In the News
ICYMI: ‘Sen. Rick Scott Says Florida’s Abortion Ballot Measure Is a Gimmick to Turn Out Women Voters’ [Jezebel]
New reporting from Jezebel shows that Rick Scott thinks Florida’s ballot initiative to restore women’s right to make their own personal medical decisions is just a political gimmick. In reality, the overwhelmingly popular initiative would restore the reproductive freedoms that Scott has spent his whole career attacking. Despite his dangerous lies, Florida women know that Scott is fully behind Florida’s abortion ban, and voted for a national ban that would put doctors in prison.
Click here to read the full story. See key excerpts below:
- In a Monday night Zoom call, Scott fielded questions from supporters, including one about his strategy to address the fact that Amendment 4 will likely mobilize more women voters in the state. “I think that was probably the intention of doing the abortion amendment, is try to get women out to vote and vote against Republicans,” Scott said in audio obtained by Jezebel.
- None of Scott’s comments—from his cynical appraisal of Amendment 4’s purpose, to his graphic lies about abortion—make any sense.
- As for Scott’s insane lines about abortion “crushing” skulls, and “healthy babies” born alive “to just cry” themselves “to death in the corner,” the pure delusion of it all would almost be comical if it weren’t so dangerous.
- This is precisely the sort of language that gets abortion providers harassed, attacked, and in some cases, killed. Just last month, Scott shamelessly said a version of this to reporters: “Democrats are extreme. They support allowing a baby born, healthy, born alive, to just cry itself to death. It’s extreme, you just can’t believe it.”
- But Scott is right about one thing: Abortion rights appear to be a mobilizing issue in the state this year, and no amount of cynical conspiracy theories and horror-fantasy stories about Amendment 4 are going to change that.