During a week in which Gov. Rick Scott has dumbfounded us with his pernicious attacks on, um, everything, we needed to take a moment to remind ourselves that it could be (and has been) worse. We decided now was a good time to remind ourselves (and you) that he’s not the only terrible politician that Florida has been saddled with. Some of them have probably even been worse than him. Here are 15 politicians we think are just as bad, if not worse than, our governor. There you go: Everything is terrible. You’re welcome.
Katherine Harris
You may remember Katherine Harris as Florida’s Secretary of State when she called the 2000 presidential election in favor of fellow Republican George Bush instead of Al Gore, or perhaps you’re more familiar with her high hair, or maybe you even got suspicious when her whole party turned on her for heavy spending and illegal campaign contributions. Whatever the case, she fell into disgrace completely in the 2006 U.S. Senate elections – a position that Gov. Rick Scott is currently eyeing – after threatening to sell her house to win the election. “God is the one who chooses our leaders,” she once said. Because, yeah, democracy.Image via tampabay.comMarco Rubio
Our first encounter with Marco Rubio was when he was throwing a princess party for his daughters upstairs in the Capitol gallery when he was Speaker of the Florida House. Since then, he’s gone on to higher places, like big-box book tours (he wouldn’t take any of our questions), the U.S. Senate (where he’s been an absolute embarrassment on issues ranging from immigration to joining in the chorus of 47 potential traitors – er, Republicans – who worked around President Barack Obama’s back to threaten a nuclear treaty). Now he wants to run for president, because that’s a really good idea.Image via huffingtonpost.comMark Foley
Everybody loves a closeted Republican congressman, especially one with sexting issues. At any rate, Foley threw it all away after pages and interns called him out, resigning from office in shame in 2006, checking himself into rehab and blaming his hypocrisy on the alcohol.Image via quotessays.comSteve Precourt
Former Florida State Representative Steve Precourt made news for preempting municipalities from ruling on issues like wage theft and sick time. He also tried to sneak into the (then) Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority without any experience.Image via bigstore.ap.orgCharles Van Zant
You can call it persistence, but you should probably call it a sad obsession from an architect and Southern Baptist minister. Whatever the case, State Rep. Charles Van Zant has managed to put women on warning via his “Florida for Life Act” – which would end abortion in the state forever – since time immemorial.Image via addictinginfo.orgFrank Artiles
State Rep. Frank Artiles may list fishing, hunting, SCUBA and spear fishing as his hobbies on his House web page, but his latest hobby has been assaulting and insulting the transgender community with a bill that would limit bathroom usage for transitioned human beings.Image via wonkette.comJeb Bush
Following his two terms as governor, Bush has gone on to make a name and a load for himself by diving into the charter school movement headfirst, assuring – via influence – that public schools don’t get their financial due. Now he’s apparently running for president. Hooray.Image via politico.comTeresa Jacobs
Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs rose to fame for standing in front of a bridge on the television news and demanding more transparency. Then she turned around, as mayor, and deleted transparency all together. Literally. Like with her phone and/or iPad.Image via news965.comFred Brummer
Former Orange County Commissioner, and current charter review board member, Fred Brummer has a history of being a stodgy old gin blossom. Following his engagement in “textgate,” Brummer went on to act out personal vendettas via talking points from his handlers to avenge, well, Democrats.Image via orlandosentinel.comRic Keller
Former U.S. Congressman Ric Keller, he of the ever-shrinking body, once supported legislation that would prevent fast food hellholes from being liable for the poor health of their customers. More importantly (and less ironically), he was a staunch supporter of the Iraq War, even when it was apparent that it was a scam.Image via WikimediaTom Feeney
Former U.S. Congressman Tom Feeney, who looks like a deer in the headlights all the time, has recently come into notice again due to his questionable support of Medicaid expansion – albeit on the private market – in Florida. Prior to that, he was the laughingstock caught up in the Jack Abramoff, let’s-take-expensive-golfing-trips scandal. It takes a lot to be named one of the 20 most corrupt members of Congress. Feeney has a lot.Image via orlandosentinel.comWill Weatherford
Though a bit of a man-meat distraction via his frat-boy handsomeness, Weatherford proved to be an enemy of the people of Florida when he smugly denied Medicaid expansion two years in a row as House Speaker.Image via floridapolitics.comJennifer Thompson
Likewise a huge player in Orange County’s “textgate,” Thompson made history for accidentally losing allllll the information in her phone when public records requests were issued in 2012. It was nothing, though. She said it was only “girl talk” that got lost.Image via jenniferthompson2014.comMike Haridopolos
Former Florida Senate President Mike Haridopolos, he of the insane swoop of hair, was the epitome of what’s wrong with Tallahassee. He notoriously received $152,000 for penning a book that only had one copy published at his moonlighting (as in never there) gig at Brevard Community College. He was also a loud opponent of the Affordable Care Act.Image via opinionmatters.flatoday.netPam Bondi
Attorney General Pam Bondi just won’t give up. Whether it be her hatred of gay marriage (even if “some of her best friends are gay,” she says), continuation of the unnecessary lawsuit against Obamacare, terrible handling of the foreclosure funds meant to help out a state in dire financial straits, or, generally speaking, her inability to speak. Pam Bondi is the worst.Image via huffingtonpost.com
