FL: Sink (D) breaks CNN debate rules

[Tender Branson]

Tampa (CNN) – Alex Sink’s campaign violated rules Monday evening at the CNN/St. Petersburg Times Florida gubernatorial debate when her make-up artist delivered a message during a television break.

Sink, the Democratic nominee, was shown a two-sentence message on a cell phone that offered her advice during the debate. Republican nominee Rick Scott who was sitting next to her in this nationally televised debate, noticed the violation and notified a CNN official, who approached the make-up artist and Sink and confiscated the cell phone.

The message read: “The attorney who [w]on the Sykes suit said alex sink did nothing wrong. Tell not to let him keep talking about her.”

After the debate, the Sink campaign released a statement from the candidate announcing that the advisor who sent the message has been removed from the campaign. The advisor was not named in the statement, but a campaign spokesman confirmed it is Brian May, who signed the rules agreement before the debate on behalf of the Sink campaign.

"After the debate tonight, one of my campaign advisors admitted he tried to communicate with me during one of the breaks,” Sink said.

“While he told me it was out of anger with Rick Scott's repeated distortion of facts, it was a foolish thing to do. It violated a debate agreement and I immediately removed him from the campaign. "

Earlier in the day, officials with both campaigns signed a statement that agreed, among other things, that no notes would be allowed.

“There will be no opening and closing statements, no notes and no props on stage,” read the statement. “Candidates will be provided water, notepad and pen.”

CNN did not allow campaign aides to accompany the candidates backstage, but Sink and Scott were permitted to use their own make-up artists during the debate.

On the air after the commercial break, Scott pointed out the breach.

“First Alex, you say you always follow the rules,” he said. “The rule was no one was supposed to give us messages during the break, and your campaign did with an iPad or an iPod.”

For the record, the device Sink read from was neither an iPad nor an iPhone but a Droid smartphone.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/10/25/florida-debate-foul/

[Iosif]

Was it the HTC Desire? I have one of those. Fantastic phone.

[Lief 🗽]

Well, at least she didn't defraud medicare of over $1 billion.

[Tender Branson]

Was it the HTC Desire? I have one of those. Fantastic phone.

I prefer the HTC Wildfire, it´s not as massive as the Desire and not as sh*tty as the I-Phone.

[Dgov]

This shouldn't really be that big of a deal, but it points to campaign incompetence to have someone break the rules so blatantly on live TV.

[Iosif]

Was it the HTC Desire? I have one of those. Fantastic phone.

I prefer the HTC Wildfire, it´s not as massive as the Desire and not as sh*tty as the I-Phone.

What you talking about? The Desire is slim and slender. And it packs a 3.7 inch LED screen.

[CARLHAYDEN]

Mark Warner,

You have got to remember that rules are for little people.

Liberal Democrats are above abiding by rules.

[tpfkaw]

Well, at least she didn't defraud medicare of over $1 billion.

No, she only illegally invested the Florida pension fund and lost $24 billion.

[cinyc]

Was it the HTC Desire? I have one of those. Fantastic phone.

It was a Motorolla Droid.

Sink is sunk.

[Insula Dei]

UHHH She cheated!!!!! I'm even more whiny than Rand Paul and my fraternity pranks never even touched on near-rape!!!! UHHHHH

[Iosif]

Was it the HTC Desire? I have one of those. Fantastic phone.

It was a Motorolla Droid.

Sink is sunk.

It's not even on Fox website's and Drudge has it in a corner sandwiched by other nonsense.

I think you might be overstating it's effect just a tad.

[cinyc]

Was it the HTC Desire? I have one of those. Fantastic phone.

It was a Motorolla Droid.

Sink is sunk.

It's not even on Fox website's and Drudge has it in a corner sandwiched by other nonsense.

I think you might be overstating it's effect just a tad.

Mark my words: There will be an ad made out of this, spliced in with other examples of Sink cheating.

[-]

Very disappointing.

I thought she was better than that.

[Ogre Mage]

Well, at least she didn't defraud medicare of over $1 billion.

No, she only illegally invested the Florida pension fund and lost $24 billion.

That charge has been called a stretch of the truth by many sources:

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http://staugustine.com/news/local-news/2010-09-21/fact-check-ad-deceptively-blames-sink-pensions

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http://politifact.com/florida/statements/2010/oct/06/republican-party-florida/republican-party-florida-says-alex-sink-was-charge/

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http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/topstories/news-article.aspx?storyid=169585&catid=3

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http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/09/24/1839838/gop-claims-alex-sink-gave-bonuses.html

[fezzyfestoon]

So?

[perdedor]

A pretty dumb move on the part of her make up artist, but I see nothing to suggest that this was something coordinated by Sink in an effort to deliberately cheat. Either way, we've seen worse:

[Tender Branson]

The way the absentee ballots look like in FL (20% advantage for the Republicans with 1 Mio. votes cast) Sink can pray to get 46% of the vote ...

It looks like only the Rubio and Crist people are turning out to vote.

[mypalfish]

The debate story was one of the first things on the NBC Nightly News tonight, so it's going to have some impact.

[Eraserhead]

Will this "sink" Alex's campaign?

[Dgov]

Will this "sink" Alex's campaign?

Probably not, but it will leave a bit of a bad taste in voter's mouths.

[redcommander]

Will this "sink" Alex's campaign?

No because Rick Scott is that bad of a candidate.

[Sam Spade]

Will this "sink" Alex's campaign?

I really didn't want to be the first to make that pun.

[??????????]

What's worse is she was stumped as to what our minimum wage is. Scott was as well but he isn't the CFO and he was only 30 cents off.

[Holmes]

Breaking: rich politicians clueless on what the minimum wage is?

[??????????]

Yeah no big deal that the Chief Financial Officer is clueless.