Once upon a time, when she was the princess of Pasco County politics, the soundtrack to Cathi Martin's life might have been composed by Tchaikovsky, who gave us those magical melodies from "Sleeping Beauty." ...more

March 11, 2009

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson made his annual trek to the Florida Strawberry Festival parade luncheon, but he didn't get his usual treat. ...more

March 11, 2009

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson made his annual trek to the Florida Strawberry Festival parade luncheon, but he didn't get his usual treat. He had to catch a 1 p.m. flight to Washington and didn't have time for strawberry shortcake. Nelson was among a crowd of dignitaries and festival officials who attended the luncheon today at the Trinkle center on the Plant City campus of Hillsborough Community College. ...more

March 2, 2009

Using the late Ralph Hughes, the Big Daddy of Hillsborough County politics, as the template for the community's Moral Courage Award is a bit like the NAACP naming its person-of-the-year honor after David Duke. ...more

September 16, 2008

Judging from the reader reaction to the death a few days ago of political kingpin Ralph Hughes, I was reminded of that great line once uttered by Alice Roosevelt Longworth: "If you can't say something nice about someone, come over here and sit by me." ...more

July 6, 2008

Over the next few months, you likely will hear a lot about a proposal to create a county mayor position in Hillsborough County. ...more

July 5, 2008

For starters, you need to know that Ralph Hughes and those of us in the scribbling racket got along about as well as Alberto Gonzales and the Constitution. ...more

July 1, 2008

Ralph Hughes poured millions of dollars of his own money into conservative beliefs, and helped shape the course of county politics by picking candidates he liked and backing them with advice and money. ...more

July 1, 2008

On a warm evening last week, some of the area's most well-heeled set munched on crab cakes and pasta. The wining and dining took place at the luxurious and sprawling home of their leader. The talk was politics. ...more

June 22, 2008

Your Nov. 11 editorial on two local bills submitted to the Hillsborough legislative delegation was strangely contradictory in examining the composition of countywide boards. The Tampa Tribune defends the inclusion of the cities of Tampa, Temple Terrace and Plant City on the planning commission and sports authority boards yet denies the logic and fairness of city representation on the Hillsborough Environmental Protection Commission board. ...more

November 13, 2007