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A member of the Pittsburgh family that owns the Steelers will take the oath of office in Congress today. Tom Rooney, 39, of Tequesta, Fla., a Republican elected to represent Florida's 16th Congressional District, is the first Rooney to hold elected office. He is the grandson of Steelers founder Art Rooney. "Anyone from Western Pennsylvania that walks into my office is going to feel right at home," Rooney said in a phone interview Monday. His office will exhibit Steelers pictures and memorabilia because "it is the only framed art that I own."

Florida Governor’s wedding targeted by homosexual activists Gov. Charlie Crist with his fiancee St. Petersburg, Dec 2, 2008 / 02:00 am (CNA).- Following the recent electoral victory of a marriage amendment proposed for the Florida constitution, homosexual activists plan to demonstrate outside the church wedding and reception of Florida Gov. Charlie Crist next Friday.The governor is to be married to Carole Rome at the First United Methodist Church of St. Petersburg. The activist group Impact-Florida has called for its members to gather in pink T-shirts outside the church and plans also to demonstrate outside the wedding reception at the Renaissance...

Sen. Mel Martinez's announcement Tuesday that he would not seek a second term immediately set off speculation about possible candidates for his seat. The following is a look at people who have indicated interest or are the subject of speculation: Republicans - Former Gov. Jeb Bush. He is seriously considering a run and party and elected officials from Florida and beyond are encouraging him, according to a former political adviser who spoke on condition of anonymity because Bush is not ready to publicly discuss his plans. But for now, the official word from spokeswoman Kristy Campbell is this: "Governor Bush...

Just announced on update on local Miami news: Mel Martinez will NOT run for a second term in 2010! Now maybe we can get a CONSERVATIVE Republican.

This is an email I received yesterday from Senator Martinez in reply to an email I had sent requesting his support to ensure that Senator Obama provided proof of his eligibility, as a natural-born US citizen, to take the office of President of the United States. Dear (Omitted): Thank you for contacting me regarding President-Elect Obama's citizenship. I appreciate hearing from you and would like to respond to your concerns. Like you, I believe that our federal government has the responsibility to make certain that the Constitution of the United States is not compromised. We must fight to uphold our...

MIAMI (AP) — More Floridians voted for John McCain than Barack Obama on Election Day, but the Democrat sealed his victory in the state by winning more early and absentee votes. An Associated Press study of 94 percent of the state's total shows that the Republican beat Obama by almost 5 percentage points on Nov. 4, but Obama trumped McCain by 11 percentage points in early and absentee balloting. Overall, Obama beat McCain 51.4 percent to 48.6 percent in Florida, becoming only the third Democrat in 11 presidential elections to carry the state.

President-elect Barack Obama is expected to name two attorneys to his administration who helped return Elián González to Cuba, angering some Miami Republicans. Two veterans of the Elián González saga are expected to be named to top posts in Democrat Barack Obama's administration, infuriating some Cuban-American Republicans who haven't forgotten the 6-year-old boy seized in Miami and sent back to the communist regime. The Associated Press is reporting that Obama's top choice for U.S. attorney general is Eric Holder, who served as deputy attorney general during the 2000 raid in Miami. Greg Craig, who represented González's father in the custody...

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Some voters expecting to vote for Barack Obama or John McCain two weeks ago were surprised to see 11 other names on the ballot. But 736 voters in Duval County weren't happy with any of the choices and wrote in 191 other names. Among the write in votes were those who really ran for president or vice-president during the long primary campaign: Sen. Hillary Clinton, Rep. Ron Paul, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Fred Thompson, Rudy Giuliani, Sarah Palin and even Steven Colbert. George W. Bush got two votes to serve a third term. Others getting multiple votes...

Amendement 2 oppresses another minority.Last week, an anti-gay marriage measure passed statewide, garnering a majority of votes in every Florida county but Monroe. The ballot was one of the great paradoxes in American politics: The black community, the most oppressed group in U.S. history, comprised one of the unfriendliest demographics toward gays. C. Stiles S.F. Mahee wanted to flee the state after the vote. Subject(s): Amendement 2, gay marriage banS.F. Mahee worked as the Broward organizer for Florida Red and Blue, which backed the measure. She is also a black lesbian who has urged the African-American community to take a...

Weeks before Barack Obama won the presidency, he met privately in Washington with his former Democratic rival, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, and Latino political leaders who had fervently backed her bid. The cards were laid upon the table, according to one of the participants. The Hispanic leaders said they expected at least two Latinos to be named to an Obama Cabinet — meeting the standard set by President-elect Bill Clinton in 1992 — but preferred three. Of course, they also wanted sub-Cabinet-level posts. In return, Obama needed assurances that Hispanics — who had overwhelmingly voted for Clinton...

Florida Rep. Adam Putnam, considered a rising star in the Republican Party, made a surprise announcement Tuesday, relinquishing his position as the third-ranking Republican in the House. "With the issues before us today come bipartisan opportunities and partisan differences," Putnam said. "My current role obligates me to the latter and too often excludes me from the former. I want to fight the battles worth fighting and lock arms to strengthen our nation whenever possible," said Putnam, 34, who added he came to his decision "reluctantly."

On the day after the election, at Palm Beach County's tabulation center, vote counting machines whirred, workers opened envelopes with ballots and canvassing board members continued reviewing problem ballots. Why is Palm Beach County still tallying votes? There are a couple of reasons. First, several thousand late-arriving absentee ballots needed to be opened and run through the tabulating machines. These ballots arrived before the deadline on Tuesday. The second big issue: dealing with the inability of cartridge-reading equipment to read cartridges storing votes from a couple of precincts and a couple of early voting locations. Mid-day Wednesday elections workers started...

The 2008 presidential election marked the first time Florida Hispanics backed a Democrat since exit polling began in the 1980s. BY CASEY WOODS cwoods@MiamiHerald.com Rose Pujol, a Cuban-American, pushed hard for Barack Obama's presidential victory. The Miami resident attended the Democratic convention, volunteered for the Florida campaign, and put up a life-size cutout of Obama in her Coconut Grove offices. ''He takes people from all walks of life and gets them behind him,'' said Pujol, 53. ``I wanted to be part of that America.'' Such enthusiasm paid off for the Democratic candidate in Florida's elections: the state's Hispanics voted for...

Florida voters approved a constitutional ban on gay marriage Tuesday, handing a victory to social conservatives who pumped millions into the ballot drive aimed at ensuring the courts cannot legalize same-sex unions in the Sunshine State. After a fierce battle waged on TV airwaves, Amendment 2 was poised to comfortably clear the 60 percent threshold to become law, according to unofficial election results with most precincts reporting late Tuesday night. It defines marriage as a union between one man and one woman. Voters "don't want what happened in Massachusetts, California, Connecticut to happen here in Florida," said John Stemberger, who...

Florida voters pass marriage amendment by: Jessica Gresko 11/05/08 MIAMI (AP) -- Florida voters inserted into the state constitution a ban on same-sex marriage, narrowly passing Amendment 2 in Tuesday's election. The amendment further cements an existing prohibition against gay marriage in state law. Supporters said defining marriage in the constitution as between a man and a woman will help prevent court rulings allowing same-sex

Title says it all...this is brutal...beyond brutal. Starting to know what it felt like to be Carter in 1980.

11.05.08-02:30: Obama 4,073,207, 50.9%; McCain 3,872,553, 48.4%; Obama 200,654 +2.5%; 99% Precincts Reporting Courtesy Miami Herald

Florida voters approved a constitutional ban on gay marriage Tuesday, handing a victory to social conservatives who pumped millions into the ballot drive aimed at ensuring the courts cannot legalize same-sex unions in the Sunshine State After a fierce battle waged on TV airwaves, Amendment 2 was poised to comfortably clear the 60 percent threshold to become law, according to unofficial election results with most precincts reporting late Tuesday night. It defines marriage as a union between one man and one woman. Voters "don't want what happened in Massachusetts, California, Connecticut to happen here in Florida," said John Stemberger, who...

Live returns should start coming in any second now. http://enight.dos.state.fl.us/