Posted on 02/09/2010 7:20:43 AM PST by SeekAndFind
Last May, I wrote about why I thought Florida governor Charlie Crist was an acceptable fiscal conservative (the Cato Institute had given him an "A" on its Fiscal Policy Report Card) and why I believed he gave Republicans the best chance to retain Florida's U.S. Senate seat. Even though I was chided by fellow conservatives for saying something favorable about the governor, who had embraced Obama's nearly $1 trillion stimulus package (which by the way has failed to reduce unemployment), I believed that a more important goal was to stop the Democrats from strengthening their filibuster-proof Senate majority. I subsequently donated to Crist's Senate campaign and even met with him once to discuss tax- and budget-policy ideas.
But since then, I've changed my mind and made the switch to Marco Rubio. For one thing, Governor Crist's fiscal-responsibility score has fallen. According to Cato's Chris Edwards in an October e-mail to the St. Petersburg Times: "But as the report's author, I am concerned that the governor has fallen off the fiscal responsibility horse since the report was written in mid-2008. In particular, Crist approved a huge $2.2 billion tax increase for the fiscal 2010 budget, even though he had promised that $12 billion in federal 'stimulus' money showered on Florida over three years would obviate the need for tax increases." But more important, I had a chance to meet with Rubio right before Christmas. He struck me as someone who was geniunely interested in nitty-gritty of public policy; a true policy wonk who had championed 100 reform ideas when he was the Speaker of the Florida house. Furthermore, I came away thinking that Marco Rubio is someone conservatives could trust to go to Washington and take on President Obama and congressional liberals as they move to massively expand government.
Charlie Crist, if elected, would make a fine U.S. senator, and would probably be a reliable Republican vote on most issues. But I think Marco Rubio is more likely to be a leader when it comes to putting foward innovative conservative policy reforms and alternatives to America's problems.
I've rounded up a group of friends, including Rep. Paul Ryan, Mary Matalin, former Rep. Vin Weber, Liz Cheney, former Sen. Bob Kasten, and former Rep. J. C. Watts, among others, to host an evening reception in my offices (901 7th Street, N.W., Washington) for Rubio after his speech before CPAC on Thursday, February 18. I'd invite all Corner readers to come over to meet Marco, who I believe will be Florida's next U.S. Senator.
— Cesar Conda was assistant for domestic policy to Vice President Dick Cheney and senior economic policy adviser to the 2008 Mitt Romney for President Campaign.
I will never vote for Crist. Marco has my vote and my money....
I hope Rubio wins! That is change I could believe in!
bttt
See, this is what should be happening in the Republican party. The author does a mea culpa, changes his mind, and goes down the right path.
I do not dismiss anyone who has changed their ways—people genuinely DO change their minds.
The tide may truly be turning—the liberals are either changing or being squeezed out. I love it.
Charlie Crist is doing Obama’s bidding which would bar him from being a good Senator or politician at all.
Okay, let’s give the guy credit for finding his marbles. He ate his crow honorably, and in a timely manner.
Crist is toast.
Rubio is going to win this. I’ve been supporting him both financially and here since he started.
Huh?
He is no fiscal conservative. Heck, he supported 0bama for crying out loud!
He's a young attractive candidate, he's an Hispanic in a state with a large Hispanic demographic in key areas (Dade, Broward etc.) and he's solidly conservative at a time when liberals are on the out and dropping like flies. Not to mention the fact (s) that he's ahead in all of the polls and the Tea Party element will be an influential king maker in this primary.
His initial major hurdle was name recognition, but he's now overcome that.
Unless he does something along the lines of getting caught on tape dropping puppies into a plastic shredder, I don't see how he CAN'T win.
I normally hate to ASS-U-ME things, but it seems that twinkle-toes Crist is toast.
Is Rubio Italian or Latin-American? I can’t tell by either his name or his appearance.
His parents are Cuban.
RE: Is Rubio Italian or Latin-American? I can’t tell by either his name or his appearance.
Brief backgrounder on Marco Rubio :
Rubio was born in Miami, Florida, the son of immigrants from Cuba. He is a Roman Catholic and is fluent in Spanish. His father was a bartender and his mother was a maid. Rubio lived in Las Vegas, Nevada from 1979 to 1985, though his family returned to Miami in the summer of 1985. Rubio attended South Miami Senior High School and graduated in 1989. He then attended Tarkio College for one year on a football scholarship from 1989 to 1990 before enrolling at Santa Fe Community College and the University of Florida. He received his B.S. from the University of Florida in 1993 and his J.D. Cum Laude from the University of Miami in 1996. While studying law, he interned for Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.
Rubio is married to Jeanette Dousdebes Rubio, a former Miami Dolphins cheerleader (1997) of Colombian descent, and they have four children together: Amanda, Daniella, Anthony, and Dominick. Rubio and his family live in West Miami, Florida.
Thanks! Not that it mattered, I was just curious being Italian myself.
Rubio is AMERICAN.
http://newsmax.com/Headline/crist-florida-governor-rubio/2010/02/08/id/349315?s=al&promo_code=96EF-1
Crist “claiming” to be a Reagan conservative, when in fact he a Bowrama arse kisser!
Marco has my vote! And Mrs. Taxman’s, also!
We will campaign for him also.
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