Did Alex Sink lie about debate-cheat flap?

When a make-up artist handed a phone with a campaign-aide's message to Alex Sink, a "no notes" rule was already being broken by the Democrat's campaign. Sink blamed aide/lobbyist Brian May for the problem and fired him.

But we wanted to know: What did Sink and the make-up artist talk about before she was handed the phone? Not much, Sink said this morning.

"She put this phone in my face and she said, 'I don't know who this is from' and I turned around and I looked and I said I … I couldn't tell, really, what it was,'' Sink said when questioned by a Herald/Times reporter.

But John King, a co-host of the debate, said on CNN Tuesday that CNN reviewed an audio clip that clearly reveals that the makeup artist alerted Sink about the message.

"We listened very closely to the audio,'' King said, "And the makeup artist, when she approached Alex Sink, said, 'I have a message from the staff.' And at that point they looked, it was on a cell phone... It was essentially advice after the last segment of the debate telling her if that question comes up again,
remember this, and be more aggressive when Rick Scott questions you.''

Who knows? King didn't produce the audio. Maybe there was a technical problem at CNN and someone mis-heard something. Maybe Sink didn't understand the question this morning (though she repeated a similar story when she went on deMSNBC's Christ Matthews).

In looking at the raw footage of Sink and the make-up artist, it sure looks like something was under discussion. But then, it doesn't look furtive, like Sink knew she was breaking the rules (yet again, maybe there's some Edgar Allan Poe genius to this purloined-letter strategy of hiding out in the open).

Sink is insisting she told the truth. The Scott campaign is insisting that she "cheated before she lied."

Regardless, something's not adding up; note the pregnant pause and the 'oh-last-night-at-the-debate?' response when I ask her about the discussion this morning with the make-up artist.

 

 

Comments

[Muckraker]

J'accuse!: My Cousin Got Caught Cheating At the FL Governor's Debate

http://www.practicalstate.com/?p=3025

Cheers

[AF]

Why is everyone missing that Sink had already said what was in the text message, and that it never came up again. How is it cheating if you are given an answer you already know and have already answered??

[alice]

SINK IS A CHEAT JUST LIKE THE MILLION DOLLAR BIG BANKER THAT SHE IS. SHE MADE MILLIONS AND IS PART OF THE BANKING PROBLEM WE NOW HAVE AND SHE IS STILL CHEATING US NOW.

[Saint Petersblog]

I've frekin' had it! Why debate-gate matters and what it says about the entire Democratic Party

http://bit.ly/9fhryT

[gary]

The video clearly shows Sinks cheated and then lied about it. She was told in advance here is a message from staff, Sinks accepted the electronic cheat sheet and then read the message.
What may be more important here is the ill gotten information came from a big insurance lobbist that is also one of Sinks top advisors.
She is just a shill for the big insurance companies and wall street bankers.

[Robby Willis]

How dare Rick Scott talk about integrity and cheating when he knowingly committed fraud and choose to take the 5th Amendment over 75 times while under oath while being questioned about his knowledge of what was going while he was CEO of his company.

[Fernando]

John King missed the point. She said her first thought was maybe a family emergency like any mom. It doesn't matter that the lady said it is from staff. Of course every call she takes comes from staffer first, especially on a live sound stage. Like duh!
Scott can still call it breaking the rules cause that is what it is. It doesn't matter whether she used it against him.
King alleging that she is lying though is a huge leap into stupidity.