Fl. Tea Party Icon Senate Candidate Registers As GOP. So Much For Third Parties

[thoughtone]

source: TPM

Rubio Signs Up To Run As A Republican -- And Takes Swipe At Crist

Marco Rubio formally signed the paperwork today to run in the Florida Republican primary for Senate -- a seemingly routine act that has taken on a whole other level of political significance, in light of the potential independent bid by Rubio's current opponent in the primary, Gov. Charlie Crist.
The Palm Beach Post reports that Rubio held an event at a park in his home town of West Miami, flanked by busts of Abraham Lincoln and Cuban independence icon Jose Marti, and accompanied by his family and over 100 supporters. He signed the official document to register as a candidate in the Republican primary, and then held it up for all to see.
Rubio said that if Crist runs as an independent, it won't change his own campaign. "Why I'm running is not going to change," Rubio said. "I'm the only candidate in this race that will stand up to this (Democratic) agenda and offer clear alternatives."
Rubio spokesman Alex Burgos also sent TPMDC a comment, contrasting Rubio's act of filing as a Republican candidate with Crist's public indecision over whether he will remain in the GOP.
"Today's signing event highlighted how proud Marco is to officially qualify and run as a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate. Surrounded by his family, friends and supporters, Marco took another definitive step towards going to Washington to stand up to the Obama agenda and offer an alternative," said Burgos. "It's a sharp contrast with Charlie Crist's ongoing drama over his next political move. Whatever Governor Crist decides, Marco will continue running on the same limited government, free market principles that he entered this race to defend and promote. Soon, we'll know whether the competition in November will be one or two proponents of the Obama agenda."
Crist said earlier today that he will announce his decision on Thursday, one day before the filing deadline. The TPM Poll Average for the Republican primary gives Marco Rubio a lead of 59.1%-27.9% over Crist, the opposite of where things were a year ago. Meanwhile, the poll average for a three-way general election only gives Rubio a narrow lead with 33.8% of the vote, followed by an independent Crist at 27.8%, and Democratic Rep. Kendrick Meek with 22.5%.



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[thoughtone]

Dick Cheney, who said "Defects Don't Matter" is endorsing a Tea Bagger who says the government debt will ruin our grand children's future. The Republican party exists in a Bizarro World for sure!

source: New York Times

Cheney Endorses Rubio in Florida

<!-- Byline --><ADDRESS class="byline author vcard">By JANIE LORBER</ADDRESS><!-- The Content -->
Former Vice President Dick Cheney is the latest high-profile Republican to endorse Marco Rubio in Florida’s Senate primary.
“Now more than ever, America needs leaders with the strength of conviction,” Mr. Cheney said in a statement. “Marco is exactly the kind of a strong conservative leader we need in Washington right now. We can trust Marco to stand up to the Obama agenda that threatens our freedom, and promote clear conservative alternatives.”
Mr. Rubio, who in a matter of months has captured the support of the Tea Party and many in the Republican establishment, is currently leading in the polls against his primary opponent, Gov. Charlie Crist, and the Democratic candidate, state Representative Kendrick Meek.
A number of well-known Republicans have already pledged their support for Mr. Rubio, including the former presidential candidates Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee and Rudolph W. Giuliani.
With the prospects for Mr. Crist growing dimmer by the day, he is considering making an independent run to avoid an embarrassing loss in his party’s primary, which is scheduled for August 24. The governor has until April 30 to decide.
Mr. Cheney, however, issued a strongly worded warning against the move, saying it would be another sign that Mr. Crist supports the Obama administration’s agenda.
“I strongly urge him to either stay in the Republican primary or drop out of the race,” Mr. Cheney said. “The only winners from an independent bid by Crist would be Barack Obama and Harry Reid.”

 

[QueEx]

What is the Real Problem ? ? ?

<font size="5"><center>
Ideological cleansing' costing Florida
Gov. Crist a shot at Senate seat</font size></center>

Washington Post
By DANA MILBANK
April 27, 2010



WASHINGTON -- <font size="3">What is it about a man crush that is incompatible with the two-party system?</font size>

When a Democrat, Sen. Joe Lieberman, was kissed by George W. Bush on the House floor, the smooch on the cheek became the symbol of Lieberman's embrace of the Bush war policies, and he was drummed out of the party.

<SPAN style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00">This time, it's a Republican, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, who was hugged by Barack Obama; the hug has become the symbol of Crist's embrace of the Obama economic policies, and he's being drummed out of the party.</span>


<font size="3">Independent or Not ?</font size>

Crist has until Thursday to decide if he's going to abandon his hopeless Republican primary bid and instead run for the Senate as an independent.

Those who still hope that some measure of sanity can be restored to our absurdly polarized political system should wrap their arms around Crist -- metaphorically, of course -- and encourage him to run as an independent.

The crucifixion of Crist by Republican leaders says less about him than it does about their party.


<font size="3">Democrats Cleansing as well </font size>

Both parties have been undergoing ideological cleansing, as Sens. Arlen Specter (forced out of the GOP in Pennsylvania) and Blanche Lincoln (facing a Democratic primary challenge in Arkansas) can attest. But the Crist crisis is a whole new level of Jacobin excess.

In the case of Lieberman, Democrats at least waited until he lost the primary to purge him. Not so the Republicans, who are in a dogmatic race to the bottom as they drop Crist for his far-right challenger, Marco Rubio.


<font size="3">John McCain on Crist - 2007 & 2008</font size>

Sen. John McCain, who defied the Viet Cong but cowers before the wing nuts, had this to say in 2007: <SPAN style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00">"Governor Crist has set an example for the rest of the party in a variety of ways, but <u>certainly in bipartisanship</u>."</span>

In 2008, McCain, who probably owed the Republican presidential nomination to Crist's endorsement in the Florida primary, hailed Crist's "principled, conservative leadership."


<font size="3">John McCain on Crist - 2010</font size>

But now McCain has nothing supportive to say about his "dear friend" Charlie.

"I support Republicans," he told The Hill's Molly Hooper when asked if he would back an independent Crist.


<font size="3">Sen. Cornyn: Texas 2 Step</font size>

THEN (Step 1)
Second prize in the craven contest goes to Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, head of the Senate GOP campaign, who early on endorsed Crist as "one of only three governors who earned an 'A' from the CATO Institute for his efforts to restrain spending and cut taxes."

NOW (Step 2)
Now Cornyn's National Republican Senatorial Committee has essentially rescinded its endorsement, suggesting that a good course of action for Crist would be to "drop out of the race and wait for another day."


<font size="3">Senate Republicans Abandonment</font size>

Senate Republican leaders have also tiptoed away from their earlier Crist endorsements.

On top of that is Mitt Romney's Naked Opportunist wing of the party, which endorsed the Rubio challenge only after his victory in the primary became inevitable. Eric Cantor, the No. 2 House Republican, now suggests that Crist isn't somebody who "will keep his word."

Cantor's got that exactly backwards: Crist is saying and doing what he always has done -- it's GOP leadership that has changed.

From the start, Crist developed a reputation for bipartisan work, appointing Democrats to top jobs and sharing credit with them for accomplishments.

His agenda was relatively conservative -- reduced property taxes, a cut in the state budget -- but his style, long before the Obama hug, was to embrace the opposition.

"We need to do it in a bipartisan way," he said in a February 2009 speech about the economic stimulus. This "is about helping our country. This is not about partisan politics." It was then that Crist received Obama's hug of death.

A practical Republican Party would realize Crist offers them the best hope of retaining the Florida Senate seat.

A Quinnipiac University poll this month found that Crist would fare far better than Rubio against the likely Democratic nominee, Kendrick Meek (who Obama was very careful not to hug on his recent trip to Florida). Crist leads Meek 48 percent to 34 percent, but Rubio's lead is just 42-38.


<font size="3">Rubio - On the Far Right</font size>

The only reason a far-right candidate such as Rubio is competitive at all is because this year heavily favors Republicans. In a normal election year -- 2012, perhaps -- Republicans may rue their purging of the Crists and Specters who could have kept them competitive.

<SPAN style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00">Win or lose, an independent Crist candidacy would remind Republican leaders that ideological cleansing has a cost.</span>

That's why Crist should be encouraged to run. Hug him if you wish, kiss him if you must, but show Charlie Crist some love.


Dana Milbank writes for the Washington.


http://www.delawareonline.com/artic...ting-Florida-Gov.-Crist-a-shot-at-Senate-seat