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?

Tom Rooney is Florida Republican US House Candidate: Tom Rooney FL 16th District Candidate

Congressman Tom Rooney (R-FL) is up for re-election in November 2010 for Florida's 16th district House seat. Rooney's Democrat opponent is former St. Lucie County Commissioner Chris Craft. The following is Tom Rooney's biography. See a video below.

Tom Rooney

Professional Life: Rep. Rooney won the House seat in the 111th Congress from scandal-tainted Democrat Tim Mahoney in November 2008.Tom Rooney is a former U.S. Army Captain and U.S. Army JAG Corps member. He taught Constitutional and Criminal Law at West Point and says the five semesters there were the greatest experience of his life.  He is the recipient of two Army Commendation medals. He remains a JAG Corps officer in the Inactive Ready Reserve (IRR) of the U.S. Army Reserve.

Tom served as Special Assistant U.S. Attorney at Fort Hood, Texas prosecuting all civilian crimes on the base. He prosecuted more than ten trials successfully and won hundreds of convictions.

After his time at West Point, Rooney returned to Florida and went to work for Florida governor, Charlie Crist, as an Assistant Attorney General.

Rooney is an Associate at the law firm of Kramer, Sopko and Levenstein, P.A. in Stuart, Florida. Rooney is active in numerous children's charities. He holds two coveted committee appointments on the House Armed Services Committee and the Judiciary Committee.

District Map:

On the issues, Rooney is anti-abortion except when the life of the mother is at risk, he opposes same-sex marriage, is strongly for low taxes and small government, and supports offshore oil drilling. His greatest interest in The People's House is in foreign policy and national security.

Rooney opposed the $787 billion stimulus bill and his Democrat opponent, Chris Craft began running radio ads and automated phone calls in January 2009 slamming Rooney for opposing Obama. I wonder how that's working our for Craft these days. The National Republican Congressional Committee's (NRCC) Andy Sere went for the jugular, calling Craft, who has said he would have voted for ObamaCare, the "job-killing army of one" and blaming him for St. Lucie County's high unemployment rate. Craft was previously a Coca Cola sales market manager?

Rooney has voted with the Republican majority 93.% of the time. See Rooney's voting record here - he voted no on health care.

Education: He graduated the Benjamin School in North Palm Beach. He played football as a tight end and longsnapper for Syracuse University and Washington and Jefferson College where he earned his B.A. in English Literature in 1993. He was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity.

Rooney worked as a staff assistant for Sen. Connie Mack (R-FL) in Washington D.C. then returned to Florida and gained his Masters in political science at the University of Florida. He received his J.D. from the University of Miami Law School and joined the Florida Bar in 1999.

Family: Tom Rooney was born on November 21, 1970 in Philadelphia. He is 39 years old. His grandfather, Art Rooney, Sr., was the founder and owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers. His father Pat, is one of Art Rooney's five sons. His uncle, Dan Rooney is now the primary owner of the Steelers, and is Barack Obama's ambassador to Ireland. Dan Rooney endorsed Obama in the 2008 elections.

Rooney's teenage years were spent in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. His family owned a dog racing track and a "gambling company." As a teenager, he worked summers for the Steelers as a ball boy, he cleaned lockers and washed dishes.

Rooney met his wife, Tara, while in law school. Both of them spent over four years in the U.S. Army Jag Corps. The couple live in Tequesta, FL with their three sons, Tom Jr., Sean and Seamus. They are Roman Catholic.

According to a Facebook page, Mrs. Rooney is a real estate attorney and a licensed realtor. The Rooney's are avid campers. Tom enjoys reading American history and politics, gardening and a variety of sports including NASCAR.

Fun Stuff: PoliticoClick interviewed Tom Rooney. Here are snippets:

Politico: Who's your closest friend in Congress?
Rooney: Marcia Fudge, even though she's from Cleveland

Politico: And the biggest surprise?
Rooney: There really are Redskins fans

Politico: What's your favorite thing about the Capitol:
Rooney: Hanging out in Boehner's office, where he likes to remind me how fat I'm getting.

Politico: What'd you think about Rush Limbaugh wanting to buy the St. Louis Rams?
Rooney: He's a traitor! He was supposed to be a Steelers fan.

Read more at PoliticoClick

In the video below, Rep. Rooney talks about the unconstitutionality of Obama's health care legislation/law:




Tom Rooney on House Floor talking about Health Care (video)

Candidate Info

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Florida Elections November 2010

Incumbent Rep. Tom Rooney Serving Florida's 16th District

Brian Reilly Florida Republican US House Candidate - District 20

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

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?

Nevada Elections November 2010
Harry Reid Trails Sue Lowden - Reid Needs Crossover Republicans and Independents