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Rick Scott and Ron Johnson are Biden's gifts that just keep on giving [1]

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Date: 2023-02-09  

In its settlement with the government, the company admitted to 14 felonies related to fraudulent billing and practices. Most happened under Scott’s leadership. Columbia/HCA gave kickbacks to doctors so they would refer patients. Columbia/HCA made patients look sicker than they were, so Medicare would pay more. Columbia/HCA kept two sets of books.

Scott was forced out of the company, but had a soft landing: “$300 million in stock, a $5.1 million severance and a $950,000-per-year consulting contract for five years.” Then, in all their wisdom, Florida voters made him governor and then senator. Oh, Florida.

Then there’s Wisconsin, who returned this guy to the Senate in 2022.

x After being called out by President Biden for efforts to privatize Social Security, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) calls the program a "Ponzi scheme":



"I just laid out reality... [Social Security] is truly a legal Ponzi scheme, I pointed out that reality, and of course I get blasted." pic.twitter.com/Jwm9aucu8s — Heartland Signal (@HeartlandSignal) February 9, 2023

Setting aside the fact that that’s not how Ponzi schemes work at all, Johnson’s not even trying to pretend like he’s not calling for the programs to be destroyed. He’s been at this for more than a decade. He has bemoaned the fact that former President George W. Bush failed to privatize Social Security.

“It went nowhere, which I thought was a shame,” he said at a town meeting in 2015. (By the way, Johnson is 67, now eligible to collect Social Security. The next time some roving reporter in the Senate or Capitol sees him in the hall, they should ask him if he’s collecting it.)

Biden took his Social Security and Medicare victory on the on the road following the State of the Union address, and it’s no coincidence that Wisconsin and Florida are included—with receipts.

“I remind you that Rick Scott from Florida, the guy who ran the U.S. Senate campaign, has a plan—I got his brochure right here,” Biden said, holding up Scott’s brochure. “Here’s what he says in his plan … He says ‘All federal legislation sunsets every five years. If a law is worth keeping Congress can pass it again.’” “And by the way, you have senator named Ron Johnson … Ron Johnson on Social Security and Medicare, quote, ‘We should transfer everything. So, we have to consider everything every year,’” Biden continued. “Come on, man.”

Here he is Thursday in Florida, clearly relishing this fight.

x Biden: I know that a lot of Republicans, their dream is to cut social security and medicare. Let me say this, if that's your dream, I'm your nightmare pic.twitter.com/vXkmM3p5v0 — Acyn (@Acyn) February 9, 2023

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/2/9/2152083/-Rick-Scott-Ron-Johnson-Biden-s-gifts-that-just-keep-on-giving

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