Fla. Gov Marries Amid Protests

Door's open: 'anything possible' before Crist leaves office

(NEWSER) - His Senate bid may have failed, but outgoing Florida Gov. Charlie Crist may still make his mark ... on rock and roll history: He’s considering pardoning Jim Morrison for indecent exposure charges at a 1969 concert. “It's something I’m willing to look into in the time I have left,” Crist told the Hill . “Anything is possible.” Doors fans have long sought vindication for their hero. More»

Make them pay a price for 'ideological cleansing'

(NEWSER) - Charlie Crist is getting the shaft from the GOP because he hugged Barack Obama, literally and symbolically, writes Dana Milbank, who skewers Republicans for their "dogmatic race to the bottom." They're dumping him for far-right Marco Rubio, even though Crist gives them a better chance of winning Florida's Senate race. "Those of us who still hope that some measure of sanity can be restored to our absurdly polarized political system must wrap our arms around Crist—metaphorically, of course—and encourage him to run as an independent." More»

Says it's a ploy by rival Marco Rubio

(NEWSER) - The merry-go-round of accusations continues in the Senate race in Florida between Republican Gov. Charlie Crist and his more-conservative rival, Marco Rubio. In the latest, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel is reporting that Crist is ready to ditch the GOP to run as an independent. A Crist spokesman immediately denounced it as a fake story planted by the Rubio camp as retaliation and an attempt to "distract voters," notes Talking Points Memo . 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.

LeMieux is the Florida governor's former chief of staff

(NEWSER) - Florida Governor Charlie Crist has appointed his former campaign manager and chief of staff to fill the Senate seat of Mel Martinez, MSNBC reports. George LeMieux will represent the state until next year's election, when Crist himself will vie for the GOP nod. “George is bright, capable, and an accomplished administrator," Martinez says. Dems have a dimmer view: “Charlie Crist came as close as he could to appointing himself to this position,” says the party's Senatorial Campaign Committee. More»