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New Nelson ad takes aim at Scott’s divisive, rigid partisanship

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“The Senate race comes down to one question: who has the independence to put Florida first?”

That’s what U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson says in a new television spot to begin airing tomorrow. The 30-second spot, titled “Closer,” showcases Nelson’s deep roots in the state. “Folks, I’m a fifth-generation Floridian. I’ve always put Florida first – and I always will,” Nelson says.

He also says in the ad that “when President Trump asks for something that’s good for him and bad for Florida, I know what I’ll do: I’ll say ‘no’. And we all know what Rick Scott will do – he’ll say ‘yes’.”

The message is scheduled to start airing in most Florida markets tomorrow, excluding the parts of the Panhandle hardest hit by Hurricane Michael.

Here’s a link to watch “Closer” followed by the script:

“CLOSER”

The Senate race comes down to one question, who has the independence to put Florida first.

When President Trump asks for something that’s good for him and bad for Florida, I know what I’ll do: I’ll say no.

And we all know what Rick Scott will do, he’ll say yes.

Folks, I’m a fifth-generation Floridian.

I’ve always put Florida first – and I always will. Nelson says.

Bill Nelson for U.S. Senate

Women Applaud Governor Scott’s Voting Executive Order

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The Florida Federation of Republican Women today issued the Following statement:

“Today Governor Rick Scott has proven once again why he is the one of the most successful governors in Florida history. He has worked diligently for the rights and freedoms of all Floridians and does so once again with his Executive Order 18-283.

Governor Scott knows that the devastation left in the wake of Hurricane Michael should not be allowed to impact the voting rights of our citizens in the Panhandle. The Florida Federation of Republican Women are organized in many of the counties hardest hit by the storm. Voting on November 6th has been a critical concern for our members and their families.

Thank you, Governor Scott, for your leadership and for always standing for free and fair elections in Florida.”

Dena DeCamp
President of the Florida Federation of Republican Women

Today, the Governor issued Executive Order 18-283 which gives Supervisors of Elections in Bay, Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Jackson, Liberty, and Washington counties the authority to extend and enhance voting options based on needs and challenges they have identified, including:

  • Locally-elected supervisors of elections in the impacted counties are now able to extend the amount of days of early voting, designate additional early voting locations and expedite the delivery and acceptance of vote-by-mail ballots. Each of these locally-elected supervisors of elections have reported significant obstacles created by Hurricane Michael preventing them from administering an election without these accommodations. These obstacles include, but are not limited to, damage to polling locations, extended telecommunications service disruptions, and large percentages of the counties’ population without power. Supervisors of Elections have not reported any damage to voting machines and all election-related equipment, including ballots, are secure.
  • The locally-elected Supervisors of Elections in the eight affected counties will be able to determine if additional early voting sites and days are necessary. The early voting period in the affected counties can begin as early as Monday, October 22, 2018, and can extend through election day November 6, 2018.
  • The Executive Order extends the registration date for poll watchers to noon on October 26, 2018.
  • Executive Order 18-283 directs Secretary Detzner to coordinate with each supervisor of elections in Florida to ensure that Florida National Guard troops, first responders, law enforcement, volunteers, and utility power restoration workers engaged in the recovery efforts in the Panhandle and anyone who evacuated from the storm can cast a ballot.
  • The restriction on vote-by-mail ballots being forwarded to a different address has been waived. This will help displaced voters to cast a ballot. The Executive Order also waives provisions so voters in the affected counties can more easily obtain vote-by-mail ballots.

Florida Federation of Republican Women

Nelson Earns Endorsement of Major Metropolitan Newspaper, His Sixth

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“[Sen. Bill] Nelson has long been a bulwark against oil drilling off Florida’s coast, a bipartisan position that protects Florida’s shoreline, and the state’s important tourism industry, from the petroleum industry’s greed.”

So stated Florida’s second largest newspaper in endorsing U.S. Bill Nelson today for re-election.

It brings to a half-dozen the number of such endorsements Nelson has earned so far in the Senate campaign. The most recent nod came from the Orlando Sentinel editorial board, which called Nelson “a centrist” and praised him for his bipartisan willingness to join with Republicans often.

The Sentinel concluded: “He’s a decent person who has served Florida and his country well, both in the military and in politics. Bill Nelson has earned another term in the U.S. Senate.”

The newspaper contrasted Nelson’s record with that of his GOP opponent, Rick Scott.

“Scott will further the political tribalism that’s dividing this country, to the peril of us all,” the editorial board stated.

The Sentinel’s assessment has been widely agreed upon by editorial boards around the state.

Florida’s largest newspaper, the Tampa Bay Times, noted: “U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson has built a commendable career in public service as a moderate who steadily works in a bipartisan fashion on issues important to Floridians. … Gov. Rick Scott, who has consistently sided with the wealthy and the well-connected as he has eroded the interests of working families. Nelson has served Floridians well and deserves a fourth term.”

The Miami Herald’s judgment was succinct: “Re-elect Bill Nelson to the Senate. He puts Florida’s interests first.” And “Scott has been an election-year Johnny Come Lately to many issues of the utmost importance to the state,” the newspaper wrote. “His poor environmental record … has led to the red-tide crisis on one Florida coast and a slick of blue-green algae on the other.”

The South Florida Sun Sentinel said: “Nelson has been a workhorse, not a show horse. … It’s not just the people of Florida who need Bill Nelson back in the Senate. It’s all of the people of the United States of America.”

The Palm Beach Post cited Nelson’s leadership on issues of critical importance to the state, including fighting the opioid crisis and protecting Florida’s natural resources and delivered a scathing rebuke of Nelson’s GOP opponent, Scott, slamming his time in office as “marked by cronyism” and “high-handed legal actions to fight government transparency that have cost state taxpayers millions.”

And the nation’s only trilingual newspaper, Tampa’s La Gaceta slammed Scott for being “a bad governor.”

The full Orlando Sentinel endorsement is available here.
The full Palm Beach Post endorsement is available here.
The full Tampa Bay Times endorsement is available here.
The full Miami Herald endorsement is available here.
The full Sun Sentinel endorsement is available here.
The full La Gaceta endorsement is available here.

Bill Nelson for U.S. Senate

Leadership Florida and the Florida Press Association present Decision 2018: Before You Vote Gubernatorial Debate

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Leadership Florida and the Florida Press Association will host the second gubernatorial debate between Andrew Gillum and Ron DeSantis on Wednesday, October 24 at Broward College in Davie. This debate has been scheduled for several months. Both candidates met the criteria established by the partners, and they have agreed to participate. [Read more…] about Leadership Florida and the Florida Press Association present Decision 2018: Before You Vote Gubernatorial Debate

New ad takes aim at Scott’s lucrative deals he’s hidden from the public

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Senator want-to-be Rick Scott got rich by ripping off Medicare; and, “everywhere he’s gone [since], Rick Scott has stuffed his own pockets.”

That’s the stark message of a new TV spot that hits the airwaves across Florida today in the U.S. Senate race. The new 30-second spot, previously scheduled to start airing today, was done by the Bill Nelson for Senate campaign.

Ironically, the ad comes hard on the heels of an explosive investigative report published this morning in the New York Times that shows how Scott has enriched himself in office with investments tied to state business – and he hid it from the public behind a phony blind trust.

“An examination of Mr. Scott’s finances shows that his trust has been blind in name only,” the Times report stated.  The report also stated Scott’s “investments have included corporations, partnerships and funds that stood to benefit from his administration’s actions.”

Meantime, the TV ad, airing statewide, highlights the $300 million golden parachute Scott received after being forced out as the head of a health care company later fined $1.7 billion for Medicare fraud.  It also notes the $550 million Scott made in one secret transaction while serving as governor.

“Everywhere he’s gone, Rick Scott has stuffed his own pockets,” the ad says. “You just can’t trust him.”

Here is a link to the aforementioned Times investigation.

Below is a link to view the Nelson ad, followed by the script and a list of some of Scott’s questioned investments.

SCRIPT: “GOT RICH”

Question: How did Rick Scott get rich?

Answer: Ripping off Medicare.

As a CEO, Scott ran a health care company that was fined $1.7 billion for Medicare fraud.

Then Scott got $300 million when he was forced out the door.

As governor, Scott got even richer. Making $550 million on one transaction hidden from the voters. 

Everywhere he’s gone, Rick Scott has stuffed his own pockets.

Rick Scott, you just can’t trust him.

Here are recently published reports on some of Scott’s investing: 

– An online Florida investigative news site reported that Scott may have funneled money from his phony blind trust to a family member and disguised it as a business loan. [Florida Bulldog: “Gov. Scott’s federal financial disclosure disguised blind trust loan to daughter”]

– South Florida Sun-Sentinel editorial says Scott makes “a mockery” of Florida’s once-model sunshine and open government laws.

– Daytona Beach News-Journal reported that Scott and his investment managers bought millions of dollars of Gilead stock while Scott was directing tens of millions of tax dollars to the company, despite the fact that Congress had blasted it for gouging consumers at $1,000 a pill.

– The Miami Herald reported that Scott made $550 million in one deal as governor from the sale of a plastics company to a Japanese firm he met with on a state-funded economic development trip to Japan.

– The Tampa Bay Times reported that Scott has a financial stake in Florida’s high speed rail project on which he used millions of state tax dollars. Scott previously rejected stimulus money to build a similar high-speed rail.

– Politico reported that Scott’s wife gave a large loan to a member of the firm managing Scott’s so-called “blind trust.”

– The online watchdog news site Bulldog found that Scott owned an enormous financial stake in the Chinese company that supplied parts for Florida’s high speed rail project.

Bill Nelson for U.S. Senate

League of Women Voters of Tallahassee Hosts Local Candidate Forum

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Event moderated by Trimmel Gomes

After rescheduling one of its candidate forums due to Hurricane Michael, the League of Women Voters of Tallahassee is moving forward with it second candidate forum to give voters a chance to learn more and hear directly from their local candidates running for public office. [Read more…] about League of Women Voters of Tallahassee Hosts Local Candidate Forum