Who Built the Great City of Teotihuacan? -- National Geographic

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by Nick Stone of Drawnlines Politics:

Newly-released audio archives give listeners a behind the scenes glimpse at the confusion and stress surrounding the assassination of President Kennedy in November 1963.

According to CBS News, "The complete audio record of the flight back to Washington was lost for years until the estate of JFK's top military aide, Army Gen. Chester "Ted" Clifton Jr., sold his copy of the tapes to The Raab Collection, historical document dealers, which gave a copy of the audio to the National Archives."

It appears the White House Communications Agency edited out 42 minutes of the footage in a previously-released version of the tapes.  Conspiracy theorists suggest this was done to cover up "the real story" of the assassination.  Others say it was done to protect code names, confidential whereabouts and other sensitive information for national security purposes.  You can decide on that for yourself.

Most striking in the tapes is the primitive communication between Air Force One, the White House and other government officials.  The channels routinely went out and interference caused rampant miscommunication.  It is a wonder that everyone kept their composure and got their job done that day.

History buffs often wonder about the intensely chaotic time between the grassy knoll and the return to the White House that fateful day.  With the release of these tapes, the whole world can be a fly on the proverbial wall.  Immerse yourself in these historical moments and feel the tension as word came that our president was dead.

Florida Agenda: Should GLBT voters support a Mormon Republican? You might be surprised.

by Nick Stone of Drawnlines Politics:


If you believe in equality under the law, it might surprise you when I say that a Mormon Republican is our best bet for president in 2012. Take a deep breath and keep reading.

Let me start by saying that Republican candidates want gay votes. They just don’t think they are going to get them. In Republican circles, it can be an uphill battle to get candidates to campaign in gay and minority areas.  On the surface, it might seem that they don’t want your vote, but that’s simply untrue.

There was a time when the Republican Party was outwardly hostile toward gays.  This isn’t 2004, and George W. Bush isn’t president. Countless examples exist of the Democratic Party’s history of discrimination and repression, but I’ll forego that lesson for now. Just know that today’s Republican Party would truly surprise you if you gave it a second look.

It’s often said that demographics are the future of partisan politics. Growing numbers of Latinos, blacks, and gays are supposed to wipe out the Republican majority forever. But what these pundits don’t count on is the core of the Republican coalition. They don’t know that today’s Republican Party is flooded with the ranks of two groups: young people with an intense Libertarian streak (and lots of gay friends with fabulous weddings to attend), and former Democrats who have been turned-off by their party’s Obama-Pelosi wing of big, intrusive government. You know these as the Tea Party.

In New Hampshire several weeks ago, GOP frontrunner Mitt Romney was asked, “When was the last time you stood up for gay rights?” The moderator repeated Romney’s own words, “I think the gay community needs more support from the Republican Party, and I would be a voice in the Republican Party to foster anti-discrimination efforts.”

Romney did not back down from his pledge.  He said, “If people are looking for someone who will discriminate against gays, or will in any way try and suggest that people that have different sexual orientation in this country don’t have full rights, they won’t find that in me.” When was the last time he spoke out for gay rights?  “Right now,” he proclaimed among Republican challengers in a Republican audience.  That Republican audience’s reaction: thunderous applause.

Gays are not one-issue voters.  Many of us own businesses: we don’t want them killed by over-regulation. Many of us have children: we don’t want to leave them with a mountain of debt. All of us pay taxes: we don’t want them drown our family budgets. Many of us still vote Democrat, because that’s what gays are supposed to do.

South Florida LGBT voters led the way in 2010, swinging a full third of our votes to Republicans.  With Mitt Romney at the top of the GOP ticket, I’m confident that this November will pave the way for a brand new Republican coalition that stands for liberty for all.  If LGBT voters are willing to look forward, that will be the legacy of today’s Republican Party.  If you want to see real progress, take a chance on a Mormon Republican who has an open mind. Or, you can support a Democrat who takes your vote for granted.

This op-ed originally ran in the Florida Agenda.
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Bloomberg: Florida is Romney Country

by Nick Stone of Drawnlines Politics:


Florida Republicans need to know what's at stake when they cast their ballots next week.

We cannot afford to throw an electoral temper tantrum, or allow a purity test to cast our Party into obscurity. It's time to come to Jesus.


If we nominate Newt Gingrich or Rick Santorum, Republicans will be on the wrong side of a landslide in November. Obama could keep the White House and take out a whole lot of down-ballot Republicans with him. We can kiss the House goodbye.

Think you're afraid of disappointment with Mitt Romney? Think about four more years of Obama.  Think of handing the Speaker's gavel back to Nancy Pelosi. That's how seriously Floridians need to take their vote on Tuesday.

Nicholas Stone, Vice President, Broward County Young Republicans, Fort Lauderdale

This editorial originally ran in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

by Nick Stone of Drawnlines Politics:

Newt Gingrich has taken some sharp jabs on the campaign trail recently - not from rival Mitt Romney, but Rick Santorum.

In Coral Springs this weekend, Santorum launched his Florida campaign by taking Gingrich to task over his short tenure as Speaker of the House.  Broadsiding Gingrich from the Right, Santorum said it was conservatives that wanted Gingrich fired as leader. “When Newt was speaker of the House, within three years conservatives in the House of Representatives tried to throw him out and in the fourth year they did. Why? Because he wasn’t governing as a conservative!” Santorum said.

Rick Santorum had an alarming take on Newt Gingrich's "conservative" record:

Santorum on healthcare: “For 20 years, Congressman Gingrich has demanded and encouraged and fought to get a mandate from the federal level – the very thing that the attorney general in this country is fighting for at the Supreme Court,” Santorum said. “Up until last year, Speaker Gingrich supported that mandate.”

Santorum on pandering: “We don’t need someone who sits on a couch with Nancy Pelosi – I mean it’s not as bad as sitting with Debbie Wasserman Schultz, but it’s close,” Santorum said, to loud cheers. “I’m not gonna sit on the couch with anybody!”

Santorum on rhetoric and record: “He didn’t live up to all of the hype. If you look at what he tried to do and what he accomplished, it just didn’t match with what he said.”

For his attacks on the media and rhetoric against Romney, Speaker Gingrich certainly sounds the dog whistle for conservative voters.  His record, however, is cautionary at best.  Florida Republicans should take a serious look at Gingrich's past before they cast their ballot.  Historians often recall that Gingrich's greatest accomplishment as Speaker was securing a second term for President Bill Clinton.  Is that the legacy we want repeated?

Florida Republicans, you decide...

by Nick Stone of Drawnlines Politics:

Republican presidential contenders have found plenty of ways to distinguish themselves from the field, but they all sing from the same hymnal on one point: channeling Ronald Reagan.  Drawnlines readers have already gotten an ad nauseum spiel about the greatness of The Great Communicator.  But we often forget the things that made Ronald Reagan a great president were also evident in his closest ally abroad.  As Reagan led the fight to unleash the American spirit by unleashing Americans, Lady Margaret Thatcher was just as busy putting Britain on the move by putting the British people in the driver's seat.

Reagan and Thatcher personified the great relationship every bit as much as Roosevelt and Churchill, and the stakes of their success in the world community were every bit as high.  Where the two nations came together to face Nazi expansionism during WWII, so they stood together against Communist expansionism in the 1980's.  Domestically, the two great leaders championed a massive roll-back of the nanny state that empowered citizens to take ownership of their own futures and allowed the freedom to prosper or fail based on one's merits and labor.

What a truly special bond indeed.

The new movie The Iron Lady lends an occasion to fondly reflect on the 1980's, a time of British rebirth and exceptionalism.  Examples of her heroic leadership range from the Falklands War to the bombing at Brighton, denationalization of British industry and ironically, the Poll Tax that abruptly ended her term as prime minister.  She was never afraid to do what was right, however unpopular.  Lady Thatcher reminded her countrymen to be strong in the face of adversity, to believe in themselves and to invest in the future of Britain by investing in the success of Britons.

Lady Thatcher wasn't just a great leader to her own countrymen.  She was also an unwavering and inspirational friend to British allies.  She stood beside President Reagan in reassurance that his policies of strength and freedom put America on the right side of history.  It is for that reason that both Americans and Britons feel a great sense of national pride as we honor the legacy of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, The Iron Lady.

She is, for many Americans, a national hero.  She is, forever, a world legend.

Mitt Romney for President 2012

by Nick Stone of Drawnlines Politics:

Am I the only one who thinks Republicans have a lot to be proud of this campaign season?

With a field full of accomplished conservatives running for president in the GOP race, you'd think Republican voters would be like kids in a candy store, with too many goodies in sight to pick just one. Indeed they are finding it hard to choose a candidate, but that's because they don't find anyone particularly appealing.

Seriously?

"Jesus isn't on the ballot," quipped one Christian conservative leader. And surely the Republican candidate will be a mere mortal, with battle scars, decisions that alienated someone, and a few past mistakes. So we're going to have to slap ourselves into reality a little bit.  But that is no reason to fret our field, especially compared with President Obama's dismal record.

For me, I've found my comfort zone with Mitt Romney. His background in the private sector proved he knows how the real economy works (for better and for worse) and his experience as governor proved he can effectively move the wheels of government (ditto).

Many pundits worry aloud that if Mitt Romney is the Republican nominee, staunch conservatives won't be fired up enough to go to the polls in November. Really? Even if they are not over the moon about Mitt, they should at least be fired up about thwarting a second Obama term. The elusive group of Independent voters are quite warm to Mitt and appear ready to cross Obama off their dance cards if the right suitor comes around. And for crossover appeal, their only choices are Romney or Paul. That should be a very easy choice.

Mitt is the clear winner on the questions of electability, leadership and pragmatic conservative governance. He is steady, sure, and 100 percent pro-America. He has earned my vote.

But hey, those other guys aren't bad either.

Reuters: Ann and Mitt Romney Appear Confident Ahead of IA Caucus

by Nick Stone of Drawnlines Politics:

It's full steam ahead for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney after a razor thin margin of victory in the Iowa Caucus Tuesday night.

The former Massachusetts governor originally intended to downplay Iowa and focus on victory in New Hampshire's primary, held next week.  But as other candidates billing themselves as the anti-Romney rose and faltered in Iowa, Romney found himself within striking distance in the Hawkeye State.  Romney's campaign became tempted to seriously compete in Iowa and possibly win both of the first two contests, setting up a delegate lead and reinforcing the impression of his inevitability.

Feeling confident about his standing in the caucuses, Romney predicted victory early this week, causing pundits to recoil or even predict an upset.  But the candidate closed strong, focused on the message that Iowans should pick him as the most likely Republican to beat President Obama in November.  As returns flowed in from caucus sites, a three way tie for first place quickly formed between Ron Paul, Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney.  Paul eventually fell behind as his eastern strongholds concluded their tallies.  That left Romney and Santorum jockeying back and forth for a photo finish across the rest of the state.

Looking forward to New Hampshire's first primary next Tuesday, Romney appears strong.  He has improved his lead in state polls and secured nearly every major endorsement in the state.  Today, he is expected to receive the endorsement of local prodigal son John McCain, whose campaign came from behind to win the Republican nomination in 2008.  New Hampshire's significantly less-evangelical makeup could prove problematic for Santorum, who counted on religious conservatives to propel his Iowa victory.  Ron Paul and Jon Huntsman could prove formidable competitors, as NH voters have a history of skewing pragmatic (rather than ideological), libertarian (rather than socially conservative), and rebellious against inevitable candidates.

The Romney campaign has plenty to smile about as they have most surrogates and precinct captains locked up, resources in place, and a strong rapport with Granite State voters.  Indeed, Romney appears poised for back-to-back victories as primary season charges ahead.

by Nick Stone of Drawnlines Politics:

The Florida Senate recently released redistricting proposals for the next decade.  Reviewing the congressional proposal, several items caught my eye.  Partisan voter data doesn't appear to be available yet but a careful review of the map is highly telling.  Here is a quick rundown of political leanings by Congressional District as I see them:

North Florida Proposal

Central Florida Proposal

South Florida Proposal

Current FL Delegation: 19(R)/6(D) [25 Total]
Proposal: 18(R)/7(D) 2(toss-up) [27 Total]

Partisan leanings by Congressional District:
CD 1 - Safe Republican
CD 2 - Safe Republican
CD 3 - Safe Democrat (Majority Black)
CD 4 - Safe Republican
CD 5 - Safe Republican
CD 6 - Lean/Safe Republican
CD 7 - Lean Republican
*CD 8 - Toss-up/Slight Republican
CD 9 - Safe Republican
CD 10 - Safe Republican
CD 11 - Safe Democrat
CD 12 - Safe Republican
CD 13 - Safe Republican
CD 14 - Safe Republican
CD 15 - Safe Republican
CD 16 - Lean/Safe Republican
CD 17 - Safe Democrat (Majority Black)
CD 18 - Lean Republican (Majority Hispanic)
CD 19 - Safe Democrat
CD 20 - Safe Democrat
CD 21 - Safe Republican (Majority Hispanic)
*CD 22 - Toss-up/Slight Democrat
CD 23 - Safe Democrat (Majority Black)
CD 24 - Safe Republican
CD 25 - Safe Republican (Majority Hispanic)
CD 26 - Safe Republican
CD 27 - Lean/Safe Democrat (Majority Minority)

Summary:

If the goal of redistricting was to create more competitive districts, the project was a miserable failure.  I could only find two districts which have a truly competitive landscape (CD 8 and CD 22).  All other districts have a clear partisan bias toward one Party or the other.

If the goal of redistricting was to create more compact districts, the project was largely a success.  The new map is significantly more contiguous and intelligible than current districts, and follows county lines as a general guide for map making.  The Tampa area was very well divided between districts, though the Orlando metro was sliced apart with a Ginsu knife.  Districts 8 and 27 intertwine like two mating snakes, which appears more partisan than practical in its effect.

If the goal was to toss incumbents under the political bus, the project had mixed success.  John Mica, Dan Webster and Allen West all got hosed by either having their districts blue-washed or having themselves mapped out of their districts entirely.  Many other incumbents (Corrine Brown, Alcee Hastings, Debbie Wasserman Schultz) still have dream districts.

The new map is a step in the right direction.  It obeys the Voting Rights Act while attempting faithfulness to the principles of the "Fair Districts" Amendments from 2010.  From a partisan standpoint, the results are mixed.  Democrats could complain that conservative Democrats in North Florida will become extinct, while Republicans could counter that Broward and Palm Beach Republicans will go from endangered to near extinction.  The two newly created districts are split evenly between a predominately white, right-leaning district northwest of Orlando and a majority-minority, left-leaning district southeast of Orlando.

On balance, not half bad for government work.

  

TO: Dr. Brenda C. Snipes, Supervisor of Elections, Broward County, 954-357-7050  

FROM: Richard DeNapoli, Chairman, Broward Republican Executive Committee

          d/b/a Republican Party of Broward County, 954-941-7775 

Dear Dr. Snipes,

I am writing to you regarding early voting locations for the 2012 elections.  I understand that it takes time to set up early voting locations, which is why I am writing to you almost one year prior to the November 2012 elections and in advance of all the scheduled elections for 2012.      

At a meeting you held recently at one of your Supervisor of Elections offices, you informed attendees that there would 16 early voting locations in Broward County. These locations were listed on the enclosed flyer (CLICK HERE TO VIEW).  After reviewing this document it appears there would be no early voting locations in the current State Senate, District 25 represented by State Senator Ellyn Bogdanoff or in the current State House, District 91 represented by State Representative George Moraitis.  The Republican Party of Broward County is respectfully requesting that early voting sites be placed in the geographical area currently represented by these districts.  This geographical area corresponds largely to those areas in Broward County represented by elected Republican officeholders.

According to the Florida Division of Elections Book Closing dates for the October 2010 elections, there were 107,592 registered voters in State Senate District 25. This corresponds to 10.3% of all the 1,041,641 registered voters in Broward County at that time.  There were 42,686 registered Republicans in State Senate District 25, which corresponded to 17.3% of all the 246,714 registered Republicans in Broward at that time.  Voter turnout per your office's statistics for all voters in this district was 46.7%.  This is higher than the countywide average of 40.99%.  If there are to be 16 early voting sites, we find it hard to believe that not even one is placed in this State Senate district.  While there are early voting sites near the current State Senate District 25, and might even be early voting sites within the district after redistricting, it seems that early voting sites have increased in heavily Democratic areas since 2010.  Furthermore, the former early voting sites nearby Federal Highway from the county line to Sunrise Boulevard have been eliminated.  We know this is the heavily Republican area of Broward County.    

Not having early voting locations in this area serves to disenfranchise all voters in this area, while especially disenfranchising the Republican voters.  All registered voters in this geographic area would have to drive a further distance than most other voters throughout Broward to find the nearest early voting site.  This clearly makes it more difficult for these voters to vote early.

I know that you have stated on numerous occasions that you would like to increase voter turnout for all voters.  I applaud this effort because voting is a sacred right and your office has done a great job with voter outreach.  As I reviewed the Florida Statutes, I came across Chapter 101.657 which requires that early voting "sites must be geographically located so as to provide all voters in the county an equal opportunity to cast a ballot, insofar as is practicable" (emphasis added). This law also states that the "supervisor may also designate any city hall or permanent public library facility as early voting sites."

There are multiple locations available in this geographical area or a few blocks west of Federal Highway to place an early voting site and they include the following:

• Hillsboro Beach City Hall
• Lighthouse Point City Hall
• Lauderdale-by-the-Sea City Hall
• Beach Branch Library
• Galt Ocean Mile Reading Center
• Imperial Point Branch Library, a former early voting site
• Deerfield Beach Percy White Branch Library, a former early voting site
• Pompano Beach City Hall, a former early voting site

Research in numerous scholarly journals has shown that the greater the distance from a voting site, the greater exists the likelihood of nonvoting.  The incidence of early voting is highly sensitive to the location of the early voting location.

The Republican Party of Broward County has previously requested that early voting sites be placed in this area during the last election cycle.  Past Chairwoman Cindy Guerra and current Republican National Committee Co-Chair Sharon Day, who is also Florida's National Committeewoman and Broward's State Committeewoman, both requested that early voting locations be placed in this geographic area in 2010. 

We have often heard the argument that Republican voters do not utilize early voting compared to Democrat voters.  Republicans are in fact taking advantage of early voting more frequently, and research has shown that distance has an undeniable impact on the voter's method of voting.  If early voting is more convenient for all registered voters on the east side of Broward, they will use it more often.  

Once again, Florida Law requires that early voting sites be allocated geographically so that all voters are provided an equal opportunity to cast a ballot, insofar as is practicable.  We do not feel the allocation is fair to all registered voters in this geographical area of Broward County.  Since the early voting sites have increased from 13 to 16 since the 2010 election cycle, I would have thought that early voting sites in this geographical area would have also increased due to the higher-than-average voter turnout in Senate District 25 in 2010. 

I know that everyone's philosophy is to increase voter turnout and I hope you can explain how we can increase it in this geographical area of our county.

The Republican Party of Broward County respectfully requests your assistance in helping to increase voter turnout in this geographical area. As I previously stated I hope that we can work together and comply with Florida Law and give all voters in Broward an equal opportunity to cast a ballot in the upcoming 2012 elections.

Sincerely,

Richard DeNapoli, Chairman

Broward Republican Executive Committee

RD

Attachments

cc:        ALL MEDIA SOURCES

            Broward Republican Executive Committee Board Members

            Broward Republican Executive Committee Members

            RNC Co-Chair, National Committeewoman, and Broward State   

                   Committeewoman Sharon Day

            State Committeeman Ed Kennedy

            Broward Republican Executive Committee Legal Counsel  

Cites & Research:

Florida Statute 101.657

Dyck, Joshua J. and Gimpel, James G. 2005. Distance, Turnout and the Convenience of Voting. Social Science Quarterly, Volume 86, Number 3. 

Anthony Man, Fewer Early Voting sites in Broward and Palm Beach counties, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, August 2, 2010.

Heritage: Big Labor Drags American Airlines into Bankruptcy

by Nick Stone: 


In the wake of the 9-11 terror attacks and the ensuing aviation industry downturn, every major American airline filed bankruptcy to reduce costs and reorganize their balance sheets. Every airline that is, except American Airlines. 

American Airlines takes pride in its position as America's defacto flag carrier and reputation for innovation, like the first frequent flyer program. The company is also known for good relations with employees.  American's website proudly boasts, "For our progressive and fair-minded policies and employment practices, American Airlines is the only airline in the nation to earn a perfect 100% score four years in a row by the Human Rights Campaign for its Corporate Equality Index (CEI)."

Management has moved heaven and earth to work in good faith with employees while achieving productivity and cost containment goals. Indeed, wages and benefits for AA employees significantly exceed their counterparts.  But financial analysts have urged the airline to do more to bring labor costs down in the face of flat revenues and high fuel prices.  AA has been in stalled contract negotiations since 2006 and recent talks have found the union unwilling to help avoid financial disaster. In need of a game changer, yesterday American's holding company (AMR) declared Chapter 11 reorganizational bankruptcy. 

According to PBS Nightly Business Report, the move was "brought on by the carrier's sky high labor costs." Bankruptcy gives the carrier muscle in negotiations with unions. 

American Airlines employees are in for a rude awakening put off for too long. Unable to avoid sacrifices faced by their counterparts at other airlines, American's unions decided they would rather take down the company than agree to sacrifices for their members. Unfortunately, those employees may go down with the ship. 

Of course, airlines and autos are the two go-to example industries where union intervention has strangled companies and resulted in disaster. For a few extra bucks and slightly looser work rules, unionized employees often face unfortunate consequences. When high labor costs force their company into bankruptcy, massive pay cuts and layoffs are often the result. Worse yet, the company may dissolve leaving everyone jobless. 


The Heritage Foundation summed up the situation at AA perfectly: "American’s unsustainable losses forced bankruptcy, which in turn could have a negative impact on creditors, employees, retirees, shareholders, and consumers. And though American may emerge stronger after bankruptcy, it will not be without a steep price paid by all parties involved."

In a hard hit industry and a poor economy, the notion that the union would hold American Airlines hostage is reckless. It is reckless because their decisions will result in more drastic pay cuts and layoffs than would have been required through cooperation. It is also reckless because it permanently tarnished the final legacy airline in America.  

WaPo: Romney Secures Key Miami Endorsements

by Nick Stone: 

South Florida is the most liberal, reliably-blue part of the Sunshine State.  But it's also home to the state's three largest groups of Republicans.

Miami-Dade County is home to Florida's actively partisan Cuban community and some 367,500 registered Republicans.  Their votes can be strategic in offsetting more rural, conservative parts of the state.  Just ask John McCain.

Four years ago, John McCain's Florida victory paved his way to the GOP nomination by squeezing past Mitt Romney in the primary and taking all of Florida's delegates.  McCain swamped Romney in Miami by a margin of 76,356 to 24,189 - more than enough to offset Romney strongholds in Southwest and Northeast Florida.

This year, Romney has called out the heavy artillery to put Dade County in his column.  His campaign made an astute move by hiring Miami native JC Hernandez as Florida Field Director.  At a Miami campaign stop this morning, Romney will announce endorsements from Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Mario Diaz-Balart as well as former Representative Lincoln Diaz-Balart.  This heavy hitting trifecta will use their Cuban-Republican bona fides to tip the scales in Romney's favor between now and January.

The "Other" Miami Factor: Jeb Bush.

Four years ago, former Governor Jeb Bush did not officially back a candidate in the Florida primary.  Behind the scenes however, Bush urged his close allies to "take a look" at Mitt Romney.  As we previously wrote, "Many did just that" and several Bush allies joined Team Romney.  As Texas Governor Rick Perry edged past Romney in polls earlier this year, Bush was found not-so-subtly praising Romney to conservative journalists.  Jeb's support, either behind the scenes or on the front lines, could be the deciding factor in Miami and across Florida.

The winner of the early Florida primary is likely to seize momentum and win the Republican nomination for president.  Mitt Romney knows his path to victory goes right through the heart of Miami.

(updated post)

American Express is asking Americans to support local economies by "shopping small."  November 26 will mark the second annual "Small Business Saturday" where Americans pledge to patronize a small business in their community.

Next February, PBS will introduce the next episode of American Experience: The Presidents.  In this chapter, the presidency of Bill Clinton (1993-2001).

News broke yesterday that the so-called Deficit Supercommittee failed to reach an agreement to cut $1.2 trillion over the next decade.  But is their failure really so bad?