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EDITOR OF REDSTATE

The Evolution of Charlie Crist: He Says He is One Thing. His Record Shows Him to be Something Else.

Charlie Crist's campaign says Crist is a conservative. Crist himself says he does not know what it means to be a conservative.

“Charlie Crist’s actions prove him to be anti-family, anti-life, anti-gun, and very much in favor of taxes”

Last week, Charlie Crist decided to attack conservatives by telling reporters that “It’s hard to be more conservative than I am on issues — there’s different ways stylistically to communicate that — I’m pro-life, I’m pro-gun, I’m pro-family, and I’m anti-tax,” then went on to say he guessed he just wasn’t angry enough.

In the DNC – McClatchy News hit job of Jim DeMint and me, the one where the reporter and DNC dutifully compare me to Rev. Wright, the John Cornyn’s National Republican Senatorial Committee dutifully got in on the fun parroting Charlie Crist.

“Charlie Crist is pro-life, pro-gun and pro-family,” said Brian Walsh, a Cornyn spokesman. “That’s not a definition of anything less than a conservative.”

Remember, only a few weeks ago John Cornyn announced the NRSC was staying out of Florida.

In any event, we must question if Brian Walsh knows what he is talking about and we can trust that Charlie Crist is lying. Why? Well, because we have Crist in his own words.

Just this morning, Crist’s spokesman says Charlie is willing to shift ground on his principles for pragmatic reasons.

Crist spokeswoman Andrea Saul described Crist’s comment about not endorsing the stimulus as “a miscommunication.” She said in accepting the money the governor was simply being “pragmatic” during a time of “unprecedented” economic turmoil. Crist, she said, understood there are times when compromise is necessary.

“If you stand your ground on everything,” Saul said, “you don’t get anything done.”

On most issues important to conservatives, Crist does well, said Jamie Miller, a political consultant and former director with the state party.

He opposes abortion and same-sex marriage — though not vocally enough for some conservatives — and supports the death penalty and gun rights. A former attorney general and state senator, Crist earned the nickname “Chain-Gang Charlie” for sponsoring a bill to bring back prison work crews.

Having failed to show that Marco Rubio is not a conservative, the Crist campaign has gone back to square one and has decided if they just keep telling everyone Crist is a conservative, perhaps someone will believe them.

There’s just one problem — Charlie Crist has a record and he himself says he does not know what it even means to be a conservative.

Asked what being ‘conservative’ meant to him, he grew vague. ‘I don’t know,’ [Charlie Crist] said. ‘It doesn’t really matter to me. I’m not really absorbed much by labels others might put on me.’” That was from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune on December 30, 2007.

Then there is this from LifeNews.com on May 27, 2008:


“Governor Crist has earned himself the scorn of some pro-life advocates in Florida over the three main pro-life issues — abortion, euthanasia and embryonic stem cell research. On abortion, Crist called himself ‘pro-choice’ as late as 1998… Still, Crist wouldn’t go as far as saying he thought Roe v. Wade should be overturned so states could, once again, offer legal protection for unborn children. … Crist also drew fire from pro-life advocates when he endorsed embryonic stem cell research and campaigned for a measure forcing taxpayers to fund it. … Crist also received criticism on the Terri Schiavo debate about where he really stood on a Congressional bill that would have let Terri’s parents take their lawsuit to save her life to federal courts. Crist so upset Terri’s family that her father, Robert Schindler, went as far as saying Crist ‘let my daughter die.’ ‘He had it within his authority to save her life, but he turned a blind eye to her suffering,’ Schindler wrote in an editorial.”

Likewise, in 1998, Crist told the St. Petersburg Times that he considered himself “pro-choice,” said he believed in a woman’s right to abortion, and said he opposed a constitutional amendment to ban abortion. NARAL also noted as recently as 2005 that Crist had opposed counseling requirements and waiting periods for women seeking abortion.

On guns, Crist named James Perry to the Florida Supreme Court. Perry was aggressively opposed by the NRA and social conservatives because Perry had never shown any respect for life or the second amendment. Likewise, Crist tried to kill an NRA “guns-at-work” initiative and take money form a concealed weapons permit fee trust.

Crist is not exactly pro-family either. From the Gannett News Service on July 22 of this year:

“Launching a whirlwind tour to promote ‘Explore Adoption Day,’ Gov. Charlie Crist appeared to soften his stance this morning against allowing gays to do just that. Civil rights advocates blasted Crist earlier in the week for encouraging adoption while his administration is in court defending a 1977 law that makes Florida the only state with an outright ban on gay adoption. Now a candidate for U.S. Senate, Crist hinted today that he might support lifting the ban. At first, Crist said it would be the Legislature’s responsibility to change the law. When pressed on whether he would support the effort, Crist said, ‘I’d have to think about it.’”

He’s also stated his ambivalence on traditional marriage.

Lastly, Crist says he is anti-tax, but consider that he just recently signed a state budget raising, according to the Times/Herald, “a historic amount of taxes.”

Talk is cheap. Actions speak louder. And Charlie Crist’s actions prove him to be anti-family, anti-life, anti-gun, and very much in favor of taxes.

COMMENTS

  • http://hillbillypolitics.com Steph C

    The more they concentrate of the superficial talking points of conservatism the more I’m convinced that few of them really understand conservatism at all.

    There is never a why they are pro-(fill in the blank), only that they are.

    Isn’t this what got New York in trouble with Scozzafava? That she was suddenly pro-…. without ever showing any kind of example how and why?

  • JadedByPolitics

    Rubio will be the defining moments in this race for the GOP’s Senate candidate from Florida….Rubio will be waving good-bye to Crist!

    OBTW NRSC keep sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong and you will be SHORT a whole hell of a lot of money!

  • http://www.ssce.net/Web-Articles/Web-articles-indexed-authors.html#authors-l JLenardDetroit

    I listened politely, then gave them the same RNC called speal about — when they shape up, I’ll consider it, but not until then and I’m supporting Candidates and Conservative PACs directly ’til then.

  • RedBeard

    According to Charlie’s actions (forget his words), not having a moral and philosophical center is a GOOD thing?

    Man, someone should have told me. Here all this time I’ve been thinking that being true to a firm set of principles was the way to go. This shifting-with-the-tides deal is gonna be SO much easier. Thanks, Charlie.

    Let’s party!

  • erp

    Let’s put Rubio on the ballot and let voters decide.

  • mikefisk

    …is going after Crist by saying “he called himself pro-choice as late as 1998″. That’s now more than a decade ago.

    People’s hearts and minds change. There’s enough in Crist’s recent record to flay him on the issue that bringing up stuff he said back then seems weak in comparison. (Reminds me a lot of the attacks on Romney, to be honest.)

    I have very little doubt that Charlie Crist is not a conservative, or even that friendly to conservatives, but I’d prefer to hang him on his record, not on something he once said to describe himself. After all, he himself has proven that he doesn’t mean most of what he says anyway…

  • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

    You can get a say in our intraparty stuff when you rejoin our party.

    Go play in your own primary sandbox.

  • mbecker908

    The guest seating isn’t real comfortable, but hey, you can’t have everything.

  • RedBeard

    The more I thought about his comment, the more idiotic/ignorant/weasel-like (take your pick) Charlie appears to be.

    If a man claims to be a conservative, but has no ability to even articulate the agenda, he’s unworthy of the designation.

    Conservatism, in today’s usage, is all about the good things, such as patriotism, fiscal responsibility, respect for the Constitution, defense of the nation, and traditional social values. Why would anyone worthy of a second glance run away from a label that so designates him?

  • AceInTX

    there are a couple things that really frost my britches on this but most of all is the idea that these peaople…(including Cornyn)…realy believe that saying something over and over again is enough to get the gullible boobs…(which they all think we are)…to believe what we all see in front of our very noses isn’t really there…

    It’s infuriating to me that they really think we’re that stupid and gullible!

    and Cornyn is a particular ass in this because he said they’d stay out of this…and as soon as the heat is off…and no one is looking…they’re back out there running their flim flam con again and expecting to get away with it!

  • AceInTX

    but to these fools…being double minded and unstable in all your ways is a virtue!

  • AceInTX

    It’s hard not to be cynicle when a person’s conversion on an issue just happens to coincide with the very moment he get’s his teeth kicked down his throat for holding the wrong position…

    Where is the evidence that he’s changed and when before now has he said he has changed?

  • gekster
  • mikefisk

    I was more wondering about why, if you’re going to slam the door on Crist (and I’d be all in favor of it), you would use evidence that could leave that benefit of the doubt.

    I completely agree, he has had no change of heart; his record shows nothing that could really indicate that. It’s just a piece of evidence against him that was noticeably weaker than the rest, that’s all.

    To Neil: I’m agreeing with you. I understand you don’t want non-party people involved with primary matters, that’s your prerogative. I just want to do what I can to make the case against Crist and his naked opportunism as clear-cut as is humanly possible. If you don’t want me to contribute, I’ll be happy to stay out again. My purpose is not to meddle here.

  • http://biggator5.net/archive.html BigGator5

    .

  • http://www.bloggybayou.com muckraker

    Erick:

    Right now there is brewing in Florida a proposal to construct a high speed rail link between Tampa and Orlando. It is a black hole for funds. Here is a link to the main lobby group for the rail line:

    http://www.fastrailconnectus.com/journal_headline.php?type=headlines&journal_id=176

    It seems Sen Atwater and Crist are dead set on this project? This article is IN FAVOR of the Tampa – Orlando link, but its reasons is that someone else will spend the money if we don’t and it is a symbolic gesture to the Obama Administration that Florida is serious about high speed rail. That reason sucks..period. They don’t even try to make the argument that it is self sustaining . “Source of grants” ” Surcharge on rental cars” etc?

    I’m doing research on mass transit in the States and overseas and so far, using rail to transport people is massively inefficient and expensive (just the opposite for cargo)

    This “Rail” push is the result of politicians from High Density areas wanting free money for their folks back home. They really are detached from the reality of the rural/urban structure of the Southeast and theWest.

    I just hope Rubio is against it. It won’t stop me from voting for him, but I really think the right thing to do is not build it.

  • RedBeard

    The authors of that article reveal their naivete with this one simple admission: “Links to strong local transit systems are important but not essential for the fast, city-to-city train to succeed.”

    Oh, really? A train that goes between a couple of relatively close Florida cities, but dumps passengers off on foot at either end? Brilliant, just brilliant. The comparison with an international airport is weak at best.

    This rail line needs to be stopped, in the name of fiscal sanity and common sense, both.

  • AceInTX
  • E Pluribus Unum

    am I gonna get in trouble with the LGBT crowd?

  • E Pluribus Unum
  • http://www.the41stvote.org rcov092

    6 years ago, only to repeal it when the economics were revealed to be a giant “LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSER”. What the heck is in the water in Tallahassee?

    There is evidently funny smoke permeating the air in Tallahassee.

  • BlackConservative

    Slapping Mr Kissy Face with Obama ought to be a national pastime.

  • RedBeard

    No, wait… wrong knee-jerk comeback. ;-)

  • http://www.voterubio2010.com nelsa

    Re Crist: ” I?m pro-life, I?m pro-gun, I?m pro-family, and I?m anti-tax,? then went on to say he guessed he just wasn?t angry enough.”

    In a Time.com article in Oct he said, “”I’m not seeking the angry vote,” the governor told me with a smile. “I’m seeking the optimists.”
    http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1931590,00.html

    So far this tactic has only proved to increase conservative opposition to his run for senate.

    CNN even did a Poll of “angry voters” in Sept where the results showed that most believe there IS something to be angry about.

    “Of these people, 76 percent said there was “something” to be angry about in the country today. By comparison, 59 percent felt that way when polled in February”

    http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/09/04/poll.election/index.html

    So it looks like Crist is following blind advice from advisors or he just does not get it. I think it’s both!

  • granitegriz

    The is one proven Conservative in the State of Florida that would serve her well but who would know by the lack of news coverage? It appears to fall right into the theory that we are lead into who to vote for by being given only two people to consider. People would do well to look into Bob Smith out of Sarasota for sure. This man was so conservative that he was trampled by the likes of NBC’s liberals and still won his seat when in New Hampshire. He finally lost his bid for second term I believe when the party forces lead by the moderates and likes of Bushes chased him out in my humble opinion. But here he is in Florida for some teen years and ready to fight the good fight for all people but who would know? Check him out. No he’s not a Hollywood production but he is the “real deal”. He is one of us!

  • http://www.voterubio2010.com nelsa

    Seventy-one percent (71%) of voters nationwide say they?re at least somewhat angry about the current policies of the federal government. That figure includes 46% who are Very Angry.

    From Rasmussen”
    http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/general_politics/november_2009/71_angry_at_federal_government_up_five_points_since_september

    The “moderates” are jumping ship but their records will follow them. An informed and “angry” electorate know who they are and it is hard to hide when you are a RINO. :)

    We outnumber them 2 to 1 according to Gallop:
    http://www.gallup.com/poll/123854/Conservatives-Maintain-Edge-Top-Ideological-Group.aspx

    As George Will said, ” Marco Rubio will beat Crist!” in Florida
    http://voterubio2010.blogspot.com/2009/11/george-will-rubio-will-win-2010-fl.html

  • http://random-jumbled-thoughts.blogspot.com tenebrous

    You don’t insult the base. You don’t play kissy-face with the MSM. You don’t pal around with Obama, and you don’t consider us too stupid to use Google. When pushed, Crist flees towards Moderateville, which means he stands NO chance in the primaries.

    That is, unless the usual RINO philosophy prevails. You know what I mean: we need to WIN, Rubio has no name recognition, Crist is better than a Dem, et cetera, ad nauseum.

  • billollib

    … he, in my opinion, politicized the Medical Examiner Commission in order to placate racial special interests. I find firing a Medical Examiner for getting the *right* diagnosis abhorrent. It was a couple of years ago, but I wrote about it here . It’s long and a little boring, I’m afraid, since the target audience was other MEs, but I think the story shouldn’t be forgotten.

  • http://www.bloggybayou.com muckraker

    I compare it to like a vampire knocking on yur door at night…He can’t come in unless you invite him… That is Bela Lugosi rules at least, nowadays that got Vampires walking in the Sunlight.. I tell ya, even our vampire legends are going to hell…

  • partyof1

    Even as Florida struggled with massive budget shortfalls, lawmakers and top state employees have received health-insurance perks costing taxpayers $45 million a year.

    http://www.miamiherald.com/news/florida/story/1357598.html

  • mom2oneson

    I just read part one but that is so wrong they went hunting for the cause they wanted and ignored what was really going on.

  • laurel

    Statement :

    If Red State wants to go after Mark Kirk and Charlie Crist, you should be questioning Rob Simmons? conservative credentials also. He voted twice to raise the national debt limit. He voted 350 times to increase spending and only 13 times to decrease it. He?s wrong on cap and tax, the public option, partial birth abortion, and card check. He says he is a Republican, but so did Dede Scozzafava.