Florida Gov. Backs McCain as Race Turns Nasty

Use of Talking Heads song 'Road to Nowhere' at issue

(NEWSER) - David Byrne has sued Charlie Crist for $1 million, saying the Florida governor used the Talking Heads song "Road to Nowhere" in an ad without permission. Crist, who was then running in the Republican Senate primary, used the song in an attack ad targeting Marco Rubio. "I was pretty upset by that," Byrne tells Billboard . More»

Up in the polls, Rubio gets party blessing

(NEWSER) - The Republican Party is making a none-too-subtle push to get onetime golden boy Charlie Crist out of Florida's Senate race. “We believe there is zero chance Gov. Crist continues running in the Republican primary,” says the executive director of the National Republican Senate Committee. The group once tried to push Marco Rubio aside for Crist, but that was before Rubio opened a 20-point lead in the polls, reports the Miami Herald . More»

Health care reform law opposition becomes Republican litmus test

(NEWSER) - The push to repeal health care reform has become a rallying cry for GOP candidates pushing for big congressional victories this year and eager to show their willingness to take on the Democratic agenda. In Florida, Gov. Charlie Crist and conservative upstart Marco Rubio agreed on little else in a weekend debate, during which Crist used the issue to appear just as ready as Rubio to fight President Obama. John McCain and Sarah Palin delivered a similar message while stumping for his re-election. More»

Florida Senate candidate says he repaid personal expenses

(NEWSER) - Marco Rubio, a Republican candidate for Senate in Florida, used his party’s credit card to pay for his groceries, repairs for his family minivan, purchases at his local wine store, and other personal expenses while he was speaker of Florida’s house. Documents obtained by the Miami Herald outline $13,900 in non-political expenses charged to the party American Express card—which is problematic, because IRS rules say donations to parties must be spent exclusively on influencing elections. More»

Perry and KBH face off; Tea Party mounts challenge in Fla.

(NEWSER) - The 2010 primaries will see the GOP repairing its identity and soul-searching among Democrats. The 10 most important races, according to Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post :

1. Texas governor, R: Rick Perry is running for an unprecedented third term, and voters seem to approve. But Kay Bailey Hutchison is a popular, crafty, and well-funded opponent.
2. Florida Senate, R: The looming battle between Gov. Charlie Crist and former state House Speaker Marco Rubio is being closely watched as a bellwether of the rift between GOP moderates and the insurgent Tea Party movement.