Saturday, November 15, 2008

Brian Blair makes a case for his own retirement

Brian Blair's "Checkers speech" at the County Center Thursday hinted ominously at legal action against his opponent, Commissioner-elect Kevin Beckner. Without taking any personal responsibility for his 50,000 vote loss, Blair blamed "slanderous and libelous" ads and gave credit only to Beckner's campaign manager for outsmarting his campaign manager........here

Thursday, November 13, 2008

The Brian Blair Clean Out Your Office Box


Blair Takes Shots At Rival As He Departs Commission

Hillsborough County Commissioner Brian Blair said he wanted his goodbye news conference to be an "upbeat" affair, but the wrestler in him couldn't leave the ring without a few shots at the opponent who whipped him............here

Blair threatens criminal charges against Beckner

With just six days left as a Hillsborough County commissioner, Republican Brian Blair accepted a plaque from some of his colleagues, but he's not exactly accepting defeat in his race against Democrat Kevin Beckner............here

How Democrat Beckner defeats pro-development incumbent Blair

Ever since the polls closed on Tuesday, County Commissioner Brian Blair held a slim margin over his challenger Kevin Beckner, until the early votes started to get counted. That’s when the race took a decided turn in favor of the political newcomer and Blair’s defeat became more clear........here

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Blair Isn't Ready To Admit Defeat

Hillsborough County Commissioner Brian Blair said this morning he is not ready to concede defeat in his race with Democrat Kevin Beckner.........here

Beckner 55.26% to Blair’s 44.74%

Kevin Beckner, whose lead in the county commission race had been evident since election night, pulled ahead of incumbent Brian Blair for good with the final count: 55.26% to Blair’s 44.74% (259,831 to 210,399 votes). Yup, he trounced him...........here

Monday, October 27, 2008

Brain Blair's Report Card

It's Report Card Time for County Commissioners ! A's or F's .... Stunning excellence, abject failure or somewhere in between...? U-CAN has been taking notes and taking names and now it's time to hand out our Report Cards. Starting with Commissioner Brain Blair -- did Commissioner Blair go to the head of the class or to the wood shed? Check the U-CAN website to find out.
And stay tuned -- other Report Cards will be coming soon........
here


Saturday, October 25, 2008

Friday, October 24, 2008

Black Leaders Deny Backing Blair campaign

Hillsborough Commissioner Brian Blair told a group of black civic leaders this week that he has been endorsed by two local African-American political leaders in his re-election bid. That would be surprising since both men — Hillsborough County Commissioner Kevin White and Tampa City Council member Tom Scott — are Democrats. Blair is a Republican...........here

Developers Hosting Fundraiser For Blair

Trailing his opponent in the latest campaign contribution reports, Hillsborough County Commissioner Brian Blair is looking to local developer heavyweights to pump up his re-election coffers at an Oct. 23 fundraiser. Developer Bing Kearney is hosting the event with other leading members of the building and real estate industry, including Ed Giunta, Lance Ponton and Don Phillips...........here

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Blair: Talk To My Attorneys

An east county activist managed to push Hillsborough County commissioner Brian Blair's button during the public comment period of Wednesday's board meeting. George Niemann, a regular thorn in Blair's side, used his three minutes Wednesday to draw attention to three complaints filed with the Florida Elections Commission........here

Monday, October 13, 2008

Porky Brian Blair

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Tampa Tribune Endorses Kevin Beckner

The conservative Tampa Tribune couldn't hold their nose and endorse Hillsborough County Commision incumbant Brian Blair. Could it be the silly previous career as a professional wrestler? Perhaps Blair claiming he isn't a bigot by calling Michael Jackson a white person? Maybe it is Blair using gay and lesbian rights as a political wedge issue? Or that Blair has been the most anti-environmental commisioner in Hillsborough County's history. The answer is the Tampa Tribune finds Blair too stupid to endorse........here

Friday, October 10, 2008

Monday, October 6, 2008

Hillsborough District 6 Commissioner Race Heats Up

Republican incumbent Brian Blair is facing off against political newcomer and financial planner Democrat Kevin Beckner in the hottest commission race in Hillsborough County. Blair has made some controversial moves during his time as Hillsborough County District 6 commissioner, and Beckner thinks it should cost him the election........here

Friday, October 3, 2008

Smarten Up! Say It Right

Do you want to know how wrestlers really talk to each other? "Smarten Up! Say It Right" is the first book that explains the business from a true insider point of view. B Brian Blair, a professional wrestling star with 20 years experience, tells you exactly what wrestlers say in the dressing room and what they mean.........here

For a limited time, get a FREE autographed photo of Brian Blair with each purchase!

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Brian's Contributors

here

Blair: I paid for my campaign billboard

Hillsborough County Commissioner Brian Blair has told the St. Petersburg Times that he paid for the billboard on Ehrlich Road that was the subject of our story this week. He produced a copy of a check for $2,500 for the billboard, which was dated Sept. 19.......here

B Brian Blair sticks his foot in his mouth

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Did Stephen Dibbs Pay For Brian Blair’s Billboards?

It sure looks like that could have happened. In a story to be published in our print edition tomorrow, I write about how at least one invoice for a Blair campaign billboard was sent directly to a company owned by developer Stephen Dibbs........here

Everything That’s Wrong With Newspapers

Kevin Beckner is challenging Brian Blair in the election for District 6 of the Hillsborough County Board of Commissioners. As you know, local leaders are responsible for a myriad of issues that directly affect your life. Because of this, we really want to count on the daily newspapers to tell us about the candidates, their stances on the issues, and their abilities to lead..........here

Who is behind commissioner Brian Blair's campaign?

The billboard on Ehrlich Road in north Tampa touting the re-election of Hillsborough County Commissioner Brian Blair reads, in fine print at the bottom, "Political advertisement paid for and approved by Brian Blair, Republican for Hillsborough County Commission, District 6.".......here

Bumbling Brian Blair

Sunday, September 21, 2008

You say it best when you say nothing at all.

For a guy up for re-election and prone to headlines, Hillsborough Commissioner Brian Blair seemed awfully quiet of late. Though he did pop up from his hidey-hole for a lively spar with Democratic opponent Kevin Beckner on Sunday's Flashpoint, hosted by Ch. 28's Brendan McLaughlin...........here

Monday, September 15, 2008

Brendan McLaughlin Interviews Blair And Beckner

On Flashpoint - September 14, Segment 1, Segment 2

Thursday, September 11, 2008

MSM Endorses Brian Blair

Yes, you read it correctly: both daily newspapers have endorsed Hillsborough County Commissioner Brian Blair in the GOP primary coming up on Aug. 26. This seems to be the main reason the Trib likes him........here

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Supporting your candidate means more than voting....

If you don’t know why I’d support Beckner over Blair, you must be new around here. Blair hands out political favors to his cronies who support him with big campaign contributions. He has worked hard to weaken our wetland protections, over and over again. He preaches fiscal conservatism, but lavishes our tax dollars on his personal pork projects — literally in his own backyard.......here

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Brian Blair Mocks Local Blogger David Pinero

I've got job interviews I need to attend to, so I decide to get my suit dry cleaned. There's this dry cleaner on the way to my current job I always pass, so I figure, hey, I'll finally stop in and give them some of my business. In I wheel into the parking lot when, slam, this is what I encounter staring back at me.......here

Monday, September 1, 2008

Commissioner Blair, Wins Easily

"I think the voters are educated and they know who will serve them best. I hope they continue to place their trust in me because my heart is with them."...........Brian Blair

Tribune And The Times Abandon Credibility, Endorse Blair

For four years the Tribune and the Times have been bashing county commissioner Brian Blair, and when we finally get a chance to vote him out of office they turn around and endorse the Bozo?!?.........here

The Official and Uncensored Beat Brian Blair Website

Take a look at Blair's His Contributors tab. As of June 30th, he had 650 contributors, 413 of which are "developer-related" individuals. Why should such a small number of people, 413, run Hillsborough County? That's 1 of THEM for every 2,803 of US. 1,157,738 people live here........here

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Former Pro Wrestler Objects to Day of Silence

Yet another clueless local politician throws a hissy fit over the notion of high school kids standing up against anti-gay harassment, and this time it's former WWE wrestler Brain Blair, one half of the Killer Bees tag team (wow, that's really flashing back to my youth)..........here

Commissioner Brian 'Killer Bee' Blair has conniption over Day of Silence

Brian Blair's another Day of Silence hennypenny. This is the opponent of openly gay candidate Kevin Beckner, who is running for Blair's seat on Florida's Hillsborough County Commission.........here

Brian Blair

Brian Blair is running for local government in Florida and objects to the Day of Silence. All of that gay-baiting done by his arch nemesis the Iron Sheik must have finally got to him........more

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Blair Plays Intolerance Card

Hillsborough County commissioner Brian Blair has picked up Ronda Storm's gay-bashing mantle. The The Former Bubble Bee is venting mock outrage that Tampa high school students will protest violence against LGBT...........here

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Brian Blair Faces Ethics Complaint

The legal process will determine if Brian Blair violated state ethics laws. But there is little question the Hillsborough commissioner demonstrated poor judgment by chastising environmental regulators at their meeting with a business owner contesting a fine........more

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Blair actions at EPC still raise red flags

As chairman of the Hillsborough County Environmental Protection Commission, Brian Blair tried last year to end the agency's regulation of construction around wetlands. The dispute ended in compromise, and Blair has since relinquished his chairmanship. But last month, Blair crashed talks between EPC employees and owners of a yard-waste processing company accused of breaking county rules.......more

The Chaplain Turns Water Into Whine

If you're a government apparatchik, seeing Hillsborough County commissioner and resident board parson Brian Blair barging through the door has to be the paper-pusher equivalent of the pol who came to dinner meets Mongo from "Blazing Saddles." Good grief, this guy appears to have crashed more events than Kato Kaelin, which might explain The Chaplain's presence late last year at an Environmental Protection Commission staff meeting.........more

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Elephant Stampede 11.10.2004

On the day after conservative Republicans completed their takeover of Hillsborough County government:Brian Blair woke up groggy, trying to check his voicemail on a dead cell phone. He did not get to bed at the Hyatt downtown until well after 5 a.m. while watching late returns that showed him squeaking out a victory against Bob Buckhorn.
Ralph Hughes, one of the longtime architects of the emergence of Hillsborough conservatism, arrived early at his desk at Florida Cast-Crete, a pre-stressed concrete manufacturer, and reflected on how more and more Floridians are becoming fiscally and socially conservative.
At the Hillsborough Democratic Party offices, no one was answering the telephone.
The conservative revolution was complete.......via...PoHo

In this corner, the word 'Gestapo'

Just when you were starting to miss those big Hillsborough County Commission battles over protecting local wetlands, wrestler-turned-commissioner Brian Blair demands a rematch. Or at least gives us a glimpse of the commissioner we've come to know, and it involves the word "Gestapo.".........more

Hillsborough approves optical scan voting system

Hillsborough County citizens have voted for the last time on touch screen voting machines. Today, County Commissioners approved a $5.97-million contract to purchase voting machines from a new vendor, Premier Elections Solutions. The recommendation came today from Elections Supervisor Buddy Johnson......more

Kevin Beckner at EPC Meeting

Democratic big guns take aim at Blair

U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor is co-hosting a fundraiser next week for Kevin Beckner, a Democrat who's challenging Republican Brian Blair for his Hillsborough County Commission seat. Castor served with Blair on the commission before winning her congressional post. Among the other Beckner backers listed on the invitation: State Democratic Party chairwoman Karen Thurman; Tampa City Council members Gwen Miller, Linda Saul-Sena and Mary Mulhern; state Rep. Betty Reed; and state Sen. Charlie Justice.
via...The Buzz