On RGA eve, Crist has plane trouble; Jeb seeks ideas, hails Obama

When the nation's Republican governors meet in Miami on Wednesday after their party's second crushing national loss in a row, it won't be déjà vu for Gov. Charlie Crist.

In 2006, when the GOP governors gathered in Miami, Crist was dubbed a ''rock star'' at the meeting. He was one of only three non-incumbent Republicans to win governor races in a nation that started leaning Democratic.

This time, the Republican Governors Association meeting comes on the heels of John McCain losing in Crist's state, a Republican must-win, on Election Day.

And the number of real jobs lost is troubling Crist even more. Florida lost 115,000 jobs -- the most in the nation -- in the past year on Crist's watch. The state budget is hemorrhaging money. And Crist's strong poll numbers have slipped slightly in recent months.

The losses have fueled worries about Republican leadership in Florida as well as the nation, targeting every leader from President Bush to Crist himself to Crist's hand-picked state party chief, Jim Greer.

More here

Crist planned to head into the meeting with a well-staged Evergaldes announcement Tuesday at the home of Marjory Stoneman Douglas, but a plane malfunction delayed the governor and therefore the presser.

Former Gov. Jeb Bush, meantime, is actively in save-the-party mode, sending this out to former advisors:

"From: Governor Bush
To: Governor Bush
Subject: Future of Republican Party
Sent: Nov 9, 2008 3:09 PM

I am writing the alumni with a query....if you had an idea or two (or more) on what the Republican Party should do going forward, what would they be?  Your thoughts would appreciated. What ideas should be advocated? What tactics should be used?

If you don’t want to respond, that is fine too!

Jeb Bush

PS While I am personally disappointed that Senator McCain did not win, I certainly congratulate Senator Obama for running an incredibly disciplined race. As Michael Gerson said shortly after the election, while we might disagree with our President elect in the coming years, right now I say “Hail to the Chief”.
   
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry"

Comments

[exnewsman]

Let's see Jeb. Maybe leave the future families with tragic circumstances such as Terri Schaivo's alone!!