With a state-wide advertising blitz on television and radio propelling his insurgent campaign, gubernatorial candidate Rick Scott is giving front-
runner Bill McCollum a run for his money in the Republican primary in the race to become Florida’s next Governor. But outside of his effective radio and television ads, Rick Scott is a relative unknown to the general public.
Scott has thus far effectively advertised himself as a political outsider, emphasizing his business and managerial background while distancing himself from establishment politics-as-usual.
Eager to spread his campaign’s message and unafraid of yours truly’s no-holds-barred style of questioning, Rick granted a wide-ranging interview to the Shark Tank to discuss a number of critical issues including the Arizona Immigration Law as it pertains to Florida, the E-Verify system, the RPOF/Jim Greer scandal, Charlie Crist, ‘Obamacare’, as well as the state of his campaign.
Check out our interview below, and for more information about Rick Scott, he’s got two websites- his official campaign site- http://www.rickscottforflorida.com/home/ and his “fact check” site- http://www.truthaboutrickscott.com/
35 Responses to “Exclusive Interview- Rick Scott Dives in the Shark Tank”
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Javier M., Javier M. and Javier M., Javier M.. Javier M. said: @TCOT_Talk @wsvn @CharmanMSteele @conservatweet @allahpundit @Reaganista Rick Scott Exclusive Interview – http://tiny.cc/q9rkg [...]
Sounds like a very commonsensical, no-nonsensical kind of fellow. Keep up the pressure, Rick!
We are supporting Rick Scott! This man gets it! Bill McCollum lost our vote… Bill is a Crist guy!
This guy is awesome! Out with the old and in with this guys!!!
McCollum is the establishment candidate who staffs only establishment-like individuals to his campaign. Vote Rubio! Vote Scott!
I’M so glad I found this website! I finally got to hear from what Rick Scott himself. I was going to vote for Bill McCollum but after hearing this interview i’m now going to vote for Rick Scott! I had no idea that Bill was a Crist guy?!!
While I feel extremely harsh toward fraud, I feel 10 times that toward saboteurs and I have with absolute and 100% certainty seen the results. American companies are full of frank sabotage by the worker who is paid. We are clearly witnessing the results of sabotage at our shores, and the “mentality” of let it come ashore and then we will clean up” is in fact sabotage.
Sabotage can also be of a financial nature, as well as patients being totally ignored by caretakers out in the open for all eyes to see, and dare you to review them.
I am glad to see Rick addressing the situation. He has just as good of a chance at being Governor as Bill McCullum, who has not addressed his part in the overpaid and corporate favoritism of the high speed rail. Alex Sink, is a now way, no how !!
Now, all I can say is that it is Bill’s turn to face the shark tank on that particular topic. Turn about is ALWAYS fair play. A L W A Y S!!
I am looking to independent candidates to see i there are other candidates more worthy!
Rick Scott, Republican candidate for Governor of Florida, was the founder and CEO of Columbia Hospital Corporation. Columbia was fined over $1 billion after it was found to have committed the largest Medicare fraud in U.S. history, over a period of 10 years. Scott was CEO during that time. Either he knew about, and sanctioned that fraud, or he had no idea what was going on in his company, making him one of the most incompetent CEOs in America. Why would anyone even consider electing Rick Scott as the CEO of Florida?
McCollum is establishment. Interesting how he is sooooooo contected with Jim Greer-arrested for being a crook. Didn’t McCollum try to downplay the whole scandal as it was unfolding?
While I am no fan of McCollum, I’m not sure this guy is any better. Will he sign the Florida Tenth Amendment Center’s pledge that tells voters the signer supports limited Federal government and will not support any unconstitutional legislation? See http://pledge.tenthamendmentcenter.com/ for the 10th Amendment pledge. I have contacted Mr. Scott’s campaign office via the web site to ask him if he will sign this pledge. So far, no answer.
This is getting interesting. So far, I haven’t heard any establishment-type blather from Scott, and he doesn’t sound like he’s hedging on important issues like immigration, drilling, or boondoggles like high-speed rail. Republican Primary voters are done with politicians who spew non-answers or give themselves wiggle room- just ask Charlie how well that worked for him. If he keeps this style of campaigning up, he can literally overwhelm McCollum’s lackluster campaign with his engaging personality and frankness.
Joe: There is a third alternative, that perhaps Rick Scott knew exactly what was going on but that there was more than one way to interpret the rules.
That is why Bill McCollum (much to his current embarrassment) actually came to the defense of people like Rick Scott and Columbia/HCA back in the late 1990′s by saying “we shouldn’t classify innocent mistakes as fraud.”
That is also why the government failed to successfully prosecute anyone in what they still call “fraud,” the courts ruled that “reasonable people could disagree on how to interpret the rules.”
But regardless, Rick Scott is a stand up guy and ADMITS mistakes were made – he should have played it down the middle instead of riding the “leading edge” of government regulations…
Bottom line, Rick Scott has a strong message, a stellar background – yes, even HCA, given that he built it from the ground up and owns up to the mistakes, and he’s not afraid to upset the political apple cart.
Talk is cheap as we found out with Obama. Personally, I don’t trust any of them and unless a candidate is willing to sign a pledge stating that he will not support unconstitutional legislation, I personally can’t support them. The United States Constitution as written by our Founding Fathers is the ONLY thing that keeps a government in-check. The Progressives have distorted our Constitution, and the history of our Founding Fathers. Until we work to get candidates elected that pledge to uphold the United States Constitution as originally written we will continue to on the path that we are on. Before you decide to support Rick Scott, I would urge anyone who believes in conservative constitutional principles to contact Mr. Scott and ask him to sign The Florida Tenth Amendment Center’s pledge which can be found here – http://pledge.tenthamendmentcenter.com/ If he signs the pledge and doesn’t uphold it, then we vote him out when he’s up for re-election.
In congress Bill McCollum often disappointed conservatives with his support (along with Barney Frank and Chuck Schumer)of the Legal Services Dept that Hillary worked for and which gave tons of $$$ to left-wing groups; he fought for bigger budgets for government radio and TV and the NEA (remember the Piss Christ and other dirty “art”?). He rudely opposed our term limits efforts in Florida. Look, he’s a professional politician a lot like Crist. Rick Scott is a successful businessman –just what we need in the financial crisis that Obama, the Dems and RINOs got us into. As for the charges McCollum and supporters are making against Scott for the Medicare billing fines: at the time McCollum defended Scott and the others calling Clinton’s attack on them as a “witch hunt.” Also, the Feds went after and fined the Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins, Duke and Harvard, Tenet Healthcare, et al for not following the zillions of regs for billing Medicare.Scott was not personally charged, either.
Give me a successful businessman any day against a professional politican. Scott for Governor!
I have asked Rick Scott to investigate the possibility of being vetted by ICaucus. I will update if I get a reply. I heard Rick Scott at a meeting last night and I like what I heard. He did address the question of the 10th Amendment and said that he does support states’ rights and that the federal government has been overstepping their constitutional authority for some time.
I saw Rick Scott last night. Some observations:
1) He has a “big picture” command of government and the function of the Governor. This is not a bad thing. Reagan was a “big picture” man.
2) Scott’s command of the issues is shallow, but the direction of his understanding is conservative.
3) Scott is a solid Tenth Amendment man. He is very much for States’ Rights.
4) He is a solid Second Amendmmend man too. (Gun ownership.)
5) Scott is willing to not only ADMIT that mistakes were made, but he seems willing to LEARN from them. He addressed the HCA issue squarely, saying that in retrostect he should have had more audit/oversight process of the departments involved. He sems ready to apply this lesson to Florida State Government.
Bearing in mind that nobody is perfect, that we all make mistakes and that the difference between winners and losers is the ability to learn from those mistakes, these things add up to a good Republican candidate.
Great interview with Scott! I feel McCollum will be directly linked to Greer. To much is out there for something not to stick.
You seem to have failed to mention his past.
Being forced to resign as CEO of HCA after defrauding the taxpayers. The company then went on to plead guilty on several counts of fraud.
http://www.forbes.com/2000/12/15/1215disaster.html
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2003/June/03_civ_386.htm
So, this tells us 1 of 2 things.
1: he is a crook, who knowingly defrauded the government, and subsequently, the people.
2: He is a hack of a CEO, who couldn’t properly manage his own company, and now wants us to trust him managing out country?
Also, as far as Scott claiming that mcCollum came to his aid in the 90′s, he did come to the aid of many companies that simply interpereted the rules incorrectly. Yet, HCA plead guilt to many types of fraud, such as bonuses to doctors who referred patients to HCA clinics, not all of these fraudulent forms were defended by mcCollum.
Rick Scott is another corrupt politician!! The sharktank is overdoing their campaigning for this thief. As far as I am concerned they are losing their credibility by favoring this man. He is just as corrupt as Obama.
You are losing your credibility promoting Rick Scott, if you don’t wake up soon TAKE ME OFF YOUR LIST!!!!!!!
Can anyone tell the Shark Tank how it is losing its credibility by interviewing a Gubernatorial candidate? Anyone?
The McCollum supporters are getting nervous!!!! LOL!!!
GO SCOTT GO!!!
Actually, 4:42, 4:48 and fellow travellers, Scott’s past was squarely discussed in the question and answer session I attended. Karin Hoffman asked him in retrospect, what would he have done differently and if he would bring the lessons he learned to Florida state government. His responses indicated that he completely accepts responsibility for those failures, has learned from them and would indeed bring the fruit of those hard lessons to bear in government.
An open mind is a telltale sign of intelligence. It is not expected of everyone.
Thank You for the interview. I was very leary with the adds re. corruption after being stuck with Obama and the “Czars etc.,but Businesses are notorious for throwing people under the bus when there’s trouble. I don’t think we can just cry foul when we do not have access to the complex billing and inside knowledge of work ethics of the people under him. You work within the framework of your employer and they had a lot to loose monetarily and reputation to want to accept the whole blame. Hindsight is better than foresight. I’m sure he wishes he had asserted himself more re. auditing etc., but he admitted it. I’ve seen some herendous things done by Co./management to save their butts, people get eaten alive! So far I like what I see and signing the pledge would be an added bonus. Let’s include a pledge to oppose ALL amnesty of Illegal Invaders, and anything associated with Cap & Trade.
Javier, why are you sending Rick Scott notices to Conservatives for McCollum? Does the McCollum campaign know you’re doing this?
@Cheryl
As a courtesy to inform others about McCollums competitor. Nothing more, nothing less
It seems to me that if you ran a company that became the largest example of Medicare fraud in U.S. history and a company that pro-life, conservative investors refused to invest in because of a record on elective abortions…then you would be hard pressed to call yourself accountable, a proven leader or a pro-life type of guy. A sucker’s born everyday, but voters can try to keep the birth rate down in Florida by not voting for Rick Scott
‘Poor man wanna be rich, rich man wanna be king!’ Rick Scott simply wants to buy the Governorship. He claims to be a newcomer, but he runs a negative, misleading campaign and offers little about his his ideas. Why didn’t he run for State Senate [or House] first? He says he build his business from the ground up- why not do the same in government? He shows only limited knowledge of the issues of gov. And what is his ability to deal w/a legislature? He’s never done that in business. He wil be an easy target for A. Sink. McCollum has a solid record of public SERVICE!
Bill McCollum refuses to address his part in the long standing of what amounts to theft of taxpayer funds through this high speed rail deal to the tune of billions.
Bill the “pot” cannot call the kettle black…..i have far more respect for Rick now that he has been open and has laid out his side of the story, in depth.
I believe Bill is a follower, not a leader, who stated “Politics is my life”…and clearly it is because he has provided no relief for the citizens, when jumping head first into the tainted pool of corrupt funding and corporate payoffs in the high speed rail deal, and additionally never lifted a finger to protect the people from a swindling spender like Greer.
I will trust the man who is up front and open …..who puts it all out there…instead of sending secret emails to supporters as McCollum does….
I got to say…..Rick Scott himself changed my mind…toward a vote for him!
On Fort Lauderdale Beach……here is where I am….
Rick Scott….
http://www.rickscottforflorida.com/home/
Marco Rubio
http://www.marcorubio.com/marco-101/
Ellyn Bogdanoff
http://www.ellynbogdanoff.com/
Yomin Postelnik
http://www.abetterflorida.com/
One thing I haven’t seen mentioned, and Scott seems to be too classy to do so, is the red-on-red boardroom conflict at HCA between the Frist Family (e.g. Senator Bill Frist) and Rick Scott — and Scott lost and was forced out.
Also, there’s the whole issue where Rick Scott was the guy that organized many health care companies in 1992 to successfully fight HillaryCare.
http://www.redstate.com/erick/2010/05/27/milquetoast-mccollum-vs-the-hillarycare-killer/
In response:
* In 1992, there were just ~600 Medicare investigations
* By 1996, there were ~2,200 Medicare investigations (4x increase)
— hmm, what happened between 1992 and 1996?
* In 1997, there were over 100,000 pages of Medicare Regulations
* By 1998, the government announced a program to assist hospitals in fraud prevention
* The government was criticized in the media for classifying simple mistakes as “fraud.”
* Dozens of prestigious health care institutions paid millions in fines, including Yale Hospital, Duke University Hospital, Harvard University Hospitals, University of Chicago Hospitals, Johns Hopkins, and industry giants Tenet and Columbia/HCA.
So, the petulant Clinton administration created an explosion of Medicare regulations, which even the courts (eventually) said were ambiguous. Interpretations of those regulations differed, but he who has the guns gets to make the rules, and they used ‘em to punish the companies in the coalition that defeated Clinton’s first-term signature item.
In an attempt to preserve Bill Frist’s political career, the Frist family forced Rick Scott out, and now Bill McCollum is using the left-wing think tank Center for American Progress talking points to attack a fellow Republican.
I dunno, but if McCollum is taking the side of CAP and Clinton against Rick Scott, I know who I’d prefer. (It’s also funny that McCollum *defended* Scott and Columbia/HCA back in the day:
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/elections/article1097355.ece :
“McCollum called [Democratic Senator] Grassley’s comments political “hogwash,” saying his bill was an innocuous way to stop overzealous federal prosecutors from “blackmailing” hospitals and punishing them for simple errors.”
The more you hear about these two candidates, the more confusing it gets. I really don’t trust any of them. There are things I don’t like about Bill and things I don’t like about Rick Scott. While he has come out and explained some of the past problem, how truthful is it? Then we have establishment with Bill and I don’t like that. I know we all make mistakes and you can forgive mistakes, but is that all it was? I know that rules are constantly being changed and they don’t write laws in easy to understand English so it is easy to misinterpret. Every time I think I have it all figure out as to who I’m supporting, something else comes up. Wish we could get the 2 of them together and have them do a debate so we could hear the answers to the same questions from them at the same time.
Rick scott himself says the government and business are 2 different things, hows does learning from his “medicare fraud” make him a better POLITICIAN? He probably wants to be governor so he’s not “accountable” for his own actions lol
Some people are just morons. A thief is a thief is a thief. He’s a thief! He has spent over $24 million trying to buy votes. Is that what we want a rich thief who can buy the office, so that we have government of the rich, by the rich and for the rich?
Instead of sending him to the Governor’s mansion, let’s send him to jail!
Nick Jonas Interview-WLDI FM- West Palm Beach, Florida…
We’ve linked to you on BlogInterviewer.com . Could you put a link back to us?…