Crist's stimulus backpedaling can't rewrite history

MiamiHerald.com -

Nov-06-2009

Crist's stimulus backpedaling can't rewrite history

(topic overview)
CONTENTS:

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — In a heated race for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination, Gov. Charlie Crist keeps moving away from his support of President Barack Obama's stimulus package that the governor called "fantastic" and "remarkable" when lobbying for its passage. (More...)
The public needs to hear the narrative we're about to change the system" ("Ed Show," MSNBC, 11/4). (More...)
Conservative state senator Paula Dockery of Lakeland just announced a republican primary fight for Governor against attorney general Bill McCollum of BJ Clinton impeachment fame. (More...)
The site has not only garnered attention locally in Florida as would be expected, but also regionally and nationally as well from the likes of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and NBC political director Chuck Todd, among others. (More...)
It seems he's got all the props to fill the picture-unless he opens his yap. (More...)
The two contenders are businessman Bruce O'Donoghue (who owns a traffic-signal business. odd, but I guess somebody has to make them) and first-term state Rep. Eric Eisnaugle. (Carpetbagging real estate developer Armando Gutierrez Jr., radio talk show host Todd Long, who nearly beat then-Rep. Ric Keller in last year's GOP primary, and three anonymous teabaggers are all in the race, but clearly not striking the NRCC's fancy.) (More...)
"Mr. President, we need to do it in a bipartisan way," Crist said. (More...)
Granted, I don't think Fiorina's odds of unseating Boxer are all that hot either, but against DeVore, I absolutely believe Boxer can get 65% of the vote. (More...)
Just saw Rick Perry talking about the massive murder at Fort Hood. (More...)
The 68-page guidelines released Wednesday by the Federal Railroad Administration are the starting shot in a race between states to build new or revamped networks. (More...)
Virginia has a long history of electing governors who are not affiliated with the party in power in the White House. (More...)
If we keep getting distracted by the bright lights and ambient noise, and putting money into stuff like PR campaigns for inflammatory issues, we'll keep putting up weaker candidates like Deeds and Corzine. (More...)
Club for Growth spokesman Mike Connolly said the group hopes to buy time to air the ad on Florida TV stations soon. (More...)
I voted for Cornyn. He is moderate, mushy, and hard to like. (More...)

SOURCES

FIND OUT MORE ON THIS SUBJECT

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — In a heated race for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination, Gov. Charlie Crist keeps moving away from his support of President Barack Obama's stimulus package that the governor called "fantastic" and "remarkable" when lobbying for its passage. Faced with an increasingly difficult primary challenge from former House Speaker Marco Rubio of West Miami, the governor now claims he didn't endorse the $787 billion economic stimulus that included a generous contribution for Florida. "It seems to be the president's answer to almost every challenge that's facing our country is to spend more money," Crist said Thursday. [1] Florida Gov. Charlie Crist may be distancing himself from his support for the stimulus bill Congress enacted earlier this year, but the White House isn't playing along. A day after Crist denied having endorsed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters the governor's February appearance with President Obama in Fort Myers, Fla., left little doubt about his views on the law. "I think his words at that event speak for themselves," Gibbs said. "I think he was very supportive of the legislation and supportive of the benefits that it would have and has had for the state of Florida." Crist has played down his support for the stimulus in his Senate primary campaign against former state House Speaker Marco Rubio.[2]

Give credit where it's due.'' After a strange decision to endorse Governor Charlie Crist in next year's Florida primary race for the open Senate seat when Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio had already thrown his hat in the ring, the NRSC has learned something from the NY-23 debacle with Dede Scozzafava.'' With Republicans grappling with the fallout of an intra-party battle that may have cost them a House seat, the head of the Senate Republican campaign effort is making a pledge that may ease some of the anger being directed at the party establishment.[3] NEWBERRY -- Radio talk show host Laura Ingraham was the keynote speaker Thursday at the Alachua County Republican Party's annual fundraiser, but Florida's U.S. Senate race was the main event. Florida Gov. Charlie Crist and his opponent in the Republican Senate primary, former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio, both spoke at the 7th Annual Ronald Reagan Black Tie and Blue Jeans BBQ. The event, held at Canterbury Equestrian Showplace, typically serves up plenty of red meat for the party faithful. The high-profile Senate race provided an extra helping this year. Rubio gave the event's invocation, but first made comments along his campaign theme of being the race's true conservative. "It's very simple: We already have a Democratic Party in America," he said.[4]

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, who recruited Gov. Charlie Crist to run for Florida's open Senate seat next year, said today that the National Senatorial Campaign Committee will not put money into the primary Republican battle with former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio.[5]

"The National Republican Senatorial Committee believes Charlie Crist is the strongest candidate," says Brian Walsh, a spokesman for the party campaign group. In Crist, Republican leaders figured they had a proven vote-getter in a swing state and one who could raise his own money (Crist has $6 million in the bank), thereby freeing NRSC dollars for other Senate races. As we told you in this morning's USA TODAY, GOP conservatives are rallying around another candidate, Marco Rubio.[6] The Club for Growth, which spent about $1 million in NY-23 to boost Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman -- who eventually lost to the Democrat -- is back at it. It is pushing for Marco Rubio over Charlie Crist in the Florida GOP primary. Now it created the below video, hitting Crist on his support for the stimulus back in February in an appearance with President Obama.[7] The Club for Growth took a major step Thursday toward backing Marco Rubio in Florida'''s GOP Senate primary, launching an ad against Gov. Charlie Crist. The ad criticizes Crist for saying this week that he didn'''t, in fact, support President Barack Obama'''s stimulus plan.[8]

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist's approval rating has dipped to a new low, according to a new St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald poll out this weekend, a development that raises the odds that he'll face a serious primary challenge against Marco Rubio. Only 42 percent of likely Florida voters said Crist was doing an excellent or good job, while 55 percent rated his job performance as "fair" or "poor." A majority of Republicans - 51 percent - now rate his job performance as fair or poor. 66 percent of Republicans said they disapproved of the governor's decision to appear with President Obama to support his stimulus legislation.[9] Gov. Charlie Crist, who is supported by party leaders in Washington, backed President Barack Obama's stimulus package and has expressed openness to cap-and-trade legislation to curb global warming. Now those positions are under attack from Republican former state legislator Marco Rubio, who is winning support from conservatives as he prepares to face Mr. Crist in next August's primary.[10] The web video focuses on the Gov. Charlie Crist's support of the federal stimulus package, the central theme of former House Speaker Marco Rubio's campaign against Crist in the state's U.S. Senate Republican primary. Crist, meanwhile, is attempting to add some nuance to his feelings about the stimulus package. He told CNN last night that he didn't endorse the proposal and that he "didn't even have a vote on the darned thing."[11] RedState founder Erick Erickson a backer of former Florida state House Speaker Marco Rubio last week unmasked the relationship between the campaign of Gov. Charlie Crist and a site attacking Mr. Rubio, the governor's Republican primary rival in the Senate race.[12] The attendees are expected to include Florida Gov. Charlie Crist and his opponent in the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate, former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio. Rubio campaign spokesman Alex Burgos said he can recall only one other event both candidates have attended since they declared they were running.[13]

Marco Rubio, a fully credentialed "true conservative," is running for the GOP Senate nomination in Florida against Gov. Charlie Crist, the more moderate candidate endorsed by the Republican establishment. Until yesterday, conservatives envisioned Rubio playing the same role in Florida that Doug Hoffman played in New York's 23rd congressional district, a script they're going to have to rewrite a bit.[14] For the congenitally sunny Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, these have been dark days. Polls have shown his Republican Senate primary contest against Marco Rubio tightening. County GOP executive committees have continued to hand him overwhelming defeats in straw polls. He's faced withering news reports, like one recently in the Miami Herald, that have fed an image that he's more concerned with his political career than with the people's business.[15] Associated Press Florida's Republican Gov. Charlie Crist is facing a primary challenge in his bid next year for a U.S. Senate seat. Above, he is shown in August with former state legislator Marco Rubio, whom conservative groups are backing for the Republican primary battle next August.[10] Many are also backing Marco Rubio, a former legislator from Miami, who is counting on a surge of conservative support to try to defeat Crist in the Republican primary for a Florida Senate seat next year. The lesson of this year'''s most closely watched elections is that pragmatic Republicans who appeal to independents and some Democrats are well positioned for the 2010 elections.[16] When is the primary. Florida Democrats are on the ropes; it strikes me that a great many of them would be happy to have a competent, popular, and reasonable governor deliver them a Senate seat. Crist has been a stand-up guy on a couple of issues: I recall him intervening to block a purge of voter rolls that clearly would have helped the GOP ahead of the Nov 08 elections, for no reason more obvious than it being the right thing to do (or rather, that his politics consists of appearing to be doing the right thing to do). He has been a Republican, sure. It doesn't strike me that he's burned too many bridges with Democrats in his last three years. The big obstacle is that Kendrick Meek isn't just some Democrat; he's a black Democrat who has worked really hard to get where he is -- viable in a statewide race in an important Southern state. There will be sentiment that he shouldn't be walked over. He loses even to Rubio in significantly many polls. How many people in Florida and Washington are thinking through these angles right now? I bet a couple.[17] Rubio has cultivated the much-needed conservative bona fides of being able to say no with greater regularity than Hillary Clinton spending weekends with Bill when it comes to paying for stuff, gay marriage and giving so much as an aspirin to an illegal immigrant. Are the results from Tuesday's elections particularly informative or revealing with respect to the battle for the Florida Republican U.S. Senate primary? Well, Republicans managed to lose an upstate New York congressional seat long held by the GOP after the monocles of the right attempted to impose their own candidate to nudge aside the formal party nominee, Dierdre Scozzafava, who was regarded as too moderate. Who knows what earned her a hustings "A"? Perhaps she once nodded in Barack Obama's general direction.[18]

Much was made a few months ago when the National Republican Senatorial Committee tapped Charles Crist, the moderately conservative governor of Florida, to run for the seat being vacated by Senator Mel Martinez. This, despite the fact that one of the real up and comers in the GOP - a strong conservative, and former Speaker of the Florida House named Marco Rubio had made it plain that he was planning a run. The anger at the NRSC for butting their nose into a state primary should have taught the establishment Republicans a lesson.[19] Across the U.S., a number of conservatives are considering primary runs for House and Senate seats against fellow Republicans who supported such policies as the bailout of troubled financial institutions. Mr. Crist's campaign is revving up its response -- poring through Mr. Rubio's legislative voting record and past speeches to undercut his claims as the true conservative in the race. Among the finds: a YouTube video from Mr. Rubio's tenure as Florida House speaker when he said the country was "headed toward emission caps" and called on his state to be the "Silicon Valley of that industry."[10] The conservative walls are closing in on Gov. Charlie Crist and now the White House is piling on. After going on a national cable news show Wednesday night to rebut claims that he endorsed President Barack Obama's stimulus plan, the White House came out Thursday to say they get cable, too, and watched Crist try to wiggle his way out of what has become the major issue in the race for the 2010 U.S. Senate seat. "I think he was very supportive of the legislation and supportive of the benefits that it would have and has had for the state of Florida in seeing positive economic growth," said White House spokesman Robert Gibbs.[20] Charlie Crist welcomed Barack Obama to Florida last February, hugged him, grinned when Obama called Crist "his favorite Republican," and then explained why the Democrats' stimulus was a good thing. That was February. This all comes as news to the President, who hugged Crist, and who got this letter from Crist back on February 3, 2009. In the letter, signed by Crist, as well as Governors Patterson, Patrick, Corzine, and several others, Crist and the other Democrat Governors wrote "to express support for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), which passed last week in the House and is under consideration currently in the Senate."[21] I don't know. perhaps the thought of Charlie Crist doing the same thing Obama did, and jumping straight from a first senatorial term to a white house bid is what really bothers this administration. The fact that Charlie Crist is widely viewed as an effective governor in Florida will give Crist governing experience that Obama did not have, during his bid for the highest office in the land. Charlie Crist does match up well against democrats, and, it seems, both parties want to convince the electorate not to allow his career to keep flourishing. The republican party fears his brand of republicanism, and the democratic party just fears him, period.[22]

I received a call from the RPOF yesterday asking for money. I told them that until the party "grows a pair", they won't be receiving any of my money. for too long, the Republican Party has been sucking up to RINOs like Charlie Crist, and failing to "go after" the Dems. When Charlie appeared on stage with Obama, all funding to him should have been IMMEDIATELY cut off! We have to remember that by and large, the Republican Party leadership at both the state and national levels still "doesn't get it". We need to be putting our money where our mouth issupport the CONSERVATIVE candidates by donating directly to their campaigns! True, we cannot donate as much individually as we can to a party, but, we can make it up in volume. Support the conservative candidates across the nation (and especially in Florida) directly! We CAN take this country back and undo all of the damage.[23] Repeat of NY-23? Club for Growth targets Crist in Senate race. Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, is on the defensive after the conservative Club for Growth released an ad Thursday that shows him lauding Obama's stimulus package.[24] The reason Charlie Crist endorsed the stimulus package was to save and develop his political career. The stimulus package prevented him from making the tough decisions and staking his career on it, like raising revenue through taxes instead of hiding it in fees and cutting certain programs and vetoing more pork from the Republican legislature's budgets. If he did that he would have gone back on his short sighted anti-tax promises including the idiotic Amendment 1 which Marco Rubio also supported. Crist owes this entire opportunity as a viable candidate for Senate to President Obama, make no mistake about it.[11]

The NRSC so far has endorsed candidates in four open Senate seats -- Florida, Missouri, Illinois, and Pennsylvania. Cornyn's commitment is most immediately relevant in Florida, where the NRSC's candidate, Gov. Charlie Crist, is facing an aggressive challenge on his right from former state House Speaker Marco Rubio.[25] "We have to look at our resources." This could have huge ramifications in the Florida Senate race, where moderate Gov. Charlie Crist has been endorsed by the NRSC, and faces the more conservative former state House Speaker Marco Rubio.[26]

One theme emerging from the post-Election Day chatter is that the results augur well for Marco Rubio, the upstart challenging Florida Gov. Charlie Crist in next year's Senate primary in the Sunshine State.[27] National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn (R-Tex.) says he won't channel cash into any primary pitting Republican vs. Republican -- including the heated Florida Senate primary between Marco Rubio and Gov. Charlie Crist. "As far as what's happening in specifically Florida -- we made a decision to endorse Gov. Crist at his request.[28]

One anonymous internet attack out of the offices of the Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) against the Rubio team is a bit much. Last time, Rich Heffley, one of Charlie Crist's top guys and on the payroll of the RPOF, orchestrated an entire attack against Marco Rubio online, trying to be anonymous, that came complete with a Hitler video attacking Charlie Crist so, you know, they could say Rubio was behind the Hitler attack. This time, Republican Party field operations director Tim Nungesser created a Twitter account posing as Brevard County GOP Chairman Jason Steele. Nungesser then sent out a bunch of tweets making Steele, a recovering alcoholic, look like he was drinking again, harassing others, etc.[29]

Rubio has won endorsements from some of out-of-state conservative Republican senators like Jim DeMint of South Carolina and James Inhofe of Oklahoma. He is said to enjoy the quiet support of his mentor: former Gov. Jeb Bush. Most Florida Republican Party officials are against him. They see him as talented, but ambitious. They see him as overly critical of Crist for welcoming federal stimulus funds, for example.[30]

"I, like all other Republican governors, utilized that money for the benefit of the people in my state. That's what a pragmatic conservative does - a CEO, if you will, of a state does that," Crist also said. Crist appeared considerably more enthusiastic about the spending measure at the Florida rally on February 10 when he was introducing the president. "It's getting harder every day, and we know that it's important that we pass this stimulus package," he said then with the president by his side. "It's important that we do so to help education, to help our infrastructure, and to help healthcare for those who need it most - the most vulnerable."[31] '''I, like all other Republican governors, utilized that money for the benefit of the people in my state,''' the governor told CNN. '''And that's what a pragmatic conservative does'''a CEO, if you will, of a state does that.''' That seems like a fair and reasonable argument: Crist was doing what he thought was best for Florida. His attempts to walk a thin line between supporting and endorsing the stimulus has muddled all of that.[22]

I, like all other Republican governors, utilized that money for the benefit of the people in my state. That's what a pragmatic conservative does. I think it's important to understand that you need to fight for jobs, you need to fight for the economy, do what you think is right for the people." Crist, on rumors ex-AK Gov. Sarah Palin (R) will endorse Rubio, and whether she'll make a difference: "I think every person makes a difference. It's hard to say.[32]

Crist aides also plan to point out that the governor's acceptance of federal stimulus money won the support of Republican state lawmakers. "We will begin to let folks know of the record -- both records," said Eric Eikenberg, who Monday left his job as Mr. Crist's gubernatorial chief of staff to take over operations of the Senate campaign. Mr. Crist's aides wave aside comparisons to the New York 23rd district race, and say he intends to run on conservative positions. Mr. Crist has said his support for gun rights, as well as for cutting billions of state funding rather than imposing broad tax increases, should give him credibility with conservatives.[10] Gov. Charlie Crist, whose embrace of President Barack Obama's stimulus plan cost him support among some conservative Republicans, echoed their objections to Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor in a statement Tuesday. Crist had brushed off questions about Sotomayor's nomination for weeks, drawing criticism from his opponents in the U.S. Senate race. Sen. Mel Martinez, the Republican whose retirement in 2010 opened the door for Crist, said last week that he supports Sotomayor. Without warning, Crist took a stand on her nomination on a day when he had no public appearances scheduled.[33] TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) In a heated race for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination, Gov. Charlie Crist keeps moving away from his support of President Barack Obama's stimulus package that the governor called "fantastic" and "remarkable" when lobbying for its passage.[34] Governor Charlie Crist now says he didn'''t endorse the federal stimulus package, even though he appeared on stage with President Barack Obama in February on the president'''s tour to rally support for the bill. Crist has been trying to distance himself from Obama ever since he entered the U.S. Senate race. Reporters asked Crist about his surprising comments on the stimulus package this morning.[35]

You knew it was coming. A day after Charlie Crist told CNN'''s Wolf Blitzer that he '''didn'''t endorse''' the $787 billion federal stimulus bill, Club for Growth is up with an ad featuring TV footage of the Florida governor onstage with President Obama earlier this year praising the bill. '''We know it'''s important to pass this stimulus package,''' Crist said at a joint rally with Obama in early February, a clip that opens up the club's ad.[22] The third-party Conservative in that race lost to the Democrat after the Republican was driven out for not being conservative enough. The anti-tax Club for Growth (CFG), which spent $650,000 on ads in NY-23, released an ad Thursday taking on Crist over his support for President Obama'''s economic stimulus package. Crist had stated on CNN Wednesday that he did not endorse the stimulus. '''I didn'''t even have a vote on the darned thing,''' he told Wolf Blitzer.[24]

November 3, Marco Rubio unveiled his new campaign fundraising website, www.charlieandobama.com. With unpopular stances such as Crist's openness to cap-and-trade along with his support for President Obama's 787 billion dollar stimulus package, Rubio is holding Crist's feet to the fire and rallying conservatives across the state.[36] The comments came a day after former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio, Crist's conservative challenger for the GOP nomination, launched a Web site featuring a photograph of the governor appearing with President Obama at a Florida rally for the stimulus measure last February.[31] Governor Crist faces a GOP primary challenge from a young conservative, former state House speaker Marco Rubio, who has some high-profile backers ''' including former GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee and former Gov. Jeb Bush.[24]

Crist is facing an increasingly tough primary from State House Speaker Marco Rubio, who has repeatedly attacked Crist's support for the stimulus package.[37] Marco Rubio posts some strong counter-evidence for Gov. Charlie Crist'''s contention that he never endorsed the stimulus package.'' Lost in all of the post-Tuesday talk was a poll that showed Rand Paul overtaking Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson in their Senate primary. Rep. Tom Rooney'''s (R-Fla.) brother Brian makes his candidacy against Rep. Mark Schauer (D-Mich.) official.[38]

Rubio, a conservative outsider and former speaker of the state House, is challenging former Gov. Charlie Crist for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination.[30] A Republican activist from Tampa has filed a federal complaint against the Charlie Crist for Senate campaign, alleging that it was involved in the creation of an anti-Marco Rubio Web site. Republican operative Rich Heffley, a senior adviser on the last Crist campaign, helped create truthaboutrubio.com but says the Crist campaign had nothing to do with it and that he is not working for the campaign. "Mr. Heffley is a political confidante of Charlie Crist and he shares office space with the Crist campaign, so it is extremely unlikely that Mr. Heffley created this site without the involvement, consent, and/or knowledge of the campaign," the complaint states. "Furthermore, Mr. Heffley continues to protect the identity of his collaborator, who may be associated with the Crist campaign as well."[39]

"Mr. Heffley played a key role in getting Charlie Crist elected Governor in 2006. More importantly, Mr. Heffley is now Charlie Crist's top advisor in his Florida Senate race," Mr. Erickson wrote, going on to note that Mr. Heffley shares a business address with the Florida Republican Party and is on its payroll.[12] Florida has emerged as one of the next battlegrounds in the Republican Party'''s civil war ''' and Gov. Charlie Crist (R), a moderate running for Senate, stands squarely in the conservatives''' sights.[24]

The dust hasn't even settled from this week's elections, and jostling for the next one hasbegun. Check out this just-unveiled ad, launched this morning by the Club for Growth against Florida's Republican Gov. Charlie Crist, who hopes to trade hisjob for a Senate seat next year.[6] Tuesday'''s elections brought good news for Florida Governor Charlie Crist and his bid for a U.S. Senate seat.[16]

If you want to choose the presidential candidate in a smoke filled room then do that. It will beat having the crossover liberals and socialists in the primaries pick the candidate (see John McCain). I don't donate to the RNC anymore because they spend my money trying to elect the likes of that hideous "Scaramonga" woman in New York. They also put the 'fix' in for that RINO Crist in Florida. Now let Crist start raising his own cash and start dancing to the tune the people are playing instead of the Republican leadership who thinks we need "Socialists Lite" to win election contests with the real-deal, hard core socialist left.[3] State Sen. Steve Oelrich, a Cross Creek Republican and Rubio supporter, said it was healthy to have a contested primary. "Politics is a competitive sport," he said. Fully embracing that idea, Rubio attacked Crist for positions such as his support of the stimulus in comments to reporters before the event. He continued along the same lines in his speech. "We know that government spending does not stimulate our economy, especially money that is borrowed and printed," he said. Crist questioned what Rubio would have done about the stimulus if he had been governor. "Wouldn't he have taken it to help the people of Florida?" he said.[4] The bill of particulars lodged against Crist as a Republican apostate was that a sitting governor of the state had the audacity of cluelessness to appear in the same area code with the president of the United States, that would be that Marxist/socialist/Trotskyite Barack Obama, who wanted to give Florida billions of dollars in stimulus money.[18]

Text under the image reads, "Get the picture? Donate now to stand up for conservative principles." Crist was one of only a handful of Republican governors to publicly extend some support to the president's $787 billion stimulus package ''' a move that rankled some conservatives in his home state and across the country.[31]

Some of the same conservative groups that supported Doug Hoffman in New York's 23rd congressional district are making noises about backing Rubio, in a contest that could be the next showdown over the direction of the party. Those lines have already been drawn in the blogosphere as strong support for Rubio is present among online activists. They have pumped cash into Rubio's coffers while ceaselessly trashing Crist as too moderate to win. No realistic alternatives have emerged in states with GOP incumbents who might face a challenge based on their voting record. It remains to be seen how much the NRSC will involve itself in races like that given the warnings from conservatives to stay out of local races.[19] Polls show Crist leading Mr. Rubio, but the gap is narrowing. The Florida race is one of many where conservative activists are undaunted in their desire to defeat moderate Republicans, despite the loss of a hotly contested House race Tuesday in New York'''s 23rd District.[24] Groups that helped Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman in Tuesday's contest for New York's 23rd congressional district are now looking toward Florida and Mr. Rubio. While Mr. Hoffman lost Tuesday's election, activists who supported him said the energy that propelled his third-party candidacy can be amplified elsewhere. "The key lesson to be learned from the New York race is that there's a very, very strong grassroots movement on behalf of those who are looking for an alternative to the direction that Barack Obama and the Congress are taking the country in," Mr. Rubio said. "This is really a referendum on what Republicans want their party to be about."[10]

Conservatives, energized by their role in shaping Tuesday's New York congressional election, have set Florida in their sights as the big battleground for 2010. That state's Republican Senate primary in August is emerging as a focal point in the wider debate over the future course of the Republican Party.[10] Alachua County Republican Party Chairman Stafford Jones took a similar tack, declining to back either candidate. He said the "muddled" New York congressional race was a bad comparison with Florida's Senate race, saying better lessons can be learned from Tuesday's gubernatorial elections in New Jersey and Virginia.[13]

The biggest RINO, Arlen Specter, has already switched parties. It does present a problem in Florida, where Cornyn and the NRSC has already endorsed Crist.'' Cornyn had praise for Rubio, and said he's sure that he would win the general election if he gets past Crist in the primary. Cornyn said he's confident that unlike in upstate New York Republicans will settle their differences in the primary.[3] "We will not spend money in a contested primary," Cornyn, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, told ABC News. The news comes after Crist's lost his third major fundraiser to scandal in 10 months. Crist still enjoys a monster fundraising advantage over Rubio, but Club for Growth President Chris Chocola telling reporters his group could throw its support behind Rubio.[5] The Club helped usher Conservative Party nominee Doug Hoffman past Republican Dede Scozzafava in the recently concluded special election in New York. Rubio raised $1 million in the third quarter, but getting the Club'''s backing could lend even more help with his fundraising and legitimacy. '''The Club for Growth'''s ad sets the record straight, and we encourage Floridians to remind their governor that jobs are created by free markets and competition, not big government spending and debt,''' Club president Chris Chocola said.[8]

There was the news that Dede Scozzafava pulled out of the race for New York's 23rd Congressional District. The collapse of her brand of moderate Republicanism will only strengthen a building narrative: that in the battle over the soul of the GOP, the die-hard conservatives are winning. That will surely embolden the ideological purists in Florida who have been gunning for Crist ever since he embraced Obama's stimulus package (and embraced the president himself, in a now-famous man-hug at a rally in Ft. Myers).[15] The site used a photo of Obama talking to Gov. Charlie Crist, Rubio's opponent in the 2010 race for the GOP Senate nomination, to slam Crist's credentials as a conservative.[40] The consultant also faulted Rubio for taking a job as a Univision analyst and for not being enough of a Republican advocate. Florida Republicans are very confident that they can win the Senate seat with either Crist or Rubio, but the county chairman wondered whether Rubio, describing himself as the real conservative, might attract fewer moderates -- and provide shorter coattails down-ticket.[30] The people apparently most anxious to spread the rumors are the conservatives who are unhappy with Crist's likely obtaining the nomination for the Florida Senate seat. You see, Crist is one of those (shudder) moderate Republicans.[14]

Gov Crist should stick to his initial comments. Florida is behind him even though he's Republican and not a Democrat. The Gov gets great reviews from both parties. He's honest and is always trying to do the right thing by the people of Florida. If the Gov keeps doing what he's doing and don't play partisan politics, he will win he will get significant support from Dems and Republicans a revelation which most people running for the Senate or any other office rarely enjoy. No worries, the dems will support him, however if he plays by Republican Rules which the Floridians are not accustomed to he will not be successful.[2] Gov Crist is doing a fine job in Florida he's liked by Republican sand Democrats Shuld he change his strategy and run scared because this Extreme Group is coming after him he will loose. If the Gov. continues to be the same person that the State respects and likes and supports he will win hands down. Gov Crist will enjoy support from both parties, Dems and Republicans If however, he changes and lets that Right wing group push him in a direction that the people of Florida have come to expect, he will probably loose. Recommendation, based on the great things we hear about this govenor from relatives and friends, Don't change a thing, Don't be intimitated, the Far Right Fringe are not voting for you but the people of Florida are and will support you if you stay true to yourself.[41]

Gov. Crist paints with Highman Robert Butler for charity.; Charlie Crist; News; Palm Beach Post; What do you expect to hear from Gov. Charlie Crist's State of the State speech tonight?; Alex Sink; Bill Nelson; Charlie Crist; Florida; Palm Beach Post; politics; state government; Rep. Larry Cretul holds his first press conference before he is elected Republican leader of the Florida House.; State; Congressman Tim Mahoney talks with Post reporter George Bennett about his alleged affairs.; Breaking; breaking news; features; hp; local news; PalmBeachPost; PBPost Features; Rep. Tim Mahoney holds a press conference the day after allegations of an affair with a staffer and paid to cover it up. ; breaking news; candidate; hp; local news; PalmBeachPost; PBPost News; politics; Mahoney still wants to represent the 16th District.; candidate; hp; PBPost News; Reps.[11] The White House didn't do its erstwhile stimulus ally Charlie Crist much good on Thursday. Asked about Crist's contention that he never endorsed the stimulus bill, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Crist was behind the package. "I think his words at that event speak for themselves," Gibbs said. "I think he was very supportive of the legislation and supportive of the benefits it would have and has had for the state of Florida."[42]

Rubio, a former speaker of the Florida House, is challenging Gov. Charlie Crist for the GOP nomination for the seat now held by Sen. George LeMieux, whom Crist appointed after former Sen. Mel Martinez resigned.[43] Charlie Crist is getting almost no support in GOP straw polls across Florida. Marco Rubio is winning them all, sometimes unanimously.[9] Rubio's campaign released a video with excerpts showing several examples of Crist praising the president's stimulus plan. "Unfortunately for Charlie Crist, the evidence of his stimulus support is on video," Rubio campaign spokesman Alex Burgos said Thursday. "By denying he infamously supported the stimulus, Charlie Crist is hoping he can reinvent his record and that voters forget he once embraced it." Rubio has cut deeply into Crist's early lead in their battle for the 2010 GOP nomination, a Quinnipiac University (Conn.) poll showed last month.[1] I understood that it was going to pass and I wanted to be able to utilize it for the benefit of my fellow Floridians," Crist said. Rubio also gets cable at his home in Miami and he had something to say about Crist's back pedaling, which could help gain him favor with the voters. "Unfortunately for Charlie Crist, the evidence of his stimulus support is on video," Rubio campaign spokesman Alex Burgos said Thursday. "By denying he infamously supported the stimulus, Charlie Crist is hoping he can reinvent his record and that voters forget he once embraced it."[20]

Back in February, when the administration was pushing Congress to pass its Recovery Act, President Obama gained the support of a prominent Republican ally, Florida Governor Charlie Crist.[44] Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R) is now denying that he endorsed the stimulus package, the same package he promoted at a rally with President Obama in February. In an interview with CNN last night, Crist said he didn't actually endorse the plan, but rather realized it was going to pass and wanted Florida to get its fair share. "Well, I didn't endorse it," he said.''[37] CFG, which helped force Arlen Specter into the arms of the Democrats, is running the 30-second spot on an unspecified number of TV stations in the Sunshine State. The ad begins with a slow roll of Crist's controversial joint appearance with President Obama earlier this year. In it, Crist says, "We know it's important to pass this stimulus package." The voiceover: "Since Charlie Crist helped pass Barack Obama's spending program, nearly two hundred thousand Floridians have lost their jobs.[41]

I mean, I hope that the endorsement of Senator Connie Mack, the endorsement of the former Republican Party chairman of our state, Al Cardenas, the endorsement of people that really understand and realize Charlie Crist is a true fiscal conservative."[32] Ooooops. Now it is certainly arguable there are probably other governors around the country -- California's Arnold Schwarzenegger, New York's David Paterson, South Carolina's Mark Sanford, and certainly New Jersey's booted out Jon Corzine (who was less popular than Kanye West showing up at a Taylor Swift concert) -- who would envy having a mere 42 percent think they were competent. Crist -- until now -- has enjoyed the last 34 months in office with consistently 50 percent-plus support among his beloved people, even if the mandarins within his own Republican Party regarded the Homecoming King-In-Chief with all the enthusiasm of confronting a plate of cold haggis.[18] Hoffman will return. Mational Republicans do not want to send money to the party if they think Crist may get any of it!!! LOL. The new York race proves that primaries are necessary.[5]

Taking down Mr. Crist in Florida, who only last year was considered a potential running mate for Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, would be an achievement for the conservative movement. Mr. Crist, who enjoys substantial advantages in money and voter recognition, appears to be responding by stressing in new radio ads his conservative positions on government spending and taxes.[10] Rubio will need a lot of help to catch up to Crist financially. He can be competitive if energized conservative activists, including '''tea partiers''' and various political action committees, come through for him. With the Democratic candidate being seen as weak, the winner of the Republican primary has an excellent shot at winning the seat left vacant by Mel Martinez, who retired before his term ended. Crist appointed his former chief of staff, George LeMieux, to finish the term.[24] Some are turning to Mark Rubio, Crist's opponent in the Republican primary for a Senate seat in Florida.[45] University of Florida political science professor Dan Smith said Republicans could face a similar loss in Florida if Rubio defeats Crist in the August primary. "It doesn't bode well for the Republican Party if Rubio continues to gain ground on Crist," he said.[13] Potentially making things uncomfortable for Crist is the event's keynote speaker, radio talk show host Laura Ingraham, who has backed Rubio on the air as the race's true conservative. Burgos is making the same argument: "In many ways, this race is a referendum on what the Republican Party should stand for," he said.[13] Crist maintains an estimated 6-to-1 fundraising advantage over Rubio, and has the pledged support of the Republican Party leadership in the race.[40]

Interestingly, recent polling shows Crist with a substantial lead over Meek in a head-to-head race, while Meek actually holds a slight advantage over Rubio in popularity statewide. In Pennsylvania, Sen. Arlen Specter, fearing a tough primary challenge from a candidate supported heavily by conservatives, switched to the Democratic Party earlier this year.[40] Griffin declined to take a position on the Senate race. UF Republicans are in preliminary talks about bringing Crist and Rubio to campus for a debate next year and don't want to upset either candidate, he said.[13] Then there was the release Sunday of a new poll by the Miami Herald and the St. Petersburg Times showing that Crist's favorability rating, which defied gravity for years, has plummeted to an all-time low. Only 42 percent of Floridians think he's doing a good or excellent job, compared to 55 percent who consider his performance fair or poor. Among GOP voters, he didn't fare much better, with 51 percent of them judging his work fair or poor. On ABC's This Week on Sunday, George Will went so far as to predict that Rubio will "absolutely" beat Crist in the Senate primary. That's a bold prediction, but premature, in my view. The same Herald/Times poll showed that despite the tightening contest, Crist still leads Rubio by 22 points.[15] The political pros now think Rubio can win. It's hard to underestimate the value of that very simple statement. It starts the money flowing. It brings news coverage, including a long, surprisingly positive profile on National Public Radio this week. Rubio is very eloquent on the subject of entrepreneurs creating jobs, and the government thwarting them with high taxes and reckless spending. He tees off on Obama like Tiger Woods tees off on a 400-yard fairway. He does it with passion instead of anger. He respectfully disagrees instead of shouts. Then he connects the dots between Crist and Obama ''' be it on the stimulus, cap and trade, or tax increases ''' and offers himself as an alternative. He's good and getting better.[46] The spate of bad news for Crist will, I think, usher in a more spirited and aggressive phase of the race. Crist has essentially ignored his rival, refusing to engage him and opting to float above the fray. That approach probably isn't tenable for much longer. Rubio has been riding a wave of positive press for months now, including sympathetic stories in conservative publications like The Weekly Standard and the National Review (on whose cover he appeared in September).[15]

The race, which has already drawn national attention, will now move more fully into the spotlight. With that will come greater scrutiny'''of Rubio's record, of his perceived contradictions, of his tenure as Florida House speaker (which came under plenty of criticism). Crist partisans sound like they're ready to pounce.[27] Apparently not any longer. Faced with a difficult primary challenge from former House Speaker Marco Rubio, Crist now claims he didn't endorse the $787 billion economic stimulus that included a generous contribution for Florida. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)[34] Crist, on the picture of himself and Pres. Obama hugging that Ex-state House Speaker Marco Rubio's (R) has on his website: "I think it's important to understand where we were at that time. That was back in February, less than a month after the president was sworn into office, the first time he visits our state.[32]

Said it before and I'll say it again: Crist, like Obama, is an empty-suit totally unqualified to sit in the chief executive chair and in Crist's case, he's going to be beat by Marco Rubio for the Republican Senate nomination.[41] My favorite is of "Beltway Bob" throwing Crist under the bus. It shows that the Whitehouse wants Marco Rubio to go head-to-head with Meek in the Florida Senate race and that Charlie got what he deserved. The Whitehouse is clueless about the momentum that Rubio has and the fact that his numbers are 3 points higher than Crist's in a head-to-head against Meek.[21]

A day after GOP primary opponent Marco Rubio debuted a Web site trashing Crist'''s appearance with Obama, the Florida governor defended himself on CNN, offering up the most unconvincing line we'''ve heard since "I did not have sexual relations with that woman.'''[22] NRSC boss John Cornyn (R-Tex.) says he won't back candidates in contested GOP primaries -- but the conservative, anti-tax Club for Growth has no such compunctions and seems to be a-courtin' Florida GOP hopeful Marco Rubio.[41] When 11 people get behind closed doors and pick the nominee. the grassroots are going to find an alternative." Cornyn said the NRSC is only endorsing in races where -- like in Crist's case -- the candidate specifically requests its stamp of approval. He said that -- notwithstanding any endorsements -- his group would even offer advice on hiring and strategy to GOP challengers, like Rubio, who haven't been endorsed.[25] We're really not involved in the primary," Cornyn told Manu. "That's up to the voters in Florida." um. the NRSC didn't really want to endorse Crist, but Crist very much wanted them to so he could look like the establishment guy? That's what I take from this. If Crist wants to own the mantel of "GOP Establishment Candidate," let's tie it around his waist and throw him in one of Florida's many lagoons.[23] Sen. John Cornyn announced yesterday that the National Republican Senatorial Committee won't be inserting itself into primary's anymore. Though the NRSC's endorsement still stands, it seems like Cornyn is playing a bit of revisionist history with his words. "As far as what's happening in specifically Florida -- we made a decision to endorse Gov. Crist at his request.[47]

Mr. (Adam) Smith. Apparently, Crist left Mr. Klein with the mistaken impression that he is "pro-life" - a convenient position for a Republican Primary candidate in Florida. In letters and other publications, Crist would always state that the decision to have an abortion was a matter for a woman, her family, her physician and her clergy (or something to that effect). I was shocked to learn about this recent transformation in Time magazine.[46] Crist and Rubio on fiscal issues. "If you take a look at the people who are committed in that race, it's the same cast of characters, all the Republican establishment that haven't spent a great deal of time on the ground in the state," Mr. Armey said.[10] If Crist is taken down by Rubio, then the last remnants of non-movement conservatism will be fast evaporating from the GOP. Maybe this will indeed be the real long-term consequence of last night: the acceleration of the GOP toward the Christianist right, and a platform of real counter-revolution against the post New Deal Settlement. I do find it remarkable that a Republican in New York State who is actually on the right of her own delegation is nonetheless a "socialist" and a "radical leftist" in the eyes of the base.[48]

Candidates who switch always move in the general direction of the party they switch to. Ben Nighthorse Campbell was a pretty mainstream Democrat before he switched to the Republicans and shifted very much to the right. If he switched to the Democrats chances are he'll shift on a wide variety of things. That said Crist has a lot better relationship with the establishment of his State Party than Nighthorse-Campbell and is a sitting Governor.[17] It turns out that even Democrats have become dissatisfied with him, but he may still pull it out because enough of them still support him. If Rubio cuts Crist down to size where he's leading him in the polls, my guess is that Democrats will sour on him as he moves right to try to offset Rubio's advance. Switching parties is a delicate dance. even Arlen Specter may not emerge victorious, and Crist could have a difficult time of it unless Democrats stay patient with him longer than Republicans.[17] In comments to reporters before the event, Crist said party members should put aside differences. He invoked Reagan's old saying that a "person that agrees with you 80 percent of the time is a friend." "I think the message is we need to be unified," he said. Ingraham, for her part, said the time was right for the party to fight for its beliefs. She criticized Democrats for "budget-busting" proposals such as health care reform and the climate-change plan. "What we are seeing now is a full-frontal assault on you," she said. Washington has become addicted to "boondoggles and bailouts," she said. Democrats didn't like people in the audience, she said, for lifestyle choices such as driving big cars, being too fat or living in suburbia. "You have all become very inconvenient to those who seek to remake America and I'm here to tell you tonight let's continue to be inconvenient," she said.[4] I'm just a housewife and a Republican and I don't think what's going on in Tallahassee is correct. I'm tired of people using my Republican Party for their own personal gain." Heffley said he does not share office space with the Crist campaign. He said he was recruited by then-chairman Al Cardenas to rent space on the first floor of the building, while the Crist campaign is upstairs.[39]

The party bosses in NY-23 at least had a reason to make an appointment; the special election schedule left no time for a primary.'' The NRSC had no such excuse when they attempted to anoint Crist as the Republican nominee earlier this year.[3] There's no disputing that the general election is a full year away, but time is not on the side of many candidates as you look at the primary calendar. Two news items just today underscore the problems facing Republicans in particular as they plan for Senate races.[49] Meg Whitman opens a big lead in California'''s GOP governor primary. Alan Khazei is up with his first ad in the race for Ted Kennedy'''s seat. New Jersey state Senate President Richard Codey details the effort to get Gov. Jon Corzine (D) to drop out of his reelection race. Dede Scozzafava rips into her party for its special election conduct.[38] The unemployment benefits extension passed the Senate yesterday, which Huffington Post says is a defeat for the GOP.'' Drudge banners with "We Won Last Night" keying in on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) claim that her party emerged victorious in Tuesday's elections despite the fact Republicans won gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia.[37] On the heels of the NY-23 special House election, in which Conservative Party insurgent Doug Hoffman overtook moderate GOP nominee Dede Scozzafava, only to lose to Democrat Bill Owens, NRSC chairman John Cornyn (R-TX) has announced that the GOP's national Senate committee will not be spending money in contested primaries.[26]

When 11 people get behind closed doors and pick the nominee. the grassroots are going to find an alternative." Late Update: A national GOP source downplayed the story to TPM, telling us: "Far from being a major development, this is really nothing more than clarifying what should be obvious to anyone who has been following the dynamics of the Florida Senate race. It's a major development when the President of the United States comes to your state and doesn't know how to pronounce the last name of the Democrat Senate candidate. This isn't."[26]

Who cares where Rubio stands on social issues. They are largely unimportant at a time when when the Florida economy, like the national economy, is failing miserably. At this time, as before, "it's the economy, stupid!" Furthermore, social conservatives offend many independents who would otherwise support a GOP candidate on fiscal grounds. If Rubio acts like Pat Robertson, I won't vote for him. If he sounds like Jack Kemp, I'll give him a second look.[5] Crist has already emerged as a new top target for the same right-wing activists who went after Scozzafava. Crist may be the officially endorsed candidate of the national GOP, but this official support won't count for much if he doesn't get actual money from the party. At best, he could be able to round up extra fundraising and endorsements, separate from the official party apparatus but thanks to its imprimatur.[26] We could use a little NY-23 spirit here. Being a conservative from Ohio, Scott's voting record leans a bit to the moderate side for me but he is fiscally responsible and is solidly against throwing more of our money away in snake oil schemes designed to increase gov't and its role in our lives, all in the name of turning back a recession. He is against the Dems healthcare reforms, raising taxes & cap and trade. He sis for reducing the deficit and the national debt. After living here for five years, I can say he is the best chance MA has had to elect a right of center Republican. Do some reading and see if this is a candidate you can support.[23] If the Republican Party stops caring about its own primaries, you can be sure other interest groups won't follow suit. A sure sign of a political party in trouble is when it is no long willing or able to shape its own destiny. Sounds good''' but conservatives will do well to remember this wise motto, of one of our very best leaders ''' Trust, but verify. Right-o, but for this group, I'm at "Verify, then Trust." Obviously, they are reserving the right to interfere on behalf of one of their sacred cow incumbents, like McCain, who will get a primary challenge next year I'm sure. Keep those torches and pitchforks handy, and until it is clear they are staying out of all primaries, keep your wallets in your pockets.[3] You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. This is good news - as conservatives much prefer Mr. Rubio - for his anti-abortion and anti-same sex marriage stands as well as for his fiscal conservatism. This means conservative Republicans will be more likely to support their state party - as opposed to the case if monies were going to be given to Christ as opposed to the more conservative Rubio. It might be mentioned that one fairly significant Republican endorses Mr. Rubio.Jeb Bush.[5] Hoffman was the only one who agreed to run on the Conservative Party Line. This is great news for Chuck DeVore because Cornyn is a big Carly supporter. Hope Cornyn stays true to his word and the NRSC lets California republicans determine who should challenge The Ma'am. A party that talks abut federalism and limited national government should have more trust in the people to choose their representatives in the primaries.[3] UPDATE: A NRSC Republican called to let us know that this isn't really news, particularly as it relates to the Crist-Rubio race. Cornyn liked Crist's conservative credentials (anti-abortion, pro-gun) and also that that the committee wouldn't have to put resources into the race because Crist was such a prolific fundraiser, the source said.[5]

Crist'''s race is the next big target of conservative Republican activists, and the Club for Growth is expected to make an announcement about a possible Rubio endorsement soon.[8] The race has attracted national attention for pitting Crist, a moderate on some issues who is supported by party leaders in Washington, against Rubio, a hard-line conservative backed by radio hosts and party activists.[13] There was one national election last night, the 23rd District in New York. that the Republican Party nationalized, kicked a moderate Republican out, and the Democrat won that race" ("Campbell Brown," CNN, 11/4).[32] Republican Bob McDonnell'''s victory in the Virginia governor'''s race showed the value of stressing concrete solutions to long-standing problems, notably crowded roads. McDonnell'''s record is plenty conservative, but he steered away from ideological causes and projected a more moderate image while campaigning in northern Virginia. Democrats found a glimmer of good news with the election of Bill Owens in a special congressional election in New York, where they captured a seat held by Republicans since the 19th century.[16]

The club goes all Lieberman-Bush kiss with its final shot in the ad, a slow-motion hug between Crist and Obama. It's the first tactic of its kind. We're going to see LOTS more of this, particularly with the White House essentially saying bring it on -- make 2010 about Obama. ================= Sure, 2010 elections can be all about Obama's successes. All zero of them. ANd he was such a big help in NJ and VA this past week, what go possibly go wrong with that? Make 2010 about Obama and the Republicans win hands down. Even if this stupid HCR bill of the Democrats goes through, Obama can explain all those new taxes on the middle class that he said he wouldn't do.[7] At a Thursday press briefing, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Crist was '''very supportive''' of the legislation. The CFG ad (see here ) shows a video clip of Crist at a joint appearance with Mr. Obama in February in Fort Myers, Fla. '''We know it'''s important to pass this stimulus package,''' Crist says. He and Obama embrace ''' a shot that conservatives will surely use early and often between now and primary day, Aug. 24, 2010.[24] I understood that it was going to pass and I wanted to be able to utilize it for the benefit of my fellow Floridians." "Didn't endorse it?" What do you call, as the ad points out, Crist saying the following? "We know that it's important that we pass the stimulus package." The club goes all Lieberman - Bush kiss with its final shot in the ad, a slow-motion hug between Crist and Obama. It's the first tactic of its kind. We're going to see LOTS more of this, particularly with the White House essentially saying bring it on -- make 2010 about Obama.[7]

We can provide health care for our people." The governor was only too happy to accept Florida's share, joining Obama for the stimulus rally in Fort Myers where he hugged the president. "We know that it's important that we pass this stimulus package," Crist said on that February day.[1] Crist is vulnerable for being gay in the first place, although his sexual orientation is not as abhorrent as his support for the stimulus package and actually - gasp - appearing with a newly elected president of the United States who carried Florida.[48]

Crist now says he wasn't "endorsing" it and just playing along so Florida would get a good share of the bennies. (I'm sorry, but my 5-year-old comes up with more convincing excuses than that.) The idea of the wooden, moderate Pataki going up against Huckabee and Palin seems a little far-fetched, but a clue in support of that idea is that Pataki joined the Romneys and T-Paws of the world in calling new Manchester, New Hampshire mayor Ted Gatsas to congratulate him. (In case you aren't connecting the dots, Manchester's mayor has an outsized influence on NH's first-in-the-nation presidential primary.) She already faces several minor primary opponents, and may face off against state Treasurer Dean Martin. Her likely Democratic opponent, AG Terry Goddard, who has had a significant lead over Brewer in recent polls, has to be feeling good about this. Whitman leads with 37, against ex-Rep. Tom Cambell at 15 and Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner at 6. (Their previous poll, in June, gave a small lead to Campbell at 13, with 10 for Whitman and 8 for Poizner.)[17]

The voters in New Jersey certainly didn't in the exit polls, and I don't know why anybody else would, either" ("Hardball," MSNBC, 11/4). Gibbs, on whether it's "disappointing" to the WH that Dems lost in NJ and VA: "Obviously, the president would like to have seen a different outcome in those gubernatorial races, but. voters in those two states picked governors based on local issues, not registering support for or opposition to this president. More Gibbs, on McDonnell's campaign: "I think, quite frankly, he ran a campaign a lot like Barack Obama did in 2008, and that was to appeal to the notion that you can bring people together.[32] Republican Chris Christie'''s victory in the governor'''s race in New Jersey showed that the GOP can win in a Democratic state that overwhelmingly backed Barack Obama last year.[16] In New Jersey, Chris Christie became the first Republican to win the top office in the heavily Democratic state in a dozen years. He defeated Democrat Jon Corzine, despite Obama's campaign appearances for the incumbent. Obama "threw his star power into trying to salvage that thing, and it didn't work," Jones said.[13]

Mattintx--Conservative and Republican are not the same thing, and those who state that a plurality identify as conservative are correct. The number of "conservatives" is about 10-15 percent higher than the number of "Republicans", and some of those self-identified conservatives voted for Obama for a variety of reasons. One of my friends is a lesbian who self-identifies as conservative, even though she does not vote for Republican candidates because they are to the left of her on fiscal issues and far to the right of heron social issues. Given the choice between the two parties, she holds her nose and votes for the Democrats, who don't want to tell her her marriage (to another woman) is disgusting and immoral.[28] A Democrat held it as recently as the 1990's. Second of all, the Republican candidate was farther left than the Democrat! By comparison, Owen's the better choice for conservatives, as at least he's a Blue Dog Democrat, whereas Scozzafava is a hardcore liberal. What's the point of voting for somebody IF THEY DON'T REPRESENT YOUR VALUES IN THE SLIGHTEST?!? Why, just because they have an (R) next to their name? That'd be like expecting Republicans to have been willing to vote for Obama if he labelled himself a Republican.[5]

Too late, Carly, the real candidate has been in the race for months - Chuck DeVore. After the conference call last night, I e-mailed the NRSC to inform them that I will be bypassing their organization and donating directly to the conservative Republican candidate here in California as well as other states. That was probably my fith e-mail stating the same message. I bet they've been getting a ton of e-mails with like messages.[23] "People shouldn't read too much into endorsements by the NRSC. We are encouraging people we think are the strongest candidates to run." Cornyn said he hopes yesterday's results help expand Republicans' map next year: "There are a few other candidates I'd like to see get into these races. This can't be anything other than encouraging to them."[25]

Whatever it was it is good news for Florida Republicans. BTW. Paual Dockery is now getting the same shaft from the ROPF as Rubio was getting early on in his race. We'd like your thoughts on this story. I appreciate your willingness to share them.[5] Crist still leads Rubio 50 to 28 percent in the primary, with 22 percent of Republicans undecided. For a sitting governor to be polling at the 50 percent mark this early in the race against a challenger with less name recognition isn't the greatest place to be.[9] Don't forget, Charlie Crist pulled a fast one during the Florida Republican Primary Presidential Election in 2008. He endorsed McCain the weekend before Super Tuesday. That endorsement secured McCain's ascent to the nomination.[25] We all remember that Charlie Crist supported Obama's stimulus, and made enormous overtures to the messiah after his election. Charlie has always been known for playing both ends against the middle, and is doomed as a candidate in this race.[23] The tactic by Rubio and his supporters to use Crist's support of Obama's stimulus package appears to be working: The race is tightening in recent polls.[40] The worse the economy gets, the madder conservatives get over Crist's support of the Obama stimulus package.[46] Crist has taken heat from conservatives for holding an event with Obama during the stimulus debate and hugging the president. The ad shows him standing next to Obama at that event and saying it is '''important that we pass this stimulus package.'''[8] Crist'''s comments have spawned attacks from conservative groups. The Club for Growth has created an internet ad showing Crist standing with Obama and saying quote: '''We know that it'''s important that we pass this stimulus package.'''[35]

Club for Growth, the conservative group that bankrolled Doug Hoffman's failed candidacy in NY-23, has, not surprisingly, set its sights on Gov. Charlie Crist (R-FL) today with an ad that will air on Florida television.[50] Charlie Narcicrist likes to run ads pointing out that he is a fiscal conservative and he points to the large reduction of the Florida State budget since he took office as proof. What Crist fails to point out is that Florida has a balanced budget ammendment and he had no choice but to cut the budget.[41] " In fact, the people apparently most anxious to spread the rumors are the conservatives who are unhappy with Crist'''s likely obtaining the nomination for the Florida Senate seat." Any evidence of this? Sounds like you are making the same baseless allegation that Bookman is. He is unable to back up his silly claim.[14]

The folks who usually turn out in GOP primaries are more conservative, but Florida Republicans are a big, diverse lot and not dominated by the tea-party crowd. If there's something Crist should be worried about, however, it's the unmistakeably anti-incumbent mood that emerged yesterday, says Susan MacManus of the University of South Florida. "There's an anger right now against whoever's in office," she says.[27] Sen. Arlen Specter defected to the Democratic Party in April after it became clear he could not win his GOP primary against Pat Toomey, former president of CFG. In Florida, Crist had been a popular governor, but his job approval rating is now below 50 percent. He is a formidable fundraiser.[24] Democratic party spokesman Eric Jotkoff also didn't wait long to criticize Crist. "Unfortunately for Crist, the people of Florida know the truth about Charlie Crist always putting his political ambition above doing his job," Jotkoff said.[1] Charlie Crist, the governor of Florida who wants to be its next senator, is probably going to regret telling Wolf Blitzer, while discussing the stimulus recently, " Well, I didn't endorse it.[51] When I first heard the rumored possibilities that our newly elected Governor may be a homosexual, I had a personal conversation with a high ranking official in the Governor's Office whom I have known for over 35 years. This person, in defense of the Governor said, "that is none of your business, his personal sex life should be private." Well, yesexcept that he IS THE GOVERNOR and if his sex life is homosexual in natureit raises all kinds of policy, health and morality issuesbecause he is now the Governor, it IS MY BUSINESS! AndIf he was NOT A HOMOSEXUAL why not just simply say, "no, he is not, that is simply a vicious rumor." There simply is not a vehement repudiation of this claim coming from the Governor's Officewhen by all rights, there SHOULD BE, if he indeed is not a homosexual. Why does this matter now, you might ask? Apparently Charlie Crist has other political ambitions that may indeed, one day land him in or near the White House.[14]

As Peter Wallsten noted in a Wall Street Journal piece today, the campaign's oppo researchers are operating in high gear. Among the tidbits they've uncovered: a YouTube video in which Rubio seems to concede that emission caps would become reality, the same caps Rubio has been lambasting Crist for supporting at one time. There's also Rubio's advocacy, during his time in the Florida House, of substituting an increased sales tax for property taxes. That offers Crist an opening to attack Rubio as a tax-hiker.[27] Rubio is a first class conservative, smart, articulate former speaker of the Florida house. Send him a few bucks to defeat Crist if you can spare it. http://www.marcorubio.com/ He won't let you down.[3]

I'm originally from CA and it pains me to say that Florida schools are in better shape than in my home state. Gov Crist should embrace the successes of the Stimulus money instead of running away from itIt's obvious this is because of Rubio, who by the way will turn Florida into a bigger joke.[44] I could have retained some respect for Mr. Crist and any republican that would just stand up and say my state needed the money and the stimulus helped. Instead they look like backtracking buffoons trying to cover their tracks.[44]

Now things are different and Marco Rubio showing the state what a true conservative is compared to a RINO like Crist.[29] The Crist campaign needs to blunt that momentum, and soon. The candidate himself may maintain his distance, but look for surrogates to start punching back hard against Rubio. You could see a hint of what's to come in a Web site that popped up recently, truthaboutrubio.com, which says it's "dedicated to exposing the REAL Marco Rubio, not the myth." It's a pretty amateurish effort, but surely there's more sophisticated stuff to come.[15] MANATEE -- Republican U.S. Senate candidate Marco Rubio will be the guest speaker next week at a luncheon meeting of the East Manatee Republican Club.[43]

The Club for Growth has been studying the Florida Senate race for months and is weeks away from deciding on whether to begin airing anti-Crist TV ads -- a decision that could shrink the governor's big money advantage. The group reported Tuesday that its members poured $1 million into the New York congressional race in support of Mr. Hoffman.[10] "But I understood that it was gonna pass and I wanted to be able to utilize it for the benefit of my fellow Floridians." Asked if what happened in New York could happen in Florida, he said, "I certainly don't hope so." "As a Republican running for the U.S. Senate, I hope that a Republican wins and I hope that it's me," he said.[45]

Let's not forget that voters in upstate New York elected Democrat Bill Owens in the traditionally Republican 23rd District, despite an outpouring of support for opponent Doug Hoffman by a slew of well-known conservative heavyweights. The lesson to be learned for both parties may be this: It takes more than the "Obama effect" to sway voters.[40] What did it happen there is that, unfortunately, a Democrat won in a district that's been held by a Republican for 140 years." Conservatives are targeting Crist over his credentials, especially his support of the stimulus.[45] The WH is certainly happy to remind FL voters that Crist did, in fact, support the Federal Stimulus Bill. Now, if they can get the right wing extremist Rubio to win the primary then, they'll have a Democrat Senator for sure.[22] Crist a weasel? Just shocking. Next you'll be telling me he's a politician. Having noted that fact, he would do better to man up and take on the "Club for Growth", aka Republipimps for Graft. He ought to point out that he's been in the trenches doing the necessary work to pull FL out of the recession while his Republipimp opponent is wandering around whining about ideological correctness. It's OK. If Crist screws the pooch and Rubio takes the primary, perhaps the Democrats will have a candidate who is strong enough in his or her convictions that they won't try to run as Rubio Lite.[44] The NRSC has already endorsed Crist and the Club for Growth purists are itching to back Rubio, who has the support of the netroots and the Beck-Palin insurgency.[48]

Glad Cornyn finally said that. Just last night I got a phone call from the NRSC and I told them no money because John Cornyn endorsed Crist over Rubio. I had also returned their envelope and letter requesting money and told them NO and why. Betcha lots of folks did this as well. Because they want her out of the Senate. She will lose to Perry so it'''s a win-win.[3] We'e really not involved in the primary," Cornyn told Politico. It was Cornyn, head of the NRSC, who originally met with Crist and played a big part in persuading the Governor to forgo re-election in Tallahassee to seek the Senate seat. The NRSC requested Crist to run before he ever requested their endorsement.[47]

The NRSC will not take sides in any more open primaries. With Republicans grappling with the fallout of an intra-party battle that may have cost them a House seat, the head of the Senate Republican campaign effort is making a pledge that may ease some of the anger being directed at the party establishment.[19] The sad part of it all is Gov. Crist has the money to win in the general election for the U.S. Senate seat. He must win his party's nomination, first.[46] Crist's Senate bid has the backing of top party leaders, including last year's GOP presidential nominee, Sen. John McCain.[6]

New polling shows Mr. Crist could be vulnerable, with Mr. Rubio rising in Quinnipiac University surveys from single digits last year to 35% among GOP voters, 15 points behind the governor.[10] Running as a "true conservative" opposed to Crist's centrism, Rubio has energized some of the same anti-establishment forces that helped elbow aside Dede Scozzafava in New York's 23rd Congressional District.[27] Results in all three states bode well for Crist. He has been assailed by many of the conservative activists who backed Hoffman in New York.[16]

Crist has consistently led Rubio in public polling, but the conservative former state legislator has won a series of local straw polls and appears to be closing the gap in some surveys of the race.[2] On behalf of the Rubio campaign, I will go ahead and state that the picture was never meant to infer that Gov. Crist is a Martian or that President Obama is a bad whistler either. Until -your- mention of it, I had never even heard of this alleged "rumor". Honestly, Jay, I expect better of you than to base an attack on what "you are sure they didn't mean".[14] The campaign launched a new Web site, www.charlieandobama.com, featuring a giant photo of Crist embracing President Barack Obama in support of the stimulus at an event in Fort Myers.[13]

Like Crist, Specter antagonized GOP conservatives by supporting Obama's stimulus plan.[40] However when The People are united in opposition by a significant majority to a particular theme or direction of government then fidelity to one's word suddenly matters in government. Since this is actually REAL CHANGE the current group of RINOs and corrupt democrats aren't prepared and are being literally caught with their pants down. Like Crist they will keep lying openly to the public as if there are no videos of tehm lying that run daily on FOX and the internet because that's who they are, liars with connections. After a while though their financial backers can see clearly (just like the NRCC did today when they financially cut Frist off from GOP $$$) that they have lost the support of the people and then the whole crop of corruption hits a tipping point RINO and Corruptocrat alike and they all go over the cliff and out of office together.[2]

"We do not need two Democratic parties in America." Crist gave a speech running through a long list of positions to prove his conservative bona fides, from support of gun rights to tax cuts. He received a less enthusiastic greeting than Rubio from the grassroots activists in attendance, even getting a small smattering of boos.[4] Let's start sending our money and support to Marco Rubio ASAP. The snake needs to be cut off at the head right now.[29] Keep it up Governor. Shoot at the rate you go on the national news with these flat out disingenous statements Marco Rubio will need less money to get his principled message out.[46]

A recent St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald /BayNews 9 poll suggests the people have gotten antsy about the people's governor and have begun to play footsie-wootsie with former state House Speaker Marco Rubio, who aspires to be the right wing/tea party/neoconservative people's senator.[18] Former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio shares a moment with state Rep. Ellyn Bogdanoff during his visit to the House chamber in Tallahassee in April. Phil Coale / AP Former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio shares a moment with state Rep. Ellyn Bogdanoff during his visit to the House chamber in Tallahassee in April.[30] Attention is already turning to the all-important midterm elections of 2010 and the impact Obama may wield. Grabbing attention this week was a photo on Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio's website.[40]

Because Brevard County GOP Chairman Jason Steele is backing Marco Rubio. Two anonymous internet attacks against the Rubio team all coming from one office building ''' that of the Florida GOP's headquarters ''' may be coincidence, but a coincidence that suggests the RPOF is wholly in the tank for one side in a primary and in the tank enough to have created an internal atmosphere thoroughly hostile to its very own members who don't toe the party line.[29]

Christ is trying to be the wingnuttiest in a race where lunacy trumps logic (the GOP primary). He would take the middle ground in a purple state. Rubio, on the other hand, may well take the GOP primary with his hard-core rabid right bona fides. He'd keep up that drumbeat in the general campaign. That may win him points for consistency, but it won't win him the election.[44] Former Portland Trail Blazers center Chris Dudley has formed an exploratory committee to run in the Republican field, though. Rohrer isn't well-known outside of conservative activist circles and his Berks County base, but against the moderate Rep. Jim Gerlach and the generally-conservative but ill-defined AG Tom Corbett, he seems like he could peel off a decent chunk of votes on the far right. Former state Senator Matt Dunne officially got in the race, and another state Senator, Peter Shumlin, is planning to announce his bid in several weeks.[17] We're not going to throw money into a race leading up to the election." His remarks come 24 hours after Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty took aim at moderate Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), saying she would find herself in trouble with Republicans if her votes kept "deviating" from conservative orthodoxy.[28]

Given the debate over New York-23 and its implications for the GOP, that may make Mark Kirk the latest test case in just how moderate or conservative a Republican can be to win a primary and, ultimately, the election.[49]

At issue: whether Crist is a RINO -- or Republican in Name Only -- a species that Club for Growth's fiscally conservative membership is bent on hunting down and rooting out of GOP ranks.[6] Club For Growth? That's an oxymoron like minority republican or compassionate conservative. These radicals should be called 'Club For Shrinkage'. Because that is what these so called people do, shrink their already small-tent party. Confederate flag defending A-holes that wish this country was pre-civil rights America where their little racial demagougery actually used to work. I hate these backwards ass anti-intellectuals.[22] Christ is a horrible Republican, he needs to lose and probably will. he's no better than McCain, or Romney, or Snowe. Christ is a man who would sell his soul for re-election, whatever he has to promise anyone to get re-elected means nothing to him, which basically means he's a Democrat. and, most people in America identify as "conservative" of which this assclown and the other fakes i mention clearly are not. leave the party traitors, stop posing.[28]

How can we rid ourselves of unethical Democrats when we're having to spend so much time trying to weed out unethical Republicans? If this is the type of people surrounding Charlie Crist, he needs to be dumped.[29] JUST ANOTHER LIE BYE CHARLIE.HE LIES ABOUT HIS LIES. WE DON'T NEED HIM HERE OR IN WASHINGTON. Do you think he knows those black things in front of him with great big lenses record what you say or does he not realize as governor he is on camera a lot. Good thing he's on his game helping the state. This surprises you? why does it seem that the self-proclaimed political geniuses over at the St. Pete Times are the only people who haven'''t figured out that Chuck is useless, unaccomplished, lying, self-serving, empty suit of a political hack? The fraud'''s character is a weak as his fake tan, and his integrity is as fake as his dyed hair and perceived sexual preference. Charlie, this is what happens when you get into bed with snakes. Those of us who recognize your qualities know you were opposed to this shameful democrat giveaway/looting of the federal treasury from the git-go.[46]

I only get my bait eaten. I go-in this Florida, and buy catfish at the store. Expect all kinds of fertilizer to exit Charlie as he aspires to the seat he gave for the moment. Crist has somehow lost the bottom of his bucket. Chuck's dancing as fast as he can. Once he's booted from political office, maybe he can fill time with a run on "Dancing With the Stars." He'll need something to do.[46] The NRSC's Chairman John Cornyn says the NRSC is sitting Florida out and won't spend a nickel there. That's fine. They did just send out a big memo to NRSC donors and others highlighting all of the up coming opportunities for them to give Charlie Crist money.[52] I live in Florida! Charlie Crist is self serving so this is no surprise! The federal funds are helping this state and had he not accepted them it would be worse.[44] Charlie Crist is a disgrace to the GOP and even disgrace to Florida. Let us send him packing.[46] Then Florida Gov. -Elect Charlie Crist, right, listens to George LeMieux, left, at a press conference in November 2006.[24] TALLAHASSEE, Fla. ''' Gov. Charlie Crist is seeking a special legislative session next month in hopes that lawmakers will approve a commuter rail system in central Florida.[53]

Gov. Charlie Crist (R-FL), who some see as a target of the conservative movement that backed Doug Hoffman in NY-23, called the race there "kind of a funky situation."[45] '''Since Charlie Crist helped pass Barack Obama'''s spending program, nearly 200,000 Floridians have lost their jobs,''' the ad states.[8]

The irony, of course, is that Crist is distancing himself from the Recovery Act at a time when the bill is beginning to bear fruit. Nearly $7 billion has flowed from the stimulus into the state of Florida, helping to create or save approximately 29,000 jobs. (State officials put the number closer to 47,000.) $7B / 29,000.00 = $241,379.31 per job. ''' economic madness at its best. What fracking planet do you live on, dukie? $241K/job isn't out of line in some parts of this country.[44] The deficit in Washington is three times larger." Earlier this week, Crist told CNN that his decision to speak favorably about the $787 billion stimulus while appearing with Obama was based on a pragmatic desire to secure Florida's fair share of the stimulus cash.[41]

Crist led Rubio 50 percent to 35 percent, a margin half as large as it was in an August poll. Rubio's campaign has painted Crist as liberal for positions such as supporting efforts to combat climate change and the $787 billion federal stimulus package.[13] Grover Norquist, head of the group Americans for Tax Reform, said, "You're going to see a whole bunch of energy, and it gets directed toward Rubio." That energy is being felt on the ground, said Sid Dinerstein, chairman of the Palm Beach County GOP, who said he was stunned that Mr. Crist backed the stimulus package in an era of growing antigovernment sentiment. "I thought, 'He's missing it,'" Mr. Dinerstein said. "The country's turning against Washington, and he's making himself the Washington insider."[10]

Rubio spokesman Alex Burgos reacted to Gibbs's remarks in an email to POLITICO: "Charlie Crist's support for the stimulus is undeniable.[2] It's unbelievable that Crist is now claiming he didn't support the stimulus. Maybe you could have gotten away with a lie like that before the internet and youtube, but Charlie is living in the past if he thinks he can.[52] Hardly what the governor said earlier this year when he was voicing support for the stimulus. "I think it's fantastic, are you kidding me?" Crist said Feb. 20.[1]

Charlie Crist is still pro-life, pro-gun, pro-drug war and anti-gay. If I'm not mistaken, he's really only "liberal" in some right-wingers' eyes b/c of his stimulus support. That's it. Oh, and he supported McCain instead of Huckabee or Romney.[17] Gov. Charlie Crist (R) appeared via satellite on the "Situation Room" 11/4 p.m. Crist, on whether he regrets endorsing the economic stimulus package: "I didn't endorse it.[32] Charlie Crist supported the stimulus, and we have the photos and video to prove it."[2]

"Crist embraced the stimulus, and Florida's economy has suffered for it," said Club President Chris Chocola.[44] Update 3:54 p.m. ET: Eric Eikenberg, Crist's campaign manager, is taking the kill-'em-with kindness approach. Of the Club for Growthers, Eikenberg said: "The governor shares many of their goals and he looks forward to working with them as the next senator from Florida."[6]

Rubio is a good prospect to save the Republicans in Florida. Crist will do a lot of damage it he is elected.[28] A virtual unknown just months ago, Rubio has closed the Crist lead to just 15 points according most recent polling data and has won every Republican straw poll in the state thusfar.[36] It's getting more and more obvious that the right-wing "grassroots" (corporate astro-turf) activists will lead to a narrow Rubio victory. Crist can try to backtrack and weasel all he can; the fact that he's not a Republican extremist will cost him. The fact that he IS a Republican will also cost him, as he's nowhere near as sensible as Scozzafava was in the NY-23rd. When Crist eventually loses, he'll have nowhere to turn to. Dems won't take him and nobody will consider him in 2012/2016.[44]

The results reinforced mainstream Republicans who play down right-wing ideology and position themselves as relatively moderate problem-solvers. That plays well for Crist, who calls himself a '''common-sense conservative.'''[16] Irony abounds. The rap on Crist by the coterie of spats running the GOP these days is that not only is the governor an empty suit, wrapped in a nonentity, enshrouded by shallowness -- but he is a RINO (Republican In Name Only) moderate empty suit.[18] Lawyer, businessman, would-be-novelist, and former Gary Hart staffer Jon Hulburd is prepping for the race. Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite, hardly the first name that comes to mind when you think of moderate Republicans (although she is a Main Street member), is now being challenged by a political newcomer in the GOP primary, Jason Sager.[17]

Not to vast majority of non-Republicans and even moderate Republicans like Crist himself." As a self-described ultra-conservative, I agree with both Joan and AmVet. It's not my business to choose a lifestyle for anyone as long as (1) No one is being harmed or forced to do something against their will and (2) No one is asking me to pay for it.[14] Not to vast majority of non-Republicans and even moderate Republicans like Crist himself. It sure as hell is to the social "conservatives", who insist on making this non-issue an issue.[14]

Club for Growth is an oxymoron. Crist is a republican that I like despite disagreeing with him on certain issues. Apparently, if a republican is willing to compromise to solve this country's massive problems, they are evil.[7] Club for Growth, huh? A Millionaires Club -- they don't care about Mr. and Mrs. Average American and the poor fools who believe these guys don't realize this. It's all about money for these people. I feel sorry for Crist, have heard he's doing a good job, but Cornyn and the mafia are going after him because they smell blood and they have lots of money.[41] Sadly, Crist has taken to deceiving the public, rather than defending a proud record of saving and creating jobs in Florida. Update The Club for Growth is releasing an ad in Florida, attacking Crist for his hypocrisy.[44]

Crist conceded Thursday the stimulus money has been good for Florida. "The opportunity, as I understand the numbers, to have about, more than 20,000 teachers not lose their jobs because of it, construction continuing to go forward, I want to talk about more," Crist said.[1] Crist has been a disaster as Governor for Florida. He is all talk and no action. It would appear he only took the job to further his political aspirations. He is and always will be a failure as he seems to be taking Sarah Palins example and quitting for personal gain.[9] Crist has been one of the worse governors that Florida has seen in decades. He boasts about reducing Florida's budget by billions, but he fails to reveal that Florida has a balanced budget and Crist had no choice but to cut the budget.[9]

About an hour later, the website came back up and the source code identifying Mr. Heffley had disappeared," Mr. Erickson wrote. Mr. Erickson also noted some of Mr. Crist's words, saying they implied greater knowledge about the site than would seem likely for a day-old site and raised concerns about election law. "Charlie Crist denied any involvement with this website, but knew enough to know that the one day old website contained press clippings 'all in the public domain,'" the RedState founder wrote, linking to a St. Petersburg Times post quoting the governor.[12] Rubio closely reminds me of Ronald Reagan. Take the time to compare their stands on the issues! Crist is just a political whore seeking the highest bidder, even if it's Obama. This race is too important.[9] As Crist's poll numbers have tanked recently right along with President Obama, maybe even faster, Rubio's site will not help matters.[36] The ad is in response to a CNN interview yesterday in which Crist backed off the supporthe appeared to give President Obama's stimulus planthis year.[6] The ad attacks Crist for supporting the stimulus and speaking in favor of it at rallies with President Obama. It claims "200,000 Floridians have lost their jobs" since the stimulus passed.[50]

We would have been in 1929 all over again had we not done the stimulus. Why are these Republicans only whining about Obama's stimulus and not the TARP money signed by Bush? I never hear Republicans complain about that. They are so disrespectful of President Obama it makes me sick.[7]

Now that the dust has settled, with Republicans capturing governorships in the key states of New Jersey and Virginia, GOP leaders are claiming the results are a turning point, while the White House spin says it was the economy, not the president, that pushed votes.[40] Senate President Jeff Atwater, R-North Palm Beach, also wants to get a bill out to boost Florida's chances of attracting federal dollars to build a high-speed rail system. "When he was in (Washington) D.C. the feds indicated they would be making their high-speed rail decision this winter and one of the things they said they were looking at was the state showing a commitment to rail transit," said Jaryn Emhoff, spokeswoman for Atwater. "As far as Florida, they specifically cited SunRail and Tri-Rail." Florida lawmakers have sparred over the project the past couple of sessions and House Speaker Larry Cretul, R-Ocala, is still cautious about getting a plan palatable to his members. "To justify a special session, the speaker would need to see specifics of the Senate's proposal and he would need the specific, clear assurance that the Senate has the votes to approve the proposal," said Jill Chamberlin, spokeswoman for the speaker.[53]

It's of course exactly the right thing for the President to attempt to nationalize the 2010 Congressional elections, but I think his efforts are not too likely to have really great effects, except in fundraising. Ronald Reagan campaigned for all the Republican incumbents in the Senate in 1982, and it didn't prevent the more motivated Democratic (that is, opposition) voters from being the ones to come out disproportionately and vote several of them out.[17] This fraud of a man, and I do mean other than just being governor, cannot be let to be voted to any other political office in this state. His lying and talking out of both sides of his mouth make me gag. I don't like most politicians in general, but this jerk really takes the cake. He must think all of us here in FLA are idiots. I think we really know who is the real idiot here and he is going to find out next election day when Floridians band up and turn out in droves at the polls to make sure he does not get the Senate seat he covets more than even being governor of this great state.[46] In fact is where Meek is from and is the House rep for district 17 (south Broward County/north Dade County). If he was trying to keep his House seat, no problem. It's the rest of the state that's red except for Leon County -- home to state capitol Tallahassee -- and a county right next door to Leon (Gadsden, I think). Let me put it this way: In my opinion, knowing state politics, it would be quite difficult for Meeks to get elected to the Senate.[26]

As we all know, money helps, too. Consider supporting this campaign. Scott is a well liked and well respected State Senator who has more than a god chance at winning this - he has widespread support across all party lines. Or we give the Dems their 60th vote in the Senate.[23] It's up to real Americans to determine primaries. and we can do that by studying the folks involved and then funnelling our support and campaign cash to them. Screw the national party anyway--for them, "party" is a word to describe their supposed shared values. For me, it's a word that describes what they all--(D) and (R) alike--keep having at taxpayer's expense. They divide and conquer us, all the while the same nimrods get elected year after year, and keep the same old policies and practices that continue selling America down the river anually. America is a CONSERVATIVE NATION. Be American. find and support the conservative candidates in local primary elections, and make sure they are not drowned out too early by those idiots who want nothing more than to remain in power in Washington.[28] We need the Primary system. It is the only way to keep those in power honest. We need to be sure that those in power do not tell us who our candidates are. We get to be the ones to vet those candidates & decide for ourselves who we want to represent us as Republicans. If Republicans want the votes of conservatives then they need to invite us into the process of choosing our candidates. They cannot just assume that we will support those who are against us on the issues that we find most important.[23] Both made bad endorsements of bad Republican candidates unworthy of the support of GOP donors. Both made those endorsements based on an inherent distrust of the power of the conservative message Republicans are supposed to champion.[23]

Voters rejected Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman, who had forced the moderate Republican candidate out of the race.[16] The attention is sure to increase following Tuesday's election in an upstate New York congressional district. The Republican Party there backed Dede Scozzafava, a candidate rejected by party activists for liberal positions such as supporting abortion rights and gay rights.[13] I'm hoping the Republican party does the right thing in the primary in nominating Marc Rubio.[46] The NRSC should take a page from that playbook during the primary and use it for general attacks on the Democrat party and help the Republican nominee (Rubio) during the general.[23]

Jones said Florida Republicans have plenty of time to work out differences before the primary. "In the end, the direction the party goes in is all up to the primary voters," he said. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission.[13] Everyone who considers themselves a common sense conservative in the Florida area should consider donating time to the Rubio campaign, and do what they can to make this primary a laugher before it begins.[29] "There are no political Messiahs; there are no singular individuals that can rise up and save the world. There aren't," he said, as people in the room laughed at him -- because they believe there are. That heretical, metaphorical miscue didn't seem to diminish Rubio's support in a room that included at least one prayer group whose members said, "God has chosen Rubio." These conservative Floridians hope that next year, Florida voters will choose him, too.[30] One South Florida consultant faults Rubio for not helping Sen. John McCain's campaign last year, when the GOP presidential candidate lost Florida.[30] The calendar comes into play here, too, because some of the GOP's most contested primaries take place later in the calendar year, meaning that any major battle, particularly one expected in Florida, and others in New Hampshire, Colorado, and Connecticut, will produce a nominee with less time to recover before a general election campaign.[49]

The event appeared more crowded and energized than last year, when it was held less than a month before Barack Obama took the White House. This time around, Republicans said they were mobilized by a growing concern over the direction of the country and energized by Tuesday's gubernatorial victories in New Jersey and Virginia.[4] When a political party is out of the White House and in the minority on Capitol Hill, it's time for licking wounds. It's also time to think ahead to who the next leaders of the Republican Party will be.[30] I have never understood why the party, when given the choice between a conservative and a left-leaning Republican, chooses the left-leaning Republican over the conservative. We've seen this time and again in the Republican party.[23]

Cornyn is correct. The most important thing that a Senator elected with the support of the Republican Party be a member of the Senate Republican Conference for organizational purposes.for the entire term that he or she is elected.[28] Crist should run representing the RINO party rather than the republican party.[41]

You see how McCain worked out for us conservative republicans. Crist is NOT a conservative, he cannot be trusted and he is not my guy.[25] Crist though is better than Rubio because despite all the "conservative" talk, it was Crist who slashed $459 million in pork off of Rubio's 2007 budget.[11] Mr. Crist has $6 million in the bank, compared with less than $1 million for Mr. Rubio, although about one-third of Mr. Crist's total can only be used in the general election.[10]

Make no mistake about it, the only reason that endorsement happened was not to help Crist, but to stop donors from giving money to Rubio. Now that this is no longer a reality or possibility, the NRSC is throwing Charlie to wolves.[23] Barring scandal, or an effective negative ad campaign by Crist (or others), I believe Rubio will be leading in the FL polls well before the FL primary date.[17] Good news for Rubio, bad news for Crist. I sincerely believe that Rubio can pull this off, both in the primary and the general. In a head-to-head debate, he would run rings around Crist.[23] Crist has no chance in light of the results in Virginia and New Jersey. He should drop out now and throw all his support to Rubio.[41]

Some of the same conservative groups that supported Doug Hoffman in New York's 23rd congressional district are making noises about backing Rubio, in a contest that could be the next showdown over the direction of the party.[25] Rubio is likely to get lots more attention and a fresh infusion of campaign cash. Already, the Club for Growth, which reportedly pumped $1 million into Doug Hoffman's campaign in New York's 23rd Congressional District, has signaled its interest in Rubio. Certainly, this is good news for Rubio, particularly in the short term.[27] Club for Growth provided more than a third of Hoffman's contributions in New York, backing Hoffman over the more moderate, Republican party-backed Dede Scozzafava, who eventually dropped out of the race.[50] Worked great for you all in New York, didn't it? A seat Republicans had held since the 1800's? Lost because the Republicans didn't want a moderate.[5]

In New Jersey, turnout was also a record low for the state, even though the race was a tossup -- indicating a lack of enthusiasm for either candidate. If you want to dig into exit polls for a post-mortem, the New York Times has them available for New York, New Jersey, and Virginia.[17] "Endorsements, frankly, are overrated. They can to some extent be a negative," Cornyn said, noting that candidates in New Hampshire, California, and Colorado, for example, have asked the national party to stay out of their races.[25] "We will not spend money in a contested primary," Sen. John Cornyn, the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, told ABC News in a telephone interview today.[25] Our job is to elect Republicans so voters in Florida will have a chance to sort that out." Cornyn elaborated on those comments to ABC's Rick Klein early Wednesday, telling him: "We will not spend money in a contested primary.[28] NRSC is still not getting any money from me until I see action behind the words. For one thing what if Olympia Snowe gets a primary challenger? Is the NRSC going to send her money to defend against it? They shouldn't. It's fine for Ayatollah Cornyn to say that they'll let "Republican Voters Decide" but he also needs to realize taht we DEMAND the right to fire any Ayatollah we see fit to fire.[3]

I'm hoping we can boot all of the incumbants over the next few years. A party that talks abut federalism and limited national government should have more trust in the people to choose their representatives in the primaries. Cornyn and the NRSC have taken a circuitous route to the right decision, but at least they got there.[3] We understand that the role of the national party and the NRSC and NRCC is to elect Republicans.'' That role comes into play in the general election, not the primaries.'' A party that talks abut federalism and limited national government should have more trust in the people to choose their representatives in the primaries.'' Cornyn and the NRSC have taken a circuitous route to the right decision, but at least they got there.[3]

The public needs to hear the narrative we're about to change the system" ("Ed Show," MSNBC, 11/4). Cook Political Report editor Charlie Cook : "This election wasn't a referendum up or down on President Obama personally, it really was more to a certain extent on the Democratic Party" ("Hardball," MSNBC, 11/4). Politico's M. Allen : "The American people are saying to him, slow down, that he's trying to do too much, too fast" (O'Reilly Factor," FNC, 11/4). [32] Curt Levy writes on President Barack Obama's short lived realignment.'' Robert Gibbs is wrong to not call N.Y.-23 a local election like he called the New Jersey and Virginia governor's races, says John Hanlon.[37] Much was made, some thought too much, about how the outcome of Tuesday's state races would serve as a referendum on President Obama one year after his historic election victory.[40] While many are suggesting that an "Obama effect" may have influenced Tuesday's results, the race in New Jersey pitted the largely unpopular Democratic Gov. Corzine -- whose approval ratings hovered around 39% going into the election -- against Chris Christie, a successful former state attorney general.[40]

Conservative state senator Paula Dockery of Lakeland just announced a republican primary fight for Governor against attorney general Bill McCollum of BJ Clinton impeachment fame. [9] A contract has already been signed between the state and CSX Transportation Inc. to have more than 60 miles of rail in Orlando go from carrying freight to carrying people. That freight, however, still needs to be moved and as part of the deal CSX would redirect traffic to neighboring Polk County. Sen. Paula Dockery, who is seeking the Republican nomination for governor, has opposed legislation that would have long, noisy, slow-running freight trains traveling through her Lakeland hometown.[53] In Virginia, Republican Bob McDonnell soundly defeated Democrat Creigh Dodds - ending the streak of Democratic victories in the state's last two races for governor.[13] The Republican with the best chance of beating the Democrat in the race. I'm not a Fiorina fan, not happy with what she did to HP, but it's a long time to the Primary. We'll get to see how both Fiorian and DeVore stack up during the campaign on beating Babs Boxer.[23]

FreedomWorks, a conservative group led by former House Majority Leader Dick Armey, has identified the Florida race as the conservative movement's biggest primary prize of 2010. It is laying plans to marshal thousands of volunteers to target GOP voters with charts contrasting Messrs.[10] Rubio is the real deal, former speaker of the Florida House, term limited out, and a Cuban immigrant to boot. Great solid Conservative, I met him a few weeks back.[21] In the state Legislature, thanks to Florida's term-limit law, which creates frequent openings, Rubio rose to be speaker of the House at age 35. Thanks to term limits, he is now a former state legislator, practicing law and teaching a class in Florida politics at Florida International University.[30] Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, is a former speaker of the Florida state House.[6]

The site has not only garnered attention locally in Florida as would be expected, but also regionally and nationally as well from the likes of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and NBC political director Chuck Todd, among others. "This site is a stark, moving and motivating reminder of what's at stake in this election," said Rubio campaign spokesman Alex Burgos. "It's simple and demonstrates how a picture worth 787 billion words can deliver a powerful message." [36] Actually, I think Rubio will win anyway. All you have to do it take University of Central Florida economist Sean Snaith's projections for Florida, and overlay them on the primary campaign.[46]

I believe deeply that we need to send people to Washington that will stand up and fight for what we believe in. I don't think any other candidates in this race will do that." Rubio says if Martinez were still the incumbent, he would not have run.[30] Today, Chris Cillizza reports that the Senate hopeful is appealing for Sarah Palin's endorsement. Her support for Doug Hoffman spurred Dede Scozzafava out of the race, but ultimately could not keep the seat from going to a Democrat. Kirk seems convinced that he needs her backing to win on February 2, however, before he can think about November.[49] We're not going to throw money into a race leading up to the election." Cornyn said his pledge extends to races for open Senate seats -- not incumbents who may face primaries next year.[19]

Rubio and Crist are battling to fill the Senate seat that came up for grabs following Mel Martinez's sudden resignation in August.[40] Rubio all the while is closing in on the governor in the race for the United States senate.[36] I understood that it was going to pass and I wanted to be able to utilize it for the benefit of my fellow Floridians." It's true that as governor Crist didn't have a vote on the package, but he has r eportedly said that he would have voted for it if he were in the Senate.''[37] I didn't even have a vote on the darned thing," Crist, who also signed a letter urging the bill'''s passage, told CNN. '''But I understood that it was going to pass, and I wanted to be able to utilize it for the benefit of my fellow Floridians.''' Today, speaking to reporters at the statehouse in Florida, Crist dug himself a little deeper, suggesting he wouldn't have even voted for the bill.[22]

In the interview with CNN, Crist called the move a "pragmatic" one given that the bill was certain to pass and his state stood to benefit from federal dollars. "That was back in February, less than a month after the president was sworn into office, the first time he visits our state," Crist said.[31] At best, the population decline will have rebounded to stagnation. The state budget is melting, melting, and this time legislators may not be so willing to let Crist get by with a temporary patch.[46]

Crist even took claim to being "steward of the econom of respective state and region." Either Crist was lying when he sent the letter and stood on stage to embrace Obama and bask in Obama's glory, or he is lying now when he says he never supported it. Either way, he is lying.[21] The morning after, Crist took an anti-Washington, outsider'''s stance. For now, he is showing his conservative and sharply partisan side. '''Last night's election results are a clear indication that Americans want less government and more accountability,''' he said in a prepared statement today. '''They are tired of the ideas coming out of Washington, such as government-run health care.''' '''This election has sent a clear message to the Obama administration, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi,''' he said.[16] Hahaha You are finished Crist you souless back stabbing RINO. Also Crist and other slugs like you need to take notice of just how Obama and his Chicago hacks are stabbing you in the back and spitting on ou as you go down. It's one thing I like about Obama he's a purist, just like his hero Mao. I mean once you have no immediate use he'll just turn around an kill you on the stage.[2] CRIST : "We've had to cut about $7 billion the past two years and we haven't raised taxes and we're still in balance. To be candid, it's getting harder every day. It's getting harder every day and we know that it's important that we pass this stimulus package. It is important that we do so to help education, to help our infrastructure, and to help health care for those who need it the most ''' the most vulnerable among us.[46] Back in February, Crist was singing a different tune. When he introduced Obama in Fort Myers, he told his audience: "It's getting harder every day and we know that it's important that we pass this stimulus package."[2]

Don't these Repugs realize there is an invention called the 'Internets'? All Rubio has to do is run ads showing Crist giving out checks and supporting the Stimulus.[44] Attendees dismissed the idea that the battle between Crist and Rubio would divide the party.[4] Crist and Rubio may bring their battle for the direction of the party to Gainesville tonight.[13]

Crist raised taxes and supported the stimulus bills. He has thus forfeited his place to lead in our party.[41] Lame. Crist is a good guy and a credit to his party. If he is against the impending huge increase in the federal govt all the while staring down 12T in debt. If he is against that, I like him.[14] Like I said, I've talked to no conservative who's even hinted that Crist may be gay.[14] You libs got handed your heads yesterday by the moderates and the conservatives, and you should be more worried about that than whether Bookman thinks Crist is gay or not.[14] What matters is what you say and what you stand for, and Scozzafava was diametrically opposed to the conservative base. It says something when the extreme left-wing Daily Kos endorsed the Republican candidate (Scozzafava) over the Democrat! And you really think Republicans shot themselves in the foot by not helping her win office? Give me a break.[5] It is worth itin two years district 23 will be chopped up by the democrat districts around it, and it will become a solid democrat district. His primary challenger Trey Grayson was a dem only a few years ago I understand. Why the establishment thinks those candidates are good picks is beyond me. I both like and despise the way the left does things: Nominate a far left individual and then lie like hell during the general election.[3] Unlike NY 23, this is a primary, and those of us who actually live in CA will get a chance to decide who we want between now and I think it's June of next year. Something that DeVore does not get a lot of credit for, and I think he should say more about is his actions in the CA assembly during the budget mess. If I recall correctly, he resigned his R budget committee leadership post over some of the stupidity going on in the Republican Assembly caucus. That impressed the heck out of me.[23]

Jeb's endorsement in a Republican primary would carry more weight than St. Peter's endorsement to get into heaven. Jeb intervened in a September Florida Senate primary, backing his old buddy John Thrasher, who was taking a beating from the trial lawyers.[46] Here's the latest video from the Republican Majority Campaign of Florida, a 527 political action committee whose parent group raised more than $4 million during 2008 (most of which was spent campaigning for GOP presidential nominee John McCain).[11]

Erin what's is going on did you move on and not tell anybody. Bring Arlene back at least she would try and then if it didn't work she would just throw somebody under the bus it was like she was marking her territory. That comment is actually a very old ploy for Charlie to use as a sound byte. The notable Republicans instead call them fees if pushed for some answer. All these "fees" are hitting us Americans from every direction. Now I don't know this time around any avid fisherman to help me find good spot to fish; but a simple yet sacred arrangement has been violated. that being thecharging $9.00 for a license to fish off the shore.[46] Brilliant! An Obama hug, take a bath after that one huh Charlie! Republicans are smiling everywhere. Politics Politics Politics Just look what it's done to Obama and Change we need. You criticize Club for Growth but MoveOn.org, Geo Soros, ACORN, etc on the Dem side can do anything they choose.[7] Specter still faces a stiff challenge from Rep. Joe Sestak for the Democratic nomination, despite having the backing of the national party. Somewhat ironically, Sestak has been using Specter's support of the '08 McCain/ Palin ticket to turn Democratic voters against him in the same manner in which Toomey was gearing up to use Specter's ties to Obama against him with Republican voters.[40] The Republican party has a responsibility to assure that the label "Republican" means something in terms of the governance and principles one can expect. Now, the fact that the national GOP has been working against doing this, on a national level, is a big problem, but it is not an issue of "federalist" thinking applied to the national party. That's the same line of cr@p that Newtered Gangreneich tried to slide by, with his moronic "lovers of the 10th amendment blah blah blah" but had nothing to do with the situation.[3] I cannot trust the Republican party to represent my interests and concerns any more. I contribute these days to individuals that have gained my trust to pursue a fiscally conservative agenda.[3] Every major poll over the past year shows around 20% for party identification as Conservative or Republican.[28]

Old Testament (Laws, Old Prophets, War, God the Punisher) and New Testament (Jesus, Love, Faith, Compassion). Our church is doing an excellent bible study why we as conservatives and Republicans have lost the message of Jesus and why it drives people away from God instead of bringing them into the fold.[28] P.S. There wouldn't have been ENOUGH help for Hoffman in New York. He was a horrible candidate, even worse than Palin. Even though I am democrat I have always liked Charlie Christ because he puts his people first. That is what a leader is suppose to do.[7] Floridians love Charlie Crist. THe young cubans lean more democrat, as do the jewish voters. THe I-4 corridor voters are mostly democrat as are voters on the east coast.[7] This entry was posted on Thursday, November 5th, 2009 at 2:26 pm and is filed under 2010 campaigns, Charlie Crist, audio. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.[11]

It seems he's got all the props to fill the picture-unless he opens his yap. In fairness to him, the crowd he's praying to be part of does the same thing. No matter how hard I try these days,I can't get the term milquetoast out of my mind. He's a guy that will have the impact of a gnat. Make no mistake: Florida's not on his mind. Why put him in place for America to "not be on his mind." There are people that actually serve while lining their pockets. Crist doesn't have the vim & verve to be his own man. He'll slip right into the pockets of special interests. [46] Unemployment is running above the national average, and the foreclosure crisis hit hard in Florida. Political observers are not surprised to see Crist facing a challenge from his right flank.[24]

"However if I was a slimeball politician willing to use anything necessary, even a wink wink whisper (you know what I heard about Crist) then any picture of Crist with another man would suffice." Right and since Jay think that every person who does not share his political views is a "slimeball", he feels comfortable making such low accusations about people without bothering to provide evidence. In essence he is guilty of the exact kind of baseless rumor mongering that he is accusing others of committing. The fact that Jay is willing to make such low accusations without any evidence demonstrates that he is no different than Beck, Limbaugh or any of the other stokers of partisan hatred and destroyers of civil discourse.[14] It's this kind of snaky double-talk from Crist that people voted against on Tuesday. People are sick of politicians saying what they think people want to hear when it is convenient. That's not leadership.[41]

The latest polling revealed a slippage in Crist's support among likely voters, with only 42 percent agreeing the people's governor is doing a good or excellent job. Some 39 percent felt Crist was doing a fair job and 16 percent said He Who Must Be Dismayed was doing a stinky job.[18] The video is appearing online for now, but a spokesman says it will be going on air with it "soon." The ad was created as a response to Crist's appearance on CNN, in which he tried to parse his own support for the stimulus.[7] Crist told CNN Wednesday he never endorsed the president's stimulus measure.[31] The money is a fraction of the rail aid sought by states. Federal Railroad Administration head Joseph Szabo said in prepared remarks for an industry conference Friday in Chicago that the White House is committed to upgrading train service, adding that the stimulus cash is just a down payment on what he dubbed "a rail renaissance." "Change will happen incrementally," he said. Union president Jesse Hunt says he's confident the Bay Area Rapid Transit agency's train operators and station agents will ratify the agreement.[53] One has to wonder how anxious centrist Republicans will be to get behind Democratic initiatives now that the White House has thrown one of few GOP stimulus allies under the bus.[42] The most important, short of a massive terror attack, God forbid, is the economy. If the voters' wallets are fatter and their outlook is more secure, they are likely to reward incumbents - especially Democrats - and vote for Democrats for open seats. If the economy is in the toilet, the foreclosure crisis worsens, and no decent health care bill has been passed, don't be surprised if Democratic voters stay home in disgust and the Republicans retake control of both Houses of Congress.[17]

Every time O'Donnell tried to bring up the fact that Republicans actually lost two congressional races, one of them for a seat held by Republicans for 150 years, you could hear those assholes hooting and laughing in the background and making fun of him.[26] Rick Moran If the NY23 race was at bottom, a way for rank and file conservatives to send a message to the national Republicans, on at least one level they have already succeeded in getting through.[19] Nationally, the conservative energy that set NY-23 on fire appears not to have waned, despite the loss in that race. Sarah Palin wrote on her Facebook page, '''The cause goes on''' ''' a quote from Ronald Reagan after he lost the Republican presidential nomination in 1976.[24]

The Hispanics in California are 65% of the population and the 2010 census will reveal that there are more than 60 million Latinos in the U.S., 20% of the entire country. Many of them aren't citizens, but after Obama gives them amnesty, they will be. They are the ONLY nonwhite ethnic group that the republicans have a small chance of getting a decent share of their votes. The blacks are so full of anger toward "whitey" that they will NEVER vote for republicans. If a few Hispanics could get over this screaming about "racist, anti-Latino, anti-immigrant" republicans, they might see that they actually agree with many goals of conservatives.[9] I'm actually an No Party Affiliate voter. Therefore, my vote won't count in the Republican primary.[46] Mikey Mouse and Dumb R just cannot even bring themselves to think along the lines that their party leaders use to swoon the votes from them and their fellow 17 percenters. They're truly worthy of the title of core Republicans.[14]

Too little, too late. Since they worked very hard to destroy our trust in the Republican party apparatus, I'll never donate to the party again; only to individual candidates.[3] I dislike both parties, but taking this approach will allow the voters a greater say in who actually becomes the Republican Party Candidate.[28]

The Republican party might be a nasty pain the ass, but we can't have a one party government. It just doesn't work that way. There has to be at least two parties, each side trying to do what's best for the people that voted for them, not the corporations funding. them.[44] The great all-inclusive Republican Party continues to shoot itself in the foot.[7] Hopey/Changey comes to the Republican Party? Have to wait to see if its real change I can believe in.[3] NY 23 was a special case. That someone so egregious as Scoz would be nominated says a lot about what is wrong with the Republican Party in the Northeast.[23] Keep on Coryn -- you and your ilk are totally destroying the Republican party.[41]

UF College Republican President Bryan Griffin said the party should be more inclusive, reaching out to moderates. "It's going to kill the party if we keep factionalizing," he said.[13] I almost fell sorry for responsible moderate Republicans, they are getting their a$$kicked by their own party and the opposition.[44] The Dede Scozzafava debacle demonstrates how out of touch party bosses can be. If they had actually selected a moderate Republican rather than a stinking liberal the results would have been far different.[3]

Scozzafava was offensive to conservatives. Heck, she was offensive to the moderate wing of the party. If they had selected a candidate that at least did not offend the base things would have been different. Candidates should be required to sign a contract when they receive money from the party. If they drop out they cannot endorse members of the other party or they have to return the money.[3]

Until the primary is settled and a SINGLE candidate remains, the "party" should stay out of it COMPLETELY. It seems as though the Times has turned on Charlie Christ recently and when the Times steps into the Bully Pulpit, watch out! Just look at Kathleen Ford.[25] If the Party supports one primary candidate over another, it becomes a bit disingenuous and does not serve the interests of the voters. Good for the NRSC. Perhaps they learned from NY 23 that the Party, either Party, should let the voters decide on their candidate.[28] The NRSC may still decide to protect Republican incumbents from primary challenges. That's just smart politics. It's much tougher to dislodge an incumbent, so unless you've got a very flawed candidate in there it makes sense to protect them. Very happy to see this post. At least the lesson is learned.[3] My post from the headline thread. Last night as I was reading the election open threads here on HA, I received a call from the NRSC. I asked them why they are supporting a RINO, Obama lover candidate in Florida and reminded them of the serious mistake that the NRCC and RNC made in NY-23.[3]

Why would we want Christ again? He has embraced Obama and all he stands for. While he was hugging Obama he was in essence thumbing his nose at the Florida conservative base.[9] The reasoning goes, Rubio just got a fresh jolt of momentum. National conservatives are fired up and turning their attention to Florida.[27] Two weeks ago, Rubio spoke at a luncheon of the Conservative Women's Movement at a recreation center in The Villages, the largest residential development in Florida that lies between Orlando and Gainesville.[30]

There isn't any. When he spoke at The Villages about what he could reasonably achieve in the Senate, Rubio's choice of words misjudged some of the more religious Christian conservatives in the room.[30]

The House and Senate are still rife with RINOs. The Repub party needs to stay out of these races and let us purge the RINOs from incumbency.[3] Marco Rubio is hardly a pol with a sterling record of legislative accomplishment, having risen to the House speakership largely on the strength of being the swizzle stick for former House Speaker Johnnie Byrd and former Gov. Jeb Bush. They shared joint custody.[18] Race over. The big question is whether he endorses Marco Rubio. It is what Marco wishes for every time he sees a falling star.[46] I did a write up on Marco Rubio's new site CharlieandObama.com.[23]

Yup, so now we all know that Unka Charlie ducked Dubya and made populist noises about property taxes and hurricane insurance out of OH MY GOD!!!-political expedience. It's going to be pretty damn entertaining down here when the T-baggers get going with Marco. He's really pretty extreme already, and I'm musing about how exactly he can "move to the right." It's almost to much to dream that the Gopers could screw this one up so much that Kendrick Meek could be our new Senator.[44] There goes Charlie's double-speak again. Ten more months before he runs the day spa in St. Pete, although, I think he would make an outstanding flight attendent as well. He could probably pull both new gigs if he plays his cards right.[46]

I think the real debate is Old Testament (Republican) vs. New Testament (Democrat).[28] Chris Christie defeated incumbent Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine in New Jersey, while Virginia's Republican attorney general, Bob McDonnell, defeated Democrat R. Creigh Deeds. Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, a Democrat elected four years ago, is prohibited by law from seeking another term.[10] Republicans Tuesday wrested the governor's mansions from Democrats in Virginia and New Jersey.[10]

Hoffman had only recently jumped into the race and was running dead last up til recently as a third-party candidate. Despite all of that, and the Republican endorsing the Democrat in the race after she dropped out (Yep, the Republican endorsed the Democrat. One can only imagine how often she would've sided with Democrats in Congress had she been elected), he still came within 5 points of winning.[5] Dunne lost the Lt. Governor's race in 2006 to current Republican LG Brian Dubie, who is the only declared Republican candidate to replace retiring Gov. Jim Douglas.[17]

Had the Republicans supported the conservative candidate from the start, then Hoffman would've won. Hell, two more weeks of campaigning and he would've won despite their self-defeating tactics and feckless behavior.[5] I know many conservatives and Republicans liked and still like George W. Bush.[23] Why should I care. I don't think it is consistent with conservative principles of individual responsibility to even have a stance on those social and religious matters. Conservatives and republicans would do a lot better to back off their zeal on social issuesthey aren't wanted there.[14] Mainstream republicans want a reasonable, fiscally responsible conservative to support.[17] Except that running as a "true conservative" resulted in a lost seat for Republicans.[27] Last Modified: Wednesday, November 4, 2009 at 10:03 p.m. Alachua County Republicans will have a front-row seat tonight at the fight for the future of their party.[13] Christ is probably as disgusted by the system as the rest of us are. As a moderate Republican, he should know that this is what his party's becoming.[44] Maybe because in the real world, it is about conservatives, moderates and liberals, not party affiliations that matter.[14] Activists supported Doug Hoffman, a more right-wing candidate running on the Conservative Party ticket.[13] I can be compassionate without agreeing that gay relationships are OK. I'm Conservative, Patriotic and neither Rep or Dem. I agree with oldageandtreachery! The parties like to party on the taxpayer dime.[28] Come 2010, Florida will look exactly like NY23 with the conservative mindset "kill the parties pick."[9] Charley should just tell the Repubs to "p" off and switch to the Democrats. Who needs this Nazi type threats from the conservative clowns. As a Dem he'd take Florida walking away![28]

Essentially, Cornyn never planned to spend money on the Florida race, particularly not in a primary.[5] We'e really not involved in the primary," Cornyn told Manu. "That's up to the voters in Florida."[28]

The two contenders are businessman Bruce O'Donoghue (who owns a traffic-signal business. odd, but I guess somebody has to make them) and first-term state Rep. Eric Eisnaugle. (Carpetbagging real estate developer Armando Gutierrez Jr., radio talk show host Todd Long, who nearly beat then-Rep. Ric Keller in last year's GOP primary, and three anonymous teabaggers are all in the race, but clearly not striking the NRCC's fancy.) Attorney Will McBride (whose name you might remember from 2006, when he ran in the GOP primary against Katherine Harris) also talked with the NRCC this week, but just pulled his name from contention today. [17] "I didn't even have a vote on the darned thing. I understood that it was going to pass and I wanted to be able to utilize it for the benefit of my fellow Floridians." this is a man who realises that he needs to do what he can for the people in his state. these congressmen don't have thousand of state employees there responsible or to have to balance budgets every year.[7] At a wine and cheese fundraiser last night for State Senator Scott Brown in MA, we heard that the NRC is pretty uninterested in his campaign. I know it sounds like a long shot, but take some time to review Senator Brown's record and who votes for him - lots of Dems and Indies, the keys to winning in MA. The tide has turned against Dems here just like it has nationwide.[23] Charlie is one big web of deceit. Its time to stop pointing fingers and calling names. Its time to vote out these politicians that are in this for themselves. He wanted the stimulus money but was against the stimulus package.[46] This is the theater of the surreal. You have the sitting governor, who accepted stimulus money (money, incidentally, that has done what it was intended to do), denying that he supported such a plan (when loads of evidence points to the contrary) that has improved his state's economy. Then you have the opponent, blasting the governor for accepting the money that has improved his state's economic condition, and saying that the stimulus package has weakened the state's economy (when loads of evidence points to the contrary). You can't make up stuff this good.[44] THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE. What the stimulus package was for and is doing is a) emergency relief (accomplished) b)short term recovery to 100% economic recovery c)long term, effective, lasting, growth in a prosperous country and economy Had the stimulus not passed, Florida would have lost 1.4 million jobs instead of 200,000 jobs, incomes would be losing at a 2x the rate, and people would see the next great depression.[41] Nearly $7 billion has flowed from the stimulus into the state of Florida, helping to create or save approximately 29,000 jobs. (State officials put the number closer to 47,000.)[44] The group then goes through a litany of statistics suggesting how the stimulus has not helped Florida, including the state'''s rising unemployment numbers, as well as the increasing federal deficit.[22]

In case you too want to do that or show up with protest signs, the list of events, addresses, and even hosts (!!!) is below the fold. Impressive that he has so many in Florida. Usually he goes out of state to raise his cash since fewer and fewer in Florida like him.[52] Like Martin's parents, Rubio's parents came to America from Cuba. His father tended bar. His mother worked as a maid. He entered local politics and became a city commissioner of West Miami (population 6,000), and then a state representative from West Miami. He still lives there with his wife -- a former Miami Dolphins cheerleader -- and their four children. He still goes to the town hall to pay his water bill.[30] I think Charlie just got dropped like a rock. Can somebody please contact Erin Isaac and see is she still works for the state.[25]

A comment like that coming from an attorney is almost as laughable as comments coming from Crist. Another rich person who doesn't give a hoot about the middle class. You wonder why people have such a low regard for scumbags like yourself.[46] I guess if you think of it Crist never really had to fight very hard to win a race.[29] I mean, that was kind of a funky situation, to put it mildly," Crist said today on CNN. "And I think that it'll take a little time to analyze what happened there.[45] We must have both been typing our stories at the same time. IF you read my story posted at 3:49 did you see that Cornyn flat out lied about his intention to endorse Crist in the first place.[23]

The campaign of McDonnell in Virginia would suggest Crist would be the better candidate.[14] We're seeking comment from the Crist campaign and will post whateverit has to say about the Club for Growth's ad here.[6] CRIST is a decent guy. Rational forces have to rally around him against these wingnuts. Why on earth do these idiots call themselves Club (as if there isn't enough of a country club image for Repubs.) for GROWTH when they want to SHRINK everything-especially a workable BRAIN! Have a McCain-esque intermediate health coverage for all who aren't covered by health insurance. That's a nice voting chunk-and the right thing to do. This Club would just let everyone die or the unemployed live in a box. I really try to understand and anaylize different points of view but this is bordering on bizarre.[7]

"Mr. President, we need to do it in a bipartisan way," Crist said. "This issue of helping our country is about helping our country. This is not about partisan politics. This is about rising above that, helping America and reigniting our economy." [2]

"We appreciate the stimulus and the president," said Barron, who works for Range Construction Industries. Ranger Construction Industries Vice President Bob Schafer said a stimulus contract allowed him to save the jobs of 25 to 30 people he otherwise would have laid off. Pasco County officials say they seriously underestimated the demand for federal stimulus money intended to prevent homelessness, and they are being overwhelmed with calls for help.[44] Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (R) North Carolina, two days ago said that President Obama has done such an incredible job in the "war on terror" (whatever that is. repub term) that there is no longer a credible threat to the U.S. and that the only thing she can think to be scared of now is a health care reform bill, she. is more afraid of 2000 pieces of paper than Osama Bin Laden, Ahmadinejad, Chavez, Il, Al Qaeda, the Taliban, or any other number of "madmen" (I am paraphrasing, but this is essentially what she said). I would personally like to thank V. Foxx for coming across the aisle and admitting such a huge accomplishment by the Democratic President.[15] I've heard his ads, and am In Doubt. He'd do better to admit that he's been less-than-right, but since Obama he's seen The Light. Of course, supporting some of Obama's key policies does get in the way of this argument. New York 23 shows that voters don't like Parties imploding and staging Kabuki theater performances on their local turf.[3] President Barack Obama may be in electoral trouble in 2010 because of a failure of civic leadership, pmcarpenter says. Fox News' claim that their news segments are unbiased is "as thin as the pastrami in a New York City deli," Chad writes. The Obamaa administration has backtracked on their "change" slogan, John Aravosis writes.[37]

How dare O'Donnell try to challenge the conventional beltway wisdom that last night was a sweep for Republicans and a total loss for Obama and the Democrats? Ladies and gentlemen: MSNBC, your liberal version of Fox News.[26] A new St. Petersburg Times-Miami Herald poll shows that 71 percent of Republicans would dump Charlie for Jeb.[46]

Same old Charlie. Before his election, he stated (and it was a headline on the article in your paper) that he was okay with civil unions. Last year, he supported Amendment 2, which negated any chance of gay marriage and anything resembling gay marriage, which includes civil unions. I hope he loses the primary, loses the gubernatorial reelections, and just fades away into oblivion. It appears the real Charlie is being exposed.[46] Charlie, you can't waffle and pander your way into being a true conservative candidate.[25] Again, this is not a lefty "cutesy" photo-op it was put out by the further right candidate. If you really want to sit there and pretend that conservatives don't have their own fun with Photo-shop then you really have problems.[14] If any of the Democratic candidates win, it sure won't be just because the president came to make an appearance. He'd say so, too. You're right: He's all about motivating people to act on their own initiative, and act together for the benefit of the community.[17] The vast majority of people out there see it. They see it in their President, in the Congressional leadership, and a lot of political party hacks.[41] My contribution went directly to Rubio. Maybe, just maybe we have got their attention now. A party that talks abut federalism and limited national government should have more trust in the people to choose their representatives in the primaries.[3] This makes NY-23 a win. A party that talks ab ut federalism and limited national government should have more trust in the people to choose their representatives in the primaries.[3]

What's the difference? A whole new party is what America needs today! How about a Constitution Party, or a We the People Party. ANY name would do as long as this new party respects our Constitution and the rule of law AND represents the American people; NOT open borders, global corporations and special interest groups.[9] Seriously, you don't really believe most people identify as Conservative? Name me 1 single poll "other than Fox News or Rush Limbaugh" that can back up what you say.[28]

The only people who are delusional enough to believe that most people are liberal or moderate are the liberal bodies of the APA(s) and the ABA. Brought to you by the same professional bodies that believe in the normalization of neurotic behavior and its associated paraphilias to children and the uneducated masses based on the musings of the sadomasochistic borderline psychopath, Alfred Kinsey. It's a conservative, if not center-right nation even after 35 years of suppressing legitimate research.[28]

Spend a year or so hanging around Tallahassee, wait for Mel Martinez to start wanting to spend -- everybody now: "More time with the family!" -- and then waltz into the United States Senate, otherwise known as "American Idols."[18] The Dems will pick up a Senate seat in the South and that will be the first crack in the solid Republican south.[44] The NRCC and the NRSC are there to ensure that Republicans win elections, not to hand-pick who will run for particular seats.[23] The NRSC may still decide to protect Republican incumbents from primary challenges.''[3] If I were in a Republican primary, I'd rather be caught on tape endorsing gay weddings in Baptist churches than endorsing the stimulus.[46]

Time will tell but this is really what NY-23 was all about. Well this and a warning sign that we want primaries to begin with so we don't end up with hacks like Scozzafava. I expect that Republican Senators will individually back incumbents regularly in the future, but it's likely that the committee won't, at least for several cycles.[3] I think that if that debacle in NY23 accomplished nothing else, it did make Republican politicians pause and think. I think they might be fearing for their own futures as well. They should. That better not be the intent.[3]

Well, the one Republican in Washington, D.C. today who seems to have had a realistic assessment of what took place yesterday is John Cornyn, the Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.[23] Now, would-be challengers who may have been holding off for fear of the NRSC's organizational might have seen a major roadblock taken away. Cornyn's announcement has local reporters across the country checking in with these candidates as well as the increasingly nervous Washington-preferred challengers (one, Carly Fiorina, announced her candidacy just today). Democratic state committees and some candidates in these states have cranked out press releases celebrating the decision.[49] Asked what endorsements mean, then, Cornyn said some candidates may want the backing to help line up support and financing. Beyond that, however, he said NRSC endorsements won't mean very much in practice.[25] Except, Cornyn is probably lying. The GOP backs RINOs, and they'''d rather support a weak candidate than a candidate who stands on principles.[3]

The days of party bosses are over. If this is what Cornyn is saying I'm very happy and welcome him aboard the new wave the new GOP will be riding.[3] The threat of third party candidates against the GOP across the country has obviously spooked the national party leadership.[48] Scozzafava dropped out of the race and endorsed the Democratic Party candidate, Bill Owens, who ended up winning.[13]

Jones said the victories bode well for whoever turns out to be the Republican candidate.[13] After years of being marginalized, not only by the Dems, but by the national Republican establishment, I expect more than, "uh. that's not what we meant." This was NOT a magnanimous apology. Every syllable of this interview was a statement of pragmatism.[23] Big win for republicansHoffman would have won last night if the national republicans had not flooded the district with loot for the RINO. Toomey would have beaten Specter if Bush had stayed home a few years ago.[3]

Granted, I don't think Fiorina's odds of unseating Boxer are all that hot either, but against DeVore, I absolutely believe Boxer can get 65% of the vote. Fiorina, if she's lucky, can maybe pull Boxer/Fong numbers. I do think '10 will be a pretty decent year for the GOP, but unless Fiorina runs a flawless campaign AND Boxer runs her first bad campaign ever, I think CA-Sen is likely-to-solid Dem. [17] The bill that pasted wasn'''t exactly what I would want to vote for but it'''s what passed and once that happens I think you need to realize you want to do everything you possibly can to fight for Florida and our fellow Floridians.[35] We need to know how high up in the Florida GOP establishment this scheme was hatched, or approved.[29] Florida and national voters and especially Christian voters need to know what the possibilities are.[14]

The Florida governor is a savvy campaigner and a formidable fundraiser, with a war chest that dwarfs Rubio's.[15] When asked why he doesn't stay in Florida politics and run for, say, attorney general, Rubio says his campaign isn't about his "political ambitions." "It's not about me doing the next logical step up this long career in politics," he says. "It's about what's happening in our country.[30]

From the writers of the St. Petersburg Times, The Buzz offers the latest news in Florida politics. This is a public forum sponsored and maintained by the St. Petersburg Times.[25] I'm surprised he didn't find time to blame Obama for Florida's terrible economy.[44] '''It'''s just really the frustration coming out,''' says Susan MacManus, a political scientist at the University of South Florida in Tampa. '''Same as we saw in these elections. People are just frustrated that Florida'''s economy hasn'''t turned around as fast as he had promised.[24] Charlie puts the people of Florida first and uses common sense to his approach to government.[9]

Just saw Rick Perry talking about the massive murder at Fort Hood. He didn't even know how many people were dead and KBH broke the news on why the shooter actually did it. Rick Perry is a horrible governor and really hope this makes people see KBH in a new light and confirms how much I hate Perry. He said I and me and my so many times. He's so narcasistic. [17] I said in response the following: hmm, socialized medicine works in Canada, France, England (my step father is Welch grew up there). oh yeah and Cuba (as seen in sicko). As for "new taxes" for those who refuse to have health care coverage (and can afford it) there is a tax, this to basically pay for THEM when they become sick, need treatment, ER trips, etc. I am completely fine with that, hell anybody who complains about people being on welfare and "getting a hand out" should be fine with it to. This is mandating that above that 400% above poverty line.[15] Stop being idiotic people! Fail = Fail. Remember these clowns ALL work for U.S. Time to get your Pink Slips like ANY other substandard performer.[9] I prefer the people of the United States make the decision to "lop" off Maine from the Mainland like a moldy piece of wedding cake at a gay commitment ceremony.[14]

Thus we have seen the rise of Rubio, who compiled a book of 100 ideas and probably has another 100 or so he would like to take to Washington. This has to be a maddening turn of events for the governor.[18] Rubio has made the cover of National Review. George Will has written about him and predicted that he'll win. He was masterful before this very friendly, very conservative audience -- not just with the set-piece phrases and well-worn jokes, but also with his obvious enjoyment of fielding their questions and his flair for the quick comeback.[30] Funny thing is that I had a rather heated discussion with an NRSC staffer who called looking for my money just last night and I was complaining about just this issue: Rubio and DeVore. It's somewhat refreshing to see that there is at least one GOP guy that seems to be getting it.[28] I don't think Campbell (washed-up, probably too liberal to win in a GOP Primary) or Poizner (well-funded, but moderate and low-profile and just not very exciting). I suspect we'll either see both Whitman and Fiorina wind up the nominees, or both wind up missing out; it depends on if "pro-business Republicans" can trump the teabaggers in CA.[17] Businessman Bill Binnie could give Kelly Ayotte a well-funded GOP primary challenge in New Hampshire.[38] On the Dem side, ex-Gov. Jerry Brown led SF Mayor Gavin Newsom 46-19; the sample was completed shortly before Newsom's dropout last Friday. He defeats ex-Gov. Bob Ehrlich without too much trouble in a head-to-head, 47-40, and he has decent approvals at 48/40. On the re-elect question, 39% want to see him re-elected and 48% would like someone new. That would potentially present an opportunity for the Maryland GOP -- if they had someone better than Ehrlich to offer, but he's really the best they have. (By contrast, Barb Mikulski, who's also up in 2010, has a 53/36 re-elect.)[17]

The 68-page guidelines released Wednesday by the Federal Railroad Administration are the starting shot in a race between states to build new or revamped networks. [53] Quist, who ran in gubernatorial primaries twice in the 1990s, is from the state party's right wing and is a key Michele Bachmann ally (his wife used to Bachmann's district director).[17] Get the Democrat moles out of responsible positions in the party. In many areas of the country, if the Rep party wants to be a big tent, they should start representing Conservatives.[23] What if I meant gay as in happy? I have even told a pollster I am conservative though I vote democrat every time.[28]

'''I actually did vote for the $87 billion before I voted against it.''' "it's important that we pass this stimulus package" "Well, I didn't endorse it.[46]

I think Charlie would be better off saying he didn't understand what the stimulus actually was, but just thought it sounded good.[46] Is it just me, or does Obama seem to project a feminine side? Not that there is anything wrong with that, to borrow a line from Jerry Seinfeld. "I don'''t think it is consistent with conservative principles of individual responsibility to even have a stance on those social and religious matters." "The fact that he may or may not be a homosexual is not very relevant.[14] Are our overseas military instillations. I think it is funny that the tea party people and "conservatives" only scream CONSTITUTION if it applies to their vales but turn the other way when the Constitution does not agree with their moral code.[28] Are the majority of you so delusional that you think there isn't going to be a funnel of money coming from the party machine one way or another. It is all coming from the same place, no matter the party, the rich pay to play, where it is funneled makes no difference.[28]

Virginia has a long history of electing governors who are not affiliated with the party in power in the White House. [40] There's nothing "funky" about it Charlie - the lunatic fringe wing of your party overrode the locals in the name of ideological purity and lost the seat.[45]

If we keep getting distracted by the bright lights and ambient noise, and putting money into stuff like PR campaigns for inflammatory issues, we'll keep putting up weaker candidates like Deeds and Corzine. Which translates into less enthusiasm for our side and more for theirs. [45] Former Eupora mayor Henry Ross is seriously considering the race, and making preparations. This may not result in a pitched rural vs. suburbs battle like the previous primary, though; Eupora (pop. 2,400) is near the district's southern end, near Columbus.[17] One could make the case that the GOP has primaries or the threats of primaries in every key Senate race except for Delaware.[49]

Club for Growth spokesman Mike Connolly said the group hopes to buy time to air the ad on Florida TV stations soon. [6] Can you imagine what would have happened if President Obama had not got us on track by creating the stimulus Ooops! Unfortunately you have to give Bush credit for that.[7] Pure craziness. Makes no sense! What is going on? Will someone help these folks get back on track? Can you imagine what would have happened if President Obama had not got us on track by creating the stimulus and extending tarp? We would have had a world-wide melt down. It is so sad that these folks do not read, do research and understand the workings of government and economics. He has really been so mindful of overspending.[7]

I voted for Cornyn. He is moderate, mushy, and hard to like. He is mealy-mouthed and shows remarkably little spine for the most part. His support for Specter says it all. Yes: He is "nice." [3]

SOURCES

1. The Associated Press: Fla. gov changes tune on supporting Obama stimulus
2. POLITICO 44: W.H.: Crist 'very supportive' - POLITICO.com
3. Hot Air » Blog Archive » Lesson learned: NRSC pledges to stay out of contested primaries
4. Crist, Rubio spar at local Republican fundraiser | Gainesville.com | The Gainesville Sun | Gainesville, FL
5. Senate Republican committee: No campaign money for Crist | Post on Politics
6. Republican v. Republican: Let the 2010 games begin - On Politics - USATODAY.com
7. Club for Growth goes after Crist - First Read - msnbc.com
8. Club for Growth turns to Florida, runs ad against Charlie Crist - TheHill.com
9. Crist''' s falling approval rating - The Scorecard - POLITICO.com
10. Crist Faces Test From Right in Bid for Senate - WSJ.com
11. Republican Majority PAC gets behind Rubio | Post on Politics
12. Inside Blogotics - Washington Times
13. Alachua County Republicans' 7th Annual Black Tie and Blue Jeans BBQ fundraiser in Newberry Thursday to include Crist, Rubio. | Gainesville.com | The Gainesville Sun | Gainesville, FL
14. Such a sweet photo of two cute politicians | Jay Bookman
15. More Bad News for Charlie Crist - The Gaggle Blog - Newsweek.com
16. GOP victories bode well for Crist
17. Swing State Project: SSP Daily Digest: 11/5
18. Elephants stampede RINOs - St. Petersburg Times
19. American Thinker Blog: Senatorial Committee will not spend money in contested primaries
20. White House: Crist Loved Obama Stimulation | NBC Miami
21. Charlie Crist Is Scared and Lying - Erick's blog - RedState
22. Club for Growth Calls Out Crist on the Stimulus - The Gaggle Blog - Newsweek.com
23. Dear RedState: "I Hear You, Washington Hears You, and the Idiots On My Staff Who Did This Hear You." Respectfully, Sen. Cornyn - Erick's blog - RedState
24. Repeat of NY-23? Club for Growth targets Crist in Senate race. | csmonitor.com
25. So much for NRSC support, Charlie
26. NRSC Won't Spend Money In Contested Primaries | TPMDC
27. All Good News for Marco Rubio? Not Exactly. - The Gaggle Blog - Newsweek.com
28. Cornyn: NRSC won't play in primaries - Glenn Thrush - POLITICO.com
29. Another Anonymous Internet Attack Out of the Florida GOP's Offices - Erick's blog - RedState
30. Marco Rubio: Conservatives' New Man in Florida? : NPR
31. Crist Says He Never Backed Stimulus Measure
32. Hotline After Dark -- Qualifying Candidate - Hotline On Call
33. Florida's Crist, an Obama stimulus fan, says 'no' to Sotomayor - Top of the Wire - SunHerald.com
34. Crist Changes Tune On Support Of Obama's Stimulus - cbs4.com
35. Capitol News Service » Blog Archive » Stimulus Confusion
36. Marco Rubio unveils new campaign fundraising website
37. Crist: Actually, I didn't endorse the stimulus - The Hill's Blog Briefing Room
38. Campaign update: Rubio hits Crist on stimulus claim, Paul leads Grayson - The Hill's Blog Briefing Room
39. Elections complaint filed against Crist campaign - St. Petersburg Times
40. Do Tuesday's elections foreshadow a 2010 Obama effect? - Yahoo! News
41. Club for Growth slams Crist on stimulus - Glenn Thrush - POLITICO.com
42. White House contradicts Crist on stimulus - The Hill's Blog Briefing Room
43. Rubio set to stump in Bradenton - Local - BradentonHerald.com
44. Think Progress » Gov. Charlie Crist Tries To Weasel Away From His Endorsement Of The Stimulus
45. Crist: NY-23 'Was Kind Of A Funky Situation' | TPM LiveWire
46. Charlie Crist: 'I didn't endorse' stimulus package. Really?
47. NRSC Decides to Back Off in Florida Primary - Miami News - Riptide 2.0
48. The Establishment Caves - The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan
49. RealClearPolitics - Politics Nation - Lessons To Be Learned (And Quickly For Some)
50. Club For Growth Targets Crist With Florida TV Ad | TPMDC
51. Untitled
52. We're Staying Out, So Please Send Money - Erick's blog - RedState
53. Gov. Crist wants special on central Fla. commuter rail considered vital to high-speed system

GENERATE A MULTI-SOURCE SUMMARY ON ANY SUBJECT
Enter your search query below. WAIT 10-20 sec for the new window to open.
Get more info on Crist's stimulus backpedaling can't rewrite history by using the iResearch Reporter tool from Power Text Solutions.

Above is the automatically generated multi-source news digest.
Its main content has been compiled basing on the fair use of snippets from original news stories (initially clustered by the Google News) by applying our multi-document summarization technology. The title has been excerpted from this article, and the top image was found

Tampabay.com

Crist's stimulus backpedaling can't rewrite history

MiamiHerald.com - here.

Give Us Your Feedback!

How did you like this article?