SPECIAL OF THE DAY: The “Last Minute” Waffle

Crist-Crossin’ Charlie’s House of Waffles

TALLAHASSEE - Major media today ripped Charlie Crist's last minute turnaround on the Republican legislature's failed insurance bill:

 

Crist reverses course on insurance bill ‘veto'

Republican candidate Charlie Crist changed his position on whether he would have vetoed a property insurance bill had he been governor

Miami Herald

October 27, 2006

"Upon further reflection: Never mind.

"That's the message Republican Charlie Crist's campaign sent out late Thursday, after the attorney general suggested he would have vetoed the controversial property insurance bill passed by state lawmakers and signed by the governor this year.

"The new position: no veto...

"Crist didn't answer when asked Thursday where he was as the Legislature negotiated the insurance bill..."

 

Crist says he would have vetoed GOP's insurance bill

Palm Beach Post

October 27, 2006

"Under constant barrage by his Democratic rival for governor for ‘failing to stand up' to the insurance industry, Charlie Crist on Thursday abandoned his Republican Party on the hurricane insurance issue, saying he would have vetoed this spring's GOP-written property insurance bill...

"‘He was absolutely AWOL,' said incoming House Democratic Leader Dan Gelber of Miami Beach, who this spring unsuccessfully pushed the original version of Davis' plan. ‘We really could have used the help.'

"Crist... said that calling a news conference to oppose something was not something he ordinarily does. ‘Grandstand? That's not my style. I'm not a grandstander,' Crist said.

"Crist, however, has through the years frequently used news conferences and news releases to present his positions on various issues. And Crist did comment on several other bills in the session's closing days.

"On April 21, his office sent out a news release lauding legislative passage of a ‘false witness' bill that cracked down on giving misleading statements to police. On May 4, his office put out a news release praising a bill that created a Cybercrime Unit within the attorney general's office...

"Crist has had a range of reactions to the plan now advocated by Davis. In June, he told The Post that the idea - at the time pushed by Davis' Democratic primary opponent - had ‘merit' and sounded better than the system currently in place.

"Two weeks ago, when Davis announced his support for the proposal, Crist welcomed Davis' entry into the discussion, but pointedly neither criticized nor praised the idea itself.

"But on Tuesday, in the first general election debate between the two candidates, Crist called Davis' idea a ‘risky scheme' - a stance that his campaign has included in a new ad that began airing Thursday..."

 

Dems say Crist ducked insurance crisis

Tampa Tribune "March on Politics" Blog

October 26, 2006

"‘At no point in this entire battle was Charlie Crist anywhere to be found. He was absolutely AWOL," Gelber said on a conference call arranged by the Jim Davis campaign. Gelber is the Democrats point-man on insurance reform...

"'For him to suggest he would have vetoed it is pretty outrageous,' Gelber said. ‘Charlie Crist was nowhere when he needed to be standing up and fighting on this issue. We could have really used the help, honestly.'

"Davis, who trails Crist in the polls but may be gaining, said Crist's claim to reporters was a sign "we're on the eve of an election."

"Fighting ‘the powerful insurance lobby in Tallahassee' is a staple of the Davis campaign. ‘The attorney general had his chance to stand up and he didn't. I will as governor,' Davis said.

"Reporters traveling with Crist apparently pressed him more today about why he stayed out of the fight. Why, one asked, didn't he call a news conference to speak out against the bill if he opposed it?

"According to one reporter who was there, Crist said, ‘That's not my style I'm not a grandstander.'"

 

Crist now objects to insurance measure

Sarasota Herald-Tribune (New York Times Regional Newspapers)

October 27, 2006

 "Gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist's statement that he probably would have vetoed a property insurance bill passed by the Republican Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Jeb Bush in May drew criticism from Democrats on Thursday -- and puzzlement from some of his GOP supporters.

"Crist now says he objects to the bill passed on the last night of the legislative session...

"'It's pretty outrageous that five months after the bill is signed by the governor he shows up at the battle and announces he is ready to charge,' said incoming House Democratic leader Dan Gelber of Miami Beach.

"...Gelber called Crist's statement ‘disingenuous,' saying he played no role when Democratic lawmakers and others tried to stop the bill that was rammed through the Legislature.

"'I don't remember him weighing in with anybody at any time, anywhere,' Gelber said...

"Rep. Dennis Ross, R-Lakeland, led the negotiations for the insurance bill and is a Crist supporter. He said Thursday he was ‘surprised' to hear Crist say he would've vetoed the bill...

"Crist turned uncharacteristically testy when explaining why he didn't publicly express his opposition to the bill when lawmakers were still crafting the measure."