Charlie Crist

Governor Charlie Crist bluntly tried to shed two big image problems — his hug of President Obama and past support of the $787 billion federal stimulus package — in a unity party-unity plea Saturday that sounded like a preview of his U.S. Senate campaign theme.

Crist told more than 200 members of the state Republican Executive Committee that “this guy in the White House” is doing more to build the GOP than they could do for themselves. But he stressed that “I do not apologize” for welcoming Obama to Fort Myers or his acceptance of Florida’s share of stimulus cash, which he said kept cops and teachers on the job.

Former House Speaker Marco Rubio, the aggressive conservative Miamian who has been building momentum in the Senate race, signaled that he won’t let the Obama-stimulus controversy subside in Republican ranks. However Crist explains it now, Rubio said, the governor “cut the legs out from under” the GOP economic alternative in Congress and happily applauded Obama on the president’s first visit to Florida last February.

“Some people criticize me for going down to Fort Myers, being nice to the president of the United States of America. I do not apologize for it and I never will,” Crist said at the state GOP meeting. The governor, who is known for being effusively polite to everyone he meets, said his parents brought him up that way.

“I don’t agree with the guy on hardly anything he does but that’s OK,” he said of Obama. “That’s also part of our great democracy. I mean, what they are doing with health care right now is unbelievable — raising your taxes for it, raising rates for it, taking half a trillion dollars out of Medicare, and the part that bothers me most is, the whole thing has become a covert operation.”

Crist appeared with Obama in Fort Myers last February and thanked him for the stimulus plan, saying it was important for Congress to pass it. When Obama visited Jacksonville late last year, after Crist’s poll numbers had fallen and Rubio’s had risen, the governor did not join the president and said he didn’t even know Obama was in the state.

By Javier Manjarres | 09/11/09 | 12:54 PM EDT

Several weeks back at the Republican Party of Florida Quarterly meeting in Orlando, I told Senator George LeMieux, then a mere candidate on the Governor’s short list, that I would support him just as long as he did not support any of President Obama’s Socialist policies. Believe it or not, I meant it.

As most of the country knows by now, this past Wednesday night, South Carolina congressman Joe Wilson verbally expressed his dissatisfaction of the proposed Universal Healthcare agenda during the President’s television sales pitch. With his outburst, Congressman Wilson expressed the sentiment that  millions of Americans share. I praise and respect him for have the rancor to express himself openly against such a despicable attempt to shove the proposed healthcare bill down our throats. What is very disturbing is that many ‘establishment’ type Republicans are not supportive of Congressman Wilson, yet they did criticize him and demanded he apologize to the President. I wonder if these are the same Republicans that courageously denounced the Democrats booing of President George W. Bush at his 2005 State of the Union address?

Where was the outcry then?

Senator LeMieux was also quick to comment about what Wilson’s said by stating that his actions were “embarrassing and shameful”. Come on Pep, you seem like a nice guy, what is up with that? Shouldn’t you have least waited a more few days before ticking off your Republican base? Senator what is truly embarrassing and shameful is the fact that your close friend, Governor Charlie Crist appointed you over several more experienced and qualified candidates. Your appointment stinks of cronyism.

This being said, we do need to be fair and take a wait and see attitude with Senator LeMieux. While assuming his official Senatorial position of ‘place-holder’, I have serious reservations about how the Senator will vote on the pressing issues that will impact the nation. Senator LeMieux has stated that he is a,” Charlie Crist Republican”. This obviously means that the Senator agrees with Governor Crist’s policies, endorsements and appointments.

Shall we list a few of them? We shall.

-appointed Liberal FL Supreme Court Judge James Perry (endorsed by Planned Parenthood, while being opposed by the NRA)

-supports Amnesty for Illegal immigrants. “I like Sen. Martinez’ and Sen. McCain’s approach.”

-supports some form of a ‘Green’ bill.

-is against off-shore drilling.

-raised Cigarette Taxes by as much as $1 a pack.

-supported and campaigned for the Obama ‘Porkulus Package’

Senator LeMieux is also considering the Presidents Healthcare plan? There is nothing to consider here. Public option or not, the President’s plan is nothing more than Government controlled healthcare.

Republicans across the country are campaigning to oust and block any and all reckless and fiscally irresponsible Obama-lite Republicans that are currently in office, or considering a run for office.

The decision for Republicans in Florida to pick a new ‘Conservative’ Senator in next year’s mid-term election is turning out to be a very clear and obvious one-Yes,He can!

ORIGINAL POST