Tiger Beat on the Potomac (thanks Charlie!) tells us that freedom of the press is really swell in Florida right now, but Meatball* is not happy and merde is getting real:
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ broken relationship with the mainstream media could get even worse.
At the governor’s urging, Florida’s Republican-dominated Legislature is pushing to weaken state laws that have long protected journalists against defamation suits and frivolous lawsuits. The proposal is part DeSantis’ ongoing feud with media outlets like The New York Times, Miami Herald, CNN and The Washington Post — media companies he claims are biased against Republicans — as he prepares for a likely 2024 presidential bid.
Beyond making it easier to sue journalists, the proposal is also being positioned to spark a larger legal battle with the goal of eventually overturning New York Times v. Sullivan, the landmark 1964 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that limits public officials’ ability to sue publishers for defamation, according to state Rep. Alex Andrade, the Florida Republican sponsoring the bill…
“I have never seen anything remotely like this legislation,” said Seth Stern, director of advocacy for the Freedom of the Press Foundation. “I can’t say I have seen every bill ever introduced, but I’d be quite surprised if any state Legislature had seriously considered such a brazen and blatantly unconstitutional attack on speech and press freedoms.”
He added: “This bill is particularly remarkable since its provisions have the vocal support of a governor and likely presidential candidate.”
Our Failed Political Press ™ generally likes a horse race and so they try to convince us that Meatball (“Trump without the baggage” – they really say that!) is a reasonable alternative to Hair Füror, but his actual fascist policies? Weirdly, not so much as Vanity Fair points out:
Florida governor Ron DeSantis gets a lot of good press from media outlets who dangerously frame him as a happy alternative to Trump. At the same time, he gets negative press as well, thanks to—checks notes—his own policies and political positions, which, as a reminder, include:
- Treating migrants like chattel;
- Signing a bill into law literally known as “Don’t Say Gay”;
- Punishing people for speaking out against “Don’t Say Gay”;
- Signing a “dystopian” bill into law that restricts conversations about race in schools and businesses;
- Declaring that the College Board’s AP African American studies course was not welcome in Florida because it touched on queer theory and intersectionality;
- Making it more difficult to vote;
- Having Floridians arrested as a political stunt;
- Appointing a surgeon general who promotedhydroxychloroquine and ivermectin and recommended that healthy children not get vaccinated against COVID-19;
- Bullying the Special Olympics into dropping its vaccine mandate for competition;
- Signing an “anti-riot” bill into law in the wake of the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests that, among other things, grants civil immunity to people who drive their cars into protesters blocking a road; prevents people accused of rioting from being bailed out of jail until after their first court appearance; and makes it a second-degree felony to destroy a plaque, memorial, painting, flag, or other structures commemorating historical people or events (like, for instance, Confederate statues);
- Eliminating Medicaid coverage for transgender care;
- Barring transgender girls from competing in sports;
- Demonizing and targeting drag shows;
- Declaring, in official state guidance, that children who identify as trans should not be allowed to wear clothes or use pronouns or names that align with their gender identity
It seems whenever the press points these things out, Meatball has a sad and decides to punish the press, instead of, you know, moderating his fascism.
- Meatball Ron is Hair Füror’s nickname for Gov. DeSantis.
Mock Paper Scissors 
I can’t emphasize this enough:
The New York Times covers for fascism on a routine basis. They are painted as the ‘liberal media’ in the most cynical nudge-nudge-wink-wink fashion.
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I’m kinda partial to Meathead Ron instead of Meatball Ron. Takes me back to the Archie Bunker days of yore…
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Cracker Orban is continuing to intensify Cracker Orban and the FTFNYT is just mainstreaming the hell out of him.
It’s like they never see the leopards coming for their faces.
This is pinned in my Matstodon feed (how, I am unsure, but it is!)
Authored by https://mastodon.online/@amberage@eldritch.cafe
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This is getting clipped to my desktop right next to Frank Wilhoit’s post about “law protects but does not constrain/law constrains, but does not protect” for handy dissemination.
We are not slouching towards fascism, we’re madly galloping towards it.
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That’s what I’m thinking, too, and I can’t get why Floridians are just letting it happen like this.
It’s also spreading to other batcrap crazy legislatures, like KS’s, though it’s going more slowly here. So far.
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I have no idea why Floridians are putting up with this, either. DeSantis barely defeated Andrew Gillum (0.4%) in 2018. Where did al those voters go?
(the Dems running Charlie freakin’ Christ again didn’t help this time)
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With De Santis using the florida government to destroy education in that state. Plus his wholesale attack on AP standards, SAT tests and any who would educate students, on all levels, when will someone challenge Floridas “schools” (athletic departments with a school for eligibility) membership in the NCAA and other national/international college athletics organizations.
Ban Florida schools from any NCAA conference, tournaments or other activities.
Also about time Major League Baseball start moving spring training camps out of Florida to other states (Hawaii)
That might catch the attention of florida puppet politicians.
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