Beach Peanuts

"Toxic Scott Syndrome" In Jacksonville Mayoral Race?

Sure, even those who didn't "get it" before and voted for him know now that Rick Scott is just plain bad for Florida, but just a few months in we're seeing his approval numbers sinking like a stone. Not too surprising. 

Now according to "PolitiJax" the Jacksonville Mayoral win for Democrat Alvin Brown may have also gotten an extra boost thanks to Scott's unpopularity and what he's trying to do to education.

From PolitiJax:

As analysts dissect the Jacksonville mayoral race to learn what propelled Democrat Alvin Brown to victory over his GOP rival, one point continues to crop up -- Gov. Rick Scott is not very popular in Duval County.

"We were thrilled when he endorsed Mike Hogan," Dave Beattie told the Times-Union today. "Barack Obama is actually viewed more positively in Duval County than Rick Scott."

Well, Scott does portray himself as the anti-Obama (ObamaCare! ObamaRail!) Check!

The governor's disapproval ratings topped 51 percent in the polls Beattie ran of voters who turned out. Scott and Hogan's most fervent backers -- the tea party -- also fared poorly in the polling done throughout the campaign.

The most important issue on the mind of Jacksonville voters -- funding for public schools.

Scott also wanted to portray himself as the Tea Party Governor, and he's doing his best to "expand educational opportunities" like eviscerating education funding and forcing future students to just...think for themselves...I guess? Check, and check!

Brown, who frequently reminded voters that his two young sons attend public school, clearly benefited from voters, even Republican voters, who had concerns about funding.

He's even losing Republicans. Ouch. But again, there's not much there for GOP voters in Scott's plans, unless they're millionaires, or corporate billionaires. 

In a race where less than 2,000 votes determined the winner, unease over an unpopular governor may have led more than one Republican to support a Democrat.

This brings us to Scott's actions yesterday. Can you say "get me thee voter suppression bill, and a pen?"

I would say it's a good bet that "Toxic Scott Syndrome" will only continue to spread, and Scott's PR campaigns are laughable and won't provide much of an antidote. 

It's going to be a long four years not just for us, but for toxic Republicans.

Rick Scott Signs Voter Suppression Bill

Today Gov. Rick Scott signed the new Florida election bill to guard against the "phantom" threat of non-existent voter fraud. In short, a voter suppression bill.

He did so quietly, issuing only a short announcement that he had done so:

DATE: May 19, 2011

TO: Interested Media

FROM: Brian Burgess, Communications Director
Executive Office of the Governor

RE: Governor Scott’s Bill Action Today, May 19, 2011

Governor Scott signed the following bill today, May 19, 2011:

CS/CS HB 1355 Elections

Please see the attached transmittal letter.

If you have any questions or need additional information, please call Governor Scott’s press office at (850) 488-5394.

You're welcome!

He's not the only Republican Governor rushing onto the voter suppression fast track. Today the Wisconsin Republicans cut off voting on a new voter ID bill in an attempt to get ahead of their upcoming recalls. You can read the details here. They're not pretty.

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley also signed a voter ID bill into law today, requiring S.C. voters to show a photo ID.

These bills are designed to place restrictions on voting to make it more difficult for some groups to vote, like minorities, students, the elderly and those in the military to name a few. Groups which are more likely to vote for Democrats.

Republicans know they'll have a hard time running on the issues, especially in light of their attempts to kill Medicare and possibly Social Security, to continue protecting subsidies for oil companies, and going to bat for Wall Street, among others.

The voter suppression bills and laws are just a part of the giant "Big-Government" overreach by Republicans who claim to love small government.

The League of Women Voters of Florida announced earlier this month that the new bill would likely end their voter registration efforts if passed.

Today they issued this statement:

The League of Women Voters of Florida is gravely disappointed by Governor Rick Scott's decision to approve HB 1355, a controversial elections bill that the League considers an assault on voters. By signing HB 1355, the Governor indicated his support for burdensome and unnecessary regulations that will make it more difficult for eligible voters to get registered and cast a ballot in the state of Florida.

League president Deirdre Macnab said, "Governor Scott takes Florida back in time today, with his approval of cumbersome regulations that will make it harder for eligible Floridians to be engaged and active in their government." She added, "This is extremely disappointing in a state like Florida, which had made many improvements to its electoral system in recent years."

Now that the bill has been approved by the Governor, HB 1355 will move to the U.S. Department of Justice for review. The federal Voting Rights Act requires Florida to submit all laws that affect voting rights to the Department of Justice before they can be enforced statewide. The League believes that HB 1355 contains many provisions that will suppress the registration of eligible voters, and will have a disproportionate impact on African-American and Hispanic voters who, studies show, are twice as likely to register to vote via third party voter registration groups than non-minority voters . 

The League is very concerned that parts of this law are being implemented as soon as this week. We disagree with the state's decision to rush to enforce this complex law before the Department of Justice reviews it and before any rule-making has begun.

So the fight isn't over yet, but regardless, it's a sad day for voting rights in Florida, the nation, and Democracy as a whole.

Polish This: It's The "Governing," Stupid

This morning Floridians woke to bad headlines courtesy of the Governor's office.

In other words, it's Wednesday.

Today's headlines? "Scott Sides With Insurers," announcing that Rick Scott signed his business friendly insurance bill into law, meaning property owners in Florida will now have the privilege of paying lots more for less coverage. This apparently reminded the governor we're on the verge of hurricane season, prompting a premptive Tweet to get our disaster plans in order. How thoughtful, oh Master Of Bad Timing. (Perhaps it was an intentional taunt?)

Bad timing, intentional or otherwise, it was just another blunder to add to the list. The state of Florida is on the verge of becoming a disaster in itself because of the Republicans who are running it into the ground, or into an uninsured sinkhole. Unfortunately that means bad poll numbers for them, because people frown on losing their jobs, health insurance, unemployment benefits, homes and the like while the state is being sold off to the highest bidder at their expense.

While governing "for the people" rather than against them would help in the popularity department, they have no intention of doing so, and that doesn't win over the Floridians they're at war with. So they've taken steps to paint a rosy picture in big PR campaigns.

Like the one by Mike Haridopolos, who wants to take his destructive ways nationwide and become a Senator. He's launched a new video which requires him to spend 4:50 to explain what a smashing success his recently led legislative session was, and in turn, to insult your intelligence.

While you thought he was doing things like: destroying Medicaid, hurting your health care options, cutting your job, or if you still have one, cutting your paycheck (pension's on you!), and launching a war against women while pretending it's really about abortions, well, you've got it all wrong! Here's what REALLY happened:

See? Doesn't that look better?

If you have the stomach for the entire 4:50 video, well here you go. If not, the short version is he's the perfect guy with a perfect family (check out the little lady's pearls!), he's the boy wonder, he did this all for you because he loves America, and Reagan, and if you elect him, Washington will never be the same again. (Well, that last one would probably be true, but not in the way he's implying.)

Then there's the latest new roll out of Rick Scott by the Republican Party Of Florida. The last time they tried this it nearly ended as soon as it began. Badly. (Who could have predicted that people wouldn't jump at the chance to call their lawmakers and ask them to do Scott's bidding against their own best interests?) Although credit where it's due for trying. I mean, they've got their work cut out for them, am I right?

Sadly for us, the legislature didn't do everything that Tricky Rick wanted them too, so he's promised to make even more severe cuts. In "Rick-Speak" that's called "additional savings," but will still be a tough sell to those who find themselves in his bargain basement. That means it's time for a new slogan!

Enter "Promises Made, Promises Kept." Still sounds like a threat you say? Why no! Once again, it's all in how you look at it! Sure, it may have looked to you like he was slashing education to the bone, but he calls that "Expanded Education Opportunities." Getting less pay but paying for your own pension? That's how "Reduced Government Spending" works! Did you lose your job? Nosiree! You were "Streamlined!" Feel better? Well you should! Because Rick Scott's a good boy! Just ask his mom!

It's all in how you spin it. So come hurricane season, if we get hit by the "big one" and your home is washed away, you've lost everything and you're hanging out in a shelter with thousands of your closest friends, as soon as the electricity is restored, there will probably be a message from Rick Scott that might go something like this:

"Good news! The drought is over! Now it's time for you, the community to pull yourself up by your bootstraps and rebuild your own state, and your lives. Let's Get To Work!" Just think of it as a "jobs program."

Sure, good luck with that PR, boys.

Here's a suggestion. Save the PR money and do something good with it for once. Give someone their job back. Most Floridians already know there's not "a pony in there somewhere."

How about this. Instead of telling you how foolish you look, I'll try it your way. Let me "spin" it for you in a way you can understand with a little "visual" courtesy of Jon Stewart:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Polish That Turd
www.thedailyshow.co
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"Jobs Governor" Watches As 1400 More Teacher's Jobs Die

In keeping with the Republican policy of making one claim while doing the exact opposite, Florida Governor Rick Scott has already passed the test. Now it appears he wants to be the largest hypocrite in the party known to man, I suppose thinking they'll make him President someday....or something.

As all Floridians know by now, he claims he's the "Jobs Governor." In bloated, red pachyderm-speak, that of course translates to "Job-Killer," and Scott is certainly jumping to the head of the class in overseeing that department. The latest example?

Today alone, that would be Florida killing the jobs of 1,400 teachers in Broward County, which is the sixth largest school district in the country, and that's just the beginning. The school district is facing a $140 million deficit so more layoffs are just around the corner.

For months, the district has been slicing away at the budget, with officials saying they would do what they could to protect those in the classroom.

Between inflation, federal stimulus money running out and state cuts — which slashed student spending by about $540 per student — the district is looking at a $144 million shortfall from its $1.9 billion budget. District officials have said $81 million will likely come from schools.

Teacher pink slips like those in Broward County are being handed out all over the state. The Florida Republican controlled legislature "proudly" just ended what they claimed was a highly successful session, in which they made some of the largest education cuts in years, slashing funding to only $542 per student for next year.

Rick Scott is already crowing about making more cuts on top of that, or as he's calling it "additional savings." No specifics on where he might find those so-called "additional savings," but from the guy who proposed cutting $3.3 billion from education himself, it's anyone's guess at this point. Those savings surely won't come from his new "vanity panel" state border signs where he spent an additional $251 per sign to add "Governor Rick Scott" at a total cost of $8,800 from the state's transportation trust fund, because they "look nice." (Scott is the first Florida Governor in memory to do so.)

That's how much Scott values things like education, or anything else that has value to the "little people" in Florida.

By allowing Florida to throw away those 1,400 teaching jobs, with more to come, Scott is killing more than just jobs. He's killing the hopes and dreams of thousands of children, and in turn the last best hope for opportunity, and the properity of so many more.

Combine this with all the other bad decisions he's made in just the five short months he's been in office, and Rick Scott is well on his way to killing the state itself.

It doesn't take a genius to know that when you kill education, you kill the future.

Fact Check: Scott Makes Defense Contract Boasts

Fresh off of the next to the last Space Shuttle launch before 8,000 NASA employees get their walking papers, self-proclaimed "Supreme Executive" (what the real world calls a "governor") Rick Scott beat a path to the airwaves to sprinkle fairy dust on the unemployment problem in Florida. 

For a man who campaigned on the slogan "Let's Get To Work" and claims to be a "job-creator" there's scant evidence that he's created one job beyond his media "coach," and if that coach earns paycheck, he or she is overpaid.

Scott talked to FOX this morning after the launch to polish his non-existent record for creating jobs, and he began with this little nugget:

"As you know, I've just finished my session," Scott said. "We're going to make this the state where people can open their businesses."

His "session" meaning the end of the recent slash and burn legislative session, and he's taking full credit for it apparently. That may be news to all the Republicans in the Florida legislature who are clamoring for credit doing their best to destroy anything left that's good for the state, but we'll let them bicker amongst themselves over that one. 

Meanwhile, let's get back to those talking points already in progress:

Scott said he is recruiting companies from "all over the world" to open shop in the Space Coast.

"We will get that area of the state back to work."

Scott said he was in talks with Embraer, the company that former Gov. Charlie Crist lured to the state in 2008, and "defense manufacturers."

How do you take credit for something that the previous Governor did back in 2008? YOU DON'T. The closest Scott can get to claiming credit for the 200 jobs Embraer says the plant will create is for "being there" when this picture was taken at the the opening ceremony for the new Embraer assembly facility in Melbourne in Feb.:

 (Photo: U.S. Dept. Of Commerce)

Rick Scott Shamelessly Taking Credit For Charlie Crist's Accomplishment

That would mean number of jobs created by Embraer under a governor's watch:

Charlie Crist - 200

Rick Scott - 0

That leaves 7,800 jobs yet to be filled on the Space Coast alone. Your move Gov. Scott, tell us more!

"There's companies all over the world that are talking about coming to Florida, in particular the Space Coast because of the talent of the employees," Scott said.

Really wish the interviewer had asked him to name one. That would have been an awkward moment of silence I presume. But to give credit where it's due, he did manage to ask Scott about the 11.1 percent unemployment problem. 

"What is it that is still bumping along down here in Florida that you have not been able to get straight just yet?" Hemmer asked.

Scott dismissed the question and noted unemployment is down almost one point since December.

"Our tourism business is up, our ag business is doing very well, we've got the shipping coming from the expansion of the Panama Canal - the economies of Central and South America," Scott said. "So our economy is getting back to work."

So unemployment is down a whopping 1 point? That's all you get in the specifics department. "Phantom tourists and defense manufacturers! Agriculture! A canal.......that's..... three years away!"

The Governor may be able to keep fooling a constituent here and there that he's creating jobs, but after four years of that with little results, those empty promises won't get him very far when people are still out of jobs.

As far as those "defense manufacturers?" 

Far be it from me to point out that the federal government gives out defense contracts, not the state, something "Mr. Wizard" may not realize. But even if he did, he's the guy that says we've got to get government out of business. 

Seems the "Supreme Executive's" got some issues to get straight before he keeps embarrassing himself further, and leads to bigger blunders down the way. 

Gov. Rick Scott Claims "Supreme Executive Power" Over Rule Blocking Blind Woman's Food Stamps

On March 28 by Rosalie Whiley of Opa Locka filed a petition in the Florida Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of one of Rick Scott's first actions when he became Governor, freezing all rule making subject to his approval.

Whiley, who is blind, filed the petition because one of the rules Scott froze prevented her from applying for food stamps online.

“Because of my visual handicap, I have to get someone to come in and put in information for me online. I feel like it’s important for me to do it by myself,” said Whiley, 54, who lost her vision due to glaucoma, which she has suffered with since age 16.

Whiley said she has to reapply for food stamps every six months.

“I’m really concerned,” she said of Gov. Scott. “He’s coming in and he’s disrupting a lot of things that are going to affect a lot of people. A lot of people.”

In his response to the petition, Scott claims that he has the "supreme executive power" granted to a Governor and has the final say over rules developed by state agencies.

From the St. Petersburg Times:

An 80-page response from the Governor's Office cites similar executive orders from President Barack Obama and former Democratic Gov. Lawton Chiles as proof that Scott has the right to approve or reject rules created by agency heads to implement laws passed by the Legislature.

"It has become common practice for chief executives to review and assert control over agency regulatory activity," attorneys for Scott wrote.

There's also this quote from Alexander Hamilton's Federalist papers: "A feeble executive implies a feeble execution of government."

Scott's attorneys argue that because agency heads who write rules are hired and fired by him, he can ask that the rules reflect his priorities.

Unfortunately for Rosalie Whiley, her food stamps just aren't on Rick Scott's priority list.

Whiley wants the executive order revoked, which prevents her from applying for those food stamps. The rule has already been approved by the governor's regulatory reform office, but hasn't gone into effect yet, proving yet again that Rick Scott's "Let's Get To Work" was never more than a meaningless slogan.

Three groups have filed with the court in support of Whiley, and several other rules that are on hold as well, concerning environmental issues and the disabled.

Disability Rights Florida argues the rule making freeze suspends consideration of extending Medicare waiver benefits to some people with autism, is delaying discussion of treatment for at-risk juveniles with emotional disturbances, and slows implementation of rules for the Florida Division of Vocational Rehabilitation.

The elder law attorneys say the rule suspension is slowing payment of some Medicaid benefits. 

So while Rick Scott is busy flexing his legal, "supremacy" muscle, people like Rosalie Whiley and those above, the elderly and the disabled have to wait for their benefits. 

Add to the list the new law passed in the Florida legislature last week requiring forced drug testing that they'll have to take in order to get those benefits, tests which they'll have to pay out of their own pockets until the tests prove they aren't taking drugs.

In the so-called Sunshine State, apparently this is just the new normal of what living under the rule of the "Supreme CEO" himself, Rick Scott will be like. Exercising his "supremacy" so that Florida won't become a "feeble government?"

Please.

This is a blind woman who merely wants to apply for food stamps online so she won't have to rely on someone else to do it for her. 

Sounds more like just one more out of control overreach of power by Rick Scott against the less fortunate. 

(Cross posted at Daily Kos.)

Endorse This: Hari Huckabeed, Hasner Santorumed?

Today the first endorsement of the upcoming Florida U.S. Senate election came rolling in. Not much fanfare, just rolling. Yawn.

No big surprises.

Florida Sen. President Mike-Dirty-Hari-Haridopolos apparently is hoping to round up the Right Wing Nut Religibots with an endorsement from, who else, famed squirrel fryer and Right Wing Nut Religibot Mike-Huckster-Huckabee. Part of the Haridopolos statement is below:

“We need a new generation of proven fiscal and social conservative leaders in the US Senate and that is why I am proud to endorse and support my good friend, Mike Haridopolos for the US Senate in Florida,” said Huckabee. “Mike will fight for our conservative values in Washington, just as he has done in leading the tremendous work of the Florida Senate.”

Shorter Huckabee: "Look at all the anti-abortion bills that got passed under his watch! Not to mention outlawing bestiality. As a matter of fact, funny story, under his watch, they accidentally made sex illegal in Florida. Can't get much more conservative values than that!" 

More: 

“I am honored to have such a tremendous conservative leader like Gov. Huckabee stand with me and other Floridians to tell Washington that enough is enough,” said Haridopolos. “We’ve had enough of the broken promises, record borrowing, and deficits coming from the failed policies of Bill Nelson and Barack Obama,” Haridopolos concluded.

That's right, he's going to go to Washington and say "enough is enough!" just like all who have gone there before him, (Rubio, Rivera) only to say "you know what, I just can't get enough!"

Next we have Adam-Who?-Hasner. He hasn't scored the endorsement yet, but he'll soon be hanging with Rick-Google-Me-I-Dare-You-Santorum at a Lincoln Day dinner on May 24. One can assume there will be mutal endorsements should Santorum jump into the Presidential race, just as Haridopolos returned the favor to Huckabee. Hasner may want to be careful there however, lest he be labled as a "Santorum." That's some branding best to be avoided I would say. (Google it.)

That leaves one Republican currently in the Senate race without an endorsement yet. Former Sen. Stand-In George LeMieux. But hey, it's still early, there's plenty of crazy to pick from, and someone is just bound to notice him sooner or later.

To be continued....

 

Marco Rubio: "Hands Off My Momma's Medicare!" But Not Yours

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-eciter-Of-Talking-Points-FL) met with President Obama today to discuss entitlement programs and the national debt.

Not much new to see here though.

As he has in the past, Rubio stressed the need to reform Medicare and Social Security, just not until after his mother gets her benefits.

As for those who are under 55? Well, please accept this useless handy voucher courtesy of the Paul Ryan Ayn Rand Plan.

From the St. Petersburg Times:

Rubio invoked Florida's heavy population of retirees and told the president his own mother depends on Medicare and Social Security, an aide confirmed. He stressed the Republican position that something needs to be done now to preserve the programs for future generations.

For Republicans, that includes a controversial House proposal that would convert Medicare into a voucher program but only for people currently under age 55. Rubio has generally embraced that proposal, which Democrats and Obama have decried and hope to use in the upcoming elections.

If indeed Rubio still favors the Ryan voucher plan and wants to end Medicare, he joins the current Republican candidates trying to oust Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson in the next election, Transcript Author and current Florida Sen. President Mike Haridopolos, Former Stand-In Sen. George LeMieux and Adam-Who?-Hasner, all of which favor ending Medicare.

Just not for current seniors. They need those senior votes too much.

"No Abortions Means More Kids In AP Classes, Like China!"

With all the anti-abortion bills that passed in the Florida legislature in this past "session of disaster" there's one argument that wasn't invoked, as far as we know, and that was this one from Ohio Republican State Representative Jarrod Martin. He argued, for economic reasons, that abortions should be outlawed in order for the U.S. to be more competitive with China.

How would that make us more competitive with China you may ask? Well, simply put (accent on the simple of "simply put"):

"there are far more Chinese students taking AP classes than American students, the U.S. needs to ban abortion so women will have more children in order to rival China’s academic dominance."

From Right Wing Watch:

Martin: When you look at China and you look at their population, the population growth that China has and other Third World countries have compared to the population growth of the United States; China right now how more children in AP and gifted classes than the United States has in school. Think about that, they have more children in their gifted classes than we have in our entire school system. And we are killing thousands and tens of thousands of babies every year. How do we compete? We have to think about our future. That’s a little bit of economics behind this bill.

Given that, much like most Republicans today, Florida legislators and Gov. Rick Scott have done their level best to reach the goal of gutting public education in favor of shifting to private schools (and in Florida's case, ones that Jeb Bush would likely profit from) in the name of vouchers and Charter Schools, I'm a little surprised they didn't come up with this idiotic idea first.

This so-called "heartbeat" abortion bill, as Right Wing Watch points out, is also supported by Republicans like Mike Huckabee, Newt Gingrich and Michele Bachmann, all of whom are potential Presidential candidates. I can actually see them all arguing this point, because they all think the American public are stupid, like them.

By all means, let's gut the public education system altogether, and pay teachers even less than we already do. But let's make sure all the "little ladies" out there of child bearing age can't get abortions under any circumstances, and keep them all barefoot and pregnant so we can get more kids into AP classes? Why yes, THERE'S a plan!

Meanwhile I guess we'll have to wait and see what the plan is for all those kids who were "popped out" in the name of competition who can't get by because their families couldn't afford to raise a family, have mothers who had to stay home instead of working to raise the child, and who are now in need of public assistance. Public assistance, I might add, that Republicans also think they shouldn't have. But please, do pull yourselves up by your boot-straps kids and get out there and do your part to compete with China! AP classes await!

After all, this isn't like the old days when all you had to do was finish your broccoli because kids in China were starving. Now American kids actually ARE starving, but their mothers have got to keep having babies regardless because we've got to compete with China!

Yeah. That's the ticket.

Republicans For 2012: "This Is All We've Got"

Newt Gingrich surprises no one today after months of build up to the fact that he'll run, AGAIN, for President in 2012. Who knew?

Yawn.

 

"Look reality in the face," you say?

Well, thanks to Rachel Maddow, we can take a stroll down memory lane with Newt, and really look reality in the face:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Ah, the memories, because who doesn't want to live in the past with a has-been, grifter and a failure, huh?

Oh, and one other thing: "REAGAN!"