Scott Maddox Tears Into Rick Scott and Adam Putnam

Former Tallahassee Mayor Scott Maddox, the Democratic nominee in the state agriculture and consumer services commissioner race, took aim at his Republican rival U.S. Rep. Adam Putnam at a media event in Tallahassee on Wednesday -- but also fired away at Republican gubernatorial Rick Scott.

Maddox said he watched the debate between Scott and Democratic candidate state CFO Alex Sink on Monday. It seems clear to me that Rick Scott wanted to turn his campaign and the campaigns in Florida to things in Washington, said Maddox.

Maddox, flanked by pictures of Scott, Democratic U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California, and Putnam with U.S. House Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio, tore into Scott and Putnam.

Adam Putnam personifies Washington insider, insisted Maddox. Rick Scott personifies everything about big business that makes people sick.

Maddox, a former chairman of the Florida Democratic Party, labeled both Scott and Putnam as hypocrites, arguing that their rhetoric and their actions do not match. Maddox lambasted Putnam for backing the TARP bailout and insisting the Republican backed amnesty for illegal aliens. Maddox attacked Scotts record at Columbia/HCA, noting that the Republican presided over massive Medicare fraud.

The fact that they can say these things with a straight face is beyond comprehension and speaks to their willingness to say or do anything to get elected, said Maddox.

Asked about why he was taking aim at Scott when he was running against Putnam, Maddox said, The job Im running for is to look out for the consumer. Maddox said he would have a hard time looking down the Cabinet table to see Scott, again bringing up Scotts record in the private sector. I feel like its my duty as a citizen to speak out against Rick Scott.