"Usually, far-right Republicans get elected and then become criminals..."

[babylonsister]

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_11/026456.php

GOV.-ELECT RICK SCOTT.... After having been born and raised in Florida, I've come to expect a certain amount of madness from the state, especially when it comes to politics. But I honestly thought Floridians' judgment wasn't quite this bad.

Wealthy businessman Rick Scott (R) will be the next governor of Florida after state Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink (D) conceded this morning, handing Republicans a victory in one of the marquee gubernatorial contests in the country.

Sink's concession came as raw vote totals showed her trailing Scott by roughly 50,000 votes out of more than five million cast. <...>

Scott's victory also has major implications for the 2011 congressional redistricting as the Sunshine State is slated to gain two seats and Republicans now control the governorship as well as the state House and state Senate.

Rick Scott is, of course, best known as the disgraced former head of the Columbia/HCA health-care company that got caught up in a massive fraud scandal in the 1990s -- and nothing says victory in Florida like "Medicare fraud." Scott's firm later pleaded guilty to charges that it overbilled state and federal health plans, and agreed to pay $1.7 billion in fines, a record penalty for a health care company. The fines covered fraud perpetrated under Scott's watch, and he was forced out of his job as a result of the scandal.

More recently, Scott used his personal fortune to hire the Swiftboat liars' p.r. firm, and proceeded to launch a breathtakingly deceptive right-wing ad campaign in opposition to health care reform. He is, by the way, also at the center of an ongoing scandal stemming from his alleged fraud at a different health care company he created.

When the initial HCA scandal broke, and Scott was forced to give a deposition about his role, he pleaded the Fifth Amendment -- 75 times. After the second fraud scandal broke, Scott gave another deposition just days before he announced his gubernatorial campaign, but refused to let the public know what he said.

And despite his scandals and alleged crimes, and the fact that he's never held any public office and at any level, Rick Scott will now be the chief executive of one of the nation's largest states.

Usually, far-right Republicans get elected and then become criminals. It's not every day an apparent crook gets caught and then gets elected.

—Steve Benen

[FSogol]

1. Rick Scott is a real person? I thought he was a character in a Carl Hiaasen novel.

:shrug:

[babylonsister]

3. I wish you were right; unfortunately, he's real. I can only hope

the ongoing scandal goes to trial, he goes to jail, and someone with a better character can fill in.

What were they thinking? :crazy:

[Pacifist Patriot]

26. I think he's both.

:cry:

[TwilightGardener]

2. Come on, they love criminals. And draft-dodgers, and perverts, and hypocrites,

and substance abusers, and idiots. Nothing's shocking anymore.

[moondust]

13. Moral vacuum.

Super-religious facade.

[MuseRider]

4. We have a very close friend

who worked with Scott closely for quite a while until he figured out what was going on and left. THAT Richard Scott? You can't be serious.....oh yes you can, we just elected Brownback and Kobach *sigh*.

Funny in an odd sort of way.

[babylonsister]

5. I'm sure it's 'that' Rick Scott. Go figure. nt

[MuseRider]

7. Well the only good thing

I can see about this and several other state elections is that my state, Kansas, will not be the only really fucked up mess of a state. And I mean this facetiously, I wish none of us were in the mess we now find ourselves in.

[subterranean]

6. Someone like this could only have run for one purpose...

to steal as much as can get away with. Do Floridians actually believe he gives a shit about them or serving the state? He is in it for his own personal gain and nothing else.

[babylonsister]

8. That also doesn't make sense because he's loaded. I guess

when you're rich, it's never enough.

[Pacifist Patriot]

27. Well that and now he gets to appoint the people responsible for...

following the investigation trail that would lead straight to his doorstep.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

9. K&R

[The Backlash Cometh]

10. This was the direction this state was going.

People get away with too much crime. OUr law enforcement agencies are a joke. They go after the little guys and leave the kingpins alone.

[AllyCat]

11. We have a pool going in the Wisconsin forum for how long until Johnson's scandal breaks

so I could agree with the title of this post. And the candidate for sheriff in my county (lost, thank goodness) was fired from his job for trying to get an opposing football team in trouble before the big game where his son would be playing for the home team.

In fact, I think you have to have a criminal record that is um, lets say kind of in the shadows, to be a member of the Republican party.

[RainDog]

12. kick

honestly, until we have paper ballots to count votes - I question any win.

I'll look forward to the day I read about this one's indictment.

[glinda]

14. Most voters most likely did not even know he had a record. Thanks to the media.

[DFW]

15. Then after this election, they'll have to build a new correctional facility

Existing ones won't have the capacity to house them all!

Unless, of course, their beloved death penalty gets imposed for corruption as it is in China.

[Kurovski]

16. I want to be a Republican gun moll when I grow up.

Anything can happen in America.

Obviously.

[babylonsister]

17. I'm sure that wouldn't be too difficult to

accomplish for a man of your many talents. :D

[Kurovski]

18. You got that right, sister.

One day I'm going to have to upload my drag photos.

[babylonsister]

19. You packin' heat in any of them?

:evilgrin:

[Kurovski]

20. Yes!

Rachel Shimkus, fed up librarian doing a PSA while cleaning her gun.

It's on video somwhere.

[babylonsister]

22. OK, there's a joke in

there somewhere, but not being familiar w/Rachel Shimkus (and I take it I'm one of the very few), I did the google and got this:
do you resemble her?

http://www.facebook.com/rachael.shimkus

[Kurovski]

23. No

:rofl:

Only three people in the world are familiar with her. I don't think anyone in Chicago who might have seen the broadcasts in the 90s would remember. But one day perhaps she'll get "YouTubed", so to speak.

[Kurovski]

24. Are you hijacking your own thread?

:D

[babylonsister]

25. I'm just

playin' with you. Sort of got off topic, didn't we. :blush: :D

[Kurovski]

28. I do it all the time.

I'm completely irrelevant! :D

[babylonsister]

29. Haha!

No you're not, so stop sayin' that! Irreverent, distinct possibly. ;)

[Overseas]

21. In Florida. A Medicare Fraud perp. Sure was a shocker.

Millions in right wing PR paid off. How sad.

[704wipes]

30. this pic removes all doubt he is an asshat

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/3443726.bin


It is from the Vancouver Sun.

[Kurovski]

31. Well

He's just starin' at the light that is Jesus' love and redemption!