Charlie Crist Makes His Pick

Via The Weekly Standard, here is Marco Rubio's statement about Charlie Crist's appointment of George LeMieux to fill the vacant Mel Martinez seat:

"This is a disappointing appointment for Florida. George LeMieux is a talented political operative and the governor's best friend, but that doesn't make him the right choice to represent Florida in the Senate. Governor Crist had a wealth of consistent and principled conservative candidates to choose from, all of whom would have been a reliable check and balance on the excesses of the Obama-Pelosi-Reid agenda."

The Miami Herald quotes mixed reactions around the state to the appointment.

The St. Petersburg Times has a report of LeMieux on the issues; well, how he felt in 1998 at least. Then, he supported gay adoption and same-sex benefits but thinks gay marriage should be left up to the voters. He opposes drilling off Florida's coast. He says as a Catholic he opposes abortion except in "limited circumstances" and supports the right to bear arms but thinks that the waiting period to buy guns should be the same at gun shows as it is at gun shops.

LeMieux has served as Crist's deputy attorney general, he ran Crist's campaign for governor, and was Crist's first chief of staff as governor. LeMieux describes himself as "a Crist Republican" which means "The Charlie Crist way of staying with your principles but still trying to solve problems for the people is the way that we need to address things in Washington."

As such a good friend of Crist's, it's probably safe to assume that LeMieux has no interest in running for the seat permanently which brings it back to Crist/Rubio. And Rubio is looking better and better all the time.

NH GOP Candidate Holds Townhall while Dem Hides from Constituents!

NH Mayor and GOP candidate Fred Guinta will hold a townhall in NH in the absence of the state's Democratic incumbent.

Following on a similar move by Arizona's Jesse Kelly, this represents a growing trend for local Republicans to take decisive action to reach out to constituencies being neglected and misserved by their Democratic incumbents. It would be great to see this level of initiative from the RNC.

It would be great to have Penelope Cruz show up at my door in a Hooters outfit with a pitcher of beer and a basket of wings, too, but I ain't holding my breath for that either.

Ari David Pulling in Campaign Cash after Breitbart TV feature!

California Congressional candidate Ari David, running against Howard the Snout Waxman, reports significant campaign contributions received after a feature on Breitbart's Big Hollywood.

The following is Ari's speech from his campaign kickoff at Hollywood's famous Formosa Cafe...

“Thank you for coming to our event tonight. First I want to give special thanks to John, Ron and Evan for all of their support and all the great work they have done on our behalf. Please give them a hand.

Eric, I want to thank you for being the emcee at this party. Everyone, please buy a copy of his book because it is a great read and Eric Golub is really in touch with where the modern conservative movement is heading and last but certainly not least, I want to thank my gorgeous wife Fini who supports me in all of my AMBITIOUS endeavors. Honey, without you I would not be here tonight. I love you.

Fini and I are about to become proud parents of a beautiful little girl. I want you to all imagine the grief we are going to give Henry Waxman as we campaign. Let’s see, a beautiful wife, an adorable baby, a stunningly handsome candidate (that would be me) and a golden retriever puppy. CENTRAL CASTING DID A GREAT JOB, DIDN’T THEY? People tell me that they think this will be a tough race. I agree with them. It will be really tough on Henry Waxman.

The theme is simple. Ari David and family love children, puppies and kittens. Henry Waxman will ROB YOUR CHILDREN’S FUTURE and put you in the poorhouse.

He doesn’t stand a chance.

I challenge Henry Waxman on three issues:

First:

I fully support Israel morally, militarily and diplomatically.

Henry Waxman pays lip service to the Jewish States security issues. But he has a deplorable record of standing with Pelosi and Obama at every turn as they harm Israel AND betray his true agenda. This agenda is the acquisition of unlimited political power. To gain this power from the Democrat party, he happily sells his own people down the river.

The first thing I will do in office is work to empower Israel to act unilaterally against any of her enemies at her discretion. I will also work to share with her all the missile and rocket defense systems available and work to continually develop more. Having the latest missile defense systems up and running is in Israel’s best interest and with Iran and North Korea becoming ever expanding threats it is in our best interest too. Henry Waxman has voted against missile defense system funding every time it has come up for a vote in the House. IF HE HAD HIS WAY, OUR NATIONAL DEFENSE WOULD CONSIST OF SLINGSHOTS AND PEA SHOOTERS. WELL MAYBE THAT’S AN EXAGGERATION. HE’D PROBABLY THINK JUST PEA SHOOTERS ARE ENOUGH.

The second issue I challenge Henry Waxman on is his Cap and Trade FIASCO.

I am against all regulation and taxes on energy use and production. We are the most car centric district in the nation. How dare Henry Waxman sponsor (and pass) cap and trade legislation when his OWN constituents, are the PEOPLE most dependent on gasoline to live our lives?

Unemployment in California is at 15% and rising. We are in a terrible recession brought on by the Democrats in both Washington and Sacramento.

It is a shocking example of arrogance for Henry Waxman to IMPOSE any law on his voters that would increase the costs of OUR businesses and OUR LIVES. AND AS IF THAT ISN’T ENOUGH DESTRUCTION, HE’S NOW IN THE FOREFRONT OF DEMOCRATS TRYING TO FORCE SOCIALISED HEALTH CARE DOWN OUR THROATS. THE PLAN HE SUPPORTS WOULD BE SO DISASTROUS FOR THIS COUNTRY, WOULD INFLICT SO MUCH HARM ON OUR ECONOMY AND ON AMERICANS, EVEN OSAMA BIN LADEN MIGHT LOOK AT IT AND SAY, “I CAN’T TOP THAT.”

HENRY WAXMAN does not know the MEANING of the word enough!

The second thing I will do in office is work to rescind all of the federal fuel and energy taxes on Californians.

The third issue is CLOSE TO MY HEART, AND MANY IN THIS DISTRICT.

Every town has a local mill. I believe that our local mill, otherwise known as the entertainment industry must be protected and kept local.
Henry Waxman has presided over a massacre of runaway production and job loss in our entertainment business.

The third thing I will do in office is WORK TO streamline all regulations and significantly reduce all taxes on entertainment production in the LA area. AND at a minimum WE SHOULD give the same economic incentives to LA production that equals or exceeds whatever the most generous benefits being given by any other state or nation. I will also work to curb production insurance costs.

THE ENTERTAINMENT business is critical to the local economy, BUT IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO AMERICA BECAUSE HOLLYWOOD HAS SO MUCH INFLUENCE OVER OUR CULTURE.

MOVIES, television, music and sports are what give Americans from diverse regional backgrounds a common unified culture. BUT AS FOREIGN INTERESTS GAIN MORE AND MORE CONTROL OVER ENTERTAINMENT CONTENT, THIS CULTURE IS INCREASINGLY THREATENED.

Because film content is being made for and controlled by foreign interests we have White supremacist villains in action films from Waco and Belgium instead of Muslim terrorists from Syria or Saudi Arabia.

PRESIDENT REAGAN SPOKE OF AMERICA AS A SHINING CITY ON A HILL, BUT RIGHT NOW our nation is on the precipice of a cliff. THAT’S WHY the choice (before us) in the next midterm election is crucial. We will either preserve our nation which has proven itself for more than 200 years as the last great hope for mankind or we will take the final steps into a thousand years of darkness.

For the first time since mankind’s ascent from the swamps to the stars has the leading culture on earth decided to sacrifice it’s place as the leader of all the other nations of the world and offer to destroy it’s civilization for the siren’s song of internationalism and equality.

We must not let this happen. It’s clear that the leaders of our nation believe there is something wrong with all THE GREATNESS WE HAVE ACHIEVED, AND because of this they believe America must be diminished. The irony is that oppressed people on earth who dream of being in America and dream of freedom will have their dreams die as the beacon of American freedom is dimmed and extinguished.

The choice that we have before us is not right or left. It is not Liberal or Conservative. My friends, the choice before us is only up or down.

The choice up leads to ideals of American exceptionalism, free enterprise, civil society and individual liberty. The choice down that our Democrat friend’s present leads straight to the soup kitchen of the welfare state and to the ant hill of totalitarianism.

The Democrats promise Utopian ideas like health care for all, reduced carbon emissions and low cost education in exchange for volunteer service. They promise us many things in this version of Eden including butterflies and rainbows. What their Utopian plans will actually deliver though is the Dystopia of East Germany in 1957. There was nothing gray or dreary there. No one went hungry or in need in that Marxist dream place so our Democrat leaders, ignorant of the history of their economic and social theories think “Why not impose that here?”

The party that espouses keeping the government out of our bedrooms and out of a woman’s body is putting the plan together to invade all the other rooms of our houses, our offices and our cars. They are even working on getting into our Jacuzzis. I like to be naked when I am in the Jacuzzi so I find this particularly disturbing because I don’t want to be anywhere near Nancy Pelosi while I’m naked.

Now with their so called health care plans they are going to invade all of our bodies and invasively cavity-search every orifice.

With their plans to cut costs the Democrats are willing to sell our bodies to the Federal government and of course, do this for our own good. This is why I like to call what they are doing to us “Death Care” plans instead of health care because the governments only care for us is that if we are dead so they won’t have to allocate scarce and strictly rationed resources to us.

I am not one to trade freedom for security because this leaves us with neither and the Democrats (have) did a masterful job terrifying the majority of Americans into making this nefarious trade last November.

It is time for us to stand up to these tyranny peddling oppressors and say no! No more invasions of our choices and no more micromanaging of our lives by the nanny state.

Henry Waxman for all of his beauty, benevolence, charisma and charm is nothing more than a petty bully dictator who wishes to have ultimate power over all of us.

Henry Waxman and his fellow commissars of the inconsequential must be stopped now! HENRY WAXMAN HAS BEEN IN CONGRESS TOO LONG. NOW IT’S TIME TO SEND HIM BACK TO THE REAL WORLD WHERE HE WILL HAVE TO LIVE UNDER THE OPPRESSIVE LAWS HE HAS HELPED PASS.

I would rather die on my feet than live on my knees in chains and slavery. A country that is ready for a master deserves one. My friends, we deserve no master and we will never be ready for one.

On November 2nd 2010 we can pull the trigger and fire a new shot heard round the world. We will shock the Democrats and beat them in this district that they take so much for granted. Let’s join the rebellion and have a new revolution. We will redeem and preserve the original ideals that made this country the greatest on earth and the place where men could be truly free.

Thank you for joining us tonight. God bless you and God bless the United States of America!”

Mark Reed Picking Up Support!

California Congressional candidate Mark Reed is picking up important support from the California GOP for his campaign to unseat Democrat Brad Sherman. Senior State GOP officials have promised to work with Mark on his campaign.

An important distinction needs to be made here: although the GOP officials are supporting Mark, this is not yet an official endorsement. The CA GOP will not make such an endorsement until the primary, an important difference from the Charlie Crist FLA debacle. But it does mean Reed gets support with access, information and communication.

Keep the Skeer On...

Marine, Iraq Vet and Businessman Jesse Kelly stepped in to provide the voters of his district in Arizona with a place to be heard and honest dialogue when Democratic Congresswoman Giffords cancelled her townhall and hid under her desk...

HT: Gila Courier

Arlen Specter Crashing, Burning in PA...

...and dragging down Rendell and Obama down with him. Nothing like a pre-primary endorsement, is there, Senator Cornyn?

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More on Martinez, Crist , Rubio and Florida

All eyes on Florida today.

First read of the day is the wonderful profile of Republican Senate candidate Marco Rubio at NRO; then we get word that Mel Martinez is to resign today. Martinez had already announced, of course, that he would not run for re-election, thus setting up the race for Senate between current Governor Charlie Crist and conservative Marco Rubio.

In addition, Charlie Crist is now changing his tune on global warming and Cap and Tax. Feeling the heat much, Governor Crist? Oh, Crist is outpolling and out fund-raising Rubio handily, but much of that can be attributed to name recognition and is likely to change. Rubio is actually the only conservative in that race.

Possibly feeling the heat from conservatives, Crist is altering his position on the issues. From the Miami Herald: "Under mounting criticism from fellow Republicans, Crist looks ready to cancel his climate-change summit and is backing away from advocating a 'cap-and-trade' energy policy."

Crist is apparently feeling the need to do whatever is politically expedient as opposed to Rubio who sticks to his principles and values. Crist concedes that cap 'n tax may in fact be a tax but then declines to say whether he still backs it or not. That makes it pretty clear to me that he does.

Crist could be feeling some pressure as Volusia County Republicans recently censured him for his support of Obama's stimulus plan, for his support of amnesy for illegals and for his failure to support Republican congressional candidates. The censure resolution can be read here. Palm Beach Republicans are considering a censure also. This follows a string of losses to Rubio in various straw polls.

As far as Martinez and his resignation, the Miami Herald has this:

'"It's a deeply personal decision that he will expand on later today. He decided it's time to move to another stage of his life,' said a source familiar with the situation. In an extraordinary turn of events, Gov. Charlie Crist, the leading Republican to replace Martinez in the U.S. Senate, will have the power to appoint someone to fill the remainder of his term. Sources say Crist won't appoint himself."

How will this affect the Senate race? Will those that bashed Palin for "quitting" say the same about Martinez? Stay tuned.

(Cross Posted at So it Goes in Shreveport)

Mel To Quit The Senate

Via Ace.

From the Politico.

Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.) will be resigning from the Senate, according to several senior Republican sources familiar with his thinking.

He made the announcement at a morning staff meeting, where he said he will not be returning to the Senate after the August recess.

I'm guessing that Crist will be the one to nominate the replacement. I have no idea at this time if Crist can nominate himself to the Senate early or if he has to put in a place holder. This does have the makings of some behind the scenes deal that went down late one night.

NRO Profile of Marco Rubio

Jim Geraghty has a profile of Republican contender Marco Rubio over at NRO this morning in which he asks the million dollar question:

"As time passes, the 2010 Florida Senate race is looking more and more like a GOP gimme. And if that’s the case, why pick the stimulus-backing, cap-and-trade-backing, Obama-embracing, kinda-sorta-maybe conservative Crist over a Cuban-American with nine years in elected office who is pledging that he won’t sell out his principles?"

Read the whole thing.