2013 Lincoln Dinner: Mori Hosseini impressed with Gov. Rick Scott, who he sees as unafraid to make changes

Create: Sun, 05/12/2013 - 04:14
Author: Henry
Gov. Scott stands tall at 2013 Lincoln Dinner in Daytona / Headline SurferHeadline Surfer video by Multimedia Editor Serafina Frederick / Mori Hosseini, owner of ICI Homes in Daytona Beach, introduces Gov. Rick Scott Friday night, May 10, 2013, at the GOP Lincoln Dinner at the Daytona Beach Resort and Conference Center in Daytona Beach, Florida. This video was created from a series of videos from the same event so as to avoid clutter.
 
By HENRY FREDERICK
Headline Surfer

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Mori Hosseini, the owner of ICI Homes and a big-time contributor to campaigns at all levels of government, introduced Gov. Scott to some 400 attendees of the annual GOP Lincoln Day Dinner on Friday night, explaining in his introductory remarks that he was pleasantly surprised how different he is from previous governors he's known.

"This is an incredible opportunity for me to introduce our great governor," Hosseini told the partisan crowd at the annual dinner, the main fundraiser for the Executive Committee of the Volusia County Republican Party.

Without getting into specifics, Hosseini said he was impressed that within a month of taking office back in 2011 after he was sworn in, Scott had already made changes. 

"I'm used to politicians making excuses," Hosseini saids but made clear that Scott is different having seen with his own eyes how he refused to back off of one such request for change, adding, "I would have given up and said the hell with it and gone on my way. That's why he's different. 

Hosseini said what impressed him more than anything was Scott visiting an after-school program fore local children who are homeless. Recognizing the sensitivity of the situation -- Hosseini said Scott inquired of the students as to how many of them wanted to be governor when they grew up?

None of the children raised their hands.But when the governor asked them how many would want to be governor if they could "have ice cream for breakfast, ice cream for lunch and ice cream for dinner?" They all raised their hand, Hosseini said.

Hosseini said Scott told the children he could relate to them because he, too, had it rough as a child.

Scott thanked Hosseini for his kind words and proceeded to thank individuals and groups of people for their service.

While Scott was inside, there were several demonstrators outside, mostly Democrats, who referred to him as "Pink Slip Rick"b for cutting a bloated bureaucracy in Tallahassee.

Congressman Ron DeSantis at 2013 Lincoln Day Dinner in Daytona / Headline SurferStan Escudeo addresses 2013 Lincoln Dinner crowd in Daytona / Headline SurferMultimedia:

You can watch highlights of the gala evening from the video above, including a speech from Congressman Ron DeSantis, shown in the larger image, who addresses the situation where US Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and others the U.S. Special Mission in Benghazi, Libya, were killed by militants on Sept. 11-12, 2012.
Not to be outdone in his own right, former GOP chair and retired foreign ambassador Stan Escudero, shown in the inset, talks about 'Charlie Chameleon,' a sarcastic reference to former Gov. Charlire Crist, who switched parties.