Information reaching Kossyderrickent has it that Gov. Ron DeSantis’ clean and white boots are compared to that of Nancy Sinatra’s. (Read More Here).
Gov. Ron DeSantis has been a persistent critic of President Joe Biden on nearly every policy front as he moves toward a likely potential 2024 presidential bid. But the Florida Republican likes one thing about the president: his wallet.
Over the past two years, DeSantis’ administration received billions of dollars in emergency federal aid during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, money that the governor used to fund his top priorities and pet projects.
Florida is now poised to benefit from billions of dollars in additional federal assistance to grapple with the devastating damage left by Hurricane Ian, which could bring a staggering $40 billion of insured losses.
“Ironically, while DeSantis has attacked Biden, he’s benefited from his administration,” said Florida Democratic state Rep. Anna Eskamani, a frequent critic of the governor. “The constant demonization of President Joe Biden by Governor Ron DeSantis has always been politically motivated.”
All governors ask the federal government for assistance after a major natural disaster, regardless of who is in the White House. But for DeSantis, the eagerness to accept the money comes against the backdrop of not only being one of Biden’s biggest critics, but also his past record rejecting federal disaster relief for New York and New Jersey in the aftermath of 2012’s Hurricane Sandy.
Now DeSantis, who is dealing with the aftermath of his first major hurricane as governor, has no such hang-ups about federal funds. He asked Biden for an emergency declaration for all Florida’s 67 counties, which the president approved, freeing up federal money for counties devastated by Hurricane Ian. On Thursday, DeSantis said more federal money would be needed as the storm dumped rain on the Orlando region as it slowly made its way across the state.
DeSantis holds an 8 percentage point lead, 49%-41%, over former Democratic Rep. Charlie Crist, according to the Spectrum News/Siena College poll of 669 likely Florida voters. DeSantis is widely viewed as a top contender for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination — second perhaps only to former President Donald Trump.
The poll was conducted Sept. 18 to Sept. 25, prior to the impact of Hurricane Ian which pummeled swaths of Florida’s western coastline last week when it made landfall as a Category 4 storm. The hurricane left dozens dead, with the death count still rising Monday morning, and millions at least temporarily without power or clean water.
Ian’s approach, and the devastation left in its wake, has put a spotlight on DeSantis’ leadership, including his shift to a more collegial tone with the Biden administration as he requested emergency assistance. The governor has otherwise largely deployed an aggressive rhetorical style and a willingness to wade into politically animating culture war issues.
Days before Ian emerged as a prime threat to Florida, DeSantis was in the news over his administration’s decision to send planes filled with dozens of migrants to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts.
