The Republican Party of Florida is, to use a technical political term, all messed up.
It started with former chairman Jim “Big Jim” Greer’s treating the party’s coffers like his personal piggy bank and then setting up a shell business to skim “commissions” off donations. He is now under indictment on theft and money-laundering charges, though it seems his lawyers might be successful in pushing his trial to 2011 — after the midterms.
Meanwhile, as Greer apparently works through guilt counseling or something, he has apologized for accusing President Obama of trying to indoctrinate schoolchildren into socialism by telling them to study and do their homework last year. Said Greer in a text message: “Many within the GOP have racist views and I apologize to the president for my opposition to his speech last year and my efforts to placate the extremists who dominate our party today.” Hey, how did a disgraced Republican get Obama’s cellphone number to send him a text message, anyway?
Meanwhile, the RPOF is considering suing Florida Gov. Charlie Crist for travel and other expenses he incurred in 2007-09 back in the good old days when he was a Republican. Last weekend a committee voted to expand an audit of the party’s books with an eye toward recouping some shekels from the now-independent Tanned One. Said Crist: “I think it’s the typical political-season stuff that we’re going to see this season. It’s just sad … I don’t even know what they’re talking about.”
Meanwhile, The RPOF still refuses to release its internal audit of party finances that has been promised since shortly after Greer’s removal back in February. New party boss Jim Thrasher promised it again in July, but now says that since the party is considering suing Crist, it can’t be released yet. As the Orlando Sentinel points out:” After all, wouldn’t releasing it raise questions about the party leadership’s financial acumen? After all, Mr. Thrasher and other party honchos signed an agreement in January that clearly stated all expenditures made during Mr. Greer’s term as chairman were proper.” Doh!
Meanwhile, Crist just made another one of his now-famous and almost daily flip-flops by coming out, er, not that kind, in support of civil unions, adoption by same-sex couples and doing away with the military’s ban on openly gay soldiers. Crist’s Democratic opponent for Senate, U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek, called it “too little too late.” He and the Republican nominee, Marco Rubio, noted the governor had backed a 2008 amendment to the state constitution banning same-sex marriage, flip-flopped on the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell policy” earlier this year and opposed gay adoption in his 2006 campaign.
Meanwhile, Rubio is under fire from State Sen. Mike Fasano, a longtime Charlie Crist supporter, who wants the state GOP to release full records detailing Marco Rubio’s use of a party American Express card. “This is my party, the Republican Party, and they have a responsibility to show everything, not just partial,” Fasano said. “Let’s put everything out on the table.”
Meanwhile, sore loser Florida attorney general and erstwhile gubernatorial candidate Bill McCollum was a conspicuous no-show at a Republican Party of Florida quarterly meeting last weekend at Disney World. But he offered no apologies: “I thought it might be better if I weren’t there,” he said. But he promised to attend the next quarterly meeting — in December, well after the elections.
