Have you had a chance to see any of Aaron Sorkin's new HBO series The Newsroom? The reviews have been withering, a bit too much so for our tastes. But the reason I bring this up this morning is because of one of the signature lines of the show: "Speaking truth to stupid."
That, my friends, is what this morning's front page PolitiFact story rebutting Rick Scott's many erroneous claims about the Affordable Care Act is all about.
Yesterday we wrote about how Scott had some of his facts wrong, but we were wondering about the accuracy of his claim that the ACA would cost the state an additional $1.9 billion. The story today questions where he got that number as well.
Meanwhile, most polls show the country divided about the Supreme Court's ruling upholding the health care reform law. No doubt Republicans in tight races this fall will hang the word "tax" on Democrats who voted for the bill in 2010. I'm talking about you, Bill Nelson. How will he handle the issue on the campaign stump? Hoping to avoid discussing it probably isn't an option.
Florida House Democrats are pounding Scott for his refusal to prepare the state for the new law. Incoming House leader Perry Thurston issued a statement yesterday assailing Florida's chief executive for his "repugnant and divisive remarks" regarding the law.
As we all learned after the Trayvon Martin killing and the controversy around "Stand Your Ground," the NRA has a lot of sway in Tallahassee. Which is why the decision by a federal judge late last week throwing out the state's 2011 law that banned pediatricians from asking any questions about gun use or ownership unless it is relevant to their patients' care or safety is indeed a rare loss for the Second Amendment advocacy group.
Happy 4th of July!
