Marco Rubio for U.S. Senate: Charlie Crist’s Bad Week is No April Fool’s Joke

“When was the last time Crist had a good day?” – The Hotline, 4/1/10

Miami, FL – Charlie Crist’s week has gone from bad to worse. It started on Sunday with a debate that most agree Marco Rubio won by talking about the issues important to Floridians, and continued to Tuesday with an endorsement that one newspaper wrote “he could have done without.” Today, Crist’s week is ending with reports that his “hand-picked” RPOF chairman is under criminal investigation and his Everglades deal could have been dealt a “death knell.”

SUNDAY: Marco Wins Debate With Charlie Crist…

On Sunday, Marco and Charlie Crist met for their first debate. After forty minutes, most commentators and voters agreed that “Rubio Won.” Check out the coverage below:

• National Review’s Kathryn Jean Lopez: “Rubio Won.” (Kathryn Jean Lopez, “The Crist-Rubio Debate,” National Review Online’s “The Corner” Blog, 3/28/10)

• Orlando Sentinel’s Scott Maxwell: “Rubio Probably ‘Won’ This Debate … Rubio Was In Control.” (Scott Maxwell, “Crist Vs. Rubio: 1st Debate Has Nastiness, But Also A Winner,” Orland Sentinel’s “Taking Names” Blog, 3/28/10)

• Politico: “Marco Rubio Controls Terms Of First Florida Face-Off.” (Jonathan Martin, “Marco Rubio Controls Terms Of First Florida Face-Off,” Politico, 3/28/10)

• Tampa Tribune’s William March: Rubio “Seemed More In Command Of Facts On Public Policy Issues.” “Rubio managed to maintain a calm, reasonable demeanor in spite of the attacks, however, and sometimes seemed more in command of facts on public policy issues.” (William March, “First Crist-Rubio Debate: Clash On Ethics, Issues,” Tampa Tribune’s “March On Politics” Blog, 3/28/10)

• National Review’s Kathryn Jean Lopez: “Crist Was Thin-Skinned And In Attack Mode.” “It went exactly as I could have predicted it would: Crist was thin-skinned and in attack mode.” (Kathryn Jean Lopez, “The Crist-Rubio Debate,” National Review Online’s “The Corner” Blog, 3/28/10)

TUESDAY: Crist Endorsement Goes Bad…

On Tuesday, Charlie Crist announced an endorsement and by the end of the day, the governor was being asked if he would disassociate himself from the endorsement. Check out the coverage below:

• The Washington Post: “Crist … May Have Just Received An Endorsement He Could Have Done Without.” “Gov. Charlie Crist (R-Fla.), falling behind in the polls to Florida’s conservative former House Speaker Marco Rubio in the Florida Senate GOP primary race, may have just received an endorsement he could have done without.” (Matt DeLong, “Swift Boat Vet Offers Crist A Race-Tinged Endorsement,” The Washington Post, 3/30/10)

• The Associated Press: “Crist Apparently Has No Problem” With Racially-Tinged Comments By A Supporter. “Gov. Charlie Crist apparently has no problem with a Senate campaign supporter calling President Barack Obama ‘the black one’ and primary opponent Marco Rubio ‘a Hispanic who can run his mouth.’” (“Crist Ignores Race-Tinged Words For Obama, Rubio,” The Associated Press, 3/30/10)

• Weekly Standard: “What Is Crist Thinking?” “It’s not that hard to admire Day and praise Day’s service while objecting to some of his remarks. What is Crist thinking?” (John McCormack, “AP: Crist Ignores Race-Tinged Words For Obama, Rubio,” Weekly Standard, 3/30/10)

• Miami Herald: “Day’s Comments Come Close To Putting Crist On Shaky Political Ground.” “But in a state where Hispanics comprise the fastest-growing segment of the electorate, Day’s comments come close to putting Crist on shaky political ground.” (Marc Caputo, “Crist Supporter On ‘Hispanic’ Rubio And ‘Black One’ Obama,” Miami Herald’s “Naked Politics” Blog, 3/30/10)

WEDNESDAY: Crist’s “Hand-Picked” RPOF Chairman Under Criminal Investigation…

On Wednesday, Charlie’s week got worse when news broke that his “hand-picked” former Chairman of the Florida Republican Party is under criminal investigation. This news “is casting a long shadow over the U.S. Senate campaign of Gov. Charlie Crist.” Check out the coverage below:

• St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald: “Gov. Charlie Crist’s Handpicked Former GOP Chairman Is The Subject Of A Criminal Probe.” “Gov. Charlie Crist’s handpicked former GOP chairman is the subject of a criminal probe concerning a secret contract that funneled party money to a consulting company he owned, the party and the state’s top law enforcement agency disclosed Wednesday.” (John Frank and Beth Reinhard, “Former Florida GOP Leader Jim Greer Under Criminal Probe,” St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald, 4/1/10)

• Sarasota Herald Tribune: Jim Greer Criminal Investigation “Is Casting A Long Shadow Over The U.S. Senate Campaign Of Gov. Charlie Crist.” “The financial scandal that caused Republicans to oust their former party chairman earlier this year has now turned into a full-blown criminal investigation that is casting a long shadow over the U.S. Senate campaign of Gov. Charlie Crist.” (Gary Fineout, “Greer Facing Criminal Inquiry,” Sarasota Herald Tribune, 4/1/10)

• The New York Times: “The Man Chosen By Gov. Charlie Crist To Lead The Republican Party Of Florida Is Under Criminal Investigation.” “The man chosen by Gov. Charlie Crist to lead the Republican Party of Florida is under criminal investigation after a new audit showed that he may have steered nearly $200,000 in party money to a company he owned.” (Gary Fineout, “Inquiry Into Ex-G.O.P. Leader,” The New York Times, 3/31/10)

WEDNESDAY: Court Ruling “Could Be The Death Knell” Of Charlie Crist’s U.S. Sugar Bailout…

Wednesday also brought “the death knell” to Charlie Crist’s controversial bailout of U.S. Sugar. Check out the coverage below:

• A Federal Judge’s Ruling “Could Be The Death Knell” For Charlie Crist’s Bailout Of U.S. Sugar. “The federal judge overseeing Everglades cleanup issued a ruling Wednesday that could be the death knell for Gov. Charlie Crist’s controversial Everglades restoration land deal with U.S. Sugar Corp.” (Paul Quinlan, “Judge Orders Restart Of Everglades Reservoir Project And Questions Governor’s Massive Land-Buy Plan,” Palm Beach Post, 3/31/10)

• Charlie Crist’s U.S. Sugar Bailout “Is In Jeopardy” After Court Ruling. “Gov. Charlie Crist’s grand plan to revive the dying Florida Everglades by buying back the land is in jeopardy after a federal judge Wednesday ordered the state to resume construction on a multimillion-dollar restoration project.” (Brian Skoloff, “Everglades Deal In Jeopardy After Judge’s Ruling,” The Associated Press, 3/31/10)

THURSDAY: On April Fool’s Day, Crist’s History Of Trying To Fool Floridians Catches Up With Him…

WATCH THE VIDEO: “WE WON’T GET FOOLED BY CRIST AGAIN”

CONTACT: Alex Burgos (305) 389-3594

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