Florida Governor Charlie Crist Lied About His Support Of The “Stimulus” Spending Spree
Think the tea parties and conservative activism in the Republican base isn’t making a difference? Liberal Republican Governor Charlie Crist, who is facing a challenge by conservative former Florida legislator Marco Rubio, recently told CNN that he didn’t support or endorse the “stimulus” spending spree:
“I didn’t endorse it, I didn’t even have a vote on the darn thing.”
The problem? Crist not only endorsed the bill, he told Rolling Stone that had he been in the Senate he’d have defected from the GOP ranks on the bill to join Olympia Snowe, Susan Collins and then-Republican Arlen Specter in voting for it.
Another GOP governor facing excommunication is Charlie Crist of Florida. By all reasonable standards, Crist is a right-of-center Republican who has established crossover appeal by taking a conservationist approach to global warming and the Everglades. But to GOP hard-liners, Crist is nothing but a warmed-over Democrat, a turncoat who appeared with Obama in support of the stimulus package. The governor was recently pilloried by GOP operatives — with obvious sexual innuendo — as “batting for the other team.” Even Jeb Bush’s son, George P., got into the act, giving Crist the hip-hop handle “D-Light.”
Many Republican strategists see such tactics as self-defeating. “You get guys like Crist who are tremendously popular, and they try to drum him out,” says Davis, the former NRCC chair. For his part, Crist is weighing a run for the Senate — where, he tells Rolling Stone, he would have given the president a fourth Republican vote on the stimulus bill. The GOP, he adds, must come up with something to say other than No.
“Don’t misunderstand me,” he says. “Sometimes ‘no’ is the right answer. But you have to have a vision for the future. You have to talk about what it is you want to do rather than knocking the other guy all the time.”
For what it’s worth, the “stimulus” spending Crist supported not only contributed to the tripling of our deficit under Obama but has also resulted in more fraudulent account from the government than, you know, jobs.
If you want to do something about this, consider a donation to Mr. Rubio.
I don`t like… Please point out why they are “such extremists”, other than they have different policy goals than yours.
The spending was not all wise. But it’s sad that such a small group of loud-mouthed extremists, like the professional t baggers , can wrangle such undue influence in our country. I have no problem with the local t partiers voicing their opinions. But I really have a problem with the pro’s who go to party after party to make it look like the movement is bigger than it is.
10.3% unemployment and 8,000,000 jobs lost.
FU Charlie
He’s a fair man and with a little more practical experience he will be a good governor. And he’s an good person
Lean Muscle X
Is this a surprise that a politician wants it both ways. I’m new to Florida and I keep hearing this on the radio along with how he knew about Obama coming to the state. It gets old real quick. I really don’t care to be honest. My starting point with politicians is always that they are lying or bending the truth and I go from there.
I don’t know why they are such extremists. It’s like they are ex-theater majors, with their overly patriotic garb and chicken little-ish signs, traveling from town to town like a minstrel troop.
So anyway, I don’t know why they are so extreme, but I think most Americans are tiring of them.
I think you want most Americans to be tiring of them. The reality is that the tea parties are making a difference or Obama wouldn’t be scrambling on deficit reduction right now.