Welcome to the Tampa Tax Day Tea Party!

Here in Tampa Tea Party members and 912 members gathered from throughout the entire Tampa Bay region to celebrate a very hot but fun day at Raymond James Stadium.  Keynote speaker Sen. Marco Rubio was joined by Ralph Reed (Faith and Freedom Coalition), Apryl Marie Fogel (Americans for Prosperity), Michael Pinson (Americans for Freedom), Ed Braddy (American Dream Coalition), Amy Kremmer (Tea Party Express) and Dr. David McKalip (Neurosergeon and Health Care activist). 

We also managed to score a couple of counter-protesters-a charming lady in a NARAL tee shirt and a man with a bullhorn wearing a white doctor's coat.  I assume he was representing abortion doctors since he was with the pro death chic.  Her sign reads, "TEABGGERS CORPORATE TOOLS and too dumb to realize it."  Glad she decided to keep it classy.

While all the speakers did a wonderful job it was Marco that everyone was waiting to see and he did not disappoint.  The video is not as clear as I would have liked and on several occasions Marco is obscured by a flag.  There was no way I was going to ask a man who had proudly held up an American flag for hours in 90 degree weather to move so I just made do.  In any case, it is Rubio's words we came to hear and he gave one very rousing speech.  And now, I am taking my very tired, very sunburnt self to bed.



Welcome to my blog Instapundit readers!

Just thinking out loud (although I'm old enough to know better)

I've been ruminating on this post for a couple days.  The other day Prof. Jacobson asked his readers their thoughts on Tim Pawlenty.  He began by writing this:

One of my theories is that the best chance to defeat Obama in 2012 is to make the election about Obama, not about the Republican candidate. The Obama record is so abysmal, and the Obama aura so shattered, that 2012 could be a repeat of 2010.

Each of the current top 4 Republican contenders (Palin, Romney, Newt, Huckabee) has issues of public perception which would make the race, to varying degrees, about the Republican.

I want 2012 to be about issues and solutions and I want my next president to be Obama's polar opposite. 

Obama did not win the presidency based on his record.  During his scant time in office prior to running he had intentionally avoided creating a record.  Obama did not win the presidency based on his accomplishments.  He had none.  Barack Obama is our president because he built a cult of personality backed up by pithy but meaningless platitudes.  He was the Wizard of Oz and fifty-three percent of the voting public was too busy shouting, clapping and yes, crying, to look behind the damn curtain. 

So what brings me to this little rant?  I keep hearing that Pawlenty is too "plain Jane" to be president.  It seems like everyone wants a little zippity in their doo da.  Really?  When did pizazz become the deciding factor in presidential elections?  I'm not saying that personality and leadership are mutually exclusive but I sure don't want an electorate that is so blinded by the former that they ignore the latter.

The next race should be about record, record, record.  Obama's disastrous record versus the proven
record for the republican candidate.  If any of the four mentioned by Jacobson are the candidate the race will end up being about so much more and the message (and the opportunity) will be lost. 

I have no idea who I'll be for in a few months.  We have some great conservative "young guns" and I would be thrilled to see Cantor or Ryan in the VP slot.  I've made no secret of my support for Marco Rubio but I need to see how he is going perform as a senator before I can feel comfortable about him in a higher office.

Time to bottom line it.  I don't need a candidate who sends a thrill up my leg.  I want someone with a record of accomplishment.  I want an anti-Obama.

It has only been two days and already I've got my answer

No, they can't hear us now.  Threy, of course, is "THE PARTY".  They can't hear us because they are standing around with their fingers shoved in their ears screaming, "I know best."

Former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott put it plainly: “We did not nominate our strongest candidates.”

We who? I get the feeling that Lott isn’t talking about “THE PARTY” when he says “we”. I get the feeling he doesn’t think you or I are smart enough to pick our own candidates. Lott isn’t alone:

Another high-profile senator went even further, placing the blame for the Senate GOP’s failure squarely at the feet of Graham’s South Carolina colleague, DeMint.

This Republican senator said that the tea party was the “big winner” by helping bring enormous energy behind GOP candidates Tuesday, but he said that “Sen. DeMint was the big loser.”

“It’s like you’re on the five-yard line ready to score and the quarterback calls the play and some member of your team tackles one of your members and keeps you from scoring,” the senator said. “We came tantalizingly close to a majority.”

“I’m completely mystified by it,” the senator said of DeMint’s tactics.

The senator credited House Speaker-in-waiting John Boehner for keeping House Republicans unified behind a common purpose but he said that DeMint took a selfish path that hurt the party’s common cause.

I admit I am completely mystified by “THE PARTY”. It seems that they couldn’t care less whether the Senate is filled with a hundred Arlen Specters so long as they each have an (R) after their names. “THE PARTY” doesn’t care how they vote, doesn’t care what they stand for. It doesn’t matter to them. Those of us that it does matter to are rubes, too ignorant to understand the “right” way to do things.

Shove it. One Marco Rubio is worth more than all the “PARTY” boys combined. In Marco’s victory speech he said that Republicans are being given a second chance. Well listen up, “THE PARTY” is blowing that second chance straight out of the gate.

Yep, some Tea Party candidates lost Tuesday. What would have happened had they gotten even a little support from “THE PARTY”? They might have still lost but at least we, the voters, would have felt like our party was listening to us.

“THE PARTY” acts like we are their personal fire hydrant. So fine, let them lift their legs and send forth a golden stream. But when they slip in their own piss and land on their asses they needn’t call out for a cleanup on aisle nine. They can sit there and wallow in it.

What now?

Well, today we celebrate.  We have earned it.  First, via Instapundit Alex Sink has conceded!  I am almost sorry that I took the day off from work.  The looks on a few of my co-worker's faces must have been delicious when Sink pulled the plug earlier today.  Why yes, I am gloating. 

All and all it was a great night for my state.  We swept the governorship and cabinet as well taking large majorities in both state senate and house.  And what about our Marco!  When I first started talking to people about Marco running for the Senate polite people stifled a smile and everyone else laughed in my face.  Over and over again I was told that there was no way that Marco Rubio could beat Charlie Crist.  Congratulations, Senator Rubio!  Now in the words of my new governor, "Let's get to work."

There is one race that I am profoundly disheartened about.  Mike Prendergast will not be my representative in Congress.  We had a clear choice here between the ninth most liberal member of the House and a true conservative who has dedicated his life to the service of our country.  What we didn't have was a "machine".  Even at that, Mike won forty percent of the vote.  He did it by listening to the voters and presenting them with workable solutions to the problems facing us.  He ran a good and honorable campaign.  I am proud of Mike and proud to support him.  He can count on my support whatever the future brings.

No doubt that Marco is the man of the hour.  Enjoy his acceptance speech.  If you don't tear up at least a couple of times you are heartless.  A special thank you to all my friends at Not One Red Cent who rallied around Marco from the beginning and to my sisters at Potluck who each and everyone are a great source of pride and inspiration to me.  To Pres. Obama, well, Michelle Malkin said it best, "Take your olive branch and shove it, Democrats."




Oh, yeah, I almost forgot-goodbye, Nancy Pelosi!  Don't let the door hit you on the ass on your way out.

Meek senior aide: “Crist is losing his marbles”

Well, yeah. No sane person would call one of his political opponents at 4:45 a.m.:

"Governor Crist called me at quarter to 5:00 a.m. Monday morning. I'm just not up and at'em at quarter to 5:00 a.m. to talk politics," Meek told Greta Van Susteren in an interview Friday night.". "I think he's a very desperate campaigner. He sees that he doesn't have the momentum."

Later in the day on Monday, Crist and Meek, appeared at the same campaign event in Hollywood, Fl. At the meeting- among local Jewish leaders of the pro-Israel lobbying group, AIPAC, or the American Israel Public Affairs Committee- Crist personally lobbied Meek to leave the 3-way race, and offered him a cross that Crist had received from his family as a gift, The Wall Street Journal first reported.

" I was shocked when he did it," Meek told the newspaper, " I told him to keep the cross and that I carry my Christianity in my heart."

Re-gifting? Tacky, Charlie.

The latest Rasmussen Poll shows that Rubio’s lead over Crist and Meek is growing. A week ago Rubio led Crist 43% to 32% with Meek coming in at 20%. Rubio now picks up 50% of the vote while Crist and Meek come in at 30% and 16% respectively. Certainly if Meek dropped out it would help Crist but even if every single Meek supporter voted for Crist it would not be enough to put Crist over the top. Rubio has not just garnered the support of bitter-clingers like myself but also he has support among independents and moderates. I can’t figure out who comprises that 30% who support Crist but I suspect that “substance” and “consistency” are not important traits to them.

I had an interesting conversation yesterday in my “morning meeting” which isn’t really a meeting but an informal gathering of co-workers in the morning before work to shoot the breeze. The topic of Charlie Crist came up. More specifically, the subject of what Crist will be doing after he gets his ass handed to him on Tuesday. I said that he’ll be divorced within six months. After all, without a career in politics Charlie will be free to pursue all his inner urges. My co-workers think that Charlie still has a future in politics. What do you think?

Well it's not as if Clinton has ever exhibited principle or anything

So, Bill Clinton tried to get Kendrick to drop out of the Senate race here and endorse Charlie Crist.  I can understand why Clinton would prefer Crist-snakes in the grass slither together, but but it was a smarmy move even by Clinton's incredibly low standards.  The obligatory crappy quote:

“Not being seen as a quitter was more important than stopping someone who was so opposed to what you and your party had stood for,” said one Democrat who had been hoping to close the deal.

An alternate explanation is that Meek wasn't worried about being seen as a "quitter", he simply couldn't stomach the thought of endorsing Charlie Crist.  After all, he may not like Rubio's stand on the issues but Meek is smart enough to know that Crist's "stands" belong to the highest bidder. 
 
Meek is displaying principal.  For Mr. Clinton's benefit:
 

Principle prin·ci·ple [prínssəp'l]

ethical standard: a standard of moral or ethical decision-making

Marco brings his message (and Ruby Giuliani) to Sarasota

Yesterday morning Marco Rubio brought his "Reclaim America" tour to Sarasota, FL.  A nice crowd gathered at Island Park to meet Marco's tour bus and to have the opportunity to greet Marco and his guest, former mayor of New York Rudy Giuliana.  We were not disappointed.

I am still having problems uploading from my new camcorder but part two of the video finally uploaded so please enjoy. 

In tonight's debate Charlie combines scary with slimy

In a three way debate between Marco Rubio, Charlie Crist and Kendrick Meek, Charlie Crist showed that he is either dangerous or scary stupid.  From TBO:

Much of the debate focused on Social Security, an issue coming to dominate the closing days of the campaign.

Rubio says the nation must consider taking steps to bolster the program's financial stability – possibly raising the retirement age or cutting benefits for future retirees.

Meek advocates no changes, saying Congress should wait for a completion of a task force study, and Crist says that if the nation implements an earned citizenship program for illegal immigrants, their payroll taxes could restore the program's fiscal solvency.

So, Crist thinks that we should institute an amnesty program, "earned citizenship program" to shore up Social Security.  Maybe someone should point out to Charlie how well unchecked immigration has worked in Europe.  But hey, let's not let facts muddy up the picture.  Crist was at his slimy, pandering best with this little jewel:

Rubio also reacted when Crist, quoting Tampa's La Gaceta newspaper, accused Rubio of "essentially blind ambition – that you turned your back on your Hispanic family … as it relates to the DREAM Act, as it relates to immigration reform."

Rubio opposes earned citizenship for illegal immigrants, and DREAM Act, which would allow citizenship for those who attend college or serve in the military.

"Shameless"  isn't a strong enough word to describe Charlie Crist.  To insinuate  that Rubio is "turning his back on his Hispanic family" because he believes that the country has the right and duty to protect its borders is beneath contempt but all to typical among the practitioners of identity politics.  To them, blacks, browns, women, gays, etc., are each just members of beholden groups who must always think, act and vote as they are told.  Disgusting.

Yesterday and Today

Well, where to start?  The stars finally came together yesterday so that I could hear Mike Prendergast speak.  I was so excited I screwed up the time and got there over an hour early.  Not a problem because I bought a brand new camcorder so I had plenty of time to get a seat, setup and do a quickie test run. 

It was very interesting listening to Mike speak and I got some great video.  I would love to show you except the nice young man at the store that won't be named who sold me the nifty new camcorder never mentioned something called "formatting the card".  So after trying most of last night to upload my video I went back to the store and found out about "formatting".  Those of you who don't suffer from massive tech stupidity like I are probably aware that when you format a card anything that was on the card gets wiped out.  Came as news to me.  Anyway,  my once in a life time super great video of Mike Prendergrast is kinda like the fish that got away-long gone.

So, next week, on the 20th, I will makeit a priority to attend Mike's townhall and I will get even better video.  In any case, I am glad I went last night.  I have been incredibly impressed with Mike from day.  How many people do you know that give thirty-one years of service to their country and rather than enjoying a much deserved retirement say, "I am ready to give more."? 

When asked last night why him, Mike responded that when he sees a mess he cleans it up.  Right now our country is a mess and it is time to start the cleanup effort.  Democrats see a mess and their solution is to throw more trash on the heap.  Before long, even China won't have a big enough shovel to dig us out and why would we, the world's super power, rely on China or anyone else for our salvation?  We haven't lost our greatness, we just need to pull it out of the closet, dust it off and get to work.

That was yesterday.  On to today!

Yes, that is Gov. Bobby Jindal standing next to Marco Rubio.  And about five minutes into the Governor's speech the room started spinning.  I haven't felt like that since my dorm room days.  In any case, I made it out without embarrassing myself too badly and once I got some air I was okay.  But that is the total of my once in a lifetime chance to hear Bobby Jindal speak in person.

Tomorrow is a new day so onward and upward. 

P.S.  Did I mention that Mike Prendergast is a really great guy?  Give him a donation.  The alternative is re-electing the ninth most member of the House.  None of us wants that!

Best Political Line Evah!

“This election simply is not about a republican, a democrat, and an opportunist.”
Marco Rubio speaking at the 2010 Florida Victory Dinner

Enjoy the video:


H/T Jennifer at Cubachi

He was for it before he was against it which was after he was in favor of it but before...

Good grief, Charlie Crist!  Do you believe in anything? 

Or as Pundette says, "Does Charlie Crist have to work at being a consummate weasel or is it just a gift?"

At issue, this time, is a statement that Charlie "I can flip, I can flop" Crist made during an interview with Scott Harris on the Agenda:

When asked how Crist would have voted on the healthcare bill if in the Senate at the time, Crist responded by saying, "I would have voted for it. But I think it can be done better, I really do."

So that is where Crist stands today, as opposed as to where he stood yesterday or where he might stand tomorrow.  Actually, his position changed before the end of the same day:

"Apparently, based on an interview this afternoon, there may be some confusion regarding my position on health care," Crist said. "If I misspoke, I want to be abundantly clear: the health care bill was too big, too expensive, and expanded the role of government far too much. Had I been in the United States Senate at the time, I would have voted against the bill because of unacceptable provisions like the cuts to the Medicare Advantage program.

Of course his opponents, Marco Rubio and Kendrick Meek, are having a field day:

Marco Rubio's campaign sent a press release saying, "In less than 30 days, Crist has gone from voting against the bill to voting for it to now being against it again."

Kendrick Meek's campaign released a similar e-mail, saying, "Obviously, the governor is having a crisis of memory."

Now guys, be nice.  Charlie is just being Charlie.  Whoever that is today.

Let's Get to Work!

The votes are in and congratulations go to Rick Scott, Marco Rubio, Pam Bondi, and Mike Prendergast.  I would be totally remiss if I didn't give a shout out to Stacy and Smitty at The Other McCain, whose primary coverage was phenomenal as usual. 

I have been a Rubio supporter since before he announced as a candidate for the US Senate and I am more than ready to get this show on the road.  Here is Rubio's first commercial of the season:



Next up is Mike Prendergast.  The House race here in Florida's 11th district is important.  We can either send Kathy Castor back to the House where she will continue to vote with total disregard to the wishes and best interests of her countrymen or we can send Col. Mike Prendergrast, a true conservative who has dedicated his entire adult life to the service of this country:

Colonel Prendergast is a native of Tampa and a graduate of Clearwater Central Catholic High School. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1978 and earned a commission through Officer Candidate School. With more than 31 years of service, he retired in 2009 as U.S. Central Command's Provost Marshal, a military position similar to a civilian Commissioner of Public Safety and International Chief of Police. Colonel Prendergast served with distinction in various important command and staff assignments throughout the United States and abroad, to include combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, peacekeeping operations in Bosnia and Kosovo, and humanitarian missions in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Cameroon, and Zaire. Prendergast also served as a Senior Policy Advisor for Defense, Intelligence, and Foreign Affairs as an American Political Science Association Congressional Fellow in the office of U.S. Senator Bob Graham.

Prendergast has earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with Special Honors and a dual major in Political Science and Sociology from Jacksonville State University; a Bachelor of Science degree with a concentration in Psychology from the University of New York; a Bachelor of Social Science degree from Campbell University; a Master of Arts degree with a major in International Relations and a Certificate in African Studies from the University of Florida; a Master of Public Administration degree with a concentration in Public Management from Troy State University; and a Master of Strategic Studies degree from the U.S. Army War College with a major in Public Diplomacy and a concentration in Campaign and Strategic Crisis Planning.

This Part One of an interview with Prendergast.  Note that Prendergast unequivocally states that the oath of office demands loyalty to the Constitution, not to any particular political party.  I'll have Part Two tomorrow night.

Primary Day in Florida!

I hit the polls at 7:00 am this morning and now there is nothing to do but wait for the polls to close and the results to come in.  Already there is some very good news via Hot Air:

Florida goes to the polls today to choose their nominees for the general election in statewide and federal offices, and the two men who have nothing to do today are the most affected. According to a new survey from PPP, Kendrick Meek should easily win his primary over billionaire self-funder Jeff Greene, who more or less imploded over the last several weeks. With Meek in the race, both Democrats and Republicans come home to their parties — which is good news for Marco Rubio and a big problem for Charlie Crist:

Democrats will get their stronger candidate if Kendrick Meek wins the Florida Senate primary tonight as expected- but the biggest winner coming out of the primary may be Marco Rubio. PPP finds he would begin the general election in the lead at 40%, followed by Charlie Crist at 32%, and Meek at 17%. If Jeff Greene were somehow able to pull off the upset tonight it would be much closer with Rubio at 37%, Crist at 36%, and Greene at only 13%.

PPP’s last poll of the race in mid-July found Crist in the lead at 35% to 29% for Rubio and 17% for Meek. Two major developments have shifted the race in Rubio’s direction though. The first is that Democrats are now going for Meek 39-38 where before they were going for Crist 44-35. As Democrats have gotten to know Meek over the course of the primary campaign they’ve generally decided they like him and that’s cut into Crist’s support for the general election.

The other big difference is that many Republican voters have moved off the fence and they’ve almost universally moved into the Rubio column. Where Rubio had a 54-23 lead with GOP voters in July, it’s now increased to 69-20. Many Republicans were up in the air between Crist and Rubio previously but whatever they’ve seen over the last month has moved them more firmly into the Rubio column.

As I've said before, Crist will pick some, but by no means anything approaching the majority of the Independent vote.  He and Meek will split the Dem vote while Marco takes the Republican and Independent vote and ultimately the Senate seat.  Crist badly misjudged the Florida electorate and moved way too far left.  There is simply no graceful way for him to move back to the center now.

In the House race in this district, Kathy Castor is considered "safe".  Really?  Whomever comes out on top tonight between Mike Prendergast and Eddie Adams, Jr., we will have a candidate who is more than capable of unseating the ninth most liberal member in the House of Representatives.

Only 20 percent of the population self identifies as "liberal" which puts Castor way outside of the mainstream.  In the coming days I will be providing a closer look at Castor's record and it will become clear that on issue after issue, Castor has voted contrary to the constituency.

Lastly, after tonight Jeff Greene will no longer be spamming my inbox.  That my friends, is a very good thing.

Marco Rubio Responds to Harry Reid's Ridiculous Comment on Hispanics

"I don't know how anyone of Hispanic heritage could be a Republican” - Harry Reid

Harry Reid is a typical Democrat.  In his mind, we all belong in categories.  He doesn't seem to understand that despite our surface differences we are all Americans.  We all want a strong country regardless of our ethnicity.  Concern for the future isn't a white thing or a black thing or a brown thing.  Marco Rubio, the next senator from Florida, tell Harry Reid exactly why he is wrong about Hispanics:

Jeff Greene: Self Made Putz

Jeff Greene is a self-made man.  Should be good enough for me, right?  Not hardly.  From the St. Pete Times:

...But behind the bio soundbites and chipper TV ads lies a man widely disparaged by current and former employees, former tenants and political consultants as a self-absorbed cheapskate. A lawsuit accuses him of being cruel and verbally abusive to his former chef. A deckhand shocked on Greene's Summerwind yacht had to fight eight months to get his medical bills paid after Greene denied knowing him....

..."If he plans on running his country like his yacht, we're all going to be sinking," said John Walenczyk, a Summerwind deckhand....

The buzz among Greene employees is that if the Asian or European markets have done poorly overnight, it's going to be a rough morning because Greene, a screamer, is up all hours monitoring his vast portfolio.

James Battles, Greene's former personal chef, sued him last year. The suit alleges Greene demanded round-the-clock attention and would berate and humiliate Battles when he sought reimbursement for food paid for out of his own pocket.

Battles said Greene fired him after he was hospitalized for exhaustion before one of Greene's parties. The settlement is confidential and Greene declined to discuss the case.

Former and current employees tell similar stories, though most fear talking publicly.

Adam Lambert worked as captain of Greene's 145-foot yacht, Summerwind, earlier this year.

"He has total disregard for anybody else,'' chuckled Lambert, who said he was Greene's 20th and 22nd Summerwind captain (No. 21 quit after a few hours with Greene).

"I don't think I ever once had an actual conversation with him. It was always, 'I should just get rid of you, what f------ good are you? You're just a f------ boat driver. You're the third-highest paid employee in my corporation and I should just get rid of you,' '' Lambert, 43, recalled by phone from a yacht in Croatia. "It didn't bother me. I just felt sorry for the man. He doesn't seem very happy."

Harlan Hoffman, 37, was in a Fort Lauderdale yachting apparel store in 2007 when he saw a help wanted ad for Summerwind.

"There were two people from Australia there who said, 'Oh, good luck with that one. . . . We're still waiting to get paid by Summerwind.' I should have listened," Hoffman said.

The deckhand was shocked while buffing Greene's yacht and wound up hospitalized.


A boat's owner is supposed to take care of on-the-job medical costs, but Hoffman said Greene — whom he never met — told the insurance company he had never heard of Hoffman and that he didn't work on Summerwind. It took eight months and legal action that included affidavits from other crew members vouching for Hoffman and trashing Greene to get his bills paid.

"This guy Jeff Greene threw tons of money into new diving gear, but the crew's basic equipment — food and supplies — he didn't want to spend any money on. Summerwind has a terrible reputation,'' Hoffman said. "Mr. Greene's yacht is known to be a party yacht. When it went to Cuba, everybody talked about the vomit caked all over the sides from all the partying going on."

Hoffman couldn't believe it a few weeks back he saw Greene's campaign ads on TV.

"He has this act on TV talking about what a good guy he is, and he's anything but. He treats his own employees like s---,'' he said. "If he can't even treat his employees good, I don't see how he's going to do good for the American people."

John Walenczyk, the Summerwind deckhand, was aboard that notorious trip to Cuba.

"He didn't want to put a dollar into anything, but expected miracles from the crew. He doesn't care about anybody but himself — a real peach,'' said Walenczyk.

Jeff Greene made his money by praying every day that someone would lose their home.  He treats his employees like indentured servants and if you can judge a man by the company he keeps, and I think you can, Greene likes to pal around with George Soros, Paris Hilton, Mike Tyson (who served as best man at Greene's wedding) and Heidi Fleiss.  Fleiss, hooker to the well heeled, lived with Greene after her little stint in prison.

Greene is a self made man with a self made reputation for being a first class jerk.  Thanks to another unprincipled jerk, Charlie Crist, Greene could be the next senator from Florida.  If that isn't reason enough for any remaining fence sitters to jump down and back Marco Rubio, I don't know what is. 

Rubio Back on Top

Marco Rubio is back on top in the polls (YAHOO!) and he raised $4.5 million in the second quarter.  I've never doubted that Rubio has the right stuff but it sure feels good to see that Charlie "you can fool some of the people some of the time" Crist isn't able to fool all of the people all of the time.

Ed Morrissey:

Earlier this afternoon, I participated in a conference call with Marco Rubio, who has focused more of late on networking and fundraising than high-profile campaigning. Even so, the last Rasmussen poll shows Rubio retaking a narrow lead among likely voters, and Charlie Crist’s latest grandstanding stunt could be backfiring. It certainly has with Crist appointee Senator George LeMieux, who today endorsed Marco Rubio. The strategy has also been effective, as Rubio’s campaign raised $4.5 million in the second quarter, blowing away Kendrick Meek’s $1 million.

Rubio started with a brief introduction, saying that “we’re very happy with the direction of my campaign.” He expressed the need for a strong check on the Obama administration. Rubio hit at the uncertainties created by the White House and Congress in the economy, and said they had made it “difficult to invest” in American industry. Rubio said an announcement would come tomorrow on a proposal to create a Gulf enterprise zone to restore economic health to the region, and blasted politicians taking “photo op opportunities” rather than work for real improvement.

Morrissey goes on to give a sample of the questions asked today and Rubio's answers.  Having listened to Rubio speak on several occasions I can attest that Rubio knows the issues and more importantly, he knows where he stands.  A refreshing change from Charlie Crist, whose "stands" vary depending on whomever he is sucking up to at any given moment.  I thought Rubio's answer to one question in particular spoke very highly of his character and integrity:
 

Prefer Meek or Greene in the race? – Doesn’t matter, Rubio says. “Meek is principled,” Rubio says, “his principles are different than mine, is all.” Of all the other candidates, Rubio’s the only one that won’t carry Barack Obama’s, Harry Reid’s, Nancy Pelosi’s water on Capitol Hill.

Rubio credited Meek with having deeply held beliefs.  He doesn't ridicule Kendrick Meek the man, but focuses on their differences on policies.  It is a pity that more politicians don't follow that tact rather than the constant sniping and character assassinations that we are subjected to almost daily.

Having Rubio in the Senate will go a long way towards bringing some much needed balance back to Washington.  I've said it before and I'll say it again-November can't get here soon enough.

Read the rest of Morrissey's post.

The LEAST Surprising Headline of the Day

The honor goes to Politico for Democrats flirt with backing Charlie Crist.  On the Democrat side of the ballot, the candidates stink.  Kendrick Meek is completely ho hum and he's been tied to a criminal fraud case.  Their other possibility, Jeff Greene, is just plain skeezy.  Yes, I know, for Democrats skeeziness is a feature, not a bug, but still. 

Ed Morrissey posits at Hot Air that the Dems throwing their lot in with Crist doesn't make sense.  Morrissey presents a thorough, logical and convincing argument against a Dem/Crist hookup.  Thing is, and trust me, I am holding my breath as I type this, Morrissey is wrong.

Crist has gone from being a Republican in name only to a Democrat in everything but name.  He has tossed every conservative principal he ever pretended to hold and replaced those principals with the Democratic party platform talking points.  Is he repugnant?  Sure, but when did that ever bother the Democrats?  (See:  Kennedy, Ted; Kennedy, Patrick; Frank, Barney-and so forth and so on ad nauseum) 

The assumption is that Crist and Rubio will split the Republican vote and hand the Senate seat to the Democratic challenger.  But Crist is actively ceding the Republican vote to Rubio, hoping to capture the Indy vote and split the Democrat vote with whomever while keeping the prize for himself. 

My guess is that Democrats would rather that Crist were their candidate.  Their problem is that they can not actively give Meek the heave ho.  It just wouldn't look good.  Greene strikes me as a novelty candidate, at best.  I hate to say it but Crist looks good for the Dems.

As the Worm Turns

The "worm" of course, is the ever fluid Charlie Crist.

Once upon a time, Charlie, knowing that Cuban American voters in Florida are conservative and active, not only backed the sanctions in place against Cuba, he strengthened them.  But now that Crist has tossed the Republican party he is also tossing "values" that he claimed to hold dearly as little as two months ago.  With Cuban Americans clearly in Marco Rubio's corner, Crist has decided to side with pro-Castro voters (donors).  Ed  Morrissey at Hot Air on Crist's latest flip flop:

If Crist had no qualms about reversing himself on abortion a week ago, then the Cuba issue won’t keep him awake at night, either. Both involve the basic dignity and sanctity of life, and whether it gets treated as the sacred center from which springs liberty and freedom, or as a commodity that exists at the pleasure of another — in Cuba’s case, the state. Both also represent core values to people on either side of the debate.

For Crist, though, the only core value seems to be Charlie Crist. When he needed the Cuban-Americans, he courted them with paeans to the embargo laws that went even further. When Crist decided he needed to reinvent himself, the issues of Cuba and the embargo were secondary at best to his own ambition. He needs the money from people not already committed to Rubio, and so he’s off to his fundraiser with the very people he opposed on his 2008 bill.

One wonders if Charlie has any principals.  If so, they are readily apparent.

Call to Action!

Stacy McCain and URGENT call to action:  Florida Threatened By Disgusting Toxic Brown Slime

Stacy is talking about the latest poll results showing Charlie Crist and Marco Rubio neck to neck in the Florida Senatorial race.  With Crist's involvement in the Jim Greer scandal and serious questions about Crist's role in the bilking of the Republican Party of Florida, Floridians have even more reason to distrust Crist.  Scandal, corruption and elastic principles don't typically recommend a candidate for higher office and Crist is eyeball deep in ooze.

Small quibble with Stacy's description of Crist-I think of him as more dirty orange than brown.  Everything about he screams "fake", including the tan.

Read the rest. 






Stand with Marco Rubio!

How To Know That You Have Hit Rock Bottom

I'd say a pretty clear sign is when you are compared unfavorably to Arlen Specter.  A comment from Hot Air:  Crist makes Specter seem honorable.  Ouch.

The comment was in reaction to Ed Morrissey's post Crist scrubs campaign site of pro-life support.  In a foregone era (a month ago) when Crist was touting his "conservative" cred, he called himself "staunchly pro-life."  Now Crist is running around the state telling everyone how much fun he is having and how free he feels.  Apparently, in an effort to garner votes from Democrats, Crist feels free to throw unborn children under the bus:

What does a man whose only political principle is his own survival do when attempting to distance himself from his former political party? If you answered “go pro-choice,” then you get the Florida kewpie doll. Charlie Crist has scrubbed his campaign website of its former support for the pro-life cause, but not quickly enough to keep Marco Rubio and Life News from noticing it:

In the latest development in the race for the open U.S. Senate seat in Florida, Governor Charlie Crist is coming under fire for removing the pro-life section of his campaign website. This comes on the day the legislature sent him a bill that would allow women to see an ultrasound of their baby before an abortion.

Crist has already hinted he will veto the legislation, which also allows Florida to opt out of some of the abortion funding under the new national health care law President Barack Obama signed.

That he would potentially veto a pro-life bill will broad support from voters is another indication of his strategy to leave the Republican Party and run as an independent.

Knowing he may veto the bill, the campaign of pro-life Republican candidate Marco Rubio informed LifeNews.com today that Crist’s campaign scrubbed his web site of a section touting Crist as a supposedly pro-life candidate.

"Pro-life, "pro-abortion"-what the diff?  Charlie has a campaign to run and he isn't going to let a few innocent lives stand between him and the prize.  So Charlie is running as an Independent with a Democratic platform and he is switch hitting, as he always has.  When Charlie dropped the pro-life line he picked up the pro card check agenda:
 

Florida, like many other states, is hurting in a very challenging economic time. The state’s unemployment rate is 12 percent, and foreclosures have hit Florida hard. People are looking for work and trying to make ends meet. Small businesses — the backbone of Florida’s economy — are struggling to keep the lights on and doors open, not to mention meet payroll each week. While the reasonable expectation isn’t that government would create jobs, citizens and employers do believe that elected officials and those seeking public office should refuse to support policies that will result in additional job loss and increased unemployment.

Unfortunately, something as simple as saying no to job-killing legislation can become complicated when politics gets in the way. This appears to be the case for Florida’s governor and Senate candidate, Charlie Crist.

Recently, as Mr. Crist addressed the AFL-CIO, headlines emerged in Florida papers reading, “Crist: Open Ear About Employee Free Choice Act.”

Crist stated he would be “open” to a bill that would put 600,000 jobs at risk? The notion is disturbing, to say the least.

EFCA presents a number of problems for workers and small businesses in Florida and across the United States. Removing secret ballot elections and exposing workers to union boss intimidation with a card check system, EFCA would be a threat to worker rights. Yet, Big Labor bosses continue to promote it because they know that the Employee “Forced” Choice Act would make it much easier to force workers into unions where they are required to pay dues, which would fatten union coffers.

I guess Charlie's new campaign slogan should be:  I'm not unprincipaled, I'm "flexible."