NEWS FROM THE FLORIDA DEMOCRATIC PARTY
For Immediate Release: Aug. 3, 2010
Republican Debate Winner is Rick Scott’s Cluelessness on Florida’s Diversity
Yesterday, disgraced executive Rick Scott and career politician Bill McCollum engaged in their first of two debates in the Republican Primary for Florida Governor. Aside from McCollum’s inability to produce a moment that would significantly alter the dynamics of the race in his favor, the biggest takeaway of the debate may be how clueless Rick Scott is about the  racially insensitive comments coming out of his mouth.
At the debate yesterday, Scott embarrassed himself when trying to highlight how he has worked with Hispanics – essentially, he said that through interacting with Hispanics, he has “learned to have dinner later.” 
On his recent gaffe-filled 7-7-7- bus tour, Scott  said a “school’s color” is a significant factor in evaluating the issues facing a school.
Previous criticisms over Scott’s hiring practices at his healthcare company Solantic also brought attention to his views.  According to Folio Weekly, in November 2009, David Yarian, a regional medical director for Solantic, “interviewed a Hispanic man for a supervisory nurse position.”  Yarian said the potential hire “‘Was great.  He had all the qualities and experience I was after…But he had a slight accent. When Rick found out, he said ‘Nope. All our employees have to be mainstream.'”
“Rick Scott continues to embarrass himself with racially insensitive rhetoric and is clearly not ready for prime time performances,” said Eric Jotkoff, spokesperson for the Florida Democratic Party.  “Yesterday’s gaffe is only one in a series of instances where Scott has demonstrated he just doesn’t get Florida.”
“Scott thinks that overseeing the company that committed the largest Medicare fraud in American history is easy to dismiss, so how could he have any idea  of what constitutes ‘mainstream’ to the average Floridian? Scott continues to defy expectations in how unprepared and out of touch he is to be Florida’s next Governor,” Jotkoff added.
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