For Democrats, an identity crisis
Published: Monday, May 25, 2009 at 1:00 a.m.
Last Modified: Sunday, May 24, 2009 at 5:08 p.m.
For years, Gov. Charlie Crist has been the subject of ceaseless musing among Republicans about his conservative credentials. National pundits have picked up the theme, classifying Crist among a new wave of moderate populists who can rescue the party, or destroy its soul.
Ignored is the similar identity crisis Crist causes in Democrats. Few if any Democratic lawmakers have anything bad to say about Crist, welcoming his willingness to listen to their concerns after years of hostile shunning from Gov. Jeb Bush. His closest friends in the Legislature have been former Sen. Steve Geller and Sen. Dan Gelber, South Florida Democrats who Crist has consulted on matters as varied as voting access and property insurance rates.
The ambivalence Democrats feel was on full display last week.
The love came when Crist signed a bill that will help rural Gadsden County, the state's only predominantly black county, just west of Tallahassee, keep its one hospital open. At a press conference, Crist kissed Rep. Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda, D-Tallahassee, on the cheek and firmly hugged Rep. Alan Williams, D-Tallahassee. Both praised Crist for helping the oft-ignored community of Perry.
Just hours later though, the Florida Democratic Party launched the "Cut and Run Crist" Web site, ripping the governor for "leaving the mess he created to someone else" as he preps for a 2010 U.S. Senate run.
"In the face of mounting problems, Floridians expect bold leadership and real solutions from our elected officials. Unfortunately, Charlie Crist has cut and run on the Sunshine State, once again taking the easy way out, avoiding responsibility and leaving the hard work of facing Florida's problems to the next governor," an FDP statement declared. "The Florida Democratic Party will continue using all means of communications to aggressively hold Charlie Crist accountable for his failures and to reach out to Floridians as we work to bring change to Florida."
Crist and gun lobby
Gov. Crist got a visit last week from Marion Hammer, the former president of the National Rifle Association and the longtime lobbyist for the Unified Sportsmen of Florida.
Hammer is upset because lawmakers moved $6 million out of a trust fund in the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services that pays for the processing of concealed weapons permits. The trust fund transfer was part of a broader move by lawmakers to use unspent money in the numerous state trust funds to make up a budget shortfall that once approached $6 billion.
Other trust fund "raids" are also drawing heat, including the $120 million transfer from the state road-building fund.
Crist, who will act on the $66.5 billion state budget in the coming week, said he is taking those objections into account as he reviews the budget bill but he has yet to make any final decisions.
As for his meeting with Hammer on Thursday, Crist said: "We had a very good discussion."
"She's quite an advocate as you know," he added. "I have enormous respect for her and I am a supporter of the Second Amendment.
But Crist was not ready to tip his hand yet.
"I look forward to giving that potential veto a thoughtful review and making a decision next week," he said.
The report cards
We'll be getting a flood of post-session rankings by special interest groups in the coming weeks, usually offering little shock. Business groups rate Republicans as nearly perfect and education and environmental groups generally favor Democrats.
One of the first report cards came from the Florida Chamber of Commerce. Nearly half of the Florida Legislature received an "A" grade from the business group, with 53 Republicans in the House and Senate voting for every Chamber-favored measure 100 percent of the time.
The lowest-rated Republican in the Chamber report was Lakeland Sen. Paula Dockery, who voted with the Chamber position 46 percent of the time. That's the same as Sen. Dan Gelber, D-Miami Beach, who may run for a statewide office as one of the party's bright stars in 2010.
The two top lawmakers -- House Speaker Larry Cretul, R-Ocala, and Senate President Jeff Atwater, R-North Palm Beach -- received 100 percent grades.
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