Mastermind and funder of the town hall riots is now Florida's governor

[davidm]

http://personalmoneystore.com/moneyb...06/rick-scott/

If you’re wondering who is primarily responsible for organizing the barbaric efforts to sabotage the Democratic town halls across the nation, wonder no longer. The man’s name is Rick Scott, and he is in charge of the Web site Conservatives For Patients Rights. He is a multimillionaire ex-hospital CEO whose company was charged with the largest case of financial fraud committed against the government in United States history.

Yes, the former CEO of the Columbia/HCA hospital system was at the helm during a span of 10 years when his company defrauded Medicare for $1.7 billion dollars. They were found guilty and that amount has been repaid

http://www.tampabay.com/news/politic...degree/1105385

However, federal investigators found that Scott took part in business practices at Columbia/HCA that were later found to be illegal — specifically, that Scott and other executives offered financial incentives to doctors in exchange for patient referrals, in violation of federal law, according to lawsuits the Justice Department filed against the company in 2001.

http://www.democraticunderground.com...ss=389x9472432

I have been wondering all day how the hell that happened. The media failed us miserably on this except for a few brave columnists. How this man became our governor is something we have to find out before more harm is done to this state.

ETA: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Sc...d_case_details

[Robot Arm]

Don't think of it as a former fraudster becoming governor, think of it as cutting out the middleman.

[elmwood]

I really think those on the right disregard the sins of their favored candidates far more than than those on the left. If a Democrat had that kind of baggage, there's no way he'd be elected to any kind of public office, even in the bluest of blue states.

[Reepicheep]

Marion Barry. Every party sees the sins of their candidates as lesser than the other party.

[waterj2]

Shouldn't defrauding the government out of $1.7 billion involve some serious jail time? I can't understand how this guy was elected governor. Also, in the primaries, he attacked Bill McCollum for being "pro-homosexual rights". The same Bill McCollum who spend over $100,000 of state money on George Rekers' "expert" testimony in defending Florida's ban on gay adoption. Apparently that's not anti-gay enough for Rick Scott. How much money do gay tourists spend in Florida per year, I wonder...

[What the .... ?!?!]

I stopped at "barbaric".......

If I were you I'd try again. You're definitely in the right place though.

[Really Not All That Bright]

He eats babies, you know.

[lalenin]

I am also surprised by his election, although the vote was very close between Scott and Sink.

Rick Scott's very first TV commercial had to do with how he endorsed the Arizona immigration law, and he would do the same in Florida. This commercial aired in all of Florida, including South Florida, where not only is a vast majority of the population first generation immigrants, but a majority of those also entered the country illegally.

The commercial only aired a few times, but when I saw it, all I could think of was how big an idiot this guy's campaign manager was. And yet he won.

[Really Not All That Bright]

Meh. Sink ran a poor campaign, and refused to play dirty. The HCA stuff only came up in editorials.

This despite the fact that they had his deposition testimony, which made him look awful. You can see it on YouTube.

When every major state newspaper endorses you, and you still lose the election, you ran a shitty campaign.

[davidm]

lalenin,
The illegals can't vote so I don't think they were a factor anyway.

[BrainGlutton]

Originally Posted by davidm

lalenin,
The illegals can't vote so I don't think they were a factor anyway.

It seems to be an article of faith on the right that they do vote and that's the only way Dems ever win anything.

But lalenin's point seems to be that a lot of citizens in Florida were illegals once, or have close relatives who are or were -- and yet Scott could alienate them and still win.

[Robot Arm]

I thought the aliens from Cuba were bold patriots, striking a blow to oppression and risking all to come to a land where they might dare to breathe free. Isn't it just the Mexicans who are smelly criminals dropping anchor babies and living on welfare?

[lalenin]

Originally Posted by davidm

lalenin,
The illegals can't vote so I don't think they were a factor anyway.

I realize that, but while nearly every Haitian, Salvadoran, and Honduran in South Florida came into the country illegally, the vast majority of them are now legal citizens and vote.

[Really Not All That Bright]

Er... cite?

[ladyfoxfyre]

Originally Posted by Really Not All That Bright

Er... cite?

Clearly when someone uses terms like "the vast majority" you will never get a cite.

[Tixenfleaz]

I tend to vote Democratic, whereas most of my friends and family tend to do the opposite. Yet every last one of them denies voting for the guy.

Yeah, doesn't mean squat. I know. But even the few hardcore righties I know are suprised he got elected. I can't hhelp but wonder who voted for this creature.

[Tixenfleaz]

Originally Posted by lalenin

I realize that, but while nearly every Haitian, Salvadoran, and Honduran in South Florida came into the country illegally, the vast majority of them are now legal citizens and vote.

With all due respect, I'm thinking that this is quite far from true.

[lalenin]

Originally Posted by Really Not All That Bright

Er... cite?

My cite is living and working in South Florida. I can assure you that all the Haitians I saw with "I voted" stickers almost certainly did not come originally as legal immigrants, same for the other nationalities.

[Really Not All That Bright]

Are you living and working as a customs officer? An immigration attorney? No? Then try again.

[lalenin]

Originally Posted by Tixenfleaz

With all due respect, I'm thinking that this is quite far from true.

I don't have facts to back up my claim. I wouldn't even know where to begin to look for factual data for this. My source is knowing that many people I know and work with are from various Caribbean and Central American countries, and many of them were once illegal immigrants. And through different processes, amnesty for some, marriage for others, eventual refugee status for others, they and their families have become naturalized. And I can add, these people vote, you only need to look at the make up of the local government to see that.

http://www.miamigov.com/city_officials/
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/11/0...long-time.html

[lalenin]

Originally Posted by Really Not All That Bright

Are you living and working as a customs officer? An immigration attorney? No? Then try again.

Are you living in South Florida? No? Then maybe you know less than I do.

[Really Not All That Bright]

Apparently you don't understand how this works. The burden of proof falls on the person making dubious claims.

[Tixenfleaz]

I've lived in South Florida my whole life. I work with Cubans, Peruvians, Colombians, one Venezualan, Hatians, Mexicans, Canadians, a Welshman and even a Palestinian. Dated two Brazilians (every bit as fun as it sounds) and met their families. I'm now engaged to a Filipina.

Most of them came over with green cards and followed up on all the legal requirements, which is a lot easier to do if you don't start off as an illegal.

While I don't doubt that a number of illegals follow the path you described, saying that a "vast majority" come over that way is coming at it a bit high.

But we digress...

[lalenin]

Originally Posted by Tixenfleaz

I've lived in South Florida my whole life. I work with Cubans, Peruvians, Colombians, one Venezualan, Hatians, Mexicans, Canadians, a Welshman and even a Palestinian. Dated two Brazilians (every bit as fun as it sounds) and met their families. I'm now engaged to a Filipina.

Most of them came over with green cards and followed up on all the legal requirements, which is a lot easier to do if you don't start off as an illegal.

While I don't doubt that a number of illegals follow the path you described, saying that a "vast majority" come over that way is coming at it a bit high.

But we digress...

This is what I actually said:

"...his commercial aired in all of Florida, including South Florida, where not only is a vast majority of the population first generation immigrants, but a majority of those also entered the country illegally."

[Really Not All That Bright]

I think you may have forgotten to read that quote before reposting it.

[Evil Captor]

Originally Posted by Tixenfleaz

I tend to vote Democratic, whereas most of my friends and family tend to do the opposite. Yet every last one of them denies voting for the guy.

Yeah, doesn't mean squat. I know. But even the few hardcore righties I know are suprised he got elected. I can't hhelp but wonder who voted for this creature.

Maybe the question is, who counted the votes, and how? This is Florida, after all.