Praise for Florida’s governor, Ron DeSantis

Yesterday, West Virginia's Attorney General tweeted:

.@GovRonDeSantis is doing a very good job in Florida moving his state forward.

The @GOP has many state officials who are leading during these challenging times. We can do so much better than the #BidenBlunders we are experiencing.

— Patrick Morrisey (@MorriseyWV) May 14, 2021

Praise for Governor DeSantis? Interesting.

DeSantis has nothing to do with West Virginia. So why is Patrick Morrisey going out of his way to praise Ron DeSantis?

Maybe it has something to do with DeSantis' political aspirations. From Politico:

‘Certainly, Ron would be considered’: Trump floats DeSantis as 2024 VP”

Or if Trump doesn’t run, here’s the lede from an Axios story earlier today:

If it wasn't clear to you before, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has already started his campaign to be president.

What about the polling?

A new poll found that most Republicans would support Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in the 2024 primary for president—if Donald Trump doesn't run for the nomination.

A survey released Wednesday from the Trafalgar Group found 35 percent of likely Republican primary voters were most likely to back DeSantis to be the party's nominee, the most of any potential candidate polled.

Does Governor DeSantis have any respect for the rule of law?

From today’s New York Times:

Florida Governor Says He Will Pardon Those Who Violated Mask Mandates

How about providing asylum to law-breakers? From yesterday’s Huffington Post:

Florida Officials Reportedly Steeling For A Trump Extradition Block By Gov. Ron DeSantis

What about civil liberties? Three weeks ago, as the Derek Chauvin case was being decided, a Washington Post opinion piece by Lizette Alvarez noted how DeSantis’ quickly signed Florida’s “anti-riot” law upon its passage:

DeSantis signed into law a draconian, First Amendment-vandalizing measure supposedly intended to prevent looting, arson, blocking highways and “mob intimidation” (whatever that means) . . . .

“It is the strongest anti-rioting, pro-law enforcement piece of legislation in the country. There’s just nothing even close,” crowed DeSantis.

As Alvarez pointed out:

The law, which already faces a lawsuit from the nonprofit Legacy Entertainment & Arts Foundation, transforms many public disorder misdemeanors into felonies. It denies bail to protesters until they see a judge. A newly defined category of misdemeanor is called “mob intimidation,” defined as two or more people using even the “threat of force” to try to change someone’s “viewpoint.” A “riot” is defined as at least three people who, together, pose at least a “clear and present danger” to someone or something.

Does Governor DeSantis have any respect for the rule of law and civil liberties? Does it matter to West Virginia’s attorney general that he doesn't?

An interesting footnote

Patrick Morrisey and Ron DeSantis do have something in common -- in 2019, they were the only two individual recipients of political donations from Rudy Giuliani's Ukrainian-American business buddies, Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman. As the New York Times reported that November:

In April 2018, Mr. Parnas and Mr. Fruman incorporated a company called Global Energy Producers ostensibly as a vehicle to engage in the trade of liquefied natural gas — a commodity American officials have long urged Ukraine to buy from the United States.

In weeks, the company attracted notice in Republican finance circles with major donations to committees supporting Mr. Trump and his allies. It gave $325,000 to America First Action, a pro-Trump super PAC; $50,000 to a political action committee affiliated with the Trump-endorsed candidate for Florida governor in 2018, Ron DeSantis, and $15,000 to a super PAC supporting the 2018 Senate campaign of the West Virginia attorney general, Patrick Morrisey.