacher pursued her, Carolyn got swept up in a scandal of her own.

I don't know about you, but nothing screams education reform like "sexually charged atmosphere."

Time to Party With Lobbyists

What do Sandy Adams (Fla.), Quico Canseco (Texas), Rick Crawford (Ark.), Bob Dold (Ill.), Sean Duffy (Wis.), Stephen Fincher (Tenn.), Mike Fitzpatrick (Penn.), Daniel Webster (Fla.), Mike Grimm (N.Y.), Nan Hayworth (N.Y.), Jim Renacci (Ohio) and Cory Gardner (Col) all have in common. They all partied with lobbyists at the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, Florida.

Congressmen Canseco and Gardner were seen on camera heading in to host happy hour. To get in, donors had to pay at least $10,000.

During his campaign, Gardner promised average voters would inspire his actions. One ad said, "I will always put Colorado families before the Washington special interests."

Turns out Gardner put his interest in special interests above Colorado families. Families getting their homes foreclosed upon are not important when it's time to party. Nothing says helping Americans more than playing golf and slamming drinks with Spencer Bachus, Pete Sessions, and a group freshman Republicans.

You will be shocked to learn that nine of the congressman at the vacation fundraiser are on the committee with oversight of banks. You also will be shocked to learn that none of the elected Republicans at the fundraiser wanted to be interviewed by CBS News on-camera.

Republicans on the state and federal level have been living lavishly of the campaign contributions of their corporate donors. There are those Republican Party of Florida credit card bills that the state party continues to avoid discussing. Tom Feeney lost his House seat because of his infamous golf trip with Jack Abramoff. These REpublicans talk about hard work and the power of the free market. The truth is they want lavish corporate welfare and a government paycheck.

Meet the Obama Financial Sector Donors

Obama supporters wonder why I am so skeptical about the President. The reason is that every domestic policy that President Obama has initiated has been to please lobbyists. Obama doesn't give a damn about progressive causes. A perfect example of how Obama places the needs of corporate donors above his constituents. A 2010 meeting with Sen. Bernie Sanders is proof that Obama values protecting corporate profits more than cunsumers.

Last summer, during a White House meeting with first-term Democrats, Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont, asked Obama whether he'd nominate Warren for the role.

Obama held up a half-full glass of water and told him: "That's the problem with you progressives. You see this as half-empty.

It turns out that Obama never nominated progressive darling Warren. It is hard to imagine a President whom received $1,013,091 from Goldman Sachs, $808,799 from JPMorgan Chase, and $736,771 from Citigroup would see eye to eye with Warren on financial policy. The last thing Obama wants to do his have Warren reform Wall Street.

Obama supporters will say look what the president has done for the gay community. In 2009, the Obama administration pressured Rep. Alcee Hastings to drop an amendment that would repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Democrats had super-majorities in both houses of Congress. Yet, Obama didn't want to touch DADT. The gay community started raising a record amount of money for Obama. The President had a sudden change in heart on DADT.

Obama proposed Medicare cuts that made even some Republicans flinch during the debt ceiling negotiations. Obama is as much a deficit peacock as the Republicans. Obama gave PhRMA lobbyist Billy Tauzin everything he wanted. Including Medicare being prohibited from negociating lower drug prices with pharmaceutical companies. Obama wasn't thinking about the deficit or controlling entitlement spending when he made that deal. It is no coincidence that drug companies donated big-time to Obama's 2008 campaign.

If you want to understand Obama, all you need to do is follow the money.

Goodbye Rep. Rich Glorioso

Florida state Rep. Rich Glorioso said in his farewell address that the lobbyist gift ban was bad law.

He said it was silly to think a lobbyist could buy him a dinner and influence his vote "but he could sure educate me on the issue," said Glorioso.

Actually, if Glorioso has the bad judgement to say the gift ban was bad then it isn't silly to think that they could buy his vote. Glorioso may not be aware of this, but it is his job to educate himself on the issues. The taxpayers pay his staff to help him with legislation.

In case you are wondering, Glorioso's campaign contributions reads like a who's who of corporate and lobbying interest. It wouldn't be silly to think a steak dinner could buy Glorioso's vote.

FLA Legislature's No Shame on Lobbyists

The elected leadership in both parties in Florida don't even hide their incestuous relationship with lobbyists. They hold luncheons for lobbyists to hand them checks and then brag about it the the media.

"We thought this would be an easier way to get everybody together in one place," Saunders said. Asked why business lobbyists would donate to Democrats when they often are in disagreement and Democrats have little influence over legislation, Saunders said: "For one thing, we've been supportive on some of their issues. But the other thing is, committee votes are not always partisan. I think they'd like to have a voice. What I tell people is, 'Contributions don't get you a vote. They get you an open door and an open mind.' "

Lobbyists bearing gifts came and went throughout the lunch hour at the Doubletree.

"I guess you would call it access, the ability to come and educate you on the issues," said Rep. Joe Gibbons, D-Hallandale Beach. "They would do it whether they gave you money or not, but I think they feel that since they have a relationship with you, that it would be easier to get to you."

I can't believe that Gibbons actually said, "I guess you would call it access." It is access. That is the whole point of inviting lobbyists to hand you money. Does anyone believe Saunders statement on dollars not equaling votes?

The Republicans weren't going to be outdone. They held a pass-the-hat-to-the-lobbyist event at the Governor's Club. Beer distributors held a fundraiser for Republican Jeff Brandes. (Saint Petersblog editor Peter Schorsch has worked as a consultant for Brandes.) As a member of the Florida House of Representatives, Thrasher was publicly reprimanded for lobbying a state board for the Florida Board of Medicine on behave of the Florida Medical Association. Lobbyists know that dollars buy Thrasher's vote.

Thrasher has worked as lobbyist. Former state Sen. Ron Klein worked as a lobbyist while in the legislature. The web of lobbying is too tangled in the legislature. State laws need to forbid elected officials from working as lobbyists.