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Though voting was made deliberately more difficult in many states in 2012, Florida stood out in its disgracefulness. Thanks in large part to a narrower early-voting window and fewer voting precincts, Republican-imposed changes to Florida's voting process led to indefensibly long lines.
It's understandable that Gov. Rick Scott (R) would be embarrassed by this, but the defense he's come up with isn't going to help.
Facing a highly critical group of black legislators, Gov. Rick Scott largely defended his record Tuesday but distanced himself from a controversial election law that led to fewer early-voting days and long lines.
Scott agreed with black lawmakers that the 2011 election law contributed to the chaos at the polls in November, including long lines all over the state and up to seven-hour waits in Miami-Dade. But Scott, who is seeking re-election in 2014, said it was largely a decision of the Legislature.
"It was not my bill," Scott said. "We've got to make changes, I agree.... The Legislature passed it. I didn't have anything to do with passing it."
So, let me get this straight. Rick Scott's allies in the legislature passed bills that made it harder for Floridians to vote. Rick Scott then signed those bills into law. Rick Scott then spent more than $500,000 in legal fees to beat back court challenges to the anti-voting measures he adopted and enforced. Immediately after the election fiasco, Rick Scott defended his actions, declaring, "We did the right thing."
And now Rick Scott's defense is, "Who, me?"
Please.
Update: This afternoon Scott formally endorsed "the three major changes to election procedures recommended by state election supervisors," including increasing the early-voting window from 8 to 14 days (thanks to Tricia Mckinney for the heads-up).
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Not "Who me?"
It's closer to "What, me worry?"
Rick Scott is nowhere near as intelligent as Alfred E. Newman...
good ole rick for ya.
He's our Governor and we love him. NOT.
Indeed we don't. He's already a 14% behind a *presumed* candidate.
There wasn't a person with eyes in their head who couldn't foresee how this sociopathic grifter's tenure was going to unfold. Which means 2010 was the perfect year for him to run.
As a Florida resident, I am so embarrassed every election cycle. We are the laughing stock of the country.
Rick Scott is the worst. Vote him out in 2014!!!!!!
Worry not my friend. It was you folks who braved the lines so that we can have at least a decent chance at sanity. I salute Floridians, from a Californian...
This falls in the same catagory as texting and driving. DUMB IS DUMB. The people of Florida elected "dumb" legislators who voted in "dumb" elections law which was signed by a "dumb" elected governor. Texting while driving has been proven over and over as "dumb". People voting for "dumb" elected officials get what they deserve. Now will the people be smart enough to not re-elect those "dumb" elected officials... texting and driving is still happening every day...its "dumb"...is this a life lesson?
He won by a 1.13% point in an election year where across the whole country people elected not to vote and ushered in the Teapublicans across the whole nation. I voted that year and it was not for Rick Scott. You may also realize in this last election cycle Floridians did cast their ballots for the President, despite great obsticles. We also managed to put to put the fiery Alana Grayson back into the HoR.
As a Florida resident, I am embarrassed every election cycle. We are the laughing stock of the country.
Rick Scott is the worst. Florida needs to wake up and vote him out in 2014. I remember when he was elected and he said that he wanted to run for governor so his kids would have "the best opportunities" or some similar B/S. What opportunities do your kids not have, Rick? I guess the fact that you are a gazillionaire isn't enough.
I hope Charlie Crist runs for governor as a Democrat and gets Rick Scott the heck outta here!
Ricky Scott's kids are undoubtedly in private schools... very expensive private schools, as he cuts funding for public education yet again, and again, and again...
I remember his primary campaign ads on TV and saying to my husband, 'not even Republicans can be dumb to vote for him'. I overestimated the Republican vote greatly.
I can't wait to see the one termer gone forever.
And the race to the bottom continues...who will be declared the absolute worst governor in this country? We have a lot of candidates, but Lex Luthor is really stepping up his game. He may well have had "nothing to do with passing" the bill, but he sure as @!$%# signed it! Maybe the Republicans don't really speak English any more, but some strange new language. "Doublespeak" probably...
My favorite was where he removed 1.5 billion from the school budget and then after the howls of complaint went on a PR tour saying he was helping education with 1 billion dollars (which he restored) Don't get me started on th 2.4 billion in high speed rail money he rejected that went to the Northeast instead of helping jobs here.
He said 700,000 jobs , he produced 70,00
Well, you know RepubliCLOWNS and teabaggers are NEVER at fault for anything they say or do... It's ALWAYS the fault of that anonymous legislature, which is also composed mostly of RepubliCLOWNS who refuse to accept responsibility for the harm they do to the poorest or the poor when they shred the safety nets established since FDR...
It's difficult to soar with the eagles--- WHEN YOU WORK WITH TURKEYS!!!! You guys in Florida NEED to bounce him ASAP!!!
I believe a more appropriate response would be, "Please, b*tch."
Rick Scott personifies every thing wrong with the Republican party today. Odds are that he will continue to screw up and be impeached for some criminal activity that will come to light in the last two years of his term. You know the saying...once a crook always a crook.
I'm sure this person surrounds himself by "like-minded" people in key positions of power.
Please proceed, Governor. Not that I believe you can pull out of your nosedive of unpopularity (that is already pretty near ground zero) but stunts like that just will make the final resounding thud that much more amazing when you have to defend it next election.
Yet another example of the Party of Personal Responsibility claiming it is somebody else's responsibility. It is the NRA's Guns Don't Kill People defense applied to voter suppression
Its too bad that while all these stories are great, MSNBC is just preaching to the choir. We need to get these stories on other news sources to get to the people who are addicted to Faux News to see the kind of fools they are made out to be. I like reposting these stories on my FB page to make sure my republican friends have a chance to read them. Interesting responses some of them.
I agree fully.
The radical right is in it's dying throws, and Fox viewership is coughing with them. Not to worry - while a few GOPers are still unable to come to completion with their five stages of grief over the real message of the recent elections, most have realized if they expect to become electable they need to stop pandering to evangelicals and middle aged white men. People need to stop rolling their eyes and start checking their box and to do this, their party needs to step up to the 21st Century and diss th mafia B.S> of fixing the game for their benefit. The Tea Party hatriots - yawn - have become nothing but a bunch of wacks high fiving one another over various conspiracy theories - they are doing nothing to broaden their base because most just can't grok the reality they live in. They had their shot and they chose to aim at their foot. In the near distant future I see a return of two viable parties, thakfully without Karl Rowe whose trumpet has lost it's mouthpiece.
Questions is "Even if they read them do they learn anything?" Probably not!!!
Every Floridian knew scott's record and they elected him anyway.Why?
Nature abhors a vacuum though. The GOP will have to adjust it's insane trajectory as there isn't anything with which to replace that Party. The sub-formation of the Tea Party has made things worse for the party and America in general. Libertarians offer little that seems (to outward appearances at least) to attract few but the most jaded conservatives, and the liberal party is getting the disgruntled by default.
Where can a sane conservative turn to, realistically? So the party has to change, which means the insane insiders have to be dumped for younger, less radicalized more centrist conservatives.
But the nation is so polarized right now, conservative voters (seemingly) would rather put a bad Repubican into office then dismiss all the Fox talking points and vote for a Demcrat.
This isn't a win/win for the nation...
No need to add to the other comments, yet please remember his lies come election time!
As a former FL panhandle resident, if I accidently stepped on Rick Scott with one shoe and a big ole honkin' wad of dog do with the other, I'd scrape him off first.
are you kidding? having worked in kennels, I'd wiped the doo off on him first w/one foot, then scrape him off doo & all onto the ground, and walk away.....
just sayin'
No Florida voters he was'nt driving the getaway car when the legislature robbed you of your voting rights. He was just sitting in his office waiting for the green light.
So.... they pass legislation specifically to lower turn out in high population areas, to favor a presidential candidate in a specific election. It causes predictable inconvenience for voters. Then after the election the legislation was designed to sway is over, they almost immediately start scrambling to revert things to the way they were.
It's absolutely brazen. Could the intent or the dishonestly of this be any more transparent?
here! here!
I talked to my Doctor the other day about Scott. She said when he defrauded the Gov out of $300 million everyone involved went to jail except him. What a tool
want to bet Scott pronounces chutzpah like Michelle Bachman
what an assault on democracy
Everyone knew his scam with the health companies of his and people still voted him in. Dont be surprised if he is elected again.
Rick Scott is living proof that space aliens have abducted and impregnated water buffalo.
Scott is beging to see his job going to some-one els so now its time to lie about what he did.it wasn't me.what an ass-hole he and all republicans are.but come 2014 every siting republican in a office will be out of a job and watch them blame every-body for their lost even the dog.