Category: Economics / Economy / Income / Financial
Rick Scott’s ill-timed Italian vacation
https://www.axios.com/2022/08/23/rick-scott-senate-republicans-vacation-italy
Photo: Anna Rose Layden/Getty Image
Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) is spending part of his congressional recess on a luxury yacht in Italy with his family after criticizing President Biden for vacationing in Delaware, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Scott is the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, whose job is to win back a GOP majority in the upper chamber. Republicans’ prospects for winning back the Senate have been worsening over the course of the summer, according to polling and analysis.
- Scott is already under fire for his management of the committee.
- Vacationing in Europe while Republicans face cash problems and rough headlines about their midterm chances could further hurt his standing with his GOP colleagues.
The big picture: Scott has been taking heat from Republican detractors who have criticized his job of recruiting strong candidates and managing the committee’s spending this cycle.
- Republican candidates are underperforming across the Senate landscape. Trump-endorsed nominees are trailing in must-win states like Pennsylvania and Arizona. A top Republican super PAC was forced to spend $28 million backing author J.D. Vance’s campaign in GOP-friendly Ohio.
What they’re saying: NRSC spokesman Chris Hartline did not respond to requests for comment on Monday night after Axios spoke with three sources familiar with aspects of Scott’s itinerary.
- Upon learning of Axios’ plans to publish, he said: “Sen. Scott took a couple days to celebrate his 50th wedding anniversary with his wife and family – a trip that was planned more than a year ago.”
Driving the news: Scott mocked President Biden on Monday for vacationing in Delaware instead of working at the White House.
Between the lines: Scott has made unconventional decisions running the committee. The NRSC spent over $40 million early in the cycle, in part because many candidates have struggled to pay for television ads without help from outside organizations, draining the party of resources for the home stretch.
- The committee canceled bookings in Pennsylvania, Arizona and Wisconsin last week, according to the Washington Post, forfeiting the cheaper rates that came from booking early.
- Several of the key battlegrounds Republicans need to spend in — Phoenix, Las Vegas, Atlanta and Philadelphia — are top media markets and expensive for ad buys.
- The NRSC said the move was a result of the campaign seeking to stretch its money as far as possible, including by shifting funds around to do more “hybrid ads” — joint ads paid for by the candidate and the Senate GOP campaign arm.
- That decision reduces the party’s advertising rates, but it also restricts the type of messages the ads can feature.
Scott has taken a hands-off approach to Republican primaries, not favoring any candidates in open contests.
- Both Scott and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell were unable to recruit two popular governors — Arizona’s Doug Ducey and New Hampshire’s Chris Sununu — who would have faced better odds of flipping Democratic-held seats.
By the numbers: At the end of July, the NRSC reported just $23.2 million cash-on-hand. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee reported $54.1 million in its account, more than double the GOP amount.
- “We’ve spent more than $40 million on TV while the DSCC has spent $2 million dollars. If you spend money, you have less of it,” Hartline told Axios.
Zoom out: If House Republicans coast to victory while Senate Republicans fail to pick up the one seat necessary to win a majority, Scott is poised to be the GOP’s fall guy. It would be a rare setback for the Florida politician, who has beaten long odds before and boasts an undefeated record in his own campaigns.
The difference between conservatives and liberals
Randy left this incredible grand tweet in a comment on a post. It is so grand I felt more people needed to see it. Thanks again brother. Hugs
Texas Paul REACTS to Louisiana forcing woman to carry a fetus WITHOUT A SKULL to Term
Super important to watch! This video puts the abortion cost to women in perspective and shows the arrogance of the no abortion crowd. now something I want to say not addressed in this video or any other I have seen. What no one who is talking about this is addressing is the economics of it. This woman and her husband must pay all the hospital costs for delivering a baby that won’t live. That cannot live. The equivalent of being forced to pay for a car that cannot ever run, then dispose of it at your own expense. Then because the baby was born, they must hold some funeral or burial ceremony right? Cannot just toss it in the toxic waste bin, so someone must bear all those costs. Then think of the damn emotional toll. Remember this woman and her husband wanted to have this child, they were trying to have a healthy kid. If it was me I wouldn’t ever try again after this. Tie the tubes and snip the testis. Hugs
A Louisiana hospital is refusing a women’s request to abort a fetus without a skull. This is the latest horrific consequence of the draconian laws passed by Republicans in the wake of the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Texas Paul reacts.
Texas Paul REACTS to Fox host who SHOCKED colleagues by calling out their LIES
Republican Attacks on LGBTQ Youth Are Getting Downright DISTURBING
Randy shared some more tweets with us.
the marked difference between a progressive and a conservative
https://secondnexus.com/kindergarten-teacher-tiktok-trump-child
Another FL Villages Resident Gets Off For Voter Fraud
The villages are a republican maga stronghold. They tend to have more retirement money than most maga thugs, but they are just as rabid, vocal, and feel even more entitled than the lower income magas. DeathSantis holds rallies and events there and made sure that they had the first shot for the Covid vaccines he supported for wealthy republicans but publicly tried to deny for lower incomes. Remember that a black woman in Texas voted with a provisional ballot because she was told she was able to vote but was unsure. Her ballot was not counted. She got sentenced to 5 years in prison even after the court was shown she received a letter telling her she had her right to vote returned. But there is no such thing as white privilege is there. Hugs
Click Orlando reports:
A third resident of The Villages has admitted to voting twice during the 2020 election, court records show.
Joan Halstead, 73, entered a pretrial intervention program Wednesday that will allow her to avoid potential prison time if she successfully completes court-ordered requirements such as performing community service and attending a civics class.
Halstead acknowledged her guilt as part of her agreement with prosecutors. Two other residents of The Villages accused of voting twice, Charles Barnes and Jay Ketcik, signed similar pretrial intervention contracts earlier this year.
Read the full article.
“But you won’t find Ron a DeSantis holding a press conference about voting fraud in the fraud Capitol of Florida”
And you won’t hear a word about it on Fox, Newsmax, or OAN. For those viewers, it’s like it didn’t even happen.
Good thing she was the right color.
Let’s talk about Kansas, recounts, perceptions, and realities….
Should Schools Digitally Track How Long Kids Are In the Bathroom?
Read more HERE: https://www.vice.com/en/article/dy73n…
“e-HallPass, a digital system that students have to use to request to leave their classroom and which takes note of how long they’ve been away, including to visit the bathroom, has spread into at least a thousand schools around the United States.
The system has some resemblance to the sort of worker monitoring carried out by Amazon, which tracks how long its staff go to the toilet for, and is used to penalize workers for “time off task.” It also highlights how automated tools have led to increased surveillance of students in schools, and employees in places of work.”
Scottie's Playtime 
Hi Scottie;
I’ve come to the point that I no longer find myself at all surprised what the repukes do. I did find this interesting tweet, thought I’d share it below.
Hope you are moving better from your voting. It says just how much you believe in… well, just how much you walk the walk, and not just talk the talk.
Hugs!