Does Jeb Bush Back His Boys on Crist?

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Does Jeb Bush Back His Boys on Crist?
By: Teddy Partridge Wednesday May 27, 2009 3:30 pm	Tweet

Both sons of former Florida Governor Jeb Bush have let fly on current Governor Charlie Crist lately. Are these rogue operations, or does the former President’s brother also favor former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio for the 2010 GOP nomination for United States Senate?

Via Senate Guru at Swing State Project, here’s George P Bush back in February:

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R) is only a "light" version of a Democrat, former Gov. Jeb Bush’s (R) son claimed Saturday.

"There’s some in our party that want to assume that government is the answer to all of our problems," Bush said at a meeting of young Republicans, as reported by the Orlando News. "You know who I’m talking about," he added, referencing Crist.

After the speech, Bush said Crist is perhaps becoming more of a "D light" politician, not adequately in line with Republican politics.

Jeb Jr took a more direct route with a clear endorsement of Speaker Rubio:

Today I would like to let you know that I will be enthusiastically supporting my friend Marco Rubio for his bid for the United States Senate.

Florida and our country are at a crossroads. Not only in our economic life, but in who we are as Republicans. …

With Marco, we have a great opportunity to elect a true conservative and a greater obligation to elect a man of principle. …

If you can make a donation today to keep this effort going it will go a long way to bring back common sense and a return to conservative principles in Washington.

My question is: does Jeb Bush back his boys’ plays? Is Jeb onboard with Marco Rubio? Because the NRSC has anointed Charlie Crist their choice for the 2010 Senate race. And prodded by Glenn Beck and Redstate, the wingnut base is furious, threatening "not one dime" to John Cornyn’s Senate fundraising arm. Has this Senate primary turned into an inside/outside game, with Bushes yet again (laughably) cast as the outsiders?

Is former Governor Bush holding back on Crist to gauge the impact of a 2012 GOP presidential front-runner, Mike Huckabee, whose Rubio endorsement is imminent?

The former Arkansas governor will formally endorse Rubio in about two weeks, according to a Florida Republican familiar with the plans. The details of where the endorsement will take place have not been decided.

Rubio endorsed Huckabee’s presidential bid in late 2007.

Huckabee’s political action committee accidentally revealed the endorsement plans in an email to supporters on Tuesday evening that solicited donations for "candidates for Senate Huck PAC endorses."

"Candidates such as Marco Rubio of Florida," the e-mail said.

This drift away from Charlie is accelerating — it’s almost as if Floridians and conservative GOPs know something about Crist that is going to break wide open sometime soon, you know?

2 Comments

2 Responses to “Does Jeb Bush Back His Boys on Crist?”

maeme May 27th, 2009 at 5:51 pm

I am a Florida Republican. I do not love Jeb Bush. He left Florida bankrupt; we have a billion dollar revenue shortfall. Our universities have limited enrollments because of no state funding. Our state’s short-term investment and pension funds lost $334 million because he invested in Edison charter schools. They paid $40.00 a share and sold it at less than 15 cents a share. Hundreds of millions of public money has been lost or stolen by his cronies; while every tax advantage has been given to corporations and the wealthy. He privatized our state prisons, they are thriving businesses; gosh, just about every black man in Florida over 15 is there in Starke. He contracted Children and Families Services and many kids were just lost. The FCAT preps were owned by brother Neil’s company, and we just saw our our public education system stripped bare. He pulled a “special Terrie Shiavo debacle session” to take the media heat off the Abramoff scandal. Jeb was great at the dog and pony show at hurricane season, but when $69 million in Fema money was flagrantly dolled out to 2004 good re-election voters he never opened his mouth to condemn the actions; while actual hurricane victims stood in lines for clean water waiting for help that never came. His family situation is no Brady Brunch; his wife got caught smuggling, didn’t declare any duty on fancy dresses from Paris, his daughter is a prescription shopper and is in and out of rehabs, the oldest son has serious anger management issues, the other son has a bevy of documents on Smoking Gun for drunken brawls and fornicating in the back seats of cars but that’s how those good christians are at times. God forbide that Charlie Crist may believe in a woman’s right to choice and is not a fanatical. I am tired of the Bush family – no way do I want another one for president EVER. I will vote for Crist!!!!!!