Two Palm Beach County Commission Democrats endorse Governor Crist for US Senate.

[seafan]

Orlando Sentinel:


From Jim Stratton
October 14, 2010
2:49 pm

.....

Earlier today, Palm Beach County Commissioners Burt Aaronson and Shelley Vana endorsed Gov. Charlie Crist for Senate, backing him over Democratic Congressman Kendrick Meek.

Then Vana went even further, asking Meek, who is mired in third place behind Crist and frontrunner Marco Rubio, to get out of the race.
“I respectfully ask Congressman Meek — whom I love — to take one for the team,” Vana told the Palm Beach Post. “While we love Kendrick, at some point Kendrick has to know there’s a greater good here.”

Crist, who yesterday got the endorsement of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., wasted no time getting the word out. His campaign not only issued a press release — “I am honored by the courageous and generous support of Palm Beach County Commissioners Burt Aaronson and Shelley Vana” — it also sent, in a separate e-mail, phone numbers to contact the commissioners.

Dems loyal to Meek, a former state lawmaker, reacted angrily.

.....

Palm Beach Republicans tried to capitalize on the split, with County GOP Chairman Sid Dinerstein telling the Post that racism was driving some Democrats to Crist. Dinerstein said white Democrats — “the ones who supported Hillary, not Obama” — are “teaming up with Charlie to throw Kendrick under the bus …”

Though Democrats have worried privately for months that Meek could not beat Rubio, Thursday’s events put those concerns in the public spotlight and highlighted the problems Dems face with less than three weeks until Election Day:

One school of thought maintains that the the most critical thing now is defeating Rubio. And with Meek stuck at 22 percent in the polls, Crist, who’s acceptable to many Dems, is the best hope for winning.

.....

Then the GOP cranks up their vaunted racial hatred firehose:

From Jane Musgrave
October 14, 2010
1:59 pm

The chairman of the Palm Beach County Republican Party today accused local Democrats of racism for abandoning their party’s candidate in favor of independent candidate Charlie Crist.

“This is racial politics at its ugliest,” GOP chairman Sid Dinerstein said. “The white Democrats, the ones who supported Hillary not Obama are teaming up with Charlie to throw Kendrick under the bus so they can say more nasty things about an Hispanic American.”

Democratic leaders, who gathered to support Commissioner Burt Aaronson’s decision to endorse Crist, vehemently objected to Dinerstein’s characterization.

Marvin Manning, president of the Century Village of Boca Raton Democratic Club, said 70 percent of voters in Century Village supported Obama in the 2008 general election. “I totally reject any issue of racism,” he said.

“Mr. Dinerstein should be ashamed of himself for invoking the racial issue,” said Stanley Siegel, a member of a PAC that voted Monday to ask Meek to get out of the race.

Andre Fladell, a south county political activist, agreed.

“It’s a reckless comment which was made to create a very unhealthy result,” he said. Democrats who are endorsing Crist over Meek simply believe the governor can beat GOP candidate Marco Rubio. “It’s about viability. Period,” he said.

Laid bare for all to see are the vitriolic, race-bating monsters that have taken over the Republican Party.


Nowhere is it more clearly seen that racial hatred is the GOP's weapon of choice to foment violence.



Stopping the forces of this vicious right-wing assault on our state and country is paramount.


Marco Rubio must be defeated.

[polichick]

1. Had lunch with two Floridians who just sent in their absentee ballots...

After a lot of thought, they too went with Crist.

If the goal is to stop Rubio, there's no choice at this point.

[peace frog]

2. Sadly agree

My Dem family members and I, while acknowleding Meek as a good man, are all voting for Crist for exactly the same reason: to stop Rubio butt-cold.

[polichick]

3. I'd do it too - Rubio is a scary throwback! nt

[1monster]

4. Ditto here. My whole family is voting for Crist. Meek has failed to campaign

at all in this part of Florida. Many are unaware that he is even running or who is running on the Democratic ticket.

Crist, after he had enough of trying to be a Republican, looks better than many Democratic elected officials in Florida. And I'm voting to stop Jebbie's little pet Marco Rubio.

I'd love to be able to vote for a Democrat, but the nominee has to do the running.

Here's one Florida Democrat to watch: Deborah Gianoulis http://www.deborahforsenate.com/about/ She is taking on John Thrasher, the infamous Republican state senator and author of the radical Senate Bill Six on education, who (carpetbagged his way) took over Jim King's office when the well-respected Senator died.

[seafan]

5. Leaving this corrosive Republican Party is an indication of healthy thought processes.

Your comments are IT in a nutshell, 1monster, for so many of us here in Florida. We've already seen the damage Rubio inflicted on this state's health when he was in the legislature (2000-2008), when all he needed to know to implement the secretive crony deals and taxpayer theft was obtained from a short walk over to Jeb's desk.

Let alone Florida; people outside of Florida really don't understand the gravity of having Rubio invade national politics, trotting just behind the cloven hooves of Jeb Bush.

.....

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a Democrat and noted environmentalist from New York, followed California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican and husband of Maria Shriver, Kennedy’s first cousin, in backing independent Charlie Crist over Democrat Kendrick Meek and the front-runner, GOP nominee Marco Rubio, for an open US Senate seat.

For Kennedy, the political calculus to endorse Crist had three factors: Crist's record as an environmentalist, particularly his support for solar energy, is exceptional; Rubio represents a right-wing threat to good governance; and Meek is confronted with an uncomfortable political reality -- he can't win.

“At some point it becomes clear in political life we all have to make choices that are bigger than ourselves,’’ Kennedy said at a Crist gathering in Deerfield Beach Wednesday, inferring Meeks (sic) should step aside. “I hope that Kendrick will look at the entire landscape as he assesses the future of this election.''

A Quinnipiac University poll shows Rubio with a commanding lead, taking 44 percent of the vote to Crist's 30 percent and Meek's 22 percent. A recent Public Policy Polling survey, however, has Rubio and Crist in a dead heat, if Meek were to drop out.

.....

Sadly, from October 7, 2010, Meek refused to accept a shared endorsement with Governor Crist that was announced by the Sierra Club, for each of the candidates' admirable stands on the environment.

What does that say, really? It's very disappointing to hear these statements from Rep. Meek.

.....

The Democratic congressman rejected the rare joint endorsement, calling it “an unacceptable choice.”

"I cannot, in good conscience, accept an endorsement from an organization that would stand with a governor who has consistently put developers, oil companies and the special interests first," Meek said in a statement. "I choose to stand with the environmental community and everyday Floridians who want clean energy jobs, clean water and clean beaches."

“It's an insult to Florida's environmental community and Sierra Club members that the organization would endorse a governor who, in the organization's own words, 'sold out to developers' by 'failing to veto even the worst bills,’” he added.

.....

“While I agree that Marco Rubio is an unacceptable choice for Florida's environment, Charlie Crist is also an unacceptable choice," Meek said. "We should all take a stand and, in doing so, I respectfully decline the Sierra Club's co-endorsement."

.....

Sierra Club press secretary Maggie Kao said the group won’t change its tune despite Meek’s objections.

“The Sierra Club stands by its endorsement of both Rep. Kendrick Meek and Gov. Charlie Crist in the 2010 Florida U.S. Senate race,” Kao said in a statement to POLITICO. “We believe that both Meek and Crist are accomplished leaders who are committed to fighting climate disruption and building a clean energy economy to create jobs. Our endorsements of both candidates serve to reflect that belief.”

.....

And about John Thrasher's opponent Deb Gianoulis, it would be a tremendous boost if she can kick Jeb Bush's wrecking ball John Thrasher out of the Legislature. In a bizarre twist, Jeb Bush's lawyers have sent her a letter demanding that she cease and desist using campaign signs that look too much like Jeb!'s. I kid you not.

October 13, 2010

Jeb! threatens Deb! over campaign logo


Wow! Here's a new name for former Gov. Jeb Bush: "the owner of United States Trademark Registration No. 2,826,942 (the '942 mark')!" Another name: Jeb!, he of the white block letters and red sign, which Democrat Deb Gianoulis liked so much the she appeared to borrow it for her own state Senate race against St. Augustine Sen. John Thrasher, the chairman of the Florida Republican Party! (More here!) He's a buddy of Jeb!

So Bush's law firm, Pennington Moore, sent Gianoulis campaign a letter saying her sign infringed on Jeb!'s trademark! "You appear to be using the same font and color scheme as has been used by the lawful owner of the 942 mark for at least the past sixteen years," the letter says.

Deb!'s response!?! She called Thrasher a lobbyist!

Download Jeb!

Download Deb!

For such a cunning jackal, Jeb! has a well-developed petty and mean-spirited streak. His way or the highway steeped in a pervasive sense of entitlement that just corrodes the soul.


Marco Rubio will be a younger version.



It's crunch time for Florida voters.

[BeFree]

7. Good for Kendrick

The SC actually f'n supports Crist!?!? WTF?!?!?

Turning down an establishment owned enviro group like that takes guts.
I like Meek even more now.

Here's where we win even if Crist doesn't grow a pair and get out.....

Crist will be done. Over. Fini. Good bye.

Sure, Rubio will be on stage but he's gonna burn in 6 years and then we'll be done with him too, and he'll be no worse than any of the others, actually weaker because he has such broad based enemies.

In 6 years Rubio will be defeated, Crist will be a mere memory, and Meek will be THE shining star in Florida. The only long-term problem I see is the corruption in, and the damage done to the party in Florida.

After the election those supporting Crist best be eating their damned Crist crow they are dishing out.

They better come back to the party begging for forgiveness, otherwise they'll be sent into DINO hell.

[seafan]

6. Related thread with more of today's developments

Here