Fla. Governor Continues to Back Obama on Recovery

[onehandle]

Source: New York Times

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Florida's Republican governor says the GOP should be willing to work with Democrats in a time of economic crisis.

Charlie Crist is taking some heat from those in his party who say he's too supportive of President Barack Obama's economic stimulus bill.

Appearing Sunday on NBC's ''Meet the Press,'' Crist says that he's willing to give the new president ''a shot'' and to try to help make his economic recovery plan work. The package passed Congress with almost no Republican support.

According to Crist, the key for the GOP to regain power in Washington is doing what's right for Americans. He says that means taking an approach to governing that is compassionate and fiscally conservative and marked by common sense.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/02/22/washington/AP-Crist-Stimulus.html

[glowing]

1. Problem is that compassionate means more money funneled into churches and

private schools, fiscally conservative means that all their buddies, contractors, etc get the big bucks.. little trickles down, and common sense.. Pukes don't have any.

[msongs]

6. u don't like obama's discriminatory welfare scheme for his religious co-believers? hmmm

now that it is ok to take taxpayer money and refuse to hire somebody based on his/her religion....

Msongs

[cobalt1999]

2. The republicans are pissed at Crist for more than this

They consider him a liberal and a democrat in republican clothing. I suspect he'll be switching parties once his term is up, he's all but switched already.

[Kahuna]

7. I'm thinking the same thing. He seems ripe for the old switcheroo. Just said..

'Obama is the national leader.' The repukes will be out for his blood now. :scared:

[Hugabear]

12. Do not be fooled. Charlie Crist will say ANYTHING to further his own political career

This is the same person who earned the nickname "Chain Gang Charlie" during his tenure as Florida's Attorney General. He's been advancing up the political ladder for almost the past 20 years. This is a person who will say anything, appear to be anybody, in order to keep his career going.

[cobalt1999]

13. How does that makes him different from any politician?

To me, it's finding the self serving, egotistical, whore of a politician that at least gets something positive done while lining their pockets.

[Malikshah]

16. Unfortunately, he does not get anything positive done for Florida in the long run

He puts our state further behind in so many areas.

Folks may be fooled in Florida, but only because they have not looked into the details and are smitten by sound-bites and sloppy thinking.

[Kahuna]

18. Exactly! Duh.

:hi:

[Hugabear]

19. Because Charlie Crist doesn't stand for anything at all

At least most politicians, whether they be Democratic or Rethug, have well defined positions on issues, you know where they stand. They may still lie, scheme, steal - especially the rethugs - but you know where they stand at least.

With Crist, he appears to just want to be everything to everybody. He wants progressives to think he's one of them, yet he'll turn around and schmooze with the rethugs just like the best of them.

He only stands for whatever he thinks is popular at the moment.

[VeraAgnes]

3. The more republicans who come out and speak

as if they care about their constituents, the better chance we have to stop the self-serving, republican spin machine; Jindal.

[Lost in CT]

4. I know he has an R after his name but maybe he actually gives a shit

about the people he was elected to serve????

[roseBudd]

5. Crist did seek to franchise former felons

[Malikshah]

14. One would think. But trust me, he DOES NOT. He is grandstanding for his own

purpose and those of his entourage.

Crist and the Republicans in Florida continue to systematically dismantle any humanity in this state.


Examples:
Continuing to back the bullet train that no one but the businesses want
Looking to use Stim money to hire more folks to deal with the backlog of concealed weapons permits while cutting more from education
Slashing health care, nursing home, education funds while pumping up prisons, registration fees, traffic fine costs, etc.
Protecting tax exemptions for businesses, intangibles taxes, etc.

Add this to the fact that he is a closeted enemy of the GLBT community who has done nothing to stop the Amendment 2 passage (overlooked over the hullabaloo over Prop 8)

Crist is a political opportunist of the worst order.

Although his decisions may look good on the surface, the intent and the longer-term outcome will be disaster for Florida.

Any stimulus money will merely replace for a year or so funds for socio-economic development in the state. Stimulus money, much like the Lottery funds, will be used as an excuse to gut socio-economic funding. To explain further-- The ads extolling Lotto monies going to fund education are not wholly accurate. Any Lotto monies used are not used to augment education. They merely are an excuse to gut Education and allow for more corporate/business exemptions.

Tallahassee, if there is a God, should be the next Bastille ...

[meeloo]

8. We are witnessing something that we haven't seen in years...

and that is that conservatives with ambitions for national office are starting to move to the center years before they even run, in order position themselves as credible candidates. For years it used to be the other way round, that potential GOP candidates went hard right as preparation to run. If you do that these days you're doomed. It's a good sign for us progressives.

[beac]

9. It's going to be an interesting dance to watch as the GOP hopefuls position themselves

for 2012. I think Caribou Barbie cut an ENORMOUS gash right down the middle of the GOP and it's going to be an almost impossible task to stitch the party back together again. I'll bet their primary season will make Obama-Clinton look like a child's tea party.


And WELCOME to DU! :hi:

[meeloo]

10. thanks for the welcome

[sasquatch]

11. Charlie Christ is going to be the future of the Republican party I predict

[Malikshah]

15. Then god help us all. He is an opportunist along the lines of Jindal, Reagan, and others.

Looks benign, but a political cancer of the worst order.

[totodeinhere]

17. Don't trust Crist.

He has decided that it might be smart politically to appear moderate right now. But if he were ever able to become president he would do just as much damage as any other rethug.

[Skittles]

20. correct n/t