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| Trial lawyers, unions, loyal Democrats helping fund Crist in U.S. Senate race |
| 2010-06-25 |
| By bolting from the Republican Party, Gov. Charlie Crist has one place left to raise big money in his race for the U.S. Senate: Democrats. A governor who once courted conservatives by calling himself a "Jeb Bush Republican" is getting help from liberal trial lawyers, union activists and even elected Democrats, who are shunning their party's Senate hopefuls, wealthy Palm Beach businessman Jeff Greene and U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek of Miami. Crist is now an independent, with no party to pay campaign overhead or raise money. Many Republicans had already given Crist the maximum $4,800 to help amass his $10-million campaign fund before he abandoned the GOP ship in April after polls showed him getting swamped by Marco Rubio in a Republican primary. In Tallahassee two weeks ago, civil trial lawyer Lance Block hosted a Crist fund-raiser at his home that prominent Republicans also attended. "We need more people like Charlie Crist in Washington to set aside the partisan bickering,'' said Block, a delegate to three Democratic presidential conventions who played a key role in helping Al Gore during the 2000 Florida vote recount. Block's host committee included such Democratic stalwarts as former Florida State University president and ex-House Speaker T.K. Wetherell, teacher union lobbyist and lawyer Ron Meyer and Dexter Douglass, a top adviser to former Gov. Lawton Chiles. "He has always been attuned to what he feels the people need," said Douglass, who donated the $4,800 maximum to Crist's campaign. Adam Corey, a Republican oil and real estate executive from Fort Lauderdale, described Crist as fiscally conservative and socially moderate, and said he was pleased to see the governor's cross-party appeal. In Orlando Tuesday, high-profile trial lawyer John Morgan, known for his "for the people" billboards, hosted a Crist fund-raiser along with Jim Pugh, a Winter Park businessman who has been a long-time Democratic fund-raiser. In Siesta Key Monday, Rep. Darryl Rouson of St. Petersburg was among the Democrats at a Crist fundraiser at the home of chiropractor Gary Kompothecras, a long-time Crist supporter. Rouson says he has known Crist and his family much longer than he has known either Democratic Senate candidate. "We're trying," Crist says, poor-mouthing his fund-raising, and calling it challenging and difficult, perhaps in hopes that the number he reports in mid-July will exceed expectations. The $1.2-million Crist raised in the first quarter was a third of what Rubio raised in the same period. Democrat Mark K. Logan, a Tallahassee lawyer and former lobbyist, said Crist will be able to compete financially with Rubio and Meek or Greene by reaching out to supporters across the aisle. "He has to, to win," said Logan, who was once Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Graham's son-in-law. About why he supports Crist, he said: "He is a lifelong friend. I have known Charlie for 30 years. I think our best leaders from Florida have led from the middle, and Charlie has shown he can do that." |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #9 lie down with dogs... |
| Posted by: Frank G 2010-06-25 19:22 |
| #8 Barbara, I quite agree that Mr. Meek should rethink his political loyalties. He still got rooked, big time. |
| Posted by: Mike 2010-06-25 14:35 |
| #7 The Meek shall inherit....third place. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2010-06-25 13:44 |
| #6 "I feel sorry for Mr. Meek" Maybe Mr. Meek should take a long hard look at his "friends" in the DemoncRat leadership, and rethink his positions regarding Dem "beliefs." |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2010-06-25 12:48 |
| #5 Imagine you're Kendrick Meek. You're a lifelong Democrat, a loyal party man, you've worked your way up through the ranks, you believe in all the big Democrat beliefs. You give up your safe seat to run for senate as the underdog at the urging of the party hierarchy and the big money boys, you do everything they ask of you--and how do they repay your loyalty? They toss you away like a live grenade in favor of an opportunistic turncoat weasel who was proclaiming himself a loyal Republican just 90 days ago. That's gotta suck. I feel sorry for Mr. Meek. |
| Posted by: Mike 2010-06-25 12:04 |
| #4 Any politician that unions support, I automatically oppose. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2010-06-25 11:46 |
| #3 Crist == opportunistic scum. No principals. Nothing. He has no chance by himself. So where does he turn? To the only "group" that would take him. Democrats == a union of disparate caustic special interest groups with no principals as evidenced by the fact that they vote as one. They truly live by the motto "United we stand, divided we fall". And these folks would "fall" for a different reason than that little phrase was designed for. A match made in hell. |
| Posted by: gorb 2010-06-25 09:48 |
| #2 Crist is another Arlen |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2010-06-25 08:52 |
| #1 another turncoat POS.....nice charlie....always knew you where an obummer kiss a$$ |
| Posted by: armyguy 2010-06-25 07:58 |