Political doppelgangers for our pre-election amusement

Political doppelgangers for our pre-election amusement

You know how they say that everybody has a double? We often like to compare ourselves to our celebrity lookalikes and our loved ones to our silver screen heroes or damsels in distress. Why should politicians be any different? My comparison of Cutler Bay Mayor Ed “Big Mac Daddy” MacDougall to action movie star John […]

Slow, drama free early voting turns into Lollapallooza party

Slow, drama free early voting turns into Lollapallooza party

It was bound to happen when you realize that at any given time during early voting there has been at least twice as many and as much as dozens as many poll workers as voters. Somebody was going to get on somebody’s nerve. I mean, somebody other than former Congressman David “Nine Lives” Rivera, who […]

In congressional run, David Rivera is a media genius

In congressional run, David Rivera is a media genius

Former Congressman David “Nine Lives” Rivera is not just a brilliant political mind who has managed to stay ahead of both U.S. prosecutors and the media while remaining Prince Charming among voters. He is also a media genius. Yes, the same Rivera who told The Miami Herald’s Marc Caputo to “email me” 17 times when […]

David Rivera’s ‘stealth campaign’ goes round 2

David Rivera’s ‘stealth campaign’ goes round 2

It looks like former Congressman David “Nine Lives” Rivera still has some breath in him as his on-again-off-again campaign is on again. Rivera unleashed a second round of robocalls on Republican absentee voters Monday that, again, poked at the Miami Herald rather than any one of the four other candidates on the Aug. 26 primary […]

National GOP campaign chair touts Carlos Curbelo in FL26

National GOP campaign chair touts Carlos Curbelo in FL26

Miami-Dade School Board Member Carlos Curbelo, who is already the GOP establishment choice, got some major props Saturday from Congressman Greg Walden (R-Oregon), when the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, the House GOP’s campaign arm, gave the weekly Republican radio address. But Walden has apparently fast-forwarded to the general election in which the GOP hopes to unseat Democrat […]

David Rivera robocall indicates he ain’t out of race just yet

David Rivera robocall indicates he ain’t out of race just yet

Looks like former Congressman David “Nine Lives” Rivera is back in the race he said he wanted no part of just weeks ago. Or that’s what one would surmise from a robocall delivered to some Republican voters in District 26 Wednesday. Several sources told Ladra that they had received phone calls from a recording of […]

Carlos Curbelo keeps poll secret in FL26 race for Congress

Carlos Curbelo keeps poll secret in FL26 race for Congress

Days after former Congressman David “Nine Lives” Rivera jumped into the Congressional Republican primary for District 26, Miami-Dade School Board Member Carlos Curbelo — the establishment choice from months earlier — did a poll that cost him $35,000. And why haven’t we heard a peep about it? Curbelo did not return a phone call to […]

Politicos ponder fallout from redistricting court ruling

Politicos ponder fallout from redistricting court ruling

By BRANDON LARRABEE/THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDATHE CAPITAL, TALLAHASSEE, July 11, 2014 — Members of Congress, candidates and political observers are grappling with the fallout of a judge’s Thursday ruling that two of the state’s congressional districts were illegally drawn for partisan reasons.Lawyers on Friday were preparing to ask Leon County Circuit Court Judge Terry Lewis to move quickly to prescribe a remedy for the flawed map. Meanwhile, Democratic Congresswoman Corrine Brown […]

David Rivera’s reasons for leaving FL26 race ring false

David Rivera’s reasons for leaving FL26 race ring false

Former Congressman David “King Nine Lives” Rivera announced Friday that he would “suspend campaigning” that in the congressional primary for his old seat in District 26, and “launch” instead a campaign for a state House seat in 2016. But, while he was mincing words, Rivera told Ladra in a short telephone interview that he had […]

David Rivera’s drop sets up Frank Artiles vs Juan Zapata

David Rivera’s drop sets up Frank Artiles vs Juan Zapata

If (read: when) former Congressman David “King Nine Lives” Rivera drops out of the race for Congressional District 26 and runs, instead, for state House race in 2016, it may not be in District 105 where he lives, which is the seat now held by State Rep. Carlos Trujillo (R-Doral). Rivera could move to District 118, […]