We caught up with Charlie Crist this morning after he and his team pitched the U.S. Department of Education on why Florida deserves $700 million in Race to the Top grant money. But we wanted to talk Senate race politics (and he didn't seem opposed to that either).
A little more detail on how tonight's fund-raiser at the Washington, D.C., home of Clinton loyalists Mark Penn and Nancy Jacobson came together. Crist said his link to Jacobson (he's not yet met Penn) is through Danny Ponce. Ponce is a Democrat and lawyer in Florida, who once served as special counsel to Bob Graham, the former governor and senator. Ponce also is involved in an array of business and academic boards, most recently when Crist named his as a University of Florida trustee. (Ponce got his undergraduate and law degrees at UF.) Crist told us this morning that Ponce is "a great Florida Gator" and also a personal friend who "kind of was able to connect me with" Jacobson.
The Republican-turned-independent governor running for Senate wouldn't say a whole lot more about tonight's fund-raiser.
But he let drop that he's meeting with the Teamsters while in DC today to seek their general election endorsement, regardless which Democrat emerges from the Aug. 24 primary. Crist won't see union president James P. Hoffa but rather another high-ranking official. Crist said he's enjoyed various unions' support in most of his past elections and that his pitch to the Teamsters is "just that i want to fight for the people . . . I really have a heart for the people and work for the people.''
-Lesley Clark and Margaret Talev
Give em hell Charlie!
Posted by: stuntmanmike | August 11, 2010 at 12:27 PM
Raising money from Democrats....the man has no shame. Wasn't it mere months ago he was proclaiming he is a "Ronald Reagan Republican".
The ONLY thing Crist cares about is himself and his pathetic campaign.
Posted by: Really | August 11, 2010 at 12:47 PM
If Charlie's proven before that where he gets his money from doesn't determine his policy positions, why does it matter at all where he gets his money from?
Posted by: DD | August 11, 2010 at 01:14 PM
Smart money in D. C. and in Fla. know that Meek/Greene are non-starters so the real choice will be Rubio or Crist.
EASY CHOICE ON THAT ONE!!!!!
Posted by: True Blue | August 11, 2010 at 02:41 PM
I've made my feelings clear on McCollum and Crist:
http://www.practicalstate.com/2010/08/09/as-the-florida-gop-goes-in-2010-so-goes-the-national-gop-in-2012/
here is a totally unrelated Post:
http://www.practicalstate.com/2010/08/11/gop-com-adopts-name-of-nazi-buzz-bomb-bloggybayou-recommends-they-hire-taiwanese-animators-instead/
Cheers
Posted by: Bloggy Bayou | August 11, 2010 at 04:34 PM