A former Florida-lawmaker-turned-political-commentator has called out the leading two candidates for Florida governor. The charge is both contenders are trying to co-opt the legacy of recently deceased Florida Gov. Reubin Askew.
Former state Sen. Robert McKnight says current Republican Gov. Rick Scott and his Republican-predecessor-turned-Democratic-candidate Charlie Crist are trying to use Askew’s legacy for their own gain in the gubernatorial race.
Askew, who served from 1971 to 1979, did much to advance public education, the environment, ethics and civil rights. When Askew passed away in March, both Scott and Crist praised him for his actions. McKnight asserts this was hypocritical, as neither had done much to advance Askew’s agenda.
“At some point every candidate has got to come out from under the rock, and when they do, I encourage all of us to challenge veracity and demonstrate accountability,” McKnight says.
McKnight urged organizations such as the League of Women Voters and Tampa Bay Times PolitiFact to be more aggressive in vetting all candidate statements. WFSU reached out to the Scott and Crist campaigns for a response but neither was able to comment by the time this story was filed.