It seems Gov. Rick Scott is walking a fine line these day… or is he?

Talk to the tea party and you will hear some strong opinions that Scott he has crossed the line entirely.

What line is that?  The line that marks the difference between government being a servant of the people and government being the master.  On one side are all the trappings of Tallahassee and on the other side the people.

Last year, Scott unveiled his budget at a tea party gathering a long, long way from the Capitol.  A decision that left the political class aghast, after all, budgets are usually released in Tallahassee.

This year?   Tallahassee.

In signing his very first budget last year, Scott vetoed a record $615 million of spending that left more than one politician seething.

This year?  Just $143 Million in vetoes, even though there was an overall increase of about $360 million in spending.  And more than one politician left feeling content.

And what’s driving this change in philosophy?  You can start with Scott’s decision to bring on the “consummate insider” Steve MacNamara as chief of staff.  A role the lawyer and former lobbyist also filled for former House Speaker John Thrasher and for Senate President Mike Haridopolos.

Interestingly, MacNamara’s team describes Scott’s new approach as “getting base hits” instead of swinging for the fences.  The baseball metaphor being very appropriate in town where you “play ball” if you want to succeed.

And by all accounts, Rick Scott is playing ball.

The man who once said the “deal-makers are crying in their cocktails” is now being toasted by these same deal-makers, as they write checks.

So it’s fair to ask has Rick Scott succumbed to the ‘political realities’ of Tallahassee at the expense of his principles and values?  Or is he just learning to ‘work within the system’?

I had the opportunity once to sit across the table from Rick Scott and have a frank conversation, eye to eye – before the gatekeepers arrived on the scene.  Being a real critic of Scott at the time and not being one to shy away from asking straight forward questions, it was a revealing moment.

In fact, I walked away from that conversation with a surprisingly favorable take on him.  And I say surprising because I certainly didn’t expect that.  What I saw that afternoon was a man of humility grounded by a strong belief system.  A man who does not abandon his core values.

Change never comes easy, especially in politics.  In life, one must learn to pick his battles carefully and keep an eye on the bigger picture.  In that light, I choose to believe that Rick Scott is engaged in a high level game of chess, that should he prevail, achieves his stated goal all along – a better Florida for all.

Don’t let me down, Governor.

 Tom Tillison.. Tom is a Tea Party Leader and a member of the Florida Alliance. Go check him out...