VIDEO: CHARLIE CRIST HECKLES MARCO RUBIO

Florida Governor Charlie Crist is circling the drain in more ways than one these days. There's a lot packed into this 30 second clip but after Rubio is noticeably bothered by Crist's repeated interruptions, he turns lemons into lemonade with the comment about never having to deal with hecklers as opponents, only in the audience. That was bad enough for Crist but he made it worse by telling Rubio, 'welcome to the NFL' which garnered boos.

Sorry to say it but Kendrick Meek has more class than Charlie Crist, who doesn't appear to have emotionally matured beyond his toddler years.

via Breitbart

VIDEO: CHARLIE CRIST'S FIRST PITCH WORST EVER

After watching this one, Barack Obama's first pitches don't seem all that bad. Obama had trouble reaching the catcher's mitt before the ball bounced and rolled but at least players in the dugout didn't have to dodge the throw, unlike the players participating in the ALDS between the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and the Texas Rangers. As Carter is likely glad Obama has taken the heat off him for 'worst president ever,' Obama is likely glad Crist has taken the heat off him for 'worst first pitch by a politician ever.'

Salt in the wound? Crist used to be a Quarterback for Wake Forest. Just watch.



h/t to Weasel Zippers

FORMER RINO CRIST ENDORSED BY REGISTERED SOCIALIST

Marco Rubio and the Tea Party should be all over this one. Florida Governor Charlie Crist was a known RINO until being one was no longer politically expedient but talk about coming full circle. Crist is embracing the endorsement he's getting from disgraced former congressman and registered member of the Democratic Socialists of America caucus, Robert Wexler. If ever there was proof positive that RINO's do, in fact exist, this should do it.

Via the Palm Beach Post:

"He's a strong and respected leader in South Florida and he shares many of the same values as Charlie Crist," said Danny Kanner, the governor's campaign press secretary. "It's a major boost for us."

Since bolting from the GOP in March when it became clear he couldn't beat Republican Marco Rubio, Crist has been courting moderate and liberal voters. To win the three-way race, he needs to woo them from Democratic candidate U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek.

Recent days have seen dueling endorsements. Vice President Joe Biden embraced Meek at a Democratic fund-raiser in Hollywood and said he and President Obama are "100 percent" behind his candidacy. Former Vice President Al Gore is to stump for Meek in Tampa on Friday.

Kanner declined to say which endorsement meant more - a Wexler nod or ones from Biden, Obama and Gore.

Oh, about Wexler being a registered socialist. HERE is the link.

h/t to Hapblog

VIDEO: BUSTED! CHARLIE CRIST ALLY SUPPORTS HAMAS

This entire video is a must-see. Marco Rubio needs to learn the name Imam Mohammed Musri and bring it up every chance he gets. Musri is a personal friend and ally of Rubio's strongest opponent, Charlie Crist. This is a big deal because on Crist's watch as governor, his buddy Musri was in a Florida mosque raising money for Hamas for the specific purpose of funding terrorism. This could be an impeachable offense for Crist if he knew this was going on.

A plea of ignorance from Crist is simply not believable. Musri is head of the Islamic Society of Central Florida (ISCF) and with a namesake so similar to an unindicted co-conspirator in the largest terrorism trial in the United States, that being the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), Crist would need an IQ in single digits not to stay away based on that alone. Even if you give him an undeserved pass on that, the North American Islamic Trust (NAIT), also an unindicted co-conspirator in the HLF trial owns the mosque where Musri is seen soliciting donations for Hamas. More on Crist's connection at Red County.

via Big Peace

VIDEO: MARCO RUBIO V. CHARLIE CRIST

If ever there was a debate that more clearly delineated the differences between two Republican candidates for Senate, it's this one with Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday. All through this campaign, Charlie Crist has been portrayed as the moderate candidate and Marco Rubio as the conservative one. This debate only serves to reinforce those notions. Frankly, I was surprised at how willing Charlie Crist was to entrench himself as a moderate Republican, esp. in this political climate.

For those who don't have time to watch the full 9+ minutes....

2:35 mark: Wallace challenges Crist on "the hug" between he and Obama over Crist's support of the Stimulus bill.

5:58 mark: Wallace references the only three Republican senators who voted for the Stimulus bill - Olympia Snowe (MN), Susan Collins (MN), and Arlen Specter (PA) - and then asks Crist if he'd have voted along with them if he was Senator. Shockingly, Crist says he would. This one should floor you.

7:40 mark: If you're a conservative in Florida and had any doubt who to vote for before this, it should be pretty clear after this. Wallace leads in by saying that Rubio identifies Jim DeMint (R-SC) as his favorite Senator (here, here). Conversely, Crist's favorite Senators are John McCain (R-AZ) and Lindsey Graham (R-NC). Wow.

Game, Set, Match..........Rubio.....Right?



Not so fast. Via Hot Air Pundit comes this video in which Crist seems to be dodging Wallace's questions about whether or not he would run as an Independent if he loses to Rubio:



Based on the fact that Crist is pointing to RINOs McCain and Graham as his Senatorial heroes, I am highly skeptical that he will run as an Independent when he loses to Rubio. I personally believe this is all pre-election banter designed to goad the other side. If Crist were to switch, it would create a lot of headaches for a Republican establishment that is more concerned with finding common ground, diffusing controversy, and appeasing its political opponents than it is in actually standing for something.

h/t to Patriots and Heroes

VIDEO: CHARLIE CRIST RESPONDS TO RINO ACCUSATIONS

Much of this video makes for ponderous viewing but the part worth watching starts at the 2:45 mark when Maggie Rodriguez of CBS asks Florida Governor Charlie Crist to respond to accusations that he's a RINO.

His response? Well, he attempts to discredit those who call him that by implying that they'd have to call Reagan a RINO as well.

Uh, sorry Charlie. Reagan wouldn't have signed on to the $787 Billion stimulus, nor would he have endorsed cap & trade.



Politico has more.

VIDEO: WHY CHARLIE CRIST IS NOW CRISP, AS IN TOAST

Not sure if he's already been re-named yet but he ought to be. Charlie "Crisp" is toast and the biggest reason is his alliance with Obama this time last year when the Stimulus bill was all the rage. Now, those who knew better are all EN-raged and Crisp was on the wrong side then. There's nothing he can do about it either.

Marco Rubio is pulling away and Crisp is going up in flames, mainly because of "The Hug".

Buh bye, Crisp. You're toast.

Watch "The Hug"



h/t to Hot Air Pundit

CORNYN STILL DOESN'T GET IT

There are some thick-headed Republican senators out there who just never seem to wise up. Texas senator John Cornyn voted for TARP despite his constituents overwhelmingly telling him not to. Those constituents were proven right. Back in May, as Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, Cornyn threw his support behind Florida Governor Charlie Crist for the 2010 SENATE RACE there despite conservative objections that it was too early and that Crist was too moderate.

Lo and behold, Marco Rubio is now neck and neck with Crist. Instead of Cornyn deferring to the conservative base of the Republican party after they proved him wrong again, he continues to double down, saying that conservatives need to be more realistic in their expectations in the 2010 elections.

Imagine how this race would look like now had the The National Republican Senatorial Committee, chaired by Cornyn, withheld support for Crist and let things play out. Erick Erickson at RED STATE also points out that the NRSC also scoffed at Pat Toomey's chances in Pennsylvania against Arlen Specter. Specter is now a reeling Democrat who looks very vulnerable.

So Cornyn and the NRSC jump into bed with Charlie Crist because of the poll numbers in Florida and now Crist is tied to or behind Marco Rubio. The NRSC also said Pat Toomey was not a viable alternative to Arlen Specter and even after Specter jumped to the Democrats, the NRSC worked valiantly to try to convince every other Republican in Pennsylvania to get in so they wouldn’t have to deal with Toomey.

Erickson goes on to explain the issue Cornyn and Republicans seeking to put up moderate candidates are facing:

Here is the problem for the NRSC and the Republican Establishment.

They are panicked.

The tea party movement outpolls the GOP.

The conservative challengers are performing as well as or better than the establishment picks.

The NRSC lost in Pennsylvania.
The NRSC is going to lose in Florida and California.
The NRSC is losing in Kentucky.
The NRSC may very well lose in Colorado and New Hampshire.

On a different but related note, everyone needs to remember what happened in 2004. Rick Santorum, along with Bush, threw his support behind Specter in the primaries, thereby dissing Toomey at the time. Specter won and Pennsylvania had two Republican senators. In 2006, Santorum lost his seat to Democrat Bob Casey in part, due to a lack of conservative turnout. In 2009, Specter became a Democrat.

End result? In late 2006, Pennsylvania had two Republican senators. In 2009, it had 2 Democrat senators by following the moderate Republican model.

No thanks. Cornyn needs to pipe down and get in line.

Read the WHOLE THING

VIDEO: MARCO RUBIO AD AN UPPER CUT TO CRIST

This ad will continue to hurt Crist and bolster Rubio because it serves to put the former in the same box as Obama, and rightfully so. Crist is opposed to offshore drilling and supported the $787 Billion stimulus bill as he hugged Barack Obama in a demonstration of that support.

Rubio has exploited "the hug" in an ad that will hurt Crist. As Obama's poll numbers continue to fall, look for Rubio's to rise because part of his strategy is obviously to tie the put the two on the same sinking ship. Have you seen Obama's poll numbers lately?

Another thing this ad does is demonstrate what's wrong with the stance of Gingrich and Steele which is party before movement.

The American people seem to be rejecting that idea very strongly, looking for a new direction.

VIDEO: CHARLIE CRIST IN TROUBLE

Yes, the video is extremely well done. Certainly, the music and the lighting go a long way in elevating Charlie Crist's 2010 Republican opponent, 38-year old Marco Rubio.

That said, don't overlook the strength of Rubio. He comes across as a very passionate and principled conservative who is concise and powerful in his speech. His message is resonating with people and as the conservative movement grows, so will he.

This video a must-see:



On another important note, I noticed that Rubio made a forceful statement about the Rifqa Bary case (17-year old girl who converted to Christianity and fled her Muslim parents - she is currently awaiting a judge's ruling on September 3rd). Here is Rubio's statement:

Miami, FL – U.S. Senate candidate and former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio today issued the following statement regarding Rifqa Bary’s court case:

“America has a rich tradition of religious freedom that is enshrined in our
First Amendment. Today in Florida, this freedom could be at stake as a court considers the case of 17-year old Rifqa Bary.

“This young woman fled from Ohio to Florida, fearing she would be killed for converting from Islam to Christianity. As the court weighs the facts of this case, I hope it will take her expressed fears seriously and not rush to an irreversible decision that may ultimately endanger her.

“It is imperative that state officials use every legal tool at their disposal to properly evaluate Rifqa’s best interests. Florida has a responsibility not only to protect her innocent life but also to defend her sacred right to worship freely.”

Yes, Crist is the one in the hotseat on this case as the Governor and may choose his words more carefully but Rubio's statement may ultimately help Crist do that right thing if the judge does not.

Here's a link to RUBIO'S SITE

VIDEO: CALL CHARLIE CRIST TODAY!

Fathima Rifqa Bary is a 17 year-old honor student and cheerleader who ran away to Florida from her Muslim parents in Columbus, OH after converting to Christianity. Today at 3:15pm ET, a judge will decide whether she be returned to her parents. Florida Governor Charlie Crist has the authority to intervene and prevent it.

Chelsea Schilling at WND REPORTS on Bary's circumstances and that the 17-year old fears for her life if sent back to her parents:

Bary, a native of Sri Lanka, hitchhiked to a bus station and ran away from home on July 19 because she says her family will murder her in what is known as an honor killing. In Islamic tradition, an honor killing is the customary slaughter of a person who is believed to have brought dishonor upon his or her family.

Based on her upbringing and reports of abuse, this hardly seems like a scare tactic on the part of the young lady.

Bary insists that if she is ordered to be given back to her parents, her life will be in danger. Apostasy (leaving Islam) is punishable by death under Shariah Law so the young lady has a legitimate concern. Many Muslims consider an apostate worse than an infidel (non-Muslim).



In order for Crist to match this lady's courage, he will need to do the right thing and intervene. If this girl is under threat of bodily harm (including death) and something happens to her, Crist will have blood on his hands. Bary is on video saying the following:

"I'm a Christian, and my parents are Muslim. They are extremely devout," she said. "They threatened to kill me. … You guys wouldn't understand. Islam is very different than you guys think. They have to kill me. My blood is now halal, which means that because I am now a Christian, I'm from a Muslim background, it's an honor. If they love God more than me, they have to do this. I'm fighting for my life. ..."

Bary is currently in foster care. The question is whether that will end at 3:15pm ET today or not.

On what grounds, Governor Crist? How about Freedom of Religion? Quoting Fathima:

"You talk about religious freedom? No! I don't have that. I want to be here. I want to worship Jesus freely. I don't want to die."

Crist is nothing short of a coward if there is even a tiny grain of truth to Fathima's story and he sends her back to her parents.

CONTACT CHARLIE CRIST Now!

Phone: 850-907-1218
Fax: 850-907-1219

Pablo Diaz, Political Director
Dane Eagle, Finance Director

BREAKING: MEL MARTINEZ TO RESIGN FROM SENATE

WSVN in Miami is reporting that Senator Mel Martinez is resigning from the Senate. If you remember the Blagojevich scandal, you know that the sitting Governor is responsible for appointing replacements to open senate seats.

Charlie Crist is the current governor of Florida and also planning on a Senate run. Will he appoint himself?

Here's the BREAKING STORY AT WSVN.

h/t to THIS FREEPER.

I wonder how MARCO RUBIO is taking the news.