We can't stress enough how unemployment – and not the deficit – is the number one issue in America today. Later today we'll post a story from one of our contributors on that jobs fair held in West Tampa that was hosted by Tampa House Democrat Janet Cruz that had over a thousand people gathered.
Unemployment is of course higher in the black and Latino sectors of our economy, and some members of the Congressional Black Caucus are getting frustrated with President Obama on that issue. Even Tampa area Democrat Kathy Castor admits to CL that she has encouraged Obama to be bolder on jobs.
Castor bashes the Tea Party in our post, but one of the most prominent Tea Party members, Karen Jaroch, a big critic of light and high speed rail, was voted to be on the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART) yesterday.
Meanwhile, the only BOCC member to reject Jaroch's nomination, Democrat Kevin Beckner, says he's prepared for an onslaught of negativity to rain down on him next year, as he told a Democratic party group in Tampa earlier this week.
And the race for the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate keeps on giving if you're a political reporter in this state. Today for no apparent reason, the Adam Hasner campaign opts to remind all of you who have somehow forgotten, that George LeMieux and Charlie Crist used to be pretty good buds.
This article appears in Aug 18-24, 2011.