Bill Cate is a lifer in the newspaper industry. Forty five years as a publisher, executive editor, political columnist, beat writer and sports columnist has at least given him license to write this blog on Daily Kos.
Along the way he's managed approximately 60 political campaigns (not the presidential kind) that have resulted in many more wins than losses.
He is now semi-retired in Homosassa, Florida and when not fishing serves as marketing director of Irish Ann, a Florida corporation.
Floridians awoke to some terrible news this morning when they realized their esteemed (that's sarcasm) governor Rick Scott is still spending money for political advice.
That can only mean one thing: Scott is planning a 2018 run for the United States senate seat currently held by democrat Bill Nelson.
According to a July 4th story in the Tampa Bay Times the highly unpopular governor (my words) has spent about $293,000 for consultants since April 1.
What all of this proves is that Scott believes he can buy another election.
He is a two-term term-limited governor who has won both times without a majority of the votes. That's a first for Florida.
The Tampa Bay Times editorial board calls him 'the worst Florida governor in the last half-century'. Finding someone who will admit to voting for him requires much more time that I want to spend.
"You mean that dickhead is going to run for something else," said the greatest van driver of them all. That's the kind of support he gets from our household.
Scott's poll numbers in the Sunshine State are upside down by a long shot. His favorable ratings are about 30 percent and he's headed toward friends and family numbers.
He still has some tepid support from Florida house members but the overwhelming majority of republican senators in the statehouse wish Scott would just wander into the woods and never be heard from again.
Charlie Crist had him beaten in the November election until Scott peeled off a quick $12 Million in the last 10 days of the campaign to pay for a few more votes in north Florida. Scott was pretty successful in keeping many usually reliable democratic voters in south Florida at home, too.
It's very difficult for me to believe Scott could fool enough Floridians to become a U.S. senator in 2018.
But money in politics works as Bernie Sanders and Jim Webb are about to find out.
Scott has already bought two elections. Why not one more?