Former Florida GOP chief pleads guilty, spares Marco Rubio & Charlie Crist

[Hugabear]

http://www.nationaljournal.com/politics/how-charlie-crist-and-marco-rubio-were-spared-embarrassment-20130212

Accusations of sexual impropriety; funneling campaign money through secret corporations; golf carts allegedly full of prostitutes--it was the spilling of damning Florida political secrets that wasn’t.

In a surprise move Monday, former Florida GOP Chairman Jim Greer pleaded guilty to five criminal charges, averting what many in the state expected to be a long and drawn out airing of dirty laundry with big ripple effects, into the 2014 governor’s race. As the Tampa Bay Times' Adam Smith put it, "You could practically hear the gasp of relief from Florida Republican leaders Monday when [Greer] pleaded guilty to theft and money laundering charges, sparing them a sordid, two-week trial."

The implications of the trial would have been damaging. Former Republican Gov. Charlie Crist, who's looking to regain the office in 2014 as a Democrat, handpicked Greer as his party chairman. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., might have been made to testify about his personal use of the GOP state party’s credit card while speaker of the state House. The last thing someone with national prospects wants is being dragged into such a sordid sideshow.

If Greer had gone to trial, the water bottle incident would have been the least of Rubio's worries. Makes you wonder who paid Greer off to take such a dive.

[Cirque du So-What]

1. Perhaps he got an offer he couldn't refuse

in the truest Godfather sense of the phrase. Could he have received a threat of being 'suicided' if he started to sing?

[Baitball Blogger]

2. This was already posted, but, it's good to point out that Charlie Crist also benefited

from this development.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014395987

[Hugabear]

3. I have never trusted Charlie Crist, and I will never trust him

Charlie Crist is all about Charlie Crist. He personifies the stereotype of a politician who will say anything, take any position to get himself elected. This is the same guy who earned the nickname "Chain Gang Charlie" when he was Florida's AG for his position on prison chain gangs.

The fact that he's now a Democrat means nothing to me, if the political winds in Florida were to reverse, I have no doubt he'd go back to being a rethug.

I suppose he is better than Rick Scott - although that's not really saying very much.