The Alex Sink camp on Friday called once again for her GOP gubernatorial opponent, Rick Scott, to participate in no fewer than 5 televised debates between now and the November election. Sink originally made such a call nearly two weeks ago, but today upped the ante a bit by specifically targeting a debate that Sink has agreed to participate in hosted by the Spanish language network Univision:
In a press release, Sink says:
"Given the importance and strength of Florida's Latino communities, Rick Scott's refusal to join me for a statewide televised debate broadcast in Spanish is unacceptable and I urge him to reconsider," said Alex Sink. "Spanish-speaking Floridians deserve to hear directly from both of us about our records and our plans to lead Florida. Rick Scott's avoidance of a Spanish-language debate is just another example of how he is trying to hide from the people of Florida. Scott would rather run negative ads attacking me than talk directly with Latino voters about issues critical for Florida."
A huge issue in the Republican party primary was Rick Scott's embrace of the Arizona law SB 1070, the broadest and strictest anti-illegal immigration measure to come out of the states perhaps ever. He used it as wedge issue, putting McCollum on the defensive after he initially said that such a law for Arizona wouldn't need to be replicated in Florida. McCollum ultimately came out in support of legislation in Florida that he boasted would dwarf Arizona's bill in its toughness towards illegals.
But we haven't heard much from Scott about illegal immigration in the general campaign - yet. Then again, he's theoretically now appealing to the center, and not to a strictly Republican base. Sink has not supported the Arizona law.
