Sen Bill Nelson, D-Florida, as readers have come to know, was a fervent foe of the confirmation of Jim Bridenstine for NASA administrator. Bridenstine was confirmed anyway, on a party-line vote, and has gone on to shake up the space agency to get it set to form commercial partnerships to return to the moon. Nelson took a political hit from his attempt to plunge NASA into a leadership crisis for his political aggrandizement. Some might observe that it was bad enough that the senior senator from Florida has proven himself to be the second coming of Tail Gunner Joe (“Are you or have you ever been a conservative.”)

Now, though, Nelson is showing the strain of a stiff challenge for his Senate seat by the current Florida Governor, Rick Scott.

Nelson has committed, according to Red State, another epic fail.

Nelson accuses Scott of being soft on hurricanes

Scott was in Israel recently for the opening of the new American embassy in Jerusalem, a smart political move considering the size of the Jewish population in Florida. Team Nelson, however, decided to make something of it. They accused Scott of neglecting his duties as governor, noting that a potential tropic storm is threatening to form in the Gulf of Mexico. Surely Scott should be back in the state, getting things ready just in case the storm forms and smacks into Florida’s west coast?

The potential storm is not much of a threat – yet

The first problem with Nelson’s broadside is that the potential storm has only a 30 percent chance of developing in the next five days.

Also, Scott used a technological tool that the elderly Nelson may not have heard of called Twitter to issue a series of directives to alert Floridians to make ready just in case, and to note that he is in constant touch with the appropriate weather and disaster preparedness authorities just in case.

Hurricane management is one of Scott’s strengths

Red State also notes that Scott has gotten fulsome praise, even from Democrats and the media, for his adroit handling of the 2017 hurricanes. Nelson’s attack on Scott is the rough equivalent of striking at Bernie Sanders for not being socialist enough.

What is behind Nelson’s missteps?

Nelson has been making a series of political missteps, first the Bridenstine matter, now the hurricanes. He is showing every sign of an aged politician who has been in office for too long becoming desperate to hang on for just one more term while being challenged by a more vigorous and younger opponent. The race is considered a toss-up, with the poll average showing Nelson up only 2.2 percent, but the most recent survey showing Scott up by four. Clearly, the incumbent is worried.
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