Rick Scott’s toxic legacy

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 12:00:00 +0000

While millions of residents and visitors are working on their tans, shady politics are prospering in the Sunshine State. What residents are now learning is that the negative impact of the work of the Republican-dominated Legislature and Republican Gov. Rick Scott will haunt them for years to come.

Most of the new measures were approved over the past 12 months, but as we are all learning, seven-year-old legislation is causing excessive pain, heartbreak and anger in 2012.

1. Stand Your Ground

Florida’s so-called “Stand Your Ground” statute was passed in 2005 with bipartisan support. The measure, signed by then-Gov. Jeb Bush, was pushed by gun rights activists and makes it clear people can use deadly force when they fear their lives are in imminent peril of death or great bodily harm, even if they are not at home. Supporters of the law say it has reduced criminal activity, although it could stand some changes. Opponents want the law thrown out entirely. And Jeb Bush now says the law does not apply in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin on Feb. 26 in Sanford.

Mitt’s hopes go to Florida

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 14:23:00 +0000

With the Iowa caucuses less than three weeks away, the narrowed Republican presidential contest between Romney, Newt Gingrich, and the surging Ron Paul remains a muddle. To lower expectations for his own performance and raise scrutiny on Gingrich, Romney this week began referring to the former speaker as the frontrunner.

National and state polls suggest Gingrich is now in the driver’s seat for the nomination, and as Talking Points Memo’s Eric Kleefeld argues, the primary calendar in January favors Gingrich. Accordingly, some are already comparing Romney to Hillary Clinton in 2008—the inevitable candidate whose candidacy became, in campaign lingo, "evitable."

Salon.com > Florida

Rick Scott’s toxic legacy

Mitt’s hopes go to Florida