Any outcome to this election that doesn’t ultimately result in Florida Governor Rick Scott going to prison is not going to be fully satisfactory. We haven’t seen such naked attempts to disenfranchise blacks since the 1960’s. He’s also the man who carried out the biggest example of Medicare fraud in the country’s history.
In settlements reached in 2000 and 2002, Columbia/HCA pled guilty to 14 felonies and agreed to a $600+ million fine in the largest fraud settlement in US history. Columbia/HCA admitted systematically overcharging the government by claiming marketing costs as reimbursable, by striking illegal deals with home care agencies, and by filing false data about use of hospital space. They also admitted fraudulently billing Medicare and other health programs by inflating the seriousness of diagnoses and to giving doctors partnerships in company hospitals as a kickback for the doctors referring patients to HCA. They filed false cost reports, fraudulently billing Medicare for home health care workers, and paid kickbacks in the sale of home health agencies and to doctors to refer patients. In addition, they gave doctors “loans” never intending to be repaid, free rent, free office furniture, and free drugs from hospital pharmacies.
In late 2002, HCA agreed to pay the U.S. government $631 million, plus interest, and pay $17.5 million to state Medicaid agencies, in addition to $250 million paid up to that point to resolve outstanding Medicare expense claims. In all, civil law suits cost HCA more than $2 billion to settle, by far the largest fraud settlement in US history.
How in the hell did Florida voters look at this man’s record and decide to make him their governor? He’s a straight-up crook. He should be considered a felon many times over. And now people are surprised that he acts like a gangster?
Don’t blame me; I voted for Alex Sink.
What kind of campaign did she run? Did she ever point out that Scott was a crook who likely ripped off most of Florida’s retirees?
Terrible campaign, Martha Coakley the Florida version. She forgot the southern half of the state and chased the elusive northern Florida vote. I think she took for granted that everyone knew he was shady. She still almost won in a very bad year with a bad economy and a poorly thought-out campaign.
And how many millions did Scott spend? Too bad the next election for Florida residents is 2 years away.
Don’t know, def. outspent Sink and his primary opponent by a lot. Many more Scott ads with some making him look like an all-American businessman type. All I know is that I would prefer Crist by a mile.
How did he respond to pleading the Fifth 75 times ?
I was stunned when he won.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJYe2_ht9ek
It looks like Hurricane Isaac is gonna nail New Orleans on Wednesday.
New Orleans just can’t catch a break. Looks like a 2nd and 3rd are forming out in Atlantic, late season this year.
o/t anyone else watchin the earthquake swarms hitting Cali? Something ugly happening in Brawley.
Don’t know for sure, but suspect it was the scam Obama’s ACA is gonna cut your Medicare ad campaign. The Achilles heel in Max Baucus giving responsibility for implementing the ACA to state insurance commissioners.
I’ll say it…cause he’s WHITE.
period
Ya beat me to it. My ‘comment’ exactly.
One bunch didn’t look at his record. They only knew his opponent was another Other, like the president.
Others knew the record and admired him for it. Social Darwinism: he’s rich, so he must be superior. Straight RandRyanRomney doctrine. What makes you think they’re surprised?
ot: Willard’s trying to etch-a-sketch and embrace Romneycare.
I say, naw, son, fuck that.
Of course he belongs in prison, along with most of the financial “industry” big shots. But it was a corporation that did the thievery, so Scott is protected (Though they did manage to get the top Enron crooks somehow.) As long as corporate crooks and their bosses are allowed to use other peoples’ money to settle criminal cases, as long as the law prefers settlements to prosecution all the way, Scott’s story will remain the default in this country. The oligarchy takes care of its own. Short of a revolution, my grandchild will grow up in a banana republic because the generations before her didn’t want “trouble”.
It’s a sad commentary that taking the right to vote away from large numbers of American citizens has somehow become regarded as savvy political strategy, rather than, you know, treason.
their attempt to repeal, or at least modify the 14th amendment to eliminate the “birthright citizenship” of “the others” didn’t get very far.
what’s a savvy pol like scott got to lose?…a rhetorical question btw…because barring a criminal indictment from the doj, he’s home free.
“How in the hell did Florida voters look at this man’s record and decide to make him their governor? He’s a straight-up crook. He should be considered a felon many times over.”
How did Romney get to be Gov? How about Gov. Goodhair?
Vetting on the state level absolutely sucks.
Romney ran against a bland candidate. I don’t know anything else about his Gubernatorial campaign. The Texas Democratic Party is a joke, obviously. Have they had anyone elected statewide there since W. defeated Ann Richards?
Ask Yglesias, he voted for Romney.
He did?
Yes, he was going to Havaad(aka Harvard) around the time Willard was Governor.
“How in the hell did Florida voters look at this man’s record and decide to make him their governor? He’s a straight-up crook.”
Because defrauding the evil federal government is a plus to the GOP voter. The average GOP voter will only vote for the stupidest person available (see: Ron Reagan and GW Bush), or the biggest asshole (see: NJ Gov Christie or ME Gov LePage), or the biggest criminal (see: FL Gov Scott).