Rubio leading in battle of the ed boards

Happy to read this tonight from Tampa Bay OnLine Blog about the editorial boards endorsing in the Senate race. Almost fainted when I saw the Miami Herald endorsed Rubio and now seeing the TBO call it 'one suprising announcement' made me smile. Thought it was a major endorsement and sure enough it was. Orlando Sentinel we think is a key endorsement along with Tampa Tribune (we expected that one).

Won't be long and we will be saying Senator Elect Marco Rubio. One week from tomorrow is election day across America. GOTV by Republicans is in process to win as many seats as we can in the House, Senate, and Governor's races.

Rubio leading in battle of the ed boards
Posted Oct 25, 2010 by William March
Updated Oct 25, 2010 at 05:32 PM

With the help of at least one surprising endorsement, and some from newspapers that endorsed Charlie Crist for governor in 2006, Marco Rubio is leading the battle for endorsements of major newspaper editorial boards in Florida.

Probably the most surprising endorsement for Rubio came from his hometown paper, the Miami Herald, usually liberal or Democratic-leaning in its endorsements and editorial policies. But Rubio has also received backing from the editorial boards of of The Tampa Tribune, Fort Myers News-Press, Florida Times-Union, South Florida Sun-Sentinel and the Orlando Sentinel.

Crist is close behind with backing from his hometown paper, the St. Petersburg Times, plus The Tallahassee Democrat, Florida Today, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and the Naples Daily News.

In 2006, Crist was endorsed for governor by at least three papers now backing Rubio—the Tampa Tribune, Orlando Sentinel and Florida Times-Union.

The Lakeland Ledger has gone for Kendrick Meek, and the Palm Beach Post, also usually considered liberal or Democratic in its editorial orientation, hasn’t yet published an endorsement.

Source: TBO Blogs.com

Rubio's words the same as underdog to frontrunner

As I read this article, I remembered back to last year when I was intrigued about Marco Rubio for Florida Senator from the time I heard he was running. He started out down over 30 points -- had a slight disagreement with a good friend on whether he could win. He was convinced that Charlie Crist was going to win hands down, but I wasn't so sure and started touting Rubio on my blog. The more I heard of him, the better I liked him and thought he was the type of Senator we needed from Florida.

In the Florida Governor's primary in 2006 was a supporter of Tom Gallagher so was never really a full blown Crist fan although supported him for Governor. More and more conservative websites started supporting Rubio. Then what I consider the straw that broke the camels back with support Crist happened -- he called all the County Chairs and longtime activists in Florida asking for their recommendations as to who they would like to see finishe the term of then Senator Martinez who was retiring from the Senate. Crist had a former member of Congress Rep Bilarakis fill out a questionnaire about who he was which most thought was odd.

When it was announced that he had chosen his long time friend LeMieux to be the Senator, it sent shock waves around the State in Republican circles as most people had him on the bottom of their list (he has turned out to be a very good Senator). From that point on the tide turned on Crist by the activists and his numbers started going down while Rubio's went up. Next thing we know the race was tied and then Rubio was climbing in the polls while Crist started tanking. All of a sudden the Obama/Crist hug started showing up on websites all across the Country. It was the most remarkable turnaround we have witnessed in Republican politics with Crist leaving the GOP and becoming NO PARTY rather than lose to Rubio in the primary.

On the evening of November 2nd after the polls have closed and ballots are counted, we will be saying Senator-Elect Rubio. His journey to be the next Senator from Florida which started as an idea along with some grassroots supporters will have culminated in his election to the United States Senate.

Rubio's words the same as underdog to frontrunner
By BRENDAN FARRINGTON, ASSOCIATED PRESS
October 22, 2010 12:05 AM

Republican candidate for U.S. Senate
Marco Rubio speaks to supporters
at a rally at American Aero in New
Smyrna Beach, Thursday,
October 7,  2010. (N-J

David Massey)

Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Marco Rubio speaks to supporters at a rally at American Aero in New Smyrna Beach, Thursday, October 7, 2010. (N-J | David Massey)

MIAMI (AP) -- Marco Rubio was at a Panhandle truck stop refueling during a trip from Pensacola to Tallahassee when a truck driver startled him.

"Hey Rubio!" the man shouted from the doorway of the restaurant. As Rubio turned around with a "who me?" look. The man added, "You got my vote" and then quickly popped back inside.

Rubio, caught offguard, asked his volunteers what he should do. They encouraged him to go inside and thank the man. Rubio did, telling the only reporter covering his trip to wait outside because he didn't want to look like he was using the opportunity to gain attention.

That was 15 months ago. That was when the Republican establishment said he was crazy and laughed at the idea that the former state House speaker could topple political giant Gov. Charlie Crist. That's when Rubio only had three campaign staffers and couldn't afford to bring any on trips. It's when he was down 21 points in the polls and a good day was when he could speak before a crowd of 80 people and raise $1,000.

A lot has changed since then. Rubio, 39, drove Crist from the primary, he's set and reset fundraising records and he's become a national darling of the conservative movement. The same people who laughed at him stand firmly behind him. The only thing that hasn't changed is his message.

"People forget that there were many in the Republican Party that were saying that in order to be successful in the future, Republicans were going to have to become more like Democrats and I never bought into that notion," Rubio said recently. "Ultimately the support we're now getting from folks that are in the establishment are people who are buying into our agenda, we're not buying into theirs."

Whether it was before a few dozen people at the start of his campaign, the 3,000 he addressed as the keynote speaker at the American Conservative Union Foundation's Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, or during the Senate debates televised nationally, Rubio has been consistent with his message.

It boils down to this: America under President Barack Obama is heading in a new direction that's not good. The number one issue for him is government spending and debt. He says his children risk being part of the first generation of Americans who are worse off than the generation before.

He calls the $787 billion federal stimulus and the health care overhaul disastrous policies that will contribute to the country's bankruptcy. That problem will be worse if significant changes aren't made to entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare, he argues.

Unlike most politicians -- especially in a state like Florida with 2.5 million retirees -- he isn't afraid to talk about changes to Social Security. He wants to gradually raise the age of eligibility to 70 and restructure the formula that determines retirees' initial benefits. He would leave anyone now 55 or older exempt from the changes.

While Crist and Democrat Kendrick Meek criticize him for wanting to tinker with Social Security, Rubio says something needs to be done or the financial consequences will damage the country.

"I'm the only one with a plan to save Social Security. I'm the only one with a plan to reduce the national debt. I'm the only one with a plan of what government's role should be to grow the economy," Rubio said. "I'm the only one running for U.S. Senate that has any idea about how serious our debt is and where it's taking our country."

It's a message that first resonated with tea party activists. While Crist was raising millions of dollars and acting as if he didn't have any primary competition, Rubio was driving around the state talking to any group that would listen. Tea partiers began raving about him and his momentum began to build.

Maryellen Winkel, a 46-year-old engineer from New Port Richey, didn't consider herself politically active until this election cycle. Sure, she read up on candidates and voted, but the Republican didn't go to rallies or events. But last February, she drove about three hours to Fort Myers to hear Rubio speak at a tea party rally that marked one year since Crist and Obama stood together to promote the stimulus.

"I had heard a few things about him and wanted to see if he was as real as he seems," she said. "I'm very impressed at his values and his morals and where he wants the country to go with less spending. When I look at the other candidates he wins me over even more."

She has heard the attacks, that Rubio put personal expenses on his Republican Party credit card (which Rubio says he reimbursed at the time they occurred), that he's not as fiscally conservative as he makes himself out to be, that he is really just another politician that is remaking himself to reflect the current political atmosphere.

"I just see it as politics as usual," Winkel said, adding Rubio's message rises above the attacks. "It just has to do with the environment around us and the insane spending and the entitlement attitude."

And it's not just the message, but the way he delivers it. He is an excellent, charismatic public speaker that fires up conservative audiences. He sprinkles the right touch of humor into his discussion of America going down the wrong path.

When crowds chant "Marco! Marco!" he jokes that he's afraid someone will reply "Polo!" When star-struck supporters ask if he'll run for president, he says maybe for president of a condo association. In a shot at Obama, he jokes that he is running for Senate because he wants to win a Nobel Prize, then adds that he would have to be in Senate for two years to achieve that.

He has a feel-good story about being raised by Cuban immigrants who worked hard to give their children opportunities they never had. His family moved to Las Vegas when he was a teenager and his mother worked as a hotel maid and his father as a casino bartender. He says his success is part of the American dream, a story that can't be duplicated anywhere else.

Rep. David Rivera, a longtime friend and former roommate of Rubio's when they were both in the House, said Rubio has always had the ability to engage a crowd, pointing back 15 years ago when they both worked for Bob Dole's presidential campaign.

"He would energize the room and energize the volunteers and right from that moment I knew he would go very far in public life," said Rivera, who is running for Congress. "Even before then, you could detect that he was someone with great optimism, someone who was very concerned about the community."

While it sounds like political cliche, Rubio often mentions his children as a driving factor in his run for Senate. His wife, Jeanette, a former Miami Dolphins cheerleader, said Rubio often takes breaks to spend time with their four children, ages 3 through 10. That includes giving up a chance to meet with newspaper editors from around the country less than two weeks from the election so he could join one of his sons on a school field trip.

"On Sundays, he makes it a point not to do anything to be with his kids and the family and we all do things together. Especially at the beginning of the campaign he would go out of his way to make sure that even though he was driving, if he had to come home at 1 o'clock to wake up in the morning to take the kids to school, he would do it," she said. "His family is what grounds him and what makes him able to see the things that he feels that are wrong."

Source: Daytona Beach News Journal

Rubio for Senate TV Ad: Backwards

Several sites have rumors swirling that Charlie Crist is going to get Kendrick Meeks to drop out of the race and endorse him. First of all the ballots have already been printed so Meeks name will be on the ballot.  What we see happening is that blacks will stay home in Florida and elsewhere if Obama pulls this off. We are not sure that Meeks would listen to Obama and his people since he is allied with the Clinton/Gore side of the house. This stunt by Crist and Obama if it happens would send a clear message to Democrats across America that Obama favors flip floppers who keep flipping over a longtime Democrat and member of the Black Caucus. Does Obama want to send that message?

Here is the video from Fox News about the race and if you mute Crist who is annoying you will get to the part where Al Gore is campaigning for Meeks and it is actually funny as he goes after Crist.




Any split Republicans have cannot compare to the Clinton/Obama split which is growing more by the day. Then you have Biden who is campaigning for Democrats and doesn't seem happy at all with the crowds or lack thereof he is talking as they have ZERO enthusiasm.   With Emanuel leaving the White House, this is now Obama's Administration that surrounds him as Emanuel came from the Clinton camp. Will Hillary leave the Secretary of State in January?   Obama the 'great communicator and uniter' has done the opposite in his less than two years in office --

Mondale goes after him for using a teleprompter because he cannot speak without one  

Obama has managed to split the Democrats as much as we have ever seen in our lifetime not to mention the absolute disgust a lot of us have on the right and in the middle for his agenda.

We believe that Marco Rubio is going to win this election with or without Meeks formally in the race. We still cannot get over that Charlie Crist is using Republican donor money to run as he is refusing to return any of it except to his handpicked GOP Chair Greer who was fired.

Republican Senators who were so fast to go to Crist side are now watching him use their $10,000 a piece donations to stick it to them. Hopefully Senators and NRSC have learned a lesson not to get involved in an open seat primary like they have been doing this year. Level the playing field in open seats and let the states decide the nominee and then jump in to support the winner.

Marco Rubio wins the Debate last night -- Today he launches a bus tour of Florida!

This morning we decided to do a wrap up of the debate and what has been going on with Marco Rubio this week which is turning into an AWESOME week for Rubio and his supporters. First Rubio raised over $5M for his campaign in the 3rd quarter. More than 95,000 donors from across America who love what they see in Marco Rubio have donated to his campaign.

This morning was remembering back to the beginning of Rubio's campaign when he decided to take on Charlie Crist with the help of the Florida grassroots. At that time was on opposite sides with a very good friend on who to support. Rubio was down over 30 points, but something was telling me he could win -- he knows who he is and what he believes which was a 180 from Charlie Crist. Our site, Democrats for Sale (DfS), started supporting Rubio against Crist from the beginning. Once we launched this site, we moved the positive information on Rubio here and continued to go after Crist at DfS. Eventually my good friend and I were on the same page for Rubio.

There is not a harder working candidate in America than Marco Rubio. He took a 30 point deficit and turned it into a 30 point lead forcing Charlie Crist to go No Party rather than lose. Crist is still the big loser in all of this as he has sacrificed any principles he once had to win votes, but he is still going to lose because voters have no idea what he believes today because of all his flip flops. Although he was good for a laugh when he told a member of the media that he was going to leave the Republican Party even if he won the Republican primary. Yeah right! Crist is turning into a bigger flip flopper than John Kerry which speaks volumes.

Today launches the bus tour across Florida by Marco Rubio. One of these years we expect to see him launch a bus tour across America.

10/7/10: Rubio Launches “Road To Reclaim America” Bus Tour In Jacksonville

Surrounded by family and supporters from across the state like Rep. Ander Crenshaw and Senator George LeMieux, Marco officially kicked off his “Road to Reclaim America” bus tour this morning in Jacksonville. In total, Marco will hit eleven stops over the next three days. The “Road to Reclaim America” bus is now on the way to New Smyrna Beach for a Reclaim America Economy Townhall meeting.

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From the debate last night between Florida Senate candidates Marco Rubio (R), Kendrick Meek (D), and Charlie Crist (NP):

Statement From Senator Connie Mack, Sr., On Charlie Crist’s False Social Security Attacks

Miami, FL – This morning, former Crist campaign chairman Senator Connie Mack, Sr., issued the following statement on Charlie Crist’s false Social Security attacks:

“It is disappointing that Charlie Crist has resorted to false attacks and scare tactics, all simply to try to win an election. Plain and simple, Charlie’s ad is not true and Florida voters deserve better. What is truly disappointing to me is that I know that Charlie knows that too.”

Background:

Crist: “I would work to make sure that I stand with people who will help the people of my state and my country. I am a pragmatic, common-sense conservative, always have been. My political mentor was a guy named Connie Mack, a great United States senator.” (Fox News Sunday Debate, 3/28/10)

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Channel 7, Miami Fox, report declares Rubion the winner of the debate last night :



******

10.07.10

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING: About Marco’s Win At Last Night’s Debate

Miami, FL – At last night’s ABC Affiliates debate, U.S. Senate Republican nominee Marco Rubio won by focusing on the challenges facing our country and the issues important to Floridians. Check out what they’re saying about Marco’s winning debate below:

Rubio Was The Clear Winner:

Miami Fox: Rubio Wins The Debate. “Overall, our expert felt that Meek stood his ground on some unpopular issues. And he felt Crist lost as he needed to clarify more positions. Leaving Rubio, who he says took charge and won this debate.” (Miami Fox, 10/6/10)

ABC’s George Stephanopoulos: “Rubio Helped Himself The Most.” “To my eyes Marco Rubio helped himself the most because neither Gov. Charlie Crist nor Rep. Kendrick Meek were able to draw enough blood to change the dynamic of the race.” (ABC News, 10/7/10)

ABC News: “Neither Gov. Charlie Crist (I) Nor Rep. Kendrick Meek (D) Was Able To Knock Frontrunner Marco Rubio (R) Off His Game.” “The ABC News’ ‘Vote 2010’ midterm debate series kicked-off tonight in Orlando, Florida with a feisty and aggressive debate between the three candidates running for Senate in Florida. While the debate produced fireworks and some great one-liners, in the end, neither Gov. Charlie Crist (I) nor Rep. Kendrick Meek (D) was able to knock frontrunner Marco Rubio (R) off his game.” (ABC News, 10/6/10)

The Washington Post: Rubio Was “Smooth And Calm” In The Debate. “Rubio’s objective, meanwhile, was to weather the criticisms, to show he could take a punch and to avoid making any major mistakes. On all counts, he succeeded, remaining smooth and calm.” (The Washington Post, 10/7/10)

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10.06.10 | Marco Rubio Wins Debate By Focusing On Ideas As An Alternative To Washington

Orlando, FL – Following today’s U.S. Senate debate on ABC 9 in Orlando, Rubio for Senate spokesman Alex Burgos released the following statement:

“There are over 1 million Floridians who are out of work, but all Kendrick Meek and Charlie Crist offered tonight were false attacks, partisan name-calling or calls to continue on the current path of higher taxes, more debt and bigger government. Over the course of 60 minutes, Marco once again made clear what more Floridians have been learning over the past 20 months – that he’s the only candidate in this race who will go to Washington, stand up to politicians in both parties who have taken our country in the wrong direction, and offer a clear alternative based on ideas and principles.

“Kendrick Meek wants to continue on America’s current direction while Charlie Crist could care less what direction we go in so long as he can be a senator. But Floridians know we simply can’t afford the next two years to be like the past two years. It’s clear that the current agenda being pursued in Washington stands in sharp contrast with the mainstream ideas Marco Rubio supports to promote job creation, tackle our dangerous debt and ensure our country remains the strongest nation on earth.”

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10.06.10 | Marco Rubio Sets Fundraising Record With More Than $5 Million Raised In 3rd Quarter
Campaign Heads Into Final Stretch With More Than $5.5 Million Cash On Hand

...

In making this announcement, Rubio Senior Strategist Todd Harris issued the following statement:

“This campaign started at the grassroots, was fueled by the grassroots, and when we win on Election Day it’s going to be because of the grassroots, the best candidate and the best message. While we still fully expect this final report to show us trailing Crist in cash on hand, we are confident we will have the resources to meet or exceed whatever our opponents are spending on television during October. With close to 100,000 donors, the size and enthusiasm of our donor base gives us a virtually unlimited pool of support we can return to again and again over the final stretch of this campaign.

“We will need our grassroots support over the next four weeks more than ever before. As we have already seen, Charlie Crist is desperate. He will say and do anything to win this election. He will run millions in false attack ads to smear Marco. And he is sitting on more than $6 million dollars which will allow him to keep up his shameless attacks.

“But with the help of our grassroots base of support, and the strength of Marco’s leadership and message, we are confident of victory come Election Day.”

Charlie Crist is at it Again -- Lying about Marco Rubio in His Latest Ad

A Desperate Charlie Crist Dishonestly Attacks Rubio”
New Crist Attack Ad Filled With “Rank Dishonesty” And Hypocrisy

That headline from The Weekly Standard sums up Charlie Crist. Does Crist have an honest bone left in his body as he reinvents himself? His lies, flipflops, and statements all point to someone with 'ZERO' core values like his good friend he tried to get to endorse him:

Crist is beginning to sound like John Kerry with all the flip flops but the one we laughed the most at was his saying if he was ahead by 20 points over Rubio he would still have left the Republican Party.  That one showed Charlie will say anything that he thinks will make him look better but that one was a laugh factor.  A month before he left Crist was vowing to never leave the GOP no matter what.  Now he wants everyone to believe he was going to leave?  Sure happy we are not that dumb to swallow the Crist koolaid and have to wonder about anyone that does now. 

“A Desperate Charlie Crist Dishonestly Attacks Rubio”
By Stephen F. Hayes
The Weekly Standard
October 5, 2010

It’s one month until Election Day and Florida governor Charlie Crist is desperate. When Crist launched his campaign more than a year ago he was leading conservative Marco Rubio by more than 30 points. Now, after having opted to run as an independent to avoid a humiliating defeat in the Republican primary, he remains down in the polls by double-digits. And he’s fading fast. Then, in an editorial board meeting with the Palm Beach Post last week, Crist claimed that he would have left the Republican primary to run as an independent even if he’d been leading by 20 points – one of the most ridiculous statements in recent political memory.

Given this context, and given Florida’s senior-heavy voting population, perhaps it’s not surprising that Crist would resort to highly misleading attack ads about Social Security.

Crist’s new ad begins airing today. The irony factor is high. A horror-movie voice begins: “Work longer, get by on less. That’s the Marco Rubio retirement plan. Rubio wants to raise the Social Security retirement age. That means you’ll work harder and longer for your money.” The ad flashes a source on the screen – “Fox News Sunday, 3/28/10.” And later the announcer says: “Charlie Crist is against raising the retirement age. He’ll protect Social Security because our seniors have earned it.”

Rank dishonesty. Rubio has said that he is open to raising the retirement age to preserve the viability of Social Security for younger Americans. But he has said repeatedly that he would not touch Social Security for current retirees – the target of Crists’s misleading ad. Indeed, in the very appearance that Crist cites as his source, Rubio said: “If you’re 55 years of age or older, or close enough to retirement — 55 is the number that [Paul Ryan’s Roadmap] plan uses — I think this is off the table. We’re not talking about you.”

There’s more irony. Crist once decried exactly these kind of scare tactics and even led a legislative investigation into efforts to mislead seniors on Social Security. In 1994, Governor Lawton Chiles was running for reelection running against Jeb Bush. Senior citizens in the Tampa Bay area received anonymous phone calls claiming that Bush wanted to end Social Security, a practice Crist called “unethical, wrong and disgusting.” Crist said: “It’s inexcusable to try to scare and frighten seniors.” Crist, then the chairman of the State Senate’s Committee on Executive Business, Ethics and Elections, held hearings to publicize and condemn the practices. Crist denounced the “misrepresentations and outright misstatements” about Bush’s views.

That was then, apparently.

Crist’s views have changed in others ways, too. Crist himself once favored partial privatization of Social Security. He tried to downplay his previous position in his interview with the Palm Beach Post last week, saying the changes would have been minor and he held the views long ago. “I think one percent like 12 years ago or something.”

So Charlie Crist, who once advocated the partial privatization of Social Security, now claims that raising the retirement age for young Americans would be devastating to seniors. And Charlie Crist, who once condemned efforts to mislead seniors on their retirement security, is trying to save a dying campaign by doing just that.

That, as someone once said, is unethical, wrong and disgusting.

Here’s the full script for Crist’s latest ad:

“Work longer, get by on less, that’s the Marco Rubio retirement plan. Rubio wants to raise the Social Security retirement age. That means you’ll work harder and longer for your money. And Rubio wants to cut benefits, though it’s already tough enough to make ends meet. That’s Washington for you. Balance the budget on the backs of seniors. There’s a better choice. Charlie Crist is against raising the retirement age. He’ll protect Social Security because our seniors have earned it.” CRIST: “I’m Charlie Crist and I approve this message.”

Weekly Standard

Marco Rubio on Neil Cavuto

Jeb Bush Endorses Marco Rubio in FL Senate Race

This may have been the worst kept secret in Florida -- it was always a matter of "when" Jeb Bush would endorse Rubio not "if" as there is no way that Jeb Bush would ever have endorsed Charlie Crist over Marco Rubio. When the news broke today, the comment we heard the most was we thought he already had endorsed Rubio -- now it is official. Jeb's two sons, George P and Jeb Jr. endorsed Marco Rubio earlier and are raising money for his race.

In his endorsement, Bush says Rubio is a passionate, principled leader who wouldn't change his views when political winds shift.

Rubio says Bush has been an inspiration to him, saying, "Gov. Bush's service to Florida is immeasurable, as is his impact on my own life and career."

Bush and the former House speaker will appear together Friday and a Pasco County Republican dinner. There should be a full house in Pasco County for their County Dinner.

With no primary opponent, Rubio and his supporters can concentrate on winning on November 2nd, 2010, and sending both opponents to a resounding defeat. Wouldn't give you two cents for the Rasmussen Poll on the Florida race -- he is not doing very good in State races so far this year like Indiana's Senate race.

Rudy Guiliana Endorses Marco Rubion, April 5, 2010

We were very happy to hear this as there had been a lot of speculation about who was endorsing Marco Rubio on Monday after Senator (Dr.) Coburn endorsed Rubio on the 31st of March. We don't know of anyone from outside of Florida who will be more welcome then Mayor Rudy by the people of South Florida.

Rudy has always stood for Freedom and a strong national security along with smaller government and less taxes. He left no doubt following 9/11 what he thinks of terrorists and how they should be handled. He certainly would never consider bringing them to the United States for trial in Federal Court. Rudy is a law and order person who would make the best Attorney General that this Country ever had.

On Wednesday, March 31, Senator (Dr.) Coburn of Oklahoma, the fiscal conservative Conscience of the Senate endorsed Rubio to add to the earlier endorsements by Senator Inhofe (R-OK), and Sen DeMint (R-SC). Oklahoma has two of the most conservative Senators, and now both have endorsed Marco Rubio which speaks volumes about Marco Rubio and his conservative credentials. We believe this statement from Dr. Coburn pretty much sums up the race:

"From the ‘Bridge to Nowhere’ to the ‘Woodstock Museum,’ I’ve fought all kinds of wasteful spending throughout my career. But in my lifetime, I’ve never seen as wasteful a spending project as the failed $787 billion stimulus bill that Marco’s opponents supported. I have full confidence Marco will stand against costly disasters like the stimulus bill and government-run health care," Dr. Coburn said.

When Gov Crist endorsed the stimulus package and greeted Obama like his long lost brother last fall, he broke with Republican and Independent fiscal conservatives. Then Crist had former Florida GOP Chair Greer running around arm twisting people to endorse Crist in a contested primary. The NRSC Chair Cornyn made the foolish move of doing just that -- endorsing Crist last year. The NRSC Chair should never endorse in an open seat primary. In the end it will cost the NRSC support from donors who always gave who are now giving direct to candidates.

NRCC, headed by Pete Sessions, seems to be the only one of the three major National Republican organizations on track to the task of winning back seats in the House by being on the offensive. The other two organizations, NRSC and RNC, are running into problems of their own making.

Dr. Coburn with this endorsement is asking Floridians to send Marco Rubio to the Senate to join the fight with him and Senator McCain to reign in pork, earmarks, and runaway spending. Dr. Coburn joined Senator McCain to fight pork and earmarks the day he was sworn in as a Senator in January 2005. Before that he was a House Member for three terms going to DC following the takeover of the House 1994. As part of that Contract with America group he took a pledge to only servie three terms which he did. Now as a Senator, he has pledged to only serve two terms.

Marco Rubio could not have a better mentor then Dr. Coburn who is up for reelection this year but yet to hear who will be his opponent. Oklahoma will be sending Dr. Coburn back to the United States Senate to continue the job of reigning in pork, earmarks, and runaway spending. We are asking the good people of Florida to send Marco Rubio to help.

March 31st, 2010
Sen. Coburn Endorses Rubio
Posted by Kyle Trygstad

Florida Senate candidate Marco Rubio received a major endorsement this morning that could help to solidify Rubio's argument that he's the true conservative in the Republican primary. Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn, known for holding up legislation he deems fiscally unsound, is throwing his support behind Rubio.

"I proudly endorse Marco Rubio for the U.S. Senate and look forward to working with him in Washington," Coburn said in a statement released by the Rubio campaign. "His genuine principles and proven record are evidence that he will come to Washington and be a consistent advocate for fiscal responsibility, individual liberty and the traditional values that have made America great. I have closely studied Florida's Senate candidates and have no doubt that Marco Rubio is the only fiscal conservative in this race."

This is another blow to Gov. Charlie Crist, the now-former establishment candidate.

Earlier this month, NRSC Chairman John Cornyn walked back his endorsement of Crist, stating the committee would not withdraw its initial pronouncement of support but would also not engage in the primary.

Source: Real Clear Politics

Florida Senate Race -- Marco Rubio versus Charlie Crist

There are two Republican candidates in the Florida primary -- Former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio and Governor Charlie Crist. What seemed like an insurmountable mountain when Rubio announced he was running against the Florida Governor, began to look like a smaller mountain as he campaigned around the state.

Rubio set out to visit every county in the state and was available to speak to any group. His support began to increase as he visited the various county party organizations and attended events around Florida. People were able to hear him speak and liked what they liked what they were hearing. They knew Marco as the young Speaker of the Florida House but now they got to talk with him in person and learn about Marco Rubio who was running for the United States Senate.

Rubio has been running the same type of grassroots effort that Senator Tom Coburn, MD, ran in Oklahoma in 2004 which sent him to the Senate. Right alongside Rubio is Club for Growth who was there for Dr. Coburn. When you have the grassroots behind you as a candidate, you may not have the dollars but you have the people who are going to go door to door, make the phone calls, and assist you in ways that paid staff may not. You cannot buy loyalty of your supporters.

With the grassroots supporters, eventually will come the dollars which had already started when two of Florida's favorite people, Jeb Jr., and George P. Bush teamed up to do a fundraiser for Rubio. It is common knowledge throughout FL that former Governor Jeb Bush and current Governor Crist are not the best of friends. Jeb's sons throwing this fundraising sent a further message to donors looking for a candidate -- take a long hard look at Rubio. By this time Rubio was leading Crist in the polls. Jeb has not 'officially' endorsed but there is no mistaking the fact that he is supporting Rubio in his run for Senate.

While Senator Cornyn, NRSC Chairman, endorsed Crist early at the request of FL GOP Chairman Greer (who resigned under pressure), and Cornyn has just reaffirmed that endorsement, Senators DeMint (R-SC) and Inhofe (R-OK) endorsed Rubio. If you ask us, those two endorsements from DeMint and Inhofe carry much more weight. NRSC has seen the last dime of any of our money with this reaffirmed endorsement of Crist as the NRSC doesn't seem to get it even after Marco Rubio's speech at CPAC:

People from outside of Florida keep asking what happened, why was Crist going down in the polls and why did NRSC endorse Crist? We have been asking that question of NRSC from Day One since this is a contested primary with no incumbent. Why didn't Cornyn and the NRSC stay neutral in the primary. We can answer reasons for Crist to start gong down in the polls but we have no clue why the NRSC endorsed.

Everything started going south for Gov Crist when Sen Mel Martinez decided to retire early from the Senate and Crist had to choose a replacement. He had some very good candidates to choose from including former Representative Mike Bilarakis. Governor Crist called all the County Chairs to get their opinions and then did the opposite of what they recommended by choosing George LeMieux in Sep 09 who was the central figure in the negotiation of the Indian Gambling compact between Florida and the Seminole Indian Tribe which granted the Indians card-games not allowed by state law. From the Palm Beach Post:

Well, it's being reported that George LeMieux, Fort Lauderdale lawyer and GOP operator, is Crist's pick for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Mel Martinez. This was actually pretty predictable. Crist, of course, is running for the seat in 2010, and LeMieux is Crist's boy. He definitely won't take the seat like Gollum and try to run off with it. With Shaw and some of the others, there was always that chance. With LeMieux, he'll just keep it warm with his loyal fanny.

But it reveals Crist's character. How can you put any man or woman in a U.S. Senate seat who has never been elected to anything? LeMieux is a political operative, not a statesman.

This set off a firestorm among the County Chairs, but then what happened next sent Republicans and Independents to Marco Rubio's camp who were on the fence. You could say a picture is worth a thousand words and in this instance you would be correct. As the Miami Herald so aptly put it: "Republican Senate Nomination May Come Down to a Hug"


The Miami Herald had this to say about the picture of Gov Crist hugging President Obama last October 25th:

Only time will tell but one thing is certain. Rubio is not the only republican who believes Crist is a closet liberal. The hug only seemed to cement that sentiment.

"I was horrified," Rubio said, adding that Crist canceled lunch at the governor's mansion with former Gov. Jeb Bush and other former governors to be with Obama.

"This was more than just a courtesy greeting, this was an embrace and a support of $800 billion of deficit spending."

Crist says he has no regrets about appearing with Obama.

"I was happy and delighted to do so. I'm a civil guy. The president of the United States is the president of the United States," Crist said. "Especially when it's the first visit to Florida and I'm invited to be there. I have that kind of respect in my soul."

The embrace of the Obama and his stimulus continued the poll numbers going south for Governor Crist after his appointment of LeMieux but what happened next with Marco Rubio's poll numbers rising and Crist falling, is almost too funny for words as the credit card dirty trick has backfired.

Rumor has it the FL GOP credit card record release for Rubio came from the Crist camp and was shopped to the media by Democrats. We need to note here that Crist was never was given a FL GOP credit card because he expects his aides to pick up the bills for him as he doesn't pay for his own meals or items. Maybe they should release the credit card records of his aides as we have heard rumors that Rubio spent less in several years then Crist aides have done in a year. We expect the dirty tricks to continue out of the Crist Camp although he is already starting to lose staffers from his Governor's campaign.

After the story broke about credit cards provided by FL GOP for use by FL Republicans in office, the article from the Miami Herald looked into the personal use of the American Express card by Marco Rubio. As the facts began to emerge, you realized that this was backfiring on the Crist camp:

Rubio said Wednesday that he paid for all personal expenses billed to an American Express card given to him by the party to use from 2005 to 2008 when he left public office. The rest of the charges, he said, were legitimate party expenses.

With the articles from around the State showing that Rubio had paid for his own personal expenses and explained the rest of the charges as legitimate party expenses, this became a non-issue.

On the heels of the release of American Express records Gov Crist gave an interview on Feb 27, 2010, with the Palm Coast Editorial Board which shocked not only Floridians but people across America. It appears that Gov Crist is still playing up to Obama when he was interviewed by saying "the Democrats shouldn't scrap their healthcare plans" but it gets better in the interview as he can think of nothing good about them.

Not one good idea?

“There may be. There may be. You know, I’m pretty focused on Florida right now. I mean, after the session I’ll be more focused on the issues in Washington. But I’ve got to do my first job first.”

Crist wants to focus on Florida which is fine except the Democrat healthcare bills contain portions about Medicaid and Medicare which will have an adverse impact on senior citizens of Florida along with the Medicaid program for families with little income and no healthcare who depend on the state.

Bottom line on the credit card/healthcare issues is that one candidate (Rubio) paid for all of his personal expenses on the GOP credit card and is against Obamacare and the other candidate (Crist) didn't use a FL GOP credit card because as Governor, he expects his aides to pick up the tab, but he supports Obamacare but doesn't know why.

We believe that Marco Rubio has shown why he deserves the Republican nomination for Senator and to become the next United States Senator from Florida. Three words describe Marco Rubio -- honesty, integrity, and conservative.

The article below from Bryon York of the Washington Examiner gives more reasons to support Rubio over Crist.

Marco Rubio and the Republicans who love himBy:
Byron York Chief Political Correspondent
March 9, 2010

(AP)
Palm Beach, Fla.

Marco Rubio laughs at the idea, heard from some pundits recently, that he's the "Republican Obama." "I'm not sure people even want to be the Democrat Obama these days," he says. For Rubio, the unlikely front-runner in the Florida Republican Senate primary race, the label is a measure of the unhappiness many people feel with their political choices at any given moment. "There's always this constant desire for new people to enter the process," he explains. Now, he's the new guy.

Challenging the head of your own party is not necessarily the path to political glory, but that's what Rubio has done in the race against Florida Gov. Charlie Crist. Last May, when Rubio, the former speaker of the state House, announced his candidacy, the first three polls done in the race showed him trailing Crist by 35, 37, and 31 points, respectively.

Now, the most recent poll, done by Rasmussen Reports in mid-February, shows Rubio up by 18 points. In a conversation before a speech to the conservative Club for Growth here in Palm Beach, Rubio downplays his lead. He didn't get upset when the polls showed him behind, he says, so he's "not going to get too excited about them with six months to go and we're up by a few points." But Rubio knows the numbers reflect something happening with the voters.

People are scared by the Obama agenda. "I do not believe the president fully supports the free-enterprise system that I support," Rubio says. Florida Republicans, Rubio believes, know in their hearts that Crist "is not going to go to Washington and stand up to this agenda and be part of offering an alternative -- he's just not going to do it." Crist's recent praise for the stimulus and tendency to accommodate Obamacare suggest Rubio is right.

Rubio watched closely as Republican Scott Brown pulled off a political miracle in Massachusetts. First, Rubio learned how incredibly intense a high-profile race can become down the stretch -- he better be ready for that. But more importantly, he saw how critical it is to "focus like a laser on a couple of key issues."

"In that campaign, [Brown] was often tempted to get involved in side issues, he was invited to join [Democrat Martha Coakley] in the weeds and talk about things that didn't matter," Rubio says. "But the fact that he focused on the important issues, the things that mattered to real people in the real world, is ultimately what got him over the top, and it's what we're going to strive to do in our election as well."
For Rubio, that means the economic issues -- "national debt, job creation, how our tax code and government spending are discouraging job creation, and entitlement reform. Those are the central issues of the moment."

(snip)

Rubio, born in Miami to Cuban exiles in 1971, is about as fresh a face as you get in a Senate race. He gives a tremendous speech about his love for American free enterprise and opportunity. Politically savvy Republicans across the country are falling in love with him, but they're also realizing they don't really know a lot about him. That's what campaigns are for. By the time Election Day comes around, they're hoping Marco Rubio will turn out to be every bit as good as he seems.

Read more at the Washington Examiner: Washington Examiner

Rubio's crowd: Liz Cheney, Matalin, Senor

Maybe Senator Cornyn at NRSC should reconsider his endorsement of Gov Crist for Florida Senator. Time that the NRSC stayed out of endorsing in races where there is no incumbent. Rubio has been steadily rising while Crist has been tanking since Cornyn endorsed early. When you look at who is supporting Rubio, you begin to understand why he is doing so well.

Rubio's crowd: Liz Cheney, Matalin, Senor
Politico
2-15-10
Ben Smith

Marco Rubio's appeal to Washington's conservative and Republican establishment will be on display this Thursday at a fundraiser for him in the offices of the lobbying and consulting firm Navigators Global.

The $500-a-head event's hosts include former Vice President Dick Cheney's daughter Liz, former Dick Cheney aide Mary Matalin, former Bush Iraq spokesman Dan Senor, consultants Alex Castellanos and Phil Anderson, and former Reps. Vin Weber and J.C. Watts.

The honorary hosts of the event, which coincides with CPAC, are leading Hill conservatives, including Sens. Jim DeMint and Jim Inhofe, and Reps. Paul Ryan, Mike Pence, and Jeff Miller.

Backing Rubio in the Florida Senate race is becoming a litmus test for conservatives.

Cesar Conda, who wrote recently of switching from Crist to Rubio, organized the event.

Source: Politico