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MIAMI -- Florida Gov. Charlie Crist has had a tough time lately in his bid for U.S. Senate, and things just got worse. U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart confirmed Tuesday he and his brother, Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, have rescinded their endorsement of Crist for the Republican primary. Mario Diaz-Balart said they notified Crist weeks ago and that he “left them no choice.” He added it was the first endorsement they’ve rescinded. Diaz-Balart recalled how he and his brother backed Bill McCollum’s unsuccessful bid for the 2004 Republican primary over fellow Cuban-American Mel Martinez, and supported Republican presidential candidate John McCain during...

‘Wow.” That was the response of a cynical Florida Republican politico recently reacting to poll numbers showing former state speaker of the house Marco Rubio tied with Gov. Charlie Crist. The two are expected to face one another in an August Republican primary for the Senate seat abandoned by Republican Mel Martinez. Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, is wowing even the professionals; his performance is especially impressive because the weight of the Republican establishment is behind Crist, as it has been for most of the year — the National Republican Senatorial Committee endorsed him back in the spring. The...

Federal investigators are scrutinizing the records of Scott Rothstein's former employees -- who gave about $2.2 million to political candidates -- for potential campaign finance and other violations. BY JAY WEAVER, AMY SHERMAN, & MARC CAPUTO Lawyer Steven Lippman and his homemaker wife, Marcy, hadn't donated much to politicians before 2006 -- just $500 to former U.S. Sen. Bob Graham, the Florida Democrat. But their generosity exploded after Lippman joined Scott Rothstein's law firm in Fort Lauderdale. Over the next four years, the Plantation couple contributed about $247,000 to Gov. Charlie Crist's campaign for the U.S. Senate, the McCain-Palin presidential...

Gov. Charlie Crist walked alone into Friday's meeting with The Miami Herald editorial board. His security detail stayed outside the glass door. There were no staff members juggling Blackberries and briefing books at his side. Just Crist, sitting at a conference table in shirt sleeves and a tie, at perhaps the lowest point of his political career. The interview came after another tough week. Polls showed the former presumptive Republican nominee tied or just a notch ahead of former House Speaker Marco Rubio of Miami in the U.S. Senate race. Calls for his state party chief, Jim Greer, to resign...

He's pulled even in polls with powerhouse RINO, FL Gov. Charlie Crist!I often listen to WOKV AM-690 from Jacksonville, Florida whose signal carries well up the coast here to Hilton Head Island, SC. One day,I was shocked when I heard the following ad from Florida Governor Charlie Crist who is now running for the U.S. Senate in 2010: [AUDIO AT SITE] Sounds good hunh? So why was I shocked? Because it was only February that Gov. Crist was playing cheerleader for Obama and praising the failed stimulus bill: [VIDEO AT SITE] What's worse, now Crist is lying about his support...

There comes a time in politics when the particular details of a leader’s transgressions become a moot point. During his tenure as chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, Jim Greer has reportedly presided over lavish and irresponsible spending of donor money, the purging of critics and the use of dirty tricks like fake Twitter accounts to attack fellow Republicans. He also has rammed through dictatorial rule changes that would make Fidel Castro blush and used the RPOF as a club in the service of a single Republican politician. -snip- Greer likes to blame his troubles on Marco Rubio supporters...

"Charie Crist appears to be headed south for the winter, and we don’t mean Miami. The Florida governor was enjoying a lead of as much as 29 points in some polls as recently as mid-August, but by the third week of October his advantage had been cut in half. Now the moderate Republican finds himself deadlocked in his battle against Marco Rubio in the GOP primary for a U.S. Senate seat. A new Rasmussen survey commissioned by Tampa Bay television station Fox 13 shows Crist and Rubio tied at 43 percent, with 14 percent undecided."

Sen. John McCain is known as a straight talker but he can dodge with the best of them. Asked if pal Charlie Crist's embrace of the stimulus was a political mistake, McCain demurred. "I don't know. I haven't kept up enough to really know about that. I can't judge other people," he told the Buzz. This comes from a guy who recently told Imus "hell no" he didn't support the stimulus. McCain said Marco Rubio is "mounting a serious threat," but quickly added, "I still think Charlie will win." The Arizona Republican and 2008 presidential nominee, who won Florida in...

In what has to be the toughest choice since deciding what his position is on Obama’s stimulus plan this week, Charlie Crist is expected to announce Republican Party of Florida Chairman Jim Greer will resign this month to “focus on his family.” No word on the exact date of the announcement, but likely in the days around Christmas when no one is paying attention to the news. Greer recently survived a “confidence” vote by the RPOF leadership, however, according to Hillsborough County State Committeeman A.J. Matthews the board was hoodwinked into the lopsided vote of support for Greer and this...

Scott Rothstein Almost Saved Us From Sarah Palin - Miami News - Riptide 2.0

TALLAHASSEE - Gov. Charlie Crist responded this morning to questions about the latest Rasmussen poll, showing him in a 43-43 tie with Marco Rubio in the race for U.S. Senate. From Rasmussen Reports: "Crist's support has fallen from 53% in August to 49% in October. Rasmussen Reports noted at the time, 'The fact that Crist has fallen below 50% in a primary against a lesser known opponent suggests potential vulnerability.' "Rubio's name recognition has grown in recent months and he is now viewed Very Favorably by 34% of Likely Primary Voters. That's up from 18% in August. As his name...

FOX 13's exclusive Rasmussen polling shows Rubio tied with Crist at 43 percent. Fourteen percent of those polled were uncommitted to either candidate. YouTube - Ma3lst0rm's Channel

Election 2010: Florida GOP Senate Primary 2010 Florida GOP Senate Primary: Crist 43%, Rubio 43% Tuesday, December 15 Governor Charlie Crist and former state House Speaker Marco Rubio are now tied in the 2010 race for the Republican Senate nomination in Florida. A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of likely GOP Primary voters finds Crist and Rubio each with 43% of the vote. Five percent (5%) prefer another candidate, and nine percent (9%) are undecided. Crist’s support has fallen from 53% in August to 49% in October. Rasmussen Reports noted at the time, “The fact that Crist has fallen below...

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A sure sign that an election is a year away: Gov. Charlie Crist is changing again. The populist Republican governor is trying to convince people he's a conservative now that his opponent in the Republican primary for Senate, former House Speaker Marco Rubio, has cut considerably into Crist's lead in the polls with a conservative message. In the most extreme example of Crist reinventing himself, the governor denied endorsing the $787 billion federal stimulus and put out a radio ad in October criticizing President Barack Obama for trying to spend his way to prosperity. Crist clearly...

In an embarrassing blunder, Gov. Charlie Crist mistakenly directed parents of uninsured children to call a toll-free sex line. People calling the governor's office heard an on-hold recording of Crist promoting the toll-free Florida KidCare line. Except two numbers were transposed.

Scott Rothstein Jailed By Bob Norman Tue., Dec. 1 2009 @ 12:08PM Wearing a black T-shirt (it was designer, probably Ed Hardy; I don't know clothes), designer jeans, a pair of silver-colored handcuffs in U.S. Magistrate Judge Robin...

(snip) "It's hard to be more concervative than I am on issues - though there are different ways stylistically to communicate that - I'm pro-life, I'm pro-gun, I'm pro-family, and I''m anti tax. (Critics will note he voted against abortion restrictions as a legislator and used to call himself "pro-choice," that he supported higher cigarette taxes) I don't know what else you're supposed to be, except maybe angry too," Crist said, noting a Daily Kos poll that found Rubio leading among Florida Republicans who doubt President Obama was born in America. (snip)

Gov. Charlie Crist’s office is “looking into” the possibility of removing embattled attorney Scott Rothstein from the state’s Judicial Nominating Committee. Rothstein has offered to surrender his license to practice law. But, he may remain a member of JNC unless, or until, he’s charged with a felony crime. Gov. Charlie Crist named Rothstein to the JNC in August 2008. “Typically, the governor would only step in when felony charges are filed against a public official,” said Sterling Ivey, Crist’s spokesman. “Whether we will act before that point in this case is not clear yet. Our legal office is looking into...

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Nov. 20 (UPI) -- An attorney who was a major fundraiser for Florida Gov. Charlie Crist allegedly conducted an investment scam that cost investors millions, a lawsuit alleges. A group of investors said in a suit filed against Scott Rothstein that the co-partner of the Rothstein, Rosenfeldt and Adler law firm took part in a scheme that cost the plaintiffs more than $100 million, The Miami Herald reported Friday.

Attorneys at Scott Rothstein's firm landed a highly privileged meeting with the executive leadership of the North Broward Hospital District in September 2008, the month after Rothstein was appointed by his friend, Gov. Charlie Crist, to the nominating committee for Florida's 4th District Court of Appeals, according to documents that were part of an internal investigation at the district.

In my interview with Governor Palin yesterday evening, we touched briefly on some current events, including President Obama's trip to Asia and the place of the tea-party movement in the Republican party. Some highlights: 1) I asked Palin about the anti-tax-and-spending tea parties. "I love the tea party movement," she said. "It's beautiful, it's healthy. It's part of that good healthy competition that's needed in a political party." She contrasted the somewhat tumultuous state of the GOP to what's going on in the Democratic party today. "It seems like the Democratic party is filled with more sheep-like individuals, who go...

Former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin told National Review on Tuesday that she’s considering an endorsement in the Florida’s Republican U.S. Senate primary between Gov. Charlie Crist and former House speaker Marco Rubio: She says she’s had a chance to look at the Crist-Rubio race “just on the surface.” But she adds, “I’m just being asked about it really in the last week or two, so I’ll dig more into it. I’ll find out what the guys are holding in terms of positions and see where maybe I can help.” Keep in mind that her 2008 running mate, John...

A big chunk of the money that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger collected last year to finance a political reform ballot measure came from a man now being accused of running a massive Ponzi-style fraud in Florida. When federal investigators raided the offices of Fort Lauderdale, FL, attorney Scott Rothstein, looking for evidence to bolster civil and potentially criminal charges of running a huge Ponzi-style fraud, they found many pictures of Rothstein with prominent politicians. The Wall Street Journal reported that Rothstein appeared to be particularly close to Florida Gov. Charlie Crist but among other political figures in the photos were former...

(snip) There’s a list of issues being hammered out, but at the top is finding money for South Florida’s cash-strapped Tri-Rail. Republicans are targeting a $2 fee on rental cars as the source and discussing whether to let county commissions approve the charge or require a referendum.“That’s sort of one of the issues we’re dealing with,” Crist said. Florida’s Republican leaders believe they need to settle funding issues for Tri-Rail and a host of insurance and money issues for a proposed Central Florida line known as SunRail before the state has any chance at securing $2.5 billion in federal stimulus...

(snip) Dickinson posted the transcript of that question and answer yesterday at Rolling Stone: Rolling Stone: Just a final question: Had you been in the Senate, would you have voted with the other Republicans for the stimulus package? Crist: Absolutely. (snip)

It was a moment of unintentional comedy earlier this year when newly appointed U.S. Sen. George LeMieux called himself a " Charlie Crist Republican." No doubt LeMieux spoke in earnest about the man who appointed him to the Senate, and who is now running to succeed him in it. But the joke was that nobody knew what he meant. What is a "Charlie Crist Republican" anyway? Honestly, do you know how Charlie Crist would vote on a federal takeover of health care, on a cap-and-trade energy tax, on massive new spending bills, or on another stimulus boondoggle?

http://www.postonpolitics.com/2009/11/rothstein-gave-200k-to-gop-governors/ http://malomanblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/kswp_07.jpg

Charlie Crist is getting killed by a hug. The Republican governor is being bombarded with images of him hugging President Barack Obama when he was in Florida to pitch his $787 billion economic stimulus plan earlier this year. In just the past two weeks, that hug has appeared in an ad by the conservative Club for Growth attacking Crist, in a Democratic National Committee e-mail highlighting his recent assertion that he actually didn’t “endorse” the stimulus bill and in headlines all over Florida, including one Wednesday that read: “Charlie Crist needs to figure out a way to undo a hug.”

Six months ago, Charlie Crist looked like he could do no wrong. He had built a remarkable job-approval rating as Florida’s governor and looked like a shoo-in to hold the state in the red column. Then Crist decided to run for the Senate instead, hoping to replace the retiring Mel Martinez (R), and got an endorsement from the NRSC within hours even though conservative Marco Rubio had already filed to run for the nomination. Six months later, Crist suddenly looks vulnerable, and as Politico reports, he only has himself to blame: Florida Gov. Charlie Crist is witnessing a sharp downturn...

Charlie Crist has always courted national media attention and lately -- for better or worse -- he's getting it in spades. There was the Wall Street Journal piece on disgraced lawyer/fundraiser Scott Rothstein, featuring a front-page image of Crist with Rothstein, inscribed, "Scott -- you are amazing! -- Charlie Crist."

Blogger Jordan Carmon catches Marco Rubio’s upstart Senate campaign putting together an ad against Gov. Charlie Crist (R-Fla.)–his opponent in the 2010 GOP primary–that looks and sounds exactly like a hard-hitting ad then-presidential candidate Barack Obama ran against Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in 2008. Check out the ads. First, Rubio: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hghjqOw3CBs Now, Obama: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6reQLzgywzk Notice that the equivalent of the picture with Bush is a picture of Crist with Obama.

A Florida Republican Becomes a Right-Wing Target By KATE ZERNIKE November 15, 2009 NEWBERRY, Fla. — In retrospect, even Charlie Crist admits that “the optics” of The Hug are not great. President Barack Obama with Charlie Crist, governor of Florida, at a town hall meeting in Fort Myers, Fla., in February. Chip Litherland for the New York Times Gov. Charlie Crist, with his wife, Carole, drew protests at a Republican barbecue this month. It was in the glow of a new day in politics last February when Mr. Crist, this state’s popular Republican governor, took the stage with President Obama...

No one ever accused Florida attorney Scott Rothstein of being subtle -- or of skimping. Some investors say they were impressed by the ties Scott Rothstein, left, had with Florida luminaries, including Gov. Charlie Crist, right. .At an Eagles concert this year, Don Henley, the band's drummer, singled out Mr. Rothstein and his wife, Kimberly. "I don't normally do this, but this goes out to Scott and Princess Kimmy on their one-year wedding anniversary," Mr. Henley told the audience as the band ripped into "Life in the Fast Lane," its paean to the perils of excess. Mr. Rothstein paid $100,000...

Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s 2012 presidential exploratory tour hits Florida today. There he could face a politically tricky question: Will he back Florida Gov. Charlie Crist or conservative darling Marco Rubio in next year’s U.S. Senate contest? Crist was initially expected to easily win the Republican nomination. But he’s come under attack from conservative activists for supporting President Obama’s stimulus package. Earlier this week, the Club for Growth announced its support for Rubio and launched a television ad attacking Crist. Pawlenty could be gun shy about wading into local political battles after his experience pontificating about the recent congressional contest in...

Who best represents the views of most Republican Party members in Florida? A) Governor Charlie Crist B) Former House Speaker Marco Rubio

I am beyond disappointed or hurt. I am personally offended. Do you idiots [RNC] never learn? There is no such thing as Republican or democrat anymore. Look at the rise of independents, goofballs! There is one thing every independent rejects, absolutely and completely: Being told that party registration of a candidate means adherence to a pre-set list of positions, that we somehow can't talk to people of different registrations. As Korn sang, Freak on a leash. I am at a complete loss to grasp the depth of your inability to understand modern politics.

lorida Senate candidate Marco Rubio (R) said on Monday that he would welcome the endorsement of ex-Gov. Sarah Palin (R-Alaska). The conservative insurgent candidate challenging Gov. Charlie Crist (R-Fla.) said that Palin's endorsement would be more than appropriate because they agree on nearly every issue. "I can't think of anything her and I disagree with off the top of my head," he told CBS News in an interview.

Club PAC Endorses Rubio in FL-Sen Press Release Club for Growth PAC Endorses Marco Rubio for U.S. SenateFormer Florida House Speaker 'the Real Deal,' Crist the 'Wrong Direction' WASHINGTON - Club for Growth PAC today endorsed Marco Rubio in the 2010 U.S. Senate race in Florida. "Marco Rubio is the real deal, one of the brightest young stars in American politics today, and a proven champion of economic liberty," said Club President Chris Chocola. "He is a dynamic spokesman for the principles of limited government and economic freedom, and he will make a fantastic Senator." Rubio served in the Florida...

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist says he is not flip-flopping when it comes to support of the federal stimulus package championed by Democrats, saying his comments earlier this week to CNN’s Wolf Blitzer were more about the actual stimulus legislation passed by Congress, and not the effort itself. “I think the question posed to me was, ‘Did you endorse this specific bill?’” Crist told reporters Friday after speaking to the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices policy institute in Tampa. “And I said, ‘No, I didn’t,’ but the concept I thought, and still believe, was important, necessary and it helped...

Isn't it funny how quickly politicians abandon their original positions after being on the wrong side of an issue is used against them? Charlie Crist is the latest culprit of the phenomenon, revisionist history. During an appearance yesterday on CNN, Crist had this to say about the president's stimulus package: "I didn't endorse it. I didn't even have a vote on the darn thing. But I understood that it was gonna pass and I wanted to be able to utilize it for the benefit of my fellow Floridians." Are you sure you didn't support the stimulus Governor Crist? Because if...

Interesting fun fact of the day: The G5 that Scott Rothstein flew to Morocco and back was apparently arranged for Rothstein by Blue Star Jets. Blue Star Jets is owned by Todd Rome. Todd Rome is the ex-husband of Carol Rome. Carol Rome is the current wife of Florida governor and U.S. Senate candidate Charlie Crist. Charlie Crist is a guy who counted Rothstein as a friend and huge political donor.

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." 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...

The RINO hunt continues. As many of us recall, Gov. Charlie Crist (R-Fla.) warmly embraced Obama's stimulus plan. Well, yesterday on CNN, apparently after examining the election results, Crist began the walkback. Too late Charlie, we've got your number.

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. He commented...

Rumors are circulating that Scott Rothstein, whose current whereabouts aren't known, spent a marathon 18 hours in talks with federal prosecutors last night and this morning. ​Sources say he was not only confessing to his own crimes but pointing the finger at others, including Gov. Charlie Crist, who was so close to Rothstein that he visited his home, dined with him, and attended a party at his wedding last year at the Versace mansion.

There are some amazing stories brewing on the Scott Rothstein front, but while I'm reporting those, let's look at his cars.

After pumping more than $1 million into an upstate New York House race to elect the Conservative Party’s Doug Hoffman, the Club for Growth is on the hunt again. Chris Chocola, president of the conservative political action committee, made it clear the PAC is looking for more GOP targets who don’t embrace the Club’s limited-government approach. Priority No. 1 is likely to be the Senate contest in Florida, where Republican Gov. Charlie Crist, who embraced President Barack Obama’s stimulus package, is being challenged by former State House Speaker Marco Rubio. . . . . . Beyond Florida, other establishment Republicans...

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. “We will not spend money in a contested primary,” Cornyn, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, told ABC News.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -- Gov. Charlie Crist is saying he did not endorse the $787 billion federal stimulus bill, a statement that might confuse some voters. Crist appeared with President Barak Obama in February to support the bill, asked Florida members of Congress to vote for it and previously told The Associated Press that he would have voted for it if he had been in the Senate. But when the Republican governor talked about the bill Wednesday on CNN, he said he didn't endorse it. Crist told CNN he understood that the bill was going to pass and wanted to...

Scott Rothstein is meeting with federal prosecutors tonight, according to numerous sources, and criminal charges appear imminent in the apparent Ponzi scheme that exceeds $400 million.