CNN’s Kiran Chetry Interviews Rick Scott (Video and Transcript)

One thing that jumped out at us in this interview was CNN's Chetry bringing up the Mason-Dixon poll showing Alex Sink ahead.  That's the same polling organization that showed Scott losing by nine points two days before the primary. We questioned their primary poll because the feel on the ground and the poll numbers were not matching in the primary.   That current poll is so different from Rasmussen who has Scott up six points that we have to wonder once again about what Mason-Dixon uses to get their numbers.  Leave it to CNN to choose the poll that shows Scott down. 

We also don't believe Mason-Dixon now with showing so many Republicans voting for the liberal Alex Sink. We don't see that happening no matter how much of a fit Bill McCollum, the primary loser, throws.   There is something really strange about McCollum's reaction after losing to Scott in the Republican primary. 

McCollum bringing up that he might support Sink who is liberal while McCollum declares himself a conservative Republican didn't add up then and doesn't now unless something else is at play.

Could the real reason McCollum might support Sink as Governor is to protect himself from any investigation concerning the State Board of Administration the St. Petersberg Times Editorial took to task last week.  This Board as highlighted in the St. Pete Times editorial is run by Crist, McCollum, and Sink.  The three managed to  run Florida's finances into the ground with bad investments, but claim it is Wall Street's fault.  Surprised the three didn't blame Bush.  Lack of taking responsibility is evident with Sink, Crist, and McCollum which brings into question why voters would want any of the three in office.

If there was an investigation launched with Sink as Governor, would it be out of the realm to expect her to kill any investigation to protect herself, Crist, and McCollum.  The three know Scott is all about cleaning up Tallahassee so in the future boards like the State Board of Administration cannot act against the best interests of Florida residents.  Is McCollum afraid that Scott and the Republican legislature will launch an investigation that will ensnare him that he would support the liberal Sink?  Are the three working together to beat Scott?   Some enterprising reporter in Florida should be asking those questions.

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL - Rick Scott talked about his 7-7-7 Jobs Plan with CNN's Kiran Chetry






Transcript:

CHETRY: 40 minutes past the hour right now. Welcome back to the Most Politics in the Morning. Well, he shocked the GOP establishment in Florida on primary night. Now Rick Scott is the Republican's nominee for governor. His father was a truck driver, his mother was a sales clerk at JC Penny. He's a self-made millionaire and Scott's also a political rookie who only jumped into the race in April. But because of the Tea Party support he had and $50 million of his own fortune behind him, he was able to come from behind and win.

So today we meet the candidate Rick Scott. He's here with us this morning.

Thanks so much for joining us.

RICK SCOTT, FLORIDA'S GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: Good morning.

CHETRY: You do have a unique story when it comes to how you got into politics in the first place. In a time like this, when it's so contentious, and when there are so many huge problems, why would you want the job of CEO of Florida?

SCOTT: Well, I believe in the American Dream. I started out in public housing. My parents, my father was a truck driver. Back then, truck drivers got laid off a lot. I know what it's like to be unemployed, have parents unemployed. And I've lived the American Dream. I want that same dream for my daughters, my son-in-laws, my grandkids, and everybody in Florida. We have got to change this country.

I'm running because I believe that we've got to go back and build private sector jobs. My whole plan is seven steps to 700,000 jobs. I'm going to turn the state around.

CHETRY: And those are certainly good goals to have. Florida's been suffering, as well. But there's a recent Mason/Dixon poll out that takes a look at the political realities. It has you seven points behind Alex Sink, who is your Democratic competitor. She's with 47; you're with 40. When you look at the Republicans, they're only behind you 75 percent. I know it was a bit of an ugly primary there. And so 11 percent of them are going for Alex Sink.

How do you get your own base behind you in higher numbers and then move on to the Independents?

SCOTT: Well, as you know, Mason/Dixon had me down nine points two days before the primary, too, and I won that. This race is about jobs. In the primary I won because people believed I could build private sector jobs because that's all I've done. November 2 will be the same thing.

The latest Rasmussen Poll shows me up six points. But polls are not what's important. It's who is going to build jobs in this country? In our state, you know, we've had out migration for the first time in 40 years. And we need to build are private sector jobs. So my plan, seven steps to 700,000 jobs is a plan people believe in. Republicans, Democrats, Independents, all of us believe in this.

CHETRY: You can't get your primary opponent, though, to endorse you.

How much do you need Bill McCollum to say, the past is in the past, I'm getting behind Rick Scott?

SCOTT: It'd be nice if Bill McCollum endorsed me. It's hard for him, he's been in politics for 30 years. But my focus is on -- just like I did in that primary -- go right out and talk to voters. Talk to Independents, Republicans, and Democrats, and talk about what we need. We need jobs, jobs, jobs. And I'm going to be the jobs governor. We're going to control government spending, we're going to reduce regulation, we're going to phase out business tax, we're going to reduce property tax. And I'm going to be the chief economic development officer for the state and I'm going to build jobs in the state. We're going to be the number one job creator.

CHETRY: How do you create jobs at the same time having to balance of budget that may require some paring down, which means job losses?

SCOTT: The private sector builds jobs not government. As more money goes back to the private sector, goes back to your family, goes back to business people, they'll build their companies.

Look, we are the perfect state for growth. No income tax, right to work state, beautiful beaches, beautiful weather. Look at our location, the growth in Central/South America, the expansion of the Panama Canal. We will be the job creator.

CHETRY: I want to ask you about some of the criticisms. You have this Medicare fraud case against your former company, when you were at Columbia Healthcare. A little bit of baggage because the company had to pay a $1.7 billion fine.

Does it make it hard for voters to trust you if they say, wait a minute, when you were chief executive -- when you were heading up this former company, you guys cheated the federal government?

SCOTT: Well, you know what I tell people is, if you're the CEO of the company, you have to take responsibility for everything that happens. So, that company made mistakes, I take responsibility. We have could've hired more, should have hired more auditors. But that's a difference between a business person and a politician. A business person takes responsibility. When things go poorly, you know you have to show up and fix things. Politicians don't.

Look at where we are. In Florida, we have the highest unemployment on record. We have 44 percent of our homeowners underwater on their mortgages. Who's taking responsibility? We're walking into a budget deficit. What they know is I believe in responsibility. I will fix problems. Hopefully nothing will go wrong when I'm governor, but what they'll know is I'll take responsibility. But this election is about jobs. Jobs, jobs, jobs. And I've got the plan to do that.

CHETRY: I want to take a look at the campaign ad Republicans have out against your competitor Alex Sink.

Let's take a look.

(VIDEO CLIP, CAMPAIGN AD)

CHETRY: So, PolitiFact, which is the web site that fact checks the accuracy of statements by elected officials gave this ad a "barely true," because they said it really wasn't just Alex Sink making the decisions here. So you just said a CEO of a company, you have to admit you were wrong.

Are you unfairly saying she was in charge of this decision.

SCOTT: For the last few years, she's been a chief financial officer of the state. She should make sure these things don't happen. She was told by auditors multiple times that their investments were way too risky. That should never have happened. She's the chief financial officer of the state. She's responsible for this. And they lost $24 billion of pension money for Floridians. That's a big problem.

CHETRY: How influential is the Tea Party for you? I talked to people who have joked around that you're a Tea Cosy, not necessarily a real Tea Party candidate.

But, how do you plan to draw on their support to hopefully win in Florida?

SCOTT: Most of the leaders in the Tea Party movement in Florida have endorsed me because I believe in what they believe in. I believe in limited government, I believe in fiscal responsibility. I believe in watching how we spend our dollars. And so they've supported me. I'm the Republican candidate. I welcome their support no different than I welcome, you know, all Republicans, all the Independents, all Democrats. Because this is an election again, this is about jobs and that's why people are supporting me. They know that's all I've done my whole life. I started out in public housing. I've started companies and I've built jobs forever.

CHETRY: Well it's great to talk to you this morning. Rick Scott, Florida's gubernatorial candidate, thanks so much for joining us.

SCOTT: Thank you very much.

Source: CNN