Peter Schorsch
Last Call — A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.
First Shots
Former Florida state Sen. Greg Evers died in a car crash near his Baker home. He was 62.
According to a statement from family representative Sarah Bascom, Evers was involved in a single car accident Monday night. The family is asking for prayers as they deal with this sudden loss. Funeral arrangements will be forthcoming.
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If you really want to hear more about the Rick Scott vs. Naples Daily News kerfuffle, the first thing you’ll probably want to know is that for that last seven years we’ve had a tightly scripted, non-improvisational governor. The governor himself is governed by talking points. So the fact he misspoke and couldn’t mid-conversation correct himself is not only believable, it’s to be expected.
On Monday, speaking in Fort Myers, Scott commented again on the violence at white nationalists rally in Charlottesville, Virginia two weekends ago, when a 32-year-old activist was killed and two state troopers died in a helicopter accident, after monitoring the protests from above.
The governor flubbed his line when he said, “There’s no moral authority on both sides. We saw white supremacists accused of killing that young lady. And I have a daughter about the same age as her.”
Rewind to last week, after Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting, when he said, “I watched what happened on Saturday and it’s disgusting. It’s evil. There’s no place in our country for racism, bigotry, the KKK, neo-Nazis, white supremacists. There’s no moral equivalency between the two sides (emphasis added) … A white supremacist murdered a young woman, about the same age as my daughter.”
Scott’s press office corrected the record Monday night; the NDN called it “walk(ing) back his comments.” Spokesman McKinley Lewis issued a statement that Scott “has said many times over the last week that there is absolutely no moral equivalency between the two sides in Charlottesville,” explaining he “inadvertently said the word ‘authority’ instead of ‘equivalency.’ ”
Which is how we got to where we are. (We note the Florida Democratic Party also piled on earlier today, saying Scott “refused to condemn President Trump’s heinous statements defending white supremacists and Neo-Nazis,” although, as Attorney General Pam Bondi last week almost amusingly said of Trump, “No one’s going to tell him what to do.”)
Are we “in the tank” for Gov. Scott? Hell no. We are pointing out that the NDN’s coverage is the price you pay as an elected official for slavishly sticking to “the script.”
Evening Reads
“The feel-good Hallmark Channel is booming in the age of Trump” via Heather Long of The Washington Post
“Sans Bible quotation, Marco Rubio signals support for Donald Trump’s new Afghanistan strategy” via Florida Politics
“Catholic bishops call on Rick Scott to halt scheduled execution” via Steve Bousquet of the Tampa Bay Times
“Marijuana activists launch Roger Stone boycott; John Morgan stands by him” via Marc Caputo of POLITICO Florida
“NAFTA renegotiation long overdue for Florida farmers” via Frank Giles of Florida Trend
“How state preemption became a ‘serious problem’ for local governments in Florida” via Amy Keller of RouteFifty.com
“Democrat Paul Chandler drops out of HD 44 special election” via Florida Politics
“Temp rising in Miami Beach over looming minimum-wage hike” via Kate Rogers of CNBC
“What’s new in the iPhone 8” via Mark Gurman of Bloomberg Technology
Quote of the Day
“Look, I’m a farmer, man, I’m not a lawyer.” —Agriculture Commissioner and Republican candidate for governor Adam Putnam, speaking on the controversy over whether Gov. Rick Scott or his successor should appoint replacements for three liberal-leaning state Supreme Court justices who retire on Scott’s last day in office in 2019.
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Breakthrough Insights
Wake Up Early
Vice President Mike Pence will be in Miami to inveigh against the regime of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela. He’s scheduled to speak at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Doral, Miami’s Venezuelan enclave, and may also drop in at the U.S. Southern Command, also in Doral.
Agriculture Commissioner and GOP candidate for governor Adam Putnam will join Central Florida supporters for an “Up & Adam” Breakfast at 9 a.m., in the Kissimmee Elks Lodge, 1655 Kings Highway, Kissimmee. Putnam will later speak to the the Republican Club of Brevard at 6:00 p.m, at the Holiday Inn Melbourne-Viera.
Republican candidate for governor and Sen. Jack Latvala talks legislative matters during a meeting of the New Port Richey Rotary Club at noon, Spartan Manor, 6121 Massachusetts Ave., New Port Richey. He’ll then book it over to Orlando for a 2018 Legislative Session preview hosted by the Dean Mead law firm at 4 p.m. at the Citrus Club, 255 South Orange Ave., #1800.
The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) holds a public hearing about proposed Citizens Property Insurance rate increases. That’s at 4 p.m. at Florida International University, Biscayne Bay Campus, Kovens Conference Center, 3000 N.E. 151st St., North Miami.
We ease into the evening hours with a 6 p.m. town hall in Belle Glade with Sen. Kevin Rader and Rep. Joe Abruzzo, both Democrats, to go over the 2017 Legislative Session. That’s at West Technical Education Center, 2625 State Road 715.
GOP Rep. Frank White and the Florida Department of Financial Services will co-host a disaster preparedness workshop at the Pensacola studios of WSRE-TV, 1000 College Blvd. That’ll be 6 p.m. (Central time). Bring a copy of your insurance policy if you go.
