Smile! New 'Political pics of the week' feature begins now

A new weekend segment on Political Cortadito will recap photos from the week that show our elected representatives in action.

You know, kinda like a visual week in review.

Ladra’s new walking on Instagram, but several politicos already use it — as well as twitter and Facebook — to let people know what they are doing. I will be stealing images from those public social media platforms as well as taking my own photos and accepting submissions sent to edevalle@gmail.com (start those photo files coming).

We may occasionally also post photos distributed by the electeds themselves and/or their media/communications people. You know, on the slower weeks.

So what are they doing? This week, it’s holiday parties and toy drives, mostly.

Florida Sen. Oscar Branyon III (D-Miami Gardens) was all smiles at a holiday party Friday for seniors in his district.

We also saw Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez and Commissioner Esteban “Stevie el Bobo” Bovo at Miami International Airport, taking advantage of the busy terminal Friday to announce federal and local government efforts to make travel easier alongside Congresspeople Mario Diaz-Balart and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.

Later, Gimenez joined Miami-Dade Commission Chairwoman Rebeca Sosa at the Residential Plaza holiday party.

Electeds were at holiday parties all over last week. Not to be left behind were the newly-minted Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine and Commissioner Michael Grieco, who kicked up a rug with seniors at the senior holiday party at the convention center Wednesday.

Diaz-Balart was seen earlier in the week at yet another holiday party, this one with toy drive, hosted by Hialeah Mayor Carlos “Castro” Hernandez at Hialeah Park Wednesday. Here he is pictured with the Hialeah Chamber’s Luis Estrada, State Rep. Eddy “Here Comes Hialeah” Gonzalez (R-Hialeah), who wants to be the next mayor of the City of Progress, and Ana Margarita Martinez, a savvy publicist who became known after her spy husband turned up back in Cuba and who has become like a Republican Party celebrity.

Also at the luncheon were all if not most of the Hialeah Council members, including Council Vice President Luis Gonzalez, who just handily won his re-election, and is photographed here with Diaz-Balart and Zoe Prieto.

It’s been a busy week for Diaz-Balart, the second coming, brother and heir to former Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart, as he was on Mi Voz radio 770 AM on Thursday.

Gonzalez and another future mayoral hopeful, Hialeah Council President Isis Garcia-Martinez, standing right next to each other, accompanied the current Mayor Hernandez to visit the special education students at Amelia Earhart Elementary Thursday.

There were a lot of visits to schools. Homestead Councilman Elvis Maldonado sat at Campbell Drive Elementary’s holiday party with Santa and Mrs. Claus. Since he was just re-elected, wonder what he asked for this Christmas.

Also in Homestead, Councilwoman Patricia Fairclough-McCormick distributed books and bicycles Thursday to elementary school children at the Phicol Williams Community Center, something she does each year.

Florida Sen. Anitere Flores (R-Kendall) and Miami-Dade School Board Member Carlos Curbelo were among several electeds who helped welcome RNC Co-Chair Sharon Day to the Federated Republican Women’s Club of Miami Tuesday night.

Curbelo and Flores sponsored the evening, along with Ros-Lehtinen and State Rep. Jose Felix “One More Pepe” Diaz (R-Kendall), who did not show up. Other electeds in attendance included Miami-Dade Commissioner Lynda Bell and Doral Councilwoman Bettina Rodriguez-Aguilera, who told everyone that, yes, she is up for re-election because last year’s race was only to fill out the remainding term for Mayor Luigi Boria, from when he was councilman.