In recent days, as it's become more and more evident that Raquel Regalado will probably get her clock cleaned by Carlos Gimenz on August 29th, she, like most desperate candidates in the waining days of a camapign has resorted to pulling out all the stops to claim that Gimenez and his campaign are involved in a massive Absentee Ballot scheme - a story that I will be dealing with directly on Monday - and that during his term in office Gimenez is responsible for turning his administration into an "institutionalized conspiracy" of criminality.

Now, I'm no fan of Carlos Gimenez, and I've written stories detailing my thoughts about his behavior over the years, including these stores HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, HERE and HERE.

At the same time I don't live in a fantasy world, and I'm more aware than most about what could befall Miami-Dade County if Raquel Regalado ever got her hands on the reigns of power as the County Mayor.

So, while I was hanging out waiting for some documents I started exchanging Tweets with Elaine de Valle, who is one of Raquelita's "communications and media consultants."

It's sometimes fun to trade insults, because there are occasions when people will say things that they normally wouldn't, and this case Elaine couldn't resist telling me that I had obviously been fed and paid by the Gimenez camp to write the story about Raquel Regalado having committed Homestead Exemption Fraud.

Now, I get stories from all kinds of sources - sometimes I'm even amazed at who provides me with story leads - but the fact that the Gimenez camp was supposedly out trying to interest reporters in this story should not surprise anyone.

My only criteria - given that unlike de Valle I don't get paid to shill for politicians - is whether the information I get can be proven to be true.

What should surprise them would be the fact that as I documented in my original story, and have now provided irrefutable proof in today's story is that this was a real story, and that  reporters from the Miami Herald and elsewhere rfused to look into only underscores my claim that what passes for the "real news media" in this town is either in the pocket of one camp or another, or worse, is just downright stupid and lazy.

But, putting that aside, Elaine and I managed to trade insults and snarky comments for a couple hours this afternoon, all the while I knew that I had the goods on Raquelita having committed Homestead Exemption Fraud, and that de Valle, ever a shill, had drunk the kool-aid. Below is a portion of our exchange, including her response claiming that "Only in my mind," had Raqulita done what I claimed she had done.

It's true that I dont get paid to do this blog, but sometimes I manage to have a Mastercard moment, and this exchange, and my being able to post a copy of the letter from the Miami-Dade County Property Appraiser informing Regalado that she owes the county $3981.78 to pay back the money she didn't pay because of her fraudlent behavior was just one of those moments!

It's been a fun Friday in Miami, Bitches!