Scott: No limit on personal spending
Washington (CNN) – Florida gubernatorial candidate Rick Scott captured the GOP nomination at considerable personal expense, spending $38 million of his own money on his primary bid, and when asked Wednesday if there is any limit to the funds he will invest to win the general election, Scott said "no."
Asked by CNN Chief National Correspondent John King if there was a personal limit on how much more of his own money he is willing to spend, Scott evaded the question before settling on an answer.
"No, I don't. I don't. I mean I'm very comfortable. I've had a lot of support all across the state and we'll raise the money and make sure that we are able to get our message out," Scott said. "It got out very well in this - in the primary campaign. It will get out very well in the general."
In an interview set to air on CNN's "John King, USA" Scott, who last night emerged victorious in a race that caused fractures in both the local and national GOP establishment, said that the Republican Party is on the road to healing.
"Well, I haven't talked to - to Mr. McCollum, but I've talked to a lot of party leaders. And the party is coming together. And everything will - everything will work out. The RGA, I talked to Haley Barbour already. They're very supportive. You know, the – the party is embracing me because I have lived the American dream and I believe in that for all Floridians," Scott said.
But McCollum and Scott have yet to personally connect, and the statement released by the McCollum campaign in the early hours of Wednesday morning indicates that healing may still be a long way off.
"No one could have anticipated the entrance of a multi-millionaire with a questionable past who shattered campaign spending records and spent more in four months than has ever been spent in a primary race here in Florida," the statement read.
McCollum, a former Republican congressman, was considered the insider or establishment candidate, and was favored by many in the national party hierarchy.
Scott's ability to self finance his general election run against Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink, the Democratic nominee, and independent candidate Bud Chiles, could benefit the party, freeing up resources for down ballot candidates.
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There must be a hellava lot of graft and kickbacks in Florida to spend $38m. Will he break even during the first term or must he be re-elected to turn a profit?
I guess the election really is for sale.
Spent 38 mil in 4 months, that tells me he can relate to regular people and their problems… the real people person…I mean the real “golf club people” person.
I thought for sure it was Cheney...
This is his version of economic stimulus. I hope he's more successful than Obama !!!
To Run For Public Office. Perfect Fit for the tea party and the Koch Brothers oil and gas money that funds it.
Rick Scott is spending all the money he made from his company's defrauding Medicare ... tells you what kind of man he is ... and the contempt he has for people, and his insatiable greed ...
" No limit on personal spending"...even in this economy...now that is my kind of republican!
Yes, great. The political 'outsiders' who want to change Washington DC will do so by... pouring even more money into elections. Bravo! THAT's a good start to 'change...'
I am actually not so afraid of millionaires becoming politicians. They just have less need for money from lobbyists. Of course, the question is still there: how did they become millionaires in the first place...
Alex Sink will send this opportunist and fake to the dumpster.....have stolen from seniors, the sick and disable for hisown personal benefit and, now he is for the people of Florida??, not for me or hundreds of thousands of my fellow floridians
Republicans are "millionaire" "have wealth" etc. etc. while very rich democrats are what? The media is really biased, wasn't Obama a millionaire when he ran?
I did some research on this 'Rick Scott'. How in the world can a person with his character be allowed to run for public office. Also, followed the links, associated with his bio. If he gets elected, total ruination of our country. He and his kind are the cause of most, if now all of our economic problems. And he is just the tip of the iceberg. My god, don't people realized what they are doing? This whole GOP-Tea Party, Fox News, Supreme Court,...is a nightmare. Maybe good for the wealthy, but an absolute disaster for the middle class. TOTAL DISASTER. Please CNN, do your homework on these folks before you INADVERTANTLY promote them. Why are you gravitating towards them? The media is like 'moths to the flame'.
It's nice to know that corporations aren't the only "people" who can buy an election in the USA!
Release the court documet to the public if you are running for a public office period!!
Great, Florida is one step away from hiring as Governor, a white collar thief, who led a company while it bilked Medicare and Medicaid out of Hundreds of Million$ in Funds which every citizen in this country has taken-out of their paychecks every payday. This guy is known, in our current society, as a "sleezeball".
Oh !, and this is the best that the GOP has to offer Floridians. God Help Us.
38 million investment huge amount now days politics so expensive
Republicans says people don’t want invest because of Obama policy how come they are investing huge amount for one job
We wonder why the rethugs in congress don't want to take money away from their rich friends. This is the perfect example. So many Americans who can't put food on the table and are losing their homes and savings and this man has $38 million of his own to waste campaigning?
Yeah, the party of NO is certainly the little guys party . . . . NOT
As a Floridian, I am so "thrilled" that Rick Scott won the primary. I am sure he can relate to what it is like to be working class in Florida. I'm positive he knows what it's like to put in 50 to 60 hours a week making less than 50,000 a year. I know he knows the feeling of struggling to put two kids through college and keep the bills paid. I bet he drives a 10 year old car with over 100,000 miles on it like we do too. Yeah...he's our guy. He knows JUST what I need.
Unfortunately these very wealthy candidates have bottomless pits when it comes to funding. We can thank, at least in part, the wonderful Bush tax breaks their supporters seems to embrace. In Calif., we are seeing this with Whitman as her ads are getting more and more rabid; attacking Jerry Brown with unfounded lies and ridiculous hype. Hopefully, folks can see through her self-serving veneer. She rarely voted in her past so why the big interest now?
Personal money from Rick Scott?? You mean the money he swindled/stole from Medicare/Medicaid. Why should he worry about personal spending limits? His personal checks probably have the US Treasury logo on it. Rick Scott is no better than the criminals in jail.
Whether true or not, it certainly doesn't help his case that he's not trying to buy the election. Another good example of why we need campaign spending limits, shorter campaign seasons and public funding of races.
36 million dollars that he got by perpetrating the biggest Medicare fraud in history............Funny how CNN conveniently leaves that pesky little factoid tucked away under the rug!!!............CNN= Convenient News Network!.......If the shoe fits!!!!
At least he has returned 38 million to the economy. Keep it moving round the country and maybe it will help some job seekers.
Not surprising, another republican buying their way into office.