Charlie Crist Jeb Bush Blackmail? Connie Mack Stands on Principle Dumps Crist

Charlie Crist may have tried to politically blackmail Jeb Bush's wallet, but like everything else Crist tries to do these days, it didn't work. In the same fallout, Crist's political mentor, former Senator Connie Mack (R-FL) resigned as Crist's campaign manager. Both Bush and Mack supported the education reform bill passed by the Florida legislature. Crist supported it before he didn't. Now he has vetoed the bill and is becoming a party-of-one.

Charlie Crist                          Jeb Bush

Crist wouldn't recognize 'principle' if it was tri-colored and perched on his desk corner. The Florida State Legislature just passed a school reform bill that ends teacher tenure and begins a program of 'merit pay' for achievement. Crist has said no other issue has put as much pressure on him as this bill. Governor Crist has vetoed his own party's bill.

His campaign manager, former senator, Connie Mack, resigned his position after Crist's veto, saying the veto was "unsupportable and wrong."

Following Mack's resignation as Crist's campaign chair, Republican endorsers from inside the state government have also begun to drop off the Crist bandwagon, leaving Crist increasingly isolated in his GOP Senate primary fight with Marco Rubio.

 Connie Mack                  Marco Rubio

Note to RINO National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) "picker," Senator John Cornyn - you can safely drop your Committee's support of Crist now, dontcha know? Move our monies and support to Marco Rubio. Senator John Cornyn says he is "honor-bound" to continue backing Crist. Well, I don't think so.

Former Florida Governor, Jeb Bush supported the education reform bill. He has not endorsed his successor, Charlie Crist. Maybe Charlie thought by waiting to the very, very last minute to veto or sign, Bush might endorse him in exchange for his signature. Didn't happen. Political blackmail didn't work.

Teachers and their unions do not like the bill. Crist's own father was a school administrator and he has sisters that were public school teachers. Is it such a radical idea that teachers be rewarded for their successes? A union environment, or a government worker doesn't understand that theory, but the rest of us do.

"My dad used to be chairman of the school board," said Crist, who was once the education commissioner. "Two of my three sisters have been public school teachers . . . I am hearing a lot about it everywhere. They're making very good suggestions from the heart."

According to this, Crist says Jeb Bush left a voicemail for Crist:

"He encouraged me to sign the bill," Crist said. "Shocking. God bless him."

How dismissive and patronizing is that?

Crist seems to think it's good politics to hint that Bush is trying to feather his own nest through his foundation for educational policy reform, the Bush Foundation for Florida's Future. Crist wants us to believe this is about padding Jeb Bush's wallet. What if it's about children learning more?

I doubt there is a single school district believing they have adequate funding for their school district. It never ends. It is never enough. I stumped my neighborhood streets to raise money for schools - years of doing so, bond issues, fundraisers...it is never enough.

Maybe Jeb can and will publicly endorse Marco Rubio now (his son Jeb has already done so). Maybe U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney (R-FL), whose alleged mentor is said to be Connie Mack, will now endorse Marco Rubio. Mack has to vote for someone. Will he endorse Rubio?

Related and Background:
Anointing Charlie Crist, Dismissing Marco Rubio 

Marco Rubio Challenges Charlie Crist

Marco Rubio CPAC Speech 2010 Transcript

Marco Rubio Gets Rudy Giuliani Endorsement

Did You Hear What charlie Crist Said Today?