Up early with Rick Scott, the GOP's Senate campaign chief
Florida Sen. Rick Scott sat down with reporters at a Monitor Breakfast, where we talked Mitch McConnell, Donald Trump, and how in America, 鈥榶ou can be anything.鈥�
Florida Sen. Rick Scott sat down with reporters at a Monitor Breakfast, where we talked Mitch McConnell, Donald Trump, and how in America, 鈥榶ou can be anything.鈥�
Sen. Rick Scott is known as an 鈥渆arly to bed, early to rise鈥� kind of guy. He鈥檚 up between 4:00 and 5:00 a.m., and then works out, according to his staff. So when we lined up a Monitor Breakfast for June 22 with the Florida Republican, chair of his party鈥檚 Senate campaign committee, the request to start extra early 鈥� 7:30 a.m. 鈥� came as no surprise.
I鈥檒l admit I was a bit nervous. Would journalists, famous for keeping late hours, be ready that early to grill Senator Scott on his plan for a GOP takeover of the Senate in the November midterms? Turns out there was nothing to worry about. A few reporters even arrived early, as did Mr. Scott 鈥� of course!
Soon enough, the larger picture became clear. At the top, Mr. Scott spoke of being born to a single mom in public housing, and how she told him, 鈥淭hank God you live in the United States of America, because you can be anything. And I believed her.鈥�
The senator described service in the Navy 鈥� swabbing decks, cleaning latrines 鈥� and then a career in business, beginning with a donut shop, and eventually as CEO of a major hospital chain. The theme of hard work, and rejecting government assistance, came up over and over.
鈥淢y mom would never, ever have allowed us to say, 鈥極h, let me see if there鈥檚 another government program I can go on rather than go and get a job,鈥欌�� Mr. Scott said.
My article on the breakfast聽covered the senator鈥檚 emphasis on work, after recasting his controversial proposal that even the poorest Americans pay income tax.聽Mr. Scott also made headlines聽when he declined to endorse Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell for majority leader, if the party does take over the chamber.
And he spoke of his relationship with another 鈥淔lorida man,鈥� former President Donald Trump. They talk 鈥渆very two to three weeks,鈥� Mr. Scott said. He has no idea if Mr. Trump will run for president again 鈥� 鈥渉e doesn鈥檛 ask me鈥� 鈥� but, the senator adds, 鈥測ou have to assume he鈥檚 going to run.鈥�
The C-SPAN video of the聽breakfast can be viewed here.
At the stroke of 8:30 a.m., as promised, our breakfast ended, and Mr. Scott was on his way to his next appointment 鈥� no doubt early. Because, as the saying goes, 鈥淚f you鈥檙e early, you鈥檙e on time, and if you鈥檙e on time, you鈥檙e late.鈥�