user: Problem: Rick Scott has betrayed Florida's voters

ORLANDO, Fla. – Gov. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) was one of those Tea Party stars whom voters believed had the courage of his convictions when he promised, as recently as last summer, to block The Affordable Care Act in his state. But last week, writes the Orlando Sentinel, "Scott made an abrupt about-face, embracing a three-year expansion of Medicaid coverage for about 1 million low-income Floridians that will be paid for by the health care law."

Scott said, "I think this is a common-sense solution to dealing with this for the next three years where it will give us the time to think about how we can improve the system." Sounding like a Democrat, he added that the state is obligated to help "the poorest and weakest among us." No, governor, charities and religious bodies are obligated to help the weak and poor. State and federal governments have no such obligation. To claim they do empowers bureaucrats and politicians who are having a difficult enough time fulfilling their constitutional responsibilities. It also undermines the work ethic.

After (borrowed) federal money runs out in three years, Florida will be expected to kick in some cash and carry on with the funding. Scott says his commitment is only for those three years, but as Ronald Reagan once wryly observed, "...a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth!"

Scott, whose favorability rating was 36 percent in a December Quinnipiac University poll, is clearly looking at his vulnerability in next year's election. Apparently, he thinks sounding more like a Democrat will convince voters to give him another term in office. Perhaps he thinks the tea party votes he is likely to lose will be made up for with purchased votes from those who will line up at the federal ATM.

Scott is a former health care executive. The health care industry has spent millions lobbying to influence health care reform legislation, including Medicaid. They also are the largest employer in many states. Should Scott lose next year's election, taking federal Medicaid money won't hurt his chances of a high-paying position in his former profession.

The Orlando Sentinel examined Scott's rapid turnaround on other issues dear to conservative hearts. It said he "...has barely looked like the same guy who ran for governor in 2010" and cited examples. After large initial budget cuts, Scott "...proposed the largest budget in state history and said his top priority was a $2,500 raise for teachers, whom he infuriated during his first year in office by passing a merit-pay law while cutting education spending by $1.3 billion."

Scott has also said nothing in several months about illegal immigration. He once pledged to back an Arizona-style immigration law that would require police to check the legal status of people they suspected were illegal. He has since backed away from this pledge.

Slade O'Brien, the Florida director of the conservative group Americans for Prosperity, told the Sentinel he was "flabbergasted" by Scott's decision, saying it went beyond even his budget proposal that didn't cut spending and the teacher pay raises. "For the governor to reverse that position, I felt incredibly shocked and so did many of his base," he said.

A few Republican governors have turned down federal money to expand Medicaid in their states. So far, Gov. Rick Perry (R-Texas) is not one of them. Last week he made his intentions clear when he said, "We're not going to be expanding Medicaid in Texas. The reason is because it's a broken system. It's moving our state -- and I'll just speak to our state -- towards bankruptcy if we expand the current program."

As for Gov. Scott's turnabout, a paraphrase of the wisdom Forrest Gump's momma gave him might fit: Politicians are like a box of chocolates; you never know what you're going to get until after they're elected.

Cal Thomas is America's most widely syndicated newspaper columnist and a Fox News contributor. Follow him on Twitter@CalThomas. Readers may e-mail Cal Thomas at tmseditors@tribune.com.

Write a one or two sentence summary.

Summary: Florida's Gov.


Problem: Obama aide: Gun legislation in 'near future'

Six months after the shooting in Tucson that killed six people and wounded Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., the Obama administration has yet to move on new gun control legislation.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said a special task force has been "working through these complex issues, and we expect to have some more specific announcements in the near future."

Gun control organizations such as the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence have pressed the Obama administration since the Giffords shooting and have been critical of what they call a lack of action.

Gun rights advocates such as the National Rifle Association have said the Giffords shooting should not be used as an excuse to infringe on the rights of legitimate gun owners.

Carney said a variety of views are being taken into account as the administration looks at efforts to prevent mass shootings.

"The president directed the attorney general to form working groups with key stakeholders to identify common-sense measures that would improve American safety and security while fully respecting Second Amendment rights," Carney said.

In a March op-ed for the Arizona Daily Star, Obama said he wanted to focus on strengthening background checks so criminals or mentally ill people could not get weapons. He wrote:

I know that every time we try to talk about guns, it can reinforce stark divides. People shout at one another, which makes it impossible to listen. We mire ourselves in stalemate, which makes it impossible to get to where we need to go as a country.

However, I believe that if common sense prevails, we can get beyond wedge issues and stale political debates to find a sensible, intelligent way to make the United States of America a safer, stronger place.

I'm willing to bet that responsible, law-abiding gun owners agree that we should be able to keep an irresponsible, law-breaking few -- dangerous criminals and fugitives, for example -- from getting their hands on a gun in the first place.

I'm willing to bet they don't think that using a gun and using common sense are incompatible ideas - that we should check someone's criminal record before he can check out at a gun seller; that an unbalanced man shouldn't be able to buy a gun so easily; that there's room for us to have reasonable laws that uphold liberty, ensure citizen safety and are fully compatible with a robust Second Amendment.

That's why our focus right now should be on sound and effective steps that will actually keep those irresponsible, law-breaking few from getting their hands on a gun in the first place.

See photos of: Barack Obama

To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor

. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to

. Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to

Write a one or two sentence summary.

Summary:

assistant: Obama aide: Gun legislation in 'near future' - The Oval: Tracking the Obama presidency