Crist wants to be Lieberman

This may be a bit too inside-Sunshine State for ya'll - but take this as I&W that Crist is preparing the ground to stick the middle finger to FL Republicans.

After weeks of protest and a deluge of messages, Gov. Charlie Crist on Thursday vetoed a bill that would link teacher pay to student test scores and wipe out tenure for new teachers.

"I know in my heart it's the right thing to do,'' Crist said of his veto.

His decision, announced shortly after noon in a Capitol news conference, came as little surprise. Although Crist initially voiced support for the bill, he had distanced himself over the past week as protests mounted.

"I say we must start over,'' the governor said. "This bill has negatively affected the morale of our parents, teachers and students.''

This was in a way a test vote for Crist, as this bill was considered critical for FL Republicans trying to shake some sense into the publick edu'u'ma'kational sustem.

... former governor Jeb Bush, an ardent supporter of SB 6, left a voicemail.

"He encouraged me to sign the bill," Crist told the Associated Press. "Shocking. God bless him."

But Crist said the content of the legislation and the manner of its adoption was "significantly flawed."

The Florida Senate passed the bill 21-17; it got through the House of Representatives by a 64-55 vote. The bill had strong support among Republican Party leadership, but some in the GOP joined Democrats in opposition.

Throw this into the mix,

Marco Rubio has opened up an elephant-sized 56 - 33 percent lead over Gov. Charlie Crist in Florida's U.S. Senate Republican primary, but in a three-way general election with Rubio on the GOP line, Crist as an independent and Democratic U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek, Crist has a razor- thin edge, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today.

Gov. Crist leads Meek 48 - 34 percent in a general election matchup, while Rubio's margin over the Democrat is just 42 - 38 percent, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University survey finds.

If Crist were to file as an independent for the general election, he would get 32 percent of the vote, compared to Rubio's 30 percent and Meek's 24 percent.

One of the reasons that Rubio came from nowhere to top Crist in the polls is that most in FL view Crist as an opportunist and most of his moves were always about Crist. The fact that he never runs for re-election but only the next higher office is part of it.

Would Crist take his ball and go Indy if/when Rubio wins the Republican primary? He says no, but this is politics.

What I do know is that the Democrats and Crist loyalists will push him in that direction - stroke his ego - feed his feeling of betrayal by FL Republicans.

Interesting thing to watch, this will be (says Yoda).

As for the veto - about all this will do is ensure that almost all the State Senators and Representatives with an (R) after their name are going to work for Rubio.

Strange - I thought Crist was of Greek extraction, not Italian.