Bill Clinton on behalf of Crist, attempted to get Meek to drop out, but Meek said it wasn't serious

[Divine Discontent]

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/plum-line/2010/10/charlie_crist_asked_clinton_ca.html


Charlie Crist personally called a top adviser to Bill Clinton and asked if the former president would discuss with Kendrick Meek the possibility of dropping out of the Florida Senate race, according to a source close to Clinton.

The revelation adds a bit more detail to a story breaking tonight that's roiling the Florida race. Politico's Ben Smith reported this evening that Clinton tried to persuade Meek to drop out of the race and almost succeeded. Meek has adamantly denied that he ever considered dropping out.

According to a source close to Clinton, the former president's conversations with Meek were directly initiated by Crist. He called top Clinton lawyer Doug Band and asked him if Clinton would make the appeal directly to Meek, the source tells me.

Crist's role in trying to get Clinton to persuade Meek to consider dropping out will add to a sense of Crist's desperation in the final days of a race that appear to be swinging towards Marco Rubio.

By Greg Sargent | October 28, 2010; 9:54 PM ET