Rick Scott Talks About Selling Soda, Muses Nonsensically on the Role of Government

​Rick Scott held a news conference today at the Jacksonville Historic Naval Ship Association in which said organization presented him with a model of the ship he served on from 1972-74.

According to the Herald's Naked Politics blog, Scott waxed nostalgic about supplementing his government paycheck by hoarding sodas on land and selling them for a 200 percent markup to his comrades in arms. "I made more money selling soft drinks on the ship than I did getting my pay," he told reporters.

This might have been an omen of his preference for private enterprise over big government. But in a weird apparent contradiction of his own values, he romanticized the role of government:

"I just think about how growing up, when my parents didn't have any money, and how government was so aloof and there was no one helping us," Scott said. "In this environment, you can have a positive impact. The two things you hear about is people want to make sure their kids can get an education and that they can get a job. That's what our primary jobs are."

Really? Is this the same guy who's tipping the scales from public to private, making the government seem more "aloof" than ever when it comes to the handicapped, the poor, pregnant mothers, public-transit riders, minorities, prisoners, seniors on Medicaid, the environment (damn those manatees), reporters, and schoolchildren?

He also said he'll be in Aspen for a day during his vacation next week to give a speech to the Republican Governors' Association about "what it's like to go from business to politics."

And then back again.

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