There are three candidates for the Senate seat in Florida that is open this year. Republican, Marco Rubio. Democrat, Kendrick Meek. Independent Charlie Crist.
Charlie Crist is currently the Governor of Florida. Marco Rubio is the former Speaker of the House in Florida and Kendrick Meek is currently a Congressman in Florida.
Earlier this year, Charlie Crist and Marco Rubio were on Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace. He was asked five times if he would remain a Republican or if he would be running as an Independent should he lose the primary. Christ said he was a Republican, that he was going to remain a Republican and he was going to win the primary. A few weeks later, before the primary and when it was apparent he was falling in the polls and wouldn't win, he left the Republican party and decided to run as an Independent.
Immediately, the gap between he and Rubio closed and it was again neck and neck and even for a few days, Crist had the lead. As the weeks went by, he fell further and further behind.
Enter former President, Bill Clinton. He was down in Florida campaigning for Meek a little over a week ago. However, behind the scenes, Clinton was urging Meek to drop out of the race telling him that he had no chance to win. Ok, no problem. We've come to expect these kinds of gamesmanship from the Clintons. They'll do something, lie about it, then the truth comes out later. This time though, it appears as though the Clintons made this public purposely to force Meek out of the race.
To what end? To give Charlie Crist the votes that Meek would have received and that difference could push Crist over the top to beat out Rubio. With such a short time before the election, it would be tough for Rubio to get out and counteract the shenanigans.
On Thursday, Charlie Crist was on the program "Off the Record" with Greta Van Susteran and admitted that he knew about the talks and said that Meek had decided to get out of the race, but then changed his mind at the urging of his wife. Crist was then asked if he'd been in touch with the White House. Again, he admitted he had talked to people at the White House about this but refused to give a name of whom he may have spoken with.
We can stop this story right here. We now have enough information, with one exception. Remember I said that Crist was asked if he would run as an Independent should he lose the Republican Primary and he said he was a Republican and would remain as one. Then he changed his mind.
In recent weeks, he's been asked if he wins the Senate race would he caucus with Republicans or Democrats. He's claimed to be a fiscal Conservative and a social moderate, but he didn't know who he'd caucus with. Does anyone really believe him? If he doesn't know, why isn't he being asked how he can make major decisions on legislation, if he can't decide with which party he'd caucus?
What this tells me is that his decision of which party to caucus with is based on who wins the elections and takes the majority. If it's the Democrats, he'd caucus with them. If the Republicans, he'd caucus with them. But there is one more scenario. Suppose it was a tie and he was the deciding member that would put one party in the majority over the other. Naturally, it can't be a tie with 100 seats and prior to his decision there would be 99 seats.
Ideally, it would be split like that and the decision would be left to him. The pressure would be on. Republicans would be after him as would the Democrats. He'd be the most important man in the Senate until he decided.
I believe though that he's already decided. Why would an Independent be speaking to the White House about Kendrick Meek dropping out of the race? Or turn it around. Why would the White House and Clinton (Democrats) be trying to get Meek, a Democrat, to drop out of the race so that Crist (an Independent) could win? After all, he's not admitted he's a Democrat.
If you ever wondered why the Tea Party, you have your answer above. The Tea Party is about Congress working for the American people and not for any particular party. These back room deals for legislation, and now with the forcing out of Kendrick Meek, are nothing more than everyday Washington politics about the select few maintaining power. What each and every one of those politicians doesn't understand is that the power they have is lent to them by the people. The Tea Party is about ending that loan for those making the backroom deals, as well as being more responsible with the people's money and keeping government out of the people's lives.
If you want to know about this adventure going on in Florida, just think back to the health care debate. Remember the Louisiana Purchase of Mary Landrieux' vote. Remember the Cornhusker Kickback for Ben Nelson's vote. Remember the deal with Bart Stupak of northern Michigan to keep government funding of abortion out of the health care bill, and the subsequent signing of the executive order and how it's already been violated in certain parts of the country. This Florida mess is along those same lines and this is exactly what we need to get out of Washington DC.
It does however, help out get Kendrick Meek out by costing him votes because the "major players" (of which Clinton seems to have involved himself several times now), which may be the intent of Clinton and Crist making all of this public costing Meek votes he may have otherwise had.
You're welcome to comment.
Brett
