Newspaper recommendations explained
For those of you who wondered how newspapers - or at least this one - make decisions on recommendations prior to an election, Phil Gailey's column is an interesting read....
"Early voting in the Sept. 5 primary election begins Monday and, like many of you, the Times editorial board spent much of the summer doing its homework on the candidates and the issues. Democrats and Republicans face a long primary ballot in making their choices for governor, chief financial officer, attorney general, Congress, the state Legislature, county commission, the judiciary and school board."
Full column is here
From the writers of the St. Petersburg Times, The Buzz offers the latest news in Florida politics. This is a public forum sponsored and maintained by the St. Petersburg Times. When you post comments here, what you say becomes public and could appear in the newspaper. You are not engaging in private communication with candidates or Times staffers.
You are COMPLETELY wrongin the Davis Smith case. Query who las lost more elections Crist or Davis? Crist got pasted by Bob Graham in 98. He is simply too odd to be governor. No wife ,just a little ole apartment in St. Pete and a tanning bed and a sister he props up. ??D avis will make you eat crow. Shame on you.
Posted by: | August 20, 2006 at 04:40 PM
WHY DISASTER GALLAGHER COULD NOT AND WONT EVER BE ELECTED IN THE FUTURE!
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By STEVE BOUSQUET, KRIS HUNDLEY and ALEX LEARY
St. Petersburg Times
Published June 30, 2006
..."TALLAHASSEE — Republican candidate for governor Tom Gallagher owned stock in St. Joe Co. last year when he voted to rank some of the company’s vast land holdings as a priority for state acquisition."...
.."Gallagher, the state’s chief financial officer and elected member of the Cabinet, didn’t disclose his 4,000-share stake in St. Joe when the Cabinet voted on the land rankings Feb. 16, 2005. The $270,000 investment was Gallagher’s biggest gamble by far since he began playing the market using an online brokerage account four years ago."...
.."Gallagher declined to answer questions about the St. Joe matter."...
...."Ben Wilcox of the watchdog group Common Cause Florida said Gallagher should have disclosed his stock or abstained from voting on matters affecting a business in which he had a financial stake."...
...“I think the public probably would have some concern over that,” he said. “There’s the appearance that he either had inside knowledge or is acting in his own personal best interest.”
..."Gallagher is the subject of an investigation by the Commission on Ethics because he owned insurance stocks in 2002 while he was the state’s insurance regulator, and he owned stock in an energy company in 2004 when he voted in favor of the company’s project as a Cabinet member."..
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Gubernatorial Candidate Cheated On First Wife, Used Marijuana
Associated Press
June 19, 2006
...."Gallagher said he did not recall exactly when he used marijuana, but that it was the only illegal substance he had ever tried."...
....."court record from 1979 when Gallagher's ex-wife, Ann Louise Gallagher, sought a restraining order.
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Gallagher admits he cheated on first wife
By Aaron Deslatte
CAPITOL BUREAU
Tallahasse Democrat
June 19, 2006
..."The documents are partial transcripts from hearings during his 1979 divorce from Ann Louise Gallagher when he was a member of the Florida House of Representatives.
In the transcripts, a lawyer for Gallagher's ex-wife alleges the candidate, while intoxicated, broke into their Dade County home, nearly hit his mother-in-law and stole the family dog."...
------------------
Gallagher admits long-ago affair and marijuana use
By JONI JAMES
St. Petersburg Times
Published June 19, 2006
..."hearing appeared to have ended with the judge admonishing Gallagher, a Coconut Grove state house representative at the time, to stay away from the marital home, “You are a public figure. You don’t need any adverse publicity.”
There is also a partial deposition of a woman, Stephanie McBee, who acknowledges having an affair with Gallagher starting in 1978 that took place whenever Gallagher was in Tallahassee."..
----------------
Gallagher apologizes for 'bad choices'
By Brian E. Crowley
Palm Beach Post Political Editor
Monday, June 19, 2006
..."In one of those 1979 documents, a legislative aide testifies that she "began to date" Gallagher, then a state representative, in June 1978. The woman said she was living in a condominium owned by Gallagher at the time. Gallagher's wife at the time, Anne Louise Gallagher, found out and filed for divorce."....
------------------
BY MARY ELLEN KLAS
Miami Herald
June 20th 2006
......"In a copy of a September 1979 deposition of McBee obtained by The Miami Herald, the former girlfriend testified that during 1978 and 1979, she traveled with Gallagher to Atlanta, Texas, California, Miami, Orlando, West Virginia, Washington, D.C., Delaware and Nassau in the Bahamas. She stayed at his Miami home for three days when his wife was in Michigan, and he gave her gifts."...
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By MICHAEL FECHTER
The Tampa Tribune
June 19, 2006
...."Another time, Louise said she found cocaine in a drawer in Gallagher’s Tallahassee condominium. She showed it to Gallagher’s father before flushing it down the toilet, she said."...
---------------------------
By JONI JAMES
Published June 19, 2006
...."Asked whether she had ever used drugs with Gallagher, McBee didn’t answer after her attorney objected to the question."...
...."In the McBee deposition, records show attorneys for Gallagher’s first wife asked if McBee had ever used drugs with Gallagher. McBee never answered after her attorney, Tallahassee’s Wilbur Brewton, objected"...
..... "Brewton, who is a longtime Gallagher supporter and associate, declined to comment"....
------------------------------
"By MICHAEL FECHTER
The Tampa Tribune
June 19, 2006
...."remains infamous in the halls of Tallahassee. It came during a 1991 hearing on a sexual harassment allegation against Broward County state Rep. Fred Lippman. A witness testified that Lippman’s accuser claimed to have had sex with Gallagher on the hood of a gold Mercedes."...
-----------------------------
"By Joe Follick
Ledger Tallahassee Bureau
.."Gallagher....1994 support of a sales tax increase to build new prisons."
------------
By ADAM C. SMITH, Times Political Editor
Published July 3, 2005
..."[Gallagher]who used to oppose school vouchers and school prayer?"..
--------------
The St. Petersburg Times,
7/3/05; Orlando Sentinel, 5/22/05)
Gallagher, “…a longtime moderate Republican who used to call himself ‘pro-choice’ on abortion…,”
has said prayer in schools “causes a tremendous amount of problems”
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By LUCY MORGAN, Times Tallahassee Bureau Chief
Published May 21, 2005
...."Gallagher supported a services tax and suggested getting rid of homestead exemptions."...
--------------
By LUCY MORGAN, Times Tallahassee Bureau Chief
Published May 21, 2005
....."Gallagher lost the Republican primary to Bush in 1994 after jointly buying ads that attacked Bush."...
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Published Tuesday, February 28, 2006
The Associated Press
..."tax records also showed Gallagher had invested in insurance companies while he was Florida's insurance commissioner and in an airline that had a contract with the state."...
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GOP hopefuls spar over school vouchers
Crist has been critical of Gallagher for reversing his views
Aaron Deslatte
news-press.com Tallahassee Bureau
Originally published on July 08, 2006
..."During his failed 1994 bid for governor, Gallagher opposed devoting public dollars to private, religious schools — one of a core of social issues where the formerly moderate-leaning politician has taken a hard right-turn."..
.."Since Gallagher finished third in that 1994 primary behind Jeb Bush and Jim Smith, the outgoing current governor has elevated school vouchers, home-schooling, and charter schools in the Republican Party's agenda.
"Tom has paid close attention to Jeb," says Curt Kiser, a lobbyist and Gallagher's running mate in 1994. "And I've heard him on several occasions say that since '94, he's seen how successful Jeb's been with vouchers."
..."Ralph Haben, a former Democratic House Speaker who once lived with Gallagher during their bachelor days in the 1980s, called Gallagher's transformation "part of what politics dictates."
..."Vouchers are a case in point: Crist supporters say Gallagher has long been an opponent of vouchers, while Gallagher says he's a born-again believer in the role private school vouchers can play
BY WYATT OLSON
New Times Broward Palm Beach
......"United Automobile Insurance Co. of North Miami Beach, a privately held company that provides personal injury insurance that's required for all Florida drivers"...
..."For years, the company has been the bane of policyholders, medical professionals......because of its refusal to pay claims."..
....Gallagher's ties with the company, however, go even deeper. During the 1990s, he earned thousands of dollars working for United Auto as a lobbyist. Last year, the company hosted a fundraiser for Gallagher, held in a skybox during a Marlins game.".....
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Enough Experience To Know Better
Published Tuesday, February 7, 2006
The Ledger
..."Tom Gallagher ought to know better.
He ought to know instinctively that there's something wrong with buying and selling stock -- even a relatively small amount of stock -in a company that has business before the Florida Cabinet. And he ought to know that it's neither smart politics nor good government for a public official to spend a great deal of his time engaging in day trading."...
....Complicating Gallagher's case is a 1991 Ethics Commission opinion that indicates it is illegal for Cabinet officials to own stock in companies that have business before their agencies -even small amounts of stock."..
------------------
By DIANE RADO Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times, published October 8, 1998
..."In August, Griffin got a five-month federal prison sentence for his part in the scheme to funnel $381,885 in illegal contributions to politicians and candidates who could help his insurance company in Sarasota."...
...."Riscorp and its employees gave $109,189 in illegal contributions to Gallagher's 1990 Insurance Commissioner's campaign and his 1994 run for governor. Of the 96 candidates Riscorp helped, no one got more than Gallagher."..
---------------
"Gallagher employs subordinate
A fire marshal has run his rental properties for 11 years. A law school
professor says it doesn't look good.
By JONI JAMES and KRIS HUNDLEY
Published June 9, 2006
..."TALLAHASSEE - Florida Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Gallagher employs one of his subordinates at the Florida Department of Financial Services to manage his six rental properties in Tallahassee, which
comprise 21 units."..
..."Two of Gallagher's tenants at a pair of triplex apartments off Rumba Lane in west Tallahassee told the Times that Lanway had used his state vehicle to pick up checks, which he does by the fifth of each month."..
.."Lanway, who is assigned a state vehicle"..
.."Under department policy, Lanway can use a state vehicle for incidental stops, such as picking up milk on the way home, but not other personal use."...
..."Under Florida law, state officers and employees are prohibited from "corruptly" using their positions to secure a special benefit. It also bans
conflicting employment and contractual relationships."..
-------------------
"By JONI JAMES
Published May 26, 2006
..."She said she was leery then of becoming “another notch on the belt” of the divorced former Miami legislator [Gallagher]who long had a reputation in Tallahassee as a lady’s man."...
-------------------
By JOE FOLLICK
Sun Tallahassee Bureau
May 28. 2006 6:01AM
...."labeled GOP leadership as a ''culture of corruption,'' citing myriad ethical and legal woes among state and national Republicans."...
..."In Florida, Bubriski noted GOP gubernatorial candidate Tom Gallagher's day trading of stocks in industries he oversaw as a state official"....
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By MARC CAPUTO
mcaputo@MiamiHerald.com
.."TALLAHASSEE - An aide to state CFO Tom Gallagher admitted to recording a conversation between her boss and a Miami Herald reporter Tuesday without permission -- a technical violation of Florida law, according to experts."..
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"Questions Plague Gallagher Campaign
Skip directly to the full story.
By WILLIAM MARCH
Published: Mar 11, 2006
...In April 2003, for example, Gallagher bought 30,000 shares of AES stock, valued then at about $140,000 total, during the three days before a favorable decision on the pipeline plan - a vote granting preliminary approval by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
Gallagher bought an additional 10,000 shares after the FERC announcement. He sold all 40,000 shares at a profit.
..."In another example, during November 2003, Gallagher sold AES stock short - in effect, betting the price would go down. The move came just before a negative development in the effort to build the pipeline: The plan was criticized by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which evaluated its potential environmental effect."..
....."Joe Ryan, director of research for Brighton Securities Corp. in Rochester, N.Y., calling such trading gambling...."..
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Posted by: | August 20, 2006 at 05:17 PM
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By GARY FINEOUT
gfineout@MiamiHerald.com
......."But it's worth noting that right now, Florida's Democrats are quietly cheering on Tom Gallagher. They want him, not Crist, to be the Republican nominee their candidate will take on in the general election in November."....
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Is GOP taking the Democrats' path to losing?
Published July 11, 2006
Orlando Sentinel
…..”Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher is our Punxsutawney Phil. He pops up every February, and if he sees his shadow, he runs for either governor or U.S. Senate. If Republicans pick him over Attorney General Charlie Crist in the September primary, the next governor will be a Democrat.”…
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Posted by: | August 20, 2006 at 05:18 PM
By Dara Kam
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Sunday, August 20, 2006
.."Gallagher's critics also question some of the appointments he's made, and former Comptroller Bob Milligan, a Republican who served on the Cabinet with him, goes as far as accusing him of cronyism.
In the late 1980s, Gallagher tapped Jim Bax to head the Joint Underwriting Association, which evolved into the state-run Citizens Property Insurance.
After losing in the primary to Bush in 1994, Gallagher joined Bax's National Assessment Institute, a company that created licensing tests for a variety of professions, at an annual salary of $125,000 and with an option to buy out Bax within five years for $5 million.
But nine months later, Gallagher quit after investigators raided his offices as part of an inquiry into possible bid-rigging while Bax was head of the JUA.
Gallagher also made investments with his close friend and sailing buddy Ed London, a South Florida developer and attorney whom he appointed to the board of Citizens in 2002.
London resigned last year amid rumors that he was trying to establish a company that would be paid to take over Citizens policies."...
Posted by: | August 20, 2006 at 05:19 PM
By Dara Kam
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Sunday, August 20, 2006
..."Although Gallagher now portrays himself as the heir to the Bush legacy and his Web site's main page greets visitors with an image of him and Bush in shirtsleeves, Gallagher's gruff style has had him butting heads with Bush."..
"He is said to have alienated Bush in their 1994 race when he criticized Bush's business friends and ran a Spanish-language ad during the 1994 gubernatorial campaign suggesting that Bush's support of the North American Free Trade Agreement would help Fidel Castro's regime by allowing Mexico to increase business with Cuba."
Posted by: | August 20, 2006 at 05:20 PM
HOLY COW! Someone get those Crist staffers something to do!
Posted by: | August 20, 2006 at 06:02 PM
5:17 - I told you to quit with the history lessons.
_____________________________
May 31st, 2005
Charlie’s man date with the Donald
Charlie Crist – you know, the dapper dresser, the svelte, single, well groomed gorgeously tanned boy who’s running straight for the governor’s mansion, has scheduled a fabulous fundraiser with The Donald himself in Manhattan in June.
Rumor has it that Charlie will be working on his Wigstock getup while he’s in NYC – wouldn’t he look just divine up on stage with a couple of slave boys holding his, er, official seal….
Updates: changed the title to reflect ‘The Donald’s” actual nickname, rather than the one which I apparently just made up off the top of my head…
http://blogwood.com/archived/1188/charlies-man-date-with-the-don/
Posted by: | August 20, 2006 at 06:06 PM
You remember your honored President Bill Clinton ...
Posted by: | August 20, 2006 at 06:20 PM
Can't you idiot R's do anything other than cut and paste - like write something yourself?? The rest of us read newspapers too, you know. We really don't need you to reproduce every article ever written critical of your opponent.
It is just this kind of "ditto head" thinking on your part that is going to enable us to clean your clock in November.
Posted by: gatordem | August 20, 2006 at 06:35 PM
these papers are going to want to retract those endorsements when Tom shows his great debate skills on tuesday!
i saw him last week, and he was eloquent!
Posted by: tomgfan | August 20, 2006 at 07:47 PM
CV,
How is the weather down in West Palm Beach ?
Posted by: | August 20, 2006 at 07:55 PM
If eloquent means negative, stammering, and easily aggravated... Sure.
But last I saw, TG is better described as "embarrassingly unprepared to lead even after 32 years in public service." (Orlando Sentinel, 8/20/06).
Posted by: Doc Brown | August 20, 2006 at 08:34 PM
From the St. Pete Times... Live from New York, it's Sunday Night Live.
LOL!
Times quote:
"Contrary to what some of these grumpy souls may think, the Times editorial board would never presume to tell people how to vote"
Nah!& never an article written meant to persuade either, SURE!
That is hysterical! Anyone who believes that, well
I have a condo to rent in St. Petersberg; and NO, you may not claim a homestead exemption while you are renting it.
Posted by: | August 20, 2006 at 08:39 PM
Sour grapes is all you TGers can come up with. You'd give TS's propped-up son's left arm for such a newspaper endorsement.
Posted by: | August 20, 2006 at 08:45 PM
Yeah team TG- since newspapers mean nothing, you can stop *selectively* cutting clips from articles and posting them on your website.
Then, you can free up some of your interns to go stalking and recording more cheerful CC events (yes, they stand out -- who else could look so gloomy?)
Posted by: | August 20, 2006 at 08:58 PM
8:58 Are we having a bi-polar moment?
Posted by: | August 20, 2006 at 09:15 PM
BY MARY ELLEN KLAS
Miami Herald
August 20, 2006
In 1994, Gallagher lampooned then-opponent Jeb Bush for his broad school voucher plan. In 2002, Gallagher's office released a stinging report blasting the program for its lax oversight.
Posted by: | August 20, 2006 at 09:23 PM
By Dara Kam
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Sunday, August 20, 2006
.."Gallagher's critics also question some of the appointments he's made, and former Comptroller Bob Milligan, a Republican who served on the Cabinet with him, goes as far as accusing him of cronyism.
In the late 1980s, Gallagher tapped Jim Bax to head the Joint Underwriting Association, which evolved into the state-run Citizens Property Insurance.
After losing in the primary to Bush in 1994, Gallagher joined Bax's National Assessment Institute, a company that created licensing tests for a variety of professions, at an annual salary of $125,000 and with an option to buy out Bax within five years for $5 million.
But nine months later, Gallagher quit after investigators raided his offices as part of an inquiry into possible bid-rigging while Bax was head of the JUA.
Gallagher also made investments with his close friend and sailing buddy Ed London, a South Florida developer and attorney whom he appointed to the board of Citizens in 2002.
London resigned last year amid rumors that he was trying to establish a company that would be paid to take over Citizens policies."...
Posted by: | August 20, 2006 at 09:24 PM
The bottom line was that we believe Smith would be a more effective campaigner in the general election and a more effective governor if elected.
Amen baby. Rod Smith is the living nightmare of all other candidates running. Period. Tune in Wed to the debate Channel 3 here in Tampa and if its not being shown on your local PBS channel - call them and ask that they carry it as WEDU is providing a Live Feed stae wide.
Posted by: | August 20, 2006 at 11:10 PM
Tom Gallagher is the smartest guy to serve statewide and will eat Crist's lunch in the debates.
GO TOM!
Posted by: | August 21, 2006 at 07:30 AM
I heard that Tom hasn't been doing as many public events lately because he's been prepping for the debates so much. I can't wait. He's been head and shoulders above Crist at every appearance. Now that the public is getting focused, it will be bad news for Crist.
IT'S TOMMY TIME!!!
Posted by: | August 21, 2006 at 07:40 AM
If TG is so smart, why did he neglect to disclose his financial interests? Or hire a staff that got him 25+ points down in the polls? Or get caught cheating on his wife?
Last I saw Crist and Gallagher togehter, TG was irritable, uncomfortable, pissed he didn;t get a fan...then got promptly smoked by CC
Posted by: | August 21, 2006 at 09:19 AM
hmmm sounds like the Saarasota Herald agrees with the St Pete Times ...
Democratic governor's race
In the primary, we recommend Rod Smith
Florida Democrats are fortunate to have two highly qualified, compelling candidates for governor -- Jim Davis and Rod Smith.
Davis is an effective congressman from Tampa whose district extends into Manatee County. A lawyer and former Florida House majority leader, Davis has fought in Congress to prevent oil and gas drilling off Florida's coast and has been a strong advocate for education and the elderly.
Smith, a state senator and former state prosecutor from the Gainesville area, is widely regarded -- by both Democrat and Republican colleagues -- as one of the most effective members of the Legislature. In the Republican-dominated Senate, he's forged bipartisan coalitions that turned back Gov. Jeb Bush's efforts to repeal the voter-approved class-size amendment, expand the use of vouchers, and interfere in the Terri Schiavo case. It's a measure of his stature that the GOP leadership appointed him chairman of the powerful Senate Agriculture Committee.
Davis and Smith are close on most issues. Both have plans to stabilize the homeowners insurance market. Both say the Legislature cut taxes too often for too few, and provided too little funding for education and social services. Both oppose using one test to punish and reward schools. Both oppose drilling in the eastern Gulf of Mexico.
They differ in political style. Davis is a cool, urbane centrist. Smith is a moderate with a down-home demeanor, but a fiery defender of working families.
Where they part ways most significantly, however, is in recent experience. While Davis has spent the last 10 years in Washington, Davis has labored in Tallahassee, building bridges between minority Democrats and moderate Republicans -- leading the effort to preserve social programs and policies built under former Democratic governors like Lawton Chiles and Bob Graham.
Smith is familiar with the issues confronting state politics today and with the people involved. He's a rare Democrat who can win elections in rural, conservative North Florida and work with moderate Republicans to achieve vital legislative victories.
One concern is Smith's environmental record, which is spotty. He's strongly backed by sugar growers and other agriculture interests, and sometimes has let their concerns take precedence over protection of Florida's natural resources. Still, he's an advocate for the Everglades restoration, for efforts to improve energy efficiency and for the use of alternative energy.
Smith's ability to work with the Republican legislative majority, while remaining true to traditional Democratic values, gives him the edge in this very close contest.
In the Democratic primary, we recommend Rod Smith for governor.
Posted by: | August 21, 2006 at 09:23 AM
6:35
It's some idiot from Palm Beach who calls himself "Conservative Voter" (or at least he used to call himself that until he started posting anonymously because everyone was so sick of his cut and paste jobs).
We'd out him and tell you his real name but even us bloggers have some modicum of self respect for one another.
Even total pain in the asses like this guy.
CV is a shill or "boytoy" for Charlie Crist. He doesn't know what to say on a blog besides words like "PRICELESS AND DISASTER".
Agreed. The Newspaper endorsements are dog and pony shows you have to go through but the reality is, you wouldn't want the endorsements of the majority if you're a true red blooded Republican Conservative candidate.
All major Florida publications endorsed John Kerry, Al Gore, Bill McBride and Buddy McKay in the last two presidential/gubernatorial elections.
The St. Pete Crist Times is amongst the most liberal in Florida although I think they do a good job overall in political reporting.
I feel they have been very biased in their reporting on this years Gubernatorial election, mostly staying away from anything negative to do with Crist and attacking TG constantly. The Times has had a vendetta against Gallagher for years.
Let's put it this way, if you have to look and see who a newspaper says you should vote for, you shouldn't be voting in the first place.
Posted by: terminator | August 21, 2006 at 10:41 AM
“The St. Pete Crist Times is amongst the most liberal in Florida although I think they do a good job overall in political reporting.”
Sorry termie, gonna have to call you on that one. The Times couldn’t be anymore one-sided if their print ink was red. Check their declining circulation. Readers have had enough of their “less than balanced and one-sided reporting and editorials”
But I’ve got to give major props on this one, well put…
“Let's put it this way, if you have to look and see who a newspaper says you should vote for, you shouldn't be voting in the first place.”
Posted by: | August 21, 2006 at 01:46 PM
the cutting and pasting is out of control
Posted by: | August 23, 2006 at 04:33 PM