Crist Denies Stimulus Support

(AP) TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Gov. Charlie Crist is saying he did not endorse the $787 billion federal stimulus bill, a statement that might confuse some voters.

Crist appeared with President Barack Obama in February to support the bill, asked Florida members of Congress to vote for it and previously told The Associated Press that he would have voted for it if he had been in the Senate.

But when the Republican governor talked about the bill Wednesday on CNN, he said he didn't endorse it. Crist told CNN he understood that the bill was going to pass and wanted to use it for the benefit of Florida.

Crist has tried to distance himself from Obama and the stimulus bill since entering the 2010 Senate race in the spring.

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Comments

[ishkaboodle]

Question: Why IS the GOP rushing towards the wackie fringe?
Any stats on an estimated size of this constituency these GOP-ers appear to be courting? Nonsensical considering the demise of the party seems to have begun when hijacked by the Dobson crowd.

If Crist hopes to beat out Rubio with the neo-cons, he needs to hire a new strategist. No contest.

[Altruth]

Crist is a fooooooooooooooool, he could have ran as an Independent and won but now he just shot himself in the foot. When will these people learn that when you go against our AWESOME President you lose!

[ishkaboodle]

Exactly. As a floridian, I can attest to the fact that Crist has been a do-nothing gov throughout his term. He doesn't have much to point at when it comes to accomplishments. Being level headed when it came to the stim set him apart to independents and moderates, making him more palatable.

He could have appealed to a moderate base, which had been increasing in the state of florida prior to the financial crisis in our state. I for one considered him the "less scarey" alternative to the obvious heir to the throne in our good ol' boy state-- Rubio.

[ipastor01]

Politically speaking, denial, even it is completely true that he supported the stimulus, may be the smart politics in Florida. Considering that some Republican have completely given up on facts, statistics, demographics and reason, to concentrate only in right-wing ideology.

Furthermore, as an Independent, let me say that the Governors races in NJ and VA were won by the best candidates running, Republicans that were close to the middle, or at least they ran on that platform. Corzine deserved to loose and so did Hoffman in NY-23, Deeds in VA was more conservative than even some Virginia Republicans.

[JamesAndre]

I don't know about that. I was happy to sit on the sidelines until this blatant lie.

[Gabrielle]

being a c oward and only thinking of climbing to the top are his best features....
Thank g od we have Alan Grayson in Florida

[ipastor01]

Grayson... the Democrat's Michelle Bachmann?? Yeah Right...is the lack of a serious person to run against Crist the problem there. Little Al is not nearly as good and effective as Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz, she is a serious person. He does not have the clout in the Democratic Party as Bachmann does in the GOP (thank god), and even the NY Times called him a "wingnut" and they are right.

[Altruth]

Note to you: It doesn't take much to have clout in the Republican Party - lets not forget the Leader of the GOP is a talk show Entertainer!

[BlueFloyd]

you make some good points, but your false equivalency cuts your entire post off at the knees.

[rollingdivision]

$787,000,000,000 and 10.2 percent (measusred) unemployment, Crist should deny he's even heard of the obama stimulus. It's actually about $1,000,000,000,000 and 18 percent unemployment if those who have given up, are under employed or working only part time are counted.

[funinthesun]

The man has absolutely no spine. He clearly endorsed the plan last year, now he's denying it because of a primary challenge ? This guy is as bad as Michael Steele ! If Crist had any balls he would say . "yes, I was for it and this is what the stimulus money did for Florida>." That's what Schwarzenegger did her in California explaining how the stimulus money saved 60,000 teachers jobs that were on the block. He made very clear the state did not have the money , so those folks would have been gone were it not for the stimulus money. That is what Crist could have done.
But then again he doesn't admit to be gay either so it is kind of in character. Watch the documentary "outrage" on HBO or HBO on Demand if you have the chance. It explains a lot about todays GOP.

[IsyFleur]

A little cowardice, maybe?

[TopJack]

Charlie denies a lot of stuff. A LOT of stuff.

[BlueFloyd]

hello frisco!

[Etherealechidna]

Not to brandish my "holier than thou" Teutonic coat of arms, but to quote Alexandre Dumas "Life is a storm...You will bask in the sunlight one moment, be shattered on the rocks the next. What makes you a man is what you do when that storm comes" Has ANYONE displayed leadership to lead us out of the storm? True some like Crist are deceptive little curmudgeons that gleefully ingest self induced vomit, but the state of the world is grim, the sky darkens-- who will lead us to that distant little spot where the sun faintly showers its life-living, life-preserving rays?

[BocaMom]

You can't blame him. The Stimulus Bill was a total waste of billions of dollars just supporters contributors to Nancy Pelosi and friends! Pelosi and the do nothing Congress don't care about the economy and 10% unemployment. If they did, you would have seen the same effort as they have with health care reform. No wonder we got out clocks cleaned in New Jersey and Virginia! And 2010 and 2012 is not going to be any better unless the fix the economy quickly!

[UpwardOverTheMountain]

Can't blame him, BocaMom?...of course we can. My, how the right-elite has intermittent amnesia when it's convenient for them! First, Crist supported the stimulus in the beginning and now that he's quitting Florida he wants to separate himself from it. The Republican way is to deny, deflect and delay. And you are misinformed if you think the stimulus hasn't helped. Case in point: the COBRA subsidy. As a HR rep, it has been heartbreaking to inform our laid off employees that their COBRA premiums for a family of THREE was $1,636/month prior to the stimulus passage. Now, because of the stimulus, they are only required to pay 35% of that premium, instead of the usual 102% allowable by law prior to the stimulus bill passage. That means laid off employees won't have to choose between feeding and housing their families or having health insurance.

But I'm sure you probably have no idea what I'm talking about since you live in Boca Raton.

Lastly, as for the "do nothing members of congress" (i.e. the GOP members of congress, you know, the ones who deflect and delay the process) -- I suppose you haven't read the headlines that the GOP have been delaying the extension of unemployment insurance? These are the same people YOU helped to elect!! So, for once, climb down off of your high horse and consider the source. If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem.

[BlueFloyd]

bang!

[WinterParkMom]

Why do you keep scrubbing me!!!???

[mcmutter]

The outright lying by Republicans still amazes me.

[rockymthi]

Yet another truth telling, God fearing, Republican standing firm in his beliefs.

[AFAN]

Charlie Crist you might as well switch to Indepedent or challenge Kendrick Meeks in the Democratic Primary.

[the964kid]

I don't understand why politicians try this in the era of youtube and 24/7 online & cable news coverage. It's just to easy to find the truth. Maybe he should switch parties, instead of bending his views into a political pretzel.