Crist's BS

At Florida State University, there is a wall of pen-and-ink portraits of inductees into the university's chapter of the honor society Omicron Delta Kappa. It's somewhat tastefully done, with each portrait bearing a small gold plaque with the honoree's name and year of induction. Here's part of it:

One of the most recent inductees is Gov. Charlie Crist. Few of the inductees' plaques show their degrees, and the only ones I noticed were Ph.D.s ... except ol' Charlie.

His plaque is, I believe, the only one showing a non-terminal degree ... and in this case, it's uniquely appropriate:

(click images for larger versions)

Florida House District 9: solidly blue or more garnet and gold?

Lately, Florida Progressive Radio's Big Show has featured some Democratic candidates for the Florida House, including Gautier Kitchen in District 9 (PDF), which is in Leon County -- as in Tallahassee, as in the home of Florida State University.

As stated on the show, District 9 has been pretty reliably Democratic over the years. But what happens if a former Seminole football hero runs for the seat -- as a Republican?

He's Peter Boulware [(right)], 32, a former FSU All-American linebacker who went on to a nine-year career with the NFL's Baltimore Ravens. The father of three children, he lives in Tallahassee and is part-owner of a Toyota dealership in the city. The seat, House District 9, is entirely within Leon County and is now held by term-limited Democrat Loranne Ausley. The district is solidly Democratic by registration, but it also fairly drips garnet and gold, the colors Boulware wore for four years.

So, will the people of District 9 vote their political interests and remain Democratic, or will the Seminole magic (at least as it was in Boulware's era) be too much to overcome? Stay tuned ...