Beach Peanuts

Leftovers: Disney Sickos, Clowns VS Cardboard, Slackers, Grifters And Profiteers

Florida Shortens Yellow Traffic Lights For Profit: Florida is "tweaking" the rules on time intervals for yellow traffic lights, and ignoring national standards, which means big profits for some, at the expense of unsuspecting ticketed motorists, who may face an even bigger fine if they contest their citations. There's also the potential for danger when the lights are shortened in some cases. You can thank the Legislature, The FDOT and lobbyists for camera companies. See the full story here.

How The Other Half Does Disney: Sing along with me, won't you? "It's A Sick World After All" and no, I'm not talking about Disney's "no sick pay" gift from the Florida legislature, but this will indeed make you ill. Wealthy mothers are foregoing FastPasses and hiring disabled tour guides so their families can skip long lines at Disney World.

Forget That Empty Chair, The RPOF Will Now Run Against Cardboard: Apparently Lenny Curry, the not so bright driver of the Republican Party of Florida's clown car, thinks that's the only way to win. Actually, he's fixated on Nancy Pelosi and Appalachian Trail enthusiast and former absentee Governor Mark Sanford's recent win over Democrat Elizabeth Colbert Busch. Curry seems to be under the illusion that because Sanford "debated" a cardboard cutout of Pelosi, that caused Colbert Busch's loss, so he's going to drive that narrative right off a cliff. Never mind that it would be difficult for any Democrat to win in the Red state, nor that Pelosi isn't nearly as scary to voters as he thinks she is. Let him have his dreams...

Rep. Frederica Wilson Saves A Dad From Deportation: During an immigration forum yesterday with Congressional Democrats in Florida, Rep. Wilson made a difference for an 18 year-old who said his father would be deported the next morning. Meanwhile, Sen. Immigration, Marco Rubio was busy obstructing elsewhere, demanding that another empty chair, this time at the IRS, be fired, trying to make it a crime for the IRS to do its job, and then fund-raising off of it. In other words, it was Monday. 

Rick Scott Continues His "Aren't I Just Awesome?" Tour: Rick Scott continues to ignore Medicaid inaction and other items piling up on his desk like the budget and bills he should veto, and instead continues to celebrate the only real thing that matters to him: More tax cuts for big business.

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The Florida GOP And Sick-Time: "Small Government" Hypocrites

Leftovers: Florida Turns 500, Or Not, Sugar Or Not, Scott Blunder, Legislative Re-Do, Election Laws, Nelson, Graham, Crist, West, BP, ObamaCare, And More...

Action: Tell Rick Scott To Veto "Paid Sick Days" Bill

GOP Intolerance Alienates Their Own Florida Hispanic Outreach Director

Pablo Pantoja

(Photo: Kevin Cate, The Florida Nation)

How badly is the Republican Party's so-called project on "outreach" to Hispanics going?

This badly:  Citing the "culture of intolerance surrounding the Republican Party," and the recent report from the Heritage Foundation, and one of it's now former members, Jason Richwine's views, the State Director of Florida Hispanic Outreach for the Republican National Committee, Pablo Pantoja, has now become a Democrat. 

It's understandable, given that their so-called savior on immigration, Marco Rubio, seems to set up more roadblocks on immigration reform than actual solutions, like warning that green cards for gay couples is a deal breaker, and saying the only reason he's jumped into immigration reform in the first place is because "the President and the Democrats who control the Senate were going to bring this issue up" anyway. (Although he may have other reasons entirely.) He's also said that he will "strongly oppose" the confirmation of President Obama's Hispanic labor secretary nominee Thomas Perez, merely because he's a "liberal" Democrat.

But it goes much deeper than just Marco Rubio's numerous immigration barriers, and the Republican Party seems to have little interest in really reaching out to Hispanics. (Beyond window dressing, re-branding, and voter suppression.) As the director of their outreach in Florida, Pablo Pantoja's reasons for becoming a Democrat couldn't make that more clear.

It also goes beyond just immigration, as the GOP is alienating more voters every day. 

Here is Pantoja's letter in full, from Kevin Cate at The Florida Nation:

Friend,

Yes, I have changed my political affiliation to the Democratic Party.

It doesn’t take much to see the culture of intolerance surrounding the Republican Party today. I have wondered before about the seemingly harsh undertones about immigrants and others. Look no further; a well-known organization recently confirms the intolerance of that which seems different or strange to them.

Studies geared towards making – human beings – viewed as less because of their immigrant status to outright unacceptable claims, are at the center of the immigration debate. Without going too deep on everything surrounding immigration today, the more resounding example this past week was reported by several media outlets.

A researcher included as part of a past dissertation his theory that “the totality of the evidence suggests a genetic component to group differences in IQ.” The researcher reinforces these views by saying “No one knows whether Hispanics will ever reach IQ parity with whites, but the prediction that new Hispanic immigrants will have low-IQ children and grandchildren is difficult to argue against.”

Although the organization distanced themselves from those assertions, other immigration-related research is still padded with the same racist and eugenics-based innuendo. Some Republican leaders have blandly (if at all) denied and distanced themselves from this but it doesn’t take away from the culture within the ranks of intolerance. The pseudo-apologies appear to be a quick fix to deep-rooted issues in the Republican Party in hopes that it will soon pass and be forgotten.

The complete disregard of those who are in disadvantage is also palpable. We are not looking at an isolated incident of rhetoric or research. Others subscribe to motivating people to action by stating, “In California, a majority of all Hispanic births are illegitimate. That’s a lot of Democratic voters coming.” The discourse that moves the Republican Party is filled with this anti-immigrant movement and overall radicalization that is far removed from reality.  Another quick example beyond the immigration debate happened during CPAC this year when a supporter shouted ““For giving him shelter and food for all those years?” while a moderator explained how Frederick Douglass had written a letter to his slave master saying that he forgave him for “all the things you did to me.” I think you get the idea.

When the political discourse resorts to intolerance and hate, we all lose in what makes America great and the progress made in society.

Although I was born an American citizen, I feel that my experience, and that of many from Puerto Rico, is intertwined with those who are referred to as illegal. My grandfather served in an all-Puerto Rican segregated Army unit, the 65^thInfantry Regiment. He then helped, along my grandmother, shatter glass ceilings for Puerto Rican women raising my aunt to become the first Puerto Rican woman astronomer with a PhD in astrophysics (an IQ of a genius as far as I’m concerned). Puerto Ricans, as many other Americans still today have to face issues of discrimination in voting and civil rights.

Regardless of what political affiliation people choose, my respect for some remains. I don’t expect all Hispanics to do the same (although I would hope so) but I’m taking a stand against this culture of intolerance.

I am also making a modest contribution (here: http://bit.ly/12uf3g8) to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) for the efforts in helping protect the rights of immigrants and civil liberties in general.

With warm regards,

-pablo

Pablo Pantoja should be commended for taking a stand.

Too bad the rest of the GOP can't do the same.

 

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From The Department Of "No, He Really Can't Make This Stuff Up," Marco Rubio

Immigration Hypocrisy, Rubio Style

Don Gaetz's Former Hospice Company Accused Of Medicare Fraud

Club Med-icare

Another company associated with a Florida Republican has been accused of Medicare fraud, but this time it doesn't involve Gov. Rick Scott.

Nope, this time it's not the Governor, it's the Senate President Don Gaetz, whose former company Vitas Hospice Services and Vitas Healthcare Corp.  the U.S. Justice Department alleges “misspent tens of millions of taxpayer dollars from the Medicare program since at least 2002." (Is there a secret club for these guys somewhere that we aren't aware of?)

Gaetz sold the company in 2004 to its current owner, Cincinnati-based Chemed, and reportedly no longer owns any shares or has any affiliation with the company. Chemed operates hospice services in 18 states including Florida.

The suit, filed on the eve of the final day of the legislative session, alleges that the Chemed and its hospice subsidiaries defrauded Medicare by billing Medicare for patients who were not eligible for hospice care, and for charging Medicare for crisis care given to patients who either didn’t need it or never received it.

Gaetz, R-Niceville, who was elected to the Senate in 2006, said through a spokeswoman late Wednesday that the DOJ complaint involves issues that occurred after he left the company.

Rick Scott was never charged with Medicare fraud, but his former company received the largest fine for Medicare fraud in history.

If there is such a club for alleged Medicare fraudsters, they must not only have a secret formula for billing, but they're really bad at math. Last time I checked my calendar, 2002 came before 2004, when Gaetz sold the company. He may claim to have "left" the company before this occurred, but he still owned it during that time.

Charging Medicare for crisis care given to terminally ill patients who either didn’t need it or never received it? Classy!

But then the Gaetz family is nothing but classy. After all, upon passing the “Timely Justice Act,” which makes it even faster and easier to execute prisoners by cutting short the time for death penalty appeals, Don's son, and House Rep. Matt Gaetz had this to say:

“Only God can judge. But we can sure set up the meeting.”

So quick to judge! If these allegations are true, may justice be just as swift in this case, but something tells me Gaetz's lawyers will take all the time they need, and then some, to defend him and the company.

When it comes to Republicans in the alleged Medicare Fraudsters Club, and the Florida Capital, membership has its privileges. 

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The Florida Legislature Gets A Little Help From Their Friends: ALEC

Do you like some of the bills that didn't pass in the Florida legislature this year? How about previous years?

The legislators share credit for bad legislation with ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council). After all, ALEC is doing most of the work. Many Florida leaders in turn really "work" for ALEC, not Floridian voters, and they're paid handsomely for it. 

Several bills from this year's session were comprised from ALEC model legislation like the preemption bill, also known as the paid sick-time bill. (See also this article on the Orange County sick pay battle: ALEC Politician Works To "Deliver The Kill Shot" In Florida) ALEC has also led an assault on Medicaid expansion. Of course one of their triumphs in the past was the Stand Your Ground gun law.

You can see examples of much of their model legislation here. If you spend some time there you'll see a lot of bills that will look familiar to you if you've followed the legislature the past few years.

Here is a list of (known) Florida legislators with ties to ALEC.

Here's just another refresher course, ALEC Explained In Five Minutes:

 

(Video h/t: Daily Kos)

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Chapter Two? Greer Still Plans To Expose RPOF's "Dirty Laundry" In An Upcoming Book

Rubio, Greer, and Cannon: Three's Company?

After threatening to expose the Republican Party of Florida's possible part in his undoing at trial, those anticipating a media circus out of fear or entertainment depending on who the observer was, were likely thrilled/disappointed when former RPOF Chairman Jim Greer instead pled guilty without saying a word. His promise of a "Shakespearean tragedy in which everyone dies in the end'' did not come to pass. Greer kissed his wife, was handcuffed, and after sentencing, led off to prison for 15 months. Followed by what was likely a collective sigh of relief from the RPOF, they happily went back to pretending Greer was just an anomaly, and returned to their favorite pastime, both hating and fearing Charlie Crist.

Finger pointing: It's what they do.

If you were disappointed when those ugly truths didn't surface, both old rumored ones and new alike, fear not! There's still hope that it will all come out in the end. Jim Greer was recently interviewed by Mike Deeson at WTSP, where he said not in so many words "Not so fast there, boys."

Those present and former Republicans, from Charlie Crist, to Dean Cannon, right on down to the way back machine with Marco Rubio and his magic RPOF credit card, may be worrying just a little bit longer. Jim Greer, it seems, plans to pass some of his time in the big house brushing up on his writing skills penning a book tentatively entitled "Dirty Laundry." (Never mind that Don Henley may call to ask for his song title back. I guess "borrowing" things from others is a hard habit to break for Republicans.)

But that's not all Greer had to say.

From the Deeson interview:

Greer maintains his innocence, saying then-Governor Charlie Crist was aware of the fact Greer was paying himself a commission for raising money for the party. In fact, Greer and three others close to Crist have given sworn testimony that the former governor not only knew, but directed Greer to do it. Crist maintains he did not, and had the case gone to trial the jury would have had to decide who was telling the truth.

Greer admits,"People will always say, 'If you are so innocent, why didn't you go to trial?' And I understand that."

There are some reports that Greer took a payoff to keep quiet. There's even an allegation that the Republican National Committee may have written him a check. Greer says about those reports, "I've read 'em. It's just not true."

But Greer says what is true is that friends have helped him with some attorney fees and restitution payment, but he was given no money or promised anything from anyone to plead guilty.

Greer also told Deeson that others in the party did even more than he did, naming examples by former House Speakers Ray Sansom and Dean Cannon, and now Senator Marco Rubio:

"They were allowed to quietly write checks back to the party," Greer says. He also says a friend told him he was being used by the Florida GOP as a scapegoat.

He says his friend told him, "They have cleansed their sins with your blood, Jim, and that is certainly not anything in relationship to Jesus, but it is certainly an appropriate statement."

He also spoke of the real reason for his guilty plea:

Greer claims he accepted the plea deal for a much more basic reason: fear. He was facing six charges. He says prosecutors told him that if he was convicted on just one, they would ask for nine years in prison.

When Greer made that guilty plea, the Florida GOP issued a statement, saying: 

“The truth is now known that Jim Greer broke the law,” stole from the party and donors, “and then said and did everything he could to cover up and distract attention from his crimes.”

Those same Republicans who were quick to point fingers and issue statements when Greer was first charged, only to clam up and keep their heads down once he started talking not only about their involvement in this, but also on their role in voter suppression and the real motives behind it, are now back to playing the innocent victims, once again perched on their self-professed moral high ground. 

Perhaps that "Dirty Laundry" Greer claims he'll air will bring them back down from the clouds just in time for the 2014 elections.

(Photos: Florida House, State Of Florida)

Former Republican Man Of The Year And Committeeman Charged With Child Pornography

"Community Walton Man Mugshot of the Year"

Here we go again...

The entire Republican Party of Florida recently breathed a sigh of relief, not to mention Marco Rubio, after their former chairman Jim Greer pled guilty to grand theft and money laundering recently instead of making good on his threat to publicly take them all down with him during a trial, sparing them what could have been an ugly spotlight on (wink, wink) "rumored corruption." 

But alas, this is the Republican Party after all, so as one scandal bites the dust (for now, anyway) another one always manages to make it into the sunlight. Today is no different.

And so it goes, another member of the party of "family values" has made fresh new headlines. This time it's an elected Republican state committeeman, and the arrest involves child pornography charges:

Lane Rees, a former Walton County Commissioner and its elected Republican state committeeman, has been arrested on child pornography charges.

Rees was taken into custody at about 5 p.m. Monday at his Santa Rosa Beach home after deputies served a search warrant, Walton County Sheriff Mike Adkinson said.

He has been charged with possession of child pornography. Adkinson said “multiple images” were found at the home.

“Corroborating evidence” supporting the charges “was found at the home,” Adkinson said. “He has for sure got some pretty significant images.”

Rees was a former Walton County Commissioner until he was defeated for reelection in a scandalous campaign:

The Rees-Brannon campaign was eye opening for the amount of money that was raised by two men seeking a seat that paid less than $34,000 a year. The Florida Commission on Ethics would later fine Brannon and a group that supported his campaign for violations.

Rees was named the “Community Walton Man of the Year” in 2011.

Community Man of the Year? Okey-dokey...

It's just like your Republican mom always used to tell you boys and girls:

"It's all fun and games until your fund raising earns you an ethics violation, forces a guilty plea, a prison sentence, or some "pretty significant child pornography images" you downloaded to your computer are discovered by the authorities." 

No doubt Rees will join other previously shunned members of the party in Florida, who got caught, like Jim Greer. But for each new "bad apple" GOP designated scapegoat, there are always several more goats waiting in the field to be exposed. (Pardon the pun.) They just can't help themselves.

We can only wonder now who will be next. After all, it's only Tuesday...

More Tax Breaks For Sports Franchises? Legislators Should Dress The Part Like NASCAR

We're constantly told by Rick Scott and the Republicans in the Florida legislature that the state "can't afford" things like health care and education, things that would improve our lives and create jobs like high-speed rail, and we have to cut regulations for clean air and water, just to name a few. And yet those same politicians think when it comes to corporate welfare, the sky is the limit.

Today they handed out several more taxpayer subsidies, this time to sports franchises:

The Major League Soccer provision, HB 219, sponsored by Central Florida lawmakers, is widely expected to help draw a new soccer team to the Orlando area. It would offer up $60 million in tax subsides to the new stadium, over 30 years.

The International Speedway bill, HB 1049, would help the Daytona racetrack do a major renovation, providing up to $60 million in taxpayer subsidies.

The Jaguars bill, HB 721,would increase a tax subsidy that currently goes to the Jacksonville stadium from $2 million per year to $4 million per year, kicking in up to $60 million for the team over 30 years. The stadium has already received some $37 million in tax support since 1994, part of more than a quarter billion dollars that have gone to Florida 's pro sports franchises in the 20 years.

If legislators think that those "poor" corporations are in such dire need of our tax dollars to our detriment, then in the spirit of NASCAR, who they're apparently so fond of, and the interest of "government in the sunshine," why not go a step further and let them dress the part? Since they have to fork it over anyway, I'm sure most taxpayers wouldn't mind a little of that money going towards suits adorned with logos of all the corporate beneficiaries to be worn by lawmakers while they hand them out.

Sure, it would be a tight squeeze combined with all the campaign contributions, but at least Floridians would get to see where their money was going and who was benefiting from the legislation they have to live with.

Besides, they'd have plenty of room to add the new Jaguar, Major League Soccer and Daytona logos after they rip out the old ones from Allied Veterans of the World.

Why The GOP "Autopsy" Should Actually Be Called The "Government Outsourcing Project"

David Koch, Fleeing The Press At The RNC, Tampa 2012

(Photo: Martha Jackovics)

If you've read the GOP's "autopsy" of their losses in the 2012 election (re-branded as the "Growth and Opportunity Project") but haven't come to the conclusion that it's mostly nonsense just yet, this could do it for you.

One of the things that stood out for me was a small section buried in the Campaign Finance, and State Campaign and Finance Laws and Regulations recommendations. It's just a couple of sentences, but it's in conflict with a majority of the other recommended policies in the report. Or rather, what they would have people believe they want to do to woo voters.

Here's the snippet, which is listed twice, word for word, on pages 69 and 97:

3. Model legislation should be developed by interested organizations and state legislative leaders to improve state campaign finance laws. Organizations such as the RNC, the RSLC, and ALEC may wish to take a leading role. To turn ideas to action nationwide, experts should develop model statutes that can be replicated across states.

The two paragraphs are identical, almost as if they were a cut and paste job from something like, oh, I don't know, an ALEC "model" maybe?

If you're not already familiar with ALEC, that's the American Legislative Exchange Council, which is the corporate funded group who work with lobbyists and conservative politicians to write the "model legislation" that legislators then bring home to their states and pass into law. They get a large amount of their funding from the Koch brothers. (I've written more about them and their involvement in Florida here, here, here, here, here, and here, just to link a few of those posts.) ALEC has brought Florida laws like the Stand Your Ground gun law, election laws, and were behind many of the Amendments on the 2012 ballot. That's just a small sample.

ALEC largely operated in secret, and many elected officials passing off their cut and paste legislation did too. But when ALEC's behind the scenes operations were exposed to a little sunlight, corporations who had quietly worked with them began getting push back from activists, angry consumers and voters. Many of them quit working with ALEC because of it.

But there are plenty of those who still work with ALEC, lawmakers, and work "for" Koch, and not in the best interest of voters and consumers.

According to the GOP's new recommendations, they're practically saying they are fully prepared to hand over governing to ALEC, and the Koch's for a price. No more secret dealings. They're indicating right there in black and white for everyone to see that they're willing to sell out the country. "ALEC may wish to take a leading role?" There's no "may" about it. They want the whole ball game and the GOP knows that. They've already made a big investment as it is. 

Shamelessly outsourcing "Democracy." Welcome to the GOP's real model for America.

It's not like many of us weren't already aware that it was really the Koch brothers and corporate America who were pulling our elected officials strings, but this is blatant. It's like the GOP is saying: "Yeah, you actually elected the Koch brothers, corporations and lobbyists, and guess what? From now on we're just going to cut to the chase and hand everything over to them for a price. We're going to let them write any old law they want. Hey, it's not like we work for a living anyway, and we certainly don't know what we're doing. Now excuse us while we jet off for another taxpayer funded vacation." Boom. No pretense about it anymore.

And of course, who is behind a lot of the laws and policies that earned the Republican Party losses in the last few elections? That's right, all of the above.

So while they claim they're going to change their ways and tinker with their policies and their messaging, the biggest "message" of all is really contained in that one little paragraph found on pages 69 and 97. Combined with even more leeway in campaign finance laws, that pretty much cancels out the rest of the report as merely window dressing.

Any questions?

Surprise! More Voter Suppression Coming From The Florida Legislature

So much for those promises of "election reform" from Florida Republicans. Yesterday the Senate pushed even more restrictions on voting:

...the GOP-crafted bill has two major provisions that worry election supervisors: a requirement that anyone voting absentee must have an adult witness their signature, and a requirement that anyone who wants an absentee ballot mailed to an address other than their voting address must fill out an affidavit.

"This is going to impact seniors, students and our military voters," said Pasco County Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley. He predicted that the witness requirement would result in a surge of uncounted absentees because voters would not follow the new step.

In other words, they're "improving" on the voter suppression tactics from last year's "reform." More paperwork, and more hoops to jump through in order to exercise the right vote. Just what we needed!

In Florida, election reform means making it difficult for students, who tend to vote for Democrats, "supporting the troops" fighting for their right to vote by making it harder for them to do so, and saving seniors like 102-year-old Desiline Victor the hassle of waiting hours in long lines to vote by keeping her from lines altogether. Force her to spend all that time on endless paperwork instead. Problem solved!

Nice touch, GOP.

Democrats tried, but failed, to get some of what Republicans had claimed would be part of the new reforms:

Democrats tried to mandate 14 days of early voting at 12 hours a day, including the "Souls to the Polls" Sunday immediately before the election. That failed, and the bill calls for a minimum of eight days of early voting at eight hours a day.

...Democrats tried to add as early voting sites "any suitable location," and that failed too.

...Democrats tried to repeal a provision in law that requires out-of-county voters to cast provisional ballots on Election Day. 

So in sum, the GOP dominated legislature spent last year making it harder to vote, which did as promised, then Scott spent taxpayer money to "study" what went wrong, and upon the "discovery" of those errors, Republicans in the legislature are proceeding to build on last year's voter suppression tactics.

The more things change, the more they stay the same the worse they get.

GOP's "Autopsy" Reveals They All Want To Be As Awesome At Governing As Rick Scott Is

GOP RIP

In their newly released "Growth and Opportunity Project" yesterday, one of the recommendations the Republican Party made for themselves was that they need to stop talking only "to each other." Yes, that was an obvious problem for them in the 2012 election. From Dick Morris, to Mitt Romney, to Karl Rove, they were shocked, shocked that they didn't win in a landslide because they spent the entire election in the FOX and "skewed" polling bubble.

Behold, the "wisdom" of GOP afterthought:

The Republican Party needs to stop talking to itself. We have become expert in how to provide ideological reinforcement to like-minded people, but devastatingly we have lost the ability to be persuasive with, or welcoming to, those who do not agree with us on every issue. 

Right. They haven't been forceful enough to the majority yet, while attempting to destroy the country. But I digress...

Here's another shocker. They're still just talking to themselves....in their own report. In fact, they even did so before getting to that section above.

Consider this tone deaf revelation from their "autopsy":

At the federal level, much of what Republicans are doing is not working beyond the core constituencies that make up the Party. On the state level, however, it is a different story.

Republicans hold governorships in 30 states with 315 electoral votes, the most governors either party has had in 12 years, and four short of the all-time GOP high of 34 governors who served in the 1920s. 

Republican governors are America’s reformers in chief. They continue to deliver on conservative promises of reducing the size of government while making people’s lives better. They routinely win a much larger share of the minority vote than GOP presidential candidates, demonstrating an appeal that goes beyond the base of the Party.

It is time for Republicans on the federal level to learn from successful Republicans on the state level. It is time to smartly change course, modernize the Party, and learn once again how to appeal to more people, including those who share some but not all of our conservative principles.

First of all, most of those Republican governors were elected in 2010, and since they began governing on those "conservative promises," buyer's remorse quickly set in. Sure, they're still in office because states are stuck with them until the next election. I wouldn't exactly put that factor in the "win" column just yet.

Among those falling under the "tanking in the polls column" is Gov. Rick Scott. He's a classic GOP case on how not to govern, and was so even before this latest poll from Public Policy Polling:

In four hypothetical match-ups, Scott trails Charlie Crist by 12 points (40/52), Pam Iorio by 7 points (37/44), Alex Sink by 5 points (40/45) and leads Nan Rich by 6 points (42/36). Crist takes a whopping 29% of the Republican vote against Scott, exactly in line with PPP’s January poll of the Florida governor’s race.

Scott’s abysmal -24 job approval rating (33/57) is also exactly in line with the results from PPP’s January poll. Scott barely has the approval of his own party—Republicans approve of his job performance by a slim 46/42 margin. 52% of Democrats, 44% of independents and 18% of Republicans think Scott is too conservative. 

Yes, that's even after he backed down by accepting Medicaid expansion in Florida. No doubt he assumed that being forced to "do the right thing" as he calls it now, might have come with a silver lining. It didn't. Nor did his about-face proclaiming his new love of teachers and education. His assumption that Florida teachers were stupid enough not to see through his sudden interest in actually paying them a little more was a bad one. 

Ask the average Floridian if they think Rick Scott is "making their lives better" or if he's "appealing to those who don't share his conservative principles." Or rather, ask them after they stop laughing. Or crying. 

But sure GOP, keep believing what you're telling yourselves. Keep believing in those pipe dreams, skewed polls, and that blind adoration of the bubble-heads at FOX telling you just how awesome you are. 

May you, along with Rick Scott, head off into the sunset in 2014, scratching your heads along the way, wondering what coud have possibly have gone wrong...