Accusations of voter fraud have hurled a mud ball into an already messy presidential campaign, with Republicans alleging that Democrat Barack Obama has close ties to an activist group accused of compiling fake registration forms, including ones for the starting lineup of the Dallas Cowboys, submitted in Nevada. ...more

October 11, 2008

Mark Darling's recent guest column, "In Defense of Sheriff Benton," is not a defense of the sheriff, but rather a diversion from issues. Darling, who will ramble to anyone who will listen to him, is friends with Sheriff Benton and former FHP command personnel who retired or were demoted during an internal affairs investigation. Mr. Darling doesn't even know Ron Grimming. Sour grapes and dirty politics? You bet! ...more

September 19, 2008

It's fun to read all the different people writing about the change in the political playing field. Oh my gosh! A woman as vice president who is a mother, activist, as well as a common sense person? They will attempt to make her look foolish, stupid and put anything out there that could discredit her in any way shape or form. After all, this is the dirty politics that are being played today with both sides. I, or most of us, wish to be informed voters and have to sort through all the hype, lies and just poor judgment that the political media can conjure up. ...more

September 10, 2008

"One-term pledge!" This is just one more ploy in the long list of ploys devised by the masters in political intrigue. For the overly ambitious the need to win becomes a corrupting force. Dirty politics heads the list; the list is growing longer, and the ploys more desperate, as defeat draws near. ...more

July 3, 2008

I have just finished reading Greg Palast's "The Best Democracy Money Can Buy" and if you are interested in how your government really works, I recommend it. However, it has made me eat my words. I once said that "Dubya" was not good at anything he did. After reading this book I find that he is really good indeed at sleazy, manipulative, underhanded dirty politics. Oh, I don't give him all the credit. A man of his limited abilities couldn't do this all on his own. No, he had plenty of help. He has been indulged by a powerful and wealthy family who has supported his candidacy for president in every way imaginable. And his advisors were able to manipulate him to their own good and well-being. The rest of us are bearing the fruits of these selfish and failed policies. When I think of the young men and women who faithfully invaded another country and died or were maimed and changed for the rest of their lives, my heart bleeds for them. We are on the brink of recession and in debt to China and Japan among others and the outlook is bleak. So, to whom do we look to save us? ...more

February 19, 2008

Democratic presidential rivals Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama accused each other of repeatedly and deliberately distorting the truth for political gain Monday night in a highly personal, finger-wagging debate that ranged from the war in Iraq to Bill Clinton's role in the campaign. ...more

January 22, 2008

So Young, So Hateful; Rall Really Rails Every morning, I look forward to a good breakfast along with Hernando Today. I don't usually read Ted Rall's editorials, but today was the exception. In the first five paragraphs (that was all I could take) he said "Mike Huckabee may not be smart enough to hold a job; he's a crazy Christian and he won because crazy Christians motivated by anti-Mormon bigotry voted for him. In the Republican Party, hate trumps cash. If Huckabee were Muslim, he'd be a radical Islamist denying separation of church and state." Etc., etc., etc. ...more

January 11, 2008

"The Almanac of Political Corruption, Scandals and Dirty Politics," by Kim Long (Delacorte Press, $24) ...more

November 11, 2007

Free for the first time in 6 1/2 years, ousted President Joseph Estrada thanked his successor for pardoning him and vowed Friday to stay out of 'dirty politics' while dedicating the rest of his life to helping the poor. ...more

October 27, 2007

Lobbyist John Thrasher, a lawyer and former speaker of the Florida House, makes a bogus but convincing case against the Hometown Democracy amendment that voters will possibly consider in November 2008. ...more

September 24, 2007