Sink fires campaign aide over debate rules breach
by George Bennett | October 26th, 2010TAMPA — Democrat Alex Sink fired a campaign aide after tonight’s CNN gubernatorial debate, admitting her campaign broke the rules by passing her a message during a commercial break.
Republican rival Rick Scott called Sink out on national television.
“First, Alex, you say you always follow the rules,” Scott said when the debate resumed after the second commercial break of the night. “The rule was no one was supposed to give us messages during the break and your campaign did with an iPad, or iPod…”
Sink released this statement afterward:
“After the debate tonight, one of my campaign advisors admitted he tried to communicate with me during one of the breaks. While he told me it was out of anger with Rick Scott’s repeated distortion of facts, it was a foolish thing to do. It violated a debate agreement and I immediately removed him from the campaign.”
Moderator Adam C. Smith of The St. Petersburg Times witnessed the incident and blogged about it and the contents of the message shortly after the debate ended.
Here’s CNN’s account — including video — of the incident.
October 26th, 2010 at 1:03 am
Rick Scott is the most obnoxious liar, crook and slimy politician ever to slither his way into Florida. I could not even watch the entire debate.
October 26th, 2010 at 6:11 am
disgusted, while that may be true, Alex Sink in a rubber stamping Liberal that will bankrupt this state with higher taxes, fiscal incompetence and runaway spending.
When given a choice between Sink and Scott, I have to go with the worser of 2 evils. I reluctantly have to go with Scott. At least I know he’s not an Obamaite.
October 26th, 2010 at 6:12 am
Alex alex alex. You knew it was against the rules and you should have told your assistant no when she came up. And why fire one person when it was a female that brought you the phone. That person should have known as well. So at least two people should be fired if you want to be consistent.
And now you made the first page top line of the Drudge Report so 15 million people at least are going to witness it this morning. Almost equal to the entire population of the State of Florida.
The debate was a mess with the back and forth accusations of fraud.
Nothing would ever come to light and we would be better served hearing what the candidates will do.
On a side note i thought it interesting that Rick Scott couldn’t remember a deposition from 1995 or 1997 but he remembered in vivid detail his assistance to disaster victims in 1992.
Selective memory much?
October 26th, 2010 at 6:35 am
She ‘fires’ the aide, EVEN THOUGH SHE TOOK THE CALL, MESSAGE, and then makes an excuse for the aide.
Bet Rick Scott’s team wanted to do the same, but Scott adhered to the rules.
This proves Alex Sink can’t make appropriate decisions and would not do help under pressure.
SINK Sink.
October 26th, 2010 at 7:13 am
You know what is the worst part of the debate? Them. AWFUL
October 26th, 2010 at 7:16 am
Wow, Alex Sink says one thing and does the other in full public view.
Can’t trust Sink. She’ll say anything to get elected. Once elected she’ll do whatever she wants, just like she did in this instance.
No Trust in Sink. A deliberate cheater.
This is how Florida’s pension fund got screwed up.
October 26th, 2010 at 7:28 am
Are you trying to cover for your big mistake by firing an aide? Ready to point the finger at anyone but yourself. Kind of like the Taj Mahal. Don’t want to admit to any wrongdoing there because afterall the bill weren’t approved by your office, or where they.
The ONLY choice in this campaign is RICK Scott. That’s why I’m for Rick Scott.
October 26th, 2010 at 7:49 am
Buried in Obama’s healthcare bill is that inflation will NOT take into account energy and food costs.
That’s IN Obamacare. Buried deeply by the democrats and as Nancy Pelosi said, we’ll know what’s in it after we pass it.
Alex Sink supports ObamaCare and will yank the lawsuit the State of Florida has filed against ObamaCare.
Alex Sink=Nancy Pelosi=Obama=Nationalize healthcare
And remember the democrats voted to EXEMPT themselves from Obamacare!
October 26th, 2010 at 7:56 am
wow, this was such a tiny error and she didn’t make it. He stole billions and you are excusing him?
I was told when I moved to Florida I would be living amongst
the hillbilly mentality and they where right.
You people are dumb!!!!!!
HE IS AWFUL!!!! HE WILL NOT WIN………
October 26th, 2010 at 7:58 am
What did you move to Florida for in the first place? Its your choice I-95 or I-75 goes north take one and don’t come back!
October 26th, 2010 at 8:18 am
Alex Sink fires an aide for violating an agreed upon rule.
Sink should fire herself for ACCEPTING that message when she CLEARLY knew it was a violation.
That’s how this woman operates. Anything to win, break the rules, laws, agreements. Just get me into the governorship.
Alex Sink proved herself incapable of good decision making, she proved herself a cheat and she proved she is unable to push away deceit but she willfully accepts cheating.
Alex Sink had the opportunity to say NO to the phone text. She CHOSE to cheat!
Just imagine if she is elected what will happen.
NO to cheaters like Sink. We don’t need stupid people like her taking over the governor’s mansion.
October 26th, 2010 at 8:21 am
who was it?
October 26th, 2010 at 8:25 am
Wow…You people are talking about and promoting someone that stole almost 2 Billion dollars from Medicare, cooking the books if he didn’t know he should have. Then he received a payout to leave the company. How on earth can you want someone like that to run your State? To believe that he will create 7,000 jobs (over 7 years btw)is ridiculous. How many jobs did he cut through his hospital mergers? Did they actually increase or decrease overall?
October 26th, 2010 at 8:34 am
Alex has the guts to immediately dismiss someone who breaks the rules.
Rick “Mistakes were made” Scott pleads the 5th under oath in Court when it comes to his Company breaking the rules.
How many Millions$$$ was that fine for?
Oh, I forgot Millionaires make their own rules.
October 26th, 2010 at 8:38 am
“Get Real Says”
Rick Scott’s tenure brought about the lowest average cost of ANY group of hospitals…15% below his competitors, 30% below GOVT ran, even lower than Church Non-Profits. Consumers would have saved around $40 Billion the years the GOVT got their $1.7 Billion in “fines”. (Scott was not amongst the 70 individuals indicted, nor was Scott the object of any investigation, nor was any individual or corporation convicted of any criminal offenses – compare that to the lastest Medicare Claim Fraud indictments of actual theft)..
Rick Scott sold his ownership equity and left when his board (Thomas Frist and other former HCA execs) decided to stall and then the claim allegations that occurred from 1987 thru 1994 – Scott bought Columbia in 1993, HCA in 1994.
Little facts don’t seem to matter much to you rabid progressive lefties – suffice to say Scott left in 1997 when he was outvoted on his plan to investigate and clean up anything left over from former Frist management of HCA.
Frist delayed settlements until 2001-2003.
The deposition Scott invoked the fifth came in 2000 involving Nevada Communications vs. HCA…Scott wasn’t involved, it was a fishing expedition. you also don’t care that Scott was oblilgated under a non-disclosure agreement on most all matters preceding his departure.
You also don’t care that CEO’s of hospital chains have ZERO knowledge of most all lawsuits involving local hospitals…only scumbag lawyers depose them to kick up their client billing!!
Newspapers have an obligation to protect their communities by clarifying “facts” – something the Florida city papers don’t do as it is their Democrat Leftitist partners doing the lying, innuendo, etc.
We used to call it YellowDog Journalism!
October 26th, 2010 at 9:43 am
You guys are too funny. “Alex Sink has the guts to fire”..
Hell, Alex Sink TOOK the MESSAGE, she didn’t say NO, I won’t violate the rules!
Alex Sink disturbingly TOOK the message!
Alex Sink has no character. And it shows how stupid she really is.
We can’t have people like Sink running Florida.
October 26th, 2010 at 9:55 am
I am a native 54 year old Florida hillbilly and I am proud of it. I was brought up to trust people and throughout my life I have modified that philosphy to trust and (but) verify. That theory usually works pretty good for me. The conclusion I have come to is that Rick Scott Is a liar, a cheat and someone I would not want influencing anyone that I love or care about . In his latest smear ad he says he was against Obama, Like he (Scott) was some big-wig politician who actually had something to say. Scott is a rich crook who is trying to buy the governor seat, probably so he can go after the government agencies that went after him in the first place. Alex Sink oozes integrity, dedication, and fairness. She is the Governor this hillbilly wants. Oh yeah, thank you Rick Scott for the 60 million you pumped into the economy. At least you gave back a little of what you stole
October 26th, 2010 at 11:01 am
Lobbyist Brian May’s Clients that he represents before the state of Florida
United States Sugar Corporation
Effective: 01/20/2010
Community Health South Florida, Inc
Effective: 01/20/2010
Florida Insurance Council
Effective: 01/20/2010
U. S. RE Companies, Inc
Effective: 01/20/2010
October 26th, 2010 at 11:20 am
Hey Mike, I respect that you are a self-loving hillbilly, but you have had too much moonshine today my friend. You said “Alex Sink oozes integrity, dedication, and fairness”??? But the bottle down buddy, let’s go huntin
October 26th, 2010 at 11:21 am
Dune Dawg….If Rick Scott is so innocent why didn’t he explain why he isn’t guilty instead of saying is isn’t our business?
October 26th, 2010 at 1:27 pm
If Alex Sink took ‘accountability’ then why didn’t she fire herself rathe than the aide. SHE is the one who glanced at the message. So some Brian May had to lose his job when SHE is the one who looked at the message? Well, so much for JOB CREATION, there Ms. Sink. Already one job downsized due to your judgement.
October 26th, 2010 at 5:07 pm
Thanks Rick for outing Alex ‘The Cheat” Sink.
October 27th, 2010 at 10:13 am
YOU BOTH REEK OF SH-T WILL SOMEONE WITH SOME INTEGRITY PLZ RUN FOR OFFICE YOU BOTH SHOULD GO SELL USED CARS