Will Weatherford pokes back at the Truth-O-Meter

House Speaker Will Weatherford recently joked he is all too familiar with PolitiFact Florida’s Truth-O-Meter, saying we’ve gotten used to targeting “every word that comes out of my mouth.” (That’s Pants on Fire! Mr. Speaker.)

“I’ve decided to take it to the next level in the Florida House,” he told members of Suncoast Tiger Bay, a politically active lunch group in Pinellas County, on Sept. 10. “I’ve been thinking a lot about the things that I want to start PolitiFacting myself.”

So he made a list, which we thought would be fun to share.

Some of it’s a little insider baseball, so click the links for more context.

• “The Tampa Bay Times has fair and balanced coverage at all times, particularly with politics.” (The Tampa Bay Times created PolitiFact, and manages PolitiFact Florida in conjunction with the Miami Herald.)

• “My good friend (and Times/Herald Tallahassee bureau reporter) Michael Van Sickler is a charming individual.”

• “Charlie Crist has principles.”

• “Sen. Jack Latvala is a man of few words.”

• “The Florida Democratic Party is a well-oiled machine.”

• “The state expended considerable dollars for grief counselors after our good friend Mike Fasano left to go to the tax collector’s office.”

• “Lucy Morgan is retired.”

• (His personal favorite) “After Miley Cyrus, her appearance on the VMAs the other night, Gov. Scott is now actually considering changing his slogan to ‘it’s twerking.’”

• “And last but not least, the reason why I haven’t been talking that much about my employment is I’m actually under contract for the TV show called Undercover Boss.”