We See You

In  48 hours election day polling places will open and the nation will complete the 2010 election cycle with what can only be an historic election day.

There are serious choices to be made and the distinctions between the major party positions could not be more clear.  Do we return to the principles that made America exceptional and created the most prosperous and unique nation in the history of the planet or do we continue down the road to class warfare and the nanny state nation of takers and entitlements. 

My American experience is clearly different than that of Community Organizer in Chief Obama.  President Obama has dedicated his life to providing government backed solutions to serious social problems and defending the rights of those who could not defend themselves.  I get that and I respect his service.  But the President has also seen another side of America and he has, in my view, learned nothing from it.  He has used his intellect and his education to raise himself up and reach the highest positions of political power in our society.  The opportunities that he has had should be made available to anyone in our society who is intellectually up to the training and the challenges.  And the god given natural rights of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness should be available to all Americans.

Mr Obama has perverted the concepts of natural rights and equal opportunity to become successful into a program of equal outcomes guaranteed by entitlements and redistribution of wealth.  I am sorry, Mr President.  That is communism and it is not consistent with my view of America.  In my view, one does not kill the goose that lays the golden eggs if one wants to live on the eggs in the future.  But the President and the Congressional leadership have taken us down a path of unsustainable spending and insurmountable debt that will burden generations to come.  The Liberals have held majorities in both House and Senate for four years and the responsibilities  for our situation are no longer rationally blamed on someone else.

I do not suggest that there is not enough blame to go around to Republicans as well as Democrats.  Government in this country has lost its way and severe changes need to be made. 

But we have seen a reaction from the public this year that makes me proud of America and gives me hope that we can return to greatness.  The news media has described the TEA party participants in any number of unflattering ways over the past year.  But, as usual, they miss the point.  In most, if not all, of the countries of the world, the candidates for positions of power are picked by the existing elite party structure.  The party bosses pick the candidates.  It is a very restrictive system that prevents outside ideas from finding a voice in the political process.

In America we have a system that divides power and provides checks and balances between the levels and centers of power.  We are provided with the tools to limit government –  even if we have not used them effectively.  One of the hallmark features of our system is the right of the people to select our candidates.  We don’t just get to vote on election day –  we get to pick the candidates who will be running.  I do not know of another country whose people have this power. 

Almost two years ago, Florida Senator Mel Martinez decided to resign his position in the Senate.  This left an open Senate seat up for grabs.  Popular Florida Governor Charlie Crist was quick to announce his candidacy and the national and state Republican leaders, eager to keep the Senate seat in the “R” column were quick to endorse Crist.  But an Hispanic American from Miami, known only to followers of state politics had also announced his candidacy for the Senate seat.  Marco Rubio challenged the establishment view and boldly stated that Mr Crist was a very moderate Republican (or worse) and  that Florida needed to be represented in the Senate by a real conservative voice.  Rubio had served eight years in the Florida House in Tallahassee and had risen to the position of Speaker of the Florida House.  But his name recognition around the state was limited as he had never run in an election outside of his local House district in North Miami.

Marco Rubio waged a relentless campaign of good old retail politics.  He campaigned all around the state speaking at local events winning over local county Republicans (individuals and organizations) with his charm and conservative positions.  He is bright and articulate and he can work a crowd better than anyone I have seen in many years. 

Marco is of interest to me because I live in Florida and want him to represent me in the US Senate.  But he is just one of a large number of candidates around the country that have risen up in this election cycle to challenge the establishment leaders of both parties.  These candidates and the people that support them are not kooks and crazies –  they are the voice of the People.  And they have demanded that the powers that be listen to them and their concerns.  What other country could embrace such an expression of freedom.

So this Tuesday, be sure to vote (if you have not already taken advantage of early or absentee voting) and make sure that your friends and family have voted.  In my view, we have problems that need new solutions.  But whichever point of view you support –  the time to express your opinion and to be part of the decision is NOW.

I close with a preview of the final ad which will run tonight and tomorrow in Florida markets for Marco Rubio.  The clip is two minutes –  and worth your time to hear - wherever you live.

My Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbaP0Jzd6QA&feature=player_embedded

I want to return to the subject of Marco Rubio and his family because the story carries such an important message for all of us at this time in our history.

My regular readers will recognize the name of author Larry Thornberry of Tampa.  I have had the pleasure of knowing Larry for more years than either of us will admit.  Among other literary pursuits, Larry is a regular contributor to The American Spectator magazine.  He provides me with his articles with kind permission for me to publish them in my blogs.  I enjoy his knowledge, his opinions and his writing style.  So when he covers and event or topic that interests me, I publish his work in whichever of my blogs I may feel to be appropriate.

Larry introduced me to Marco Rubio, the candidate for US Senate when there was no candidacy or campaign. Marco, bright, young and articulate, was the former Speaker of the Florida House but had never campaigned for state-wide office.  Marco had just announced he was running for US Senate but the popular Florida Governor announced for the same office and all the political air seemed to be sucked out of the room as the Florida Republican hierarchy and Washington power elites fell all over themselves to celebrate Governor Crist as the man most likely to keep the Senate seat of retiring Mel Martinez in the “R” column.

That was a long time ago. With limited resources and a brave and dedicated display of personal charisma, Conservative principles, endless travel and more than a year of retail politics, Marco Rubio embarrassed the Governor so badly that Crist fled the Republican Party and is an independent candidate now. Marco won the nomination of his party in the August 24 primary for the November 2 general election.  But his electoral elation was tempered when his father’s health took a turn for the worse about ten days ago.

I have written in numerous occasions here and elsewhere that I am very impressed with Marco Rubio as a husband, father and citizen as well as a political leader and candidate for high office.  His family always was a part of his story and his public speeches. But Mario Rubio, father of Marco passed away last Saturday.  I wrote a brief piece on Saturday to give recognition to Mr Mario Rubio and Oria, his wife of 61 years.  Mario Rubio fled from Cuba to bring his family to America and to give them the opportunities that could be found here.  I was not personally acquainted with Mr Rubio – but I can only imagine the pride he and his wife have felt in the accomplishments of their four children.

This is the sort of immigration story I want to read about.  The family that comes to this country legally and through hard work and dedication they made their world better for their children.  And in the process they made our world better too.

Marco’s family experience also taught him the likely result of a move toward a socialist government here in America.  His family lived through the breakdown of society in Cuba before he was born.  He knows that we must remain vigilant in America to prevent our fate from following the path of Cuba.   His is a voice that I want to hear in the United States Senate.

Larry Thornberry has written his requiem for Mario Rubio which I would like to share with you.

My Source: http://spectator.org/archives/2010/09/07/mario-rubio-rip

Mario Rubio, RIP

By Larry Thornberry on 9.7.10 @ 6:08AM

Not too many people outside of Miami knew the late Mario Rubio. There’s no statue of him in Washington, not even in Miami. There’s no college building, courthouse, or highway named after him. Perhaps there should be. He did some pretty great things under more adverse circumstances than most Americans can even imagine.

Rubio died Saturday at Baptist Hospital in Miami at age 83 after what many people, but almost certainly not Mario himself, would have considered a hard life. Mario went to work at an age when others are going to elementary school. He worked into his late seventies, mostly as a bartender (a most under-appreciated vocation).

Until age 32 Rubio worked in his native Cuba. But after El Jefe Maximo came down out of the mountains, stole Mario’s country, and turned it into a leftist prison, Mario managed to get his family to the United States, one of his great enduring gifts to them. He worked at hard jobs that don’t pay much so that his children — he had four with his wife of 61 years, Orio — could have better.

Well, they have had better. One of those children, Marco, born after the Rubios had made it to America, has achieved a successful career as a lawyer and a politician (managing the latter without having to wear fatigues and carry an automatic weapon). Marco Rubio, former Speaker of the Florida House, is Florida’s Republican nominee for a U.S. Senate seat. He praised his father in this way:

My father knew hard work and struggle from very early in his life. His mother died when he was only nine. The day after his mother was buried he went to work with his father and did not stop working until he was 78 years old.

He was by far the most unselfish person I have ever known, always focused on others, and never on his own well-being. He was especially determined to provide his children with opportunities he himself never had.

My dad worked as a street vendor, security guard, apartment building manager, and crossing guard. But for most of his life he was a bartender, and by all accounts a great one. But the greatest success came from the two most important jobs he ever had: husband and father.

He was very proud of my public service. And over the last 18 months he became an expert channel surfer, constantly searching for my next television interview.

I was blessed to be raised by a world-class father. And I thank God for allowing my father to live long and healthy enough to see that the sacrifices he made for us were not in vain.

The Rubio campaign will pause now, as the Rubio family deals with matters of more elemental importance than politics. But it won’t pause long. There will be an election in less than two months — though the heavens fall. And Marco Rubio has based his conservative campaign on protecting those things about America that allow people like his father to work miracles for their families.

Mario Rubio saw left-wing bullies steal his country. And just because the current band of left-wingers in power in America don’t wear fatigues and carry automatic weapons (and their own nannies won’t allow them to smoke cigars), there are still plenty of parallels that Marco Rubio has drawn attention to on the campaign trail. Along with Mario Rubio’s own personal qualities, it was America’s long-established traditions of limited government, personal freedom, and reliance on capitalism that allowed Mario to be the success he was, and to help lift his children even higher. These are traditions under assault today.

Happily, there are lots of Mario Rubios in America, some with last names that end in a vowel, others not. You’ve got your Smith, Washington, Koslowski, Feldman, Esposito, Chin, Hostetler, Nguyen, Many Goats, et al. They, not the political elites that strive to boss them around and take what they’ve earned, are what makes America the great and exceptional place it has always been, and could remain if we have the wisdom and strength to keep it that way. It’s right that we pay tribute to them at a sad time for the Rubio family.

RIP Mario Rubio.

Those of you who know me will know that I have been an active supporter of Marco Rubio as a candidate for the United States Senate from Florida.

More than a year ago, I commented after first meeting Marco in Lakeland and hearing him speak to a crowd of approximately 200 people, “I was already a supporter – now I am a fan.”

I was aware of Marco Rubio since he served with distinction as Speaker of the Florida house in 2007. I had read his book of 100 new ideas for Florida and I had heard some of his speeches as Speaker of the House. I have watched as Marco challenged the sitting governor for the nomination of his party as the Republican candidate for Senate in 2010.

He began with limited state wide name recognition and little money for his campaign.   He had his message, his beliefs and his values – and he had his willingness to challenge the Republican establishment in Florida and in Washington with hard work and one of the greatest displays of retail politics that I have seen in a generation.

Marco Rubio attended event after event all over the state with a smile and an articulate message of conservative values that electrified crowds and resonated with the common man all over Florida.

So the evening of August 24 was a proud moment for me and for the hundreds of thousands Friends of Marco as he became the Republican Nominee for Senate in the primary election.

The event was not the anticipated victory from earlier in the year.   Marco’s primary rival for the nomination, Governor Charlie Crist, made the cold calculation in April that he couldn’t beat Marco in the primary and he dumped the Republican Party and the supporters who had given money to Crist’s campaign as a Republican.   Crist decided he could only survive by changing his affiliation to Independent and moving directly to the general election rather than facing Marco in the primary and being defeated here and now.  It doesn’t make Crist look like a man principle – but he has purchased his golden ticket for the general Election in November alongside Kendrick Meek for the Democrat party nominee and Marco Rubio for the Republicans.

Run, Marco, run. 67 more days of campaigning.  You have come so far – just one more contest.

The following videos are Marco Rubios speech (part 1 and 2) Election night August 24, 2010.

When I was teaching during the primary elections and the Presidential election of 2008, I used to open many of my classes with the observation that the political calendar had not been uneventful since our last class meeting.  We would then spend a few minutes, to the extent that the events were relevant to the Law, Ethics and Society coursework, talking about the historic and in some cases unprecedented events of the day.

My regular readers will know that I have been a supporter of Marco Rubio for US Senate for more than a year now.  Marco has started from zero in a tough, but successful campaign against a popular sitting governor (Charlie Crist) and has become something of a political rock star in the process. In an extraordinary display of retail politics at the grass roots level and personal charisma, Marco Rubio has run the governor out of his own party with a consistent conservative message that resonates with those citizens who feel that they have been abandoned by the current party in power in Washington.

Crist threw the Republican Party under the bus at the end of April when he stepped away from the Party that had elected him to every state office in site and became an unprincipled Independent for no reason other than to avoid an embarrassing defeat in the August 24 primary election in Florida.  Crist gets into the November general election to face Rubio and the Democrat nominee –  Congressman Kendrick Meek or businessman Jeff Greene.  Florida has a closed party primary with a very different set of voters participating in the August primary versus the November general election.  Crist’s moderate policies will play better in the general election and his defection from the Republican party complicates the November election for US Senator.

Former Republican Senator Mel Martinez of Orlando resigned from office, creating the open seat which is being contested this year.  Governor Crist, tempted apparently to appoint himself to the Senate vacancy, did the next best thing.  He appointed George LeMieux to the US Senate.  LeMieux was a close advisor and confidant of the governor whose primary qualification for the position was his apparent promise to not get in the way of the governor’s plans by running for election in his own right in 2010.

Well, Senator LeMieux apparently has more integrity than the man who appointed him.  Being true to his party and citing his disappointment for the governor’s apparent involvement in the fraud and theft scandals surrounding the removal and subsequent arrest of Jim Greer, chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, Senator LeMieux has endorsed candidate Marco Rubio for Senate.

You have got to love Florida politics.

Read a more complete article in the Shark Tank blog (subtitled Welcome to Florida’s Political Feeding Frenzy) <here>

The accompanying video is from the same Shark Tank blog.

My Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyNgxEG64ss&feature=player_embedded

I became interested in Marco Rubio as a candidate for US Senate from Florida last year.  I had some history with Marco as I watched his work as the Speaker of the House in the Florida Legislature in 2007.

I was very disappointed in the leadership of the State party when Senator Martinez announced his early retirement.  In an effort to keep the seat in the “R”column, the Party leaders in Tallahassee and in Washington immediately jumped on the bandwagon of Charlie Crist – the sitting governor of Florida.  Moderate Republican Crist seemed like a safe pick – but lacked the fire and committment to Conservative ideas.

But there was another candidate already in the race – Marco Rubio.  Marco had been the most important legislator in the state as Speaker of the House – but he had never run in a state wide race and so was entering into a race with a well-known governor with little name recognition and limited fund raising capability.

But Marco has a message for the people of Florida.  It is a powerful story of his success as a son of immigrant parents.  It is a small government, positive message of conservative values and a belief in the America that many of us still remember.  And he took that message on the road and criss-crossed the State with hard work and a limited budget.  In a festival of traditional retail politics at the grass roots level, Marco delivered his message to the people of Florida – face to face and up close.  His message, his good looks, his articulate personal style and his easy manner with the people in small groups and large have brought him to front-runner status in the state and have brought him to the attention of national groups for whom his message also resonates.

He has been endorsed by national leaders from Senator Jim DeMint to Steve Forbes.  He has been on the cover of the National Review and the New York Times.  I was a supporter of Marco Rubio from the beginning – but I became a fan when I attended one of his early speaking events in Lakeland.

I am providing a video of Marco’s keynote address to the CPAC10 assembly in Washington DC.  He speaks for 26 minutes and I hope my readers here will watch the video clip and understand why I stand with Marco Rubio for the US Senate this year.

My source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XY0pX5xBGE

The Florida primary elections are still seven months away (August 24, 2010) but Mike Thomas, writer for the Orlando Sentinel, has the long knives out for Governor Crist and his election chances in the Republican primary for US Senate against former Speaker of the Florida House, Marco Rubio.  While Rubio has become the poster child in the national media for the Republican Revolution of 2010, the Governor is being consigned to the dust bin by the Florida media.  It should be noted that recent polls have Rubio 12 points ahead of Crist.

You may see this state as a fiscal wreck, a place where jobs and people are vanishing at a record clip.
But in an alternate universe, on the planet Pandora, our happy Chieftain Charlie Crist promises happy days ahead and millions of dollars all around.
He has $500million for schools, $100million for universities and $67million for community colleges.
He has $100million in tax cuts for corporations, and $24million in back-to-school tax cuts for mom and dad.
He even has $50million to save the Everglades.
Meanwhile, back on planet Florida, dour and scowling men are convening in Tallahassee. They say they don’t see the millions Charlie sees. They’ve looked and looked and it just isn’t there.
They are about to drag Charlie out of his idyllic Pandora and into their harsh reality.
But that’s the least of his problems.
Senate challenger Marco Rubio is taking aim at Charlie’s Tree of Souls, his once towering approval rating that is his source of strength and power. And that great rumbling in the Republican neuro-net is an awakening Jeb Bush. His disdain for Charlie is growing. His endorsement of Rubio is pending.
When that happens, it will be the end of Charlie.

There is much more to Mike’s article – check it out a the Orlando Sentinel.

The Rubio/Crist Senate race was really only a minor player in the Sentinel piece.  The point of the article was the fiscal irresponsibility of the Governor at a critical time in Florida history. The Governor’s budget proposal is right out of Fantasyland and is an insult to the intelligence of the legislature and the people of Florida.  Despite current economic hard facts, the Governor plans to reduce taxes and increase services.  According to Mike’s article, the Governor has gone from lame duck to Daffy Duck.  We can only hope that the media will start to see the President in the same way.

Another hard reality that is not touched on in Mike’s article is the Governor’s enthusiasm to receive 1.25 billion ObamaBucks for high speed rail service.  The problem is that nobody has shown who would use the service, what problem the plan would answer and the fact that the ObamaBucks grant would not pay for the system and there is no additional state or local funding available to build the project.

Mike provides a perfect summary to Governor Crist’s career:

Charlie’s political career is based on churning out a constant stream of positive first impressions. Keep them coming so nobody tracks the follow-up. That is why, more than three years after entering office, he has accomplished nothing other than being liked.

I hope the parallels to President Obama are evident to the reader here too.

Wake up America. Take our Country back in 2010.

I received the following announcement from the Rubio Campaign today concerning Marco’s endorsement by Steve Forbes.

Miami, FL – U.S. Senate candidate Marco Rubio today announced he has earned the endorsement of Steve Forbes, Chairman and CEO of Forbes and Editor-in-Chief of Forbes magazine.

Making today’s announcement, Forbes said, “Throughout his career, Marco Rubio has demonstrated an unshakable faith in free markets and limited government that have earned him the trust and admiration of supply-side conservatives everywhere. Marco Rubio is the only true fiscal conservative in Florida’s U.S. Senate race, which is why I am proud to support him.

“With Floridians suffering through the worst economic situation in decades, Marco Rubio has proven he has the right principles, ideas and energy to get us back on track. Marco Rubio will not only stand up against the Obama-Reid-Pelosi agenda in Washington, he will also unite all who believe America should stay true to the principles of limited government and individual freedom.”

Welcoming Forbes’ endorsement, Rubio commented, “Steve Forbes is one of the leading lights in America’s business community, and I am proud to have his support. Throughout his career, Steve Forbes has built an exemplary business and been an effective advocate of free enterprise and greater freedoms at home and abroad.

“Our campaign is built around the goal of empowering individuals and entrepreneurs to pursue their dreams and create jobs in the process. I am honored to have the support of Steve Forbes who, while devoting his career to highlighting the millions of entrepreneurs that make our American economy exceptional, became a great success story himself.”

About Steve Forbes: Forbes is Chairman and CEO of Forbes and Editor-in-Chief of Forbes magazine, the nation’s leading business magazine with a worldwide audience of nearly five million readers. In both 1996 and 2000, Forbes campaigned vigorously for the Republican nomination for President. Key to his platform were a flat tax, medical savings accounts, a new Social Security system for working Americans, parental choice in education, term limits and a strong national defense. Forbes continues to energetically promote this agenda and serves on the boards of The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation, the Heritage Foundation and The Foundation for the Defense of Democracies. In 1985, President Ronald Reagan named Forbes Chairman of the bi-partisan Board for International Broadcasting (BIB). In this position, he oversaw the operation of Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty, which were critical in the struggle against communism. Forbes was born on July 18, 1947, in Morristown, New Jersey. He received a B.A. in history from Princeton in 1970.

Welcome to 2010.  The campaign cycle is in full swing for The US House of Representatives, 1/3 of the US Senate and State and Local candidates all over the Country.  The victory of Republican Scott Brown in the special election in Massachusetts for the US Senate seat held for generations by the Kennedy family has set the stage for a Republican comeback after disappointing election cycles in 2006 and 2008.  The TEA party demonstrations around the country and the vocal grass roots objections to the radical liberal agenda have excited voters in all states.  The control of State Legislatures are particularly important this year as legislative districts will soon be redrawn in every state in response to the 2010 Census.

In Florida we are particularly interested in the campaign for the Republican primary for US Senate where former Speaker of the Florida House Marco Rubio is matched against Governor Charlie Crist for the US Senate seat formerly occupied by Mel Martinez, currently held by Crist appointed place-holder George LeMieux.

This Senate race is already quite a story.  The smoke filled room guys at the State and National level moved quickly to endorse Governor Crist as the sure bet to hold the Martinez seat in the Senate in Republican hands.  There are two problems with this analysis.  First, Crist’s conservative credentials are right up there with Arlen Spector in Pennsylvania (who has since switched parties to the Democrat side).  And second, Marco Rubio had already entered into the race.  Although Marco had held the highest legislative position in the state, he had only stood for election in his House district in North Miami.  So, with limited name recognition and no state wide organization, he was considered a long shot against a sitting Governor.  The handicappers for the race did not know Marco Rubio.

Marco is young, charismatic with a great family story (parents are Cuban immigrants, lovely wife and four children) and excellent conservative credentials – and best of all, a desire to compete and win in this election.  With nothing but his own energy and his desire to get his message out to the voters at the grass roots level, Marco has prosecuted a full schedule of speaking engagements, criss-crossing the state and taking his message to the people.  He appears at party events (running up a impressive record of County Republican Party straw poll victories – including Crist’s home Pinellas County). He appears at TEA party events feeding the fires of discontent by independent voters.  With humor and style and a consistent conservative message, Marco has built his own positive name recognition all over the state with his own efforts and personal magnetism.

Marco has come to the attention of the National media and is becoming a poster candidate for the conservative revival.  He has appeared on the cover of the National Review and even the New York Times.  He has been endorsed by an “A” list of conservative office holders, publishers and media.  He will be a featured speaker at the CPAC meeting in Washington in February – and the national exposure (and his rising poll numbers) has enhanced his ability to raise money for his race against Crist.

The following article written by Larry Thornberry in Tampa appeared on the website for the American Spectator.  Larry describes an exciting event in the state opinion polls when Marco Rubio is reported to be leading Governor Crist in a major poll by 47% to 44% in mid January 2010.  It is a great start for the year for Marco Rubio.

Rubio Outpolls Crist

By Larry Thornberry on 1.27.10 @ 6:08AM

When 2008 dawned the Democratic presidential nomination was Hillary Clinton’s to lose. But no one expected her to. Likewise, when 2009 got underway the Republican nomination for the Florida U.S. Senate seat the unenthusiastic Mel Martinez was giving up was moderate governor Charlie Crist’s to lose. In fact, Crist looked like more of a lock last year than the nation’s ex-wife had the year before.

And why not? Hardly anyone outside of his Miami district knew anything about the conservative former speaker of the Florida House, Marco Rubio, Crist’s opponent for the Senate nomination. And Crist, who had enjoyed high approval ratings before he “grew in office” after becoming governor, was considered an unbeatable political heavyweight (odd expression for a thin guy who says he only eats one meal a day and looks it, but I’m just reporting). Most political observers thought Rubio would hop out of the Senate race and run for governor when Crist announced for the Senate. When Rubio stayed in, political wise men called it a kamikaze mission. Crist was supposed to win this one on cruise-control.

So much for political wisdom. And perhaps “political observers” have too much time on their hands. Yesterday Quinnipiac released a poll showing Rubio leading Crist in the race by 47-44, the first lead for Rubio since Senate matchups began last February. The poll included 673 registered Republic voters and was conducted January 20-24. It has a margin of error of 3.8 percent.

The poll shows Rubio beating Crist on the questions of trust, values, and conservative credentials. This should not surprise anyone. Rubio has run a solid and energetic retail campaign based on such conservative values as limited government, trust in the markets over government control, fiscal conservatism, the centrality of the family, a strong foreign policy, and all-around vigorous opposition to the leftward lurch of the Obama administration and congressional Democrats. Every indication is this is the kind of approach Florida voters are looking for this year.

Crist, on the other hand, has taken political positions all over the map since he’s been governor, some of them distinctly un-conservative. Voters noticed, including Republicans who supported Crist during his conservative campaign for governor in 2006. When Crist’s leftish stands proved unpopular — such as supporting President Obama’s $787 billion “stimulus” slush fund before it was adopted and supporting cap and trade — Crist switched positions and claimed he had never supported these unpopular things in the first place.

It doesn’t take a Joe Wilson to parse what this approach to issue politics amounts to. Thus Crist’s problems with trust, values, and conservative credentials. A problem he will have a lot of trouble turning around. Once the public spots a politician as an opportunist and a chameleon, it’s very difficult to shake this rep. This is happening to Crist now.

The poll also shows either Rubio or Crist ahead of the likely Democratic candidate for the Senate seat, Miami Congressman Kendrick Meek, by about 10 points. A companion poll of 1,618 Florida votes shows that 45 percent of Florida voters approve of the job Barack Obama is doing as president. Another 49 percent disapprove. This is a sharp drop-off for the president from last February when 64 percent of Floridians told Quinnipiac they approved of what our rookie president was doing with only 23 percent disapproving.

Crist and Obama seem to be in a flat spin together. Last February only six percent of voters liked Rubio for the Senate seat. As recently as last August Crist led Rubio by 55 to 26 percent. See above re solid conservative campaign.

It may well be that the Quinnipiac poll actually undercounts Rubio’s support as the poll contracted registered Republicans rather than likely primary voters. Rubio has enjoyed overwhelming support among those most active in the party, the kind of people who show up to vote in Florida’s closed primaries. There have been 16 straw polls taken by Florida Republican organizations across the state, most county executive committees. Rubio has won them all by lopsided margins.

There’s almost seven months to go before the August 24 primary, so they’re not icing down the champagne at Rubio campaign headquarters yet. Rubio can stumble on the campaign trail. Crist can use his considerable campaign financial war-chest to paint Rubio in an unfavorable light. Crist might convince Floridians he’s the true conservative in the race.

But these things will be difficult to do. Crist has tried criticizing the Obama administration for spending too much. But Floridians remember Crist whooping up Obama’s slush fund on stage with Obama last February and his hectoring members of Congress to go along with the spending plan he’s now criticizing. They’re not taking him seriously. Crist has tried picking at Rubio’s conservative armor, but nothing has taken so far.

Even Crist’s large advantage in campaign funds is eroding. The Rubio campaign reported collecting $1.75 million in the quarter ending December 31, giving the campaign about $2 million on hand. Crist originally was the establishment candidate, and of course he enjoys certain fund-raising advantage because he’s a sitting governor. But as the poll numbers change, and the grass-roots enthusiasm for Rubio becomes more undeniable, it becomes more difficult for Crist to raise money and easier for Rubio.

After the spring session of the Florida Legislature concludes in early May, Crist in effect becomes a lame duck. Look for money and individual support to come Rubio’s way when there’s no longer any reason to keep Governor Crist happy.

Events in Massachusetts and Florida are showing that in 2010 a solid conservative message, well delivered, is a lot more helpful than being the establishment’s candidate. On the Republican side, establishment candidates next fall may well be left to sulk alone in their big tents.

My Source: http://spectator.org/archives/2010/01/27/rubio-outpolls-crist

The Marco Rubio campaign for Senate in Florida is entering a new phase as opponent Charlie Crist begins to notice that he has a strong challenger in the Republican primary election next August.  The Governor is stepping up his personal appearance schedule to try to keep the articulate and persuasive Rubio from gathering support around the state.

The Rubio campaign has sent out the following letter to supporters:

Ted-

We all knew this day would eventually come.  After months of negative headlines about his stewardship of Florida, pretending he is unopposed in the GOP primary and refusing to debate Marco Rubio on the issues affecting Florida’s and America’s future, Charlie Crist has finally acknowledged he has a real fight on his hands and is reverting to his tried and tested approach of smearing whoever stands in his way.
Faced with Marco’s growing momentum and a public growing increasingly sour about his own record of supporting tax increases, the wasteful Obama stimulus package and cap-and-trade, Crist and his allies are lashing out with misleading, negative and personal attacks.  As the Miami Herald reports today, “Crist allies are starting to push back at the notion that Rubio is a conservative’s dream candidate.”
Unfortunately for Crist and his allies, they are running up against a wall of respected conservatives who have seen Marco up close and can vouch for his credentials:
Former Speaker Newt Gingrich: “… has pegged Rubio as a rising national political figure and calls 100 Ideas ‘a work of genius.’”
Former Gov. Jeb Bush: “He’s got all the tools.  He’s charismatic and has the right principles.”
Former House Majority Leader Dick Armey: “Marco Rubio is a champion of freedom and an inspiring leader for the next generation of the conservative movement. His track record and conservative convictions are a breath of fresh air in a party looking for new leaders to advance the principles of limited government, lower taxes and economic liberty.”
Sen. Jim DeMint: “There is no question Marco Rubio will be a big part of the Republican Party’s future, but I believe if we are to defeat the forces of Big Government now controlling Washington, Marco Rubio needs to be a big part of the Republican Party’s present. He has the skills and ideas we need to rebuild our party, reform our government, and renew our nation.”
Americans for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist: Rubio is “the most pro-taxpayer legislative leader in the country.”
Syndicated Columnist George Will: “His preventive medicine includes limited government, tax reform, spending restraint and removal of all impediments to the entrepreneurship that makes America a place ‘where poor people can put billionaires out of business.’”
National Radio Host Laura Ingraham: “He’s not the favorite in this race, but he’s the best one running.  I’m all about supporting true conservatives.”
You see, Marco has the truth on his side and the conservative credentials to back it up.  But he needs your help to get the word out and fight the smears, which is why we’re asking you to help today in two ways:
First, help make sure Marco has the resources to set the record straight by donating to his campaign.  Your support will help ensure Marco’s message reaches all Floridians.
Second, urge Charlie Crist to accept Marco’s Debate Challenge.  As voters, you deserve to see candidates go face-to-face on the issues of greatest concern to you.  So far in 2009, Governor Crist has shown more interest in standing on stage with President Obama at a pro-stimulus rally than he has in standing on stage with Marco debating ideas.  That’s not the kind of campaign you deserve.
Thanks for your support,

Team Rubio

In my view, Governor Crist represents the sort of Progressive Republican candidate that caused the 2008 debacle and gave the White House and significant majorities in Congress to the liberal Democrats.  He appears to me to have chosen the wrong side of too many issues in his personal campaign to become a Vice-Presidential candidate or, now, a candidate for Senate.  And his most recent betrayal of the State Republican Party for his own benefit was the blatant cronyism of his appointment of his closest friend and political staffer, George LeMieux as interim Senator to replace Mel Martinez who resigned, based, apparently, on his buddy’s promise that he would not run for re-election and complicate Crist’s plans for next November.

Florida residents need to take every opportunity to see both Crist and Rubio in personal appearances.  It is to be hoped that the two candidates will schedule a series of professional debates on the issues around the State so that the voters may make a reasoned and careful choice in the primary election.

The Rubio campaign has already scheduled several appearances for October:

Tuesday, October 6
6:00 p.m. EDT
Marco addresses the First Coast Young Republicans.
The Jacksonville Landing
Twisted Martini Lounge
2 Independent Drive, #173
Jacksonville, FL

Wednesday, October 7
12:00 p.m. EDT
Marco addresses the Broward Women’s Republican Club, Federated.
4911 NE 27th Terrace
Lighthouse Point, FL
Note: Lunch tickets are $25 per person.  To request more information or to RSVP, please contact Joy Riddell at (954) 254-8201 or Elizabeth Athanasakos at (954) 564-7545.

Friday, October 9
6:00 p.m. EDT
Marco addresses the Southwest Orange County Republican Club.
Windermere Town Hall
520 Main Street
Windermere, FL

Supporters of both candidates should encourage the media to demand as many joint debate appearances as possible to assist the voters in getting to know both candidates and their position on issues important to Florida and the country before the primary election.  The next general election for a US Senator from Florida will be in November 2010.  We all know the importance of having a strong conservative representing Florida.  I also note that incumbent Senator Bill Nelson (D – Florida) will stand for re-election in 2012 along with President Obama.

I personally find the experience of hearing Marco Rubio speak in person to be electrifying.  I have on many occasions spoke of my first experience in a Marco Rubio live audience as follows, “I was already a supporter – now I am a fan.”

I stand with Marco Rubio.

I am finding that I get comfort from the political storm and my constant criticism of the Congressional leadership and the President’s administration by reading about Former Speaker of the Florida House and candidate for the US Senate from Florida, Marco Rubio.

I take refuge in the simple, logical positions of a true conservative.  I read his speeches or watch his videos and I believe that there is hope for the future.  My comment after attending my first live event with Marco as the speaker was. “I was already a supporter – now I am a fan.”

So I was interested in several national endorsements this week for Marco.

The first is from syndicated columnist George Will, appearing in Townhall.com, who refers to Marco Rubio in the title of his article as a Principled Conservative.  High praise. Will is critical of Governor Crist (challenging Rubio for the Republican nomination for Senate) for appearing at a rally with President Obama in support of the stimulus bill when no House Republicans and only 3 Senate Republicans voted for the stimulus. Crist favors cap and trade legislation and bothered many state Republicans by appointing a Crist political staffer and buddy to serve the balance of the Martinez Senate term.  Finally Will is critical of the Crist support “public option” for property insurance which has driven some insurers out of the state and which may leave Florida citizens to foot the bill in the event of a major hurricane.

George Will speaks in glowing terms of Marco Rubio’s passionate conservative views, noting his endorsement in a recent cover article by the Nation Review.  He applauds Rubio’s views including limited government, tax reform, spending restraint and removal of all impediments to entrepreneurship.

Read the George Will article in it’s entirety at: http://townhall.com/columnists/GeorgeWill/2009/09/27/a_principled_conservative

The second major endorsement last week came from Dick Armey, Republican Majority Leader in the House of Representatives from 1995 to 2003.  Armey is credited, with Newt Gingrich, as author of the GOP Contract with America and with engineering the first Republican Majority in the House in 40 years in 1994. Armey had already endorsed Marco in July, but sent a fundraising letter on Marco’s behalf last week.

Armey stated in the current letter.

As I said when I endorsed him, Marco Rubio is a champion of freedom and an inspiring leader for the next generation of the conservative movement. His track record and conservative convictions are a breath of fresh air in a party looking for new leaders to advance the principles of limited government, lower taxes and economic liberty.

We need his energetic conservative leadership in the Senate.  We need someone like him who will stand up for freedom no matter which party is placing it in jeopardy…

Governor Crist has lots of establishment money, but he doesn’t have Marco’s conservative vision, commitment to ideas, ability to deliver our message, or the support of thousands and thousands of citizens fed up with business as usual.”

See Dick Armey’s letter in full in David Weigel’s article for The Washington Independent at: http://washingtonindependent.com/60967/dick-armey-for-marco-rubio

Marco Rubio is polling at or above Governor Crist is areas where both candidates are known.  He is consistently beating the Governor in straw polls at local county Republican events.  But he still has a name recognition problem in many parts of the state.  Marco held the highest legislative post in the state as Speaker of the Florida House – but has only run for election from his Florida House district of West Miami.  Fundraising is his biggest challenge.  Anybody who hears his message recognizes the differences between him and more liberal Charlie Crist.  But he needs financial support to get that message out all over the state.  Sitting governors tend to have fundraising power as well as state wide organizations.  So Marco has his hands full.  But Rubio has the message that the voters want to hear – and the track record to back it up.

Those of my readers who live in Florida or who value the presence of a true conservative in the US Senate in 2010 elections should support Marco’s candidacy at www.MarcoRubio.com. Immediate response is appreciated as the current calendar quarter ends in two days for current reporting requirements.

We all need to keep the energy and the message of the 9/12 TEA parties uppermost in our minds through the Congressional Elections of November 2010.  Florida voters will also need to cast their votes for Marco Rubio for Senate in the Republican Primary in August of 2010 and again in the general election in November.