A.G. Gancarski
With nine weeks until Election Day 2022, the back and forth between Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and Florida’s Rick Scott continues.
Scott, the head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, offered his latest volley at the Kentucky Republican during interviews Tuesday.
“A lot of the Washington crowd, what they want to do is pick the candidates,” Scott said on the Charlie Kirk show Tuesday afternoon, regarding ongoing doubts on McConnell’s part that Republicans can retake the Senate this year.
He offered similar takes on a Fox Business Network hit in the morning.
Countering McConnell’s worries about “candidate quality,” Scott offered a ringing endorsement of the “great candidates” running as Republicans this year.
“Take J.D. Vance as an example,” Scott said of the Ohio Republican. “They did a movie about his life. He understands the problems of drug addiction.”
Scott was referring, of course, to the cinematic version of Vance’s memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy.”
Scott also extolled celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz, running in Pennsylvania, as a “world-renowned surgeon” and the “best talk show host in health care in the world.”
“I’m talking to these candidates every two or three days,” Scott reassured. “They have agendas. They’re hellbent on changing this country. And they’re going to come up here and be a force of good and change this country in the right direction.”
Scott made the comments on Tuesday’s “Mornings with Maria” on the Fox Business Network, his latest attempt to defend his efforts in charge of the Senate campaign apparatus amid the Kentucky Republican’s doubts. McConnell believes Republicans have at best a 50/50 shot at taking back the Senate.
Scott has offered defenses of the “great candidates” during recent national interviews, as he promised to “fight like hell” and “be a cheerleader” for GOP candidates.
During a Sept. 1 spot on the Brian Kilmeade radio show, Scott claimed McConnell’s doubts amounted to a “shot at our candidates and the voters.”
“And by the way, the people in these states, they picked these people,” Scott said. “So respect the vote of the people of these states.”
“We’ve got great candidates! Look at the background of these people. These are wonderful individuals that believe in this country, and they believe in the right things,” Scott said on the Fox News Channel’s “Hannity” program in late August. “We are going to win, but we’ve got to raise our money. When we raise our money, we win.”
The schism between Scott and McConnell is documented at this point. They had a public split over Scott’s “12-point plan to rescue America.” McConnell slammed the plan’s suggestion of review of federal entitlement programs as a nonstarter if he led Senate Republicans next year.
Former President Donald Trump has reportedly urged Scott to make a play for McConnell’s post. Scott has not endorsed McConnell to lead the caucus beyond this year.
12 comments
PeterH
September 6, 2022 at 10:17 am
According to the New York Times Rick Scott spent down 90% of his $170 million dollar Senate war chest by July 2022 in a sole sourced Trump technology referral electronic grifting coordination with RedState.
The grift involved collecting RedState phone records with individual credit card information and texting these prior RedState contributors with a simple red meat question like: “Is Brandon a successful president?” when the respondent answers the text the follow up question would be: “would you like to contribute $25 for the defeat of Brandon?” If the respondent clicks yes their credit card is automatically charged for that amount.
RedState was the recipient of the complaints fueled by Rick Scott’s diabolical scheme….. and they soon disabled the $150 million dollar software that Rick Scott created.
Like Trump, it’s not Rick Scott’s fault …. it’s someone else’s fault.
After the 2021 Florida Electronic Unemployment Registration scam developed by Rick Scott…… you would think someone in the GQP would have vetted any Trump technology firm AND Rick Scott’s expertise to have oversight of the process. Where did the $150 million go Rick?
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Elliott Offen
September 6, 2022 at 11:02 am
Rick Scott is a fraud, a grifter, and a heartless man. Typical Florida Republican. Thanks to people like him… Florida will remain a backwards taker state, grifter state, low wage slave plantation. How many lives ruined by Republican malfeasance over the last 20 years? God only knows.
Leonard
September 6, 2022 at 11:39 am
The Senate stands at 46-46 with 8 “toss up” seats. The Rs will almost certainly win Ohio, Wisconsin, and North Carolina. The Rs may very well win Nevada, Arizona and possibly Georgia. Regardless—it wouldn’t surprise me if the Senate is 50-50 again. Rick Scott only took on this task to build his national profile with the delusional idea that he can compete for President. He has raised and SPENT lots of money…If the R’s take control of the Senate it won’t be because of him…it will be because the horrible economy led voters to reject Ds.
Whodathunkit
September 6, 2022 at 1:59 pm
Your entire comment was compromised immediately upon the inclusion of the opening phrase “according to the New York Times”
Elliott Offen
September 6, 2022 at 3:42 pm
The New York Times is a reputable news paper… regardless if whoever in the hell you are doesn’t agree with what’s in it.
Ocean Joe
September 6, 2022 at 3:41 pm
Scott, who is 0-2 as chair of the NRSCC, should give credit where it’s due: Mitch didn’t pick these pitiful candidates, Trump did. By interfering in the primaries and endorsing those who would push his stolen election nonsense, he’s doomed you guys. Scott has also suandered money these election deniers will need.
The only fault for Mitch regarding the upcoming elections is the fact he engineered the rightwing takeover of the supreme court and smuggled Kavanaugh and the chick who helped overturn Roe.
And now the backlash is levelling what was looking like a wave.
tom palmer
September 6, 2022 at 4:55 pm
GOP infighting can only benefit the Democrats. Bring it on. The problem with the GOP is that their platform is totally about whining and being against stuff. They have no agenda. Maybe this dustup will further expose that fact.
PeterH
September 6, 2022 at 5:07 pm
Here’s a question for Rick Scott:
“Rick, when Trump came to you with Oz, Johnson, JD Vance, Walker, and Masters ….. did you vet them for their qualifications to take seats in the US Senate…… or did you blindly take Trump’s endorsement of this panel of tv celebrities?”
Robert Gifford
September 6, 2022 at 6:02 pm
Time for all Floridians vote Rick Scott out. He’s just another Trump butt kisser who’s embarrassing all us Floridians
gtw
September 6, 2022 at 6:04 pm
Rick Scott has never had a strong reputation in Florida, but his reputation and credibility as an elected representative of the people sunk to a new low when he chose to NOT support the Veterans bill. Like Trump, Scott only cares about his political career….he’s most interested in replacing Mitch.
Harold Finch
September 7, 2022 at 11:13 am
So true!!
Comments are closed.