May 26, 2022

After President Joe Biden devoted an entire speech earlier this month to shredding the 11-point tax-hike plan created by Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, Scott chose the high ground.

“Joe Biden is unwell. He’s unfit for office. He’s incoherent, incapacitated and confused," Scott told reporters, suggesting Biden should resign. "He doesn’t know where he is half the time. He’s incapable of leading and he’s incapable of carrying out his duties.”

It was both gross and notable, since Scott, the Senate GOP campaign chair, wouldn't defend his own plan on the merits after spending months trying to clean up the fallout resulting from it.

But Friday night saw a turn of karmic retribution: As Scott sought to skewer a Democratic female senator at a New Hampshire GOP fundraiser, he couldn't seem to remember her name or exactly where he was or what her problem was, except to say that, "she's not nice to anybody."

"We've got great candidates in the state of Washington," Scott told attendees at the Sullivan County Republicans Lincoln Reagan Dinner in Newport. "There's a lady out there Tiffany Smiley, who's running against Maggie Ha... um, oh, who's out there?" Scott said, shaking his head. "She doesn't talk to me. Who is it?" he said, soliciting the name of Sen. Patty Murray of Washington from an audience member.

Then, attempting to rebound, Scott offered, "I'll tell you a cute story," at which point he launched into an explainer about Senate rules regarding unanimous consent—because that's always relatable cocktail party material. Anyway, long story short, Scott mangles the story, lies about the votes, and suggests Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio doesn't know who he is.

"These guys are just crazy on the left," Scott charges, wrapping up his cute little story.

Smooth. Then Scott veered back into his original rant about Sen. Murray "out in um, in um, in the state of um, of Washington." Murray's a member of the Senate Democratic leadership team who's not exactly obscure, particularly in Beltway circles.

Finally, Mr. Charisma recalled asking a bunch of D.C. Republican donors, "Have any of you ever invited her to dinner?"

"No! Nobody would," Scott remarked of Murray, "She's not nice to anybody!"

As one can imagine, Scott really had that New Hampshire crowd eating out of the palm of his hand. Before visiting the Granite State, Scott assured everyone he was planning to run for reelection to the Senate in 2024 and wasn't seeding the ground for a presidential bid.

If that wasn't true before, it’s certainly truer now. He seemed, um, unwell, unfit for office, incoherent, incapacitated, and confused.

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